Midsblue

I think Clarke will be more a Player/Coach next season to coach Edmundson, Hamer, Stott whilst shoring our defence throughout the season. He’s a leader no question and having him at the back in games, leading the kids and his heading from set pieces will be valuable. Is Gerrard leaving by the way?

No disrespect intended but both of those posts are the negative, close-minded views and opinions we need to park unless proven with irrefutable evidence. On the first post, are you an expert on the French lower leagues? Can you evidence it’s not intense? Players can adapt and if a player has quality then the club need to introduce him, mentor him etc to acclimatise On second post, I accept that first assumption is AL flooding our team with his ‘clients’ to sell them on. However if he was just the agent then I understand this but as owner his priority is the team to succeed. Why flood a team with inferior players, we struggle and he loses more than a few quid selling on a player. Perhaps, and go with me on this one, he thinks this player can add to our team, be a creative spark from midfield and create chances for our strikers?!

In my opinion AL has the best interests of our club and obviously wants us to succeed as owner. He’s retaining or involving Oldham ‘fans’ in the process; Trust, Brooke as CD, Owen in advisory position...even FB & AR as Manager & Assistant Manager. Might not all be his decisions but appears to have tapped into what this club means rather than trying to make it a money maker. With those fans in and around AL now, would they all remain quiet to retain their positions, salaries etc if AL was driving the club into the ground? I very much doubt it after the issues with Corney.... that’s what I mean. All irrelevant really as I think AL has his own wealth or networked investment from elsewhere to improve matters and AL wants us to succeed.

Perhaps sometimes a manager, no matter how experienced, trusts the judgement of his club’s owner who happened to be a successful agent spotting talent in the French/African market? Im also confident FB will be bringing in his own players. He doesn’t fetch me as the same Wellens who was cutting his teeth and took his first manager role via internal promotion. FB was out of work but would he blot his CV jumping straight into OAFC without getting assurances of signing his own players? Equally would Rhodes jump from a well-paid, secure job at SWFC without assurances of the club matching his ambitions and allowing to coach? Granted both love this club but I cannot believe either would risk it here on little money unless the owner demonstrated ambition. There’s too many Oldham fans around AL now who would remain quiet in return for a few quid. Perhaps the delays are genuine and linked to banking issues and legacy undisclosed debts?! Lets see the squad come August and our first game in L2

What level was Solihull Moor when we acquired Matt Smith? Chesham was a much lower standard when we spotted Fitz Hall. Same with Wayne Andrews. Cannot believe people are writing this lad without seeing him play and because we haven’t snatched him from PSG fringe squad.

Let’s see the lad play before writing him off, eh? Also let’s see who else we sign come August 4th, eh? just sayin’

Who produces Bristol City’s shirt? Is that club owned as they look good and unique

OK, in this new-found spirit of transparency and openness between ALand the Trust, perhaps the Trust can ask the following and report back to us fans? Appreciate confidentiality so perhaps a further fan representative who’s an accountant can check the books too and report back. 1. What’s the total debt for OAFC (not the north stand as presumably this debt sits with Brassbank)? 2. Why wasn’t this cleared through the takeover purchase or was AL aware and agreed to take this on? 3. Has AL evidenced funds to pay wages of staff for term of playing contracts (and contracts for non-playing staff) for this forthcoming season and beyond? 4. Do we owe Brassbank/Blitz anything or is it simply now rent for BP? 5. How long is the covenant safeguarding our tenancy at BP? 6. Is AL planning to acquire BP from Blitz? To be honest I’m bored with all this now, want our staff to be paid with no uncertainty and we can focus on the pitch. If the Trust can assure us on the above at least we can put this to bed. I don’t expect an answer on point 6 nor guarantees on playing budgets but some clarity and perhaps assurances from the horses mouth would take aware the uncertainty, doubts and enable us to focus on next season...

Who knows, that £4 million could have been to clear the debts but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If it is the questions need to be asked as to what Owen and the Trust actually did at board meetings. I know underdog said Trust was only fed certain information but surely the books demonstrated any financial mishandling?!

I’m almost certain that when AL officially took over it was confirmed somewhere (Trust?) that AL purchased the club for £4 million. If he did then why inherit £7 million to boot. That £4 million presumably is to buy the players and their contract values as ‘assets’ as there’s no other assets. Any shrewd businessman would have offset legacy debts against that asset value hence reducing £4 million even to the token ‘£1’ that some clubs are acquired for in return for inheriting the debts. This is where is suggested previously that if Corney misled then surely there’s business laws around this sort of thing?! Isn’t that £7 million what the “club” owe Blitz if they wish to buy the stadium, land, north stand etc? Blitz was stated to be the sole creditor when the fans were invited to view the books last time and assurances that the debt would only be called in once we reached the Prem. Isnt the Trust’s key responsibility to monitor debts, income and expenditure since they came onboard the board. If so, how could £7 million have been added to our debt?

If some fans have already bought following the SD f**k up releasing them early on their website and receiving them, why not have on open sale now?

...and Gerrard flinging shit

Perhaps AL via the Trust will allow us a vote next season ... but a vote via ST holders/Trust members only (to avoid any hijacking). canvass opinion on design etc only reservation is that the last time the fans voted, it was that monkey sick yellow abomination

Just saw Craig Davies waiting in my local A&E. I think he had injured himself training whilst down here (lives not far from me). Didn’t look happy at all so I didn’t say hello to him (or ask him if he’s leaving). My daughter - who had hurt her foot - pepped up when he sat down next to us and wanted to say hello (but took a sneaky pic on her phone). As we’re 100 miles from BP I suspect nobody apart from two Oldham fans recognised him. However must say he looked lean so obviously been training hard over the summer. He’s seemed huge too as in muscular and height.

Youth off to Portugal but we’ve allegedly haven’t got a pot to piss in? Hopefully it’s all doom and gloom; next week and the start of July a few new faces, FB/AR knocking everyone into shape, new kit then pre-season games. Need a shot or two of positivity

Hopefully AL realises his mistake then and Rhodes can convince him to bring in a decent keeper. It could well be Cameron Dawson from Wednesday rather than Connor Ripley from Boro.

And some on here or Twatter claim he’s coming back .... probably in a cup game playing for the opposition .... or pre-season shop window for PNE

Majority don’t like him but credit where credits due. Bunn and Rhodes must be Barry’s choice. AL wouldn’t know these two...only someone who’s a fan would

Stop teasing. What have you heard on new signings?

I’m not building my hopes up as it’s Oldham but I too am buzzing for new season. Admittedly dependent upon who we manage to add to the squad but convincing Rhodes to come here means AL must be able to demonstrate there’s a strategy in place...and funds. Rhodes was in a very good role at Wednesday. I’ve also spoken to someone who’s a massive SWFC fan and major sponsor. He can’t believe Rhodes has dropped down to us and gutted he’s gone. Comment was “you must have something to inspire Rhodes to leave us because the club rated Rhodes highly and his salary reflected this. Doing great things with our keepers”. Also said wouldn’t be surprised we’d now get Cameron Dawson on loan - highly rated prospect playing at England level.

Apparently Hoyle wasn’t happy that money was being spent on the youth academy but when battling for promotion to the Prem and once in the Prem, managers were signing players and claiming that they couldn’t wait for the youngsters to come through. Hopefully we may prosper from some of that talent now because that youth team two or so years ago was playing brilliantly.

Talking to a few Huddersfield Town fans, they all said Frankie was an excellent coach for them. A disciplinarian with massive attention to detail on set pieces, formations, positioning on and off the ball plus really gelled players into a cohesive team that succeeded. Big on performance management and analysis too. All were gutted when he got sack due to Hoyle’s cost cutting and the secondary teams haven’t been the same since. They also said he and Andy Rhodes worked well together and if we had money then wouldnt be surprised if he came in from Wednesday. Obviously depends on who he can bring in but sounded really positive. Hopefully gets those players remaining firing on all cylinders as a team and fit to last the season.

May have missed the following already being said but just catching up after a day of business meetings. My concern is that FB’s appointment seems too rushed for my liking. When RW was appointed we interviewed the likes of Scholes, Seedorf etc; highly likely influenced by AL (who we now know had already started funding the club at that time and involved in that process). Timing was critical as we were in the shit, mid-season and games being played. Now...faced with a monumental challenge to get promoted from L2, AL had the opportunity to take his time and advantage of the recruitment and interview process to get the most appropriate candidate. However, FB is approached, “interviewed” and recruited within hours based on a recommendation from Barry Owen(?). This isn’t a criticism of FB as I want him to succeed but was FB really AL’s first and only candidate? The above suggests this i.e. no rumours of others interviewed, FB appointed after just one meeting and no suggestion of RW getting the bullet until the fallout of MK article. FB may have delivered a stellar interview but this is starting to sound more and more like the cheap option. FB was out of work, desperate to get back into football and took the job so quickly that he hasn’t even discussed player budgets yet! I’m trying to remain positive and supportive but with the above and AL not even being present at FB’s press conference does concern me. Add to this the sacking of MM and the return of Barry Owen (who was a key member of Corney’s board and must have been present when all the decisions under Corney were made). I just have the nagging feeling - and it’s getting stronger - that AL blew a load of dosh last season to buy us then safeguard relegation (his own dosh or on behalf of someone else). Now relegated and “due dilligence” missing all the hidden debts, that injection has been turned off or tightened to a dribble. If the early bird ST money came in during his regime then has this been used to pay debts hence severe cuts in recruitment because AL doesn’t have the funds to cover both?! I really hope I’m wrong.

Who cares? Irrelevant now - onwards and upwards

Risk we take if he storms the league and gains attention from elsewhere. Hopefully one-year extension option based on performance. Welcome aboard Frankie ... I guess you had the brightest bouquet up your sleeve and those animal balloons outshone the other candidates. Hopefully you can pull a few rabbits from Stitch’s magic hat too!