Midsblue

7 years until England poaches him in the summer following our promotion into the Prem. Outlasting Lemsagam by 6 years

I’m glad the EFL saw sense. You only had to watch that documentary on Salford to realise Scholes was simply a shareholder and its Neville pulling the strings there. Unless it’s Scholes dictated the term, hopefully we give him longer than 18 months as manager and remain patient. Even if it takes longer than this season to make an impact, it’s next season and the season after we need to measure him on. Both Scholes and Priest are highly regarding in football. Priest will deliver the experience that Scholes current lacks as a coach / manager and in future transfer windows we can capitalise on quality youngsters on the cheap or freebie loans. Frankly Im not that fussed if we become a feeder club for Man Utd and loan in 3 or 4 of their their players each year. If it benefits us and we get promoted back to League 1 then Championship, then that’s more important. Lemsagam and his brother and a great opportunity now to propose off the coat tails of these two. I just hope they don’t interfere and Scholes has final say on who comes in and who plays.

I remember that summer but am I the only one not fussed that the lad wore a Torex shirt? Ironically now I see it as a symbol that no matter what is thrown at our club, we’ve survived. We’ve outlived Torex long after they went belly up and when Moore and his dealings were found out. Aside from the Royle era, that season under Dowie was one of the best I experienced as a fan. Moore bankrolled us then he was hit financially - exactly the same as Blitz & Gazal. Unfortunately we’ve been blighted with owners promising but not delivering. Under Moore it clicked and it’s a shame that aside from that season under Shez, the Blitz/Corney era failed continuously to replicate the excitement and success.

but soooooo last month will the press & media be that bothered now?

Please could you ask Mr Blitz if he’s been bitten by the bug again after the Fulham experience? If so, tell him to take that feeling when he was on the pitch in front of 5000 fans. Multiple that by 10 winning a play-off at Wembley/gaining promotion back to League 1. Multiple it by 100 if we did the same returning back to The Championship. Only way to do it is strengthen the team and coaching/manager. You know it makes sense Mr Blitz; complete the job you started before throwing us to the likes of Corney now Lemsagam. Build it.... the fans will return. Seriously - would you buy back the club and invest realistically into us becoming challengers again?!

Been away with work and I guess still no news. Is it this Friday (8th) when the EFL decide on Scholes’ conflict of interest or has it moved on since then? Spotted last night that Newport won so that’s £125,000 we missed out on. Suspect that may be a decider on the Scholes situation with PW remaining in charge as we limp across the line in May. Is this now it? Swapping relegation battles in League 1 with mid-table mediocrity in League 2. How our club has fallen and I feel sorry for the younger generations whose experience of support has been just this. Fortunate for me, I started supporting when we were in a similar situation but at least I got to see our promotion, being Premier League founders and Royles team first hand. Then the decline over 25 years........ I keep promising to my daughter that one day we’ll see success. She went to the gym in this year’s away shirt last night so at least she still cares

So Scholes probably thinks Salford won’t get promotion or we’ll get relegated

My post wasn’t questioning the Trust’s involvement in this Q&A and my intention wasn’t to hammer the Trusts tenacity to open conversation with the two key stakeholders dictating the future of our club and/or home. Dave better summarised my distrust below; They rightly/wrongly walked when the market crashed and property/land bottomed out. However land prices and housing demands have increased massively during their self-imposed exile. Club in state of flux, Lemsagam being questioned left, right and centre. Pure and simple - has Blitz returned to help or his arrival is to prosper from the chaos?

No way am I a Corney apologist but I met the bloke a few times and everytime he appeared genuine in his quest for OAFC to succeed. I don’t mean a passing hello but a decent, sit-down, chat. How he managed to fund signings was obviously questionable and perhaps he did bankrupt the club to do it. However, unless the Trust can evidence to the contrary, we only have Lemsagams word of just how bad it was and how much Lemsagam has had to invest to turn it around. Is this fact and documented? My issue is that I’m fast starting to distrust Lemsagam more than I ever did Corney... at least you didn’t have mass unrest amongst players, players training with the youth team because they fell out with the owner. Simon Jordan is up his own arse most of the time but he learned the lesson very quickly that you don’t interfere with the team selection or tactics and never venture into the changing room. Re Lemsagam; There’s no assurances of his wealth or ability to meet commitments, no indication of where the money is coming from, no board to challenge the owner, everyone but Lemsagam questioning his interference and unsettling of the club. This takeover was supposed to strengthen our future not wreck it - if Blitz was involved in this sale and now talking to the Trust then is he taking any accountability?

Thanks Mr S. I’m not shooting the messenger here because you’ve been quite accurate via your contacts in the past and I always look out for your posts with interest. Your contacts were certain that Scholes was signed and nailed on for this week ahead of the transfer window shutting. Obviously they were misled. Uncertain who they are but it appears even those ITK aren’t ITK any longer. Be it BT or Salford City - these would have been known ages ago...perhaps even when he was interviewed the last time. If I was keen to get into management, I would have checked whether my current commitments posed a conflict of interest months ago. I would expect the same from my prospective employer. That said; these things don’t take weeks. A call from either or both parties to the EFL will answer this in seconds. Once known, the Salford divestment or transferral of shares takes days - could have been resolved when then involved Beckham. Also do you honestly think Scholes wouldn’t have a break clause with BT if he’s that keen to be a manager? Equally would BT stand in his way? All a smoke screen. Either Scholes wants the job or he doesn’t and knows what he needs to do to secure it if it’s been offered to him. My gut feel is that the delay is down to AL trying to find the funds hence why he flew out to Dubai and also why Blitz is hovering around. AL is potless and the issue is having to hand over asset ownership within the club - player sales ie Edmundson - to fund Scholes or AL trying to fund it himself by trying to offload players. My biggest concern here now isn’t a manager but ALs ability to keep us solvent. He’s avoiding the Trust even more than Corney did. Why is Blitz keen to meet the Trust when AL isnt? What has Blitz got to gain from this meeting? Simple question from me - “do you see the club, as sitting tenants, an opportunity or a hindrance in your plans? If the former, are you prepared to invest into/takeover the club so the two can develop?”

So there are still massive uncertainties over Scholes actually becoming manager. If this is true how come some on here said it’s signed and sealed?! This puts paid to him helping us secure any decent players on loan before tomorrow’s deadline....unless he joins in a coaching capacity or is that still a breach? Yes he could help even if there’s risk of him not managing but would those players join us if AL remains picking the team whilst we secure Scholes. The bloke didn’t conduct due diligence when buying the club and now done the same with Scholes, which led to this managerial appointment dragging on for weeks. The more I’m reading on this bloke, the more I’m inclined to agree with his critics that he’s potless, a chancer and will ultimately be the final nail in our coffin. This is a bloke who’s screwed up the recruitment process whilst the transfer windows open, putting to an end the strengthening desperately needed, supposedly interfering with player selection and refusing to play or select some players again. The last two points he promised in the media he wouldn’t repeat. He’s avoided a meeting with the Trust and hasn’t exactly chased for this to be rescheduled hence them meeting our ex-owners/landlords instead. Is his openness to the Trust and fans purely lip service with recruitment now very much on his terms, alongside selection, to advertise his players on the market? Perhaps he has more of an interest in this than merely being their employer? If Jim White references Scholes and us tomorrow, perhaps we message his show and ask Simon Jordan his opinion ... he was firmly in the camp that owners do not interfere and stay away from selection and recruitment. If nobody’s signed tomorrow and the managerial position drags on then we vote with our feet and boycott matches?

Why? Has the Trust asked them this? Perhaps if you clarified this then we can base our question on the nature of the keenness to engage. Appreciate that we couldn’t expect them to continue bailing us. Also they’ve probably saved us from Corney imploding the clu. However, at the moment, it seems very much out of the frying pan with them selling the club to Lemsagam. Wouldn’t it be better for them if the club folded so they could develop the land for housing? They’ll get their money back so I cannot see any reason, other than persuading us to spend money in their stand, for them to have any remote interest in our club or clubs future.

Just got in from meetings all day. No news I see but did anyone spot Scholes at the game? Based on the messages above that I quickly scoured on the game, he’s got a massive task ahead. Will he have any funds to overhaul the team? If not, it’ll be the quickest tenure in our history... even beating Daz Kelly

When do you reckon he’ll be announced Mr S?

Shame we can’t inject some sodium thiopental into AL instead

Announcement to be made shortly after MK Dons game on 29/01/2019..... 2258hrs 31/01/2019 - Oldham Athletic announce Paul Scholes as manager on 18 month contract 2301hrs 31/01/2019 - Paul Scholes resigns as Oldham Athletic Manager after club fails to conclude three loan signings because fax machine wasn’t plugged in 2305hrs 31/01/2019 - Pete Wild asked to take training ahead of Saturdays game

Not doubting you but if AL is struggling to pay the manager then what hope have we of giving him funds to strengthen? Its obvious this won’t happen but like someone else said; Scholes isn’t stupid, doesn’t need the job and has most probably spoke to others who have heard of AL or dealt with him in the last 12 months or prior. Yet...he’s attended the last few away games and also on Saturday. This means he must be very interested. Ok he’s a fan but he’s also part owner of Salford who played nearer to Scholes’ home on the last two weekends. Surely there’s open dialogue and for him to remain interested, AL must have evidenced a plan and finances somehow?!

Where’s Scholes in, little or no activity by close of transfer window and Scholes walks in Feb?

Double post

But we’re potless, skint, heavily in debt.... Scholes will only be here purely because of his affinity with the club and that he doesn’t need the money. The salary will be a token amount between the two allowing him to also do his punditry I guess. For us it’ll be a cast of the dice hoping his standing in world football inspires our players, his contacts get us cheap or free loans from United and we can leverage the clubs profile in the media within uk and abroad. Talksport just spent another 20 minutes discussing this with Paul Dickov. Question his appointment if you like but Scholes is worldwide-known and still a source of interest in the media and footballing circles. I just hope AL doesn’t royally fuck this up.

Apparently we haven’t settled the contracts of Wellens or Bunn. This may be ALs way of suggesting shite manager / tactics is gross misconduct. Tom Cruise would struggle making a successful team from our squad possible so unfair on Frankie. FB was on a reported £40k per annum so where has AL rustled up 7.5x that amount to secure Scholes? If he has then that’s madness because that money could be used towards a striker, midfielder plus a decent coach/manager at L2 level.

The Sun in their Goals section today is questioning why Scholes should take the job as the place is a circus with AL meddling, still not settling Wellens’ or Bunn’s wages, issuing fines and signing mediocre players above the managers head. Basically a rehash of what we know already or what ex-players have stated after leaving. Doesn’t paint us in a great light. If it is Scholes then I hope AL doesn’t interfere, allows him to bring in some players to strengthen our side and creates a solid foundation for us to improve this season and realistically challenge the next. I doubt that he’d change his character or story of ownership but we’d be more visible in the press with Scholes at the helm and I really hope our owner doesn’t drag us further into the dirt.

What do you reckon Scholes’ thoughts are after today’s game and the last three matches? If he attended again today then do you reckon he’ll be announced Monday or Tuesday? Manic two days then before deadline day

The longer this goes on the less of an impact it’ll make. If it does end up being Scholes then no matter how you jazz up the press conference, it’s now old news. Bemuses me how our club operates media exposure. Regardless of what some people think, if it is Scholes, it should have been announced last week and maximised the wow factor and the national press interest. Couldn’t AL have timed his downtime until afterwards or flown back earlier?

I thought he said it in the interview but I think he’s simply referencing the fans attendance. However didn’t someone spot him and tweeted it. Might be wrong ... we’ll soon fight out no doubt