Wardie

Just now, Dave_Og said:

Ok m certainly not going to listen to it again but I'm sure he said relegation 

Oh, I didn't realise you were meaning the interview. Sorry Dave, I took the quotes from the Oldham Times article..I should have said. See how easy it is to get mixed messages.

3 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

He said at the other end of the table, with crystal clarity 

Yes, someone has already made that observation and he didn't actually say "at the other end of the table". What exactly was the "Other end" when he took over? If he had said the wrong end of the table, then fair enough.

It's all down to the interpretation of words.

1 minute ago, League one forever said:

Yeah, that was my understanding. 
 

Would rather fuck off home than a night together at a luxury hotel for team bonding with a day off on the Thursday anyway. 

Says to me that there is a schism in the squad and some would have rather gone home whilst some may have preferred to stay. Even in my job, some people are divisive knobheads, I guess it must be commonplace.

1 hour ago, oafc1955 said:

Well if that’s the case we’ll need at least 2 more strikers and that’s providing Fondop is re-signed.

We’ll effectively have lost Norwood, Hope, Reid, Willoughby and Nuttall!!

So, just the one actual striker, then.  

1 hour ago, latics22 said:

Why was this locked and then unlocked 

Ackey had a senior moment.

3 minutes ago, Lukers1 said:

It was more the fact that he asked for a two night stay at the luxury hotel and had the use of the gym and pool, spa for team bonding . The captain complained that they didnt want to spend the second night and kicked up a fuss. The extent was that the hotel made them packed lunches for the  way home and the captain said this was crap food and the squad would eat shit at the service station: Mickey apparently exploded as they also had Thursday off and realised he was looking after a bunch of kids.

It seems the layers are slowly being stripped away. I can totally believe this is something that actually happened. The fuckwits.

3 minutes ago, AlanGrovesFanClub said:

He meant that he was worried about avoiding relegation. 

Good point, he probably is and may have to be again, if his doom-laden interview is anything to go off.

9 minutes ago, LaticMark said:

The following is one comment posted about Nuttall in the Cheltenham Town Robins Nest forum:

 

"I'd keep him on if we can, but it's been mentioned elsewhere that he's paid more than we can afford at Oldham, so he's probably out of our price range. I think he's looked a real asset last couple of games, with further room to improve you'd expect. If Oldham were willing to get him off their wage bill for nothing and he agrees to a pay cut I'd like to see him stick around, however probably not as our top earner...!"

Watch him go and score the goal which keeps them in League One. Unbelievable that he could be on more at a NL club than he would be in League One. Only goes to highlight one of the areas were our club has gone wrong.

7 hours ago, LightDN123 said:

Yep. No way we don’t and I don’t understand why people worry about it so much. 

Frank isn’t AL, the board will have a 5 year budget in place. 

Makes a nonsense then of why Mellon is indicating the budget has already been met on the current batch of players still in contract. Which one is it?  I hope you're right, btw.

Mellon's comments.

"The way it is now, everybody that's here has got another year's contract so it's difficult because everything's pretty much tied up, everything's already been spent on the group that's here and the frustrating part is the group needs a lot of help and we won't have the ability to do anything about that, even with the outgoings"

I take it he means the contracted players who remain and there is no budget left, even if he gets rid of some?

"It wasn't a team that was flying at the top of the league, the manager unfortunately lost his job because the team wasn't performing for him, and it's all still here."

Players deliberately not performing for Unsworth and now doing the same for Mellon, so just not performing regardless?

"But I said weeks ago this needs major surgery and I said on game two when we played Fylde at Fylde, I said to people 'I think we're in trouble. I think I've taken over something here that could be in trouble, and I mean at the other end'."

The other end of what? Does he mean the Board?

"The owners of this football club and Darren Royle are absolutely fantastic, unbelievable people. People that I couldn't speak highly enough of. Absolutely terrific people. But this, what's been put together at the minute, isn't matching up to what needs to be done in order to win games of football at this level."

I'm sure he's having a go at the Board here.

He baffles me.

25 minutes ago, mcfluff1985 said:

Imagine if you worked in a supermarket and every week a crowd of people stood round your till shouting abuse at you. Constant. Telling you to swipe the items. Telling you to put stuff in bags. Ridiculous shit. Ridiculous abuse. I reckon if you told someone to fuck off you wouldn't get sacked

I get the analogy. I'm more annoyed with Hudson telling a fan to "Shut the fuck up", the arrogant twat. I understand the frustration but Mellon should know better. 

3 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

But if I went into work and customers were calling me shit and shouting abuse I wouldn’t just stand and let them do it. 
 

I get what you are saying but it’s flawed. 

Yes, I think you have the right to fight your corner but not with verbal abuse. The customer is king, we pay for the privilege [if that's what you call it] of watching the product served up by the manager and his team. It's shit, we can complain, they can answer but keep it civil and clean. 

It's subjective.
We're going to have to agree to disagree.

3 minutes ago, Crusoe said:

I think they just pressed the button too early. Presumably we’ll see it tomorrow. 

Good job the person responsible is not the president of the United States!  

Just now, Dickie Down said:

I think it was a hoax.

Somebody with a sense of humour at the club?
I think it was a mistake.

9 hours ago, TheBigDog said:

It’s a collective ‘mental breakdown’ in footballing terms.

It seems that once it started, there was no way to stop it - it was painfully evident that most of the players had simply stopped playing how they could, and were hamstrung and shackled by the tactical approach and positional choices adopted by the management team.

Once it started, it spread throughout the squad and the season was lost.

The fans could quite clearly see this but are powerless to affect any change - this results in a breakdown in the relationship between fans and players and ultimately the manager.

 

The close-season is the time to reset and excise these demons but given the number who will still be here in August, it does not fill me with any hope that next season will be any better

Stopped playing how they could on purpose or stopped by inept management tactical choices?

9 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

 

It's a blank page. Is that the club telling us it's a clean sweep of the decks? 

Now it's a404!
Jesus.

On 4/21/2024 at 5:30 PM, LightDN123 said:

They get booed and abused every game, only so much a person can take at the end of the day. 
 

Hudson told Brad to shut the fuck up. Brad posts on here, so will probably agree, he gives out his opinion to the players when he’s not satisfied. 

I think the point is being missed. If I told a customer to "Shut the fuck up" or "Fuck off" I would be sacked immediately. These people are no different than we are, bar the fucking comparatively huge salaries and public profile as representatives of our club. You would think that fact would not go unnoticed by the manager and players and they would have the decency to actually do some work to earn their bloated pay packages.

If they are feeling the heat from the fans then either put in a fucking convincing performance on the pitch [which is actually their job] or just fuck off altogether. The fact that most of the imposters are going to be here next season, along with a really depressing manager, is just making we want to give it a miss. Unfortunately for me, Oldham Athletic is my one and only team and to turn my back on it is nigh on impossible.

Official..

https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2024/april/23042023-retained--released-list/

Just now, mcfluff1985 said:

Let's not make out like it's a one off stupid comment. It's that along with plenty of abuse.

What, along with Hudson telling someone to "Shut the fuck up"?

Seems to me there is a slightly acrimonious attitude in the dressing room and no professionalism. Fans pay to watch football and expect their highly paid professional team [manager included] to at least put on a show. Even if the guy had swore at him, Mellon should be the bigger man and keep composed. 

Fan criticism is part of the game, accept it, they get paid enough.

5 hours ago, GlossopLatic said:

I'm tempted to agree that telling people with such a simplistic view of football too F-off is a valid response.

 

Tell you what I'd never thought of sticking a striker on thanks for the insight. 

 

I wonder what pearls of wisdom came out of this person's mouth.

 

GERRIITFORWARD!

If I told a customer to "Fuck off" after getting 'advice', I would be sacked immediately. Maybe a method in his madness. Seriously, Mellon shouldn't be using inflammatory language to members of the paying public, especially if youngsters are in earshot. He is a major representative of the club and should know better, despite the perceived insult, which it certainly wasn't.

40 minutes ago, League one forever said:

What the fuck do we do now? 
 

Sack Mellon - justifiable after 1 win in 14. But it’s another hit to the budget and the new guy has a lot of same problems with the squad. 
 

Keep him- and he’s alienated a lot of players here for next season, they just aren’t playing for him. He signs more older heads (which is what good looks to him) and I’ve no faith we are a few players short of complete turnaround. 
 

What a mess. Honestly don’t know where we go from here. 

We allow the dust to settle, enjoy the summer and let the drama unfold, which it inevitably will.

5 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

When is that our highest finsihing position since?

I'm not sure regarding the football league but we finished 12th on 61pts last season. Interestingly, both Barnet and Bromley were in the playoffs as were Boreham Wood who have now dropped out of the league and Woking just scraped it.

33 minutes ago, Careca9 said:

..plus he hasn’t had a summer to clear and shape the team. He won’t get a better opportunity than this I don’t think.

He's not going to get that opportunity this summer either by the look of the situation with existing contracts.

11 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

..If only we could bottle whatever Mike Fondop has, put it into a serum and apply to the majority of the rest.

What Fondop has, besides the ability to pick up the odd red card, is a desire and energy to play football plus he is most probably the only first-team player to actually care about the club. That's the impression I get from him.

I listened to MM's post-match and to me at least, he repeats the message from last Saturday with the compliment that the players last night "left everything on the pitch". I didn't see the game so I cannot possibly comment.

He does concede the goals were sloppy and we should have held the lead after which he mumbles about getting more quality in defence and attack when surely he should be saying we need more quality and pace in midfield. He also mentioned Green and having a winger on the pitch which is at odds with his comment regarding wingers being a thing of the past. Am I imagining things here?

If he walks, he walks and I won't be upset about it..we go again with a new manager who will inherit a squad largely inherited by the previous manger, albeit with a few additions and who will have to make his own additions. If this was to happen then a new incumbent would need to be in place as soon as possible..which is blindingly obvious.

With out of contract players leaving and hopefully a few more moved on [miracle required] I believe it is possible for Mellon to use his experience and contacts to get what we need. If he stays, he stays and that won't bother me especially if he makes some capable signings during the close season.

"I know what good looks like and where to get it"
Let's hope you do.