Ackey

This week, I have mostly been listening to....

• New Laugh Track album from The National (strange one - I like it a lot, but it's basically just Frankenstein... again)
• New Sea of Mirrors album from The Coral (belting!)
• New This New Noise album from Public Service Broadcasting, which is the live one from the RAH (fucking incredible - love them!)
• New(ish) The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons album from The Hives (best of the lot - album of the year already and they were fucking brilliant live recently) 
• New Where the Angels Fall album from The Cat Empire (broadly OK - I think they've peaked and are a bit same-y now)

6 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Willoughby did keep it in with a toe poke (which was a brilliant bit of chasing). Green picked it up and picked out Nuttall. However it wasn't a five yard pass. It was quick, precise and exactly where Nuttall needed it. Think Dr Evil's a bit harsh on Green's contribution last night myself. 

From the highlights alone he's set up a goal with some good determination/awareness and a nice pass. He's made a pressing run that's led to a good chance and done something else I already forgot.

Even if that's all he's done in 90min that's a decent performance!

The most notable thing about Green in the games I've seen, even at Bromley which was a thankless task, is he wants the ball. He's been the only player other than Kitching who actually wants possession and is willing to keep the ball, look for a run or pass but without it needing to be immediate. 

His production wasn't always ideal (Bromley he ran down a dead end at least twice) but I'd be hopeful that comes with both patience and opportunity - if he makes those kinds of runs in a game where other players are also doing the same (which is what infuriated about Unsy ball most - it was so static) then he could be a very useful creative outlet.

2 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

First time I've been able to listen to the podcast in a relaxed state for a good few weeks. Andy always adds a great balance. As for this season, I think the best we can hope for is playoffs. If the new manager manages to lead us to the title, despite being handicapped by 15 points, then he/she/they will deserve a statue inside the new Spindles...

They're building a new Spindles?! 

48 minutes ago, League one forever said:

I think far far too much is made of our fans and our culture.

Culture is a difficult thing. It generally speaking takes time and effort to build, but can also be fickle and change on a whim. And predicting which bit you're in is hard. Predicting when a whim may occur is borderline impossible. It's also not homogeneous. You can have pockets of culture within a wider one. You can have conflicting cultural behaviours. You can. You can. You can... 

With that said, it's also worth thinking about those pockets. Not because they are isolated, they influence eachother massively, but because we're in a time of change and things don't change in identical quick-step with eachother. 

Business Culture

- Massively changed. The club as an organisation/business is barely recognisable from a year ago. We've seen huge steps forward in professionalism and more.

Team Culture

- Still a lot of work to be done, clearly not going the way anyone would want results-wise and some reasonable questions to be asked still.

Fan Culture

- Improved in general, came together well during the worst-of-times. Travel in incredible numbers. Home attendances brilliant for this level or the one above. Some really impressive strengths that could be capitalised on more. But, still plenty to do too - drawn to mood swings, toxic behaviour (see Chesterfield last-min) and more. Often the most evidently affected by the wider national culture and certainly the case in these polarised times (cliché klaxon sounds). Also the most readily affected by the Team's performance. 

Club Culture 

- An amalgamation of all the above and more. Probably better than it's been for 20 years. But still in a state of change and flux. Also one that's very vulnerable to other elements, such as Fan Culture. 

I could go on, these are examples not an exhaustive list. But the point is as a Club we need to keep picking away at all these elements one by one, improving small parts of them. We should make a LOT of them, but without assuming there's only one culture or that it's mono-directional. Keep improving small things in many areas and they will support eachother, improve eachother and eventually we'll be in a better place. Ramble over.

11 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

I thought we'd signed a midfielder called Albert Ross. That Wikipedia research is an hour of my life I'm not getting back.

On the plus side you'll dick'um at the next pub quiz! 

34 minutes ago, frizzell54 said:

Is this not the problem?  He is too fixed on his system and can't/won't adapt.  

We've played a different system in multiple games this season and we're only four games in.

Not defending him. Just think that's wrong.

My little  icon is getting twitchy folks.

It's a heated topic by its very nature, and I can see why. Don't let that heat boil over tho please, keep it civil and think kind thoughts. 

2 hours ago, yarddog73 said:

You mean like Nuttall at Soutport? Straight back after his ban with 4 other forwards in the queue.

Not sure he'd thank anyone for playing on Saturday - he's a forward (some would add "at best" but I've not seen enough to say). It was painfully obvious he was out of place in a winger type role last weekend and to his credit he didn't give up. He may be slower or more languid than we'd like, but there's a lot of players out there we've had, or have, who wouldn't have worked up and down the flank like he did. Can't really blame him for being out of sorts there. 

13 hours ago, mcfluff1985 said:

This is the wrong place to be pointing out people are entrenched in their views. That's 90%* of people on here

 

*some stats are guesstimates

It's actually something like 70%.... but I bet you won't change your mind!

It's pretty clear you're all embarrassing yourselves. You're fucking adults. Just stop it. It's ludicrous I have to talk to you like you're all 11 and can't hold a civil conversation. Christ alive.

2 hours ago, bigfatjoe1 said:

I wonder if we could afford the England's women's team manager. Her tactical awareness is brilliant. 

 

Of course we couldn't, but she is very impressive, including her use of subs.

It's a funny old game isn't it - because whilst I agree she's a very very skilled and clearly accomplished manager, today I felt like we got away with one. We bossed that game for a while, certainly first half, but their goal was coming and if not for a brain-fart from their defender to gift us the 2-1 lead I think they were on top and we'd lacked a change 5/10min in to the second half, when they were on top.

But hey, who cares? WORLD CUP FINAL BABY!

10 hours ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

How can you possibly be mean to Aldershot's version of Beaker from The Muppets? Shame on y'all.

 

TBF, he puts his content together quite skilfully. But standing on a terrace with a phone on selfie-mode all match is my idea of pure hell. A pox on modern football.

I saw The Hives on Saturday night and someone's posted the entire 50min set online from one phone. If that fuck had been stood in front of me with their hand up I'd have snapped the bastard thing in half. Just live the bloody moment! Old man rant over.

2 hours ago, JoeP said:

 

He is. 

 

I think you attacked the mini-bar in your hotel room the night before if I remember rightly. We looked in a complete state of adrenalin come-down in the photos of us all in the cab on the way to Orient afterwards..

That cab ride was one of the worst things I've ever experienced. It was about 40 degrees in that taxi, he drove like a fucking maniac and we had to cross London in traditionally dog-shit traffic. We should have just got the bloody tube. I had to do a tactical vom on the side Coach and Horses, like a real classy broad.  

53 minutes ago, JoeP said:

Yep, I'm still here!

 

Mike moved to deepest darkest Kent and doesn't go that often. He did go to Southend, though. As did Mark, apparently...

I thought it was you. I was pretty drunk and high on pain pills for what was basically still a broken leg at the time

And I can't believe Mark went to Southend! Bloody glory hunter, isn't he?  

From the lot that went on with you Lags, I know Alex and Alan still go irregularly (hard for us as we're all based in the south). I think Mark pretty much gave up on Latics, he is now a director on the board of Dulwich Hamlet (as part of their Trust (see here and here)). I'm blanking on who else went on? Joe? God it's been too long.

3 hours ago, TheBigDog said:

Nothing wrong in Posters talking about posters - as long as it is not derogatory or insulting.

I’m not sure I agree with this - sounds like a suppression of free speech to me

That's OK - this is OWTB. There is no free speech here. People are expected to follow rules (primarily being "don't be a dick"), if not they can't post. 

7 minutes ago, Worcester Owl said:

Unsworth is out with Covid. Ebbrell and Thompson in charge tomorrow.

David Unsworth - News - Oldham Athletic

OK -that's enough. Let's move on to talking about what is undoubtedly the most (contextually) exciting signing the club has ever made and not nitpicking posters, or posters talking about posters, or posters tal... you get the point. 

Please and thank you.

(Context - I've hidden a bunch of pointless nit-picking of a person not their post, again and as always).

5 minutes ago, disjointed said:

Looks favourable, although I reckon it's fondop/Nuttall. Struggling to see how Willoughby fits in all this, although he could be our joker in the pack. 

Willoughby if he's smart/well advised he sees this as a great chance to learn from someone like Norwood, who's got a good reputation (as a person) and thus could be a very good guide/coach to him. 

11 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

Watched this expecting to see one of those over the top ranting fan tv vids. But by the end I just wanted to give the guy a hug. He’s proper devastated!

"I'll just miss him... he was a great bloke!"

Sounds like he's doing his best mate's obituary! 

3 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Guarantee Norwood gets called a lazy bastard by the time we play Halifax at home.

Can't believe we're relying on him, he didn't score a single goal for us in pre-season! Not even a penalty! 

3 minutes ago, Ackey said:

If you intend to watch all the games (plus more) and have the cash available to lump-sum on a season pass then the financials look pretty straightforward (the complete unknown of exchange rates not withstanding). At least to me at quick glance.

Oh, and given the BoE have put interest rates up again and say they could rise consistently for 2 more years, I wouldn't worry too much about predicting the exchange!

Don't worry though, Shell made $3bn last quarter, so everything is completely fine, normal and nothing is wrong. Christ, I sound like Monty. Time to do some work.

If you intend to watch all the games (plus more) and have the cash available to lump-sum on a season pass then the financials look pretty straightforward (the complete unknown of exchange rates not withstanding). At least to me at quick glance.