Simpo

Thanks for doing this as ever, the rarely-wrong Diego, but it's Hampton & Richmond Borough!

I'm not going but might be able to help, sent you a message.

One on BBC (usually Friday evening), two on BT (Saturday afternoon, Monday evening) Eight are also shifted to Sunday afternoon, as they bounce around all the games on BBC showing live action.

Thinking some season ticket holder no-shows?

1000 home tickets sold, 500 away so far, add the 3000 season ticket holders and pay-on-the-days, hopefully our biggest crowd of the season.

I think it's fair to say they were better single points for us than our opponents. Both Swindon and Mansfield would have gone ahead of us if they'd won.

We've switched to 3-5-2.

Changing the shape, surely. 3-5-2 with wing backs, and Baxter in behind a front two? If so, I hope it works. Been wanting to see how Baxter does playing behind a front two.

You've got to have something about you to have an away record of W2 D3 L0, conceding only 1 (!!!) goal in the process. Got to be pleased with that. If we'd picked up a few more points at home, we'd be ahead of this really tight pack, instead of just being at the right end of it. But on the other hand, it's good we've picked up the points we have or we'd be milling about in midtable. I think we've got the staying power to outlast some of these teams around us though, our toughness will pay dividends when the weather and pitches get worse. Little stat for you, only once have we conceded the last goal of the game so far. (Newport) Keep that up and we'll rack up the points.

I find that really fascinating. A club like modern-day City don't tweet things on a whim, everything's tightly managed. As much as it would rankle with some fans, we could really benefit from a positive relationship with them.

Both Iversen and Nepomuceno miss tonight and Saturday. https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2018/august/31082018-international-call-ups/

I see no reason to defend against the article's claims without knowing the exact context of the joke. It says racist when they could have used Islamophobic if they wanted to be careful. And as much as it's possible Gerrard navigated the delicate, intricate line between making a pointed jibe at a religion's anachronistic traditions, or having a laugh at the expense of Asian people... Well that's for everyone to come to their own conclusions about, until we know the whole story. We can only imagine the repercussions this made around the players, especially around pre-season when squad harmony is trying to be created. Speculation is foolish around such a sensitive topic, but it does make me think about all the different things managers have to take care of around football teams from day to day! Have to say though, splashing Steven Gerrard's name and picture all over the article is properly lowest of the low reporting, it's nothing to do with him.

No it's literally at least 4 players who satisfy ANY of those 5 criteria!!! Just as long as you don't play your actual youth team, you're fine basically. Anyway, sounds like a handful of changes for us rather than resting absolutely everyone. I imagine Barnsley will have more backup players on the field than us.

EFL clubs must include at least four qualifying players in the ten outfield players named in their starting XI. The four qualifying players must either (a) start the preceding fixture (b) start the fixture immediately after (c) be in the top ten of appearance makers for the club so far that season (d) have made forty or more first team starting appearances in their career to date. That (d) clause makes it painfully easy not to fall foul of the rulemakers...

Bloody hell Eardley.

"#freejackbyrne!" OAFC: "Okay!" "Wait, not like that!"

His heart might be in the right place, but a massive ego and being your classic ultra-narcissist put paid to him ever being a well-liked member of a cohesive group. And that's just Ryan. As for the lad Byrne, it's a shame innit. I thought he could be a decent footballer, but you need more than talent for that.

Crawley manager Harry Kewell is wanted by Notts County.

You'll have to excuse me, I think he pays for in-depth data from another source. I misinterpreted this tweet:

XG is a good little stat if you know what you're looking at. Like any statistic it can be used in conjunction with how you viewed the game to process your thoughts about it. Bear in mind that while he does a good job putting it together, the experimental361 guy puts it together based on the BBC match feed, which is only a rough guide at the best of times. You might often find if one side goes 2 goals up early, they come out on the wrong end of XG. This is because the opposition has to throw everything they have into getting back into it, while the team in the lead has less inclination to creating chances of their own. In my following of the NHL, they call this score effects. https://www.tsn.ca/talent/score-effects-provide-critical-context-in-stats-analysis-1.365877

For those who couldn't be at the game, or for those who would like to rewatch the post-match jubilation.

While I'm not personally a fan of some of the excessively negative posters, I don't think comments in this thread have been unfair, at all. We weren't great! Fair play to Morecambe for chucking everything at us, but only one goal scored five games in is shocking. Taylor (who looks a proper player btw) admits on twitter it wasn't the best performance. And the fans were good today, got behind the team when we under the cosh, didn't behave like pillocks, gave the lads a great ovation at the end, and saved criticism for after the game, fair play. On the plus side, we seem to take pride in our defending, took chances when we needed to, a bond is starting to grow with the staff, players and fans. And if Iversen can sort out his kicking (and temper?) he's clearly destined for the top. We're starting to get a picture of what kind of side we'll be this season, and I reckon we won't concede many this season, we've a few players capable of getting double figures, and the difference between midtable and potential promotion will be if we can find more fluidity in midfield, and going forward. We showed glimpses of it today, as Baxter gets more and more match-time, some of those gorgeous touches he had today will become more and more common. He'll make everyone around him look better, and we'll start looking like a better side. The headline, though, is 3 away points, looking up rather than down, and two home games to come! Have a belting bank holiday weekend everyone!

That would mean changing the law and lifting the ban on televised football between 3pm and 5.15pm on a Saturday, and if they did that Sky would be straight in with live 3pm Saturday football.

I can't see us reverting so suddenly to 3 at the back, but agree having Baxter behind a front two could transform us. I'd go with a bit of a diamond, Coke (or Missiloiu) at the base, then Gardner and Branger (Branger with a license to drift into wide positions), and Baxter at the head of it. A bit cavalier, but if we're going to do anything this season, we can afford to be at home to teams expected to struggle. If we play Baxter as one of our two strikers he'll inevitably drop a bit deeper, and if we play that way and struggle, fans will not be happy. Come on Latics!

Yep, with an alarming amount of players out of contract at the end of this season, it's a shrewd move to sort new deals for anyone we definitely want to keep beyond next summer, and George is certainly on that list.