Simpo

Just another note on Leutwiler while the chance is here, Canada win their quarter final last night, so if suggest the first time we see our new Number 1 will be the first game of the season.

Purely curiousity, is this something you know for sure, or just believe to be true?

I believe we've been 3-4-3 in friendlies so far, which probably suits our forwards more than a 2 up top. And with Curle's comments that one of the first things he's instilled into our play is early balls in behind defenders, I can see a front 3 of DKD-Hope-Bahmboula working quite well.

Gotcha, thanks.

I'm thinking it's this thing that was announced back in December 2019. https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2019/december/13122019-second-chance-academy/ As such it's not as much of a direct association with the club, more a grassroots programme with the Latics badge on it. As such, any crossover with the first team or clashes with board members will likely be minimal.

Receive free money, and also run the playing staff on the cheap. Win-win for Abdallah Lemsagam... If I'm honest I'm a little surprised there wasn't more take-up of the monitored grant/"loan". Maybe you have to prove your finances are really precarious to be eligible.

"Latics can make loan signings but only for half a season, and cannot pay fees to acquire loan players or pay additional wages on top of the salary the player receives at their parent club." Here is the original info from the announcement of the EFL rescue package in December:

I mean, it's their version of the Euros, albeit much less prestigious, it's the nature of international touurnaments. Canada will probably qualify from their group alongside USA, and likely face Costa Rica or Jamaica in a quarter final on July 25, so don't expect to see Leutwiler any time soon.

Leutwiler will not be available until his Canada team get knocked out of the Gold Cup, which has only just started. Hallam Hope's Barbados were in the final eliminator qualifiers, which were moved to just before the final tournament as a consequence of covid-related delays. Someone on Twitter says trialist wearing Number 2 is Saul Milovanovic, the Latics fan midfielder who was on trial last summer, but talks didn't result in a deal. He's now left Norwich, so maybe is now a more realistic target.

Home goalie kit is a striking yellow and blue Hummel kits are just class aren't they, bespoke, not over the top, not dull either.

Fair play, it's turned out nice, kit and badge. Seeing as the badge well be with us for a good while, it's a good job it's really classy and timeless, quite impressed tbh.

Things I like about these signings: Their former club's fans aren't saying they are bad players. This is often very telling. Swindon fans didn't rate Hope much, but that was more at the League One level. He was a consistent performer under Curle for Carlisle at this level. Save for Clarke, who came through to play his hometown Coventry, all have been attached to top clubs at youth level. This is something we saw last season, with Whelan, McAleny, as well as loans from top clubs. Having this in common across a lot of the squad is a decent policy IMO. Hope, Hart and McGahey are all returning to their native North-West England, which as well as making them feel more comfortable, helps the fans feel more attached to the team. This, of course, is one of the many reasons fans feel a big disconnect with OAFC in general these days. That sense of attachment is also helped by lower squad turnover, and all the players, save again for Clarke, having at least having an option to still be with us until 2023, is good news. All the players have a clear position they are going to fill in the current team, whereas in recent years we've seen players arrive who play in positions we already had numbers for, seemingly just because the Sporting Director liked them rather than for the service they could provide to the current team. All in all, encouraging.

Luke Joyce and Nicky Adams played in the same Bolton-area youngsters team as my mate, so there's another link there as well as being a Curle player previously. Adams was quite the unlikable arrogant feller (though has clearly matured) whereas Joyce has always been a very professional hardworking kind of player since he was a teenager.

I've had a funny positive feeling about Lancs this year, the likes of Mahmood, Davies, Bohannon, Jones and Wood should be hitting their prime years, and with my interest in football at an all time low, I'm really enjoying the live coverage of the opening County Champ game against Sussex on youtube. Sussex 301 (Haines 155, Bailey 4/48) Lancs 339/5 (Vilas 158*, Robinson 2/51) https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/#m8d638124-cef5-42f0-9f04-508beb99ec55