Scapegoat

My hope is that we are in the Play-offs and even pushing for an outside chance of automatic. I have not watched any pre-season games and never take any notice of them anyway (seen us have a cracking pre-season and be rubbish come KO, vice versa and everything in between) so not sure about the new signings. My expectation however is probably similar to last 2 seasons - in the mix for the last couple of play-off spots near the end of the season. Might make it, might not. Personally I would be keeping Sheriden even if we miss out again this year. I've said it before, but the general view is managers need time to get it right (4,5,6 years sometimes) and unless we get relegated/look like getting relegated I'd give Shez time again. Unless we have the opportunity of replacing him with a vastly successful manager that all but guarantees promotion. But given we are Oldham Athletic and they don't exist anyway, I'd say that's hardly likely.

Wolves. Wonderful day. Played rubbish to be honest, but Marshal scuffed and ballooned an equaliser in the first half and then hit 2 long range thunderbolts in very quick succession to equalise and then win the game. I got tea spilled down me during the celebration of the second and was still cleaning myself down when the 3rd went in and missed it. 4 more wins followed. That is what we need this season - a good few wins at the start and it really really get the team/fans on a roll. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Shez and the Boys. Give us a Wolves / Charlton and not a Notts County / Ipswich on Saturday.

Yes. It was my sisters wedding day and I was told off for even 'asking' whether it was possible to nip out of the reception for a couple of hours. This and the Notts County ones stick in the memory as bad starts. 0-3 at home to County (just promopted) in about 20 minutes pretty much kicks all the pre-season optimism out of you. Other memorable ones: - Wolves away 2-3 win with a Marshall hat-trick. - The home defeat to Brighton after the bleak summer; and - whilst the opponents not memorable but one or 2 years ago when I think 9 of the starting 11 were 'making their debut'. It was like watching someone elses team there were so many new faces in the starting line-up. - Liverpool away in 1991. Queued up overnight to get a ticket for that game - and it was soooo worth it.

I worked in Hull for 3 years, but lived in Beverley becuase of the 'appeal' that Hull has. Though the KC stadium is one of my favourite new stadiums - much better than Elland Road.

I thought I'd worked it out at the time that we'd have been 13th rather than 11th - though happy to be wrong. We took an early lead but then fell apart into one of the most appalling defensive displays I'd seen for at least 4 weeks. 5-1 down before we pulled one back at the death. Remember a few season tickets (presumably glory-hunters) being thrown on to the pitch in digust near the end - talk about shallow gesture. Funniest moment was an old bloke who walked down to the front of the Chaddywith his programme and partially obscured the warning sign: It is an offence to Tresspass on the pitch

Why? Does it explain.

£3m Was involved in a long-ish debate on these forums a while back about the potential of Deano. I am definitely in the 'to be convinved' camp and anything in 6 figures would have to be a good bit of business in my mind.

In not particualar order... Southhampton v Latics - Ritchie. As mentioned, stoppage time went on for ever and after waht felt like an eternity Stitch popped up. Latics v Newcastle - o.g. NYD. Cannot remember who touched it, but last gasp equaliser. Latics v Rushden - O'Halloran for the reasons mentioned, a chance to finally celebrate our team after a hellish period. Latics v Leeds - Olney to equalise. Great stuff - controvertial as it was one of the first times I can remember the shielding the ball in the corner flag to kill time. Ref didn't seem impressed as added loads of time on, and step up Ian.

TTA are trying to run Athletic like a business as much as they can. For the long term security of the club I'd prefer this approach as it means you are not relying upon wads of cash from an indiviudal(s) which can suddenly dissappear and take the club with it. If that means a Trotman / Taylor for £500k+ every season, so be it.

I count it as clubs visited rather than grounds, and to be honest I think I'd count it if I'd seen any football but not Latics but I don't think there are any that I have watched neutral games but not seen a Latics game. As for number I think last count was 75. But Wrexham and Mansfield mean I am down to 73.

Chris is a homegrown player, but he is also a professional. An offer of increased wages, local-ish team and a higher division would be tempting to him - and I'd say fair play that he would want to go. As to selling him? Not the greatest player and I do think some Latics fans over-egg his ability at times. But he is decent at this level and opposition defenders don't like facing him so he would be a loss. £500k would be good business at League One level - anymore/sell-ons etc are a bonus. But as Slurms says, if he goes that money needs to be used to get a replacement attacking wide player or its a sign that we are happy to tread water in this division for a few more years.

Radio 5Live reported that Fergie was set to spend £50 on 3 players according to rumours/papers etc which included Micah. Cannot remember other 2 names, but 3 for £50m. Best price for Micah £15 million?

I got offerred tickets to watch the 1985 Cup Final and declined - saying the first time I go it would be to support my own team. Got a few laughs at the time. I am of the same opinon now with the New Wembley, and these days with the JP Trophy and even more so the Play-Offs its much more likely that you will get a chance to go. I might go to watch England IF years fo by and Latics havn't been. As for the match - Rochdale, just. But happy to have a local derby game to go to.

If I supported the Rs I would be gutted. As stated the old badge was a classic.

Don't football clubs regularly change the Club Crest / Badge? Something to do with copyright or something - the logo can only be protected for so long before it becomes available to others to produce. So they change it regularly so the current design is always protected. Spurs did it a year or so ago. Look at the Latics Badge over the last 50 years and I think they will have evolved. Could be a load of codswallop of course.

Absolutely. We need players that are better than League One if we are going to get out of it. We want players with ambition to play at a higher level, and hopefully they will get that opportunity with us.

Always used to get Home and Away kits without fail, whether I liked them or not. However since the policy of new away shirt every season, with previous years becoming the 3rd kit I have stopped buying away shirts altogether as in essence they are only 'valid' for one season. In the genuine sense of a 3rd kit, when is it ever going to be used when the 2nd kit is orange / hi-vis etc etc.? It gets used a few times as a token jesture to make the policy seem OK. Also - because they change so often it doesn't become recognisable to away fans either, its just a football shirt. Part of the reason for buying it to show off your 'colours'. Therefore - Home shirt only for me from now on.

Potentially next season there will be a number of teams with good promotion chances next year so automatic is always going to be very difficult. In general terms - making the play-offs is a 'successful season' and means some excitment and interest right to the end plus the fact we'll win more than we lost. For me that means the 9 month season will be on the whole enjoyable. And in the time I've watched Latics, there have been more seasons that didn't meet that criteria than did, so the chance to sign up for that now - absolutely.

Interesting comment. I tend to side with Exile more on this and feel he was a better player last season than this, though to be fair the whole team played better last season (at least for the middle section) and I always felt GM was a factor in that. But players always look better when in a team that is playing well. I do seem to notice that he makes quite a few good attacking runs into space/the penalty area that go unused - but we haven't been great at breaking with pace this season, prefering to pass it around a bit and then deliver a cross from a spot about 5 yards back from the edge of the area and 5 yards in from the touchline (Earley often the player crossing it in). Not sure this makes best use of him. Macca may be a player that works better with a more creative player ala Killkenny / Wellens who often looked to slide balls through the defence? However I do agree with the general view on here - that he is a useful player to have at the club and would be happy to keep him as long as the money was sensible AND he was willing to stay and compete for a place in the team.

For biggest Latics 'pay days' - Irwin is quite down the list at £625,000. Rick Holden deal was quoted at £1.2 million (though that had high valuations of Redmond and Pointon), and wasn't Milligan a £1 million rated deal well? Difficult with football though - £625 was a lot more money in 1990 comparitively. Agree with the comment that IF this deal brings the club £2-3 million, this needs to be used sustainably.

A while ago I predicted a 10th place finish with the play-offs impossible with 2 games remaining - not looking to far off at the moment. More interested in who is going up/down comingup/down - part of me wants Leeds/Forest out of the division, Wednesday to stay up etc so that the competition is less. The other part likes the idea of Leeds/Forest/Wednesday all the 3rd division.

Started to read this thread, but to be honest I got bored as its very predictable. 3rd year of stationary prices despite inflation; club looking to invest in the stadium and still maintain funding for Sheriden to push for promotion; owners that want to run the club as a business (which given the fall out after Moore is a godsend); most ST = <£15 per game For me that isn't a terrible set of facts that make the pricing structure OK. Of course there is the argument that you could reduce the prices and get bigger crowds + the additional spend on pies etc. But I don't believe that we could cut the prices enough to get a BIG boost in ST sales to make this effective, in fact its likely to cost the club money. At the end of the day the biggest impact on attendances will be success on the pitch. The other argument for me, that in essence a Latics ST is a price-inelastic good (I remember some of my A-Level Ecomomics). There isn't a genuine alternative, so the choice is pay it or lose it, and like fags to a smoker for me its not an option to give up.

No doubt that I'll renew my season ticket - but then I am one of those 'idiotic' / 'committed'* (delete as you see fit) people that support the club through thick (can just about remember some of this) and thin (95% of the seasons I have watched). Price-wise - for me its pretty much a price-inelastic good (for those that have done economic). Its like petrol and fags (when I smoked) - I might not like the cost but there isn't an alternative so I pay it and complain. That's what being a football fan is about - you can't complain about quality/cost and say 'Sod this - I'm off to watch Bolton instead'. It doesn't work like that. The only other option is don't go at all and for me as a Latics fan who has had a ST for 20 years I don't think I'd know what to do with myself.

One of the best threads on this board for a longtime. I wonder whether some of the frustration with this season comes from the fact that for my money, this season is one of the weakest League One's for a number of years and we have failed to take advantage. The Dowie team or Shez's side from last year would have been in contention for automatic - and its frustrating that its coincided with a year where we have not recovered from losing 2 of our more influential players (Wellens and Porter), not managed to retain some good loan players for the duration (Killkenny) and have suffered a large number of injuries. With hindsight could Sheriden have made different decisions re: signings (cover for Crossley etc)? Of course. Name me a manager that couldn't? Sheriden is still an inexperienced manager and I definitely vote for giving him time. I for one would give him all of next season, and even the one after as well. We have chopped and changed managers a lot over recent times to no avail and the general concencus is that managers need time to get a team working correctly. Besides who do we think we are going to get instead? The football on offer is by no means the worst I have watched at Latics, and at least it seems as though the intent is to play attractive football for the most part even if it doesn't always come off. It was a chore to watch Latics under Moore - I don't mind it under Shez (1st on Saturday was dire, but at least it improved 2nd half). The concern for me is attendances and what the TTA will do about Shez if we see a similar ST sale rate as we did when Moore was here. I personally struggle to comprehend the attendances recently - <4000 for a home game? We've had much worse teams that were scrapping for their Divison 2 (at the time) lives and had better attendances. What do people expect? With stadium development there is potential that over the next 10 years a platform could be built for a club to have a secure financial footing so that promotion to the Championship would be sustainable. But the level of support for the club at the momenbt must make TTA think seriously about how much to spend on this club long term. Shez in.

Top 10 finish still on and for me still worth fighting for - good achievement given injuries. Not writing it off overall, just realistic about what is acheiveable. This is my opinion - others are entitled to have theres. I've always been a slghtly pesimistic football fan.