Gary1906

How about this team?

1. Hallworth

2. Irwin

3. Barlow

5. Barrett

6. Jobson

7. Adams

4. Henry

10. Milligan ©

11. Holden

8. Ritchie

9. Bunn

Formation 4:4:2

Pick any subs you like from:

Rhodes

Warhurst

Fleming

Palmer

Redfern

Marshall

I'm pretty sure they would hammer our current team, even now!! ⚽️⚽️⚽️

Sometimes you don't fully appreciate someone until they have gone. It's pretty obvious though that Liam Kelly was - and is - head and shoulders above any of our current midfield.

If that's the case, and a change is made in the next few weeks, I hope an experienced manager is brought in. Someone who's been around the block a few times and has a bit of authority about them. Someone who won't let the players put in such weak performances such as we saw in the first half at Rochdale. Shez for instance made a big difference last season. It was so obvious that he wouldn't take any crap, something that maybe a rookie manager might not be able to command. Just a thought.

Just heard Robinsons post match Radio Manchester interview. He didnt seem too confident about his long term job prospects towards the end of it. Said he understood that you dont get given time in football and how much he has isnt his decision to make.

I wonder if he's had a word of warning from Corney already?

Can anybody explain to me how to reply to a comment on here. I've just tried but failed miserably.

 

I don't know if Erwin is capable of playing up front on his own, but I like him as a player. I'm also warming to Flynn - everything we do well (admittedly its not much) goes through him. Marry them two with Mclaughlin, who's getting into his stride, and I actually don't think we're *that* bad in the forward positions. Mckay is industrious if nothing else.

 

We're not a good attacking unit because we can't play the ball through the middle. Fane is incapable and Green is badly out of form. Burgess struggles to pass the ball straight and we're set up negatively.[ I know it's all about opinions, but can you tell me what you see in Flynn, because I see someone who hardly ever puts a tackle in, doesn't really go past anyone, and never makes a telling, probing pass. The game just seems to pass him by most of the time as far as I can see.]

I've got reservations about the manager to be honest. In as much that he has said a few times this season that five or six of the players have not put in the effort that they should be doing. When you consider that some of them were free agents and had no club and others are out on loan supposedly trying to make a name for themselves, it worries me that the manager can't seem to motivate them. They shouldn't need motivating in the first place but he can't seem to get them to put 100% effort in every game. Like him or loathe him a team managed by someone like Neil Warnock would not be allowed to play like this lot have played most of the season. I don't like the managerial revolving door but there's a lot to be said about appointing an experienced manager instead of relying on a rookie in the first job.

Not one player has the ability to keep hold of the ball for more than 2 seconds and pick out a telling pass, and collectively the midfield and forward line can't string 2 passes together without them losing control. They're obviously playing in this division for a reason. We are crying out for a Richie Wellens type of player. Someone with a bit of creativity who doesn't want to get rid of the ball the second they get it.

Ripley, Clarke, McLaughlin (who at least went looking for the ball), and possibly Dummigan, were the only players who played anything like well enough yesterday!. The rest were simply :censored:e!! Can anyone tell me why Ryan Flynn is in the team? He doesn't tackle, he doesn't go past people, he can't pick out a pass. Just what does he contribute? Fane looks like he's just come off Clayton Playing Fields. Green is ok'ish but I'd much rather have Liam Kelly. And as for the strikers, I'd give Ladapo one more game - in fact one more half - for him to show us that he's in the least bit interested in playing for Latics otherwise he can go back to Palace straight away for me. Erwin is not a centre forward, he hardly ever wins a header, his close control is woeful at times, and he keeps going out to the wings! Must be the manager who's telling him to do that. In my opinion the style of play is just crap. Nowhere near enough balls into the box. It's almost as though having a shot is the last resort, and the only one of our players who wins headers in the opposition box is Peter Clarke, a centre half!

Still keeping the faith, but it's getting harder and harder to watch. ⚽️

I've got reservations about the manager to be honest. In as much that he has said a few times this season that five or six of the players have not put in the effort that they should be doing. When you consider that some of them were free agents and had no club and others are with us on loan supposedly trying to make a name for themselves, it worries me that the manager can't seem to motivate them. They shouldn't need motivating in the first place but he can't seem to get them to put 100% effort in every game. Like him or loathe him a team managed by someone like Neil Warnock would not be allowed to play like this lot have played most of the season. I don't like the managerial revolving door but there's a lot to be said about appointing an experienced manager instead of relying on a rookie in the first job.

Ripley, Clarke, McLaughlin (who at least went looking for the ball), and possibly Dummigan, were the only players who played anything like well enough today!. The rest were simply :censored:e!! Can anyone tell me why Ryan Flynn is in the team? He doesn't tackle, he doesn't go past people, he can't pick out a pass. Just what does he contribute? Fane looks like he's just come off Clayton Playing Fields. Green is ok'ish but I'd much rather have Liam Kelly. And as for the strikers, I'd give Ladapo one more game - in fact one more half - for him to show us that he's in the least bit interested in playing for Latics otherwise he can go back to Palace straight away for me. Erwin is not a centre forward, he hardly ever wins a header, his close control is woeful at times, and he keeps going out to the wings! Must be the manager who's telling him to do that. In my opinion the style of play is just crap. Nowhere near enough balls into the box. It's almost as though having a shot is the last resort, and the only one of our players who wins headers in the opposition box is Peter Clarke, a centre half!

Still keeping the faith, but it's getting harder and harder to watch.

Agreed. I fear it was a one off. The euphoria of seeing 2 goals may have clouded our judgement and disguised the teams obvious faults. It would be interesting to hear what opposition managers have thought about playing us. I bet they haven't wasted too much of their team talks worrying about our 'goal threat'. We create so little. <sigh>

I think you've hit the nail on the head. We take far too long to get the ball forward into dangerous areas so the opposition have been able to get organised. We need to be much more direct, and not take 10 passes when 3 or 4 will do.

When it does arrive the opposition have reorganised and got men behind the ball making it difficult to break them down, forward passes early in a move are like hens teeth to us, we spend 30 seconds tippy tappying it around before hoofing it into a channel for Erwin or Ladapo to try and win, I know we won't get a Matt Palmer but a central player with his ability to make the forward pass is vital at our level, although I think Erwin has ability I'm not sure where his best position is and by accommodating him we seem to lose our shape.

I agree the comparison with Barca is a bit unfair, but I use them as the team that are the best at playing that system, but they have the calibre of players to do it. I just think that the Barca way has become the blueprint for modern coaching and it's as if there is no other way of playing for young coaches. I would suggest watching some of the Latics match videos from the late 80's - early 90's. You will see a high tempo, slick passing, crosses into the box, and central strikers getting into positions where they can stick the ball away. How much of that have we seen this season??

Is it just me? Am I showing my age? But am I the only one who is becoming totally bored these days by the tactics employed by a lot of teams? Barcelona were excellent at it - and still are - letting the opposition have the ball but defending really well. Then when they are in possession they pass the opposition to death and have the class in midfield and up front to make the possession count. We, on the other hand seem to do no more than play pointless passes between the defence and midfield but then as soon as it goes forward we lose possession. When Latics had their most successful spell under Big Joe we played a much simpler, more direct way. Milligan and Henry in the middle winning the ball, Adams and Holden on the wings, Bunn (or Marshall) and Ritchie up front and we had no problem at all scoring goals. Why can't we employ that formation and tactics again? The modern way is just boring when the class of player is incapable of pulling it off.

So the manager thought that the performance was fine, and was ok?!?!?! What does that say about where our standards are and how low they have fallen over the years!

Yet another toothless performance at home, yet another goalless performance at home for the long suffering fans to endure, and yet he thinks that the performance was 'fine' and 'ok'. Dear oh dear!!!

The truth is though that these players are playing in League One (the old Division 3) for a reason. I would exclude Peter Clarke from that comment though because he is clearly head and shoulders above any of them.

Now now ladies.

I agree, they've used too much of the budget on fringe players who will struggle to get into the team. I know that squad players are needed but we should have used our budget - or lack of it, more wisely - we could have used two of the fringe players wages to get one decent striker. We have virtually no goal threat whatsoever, and when we do manage to get a goal scoring opportunity we don't have strikers who are prolific enough to convert the chances. I've said before that if any teams score first against us I can't see us scoring twice. As good as our defence has been generally we are going to concede. It's not bloody rocket science, sign a striker! One with s proven goal scoring record. And for those who say McKay already has one, then we need another because he has not looked like scoring since he's been here. Oh for a Lee Hughes or Luke Beckett type. A striker who actually knows where the goals are.

I've never been a moaner with Latics. I've always been a 'glass half full' supporter. Anyone who thinks that 4 goals in 9 matches is good enough, then good luck, but I think it's dreadful. Scunthorpe at the top of the league have scored 20, yes 20!!!

Everyone who posts anything on here is entitled to their opinion. I happen to think that we won't score enough goals this season, and we haven't done for the past 4 or 5 seasons. We invest too much of our budget on midfield players who are no better than squad players at best. We should push the boat out and get a decent out and out striker. Someone in the Lee Hughes or Luke Beckett mound, who are only interested in goal scoring!

Only used part of my comment. Clever!!!

Thank you Michael Owen.

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HarryBosch ..... We'll pass it you at Christmas when we will already be virtually down. When will people realise that you can't win games if you don't score goals. 4 goals in 9 games so far suggests yet another relegation battle. Might be one that we don't get out of this time though. ⚽️

Thank you! ?