Just back from Swindon

[futchers briefs]

quality reply futch. while it isnt my job to come up wth plan B, lets start by installin some pride into the team, i can bet my bottom dollar my half time team talk wou;d be better than the gaffers, cos i am more passionate about our team, in fact how about goin 3 up top wen we are losin with more than 10 to go, plan C route 1, from the back, may not woek but its a change, or plan z. smalley at fullback??????? eardley into midfield

Cheers? I didn't mean it to look a sarcastic response, i'm just interested what people mean, when they say revert to a plan 'B' - it seems to usually involve playing people in positions they're not used to etc.

[Guest oa_exile]

Cheers? I didn't mean it to look a sarcastic response, i'm just interested what people mean, when they say revert to a plan 'B' - it seems to usually involve playing people in positions they're not used to etc.

 

This is probably a bit sarcastic as well but the word "Substitutes" comes to mind here bring one or two or three on and "hey presto" we have a "plan B"

[futchers briefs]

This is probably a bit sarcastic as well but the word "Substitutes" comes to mind here bring one or two or three on and "hey presto" we have a "plan B"

Now we're talking!! (typing!)

[Guest oa_exile]

Now we're talking!! (typing!)

 

It's also another one of Shez's "problems" most of us can see when "Plan A" is not working but he fails constantly to make those changes , even moving the formation around a bit or holding back with the substitutions until it's too late.

OK it worked V's Millwall BUT I am srtuggling to remember when else he did something like that and it actually came off.

[futchers briefs]

It's also another one of Shez's "problems" most of us can see when "Plan A" is not working but he fails constantly to make those changes , even moving the formation around a bit or holding back with the substitutions until it's too late.

OK it worked V's Millwall BUT I am srtuggling to remember when else he did something like that and it actually came off.

True, whenever we have'change the shape'/formation, we seem to look very disorganised and chasing a game that has generally already gone.

Though we know he does have other formations in the locker, it just looks at times that maybe we don't practice them that much

[Diego_Sideburns]

Shez has been true to his word so far, by getting the squad in for extra training yesterday. This afternoon they have to sit through the horror video of what we watched on Saturday - that'll teach 'em!

 

http://www.oldhamathletic.premiumtv.co.uk/...1433613,00.html

[latic12345]

Having watched the higlights on Virgin Media and thought more about the game on Sat, I still cannot comprehend how we were 2-0 down at half time. Two elementary mistakes allowed us to concede two goals. However, the number of chances we created - Whitts and Taylor in particular - and the disallowed goal that was NEVER offside should have seen us in with a shout and not looking like a beaten side in the second half.

 

There can be no excuse for the second half performance, however I just think the ball is not running for us the way it was a few weeks ago. Back then, Tayls would have scored early doors and Whitts goal would have stood.

 

Improvements are needed, however, keep the faith. We can pull this one round!!!

[Diego_Sideburns]

Even Michael Yarwood can't find anything amusing to say in tonight's rarely wrong Chron about Saturday's performance:

 

Alarm bells start ringing for Latics

 

TWO trips to the West Country, a pair of 2-0 defeats and, for the first time this season, there is genuine concern about Athletic’s level of form.

 

Their 90-minute display when losing to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night was no more than average, and John Sheridan’s side took a distinct turn for the worse at Swindon.

 

Yes they were good enough to create chances in a bright opening to the game, but again they weren’t sharp enough to convert them.

 

Another dose of dodgy defending helped Swindon lead against the run of play. And, slowly but surely, Athletic became a pale imitation of the team who rampaged to the top of League One just a few short weeks ago.

 

Athletic launched the campaign in tremendous fashion with five wins out of six. Since then, they have won one, drawn three and lost three.

 

A couple of those performances were encouraging. Not on Saturday, not by a long chalk, as their third straight away defeat was a self-inflicted wound against opponents who were there for the taking.

 

Athletic trailed 2-0 at the end of a one-sided first half. Trouble was, they dominated most of the flippin’ thing themselves.

 

In general play they were miles better than Swindon — correction: they were miles and miles better — and the scoreline should have been the other way around.

 

Swindon, without a clean sheet all season, suffered early defensive chaos as Athletic threatened to tear them apart, with Lee Hughes the chief tormentor.

 

If Athletic had scored first, it’s perfectly feasible they would have won with ease against a team low on confidence. Instead they were punished for not taking chances at one end — and for taking too many at the other.

 

Swindon scored twice in 11 minutes, the second with a penalty after the visitors were careless in possession near their own box.

 

Still, no-one could quite believe the half-time score, and the expectation was that Athletic would re-emerge and put Swindon under severe pressure from the word go.

 

Very disappointingly it didn’t happen as Sheridan’s men lost their attacking impetus and Swindon improved beyond all recognition. Talk about a game of two halves.

 

Everything became far too easy for the home side as there was a lack of pressure on the ball and Athletic, rather than fighting back as they have on plenty of occasions this term, faded away into nothing.

 

It might have been oh so different as Swindon ’keeper Peter Brezovan fluffed a clearance after three minutes and presented Andy Liddell with a chance to push forward.

 

Liddell advanced down the right before before floating his cross to the unmarked Brett Ormerod, who headed well wide from 10 yards.

 

Brezovan was then tested by Chris Taylor, while Mark Allott’s driving run almost resulted in Taylor having a clear sight of goal.

 

Swindon’s back four were all at sea and, within the first quarter-hour, there was a strong sense that Athletic would capitalise if they got anywhere near their best form.

 

The hosts did have an opening when Billy Paynter’s header was saved, but Athletic’s next attack brought loud penalty appeals as Hughes saw his volley blocked by a hand.

 

The goal was definitely coming. It was only a matter of time. And then, to general amazement, Swindon gained the breakthrough after 25 minutes.

 

Striker Simon Cox did well to lure defenders out of position before slipping his pass to Sean Morrison, who drilled into the far corner from 12 yards.

 

And, just as though a switch had been flicked, Swindon were suddenly a different proposition.

 

Athletic ’keeper Mark Crossley made a fine save from Paynter, but his team still went 2-0 down after sloppy defending led to a free-kick on the right.

 

It was handled at the far post by Hughes — the striker claimed he was shoved in the back — and Jack Smith converted the penalty by sending Crossley the wrong way.

 

To make matters worse, Danny Whitaker missed a glorious opportunity with only Brezovan to beat. And when he did get the ball in the net three minutes before half-time, the midfielder was ruled offside.

 

Athletic were now faced by a huge task, which very nearly became tougher when Paynter headed just wide and Cox’s audacious lob hit the woodwork.

 

An Athletic chance went begging as sub Craig Davies turned away from Smith but could only poke off target under pressure.

 

As time ticked by, however, their threat began to evaporate and Morrison could have pinched his second goal with a close-range effort which was cleared off the line.

 

Swindon became all too comfortable in defence — a complete reversal of earlier in the game — and for at least the final 30 minutes Athletic were pretty feeble.

 

They trudged off the pitch as a crestfallen team, heads bowed and clearly in need of a result to pick them up at home to League One leaders Scunthorpe.

[JoeP]

From the Advertiser:

 

Visibly seething afterwards, Sheridan accused some of his men of being 'in a comfort zone' and warned that attitude would have to stop. He stormed: "I'm embarrassed. I know we're a lot better than that and we're going to be working very hard from now on.

 

"The goals we're giving away are an absolute joke, they're schoolboy errors. People who have done well at the start of the season aren't doing well now.

 

"We know what the problem was and I'll sort it out. We were fifth in the league but the way we're playing, we'll be getting relegated - there was no desire, no will to win.

 

"I apologise to the fans who have come a long way but there's no way a team is going to play like that for me - there was an opportunity to win the game and we didn't show any desire.

 

"You can take positives from games but I thought we were shocking all over the pitch. I'll be making changes, people think they're in a comfort zone and are going to play week in week out but they won't.

 

"I thought we looked poor everywhere other than the first 15 minutes. We didn't hold the ball up, didn't defend when we had to defend and if you don't play well, you won't win games.

 

"I'll sort it out, I'll get it right - I know I will - but I'm a very angry man."

 

 

Shez is angry with the players?? Think he needs to start looking closer to home before he points the finger elsewhere.

 

Exactly what benefit are Ormerod and Jones to the team?

 

Omerod is unfit by his own admission and even at his best probably too a similar player to Hughes to form a decent partnership with him, yet has started the last two matches where we have failed to have a proper effort on goal. Have only seen Jones at Bristol and Swindon and seen nothing to suggest he's better than Eards and Lomax.

 

I'm all for bringing in players on loan for depth to the squad, but we're basically being a reserve team for Wolves and Preston with these two - giving them match practice is only going to benefit the parents clubs as they're offering nothing to Latics.

 

Shez has made changes just for the sake of making changes - he could have picked the team that beat Leeds against Swindon.

 

Not in the Shez-out camp (if there is one!) at all, but the last two matches have seen us drop 6 points against teams that we should be beating if we're serious about getting out of this division.

[futchers briefs]

Shez is angry with the players?? Think he needs to start looking closer to home before he points the finger elsewhere.

 

Exactly what benefit are Ormerod and Jones to the team?

 

Omerod is unfit by his own admission and even at his best probably too a similar player to Hughes to form a decent partnership with him, yet has started the last two matches where we have failed to have a proper effort on goal. Have only seen Jones at Bristol and Swindon and seen nothing to suggest he's better than Eards and Lomax.

 

I'm all for bringing in players on loan for depth to the squad, but we're basically being a reserve team for Wolves and Preston with these two - giving them match practice is only going to benefit the parents clubs as they're offering nothing to Latics.

 

Shez has made changes just for the sake of making changes - he could have picked the team that beat Leeds against Swindon.

 

Not in the Shez-out camp (if there is one!) at all, but the last two matches have seen us drop 6 points against teams that we should be beating if we're serious about getting out of this division.

good post