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There could be errors here because I’ve not done the most forensic search (in particular, in both this search and generally, I’ve tried to block any football played under Penney, Dunn, Robinson and Kelly from my memory) but it looks like we scored in 12 successive league games under Sheridan (that period in 06/07 ending at Scunthorpe), under Dowie (Sep-Nov 02) and under Ritchie (first 12 games of 01/02). The only longer run* that I can find since we’ve been stuck in this league was 14 games from September to November 1999. Out of interest, and for a bit of turn of the century nostalgia, the scorers during that period were both McNivens, Mark Allott (version 1), Stuart Thom, Richard Graham, Lee Duxbury, John Sheridan, Paul Rickers, Craig Dudley, Neil Adams and Steve Whitehall. *edit: apart from the one under Wadsworth which oafcmetty pointed out above!

That’s 25 goals in the league so far this season. Last season we reached that landmark on 14 March!

*fewer Hopefully it wasn’t an English degree. ;)

I think the point being made was that you need to think long term and might find yourselves back at square one. In that case sometimes it’s better to keep hold of the brothers in arms who took the walk of life to get you promoted in the first place.

Average age about 30 years and 9 months. Obviously playing three at the back to make the most of the mobility of the centre backs. Placide Wilson Clarke Gerrard Green Flynn Gardner Omrani Odabeyi Doyle Davies Perhaps only really noteworthy because it reminds us that, allegedly, Ryan Flynn still exists. If he doesn't then the pace and dynamism of Ollie Banks will fit seamlessly into the midfield.

Had a feeling our record there was bad but didn't realise quite how bad until looking. Played 10: won 1, drawn 3, lost 6, scored 5, conceded 24. Four of the six points we've got there were won by teams managed by Ronnie Moore which shows how awful the recent record is.

On a similar subject, not one member of this team was alive when we were in the Premier League: Ruddy Dummigan Edmundson Stott Hunt McLaughlin Fawns Byrne Bryan Osei Duffus

Yes, it's sad isn't it. Seven players have played for us in League One who were born after we took up residence. The next landmark will be when we start seeing players who were born after we last finished higher than 15th.

Almost 6 years. Robbie Simpson v. Chesterfield, November 2011. It's been nearly a decade since anyone scored one away from home. Lee Hughes v. Millwall, December 2007. Regardless of results it's refreshing this season watching a team that can score goals after two seasons where we've averaged less than a goal a game.

Since we’re on owtb, Doyle’s already ahead of Pawel in the Latics goalscoring charts anyway

Or, if we’re being even more pedantic, rather than overlooking him, they might look at him, notice his hamstring and then look for someone else. * now sitting here waiting for someone to comment that Michael O’Neill would need x-ray vision to see McLaughlin’s hamstring. ** and a further comment that an x-ray wouldn’t pick up his hamstring. I’ll stop now.

There seems to be a lot of talk of 4 at the back on here. We were 3-5-2 again tonight until the sending off. The two tactical changes from the start were having a more mobile back 3 and bringing Fane into midfield so that Byrne and Gardner had more licence to push forward. Other than that (and obviously the keeper), it seemed pretty much the same as the Shrewsbury game except we played better and with more intensity.

Quality player. Always looking for the ball, taking it on the turn and moving. Would be interesting to count how many times he twists and changes direction to go round an opponent. If we can get runners in front of him as he’s breaking into space he’ll start looking even better.

Some fact checking needed here, I'm afraid. Gerrard re-joined last season with 21 games to go. He and Clarke played together 14 times, during which time we won 7, drew 3 and lost 4, conceding 14 goals. Also, 4 of the 7 when they didn't play together were the last 4 games of the season, by which time we weren't quite safe but were in 17th and had most of the hard work had been done. Stott played in the last four games of the season, two of which were when we were already safe. Having said that, I don't dispute that Stott has a promising future (although he also isn't the quickest so there's no guarantee he wouldn't also suffer in this system) and that Clarke and Gerrard are being more exposed this season (although a lot of that is down to the system, the poor goalkeeping behind them and the lack of protection they get from the midfield).

Agree with all of this apart from signing a left back. We've got someone who can do that job more than adequately when he's not being played out of position in centre mid and, given the need to strengthen elsewhere there's enough cover through Stott and Wilson. Midfield is the huge problem; sort that out to get control of the ball and some decent service forward and we (hopefully) can get some goals from McLaughlan, Tope, Davies and Duffus (I'm resigned to Holloway never reaching double figures).

Wilson, as someone else has said. Of the currently contracted players (unless Wilson has signed already), Peter Clarke has played the most games for Latics. A scary sign often turnover in recent years.

I went for keeping Tope but this is the point for a few of them isn't it? There are a quite a few of the squad who've done well in the last few months of the season but if Sheridan can find a better option for doing the same job (than Erwin, Banks, Tope etc.) then I'd happily trust his judgement and let some leave who I've voted to keep. Having said that, it would be nice to have some continuity for once given that the second half of this season hasn't been too bad and it is nice to be in a position for once where we've got a manager and a core of players who we'd be happy to build with for next season. Let's wait until 1 June when all that's changed... Interestingly (or perhaps not): in the last 10 years there are only 17 players who have played 30+ league games in two consecutive seasons (it's happened 24 times in total but some of the 24 have played 30+ in more than two consecutive seasons so there are only 17 different people). Shows what a turnover of players we have had - wonder how that compares with other teams at this level. Saturday afternoon quiz to name the 17...?

I voted for Ripley but in fairness to Banks I thought it was his best game yet (faint praise, admittedly).

Never been sure about the concept of the "assist". Does seem a relatively arbitrary thing to give credit to the last person who touches the ball before the goalscorer regardless of the circumstances (I may be corrected but I think that's how it works?). Surely you can contribute to a goal without being the person to give the "assist" (Croft last week) just as much as you can be counted as the person "assisting" when, for example, you punt a long ball into the box and the centre forward then makes a goal out of nothing.

7 consecutive years knocked out in the first round. If there's one thing we do well it's consistent mediocrity. Last time we actually won a game in 90 mins in this competition was Mansfield, 4-1, 14/08/07 (JP Kalala scored!).

w/c 8th August http://www.football-league.co.uk/global/keydates.aspx

Let's just enjoy where we've got to after where we were three months ago before we get all negative about next season? That's assuming of course that we get the three points we need to lead us to our seventh successive season of finishing between 15th and 19th place in this godforsaken league (in the first season of that sequence, Bournemouth were in League Two and Portsmouth were in the Premier League). Given where we were (David Worrall [David Worrall] scoring a header [a header] in a 2-5 [five] home defeat against Southend [southend] was a low point for me), I'm just happy that we've got to where we have and that we have an actual manager in place who knows what he's doing and we can get behind. I have no expectations of promotion or play offs or anything other than a routine 15th place finish next season but for the first time in a long time it feels like we have someone in charge who knows what he's doing and, regardless of players coming and going, everything else will fall into place. That at least will give us something to look forward to. In view of that, I'm genuinely not sure it matters (within reason) which players stay or go in the pre-season. Gerrard has been great, but who doubts that Sheridan/Shirtliff could find someone else to organise the defence if he doesn't stay? Palmer added composure to the midfield, but most of us hadn't heard of him before he joined; I actually have confidence in the manager's ability to find someone else to fill that role if Palmer doesn't come back. Holloway and Main have given us workrate, strength and (latterly) goals up top but they're still basically being rejected by clubs at our level or below; there will be others out there who can also fill that role. We already have the one thing that matters for next season - everything else will take care of itself. Or am I being too naive?

Gerrard's organisation and leadership are so important (although there are other factors to the improved defensive record as demonstrated at Burton - presumably Shirtliff must get a lot of credit). Particularly enjoyable yesterday was Gerrard's organisation of off-pitch matters. That ball boy in front of the North Stand was under no illusions by full time... Having said that, I thought B Wilson was excellent yesterday.

But Pawel's Law means that most of Kelly's don't count.

The disgust in Gerrard's eyes when Wilson wimped out of that challenge was a sight. Amongst other obscenities shouted in the subsequent bollocking, he seemed to be cupping his balls and asking if Wilson had any. He had a point. Fair play though, Wilson got on with the job after that.