Hands on

We have to see this as a win win. He only goes if he is playing well. We will have the points we need to survive and other players, like Derbyshire, can be attracted to Oldham to kick start their careers. The question is who will Dickov find to replace him?

Why would Furman want to leave? He has achieved his goal of playing for Bafana Bafana and lets hope he returns with a winners medal. Any change would be a distraction.

This looks like good business. Millar because I can't believe he has a future in the Football League and Mellor to see if he wants to play in the Football League. The rumour on here was that Mellor doesn't put enough effort into training so PD won't like that - looks like a bit of a disciplinary /motivational move.

The pessimist in me suggests we need 35 points in total before Baxter goes elsewhere in order to stay up. This is 22 points in 14 games which looks like six wins and four draws which the optimist in me thinks will be achieved with wins at home on the 26th and 29th December. 8 points in the next 5 might not get us there.

There is all this talk about a winter break but why do they want it. Players will have to keep fit and as mentioned above other paying games will be arranged. How does it benefit England? The idea that PL, particularly English, players are at a disadvantage in the World and European Cup is shown up as nonsense when non-English players don't have a problem. PL players also now get 9 weekend (Monday to following Friday - some weekend) breaks per two seasons unless they represent their country.

Given the level of abuse that the FA accepts, see Terry decision, as long as there was nothing racist this will go away. I hope the club doesn't respond to the pressure and fine him - I want my team to be annoyed when representatives of the opposition cheat. The reported comment is nothing a boy/youth of his age could not hear at the cinema or on the TV. The Police, particularly, South Yorkshire are going to make sure they do everything by the book so the going away might take some time.

I'm sure Dickov and Taggart will point out the positives and negatives of that performance to the players but how anyone can criticise anything, other than the offside that wasn't, about the game is beyond me. That was without doubt one of the best Oldham team performances for years. Well done to everyone.

Well that was fun 63 pages to justify a four match ban and to try and make an appeal unlikely. To achieve the result, I suspect they wanted from the outset, they have called Cole a liar, criticised the Magistrate, explained why Anton was not charged and decided that making abusive racist remarks does not make you a racist. They found that Anton only said one of the "unholy trinity", (:censored:, :censored:ing and black) whereas Terry said all three. They also used a subsequent event, the Barcelona sending off for a knee in the back and his denial, to categorise his earlier behaviour ignoring, at this point, his previous exceptional disciplinary record (four red cards in 668 appearances). Undoubtedly Terry said ":censored:ing black :censored:" but we don't know and the FA didn't want to know what he prefaced those words with - it is a matter of record that he did say something. What the FA has done to my mind is condone all sorts of foul and abusive language both on and off the pitch.

Dickov must see things differently to everyone else - arms folded and chin down does not help - because he should have made changes at half time. Two defensive mid field players against a team that was so lacking in anything but no they were allowed to play themselves into the game and I felt were the only ones likely to score after we failed to turn our one good spell into a goal. Wes or Furman should have been substituted with either Smith or Simpson allowing Baxter to attack from mid field. Someone should also tell Dickov that Derbyshire might look big to him but in fact he is not a long ball target man but needs the ball to his feet. If the long ball is what he wants then play Smith with Derbyshire. On the question of fitness - Croft can do a great job for us but he needs to shed his spare tyre. My thought is that Dickov might be trying to pull things round by getting the players to work harder, to roll up their sleeves, with the result that they are leaving any sharpness and energy on the training ground.

Players should be paid the rate for the job, strikers should score and defenders defend. The only bonus I would like to see is one for getting promoted. Targets in any line of work always distort performance and hinder teamwork. I want the members of the team I support to play for the shirt. Simply that!

I'm a 'the players are good enough' theory supporter but are they? Baxter and Derbyshire have scored three of our five goals which means that the squad which started the season has managed just two. When Derbyshire goes, why would he stay, we will be in deeper :censored: particularly if Baxter is played as a front man, or just behind the front man, because don't we all see him as the much needed attacking midfield player? We have a stubborn proud manager who needs a new start but who will employ him and does SC have the desire to sack him? Two wins would change everything but how when the players appear to have lost heart. M'voto just gave up until Byrne had a go at him. Furman seems to have lost his way. Leaderless on and off the pitch. The beer before and after the game didn't make it any better - must need more!

My thought was own goal but it doesn't matter because after our misses it looked increasingly like we would lose.

But but why did I know that was the wrong line up. A team with three draws and a mid week thrashing and we play Furman and Wes rather than any one of with Baxter and two front men. Derbyshire is not a long ball forward - how many balls did he get to his feet? Baxter is not a forward he is attacking midfield. If you are playing kick and rush, well not rush but trot, why not have Matt Smith up front. PD stands with arms folded, Taggart didn't even bother to stand...

My season ticket is like a weight in my pocket. i will go but do I want to?

Does anybody want to go?

I'm going for two positive thoughts - the beer before the game and the beer after the game!

It would be interesting to do one of those stats - results when he plays versus results when he does not.

Is Dickov preparing us in his Match Preview for the inevitable loss?

Both reserve and 1st team play to the same formula. We don't score often enough even though we have the chances. We defend very well, surprising that given how I feel every time there is a free kick in range or a corner, but give away goals from stupid lapses. So for me Taggart is doing a great job as the defensive member of the management team. Without the stupid lapses the only thing I would want out is the drab blue kit - just come along and see how great it will look in the rain on Saturday!

The problem is not the back four! 8 goals against - this is top of the table form. The problem is goals for. Now remind me who is the striker and who is the defender in our management team? We need a Director of Football like a hole in the head. We just need someone to get the best out of a squad which is good enough for this league.

Well apart from those who still think it makes no difference the worm is starting to turn. I posted on this before. We are the boys in drab blue and it has, it does and it will make a difference. We also want our goal keeper to stop hiding in pale blue. I was waiting confidently for the stats to prove the point and will post on this subject again when, as much as I wish otherwise, they do.

Sad to say we missed the out of form Simpson. The people round me who called for his substitution when he played were calling for PD to put him on when he didn't. There is also a suggestion from PD that he is injured, one or two knocks, and that was why he didn't start. We now have options and I hope Baxter starts in front of Wes and Furman with the goal a match Derbyshire up front. Simpson can then come on when Baxter has run out of energy with Smith an option should we (see how positive I'm being) go behind.

I kind of fancy a win, but only if we wear tangerine(!), because our away support is much better and we practice playing like an away team at home.

I dislike seeing PD stand with his arms folded and then move into action only to moan at the 4th official. The 442 did not work and changes should have been made at half time. Smith put himself about up front but only once found a team mate. Smith was however dominant when we defended set plays - if he had a bit more pace he might make a decent centre back. Scunthorpe were man for man stronger than us and quicker to the ball. The game changer for me was Montano who gradually worked his way into the game and had a great 2nd half. Our goal came when two under performers strung two passes and Derbyshire scored - Grounds just didn't seem that interested or committed and Furman was trying to play beyond his skills (I'm a great fan of his when he just sticks to what he does best). There is always a reason why a game is lost or drawn and we can go through the rest of the season unbeaten but still get relegated. Notts County would have beaten us but for the rule that had a player sent off and Scunthorpe had the better chances tonight.

Optimism is the name of the game but we have just drawn at home with a team below us. Both teams have added three players but undoubtedly the away team had the better chances. Both squads are getting used to each other. Latics were 2nd to the ball and not strong enough. The bright shoots are masking what would otherwise be a very poor team. The most obvious sign that something is wrong is the fact that Croft is still carrying a spare tyre - we sign and pay professional footballers who can't be bothered to keep themselves fit. Have you ever been allowed to go home half way through your working day because you don't have the energy to do any more? Pathetic!