Simpo

By the sounds of things, he's giving himself every opportunity to be well involved in the first team.

Trialist (Bolten) Dummigan Gerrard Clarke Hunt McLaughlin Banks Fane Obadeyi Holloway Davies Subs: Edmondson, Stott, Fawns, Flynn, Trialist, Osei, Duffus (No Wilson, Mantack, Gardner, Green)

If we go out of business will you support another team or stop watching football? ;)

Owned by the club until recently too. I think staff often still appear in there before and after matches.

To me, it's looking like a 4-4-2 Diamond, maybe something like this: (SIGNING) MCLAUG. GERRARD CLARKE HUNT | (SIGNING) | | BANKS GREEN | V GARDNER V HOLLOWAY DAVIES And a 3-5-2, like this (SIGNING) GERRARD CLARKE STOTT MCLAUG. HUNT |GARDNER (SIGN.) GREEN | V V HOLLOWAY DAVIES could be our main systems this season. We've certainly got the wing backs for this kind of shape. Obviously hoping Ripley signs and we get this Liam Kelly style of player we seem to be looking for. Maybe the occasional 1 striker set-up if required. (SIGNING) WILSON GERRARD CLARKE HUNT (SIGNING) GARDNER GREEN MCLAUG. OBADEYI HOLLOWAY Whoever you like in for Gardner against Oxford, Fane perhaps. Green's deficiencies could be masked in a three. If not, again Fane would probably step in. A lot of fans like Fane, and I do sometimes, but it's easy to confuse the player he is, with the player we want him to be. And there's a wide gap between the two right now. Watch this space. I think they'll give Holloway and Davies every chance to strike up a partnership, Duffus being an impact sub at first, see if he can force his way into the first team. I don't see Osei getting much of a look in barring injuries, especially with Obadeyi able to play up front and getting some goals against non leaguers. Could we convince a National League club to take him on loan and give him regular games? Now, I like Dummigan, but he needs to prove himself again, and hopefully he does, because he was terrific in that first loan spell, and could let McLaughlin concentrate on attacking. Indeed, those two could torment some left hand sides in this division, if they're on top form. With a resurgent Dummigan I could even see McLaughlin played in behind the front two in the diamond, that really could cause some havoc. If we sign Ripley, we know how good he is, mid table at least, no danger. The more I mull it over, the more I see what Shez is seeing about a lynchpin kind of midfielder, not only someone who can break up play, but the man who starts off attacks for us. Gets the ball, plays the right pass, off we go. Imagine Liam Kelly at his pomp in this year's side for example. It's gonna be an important signing. That could get us up a few more places in the table. So a lot depends on what business we still have left to do. The big question mark, the thing that would tip us over into being a top side in what's looking like a competitive division this season. Goals. Can Gardner be the consistent attacking force he wasn't at Chesterfield? Can Banks continue to be the decent midfielder he turned into under Sheridan? It's a few years since Craig Davies was scoring at a fair knock in the Championship, but he's not really had regular football since then. There's no reason he can't turn it on again, unless age (31 now, not exactly ancient) has had that much of a detrimental effect on him. If he can't bag for us, can Duffus, a great unknown? Surely were gonna score plenty more than last season, whatever happens. But enough to see us playing important games at the right end of the table in April and May? That's the big question mark. Ended up being a bit of a squad analysis there, but I got carried away. Tried to temper excitement a little, but still find reasons to be optimistic.

He doesn't play like an 18 year old does he? He's always very keen to be on the ball, makes himself available, finds good positions.

I'm interested to see what Fane is like when coached by Sheridan Wright and Wellens for a full pre season. For what it's worth he said himself on Instagram something along the lines of "8 goals this season, mark my words"

You definitely can't transfer from another club under an embargo, has to be free agents or loans. Also, on the topic of a possible fee being a surprise, don't forget, say, £50,000 is the same as £1000 a week in wages over a season. Depends how you want to spend the money you have. One more thought, maybe the board have drawn up estimated increased away figures from the fixture list, with the Iikes of Wigan and Blackburn and adjusted the budget accordingly.

That's a bloody brilliant signing, and a canny investment. Wonder what we paid for him? Sell on clause involved?

Fair enough giving the senior players a rest. Long old season ahead. Was hardly gonna be a spectacle anyway! Naming Gardner on the bench probably to give a bit of interest to traveling fans.

Adults: £7, Concessions: £4, Accompanied U16’s: FREE The first friendly is usually one of the worst games of football you're likely to see. But I'm going, because it's cheap, a lovely place to watch football in the sun, and to see how our orange and navy looks in action.

Because his season only ended a couple of weeks ago, he was called up for Northern Ireland.

(as first team coach) Excellent stuff. With a high retention of players from last season, signing an ex top goalscorer, and bringing in an entire backroom staff with past Latics associations, it's starting to feel like we're gaining an identity again. And I can't think this is accidental on Shez's part, so well done to him. It's notable that Wellens did commentary on quite a few of our games at the back end of last season, as this was being lined up. So he will be familiar with the squad. More positivity, where will it end...

I'm increasingly fascinated by this signing. It's fair to say he hasn't shone in league football so far. But good management is about bringing the best out of players, and there's lots of chat that there is something exciting to bring out of Dan Gardner. Fingers crossed.

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/members/rochdale/forum/196607/sad-news-from-oldham....../#10 Rochdale fans remember Gordon.

Game's gone, Trevor.

Carabao Cup draw this Friday. That's your new League Cup sponsor dontchaknow.

Danny the guitarist is the Latics fan. Usually has a season ticket.

The odd one doesn't. It's written into Wimbledon's fans' charter that every kit lasts at least 2 years, for example. When ours started lasting one year, is when I stopped getting them.

I think so. It's the combination of having a squad that finished the season well kept mostly intact, with a manager we know and trust (trust with football matters, not necessarily staying at the club matters!) Last time this was the case was 2014/15 under Lee Johnson, and we started really well. In and around the playoffs til the Ched Evans nonsense. Doesn't guarantee success, but it helps.

The whole squad will benefit from having most of it together from Day 1 of pre season, and a prepared manager, rather than putting together a side as we go. Green included.

Yes, reported by the Chronicle. Possibly to be announced by the club when Tope agrees to/rejects a new deal.

2 league games and our 1st round Carabao Cup exit to Middlesbrough.

Possibly one of those players who looks poor in a struggling team, looks good in a form team?

Winner. That sends very positive signals.