eddyblue

Its a serious question and merits a serious answer. Best i can come up with is a quality midfield general. This can transform a team of average journeyman into a force to be reckoned with Examples Johnstone, Bryceland and more recently Wellens. As it is a team of mainly above average League One players look laboured and - as we have seen - clueless on occasions

No help needed lol Fact is that intelligent* responsible* so called athletes should have more sense than to overdo the bevvying (* or is that the problem with some at OAFC)

Not getting pissed at an open night for fans does not amount to living like a monk - does that help?

There is a distinction between "reports" and "facts". I wasn't at the dogs night, but some who were have posted that the involvement of Shez was secondary to the main incident. Where do the reports of a "drinking culture" originate and is there any substance to them? Thats why at the moment I am sitting on the fence. But I agree that the whole thing is potentially damaging to the club. In particular if Hughes was "bladdered" as alleged, it makes a mockery of the "rehabilitation" to society claim

Not me but it should be soon. This needs sorting

Been struggling to make my mind up on recent events, but they don't inspire confidence to say the least. I am still angry at being had for a mug by paying £20 to watch that sh*te on Saturday and it rubs salt into the wound to find out that allegedly there has been drunkenness amongst the playing staff during a 2/3 match week. Did it not occur to anyone that when fans are present the players & staff should set exemplary standards of behaviour and sobriety, and that is leaving aside the fact they are supoosed to be professional athletes. Conclusion - Realistically only option is Shez in for now but on the strict understanding that behaviour & discipline is addressed. Appropriate bollockings issued by the club behind closed doors. Then review at season end.

Dear Mr. Frizzell I hear you were sacked after working miracles at this club. Any chance you are available on a short term basis, with the possibility of a permaent appointment this summer? Yours sincerely, S.Corney

This whole Windass business is a joke. Mildly amusing at Leicester, extremely annoying since.

If he would start Hughes & Allessandra for the next few matches, remember Kieran Lee and Dale Stephens are signed for Latics and accept that windass is not worth a place that would be a start. Shudder to think what the crowd level will be next season if we blow it this season which is looking likely. I am a die hardLatic but I have very nearly had enough. It is just dire and if we are not careful this could be the beginning of the end

Beggars belief. Presumably Real, Juve, Chelsea and others will be calling in the hope he will add much needed quality to their squads for the run in

Took me a while Try getting one of the interviews after logging in then go to match commentary - worked for me good luck

I had hoped he would provide the spark needed but it has not worked. I would rather have Lewis on. Windy's "flicks & touches" are not working. Remember the stick Ricketts got? Better player than Windass imo

Having supported the Latics for nearly 50 years I am trying to come to terms with the fact that hope died last night. It may be an overreaction but I have reached the conclusion that promotion is highly unlikely.*. I do so reluctantly, because I am still, just about, in the Shez in camp. Also no manager can be blamed for seasoned pros missing a penalty, and fairly easy chances but it is frustrating to watch as time and time again we struggle against sides that are individually inferior. But there is something wrong. The team looks laboured, and in the second half last night, as embarrassingly inept as I have ever seen from a Latics side. I also can’t help but think that under Frizz, with this squad, the results would be much better. Previous threads have posed the possibility of an older head being brought in to guide the still relatively inexperienced current management. Shez is a legend, and very honest and I still think could come good. Loan players speak highly of him e.g Jones, and enjoy their time at BP and there does not seem to be any difficulty in getting players in on loan. So is it a man management thing namely there needs to be a bit more of a fear of bollocking factor introduced? There is a fine line between a foulmouthed manager who loses respect by being too aggressive (that bloke at Peterborough when they brought Ron Atkinson in for example), and being too pally with the players. If it were possible to do without undermining Shez, I wonder if it would be worth approaching Sir Jim or Sir Joe for assistance in the man management area, and even possibly tactics. Some may think this a daft idea, but something has to be done because frankly, last night, it would have made more sense to stay home and watch United on the box and as I left the ground I really wondered about my Laticsness. I wish I could come up with an answer. Fact is though the Corp’s warnings seem increasingly correct and we have to halt this slow downward spiral. I know we are still in the top six, but somehow it doesn’t feel like that. *of course i hope i am proved wrong – but can you imagine a performance like last night with Wolves as opponents

Departments G & I need to pull their fingers out

Daniel from Hartlepool proved correct - see O.S

Been a tic since 58. Don't recall quarter shirts. You may be thinking of the thirds that were the standard kit until Bates changed it to "electric" tangerine shirts & blue shorts. We had a good away kit of white with blue candy stripe shirts & blue shorts. We beat Mansfield 4-2 at Field Milll in about October 66 in that kit. Dave Best in goal. Anyone remember that kit?

Corp you make reference to the ills of the past having led to what you consider to be a distinct possibility of the end of a full time professional football team in Oldham if I get your general drift. There is no doubt that the decline from 94 on was scandalous. The club surely should have been able to level off in the 2nd div and had Big Joe stayed I think we would. That said there is at least the prospect of steady but frustratingly slow progress under the present set up. I may be naaive but I believe TTA , Shez et al genuinely do want promotion. History shows that the support has always been poor, and in the long run this may be the factor that does lead to extinction as you fear. But to sarcastically compare us with Doncaster is wholly unfair. There "success" is because of loaded owners - nothing else. Without them they are non-league By comparison Latics' achievements & history are excellent. So allow those of us with hope & faith to continue with some guarded optimism. We are still in the top 6. If you are proved right in the long term fair enough. Short of a loaded arab billionaire, or me winning a 5x rollover on euromillions we have to deal with what we have got and i do not see how much more can be done than is already being done By the way does anyone hav any news about Kilkenny

Doubt if I will sleep tonight worrying about :- 1. The long term effects of the current recession on the future of capitalism and society as we have come to know it 2. Whether or not Latics, Doncaster or any other club ffs are to sign Kilkenny

The weather prevented Shez & Tommy getting to B.P.

Agree the 70's. Bottom of 4th division to solid second division under my alltime favourite Latic Sir James Letson Frizzell

I thought that would have been worth a try yesterday ie Whitts off, windass midfield & Lewis on

To sack Shez makes no sense. Everyone is fed up after yesterday, Shez included no doubt. At the very least wait till the end of the season. I still believe we have made progress since Shz became manager. Even under Frizzell & Royle there were many frustratingly poor spells of games. In 73/4 we lost 3 or 4 on the trot before the 10 game winning run. I am not a snootty kid, have been a tic since 1958. As others have said what exactly would sacking Shez achieve.? What I do question is why Hughes & Allessandra are not the first choice stike pair. It has been obvious since the pre season friendly aainst Hull that those two are the best we have

I thought all the talk about "attitude" was tosh but maybe there were problems off the pitch. For me that would be the only justification for letting him go. I still think he is a good player with loads of potential. Good luck to the lad.

An earlier post mentioned Colin Whittaker. He scored three in the 11-0 against Southport. If forced to choose then Grovesy just pips Holden for me. On his day he really was unplayable as Harry says

here here