Scapegoat

Thought Matt Palmer was an excellent player for us - and the odd occasion I have seen him with Burton - but he is one of those steady, calm, need him in the team type of player with an eye for a good pass. Byrne is a little more in the ‘get you out of your seat’ box - and I am still trying to recall a more dominant performance by a Latics midfielder than Byrne v Blackburn. So for pure excitement and entertainment I’d vote Byrne - even though our could argue Palmer is the better player

In the Bury game thread BP1960 wondered if Richie has initiated a “shoot on sight” policy with the team. As I am on a long train journey home from New Haven I did a bit of data crunching: 10 games under John Sheridan (League and League Cup - BBC doesn’t have stats on the Checkatrade) saw us average 9.3 shots per game, of which we got 3.2 on target. 6 league games under Richie Wellens has seen us increase that to 14.66 (57% increase) and 6.33 (97% increase). Clearly something has changed and that may well be a “stop faffing about and get your shots off when you can” instruction. Explains why we are the entertainers of the Division with 55 goals in our 15 league games. In fact total goals per game, we are second only to Manchester City in the entire football pyramid* Its bloody good fun. * off to stick a tenner on 0-0 on Saturday now

Might be something in this - we do seem to have lost the shot-shyness that we have had in previous seasons.

Mid-table team? A bit harsh - think if we get to eight and out of the play-offs on GD only (albeit having played more games, but still only 2 points off genuinely being in them) we’d not consider ourselves mid table. A home game we should of course be aiming to win, but I hope that the last minute excitement doesn’t stop RW and the team reviewing the performance last night and focusing on that it wasn’t as good as we have been.

No. Last night watched both halves without interruption on the iOS app on an iPad. Had no issues on Saturday either, but had lots (2 or 3 per half) on the previous Tuesday when I used a browser on the computer. On the app you are about 2-3 minutes behind live, and sometimes the feed gets a little “blocky” but I tend to use it over 4G rather than WiFi so he latter might just be convection speed.

It was myself that gave Dummingham a bit of criticism. I think he is generally a good player, and I do accept that the way our midfield (particularly Byrne) play means that we can be exposed a bit at the back - nature of being an attacking team I suppose - I still feel that he has looked a little lost a couple of times in recent games on occasion.

Also - being critical of the current starting 11. Dummingham seems to be getting found out a little more - Blackburn first half tested him, tonight wasn’t great either.

Great result - worst performance under Wellens so far. Bury were quick to the ball and pressed us (same tactics we have employed recently?) and it seemed to get to us. We were still trying to play the way RS has got us playing, but you realise that quick one touch, occasional blinds, passes can go quickly wrong and many times tonight we gave the ball away too easily. But we also maintained our threat despite that, and were always in the game. Placide kept us in it with a few good saves, coupled with Bury making some poor decisions in the final third / poor final ball....and then... ...bang, last minute counter attack winner. They say good teams win when playing badly - which I am not sure we played quite ‘badly’ but we laboured tonight and could have lost / drawn with few complaints. But more importantly - RW has not only transformed our season in terms of results, style of play, confidence and belief. Something even more impressive than that.....he got Holloway to score!

We are the same age, so presumably have a similar reference period by which to judge SC. In my time I have seen: JW Lees - who were out of their depth when the club reached the PL and had no idea how big an opportunity they had to take the club b forward. Ended up leaving the club in a poor position and sold the ground to the council. Moore - the white Knight that would transform the club and take us forward...did nothing to recover the land and instead pissed money away on players our budget couldn’t sustain long term, pulled the plug and nearly destroyed us. Sean Jarvis - saved the club for extinction but couldn’t keep us afloat as a League Club and desperately needed a new buyer - and then found one. TTA aka SC (as the others disappeared quickly) - came in with grand ideas and some style with Celebration Sunday. Have when needed backed managers in January; bought the ground back from the council; and built a new improved stand. We have flirted with promotion on a couple of occasions, but more regularly relegation. Sacked more managers than any other owner, and tried to run the club on a shoe string in an attempt to “balance the books”; seemingly not very good at extracting value from player sales and PR. Nobody really knows the true detail of the finances - have they made momey by selling things off, changing ownership of assets etc? Or had this been done to keep us borderline solvent? Looking back we have not had a lot of luck when it comes to ownership - I think Lees and Moore clearly took us backwards during their times. TTA have probably broadly kept us about the same - we remain in League One, financially unstable, and in the lower reaches of the division - with a slightly better infrastructure than when they came. On balance, it’s not that positive, but it could have been worse without them. I’d be happy for him to maintain an affiliation with the club, and would be forever grateful that we have not gone back to the dark days of 2004. If when we look back with hindsight SC left us with a manager and a squad that, with support from a new owner, led us to be competing at the top of the league and (date we believe) even get out of it - then I’d say he would remembered fondly.

For me it means stood on the terrace in Chaddy watching the players warm up - KEEP IT

True. But the last 2 have felt particularly bad - goals for poor and even when we won under Shez it was ground out hard victories rather than entertainment. In the times we have been in this league I have genuinely enjoyed our football on a few occasions: Sherdian first time round Dickov at the start (remember the GalacDickovs!) Johnson’s second season Wellens

I agree with the point on win or lose. I think its useful for a couple of reasons: (1) Long unbeaten runs can end up being a bit anti-productive. Teams tend to start being ‘happy’ with a draw too early in games as it keeps the run going - and as stated 1 win and 1 defeat is better than 2 draws. Someone of EFL matters made this point last week and I agree. (3) Also, sometimes a defeat reminds players what it feels like and can be used to spur a team on. Gutted that due to work and personal commitments I am going to miss the next 2 home games - but to answer the OP I’d be very happy with 9 points from the 5. Maintain that for the rest of the season and I’d expect us to be Top 10, which is a massive improvement. In fact anything north of 59 points would be progress.

After the last 2 seasons where watching Latics was an attritional experience, its nice to see us return to the kind of form that made us so popular with our own and other supporters all those years ago under Joe Royle. Last season we managed just 31 league goals (I think the lowest goals total by a team not being relegated in the history of the football league) and in total watching Oldham home and away would have seen a total of 75 goals across the 46 games. That was a pitiful 0.67 Latics goals per game, and only 1.63 total goals per game. The season before we only managed 44 goals, less than a goal a game and the second lowest in Division 1. Only 14 league games into the season and we are at 23 goals scored, and 54 in total (at 1.64 and 3.85 goals per game respectively) and its joyous to watch. Of course it would be better to curb the goals against, but you cannot argue with the entertainment.

Quality of the feed seems much better via the iOS app than via a browser on a main computer. Saturday was a completely glitch free stream

MK Dons 1-0 Latics HT 0-0 8,986

Great news. I might have given a shorter contract (end of season) with a guaranteed 2 year deal at that point if we achieved top half finish - but last 4 performances are enough to convince me about his potential. Players seem to want him too - a big factor. Good decision by the club.

What time is the draw?

Not seen it mentioned elsewhere but Eden Creative (design company that works with the club I think) had pitch side adverts on the screen hoardings yesterday. Nothing that notable until I noticed that they had dropped a virtural version of the Ernie flag into the advert. Kudos Eden.

My suggestion for Corney / new owners / whoever is making the decision: Wellens to get the job until the end of the season with a 2 year extension based upon achieving a certain standard this season i.e. Top half / 60+ points total / play-offs / whatever they want to set. If he is successful then they have got a great manager for the future - if he is not they can replace him in the summer OR even pay him off this season at low cost.

I think most of us expected a new manager in before the Blackburn game but it hasn’t turned out that way. Do you think that Richie’s interview is scheduled for 3pm Saturday? Another performance and a positive result and the job could be his - if we don’t perform and get beaten then it will be a new man?

Oldham 2-2 Blackburn (HT 1-0) Clarke 8016

It’s amazing how the view on RW has changed. Pre Sheridan getting sacked if people had been offered Wellens or Scholes or a manager with experience I am certain what the view would have been. Richie would have been another cheap option, no experience etc. Its testament to the performances he has extracted and the positive way he talks to the media that now people are disappointed he might not get it. Whatever happens with the investment I think we need to keep Wellens involved - I’d hope that if it is a name / experienced manager (especially one without English experience) then he is a number 2, if not give it to him. Scholes / Pablo + Wellens OR Just Wellens Anything else and I will be dissatisfied

I forgot that - probably his single biggest contribution to our history.

But I don’t think anyone enjoyed the football played under Talbot. Seem to remember playing 1 up front a lot at home....zzzzzzz. In fact Talbot, Wadsworth (another with a good win ratio), Warnock, Moore, Penny, Kelly, Robinson...jeez we have had to put up with some god awful football at times, even when winning. Ritchie, Dickov, Sheridan, Johnson - whilst not always successful did at least seem to understand that it is an entertainment industry at its heart. Wellens so far seems to fit into this group as well. Dowie was always an odd one. Results wise did well (away more than home) but they were offen not as entertaining as the players we had should have been capable of producing.

As someone else mentioned our club has a habit of managing to do something to derail any positive momentum we start to build up - its quite peculiar. Takeover talk and 3 wins and people are stating to look forward to games and hopes for the season.....and then this. No matter what is going on, this is not good. Trying to remember some of the others - but the Ched Evans saga at a point when LJ had a team with momentum and confidence springs to mind as a classic. But there have been many many more.