Steve_R

So there’s a rumour that a club from a higher division is interested in him and once again it becomes a ‘lets slag Eardley off’ thread.

I can’t believe the number of times his selection for his country is used as a stick to beat him with, and where has all this crap about his attitude come from?

Watching Latics recently has been pretty much watching a side low on confidence making a series of errors (OK, that’s the polite way of putting it). Most of these mistakes attract the odd comment, but the moment Eardley does anything remotely wrong a collective groan echoes round the ground and the tone is set for the rest of the afternoon.

I really hope he leaves in the summer for his own good. Hopefully we can make a few bob, he can get on with the rest of his career, and I won’t have to listen/read the inane drivel about him.

The only problem is a new target will be set up for the snipers to aim at.

Eardley gave the ball away ten times today. I counted. That's how interesting it was.

So how many times did Gregan give the ball away, or Stam, Taylor, Lee or anyone else. Or couldn't you be bothered counting them.

Maybe Andy Goram isn't the best comparison. Try John Sheridan, or even Andy Ritchie. Both gave their all for us as players, but when things weren't working for them as the manager that was all forgotten and they were both roundly slated, both at the games and on message boards etc.

Ritchie's reputation seems to have escaped unblemished as he is still regarded as a hero, but there are a lot of people with short memories and he got some unmerciless stick when he was the manager. Many thought that getting rid of him was the answer to all our problems, only for (some of) them to change their minds years later when we've tried god knows how many managers and we're still in this flamin' division!

I hope in years to come Sheridan is regarded a lot more fondly that he has been in the last few months, but some of the crap that has been spouted about someone who went above and beyond the call of duty has been pretty sickening to say the least.

Make no mistake, if Joe doesn't have us challenging next season (if he's here) and the football's not that good then what he achieved in the past will count for diddly squat, and he'll get it in the neck from all those who were dancing in the street when he got the job three weeks ago.

Football has changed, memories are short and Joe will cop for a load of abuse if it doesn't go swimmingly. In fact, there were plenty who wanted him out towards the end of his last reign.

I'm really sorry to hear this. I knew Reg well as I worked with him at British Aerospace for a good while, and he was a genuinely decent bloke and staunchly loyal Latics fan. Funnily enough I was only talking about him on Saturday after the game with another ex workmate.

RIP Reg.

Bang on, that Lags. It's all about whether progress is being made and, as long as that's happening, the manager should stay. Under Shez, the club had sadly gone into reverse.

So say for example in his first season we are in a relegation battle but just avoid the drop, the second we 're a little more comfortable and finish 15th, and this season we 're consistently mid table, hovering around 10/12th all season, then he keeps his job?

I've not a problem with that personally, but if that had been Sheridan's record do you think he'd still be here with the fans backing?

I used to contribute regularly, did a few interviews with Dowie, Ritchie, Warnock (!), Vic Halom and amazingly Jim Fryatt over the phone from his home in USA.

I did quite a few other articles, great games, terrible games, that sort of thing, and would be up for helping out again if needed.

I'm not sure if Pete Mason comes on here. I think someone posts as Lincoln Blue, where he lives (or at least he used to) but I don't know whether that's him or not.

Incidentally,Big Joe used to hate it with a passion and I'm sure he was behind the decision behind it's sale in the ground, although I could be wrong.

The problem is everybody seems to have changed their minds. All season people have been spouting on about how this is the strongest squad we've had in ages and should be challenging the top two, it's just that Sheridan doesn't know how to manage them.

Now he's gone it appears that they're all crap and it's his fault for signing such a bunch of losers in the first place.

I used him merely as the most convenient example, could say the same about Lampard and "JT" (how cringeworthy) at Chelsea, Stevie "Superman" Ireland at city, could go on but wont.

 

I would have hoped that the rest of my post indicated that genuine, reasonable match going United fans (of which, despite popular belief, there are a few thousand left, thank god) dont occupy "a little land of paranoia", I acknowledge good football and good players when I see them. Didnt see the press mention the United fans who stayed on at the end the other week and applauded Torres off the pitch at the end of the match. He was, and is genuine top drawer world class (thanks Martin Ferguson for not recomending him!) and I will always recognise when we are beaten by quality.

 

In one sense Gerrard has nothing to do with us, but in another he is after all captain of our fiercest rivals who we are currently battling it out for that all important 18th title. i know im not obsessed with him or his club, i just want to see ourselves finish above them each and every season, same as i do the other 18 clubs.

 

i actually cringe when we are playing, say, Wigan or somebody similar, and all some reds sing about is bleeding Gerrard, Murderers and city, we have enough cracking songs for our own club and players without resorting to that.

 

Now as a united fan, im hoping some of what ive said makes some oldham fans realise were not all japanese tourists/arrogant gloryhunters or "in our own little land of paranoia" but i appreciate that some will read it and still think "red scum".

 

ah well, c'est la vie.

You say you could have used others as an example, but you didn't. Twice, in a debate that had nothing to do with Gerrard, you brought him up merely to have a go at him, which suggests to me that you have a problem with him, much as you say Diego does with Ferguson and Man U.

It is hard sometimes not to tar all Utd fans with the same brush, i.e.: out of town glory hunters, and whilst I appreciate many are not, you'll get little sympathy on an Oldham Athletic message board if you are a Man U fan of any description.

Whether that’s right or wrong that's the way it is, and in just the same way that you have an intense dislike for Liverpool (and others I've no doubt), most Latics fans (myself included) feel the same way about your club. Whether that is reciprocated is absolutely irrelevant.

Any other player from any other team (say, for example, the press' darling "Stevie Me")

Liverpool dealt in long balls (sorry, long passes when Stevie G tm executes his 3 out of 10 that stay in play

You ask Diego why he has a hatred (or dislike as he says) of a manager and team who have nothing to do with him. Yet the above quotes made by yourself would indicate something similar from you about a player who has nothing to do with Man U. I guess that's OK though in the little land of paranoia that Man U fans seem to inhabit.

, but the three points were there for the taking

Even by the bollocks you normally spout Derek, that takes some beating. How the hell,when you're up against a team that are absolutely pissing the league,down to ten men with a centre forward in goal ,can three points be there for the taking.

We're not that good,but the expectations that some fans(?) have is ridiculous. It's a great point,but bollocks to that,lets do what we do best eh, moan,moan, moan

Byfield would be a decent addition, but why don't we sound out one of their big lumps in McCammon or Jason Price as part of the deal. Time to be cute Shez, give uncle Joe a ring he'll teach you a thing or two on how to get the best deal. We have a commodity Donny want, rumours are abound that they can't stump up the price we're asking, we hold all the cards and should turn the situation to our advantage. Hughes going should not be the end of our challenge IF we are are clever enough.

He'd have to be really cute to get Donny to let us have McCammon in part exchange seeing as he left there for Gillingham in the summer. I realise you don't have much time for Sheridan but at least try to stick to criticsms to things that he has a chance of actually carrying out.

7 actually in half a season.

Started two, plus 5 substitute appearances. Well according to soccerbase anyway.

Bout bloody time.

 

Am I the only one who is baffled as to why a lad who captain man u reserve team and was a first team regular for QPR last season could not even make it onto the bench here??

He started two games for them. Hardly a first team regular

sorry if this has been mentioned already but i've a question....

who has put this into the open....hughes? latics? doncaster?

 

if its hughes who is he's touting himself about already,mentioning release clauses etc to other clubs ,then wouldn't he be in trouble?

if its latics,then wouldn't it said they've tried everything to sign a new contract,so in effect alerting the press will get more interest from other clubs and a bigger transfer fee?

if its doncaster then are they tapping a player up?

Good point this, which I've been thinking about myself. I can't see how Doncaster (or any other club) would know about it unless someone told them, which leaves either option a or b.

Would the housing market have to reach the buoyant state it was in when the stadium plans where hatched for the development to go ahead, or alternative plans being drawn up if any recovery is much slower?

Why, whenever we sign a player and a fee is involved e.g. O’Grady, Davies, Allott, is it always reported as an undisclosed fee? Why don’t you just tell us how much they cost?

It's been reported in an interview with Simon Corney in Four Four Two that we have the fifth smallest budget in the division, when the impression previously given is that we have one of the largest (top half at least), hence the high expectations by any, and indeed Corney himself. Is this 'fifth smallest' figure correct?

Secondly, I point out that in the games that I have seen since he signed that the majorityy of goals conceeded have come down his side. You list the goals and refer tho throws and flick ons etc. The point is they have still come from our left side. The oppo see it as our weak area.

Which is ironic really as most of our fans seem to see our weak area as our right back.

Have I missed something here?

 

When the idea of having a unified club represent the towns of Oldham, Rochdale and Bury was mooted everyone was up in arms so why do we seem to be more tolerant of the idea when it's Tameside?

 

I can see the logic behind it in principle. As towns have grown over the years, in many areas they have merged in to one another to the extent that where it not for the sign in the road it would be difficult to know where one starts and the other ends, as is largely the case with Oldham/Rochdale and Oldham/Ashton. In such areas, if one of the towns concerned has a football club in the pyramid system and the other does not then I can see the sense in trying to boost your fan base by incorprating the neighbouring town into your name and attempting to unite its population behind the club.

 

If that were the case I would be right behind it. However, that isn't the position we are faced with where Oldham and Tameside are concerned.

 

First of all Tameside isn't a town, it's just the name of the council, there is no town called Tameside. Secondly, the major towns in Tameside, namely Ashton, Stalybridge, Hyde and Droylsden all already have clubs in the pyramid system. You can't just go marching in there and saying right we know you've already got a club representing your town but the bigger club from the town down the road wants this town uder its umbrella now. Especially where Stalybridge and Hyde are concerned, you've even got to go through another town (Ashton) just to get to Oldham from those two.

 

What if we were to say, hey we've got quite a lot of fans in Rochdale you know, if we called oursleves Oldham and Rochdale Athletic and moved our ground over there we'd probably attract even more fans. If someone suggested that people would say you can't do that, Rochdale have already got a team. But somehow because Ashton, Stalybridge etc are non-league people seem to think it's more acceptable. Well if we get relegated and Stalybridge get promoted in each of the next 2 seasons they'll be a division above us. If they then decide to build a ground just off Broadway and call themselves Stalybridge and Oldham Celtic will that be okay?

 

Comparisons with Brighton and Hove Albion are completely flawed as well. Firstly they've been represented by one club for donkeys years, secondly both Brighton and Hove are actual towns and thirdly neither had another club already in the pyramid system.

 

As for the idea of leaving our name as it is and just simply moving to Tameside, well it's less obnoxious than proporting to extend our sphere of representation to a town that already has a club, but it's not much better. Once you set up a permanent home outside the town of Oldham in what sense do you continue to represent the town? In name only as far as I'm concerned.

 

Lets think for a moment about some of the reasons why so many of us hate MK Dons before we start nodding to this proposal.

 

Each to their own, people will disagree with me and I realise that a lot of you are not Oldhamers and therefore perhaps the intrinsic link and sense of identity between the town and the club isn't as close to your hearts and that's fair enough. But for me, the day any of the above happens is the day I start supporting Oldham Town.

 

Thankfully I suspect it's nothing more than a completely unfounded rumour.

Just got back from holiday so I've missed all this, but can I just say that this post is the most sensible thing I've ever read on this board.

so that would make an average of 20.24 goals a season if he played every game of the season, which would make him one of the top strikers, what are we expecting? 35+ per striker :S

You can’t just pro rata the goals per game ratio over a full season and say that it’s definite that’s how many he would have scored if he’d been fit all year.

I could just as easily say that in his last 8 appearances he scored once, so using those stats he’d manage five goals if he’s fit all next year.

If we see a fully fit Lee Hughes next season and he bags 25/30 goals (as some seem to think is nailed on) then to call him the best striker we’ve had for the last 10 years will probably be right. As of yet though it’s all guesswork, so he’s done nowhere near enough to earn that title.

Yes he did, where did he reappear a year later, scoring twice in a televised game ?

Sunderland?

In tonight's Chron, there is an article penned by Tony Carss. The footnote reads....

 

-----------------------------------

 

I WOULD like to mention Harold Dean, a lifelong Latics fan who passed away on the morning of the third-round victory over Everton.

 

I attended his funeral and was reminded of the deep passion which genuine football fans have for their team.

 

Harold, I’m sure that tomorrow you will be looking down on Boundary Park, where I was extremely proud to have played for YOUR team!

 

-----------------------------------

 

What a guy!!

Rick

Did you know Harold Dean, and if so was he Phil Dean's dad? I used to work with Phil for a long time but haven't seen him in ages. His dad was a big Latics fan called Harry, and a top bloke as well. Whether it is or isn't him it's obviously a sad loss, and brilliant of Carssy to mention him like that.

How can you class Beckett a greedt . I heard that a contract was never offered in the first place.

I don't, but there are plenty of others that do. Or at least that's what they tell him every time we play Huddersfield.

Killkenny said a few weeks ago that it was highly likely he would not extend his loan. OK he was talking about returning to Brum to see what his first team chances were once Bruce has left, but I can hardly see how he can be accused of stringing anyone along.

Yet another player who does a good job for us, but the minute he decides to ply his trade elsewhere he becomes crap, a greedy b*stard etc, ala Porter, Wellens, Beckett etc

I doubt whether there is anyone at the club who plays for the love of Latics only, and would be amazed if any of them were offered a pay rise and a move to Leeds they would turn it down, no matter what anyone else thinks.

It hurts because I think he’s a cracking player and I can’t stand Leeds, but some of the abuse he’s getting on here is bordering on the ridiculous.

Oh, and these corners he so poor at, it’s not like we’ve scored from all the others he hasn’t taken over the last few years is it.

But that's just the point - he wasn't having a go from a personal point of view, he was pointing out that certain people were depriving OAFC of revenue.

How the hell is someone who buys a season ticket depriving the club of revenue.

Probably just needs something simple:

"You want our Council Tax

We want our stadium passed"

I'll let you into a little secret.

 

When I was 13, I used to march in the same Boy's Brigade troop as Councillor Roger "Just Say No" Hindle. Last night was the first time that I'd seen him in 30 years.

 

He still hasn't replied to my email!

Do you have his e-mail address? I used to work with him many moons ago and to be honest he was a right prat then. He hasn't changed much, except for a massively expanded waistline, no doubt due to those council lunches that we all pay for.

Back then he was, or claimed to be, a Latics fan, so I need to remind him of that, amongt other things.