Simpo

Expected to be. Said in his programme notes last night he was feeling great throughout pre-season, then got ill and hurt his knee just before the first game. Says it's settling down now and should be right for Macclesfield.

https://audioboom.com/posts/6594261-he-s-got-goals-in-december-and-turned-in-good-performances-morecambe-manager-jim-bentley-says-striker-callumlang10-has-matured-on-and-off-the-pitch (You can stop listening when he starts going on about Kevin Ellison) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42837391 - Article following his awarding of EFL Young Player Of The Month for December Big Everton fan, was with Liverpool til age 14, Wigan since, scored against Man City in FA Youth Cup, sounds like he matured a lot during his Morecambe loan, turns 20 in a few weeks... Can see why we've moved in for him sharpish if we were perhaps being kept waiting for Connor Hall.

Averaged a goal every 144 minutes in this division last season. And he should only improve. Seems like just the kind of forward we've been looking for. At first, being an untried youngster, he was only given a go in Morecambe's team off the bench, and then not used at all for a stretch from October to November. He got his first goal in December, and went on to score 5 in that month as he was given his first starts. He then seemingly took a couple of knocks over January, then was back in the team scoring some important goals as the Shrimps staved off relegation. Hopefully, like Surridge, this will be valuable experience going into their second senior season of regular football.

A couple of rule changes: Match goes to penalties if scores level after 90 minutes (stupid) Yellow cards don't count toward league suspension. 2 yellows in EFL cup = suspended for the next round. (Yeah alright) But red cards still leave you suspended for any upcoming first team game(s)

Good to see we're confident of getting to the second round of the FA Cup that weekend...

I just think far, far too much is being read into an out-of-context written quote taken from a video interview. You can more easily learn about different teams as you go than you can learn how to be a good coach. Otherwise we might as well have got Martin Allen. Note how he talked about knowledge level of the division as a whole, not about being in the dark about our next opponents specifically. Regardless, Tisdale admitted being clueless about us last week, it didn't seem to do Milton Keynes much harm! “I'd be lying if I said I knew everything about them - they're in transition too, coming down like us, and it’s one of those times of year where you don't get the full picture on a team because you don't get to see behind the scenes. “Therefore, it’s important for us to establish our own patterns on the game as soon as possible.”

Managers can be good in a division despite not having managed there before. I mean teams get promoted and don't get rid of their manager because it's a new division. Or are you being deliberately antagonistic to try and get a rise out of people?

Having not been involved in League Two before, FB won't know the ins and outs of it. I'd say that's to be expected. In fact it was mentioned at the meet the manager event in pre-season. But also that he had "made lots of phone calls to likes of Martin Allen and Steve Evans." But my goodness we like making mountains out of molehills don't we! My god! Think we're feeling flustered from not winning for 6 months anyone?

That's a blow, not still ill I take it?

Been training all week as far as I know.

State of this.

Yes but if it was still ongoing, it would be more of a residency than a raid.

Football League podcasts D3D4, Not The Top 20, and The Totally Football League Show all have us relegated as well. The other thing they all have in common is that they are wrong. EDIT: Well I'd heard Totally had us going down, but I've just listened to it, and one of them says we "might struggle" which I don't have any complaints about him saying. Still wrong though. ?

And with O'Grady from Rochdale, and Coke from Sheff Weds, that's a few veteran players FB and AR have brought in that they know well. Makes sense that the management team wants to bring in players that they know all about and trust.

Seems like the kind of big wily veteran striker that does alright in League Two. Another reason I'm pleased about this is that with 5 strikers, you'd think we'll be playing two up top.

Yessss, loving this 3-days-before-the-season-starts optimism, go on lads!

If we add Cotterill I'll be very pleased with what we've got for League Two. We'd have one of the league's bigger squads, and decent depth. After worries we'd run out of money we've seen only a couple of major outgoings and quite a few come in. But, although I'm not turning a blind eye to problems that are no doubt still ongoing, I'm generally relentlessly optimistic. Honestly, how does everyone else see this summer's transfer activity?

They announced them with the squad numbers. One thing though, I thought Sheridan had another year left on his youth deal, have try got him on professional terms a year early or am I mistaken?

Yes! He's advisor to the owner at PNE. I wonder if Joe Royle fancies a place on the board now he's left Everton? Probably not, but at least he'll get to visit more now.

I keep my dad informed of goings on at Latics that aren't in the public eye, such as Gerrard's alleged attitude to a family with young kids watching, and he mentioned something from when we'd just signed Graeme Sharp. Must have been a friendly, and Sharp was unhappy about something and started swearing his head off. Which, you know, would probably be less of an issue now but it's irrelevant to the story. My dad being my dad wasn't pleased about him doing this in front of my then-12-year-old sister, and said so as the team and Joe Royle were going off. The next Junior Latics meeting, Joe recognised them when they went to get his autograph, apologised for the language, and said he'd reminded Sharp of his responsibilities as a role model and Oldham player! As well as speaking to the kind of guy Joe is, it shows how important attitude was to him, and that it wouldn't be surprising in the slightest if Frankie Bunn has inherited that sense of attitude being important in his Oldham team.

I do. Just like last season's but the squares are more defined than they were. Always liked out-there goalie kits. I had the mad grey/black shapes/orange sun motif one Gary Kelly wore when I was a kid. And Wycombe always have mad ones now as a matter of course:

A Belgian on twitter has had a thought regarding why Benteke hasn't signed. Could he be waiting to see how the situation with Christian pans out and will leave the country if his brother does?

Presume he'll be missing for Denmark U21s games. Newport at home in September and Notts County away in October the first couple of games he'd be away for.

Seems a popular figure on twitter, plenty of Blackpool and Walsall fans wishing him luck. And he's responded to every message, which he didn't have to. (even the usual comedic-type comments from Latics fans :D) It's not often talked about as much as on-field stuff, but I get the feeling he's a good figure to have around the dressing room, which is important to have. And I like it when we have likable players. Feeling good about this one.

"Oldham Athletic can confirm that midfielder Ousmane Fane will be out for four months following a training ground injury. The 24-year-old suffered a break to his left fibula and also dislocated his ankle on Friday. It is expected the French midfielder will be out until Christmas at the earliest." So, erm, five months then?