oafc-latics

If anyone can bear it, I've written a post-match review with the help of a Swindon fan. Feedback welcomed, and let me know if this sort of thing is something people would be interested in most weeks?

https://joeoafc.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/oldham-0-2-swindon-the-post-match-verdict/

Can't remember seeing a worse keeper than Kettings. Arguably could have prevented all five goals and was their Man of the Match by a mile. Says it all when home fans gave him an ironic cheer the only time he came off his line to claim a cross. If Ripley gets injured we really are in trouble, but as soon as him, Clarke, Green and Fane come back, tonight's awful defence won't be a problem.

Upfront Lapado looks very impressive, and Osei turned the game around. I'd start Lapado and McKay on Saturday because they linked up pretty smartly at times. Good to see Winchester back who looked to attack, hopefully he can push himself back into contention now.

Not often you come away from a defeat feeling happy, but that was a really entertaining game tonight.

Top Six:

Millwall - not lost many players and were strong last season.

Bradford - added to last season's play off squad and new owners. Something like 17,000 season ticket holders in this league is ridiculous

Charlton- as others have said, they have the squad and manager to get promotion if their off field problems don't sabotage that

Sheffield United - they find different ways to stay down, but Clarke and Sharp upfront will see them in the playoffs at least

MK - they'll get boring 1-0 wins and quietly sneak a playoff place

Coventry - another club with off field problems but a decent squad on the pitch.

Bottom Four:

Oxford - lost Roofe and their other star player from last season (forgot his name), and don't seem to have replaced them

Fleetwood - narrowly avoided last season and now Pressley has left just before the season, somethings wrong

Bury - lost their best players and their form dropped last season after a good start.

Wimbledon - admirable run, but I think League One will be a step too far. Mind you, Burton surprised everyone last year.

OAFC - same old story. mid table, possibly flirting with relegation. Hopefully get a cup run while Robinson gets used to management.

Top Scorer - McKay

Player of the Season - Flynn

Young Player of the Season - Burgess

League One Top Scorer - Ajose or Gregory

He tore us a new one at Bramall Lane in the first half last season, dropping deep at times spraying balls to their onrushing full backs. Very impressed with him that day. Bit of a marquee signing this one for us.

He was easily the best player on the park that day. There wasn't much in the way of an Oldham 'performance', but I remember he was always there looking forward.

If that's what we can expect, it's a very good signing.

Should have given it to Frankie Bunn.

If the collar on the home kit was white, it'd be perfect.

The more I hear, the more I'm willing to get on board with the appointment. My only problem with a rookie manager is the time it'll take him to get going. Dickov and Johnson both needed a season to make mistakes and learn how to manage a club, and the less said about Kelly/Dunn the better.

We don't have time to let another season go in the hope the manager will come good. Any sign he knows what he's doing, and Corney will accept the first bid. By then, even more fans will have had enough.

He could be amazing, but for me it's another turn in the endless League One circle that will see us finish 17th again. If we're lucky.

I'd prefer Barraclough as manager. Solid experienced player with Scunny and has some (albeit not a lot) experience as a manager.

If they stick an experienced head next to him, he'll be very good for them. But if not, their fans will turn on him quickly.

Maybe the fans could arrange a flag/banner to honour him? There are enough empty seats and unused places in the ground. That way there is something honouring him that won't cost as much as a statue.

Aren't the exec boxes named after legends? If I remember right, Frizzell was rightly one of those.

But while there is no sponsor for the North Stand, the club have nothing to lose by calling it the Frizzell Stand.

If Evans arrived I'd be happy, the guy's a winner.

But he'd be an expensive winner. So if we can suddenly afford him, why tell Sheridan the budget was so low he wanted to leave for League Two.

Group stage could be promising, but the U21 inclusion completely ruins it.

They were going to push it through at some point, so now they've done it, hopefully it will go terribly and the B Team idea is buried.

If Dowie is the answer, the problem is worse than we thought.

Surprised Redfearn hasn't featured much on the bookies odds or rumours in the press. Fits the bill of a manager to get the fans onside, and has experience.

 

Why? They've got 5/6k crowds for the last 25 years. They're virtually identical size-wise to us.

Well yeah, they're similar at the moment, but given their stadium and catchment area, they've got more potential to sustain themselves at the top-end of league one at least.

But their owner hires managers more than we have recently, so I can't see the logic for Sheridan to go there.

I just can't see this happening. They're a club that should be top L1/Championship in terms of resources, but they've had a stupid amount of managers in the last few years and no sign of that changing anytime soon. I could see the attraction of Bolton and Leeds for Sheridan, in that they're bigger clubs than us. But with County he'll be at a lower club with less job security. Hopefully it's the press/bookies seeing him linked with Bolton and Leeds, and making up an easy story given Sheridan's connections with their Chief Exec.

Although it's becoming a weekly thing that he's odds on to join a new club. Got to be something in it somewhere.

I feel like Eoghan O'Connell has been seriously overlooked here.

Chris Taylor released by Blackburn. Surely stay at Millwall though.

Although with Sheridan back....

Viva Jose Baxter. Come home. Please.

 

Cuvelier, Flynn, Campbell-Ryce, Harris. I'd take em all.

Was Cuvelier the one who had the great season for Walsall a couple of years back?

Surprised at Flynn, we weren't much opposition at Brammall Lane in the league game, but he tore us apart. Their other stand-out on that day has also been released, Jay McEvely. Didn't put a foot wrong, I'd definitely look at him presuming Gerrard won't stay, although he'll probably want high wages.

Odd released list. Some decent players on there. Get the feeling the right manager would get them playing, but Wilder must fancy a different approach.

I think it's optimistic at best to think groups would improve it. Crowds improved in the early stages when they got rid of groups years ago.

 

I like the concept of the JPT/FLT. But can you seriously say seeding in the League Cup first round gives any worthwhile boost? Doing the same for the JPT/FLT wouldn't even be noticed by most.

 

Could not agree more. I don't trust the motives because the benefits claimed don't stack up.

Changes wouldnt make the JPT perfect, but they couldn't really make it much worse. And anything that might make clubs take it more seriously has got to be a positive change. It's all speculation, though, at this stage, because as you say there isn't a clear plan of what will happen if/when the changes are made.

3. Granted. We'd have more JPT group games instead. Woo.

That could revitalise the competition. Teams play weakened sides/don't take it seriously because it's too many games and doesn't make money. If there's an incentive to play more home games to make up for the lost league games, we might see more clubs suddenly take an interest.

They might be restructuring the JPT to account for the lost income on league games, especially if they seeded groups to give lower teams a couple of bigger games, and higher teams an easier run to the later stages.

If it's all a play for B-teams or Scottish teams, then it's a terrible idea. If they can provide the lower clubs with assurances of how it will make them more money, I don't think it'll be that devastating.

Just makes the promised land further away...

Agree, the Prem and Champ would break away. But they're doing that anyway. Dont see the point of the whole thing, but it wouldn't be disastrous.

If we wanted to see our teams win the Premier League, we wouldn't be supporting lower league clubs. If this meant there's more chance of some promotion/relegation seasons when there's something to fight for... why not?

Wow.

 

The fact that Branston would be the most ridiculous choice of the lot indicates just how badly he did at Notts County this season.

Branston was at County? Was he one of their many managers, or just a coach?

He's made a good career for himself over at Wednesday, says a lot about him that he's retained his place this season with all the more expensive signings coming in.

It'd be great to see Tarky and Lee playing in the Prem next year, hope Wednesday can do it.

In all seriousness if shez stays and we remain unbeaten in our last two games I don't see why we can't carry on the momentum and be up there... The clever punters that backed Leicester at the start of this year did it based on their finish to the season before...

 

We just need to find a lower league Mahrez and Vardy

Croft and Cassidy? Poleon and Turner?

Edit - That reminds me, you mentioned the clever punters at the start of the year - well I just found my betslip that had Rhys Turner to be top L1 goal scorer this season at 50/1 after he had a good pre-season!