Chorlton_Latic

I agree, confidence definitely stems from the manager. If he gets him playing to the best of his ability, he could well have a great fuschia. Sorry

I wish I could, but for some reason I just Connor do it!

He must have some bloody good eye sight to see a car registration in Oldham all the way from Salford!!

He's worked with Shez a couple of times outside of Latics too hasn't he? Hopefully it'll be as a fitness coach given his work last time, but as you say, I'm chuffed with him back in any capacity really. Prospect of Shez with Wright/Wellens or whoever as assistant, Harbin as fitness coach, and Carlo Nash as Goalkeeping coach sounds pretty damn exciting!!

I remember that from the championship winning VHS me old Man had - there's an interview with Hallworth and he says something along the lines of 'at first everyone was saying 'ooh we want Andy Goram back, bring Andy Goram back... But that's stopped now' followed by a properly smug grin. It's the same video where Ian Marshall is asked for his best goal of the season after the opening day hattrick at Wolves and he glibly replies 'derrs been so many'. ? Superb player, superb mullet.

I think you're being deliberately flippant there, clearly I'm not expecting us to lodge a bid for him via player share, I stated I'd be happy to chip in if it would help with the possibility of him coming back. As said before, the player himself has said he wouldn't rule it out, he's 24 and needs to be playing regularly, not tested in the Championship but most people assume he will end up there despite no sounds from any club about wanting him. It's entirely possible a player that's had one good season his career in League One could actually be playing in League One. Only the club know if it's a serious possibility, and if Boro would consider it, which is why I suggested actually having the conversation with them - or does that make me some wild eyed optimist? Keep reaching for those stars anyway!!

Absolutely this, I too mentioned this possibility earlier in this exact same thread - I'd be more than willing to chip in if it meant even the slightest possibility of a return. Without knowing the ins and outs of how it works - Is there a genuine possibility of those in charge of Playershare sounding this out with the club if we're actually serious about going in for him?

I had some lads from Girona stay at ours through Airbnb a few months back, they were fans - obviously I shared the glorious history of Latics with them and showed them my season ticket card, mostly because I wanted to hear them say Oldham in a Catalan accent I'm hoping they remember and book us again, I'll ramp up the price for the date - It is a prestige friendly after all

I was saying this just yesterday while discussing Beckford, never got a kick against Gregan! Fully expect Clarkey to do the same this year, too ?

I guess it all comes down to if they think he fits their profile. I'm his biggest fan, but I can't say for certain how he'd fare in the Championship, not to say he doesn't deserve a crack at it. If he did, I'd imagine it'd be at a lower end of table club initially, rather than Wednesday who will be gunning for promotion again. Although he was phenomenal for us, trying to play devils advocate, he's had one truly impressive season in his career, so perhaps prospective buyers feel it could've been a one off and want to see how he fares in another season? I'd also say the way Boro, a club renowned for it's faith in their youth team, have loaned him out to the likes of Motherwell & Latics at 22-23 when these days keepers often break in aged 19-20 seems to suggest that they definitely are in some doubt to his ability, or at best, just don't think he's ready for that league. In short, just come home for a year Connor, you bloody know it makes sense!!!

Call it blind optimism, but I think it might just happen. Been thinking for a while he wouldn't get a look in at Boro, as ludicrous as it may seem having seen what he's capable of. Especially now Monk, who from what I know loves to play the ball from the back with those new fangled sweepy keepy types is there, as if one thing did let him down, it was his distribution. I have no idea what Connor earns, but if they want to loan him rather than sell him, I don't think it really matters a jot to Middlesborough if someone pays a loan fee/x amount of wages, it'll just be absorbed into the mammoth fees they got from being in the Prem last year. It's entirely possible he could come back, he even said he'd consider it himself, so I don't know why we do ourselves down thinking there's no chance. If there's no interest from the Championship (again, hard to see Boro wanting a Champ club loaning a keeper from them be first choice) then it does his career no harm to have another spell excelling somewhere where he's loved, has majority of same team mates as last year, settled with area etc - he's 24 and needs to be playing. On another note - if we knew the club were serious, and the possibility was there for him to be loaned again, I'd certainly back a player share drive to make it happen!!

To celebrate his return, anyone got a video of that 98th minute winner at Tranmere on a freezing cold November Tuesday in 2007 which kicked off that amazing away run? The scenes! Proper Bo ?

Looks like he's had a rough couple of years with injuries & form, but it can be a myriad of factors - I can't profess to know much about how he fared at the Plastics & Scunthorpe in terms of performance, but for all I know he could've played up front on his own with no support, or have the ball hoofed to him which doesn't suit his style etc, so not just as easy as looking at cold statistics. Whatever Shez does with him, he's consistently got a tune out of him at both at Latics & Chesterfield - I remember reading an article just before we went there for the 0-0 in 2016 saying how he loved playing for Shez. He's been a bit nomadic recently, but he's now more experienced & has a 2 year deal under a manager who believes in him (save for any more headbutts in local derbies ) & importantly will be expected to stay in & around the box with a partner up top. If him & Holloway click, then we have the makings of a potentially brilliant partnership. Can we get a rewind to his form of 10 years ago? Shez sez yez!!

Although bit disappointed that some of the local fixtures are clumped together (Blackpool & Fleetwood consecutive aways, Bury & Blackburn at home in a week & Dale & Blackburn away in a week) I'm pretty chuffed overall with how it's spread out. . Delighted to be at home first day, been far too long. I miss Wigan, Blackpool & Charlton in August as I'm on holiday, but back for Fleetwood which is a ground I've not done yet, so happy with that. Portsmouth away at end of September looks a belter, love a long away trip in the Autumn, and heading down with a Pompey supporting mate of mine, so should be a laugh. Can't wait!!!!

Also, having only ever seen us play Blackburn in a friendly game in 1999 (think it was Stitch's testimonial?) I definitely want them to come down, although it's looking like Forest are doing their very best not to stay up.

I was really hoping Accy could've carried on their great form and snuck into play offs, but sadly they ran out of steam. I'd like either Blackpool or Carlisle I suppose, although Cambridge does sound very appealing to me in a ye olde pub sort of way. Also, having flown out of Exeter Airport recently, I noticed there were regular flights to and from Manchester, so if they ended up coming up and we got them on a good date, would be rude not to make a weekend of it.

Definitely injured - picked up a right nasty one in the Shrewsbury away game, also known for it's 'I was there for Ngoo's run down the left' moment.

Was that the game where he got dogs abuse, scored a goal, gave our fans the finger, only for the goal to be disallowed? Or did I just dream that? He really was thunder bobbins was ol' Phil. Remember him being swiftly jettisoned, and coming back about a month later with Plymouth, where he showed us what we were missing by still being completely shit.

When asked on the phone in back in Jan, Mark Moisley was very forthright about the reasons we would not be moving back to the Chaddy, the primary one being that home fans in the JFS were continuously inconvenienced by being asked to move 2 or 3 times a year when there were bigger followings. Ahem... Like NewBlue says, just pick one and stick with it, or just continue to open yourself up to (valid) criticism. The more home fans in one place, the better anyway, having 3,000 plus fans sporadically spread across 3 stands is hardly conducive to a good atmosphere.

This. It seemed a very deliberate plan in 2nd half v Charlton, so I'd imagine it's Shez acknowledging our current limitations. 1st half get in their faces, press high and get a goal up, then drop deep to cover our evident lack of pace at the back. Risky, and I don't personally like to see us play that way due to the heart palpitations it brings when we're protecting a lead and they get within 20 yards of our goal with a few mins left, but it's worked so far, so I'd expect us to carry on with it until season end if it continues to be successful.

Def been on bench for all the recent games. I'd personally stick him at right back in Gerrard's absence, he's fairly comfortable on the ball which Shez loves in a player, and McLaughlin is completely wasted that deep, leaves us with very little pace/mobility up top on the break. Plus he works his nuts off up front, so even if he's not scoring, he's worth having up there for the general chaos he causes closing down your average League One centre half. I'd go Ripley, Law, Clarke, Wilson, Hunt, Green, Fane, O'Neill, McLaughlin, Holloway, Taylor

Stuff what Notlob fans think, In our present midfield, he'd look like Garrincha circa 1958. Come home Chrissy!!

Sure why not, we could change Oh When The Blues.. to Oh When The Cocks... to fit, which given some of the players we've seen (dis)grace the hallowed turf at Sportsdirect.com/shoesale Park, would be quite apt. I draw the line at changing my username on this fine website to Chorlton_Rooster though.

I went for the night game under Johnson a few years ago, not a fan of the ground at all and was in no rush to return, but there's nowt like a Latics away game when everyone is on song making a right racket, so I'm def in!!