mikejh45

Are you seriously saying he's playing well at the moment?

The post is about Gregan and his poor form AT THE MOMENT. Nobody is saying the rest of the team are blameless but on Saturday he was the nearest defender to both goalscorers.

I think Shez needs to review his ideas on these older heads on the field. Gregan is not organizing, Allott is not confident and Liddell is not contributing. I've looked at both goals and both balls dropped in areas where Gregan was the nearest defender. I believe that all 3 are in on reputation and not on merit.

1) Sheridan not motivating the team? OR 2) The team generally being complacent and not giving lower teams enough respect?

About time we questioned Gregan's position. Defensively we were more sound last season with the Stam/Trotman and Stam/Hazell parnerships. And if anybody comes up with the crass comment that "Stam makes a mistake and the opposition scores" needs to look at the stats. The defence at the moment looks incredibly dodgy and Gregan does not stand out as a blame free zone. Yes, he shouts a great deal, but does he really organize?

I have a preference for Lomax as full back, Eardley gets caught out too often by giving the player he's supposed to be marking too much space. At present, our defence is shaky and to keep Eardley on the basis of a couple of good attacking crosses does not help us towards a confident defence and getting clean sheets. Before anyone comments, I hold all our current defenders culpable for our present crisis.

Is that your contribution to this post? Come forward with an OPINION which we can all debate and then validate your fountain of footballing knowledge. Jonesy gave an opinion about the right back position and all you can do is comment on his football knowledge and then to compound your point, you revert to namecalling. A number of people on here do not rate Eardley as a right back (me included) and would gladly take decent money for him or else move him forward to where I think he is more effective. Regarding the point on whether applauding Warne is appropriate. I would do that about any former Oldham player who gave their all while he was with us. I also applaud good goals from any team. That makes me a football fan as well as an Oldham fan.

If he scores the goals, it will just show he has a professional attitude. He can't afford not to score if there is an opportunity because his future depends on it. I will cheer and applaud him if OR when he returns because he will be wearing the blue of Oldham as I hope all fans should (as opposed to those minority few who boo players they dislike before they've touched the ball).

Bugger!!! Thought it was all sorted. Must be running scared of the big man.

Gregan up against a forward who he can match for pace!!! Step forward, Lardass Windass. Hopefully, he'll be at Leeds for a while. Who remembers Windarse coming to BP with Bradford? He kicked and elbowed every defender that day.

Before anybody comments, I was not the nutter in the Rochdale Rd. end. Also, I'm most definately not anti-Eardley, I just think his talents are best suited elsewhere on the pitch. Couldn't make last night as I was stuck in the office here until 6.30 and the police aren't fond of me doing 175 miles in 75 minutes so had to rely on the commentary and post match comments from the OWTB luminaries. The World team praised on several occasions Eardley in forward positions but also commented worryingly about him in defence. Also the comments on this post are generally all about him in an attacking role. So, please enlighten me!!!

At no point did I ever say play Eardley ahead of Maher. The whole point of this post was to highlight that Eardley is a better midfield player than a full back. And to reiterate my earlier comment, I think Lomax understands the role of full back far better than Eardley.

At this moment, it's our midfield four who aren't performing thereby forcing the back four to lump the ball upfield to a pair of forwards who have heads like Toblerone bars. Change the midfield into a hungry unit and we might start bossing midfield and playing football again.

Very good, you bastard. Mind you, I'm sure some officials crap themselves having to come to BP.

For aimless punt upfield, read Gregan who has a lash at least once a game.

Semantics, Stitch!!! Whether it's passing or distribution, Eardley is still dismal/dire/crap/not good/could do better/dross in this department. Purely a personal observation, mind!!!

I would have had him in the squad instead of O'Grady, Wolfenden & Ormerod.

I remember Constantine berating the midfield/defence for the "hoof" ball last season and asking for the ball to be played no higher than chest to give him a better chance of laying it off.

At the moment, our midfield appears to be too slow at picking up runners and also too slow at getting in the tackles. Eardley, in my opinion, would certainly pick the pace up in both defensive and offensive situations.

As a full back he scares me. His positional sense is poor and his distribution is dismal. I think Lomax is arguably a better full back because of his understanding of the role of a full back. I was more comfortable and more appreciative of Eardley's play during his short spell in midfield last season.

One detail you can't get away from is that when he was in the starting line-up, we let in less goals.

And your point is.............?

There has been a few comments on various, recent posts about who should play in the centre back pairing that a look at last season stats is worth checking out. The best goals to games partnership was Trotman/Stam with a ratio of 12 goals conceded in 15 games followed by Hazell/Stam 14 goals in 14 games whereas Gregan/Hazell finished with 9 goals in 7 games. This season the ratio of goals conceded to games involving Gregan/Hazell is 13 in 11. What does this lot prove? 1) I've got time to kill at work. 2) Stam might be a more effective centre back than a number of people will concede and should be given a longer run out when he is back to match fitness and not dropped after one game. 3) Statistics can be considered bollocks because it's an eleven man game.

If Lewis is tired/jaded (as stated in a previous post) at the age of 19 and at this stage of the season, then there is something seriously wrong with the training regime at the club. But, yes, he is immensely important as that link player.

"If everybodys listing all then here goes...... Born at BP St Mary's Estate Alberta, Canada Egremont, Cumbria Haifa, Israel Derker Monkebo, Denmark Watersheddings Johannesburg, South Africa Durban, South Africa Lees Hythe, Kent Hayes, Middx Chiswick, W London Langley, Berks Roehampton, SW London Coxwold, N Yorks Easingwold, N Yorks York Rochdale. Phew. And that's not putting the times I've moved around in each place. Not bad for a 29 year old! " You're doing well keep one step ahead of the bounty hunters!!!