opinions4u Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) We're 5th in the table. A bit further off the top 2 than I would have hoped for, but at the same period last season squeezing in to a play-off spot was a million miles away. The football we played for most of the first 4 months of last season was drab. We've seen the odd chunk of that this season too, but more often than not Latics have passed the ball around better than they were doing at the same stage last season, scored several more goals than they had at the same stage last season and won several more games. This is the team's best chance to get out of this division since Dowie was manager. I actually think the players in the squad are better man for man than those Dowie had at his disposal. At the end of last season Latics had lost 6 home games. They've lost one in the league at BP this season. No doubt about it we should be winning more at BP and about the same away from BP. We do need to turn the screw a little bit more. Yesterday's performance suggested that the players know this. It was a far better performance that, on a different day, will blow away the opposition. Squad wise Sheridan has riches to choose from and needs to get the best out of the 11 he chooses to stick on the pitch. Maher for me has been excellent, but I miss the way Alessandra brought Whitaker in to the game as an attacking force. I would certainly start Alesandra up front every game alongside Hughes. It worked, we scored goals and won games with him on the pitch. The fans at BP have a massive part to play too. Harassing players for a mistake when 80% of what they do is excellent helps nobody. Everybody in that ground has a duty to get behind those players and encourage them to bring out their best. Confidence is everything and we are part of instilling that in this team. Football has always been a frustrating game to watch. Be honest - winning 46 games a season doesn't happen and if it did happen it would be as boring as hell to watch. Encourage this team to become greats. Help them unleash their potential by getting behind them, not at them. Edited December 29, 2008 by opinions4u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Back Ronnie Moore Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 The thing is, the league is miles better than last season as well, we'd have been second with this total last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrikkiNikki Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I agree with your sentiments. It does look as though we have a team that can win away from home, but doesn't perform at BP, yet, at the beginning of the season, we had a team that could do both. I think you have to allow for the season to bed-in and as teams settle down, things become more apparent. Sheridan's problem is picking the best players for each scenario, because, if a team wins on it's travels, then Sheridan probably feels that those players deserve to start the following match, even if they are not necessarily the best players for the home side. It's all very easy, as fans, to sit there and pretend we could do a better job. Fans will heckle the players and there is no way that is ever going to change. We are desperate to get out of this division, if only for a change of scenery, because life won't be easy in the Championship and it won't necessarily result in larger attendances etc., especially if we hit the skids. It would be exciting to play the likes of Birmingham, Wolves and whoever gets relegated from the Premier League. As for our league position, well, I'm happy. I mean, were would rather be? Top six or bottom six? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leezyverpunk Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Agree with all said so far - teams are now coming to BP to shut up shop and it is frustrating - then we go away and the other team has to attack us giving us more chances - footy is a lot better this season defo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrikkiNikki Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 The Crewe win at Hartlepool yesterday highlights the inconsistencies that many teams are facing in the home/away situation. It's almost as if the pressure is lifted and the onus is on the home team to come out and win it. I think the 'win at home and draw away' to get promotion is a non-starter this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBigDog Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 The Crewe win at Hartlepool yesterday highlights the inconsistencies that many teams are facing in the home/away situation. It's almost as if the pressure is lifted and the onus is on the home team to come out and win it. I think the 'win at home and draw away' to get promotion is a non-starter this season. Also.. as we beat Crewe 3-0 and they then beat Hartlepool 4-1 I just cannot wait for january 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohh Johnny Eyre Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) Also.. as we beat Crewe 3-0 and they then beat Hartlepool 4-1 I just cannot wait for january 10 For our 1-0 defeat? Edited December 29, 2008 by Ohh Johnny Eyre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futchers briefs Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Don't be too optimistic, you will be put in the "happy clapper" brigade, despite maybe making sense!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue_Guru Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 This season is miles better than last season....i had a season ticket this time last year and i remember missing the odd game for other miner events that cropped up...even though we have been getting draws at BP recently my interest hasn't dropped. We are still 5th in the league a great position and the most promising thing is we rarely look like we are going to lose a game....How many seasons have we had where we have got battered for 90 minutes by someone in the same league?? I can't remember one game this season were we have been out played, maybe Cheltenham in the cup replay (and i missed Brizzle rovers and Swindon away). But anyhow thats not bad record at all....to say we have gone 8 games unbeated without playing particularly well is great. We just now need to find that extra spark to boost the players confidence and start hitting the back of the net. We need to be more clinical at home, because of our well earned position teams are now happy to come to BP and shut up shop making it extremely difficult to break them down.....People need to stop kidding themselves ok so we drew with Carlisle on Sunday but the performance was ten times better than Yeovil, Leyton and Brighton we were unlucky not to score ed of story.....Keep it up Shezza im happy with things at the mo and people need to be a bit more realistic as to what we should be achieving this season as i feel we are well on track! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 This season is miles better than last season....i had a season ticket this time last year and i remember missing the odd game for other miner events that cropped up...even though we have been getting draws at BP recently my interest hasn't dropped. We are still 5th in the league a great position and the most promising thing is we rarely look like we are going to lose a game....How many seasons have we had where we have got battered for 90 minutes by someone in the same league?? I can't remember one game this season were we have been out played, maybe Cheltenham in the cup replay (and i missed Brizzle rovers and Swindon away). But anyhow thats not bad record at all....to say we have gone 8 games unbeated without playing particularly well is great. We just now need to find that extra spark to boost the players confidence and start hitting the back of the net. We need to be more clinical at home, because of our well earned position teams are now happy to come to BP and shut up shop making it extremely difficult to break them down.....People need to stop kidding themselves ok so we drew with Carlisle on Sunday but the performance was ten times better than Yeovil, Leyton and Brighton we were unlucky not to score ed of story.....Keep it up Shezza im happy with things at the mo and people need to be a bit more realistic as to what we should be achieving this season as i feel we are well on track! here here ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlossopLatic Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Thank God for that I thought I was the only one actually quite enjoyng this season Then again I have seen us away from home recently If I hadn't been to Peterborough and Crewe I may have been abit more gloomy about things. Still we are playing away sat something to look forward to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EASTLEY Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Careful now - aren't we all disgruntled Latics fans? This is a great thread optimism around BP shocker ;-) Just for the record I agree with all said on this thread, happy new year all looking forward to Sat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfOAFC Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Football has always been a frustrating game to watch. Be honest - winning 46 games a season doesn't happen and if it did happen it would be as boring as hell to watch. some on here give the impression they've seen this happen at some point - W 46, D 0, L 0, F 200, A 0 Pts 138. i must have missed that season. i blame internet message boards. seriously, i do. we had some shockers in 90/91 but a lot of us only got to discuss them at or before the match itself or maybe at work or school in the unlikely event there was a fellow non Utd or City fan there. too much opportunity to think about and discuss your team can lead to a total loss of perspective in my opinion as seen in many, many instances on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spadam Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Football has always been a frustrating game to watch. Be honest - winning 46 games a season doesn't happen and if it did happen it would be as boring as hell I wouldn't be a Latics if it was because of success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy_Fent Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) I think the problem is that we've been in this Division too long and some people have lost patience to the extent that unless we win all 46 games things will simply not be good enough. For me the season ends in May and there is still a long way to go, I remember going to Swansea in Feb 2007 and everyone thinking we had the league title in the bag, but as we found out the league wasnt won in February and two of the sides that went up (Bristol City and Blackpool) were sitting right where we are now Edited December 29, 2008 by Tommy_Fent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichmondLatic Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 we had some shockers in 90/91 but a lot of us only got to discuss them at or before the match itself or maybe at work or school in the unlikely event there was a fellow non Utd or City fan there. Dead right..I remember going to Port Vale after we had won the first 6 games of the season and losing 1-0...the amount of negativity from the travelling fans was unbelievable. Mind you Moulden did miss a sitter at the end.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I think the problem is that the majority of football fans are just f*cking stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelylaticsfaninaus Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I wouldn't be a Latics if it was because of success. God made us Latics fans for a reason. It's too easy to be a City or Utd fan. Anyone can do it. You need special qualities to grace the hallowed terraces of B.P, so we were specially selected for our patience, optimism and our great sense of humour!!!.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 God made us Latics fans for a reason. It's too easy to be a City or Utd fan. Anyone can do it. You need special qualities to grace the hallowed terraces of B.P, so we were specially selected for our patience, optimism and our great sense of humour!!!.... It's funny you should say that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfOAFC Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I think the problem is that the majority of football fans are just f*cking stupid. nail on head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scapegoat Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Dead right..I remember going to Port Vale after we had won the first 6 games of the season and losing 1-0...the amount of negativity from the travelling fans was unbelievable. Mind you Moulden did miss a sitter at the end.... The Port Vale game was the 17th of the season and our first defeat. The first dropped points came against Charlton at home in our 6th game of the season - us with 5 wins out of 5, and Charlton without a win. We ended up just getting a 1-1 draw. Dropping points at home against a side near the bottom. Surprised Joe wasn't sacked there and then to be honest - just not acceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy_Fent Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 what must also be beared in mind are the amount of times when we've been struggling and gone to a promotion chasing side and got something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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