The Good vs The Bad this season

[oafcprozac]

Ok so some say we've a helluva future ahead of us, I disagree. Others say we're doomed, I disagree. Some even say we're forever to tread water in a sea of mediocrity, this I do agree with. So 38 games in W14 L13, and we're making the progress of a dog chasing its tail, although he does stop to licks his balls when we occasionally scrape a draw....

 

The Good

 

Tranmere (A)

Donny (H) FAC

Donny (A) FAC

Millwall (A)

Leeds (A)

Everton (A)

Carlisle (H)

Tranmere (H)

 

The Bad

 

Carlisle (A)

Hartlepool (A)

Brizzle (H)

Southend (H)

Northampton (H)

Walsall (H)

Donny (A) JPT

Port Vale (H)

Yeovil (A)

Hudds (H) FAC

Brizzle (A)

Brighton (A)

Hartlepool (H)

Luton (A)

 

The rest of the games i'd class as acceptable or indifferent displays such as Port Vale (A) or Gillingham (H)

 

Like it or lump it we aint making the play offs. Even a fully-fit squad at the start of the season was playing poorly so to expect the current crop of rag tag and bob tail footballers to win the 6 or 7 games we need to get into the play offs is not keeping the faith, its friggin' delusional!

 

So what happens in the summer?

 

First of all the owners should demand answers to Sheridan's failings in the market, the money is perceived to be there, so what's going wrong? Are we setting our sights too high? Do we have a plan b if plan a fails to materialise? Could the chairman, MD or Chief Exec take on more responsibility in selling the club to potential targets? Does Shez need an experienced head to bounce ideas off? Are the coaching staff good enough to take the club forward individually and collectively?

 

Secondly, identify very early what we need. IMO we need a goalkeeper, that's a no-brainer. A ball-player, a winger, and TWO strikers. One quick and nippy the other a big lump. Anything else that comes our way would be a bonus. But no more Ricketts or Hughes type deals. Ricketts didn't work out and the jury for most is still out on Hughes.

 

Thirdly, The club will be shooting itself in the foot if it raises ticket prices, fans are already paying through the nose to watch mediocre football in the currently mediocre facilities. Crowds are dwindling and the natives are getting restless. Three out of four home crowds albeit all on Tuesday nights have yielded attendances well under 4,000 which imo should be taken as a gauge of public feeling not only from the town but against the taken for granted hardcore. When these guys are getting pissed off and voting with their feet it is time to wake up and smell the coffee. Give the fans an exciting team and they will come and watch. Deliver the tripe we have seen for the most part this season, and the last ten years, then the shiny new ground will be 80% empty when its completed.

[oafc0000]

3 points off play offs.....I just dont see us as being in all that much trouble.....

[beag_teeets]

3 points off play offs.....I just dont see us as being in all that much trouble.....

 

Aye, I don't get all the doom and gloom either.

[oafcprozac]

3 points off play offs.....I just dont see us as being in all that much trouble.....

 

It might as well be 30, you've said yourself this side is too inconsistent to get the required number of wins.

We've gone backwards since February last year. Further regression next season could make for a very nervous season. Too often we've had to rely on kids this season, both ours and from other clubs.

[oafcprozac]

Aye, I don't get all the doom and gloom either.

 

 

Not doom and gloom, it's offering an alternative, realistic and honest opinion to counter the optimism that blinds a few on this board and having the to say what I really think rather than going along with their cyber buddies.

[Stitch_KTF]

It might as well be 30, you've said yourself this side is too inconsistent to get the required number of wins.

We've gone backwards since February last year. Further regression next season could make for a very nervous season. Too often we've had to rely on kids this season, both ours and from other clubs.

 

Not necessarily. We can make the play offs, you just dont think we will.

 

As for regression that started not in February but when Wellens left and wasnt replaced (not that he ever really could have been). Should have done everything to keep him. This season would have been much different I believe.

 

Bring him back for next!!!!!

[oafc0000]

We've gone backwards since February last year.

 

We loss Porter and Wellens ?? Bloody hard to go forward from that postion to be fair!

[GlossopLatic]

Not doom and gloom, it's offering an alternative, realistic and honest opinion to counter the optimism that blinds a few on this board and having the to say what I really think rather than going along with their cyber buddies.

 

To an extent though all faith is blind I suppose I come under the blind optimist/Happy Clapper tag, thats just who I am. Its not the same as naive I just try and take the positives out of every situation.

 

I agree with alot of what you say in your original post 2 more questions need to be asked IMO Do we need to expand our scouting and secondly can any player that we sign play for 40-50 games no use having a football genius who will be sat in the stands for 30+ games at a time they can't affect the game from there.

Edited March 17, 2008 by GlossopLatic

[thetramfixer]

about the only way to describe the good n bad for me.......

 

LEEDS at home bad, oh so bad!!

 

LEEDS away ...... fan flippin tastic!!

 

players....... the emergence(well into the 1st team!) of Alessandra, a steal with Hazell and a midfield stalwart in Allott

 

the continuing injury problems.... how unlucky have we been this season??

 

END OF

[Inspiral_Carpet]

Not doom and gloom, it's offering an alternative, realistic and honest opinion to counter the optimism that blinds a few on this board and having the to say what I really think rather than going along with their cyber buddies.

 

Got it. So if people disagree with you then they are happy clappers and only doing it because they want to be popular?

 

Glad we sorted that one out then.

[oafcprozac]

Not necessarily. We can make the play offs, you just dont think we will.

 

As for regression that started not in February but when Wellens left and wasnt replaced (not that he ever really could have been). Should have done everything to keep him. This season would have been much different I believe.

 

Bring him back for next!!!!!

 

 

and therein lies our problem. By not keeping Wellens or permanently replacing him has left us rudderless on the field, Allott has been superb but he is no Wellens when it comes to running a game. Would've loved to have seen Allott and Wellens. Biggest mistake was signing that Little gob:censored:e n loan from Brum, we lost all the momentum we'd built up in Pre-season, had to change the way we played and he arrived injured. Losing Porter was a massive blow too. But the signing of Ricketts was a joke, the majority of Latics fans I know saw it as scraping the barrell, some preceived him to a class player I thought he was a big, useless, immobile turd! But then to release the guy in October and not bring a striker in until 26th Feb is unforgivable.

[maddog]

................this side is too inconsistent to get the required number of wins.

Ah, that magic number of 'required wins'........ carefully plucked out of thin air. We don't know what other teams will do with their remaining fixtures. We've all been as inconsistent as each other.

[Senor_Coconut]

3 points off play offs.....I just dont see us as being in all that much trouble.....

 

 

 

La la la, I can't hear you, La la la.

[oafcprozac]

Got it. So if people disagree with you then they are happy clappers and only doing it because they want to be popular?

 

Glad we sorted that one out then.

 

 

Don't even try and go down the Corporal Jones route with me. If people want to be happy clappers then fair enough, that's their choice. I can understand how some people only see positives in any situation but sometimes people fail to see the wood for the trees. I'd prefer to see hard evidence of a club moving forward ON and OFF the field rather than a little bit of hear say here and there, before I become an eternally blind optimist.

 

Right glad thats sorted, you tell me how we've moved forward ON the field from last season..........................

[oafcprozac]

Ah, that magic number of 'required wins'........ carefully plucked out of thin air. We don't know what other teams will do with their remaining fixtures. We've all been as inconsistent as each other.

 

 

Yeah we do, 6 teams will get more points than us and deservedly so. Over a season you do generally get what you deserve. We'll deservedly finish in mid-table anonyminity.

[oafc0000]

La la la, I can't hear you, La la la.

 

First time one of your posts has made me smile :P

[Amsterdam_Blue]

I really can't understand this "shez'sfailings in the transfer market" garbage. Answer me this prozac, do you think Shez doesn't want to spend money? Do you think he wants to sig every player on a free or on loan?

 

The only question that needs to be asked is where the hell has the money gone?

 

We offered x amount for Kilkenny yet as soon as we didn't get him we it seems as though the money just went.

 

Shez has done fantastic with his current crop of players, the only 2 players in the entire squad that cost money were Davies and Allot, every other player was a free, loan singing or came through the youth.

 

Do you think Shez doesn't want to pay money for players, people keep harping on about bad signings etc...NAME ME A MANAGER THAT DOESN'T MAKE A BAD ONE?

 

Fergie has signed some right duffers Djemba Djemba, Veron etc...

 

Every manager makes them.

 

According to you Prozac "the manager should be held accountable".

 

Ok, here's a role play for you. 3 amigo's and Alan Hardy asking Shez to explain his "poor decisions"

 

Alan Hardy asks, "Shez please can you explain the following, our awful performance in the league, we finished a poor 6th last season and now this season we are a WHOLE 3 points of the play offs, please can you explain your sides performance given that you've not even spent 100k on the entire squad?"

 

Alan Hardy then asks "shez, please can you explain your awful signings such as Allot, Hazel, Gregan, Davies, Hughes, Crossley (god we really need to expand our scouting don't we, only 1 player here was signed from Serie A - Davies, you'd think we'd be pulling Italian players in their top league out of their for fun wouldn't you?) He's made 1 bad signing in Ricketts & arguably Thompson".

 

This is rubbish, i'm not a happy clapper as many will tell you but this whole topic is daft, our entire squad is made up of free's, youth players and loan's. AND this is Shez's fault because........?? I dunno, i give up, please explain prozac.

[RoytonBlueLad]

Davies (god we really need to expand our scouting don't we, only 1 player here was signed from Serie A - Davies, you'd think we'd be pulling Italian players in their top league out of their for fun wouldn't you?)

 

Relegated Serie B side actually. Even wider network than you think

 

And Davies played and score against us last season

[DerekWilson_1968]

Yeah we do, 6 teams will get more points than us and deservedly so. Over a season you do generally get what you deserve. We'll deservedly finish in mid-table anonyminity.

 

Come on Paul, you can't possibly know that.

 

The probability based upon our inconsistency, is that we won't make it, but it isn't a known quantity until we are no longer mathematically able to do it.

 

I was thinking about the 'over a season you generally get the placing you have deserved' comment. It was something I was thinking about earlier after reading all the 'we don't deserve it' posts. I think it is the one rule of thumb that all football fans generally agree with. You can win cups with lady luck on your side but in the league things generally balance out over 46 games and you end up in a position that your quality of play has dictated that you should.

 

OK, we have been inconsistent, been unlucky with injuries etc. but so have a lot of teams it seems. They must have been for us to still be in with a decent shout. They are still shouting for heads at both the City Ground and at Elland Road despite being in a better position than us. If we make it, then yes I believe we do deserve it, despite the protests at some of the fare dished up, we will have made it because we have been less inconsistent than other teams.

 

Personally I don't think we will make it but the possibility is still there and I do agree with a fair amount of the analysis you have made. There is certainly something to be said for those that can see the bigger picture and are willing to state their opinions.

 

KtF,

 

Derek.

[beag_teeets]

When were we ever good? A few brief years when we had the advantage of playing on a plastic pitch thats when. "But we won on grass too" - sometimes but our success was built on the back of that plastic, we all know it but don't like to admit it, take a long look at the pitch in the .gif in my signature, thats plastic that is.

 

The season after this match we weren't very good in a league higher, the season after we stayed up on the last day and the season after that we were relegated, the season after we were poor then we really went cack and got relegated again. Since then we have been pretty poor with two blips where we were sort of better. Here is our history - http://www.oldhamathletic.premiumtv.co.uk/...1012900,00.html - hardly worth writing home about is it?

 

All this "we are gash" this season is nonsense, we are no gasher than we have ever been because we have always been gash, what have we ever won? A few crappy lower league titles. When we got to a final we bottled it, when we got to the FA semis we didn't have enough to get in to the final - the managers fault? The players fault? Came up against a better team? We had the best chance ever to win at Wembley, United had key players out and we still couldn't hold on for another 30 seconds, our best player on the day lost their star striker and he did what he always did - it happens.

 

This is my starting point, we are gash, when we aren't gash then that is a bonus. If your starting point is that we wonderful then you are going to be constantly disappointed because we are not. We are not going to get any less gash by people not going to the games or by getting rid of the manager or by not renewing STs as this year has been gash.

 

The side that we have at the moment, if all we fit has a few players that can entertain, Taylor (yes seriously), Allesandra, Smalley and Davies. Whenever have we had a wealth of riches like that? Certainly not when we had a Richie Wellens, maybe when we had Ritchie, Holden and Adams. On top of the 4 already listed we have Eardley and Lomax, both we bomb on and make things happen, I see Eardley has been called up to the Welsh squad, not bad considering he is so gash.

 

Maybe I am a happy clapper, maybe my pint is half full and there is someone else at the bar getting me another one with a whisky chaser and a bag of peanuts but how anyone can say this season has been a disaster is beyond me. The foundations for future non-gashness are clear for anyone to see and these foundations appear to be built on stone not sand. Either way, I will be sat watching Latics for another 50-60 years, some of that will be gash, I know that now but some of it won't be.

[Inspiral_Carpet]

Don't even try and go down the Corporal Jones route with me. If people want to be happy clappers then fair enough, that's their choice. I can understand how some people only see positives in any situation but sometimes people fail to see the wood for the trees. I'd prefer to see hard evidence of a club moving forward ON and OFF the field rather than a little bit of hear say here and there, before I become an eternally blind optimist.

 

Right glad thats sorted, you tell me how we've moved forward ON the field from last season..........................

 

 

Read what you have written Paul. Basically, you get your retailiation in first by saying that if people disagree then they are happy clappers. You still do it in the last post with "I can understand how some people only see positives". Who is? Who are these fictitious rose-tinters who are praising the Team for the performance on Saturday? It suits your purpose to make them appear real but what you are actually doing is trying to say is "if you disagree with me than you are deluded".

 

You are doing it with me. As I have the temerity to question what you have put, you are presumably labelling me as a happy clapper with your statement "Right glad that's sorted, you tell me how we've moved forward ON the field from last season........."

 

The simple fact is that if you had read some of my posts recently (particularly those regarding Sheridan) then you would know I am far from a blind optimist. Heaven knows, maybe I actually agree with you (and to an extent CJ) about a number of things.

 

Unfortunately, you and him (plus a few others) think that you are so right in your opinions that you feel the need to pigeon-hole everyone who has (or may have) a contrary view. You do that before you have even seen the argument in reply which is ludicrous.

 

The vast majority of people using OWTB are realists. Some can articulate their arguments well and others can't. Labelling detractors from one's opinion as "happy clappers" or alternatively, "doom and gloomers" is plain stupid and shows the weakness of the person's ability to see alternate points of view.

 

That is why I picked you up on the original point and not because I necessarily disagree with your other statements. Some I do and some I don't. That's real life.

[philliggi]

When were we ever good? A few brief years when we had the advantage of playing on a plastic pitch thats when. "But we won on grass too" - sometimes but our success was built on the back of that plastic, we all know it but don't like to admit it, take a long look at the pitch in the .gif in my signature, thats plastic that is.

 

The season after this match we weren't very good in a league higher, the season after we stayed up on the last day and the season after that we were relegated, the season after we were poor then we really went cack and got relegated again. Since then we have been pretty poor with two blips where we were sort of better. Here is our history - http://www.oldhamathletic.premiumtv.co.uk/...1012900,00.html - hardly worth writing home about is it?

 

All this "we are gash" this season is nonsense, we are no gasher than we have ever been because we have always been gash, what have we ever won? A few crappy lower league titles. When we got to a final we bottled it, when we got to the FA semis we didn't have enough to get in to the final - the managers fault? The players fault? Came up against a better team? We had the best chance ever to win at Wembley, United had key players out and we still couldn't hold on for another 30 seconds, our best player on the day lost their star striker and he did what he always did - it happens.

 

This is my starting point, we are gash, when we aren't gash then that is a bonus. If your starting point is that we wonderful then you are going to be constantly disappointed because we are not. We are not going to get any less gash by people not going to the games or by getting rid of the manager or by not renewing STs as this year has been gash.

 

The side that we have at the moment, if all we fit has a few players that can entertain, Taylor (yes seriously), Allesandra, Smalley and Davies. Whenever have we had a wealth of riches like that? Certainly not when we had a Richie Wellens, maybe when we had Ritchie, Holden and Adams. On top of the 4 already listed we have Eardley and Lomax, both we bomb on and make things happen, I see Eardley has been called up to the Welsh squad, not bad considering he is so gash.

 

Maybe I am a happy clapper, maybe my pint is half full and there is someone else at the bar getting me another one with a whisky chaser and a bag of peanuts but how anyone can say this season has been a disaster is beyond me. The foundations for future non-gashness are clear for anyone to see and these foundations appear to be built on stone not sand. Either way, I will be sat watching Latics for another 50-60 years, some of that will be gash, I know that now but some of it won't be.

 

The most straight lined post ive ever seen on here, and got to say it makes sense. too many of the moaners believe we should be better than we are, we have no given right it has to be earnt and by god, i think we have set the ball rolling this year

[RoytonBlueLad]

I won't quote it due to the size but I'd like to completely agree with beag_teeets.

 

Great post.

[Stitch_KTF]

When were we ever good? A few brief years when we had the advantage of playing on a plastic pitch thats when. "But we won on grass too" - sometimes but our success was built on the back of that plastic, we all know it but don't like to admit it, take a long look at the pitch in the .gif in my signature, thats plastic that is.

 

The season after this match we weren't very good in a league higher, the season after we stayed up on the last day and the season after that we were relegated, the season after we were poor then we really went cack and got relegated again. Since then we have been pretty poor with two blips where we were sort of better. Here is our history - http://www.oldhamathletic.premiumtv.co.uk/...1012900,00.html - hardly worth writing home about is it?

 

All this "we are gash" this season is nonsense, we are no gasher than we have ever been because we have always been gash, what have we ever won? A few crappy lower league titles. When we got to a final we bottled it, when we got to the FA semis we didn't have enough to get in to the final - the managers fault? The players fault? Came up against a better team? We had the best chance ever to win at Wembley, United had key players out and we still couldn't hold on for another 30 seconds, our best player on the day lost their star striker and he did what he always did - it happens.

 

This is my starting point, we are gash, when we aren't gash then that is a bonus. If your starting point is that we wonderful then you are going to be constantly disappointed because we are not. We are not going to get any less gash by people not going to the games or by getting rid of the manager or by not renewing STs as this year has been gash.

 

The side that we have at the moment, if all we fit has a few players that can entertain, Taylor (yes seriously), Allesandra, Smalley and Davies. Whenever have we had a wealth of riches like that? Certainly not when we had a Richie Wellens, maybe when we had Ritchie, Holden and Adams. On top of the 4 already listed we have Eardley and Lomax, both we bomb on and make things happen, I see Eardley has been called up to the Welsh squad, not bad considering he is so gash.

 

Maybe I am a happy clapper, maybe my pint is half full and there is someone else at the bar getting me another one with a whisky chaser and a bag of peanuts but how anyone can say this season has been a disaster is beyond me. The foundations for future non-gashness are clear for anyone to see and these foundations appear to be built on stone not sand. Either way, I will be sat watching Latics for another 50-60 years, some of that will be gash, I know that now but some of it won't be.

 

 

You're a little harsh on our glory years achievements. Your signiture also shows some very good players stood around the box, and a full chaddy providing good support both vocally and financially. I havent checked it out but I think during our Championship season we had the best away record in the league, hardly thanks to a plastic pitch in Oldham. If anything that pitch would be detrimental to performances on grass seeing as the players trained on the plastic. The successes in those days were based on stability both with the manager and playing staff, bringing through good young talent and picking up bargain young players from the local big clubs. What we should be doing these days is following our own blue-print which to some extent we are. Although seeing as the prem has taken football up a level I believe we can only really aim to reach the championship which, standard wise, I would liken to the old division 1 when we were in it. But then il settle for that.

 

Also maybe we did 'bottle it' in the final, but the huge fixture pile up towards the end of season due to going the distance in both cups hardly helped matters.

 

As for essentially putting Taylor, Allessandra, Davies and Smalley on a par with Ritchie, Adams and Holden, not to mention some distinguished others, you're having a laugh. Although these players certainly can take us in the right direction for now.

 

The rest of your post which basically highlighted peoples unrealistic demands was good.

[laticsmad]

You're a little harsh on our glory years achievements. Your signiture also shows some very good players stood around the box, and a full chaddy providing good support both vocally and financially. I havent checked it out but I think during our Championship season we had the best away record in the league, hardly thanks to a plastic pitch in Oldham. If anything that pitch would be detrimental to performances on grass seeing as the players trained on the plastic. The successes in those days were based on stability both with the manager and playing staff, bringing through good young talent and picking up bargain young players from the local big clubs. What we should be doing these days is following our own blue-print which to some extent we are. Although seeing as the prem has taken football up a level I believe we can only really aim to reach the championship which, standard wise, I would liken to the old division 1 when we were in it. But then il settle for that.

 

Also maybe we did 'bottle it' in the final, but the huge fixture pile up towards the end of season due to going the distance in both cups hardly helped matters.

 

As for essentially putting Taylor, Allessandra, Davies and Smalley on a par with Ritchie, Adams and Holden, not to mention some distinguished others, you're having a laugh. Although these players certainly can take us in the right direction for now.

 

The rest of your post which basically highlighted peoples unrealistic demands was good.

 

We certainly didn't bottle it in the final. Bottle is something that that team had in abundance! The plain and simple fact was that after playing 60 odd games in a season the small squad that we has was knackered, nothing left in the tank and therefore fell short in the final.