bozman

This tallies with what Wellens said i.e. " We are quite close to the limit at the moment". Sounds like they are taking a very keen interest in our wage bill at present. Re Bury - I was told by someone who knows the chairman that they get around it by taking loans out through companies that are separate to to the football club so the debt doesn't belong to the club and therefore doesn' t effect FFP. However, he didnt really explain how that money made it's way in to the club playing budget without being considered a loan. He also told me the alleged ultimate source of the money - but I wouldn't repeat that on a public forum!

Second part of the Wellens press conference is on ifollow now. Sounds like we can't register the new players until the takeover is done because we would breach FFP. He said we're very close to the line at present and need to get more players out too. Said he'd ideally like 5 new signings and they will be all be good players whove played at a higher level but won' be journeyman nearing the end of their careers.

Check again tòmorrow. The manager does a press conference on a Thursday. The first part is conducted by the Latics media guy and goes on ifollow soon after. In the second part, any journalist who has turned up gets to ask any additional questions they have. This is also filmed but doesn't go on ifollow straight away. The journalists have 24 hours to get their stories out on their media platforms. Usually the video is then posted on ifollow as 'press conference part 2' the following afternoon. This seems like a pretty fair system to me. It allows the journos to get some decent new content out there before it goes on ifollow. The reason a lot of the info wasn't in the first ifollow interview is that the Latics media guy didn't ask any questions about Davies, Menig, the takeover etc.

Ah well... You may want to listen to Wellens interview today. We haven't actually registered the signing yet.

Yes, that's probably true.

Interesting. That sounds like he is prepared to let Davies go if he can get the type of striker he wants in as a replacement.

That's interesting. Wellens said something that may have been related to this in his press conference. When talking about McEleney he said, "We have to be careful about when we register him..." I've no idea what he meant by that but thought it sounded a bit strange.

Wellens press conference highlights: Close to bringing 2, possibly 3, players in. Would like 2 new faces in the team for Saturday. Wants 2 new strikers in the window - says we need more pace up front. Is desperately trying to get Kean Bryan back in and is ringing him personally every day. Other clubs interested though. Wants to get McEleney in asap but he's not fully fit yet and is wary of him breaking down if he puts him in too soon. Says we need this type of player as teams have sussed us out at home and just sit in rather than attack us, so need more guile to break them down. Tough decision to let Clarke go but feels that he's not suited to the back up role as he looks leggy and sluggish if he isn't playing every game, and getting his wage off the books frees up a decent amount of money. Said that Jewell left because he was frustrated with the poor quality of training facilities compared to the places he is used to working, no problem between them.

Portsmouth News journalist says they are not in for Davies: "Sorry to be the Transfer Window Grinch, but am told links with Wes Thomas and Craig Davies are absolute codswallop. Faceless ITK accounts are really great, aren’t they. #Pompey"

Different situation. Shrewsbury getting a loan extension agreed before the window opened doesn't necessarily mean none of ours will be back. The situation with our 3 favourite loanees is complicated by the fact that there is interest from other clubs in all of them. This will likely mean that the loaning clubs will probably have the option of selling or be able to negotiate terms more favourable to them for the next loan. In the case of Byrne, Bryan and Doyle this made it inevitable that they would all go back to their parent club for a time, whilst negotiations progress, before they either move on elsewhere or come back here. Obviously the situation with Doyle is further complicated by his illness/injury. I don't expect them all to back but wouldn't be surprised to see one of them back before the end of the window, possibly as a permanent signing.

Just some perspective. The players had to go back to their clubs, even if they are coming straight back here. Their loans have expired and it will take at least a day or 2 to sort out the return of any of them who are coming back. So ...... Wilson should be back in time to take his place on the bench on Saturday

It seems like the first priority now is to get a back up keeper in, in time for Saturday, as both Ruddy and Wilson have gone.

Don't think we can even begin to consider it unless we have a capable replacement lined up.

Confirmed that 5 loan players have gone back to their clubs https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2018/january/03012018-loanees-return-to-parent-clubs/

Well, according to Wellens in one of his post match interviews they look fresher and stronger because they are fitter than us. He said they are by far the fittest team in the division. I guess the obvious question then is why can't he fix that as fitness should be one thing you can improve much more quickly than ability? He did say that Davies' performance was hampered by an injury he is carrying and that Holloway couldn't walk yesterday so wasn't able to start. He also hinted that he thinks some players may not be putting 100% effort in by saying that some of the team could learn from the example Fane sets by always giving it everything he has got for every minute he is on the pitch.

I wonder if Wellens was refering to this message board when he recently said some people over react to both good and bad results. I sat with some Shrews fans today and it was interesting to get their perspective on us. They felt we were worthy of a point. They said ours was one of the better away performances they had seen this season. They thought the Davies incident was a definite penalty and red card ( I actually thought he dived at the time but haven't seen a replay yet). Interestingly one of them commented that, despite their success so far this season, the football has been quite dull to watch as they are grinding out lots of 1-0 wins in games of few chances. He said it must be nice for us to watch a team involved in a lot of high scoring games. We weren't great today compared to the stuff we were playing a couple of months ago but i don't think the sky is falling in quite as much as some people are suggesting on here tonight. The difference, in my opinion, was that they just looked a little bit fresher and a little bit stronger than us today.

They are shopping for a direct replacement for Powell before selling apparently so think it most likely he'll move on. I heard it will be difficult for him to get back in at Wigan, regardless of form/ability, because he's upset a few people there.

Signing confirmed now. 2 and a half year deal https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2017/december/29122017-patrick-mceleney-signing/

I don't think Deyers was being serious about the takeover falling through, more a reference to Rigsby's glass half empty approach to all things Latics. I'm pretty sure it's still on at the moment. Abdallah was at the game on Boxing Day.

Some harsh words for Byrne from Wellens in the MEN - "He looks good on the ball but his end product is no assists". http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/oldham-jack-byrne-kean-bryan-14090203 Sounds more and more like he won't be back after Monday.

Sounds like Wigan might use him as bait for the Hearts winger they want to sign.

Wellens seemed a bit tetchy in his interview this morning. He said it would be difficult to keep Doyle now because of his injury. It sounds like this started from a shoulder injury and he'll be out for a while. On the other loanees, he was gushing in his praise for Bryan and said he wants him to stay but, unless I missed it, he didn't mention Byrne.

Heard Wellens on radio Manchester. He said Doyle won't be fit for Saturday. But interestingly he may have dropped a hint that he might be staying. When asked what he wanted for 2018 he said for Doyle to get fit and back playing and to get to Wembley in the checkatrade.

They filmed it at the house of one of groundstaff.

Wellens said in his Thursday interview they would be in today for a recovery session because he wanted to give them Christmas day off.