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This team, are we missing a home grown star with hunger?


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Was chatting to my brother last night and it occurred to me that we don't have anyone in that starting 11 who is a home grown star.

 

Looking back over the last few years we've had the likes of Chris Taylor, Neal Eardley , Will Haining etc

 

Tats played with his heart on his sleeve and always (sometimes too much) cared about what was going on at Latics, same with Eardley you could see it hurt him when they lost.

 

Smalley and Lewi always appeared hungry till the boo boys ruined him, same with Paul Black for me. Also going back a few years Will Haining

 

What I am saying is do these players at the club really give a :censored: about Oldham Athletic? We always seemed to have a fighting spirit in us with home grown players, it appears we are lacking this at the moment.

 

I think it also highlights how much we are lacking in the youth system. We have Millar, Mellor and Winchester of recent who lets be honest aren't a patch on Taylor and Eardley. I think Winchester and Mellor could blossom but they dont seem to have the impact other youth players have had.

 

I know for every Chris Taylor there is a Ryan Brooke but I would love more home grown HUNGER in this team. Sometimes effort can outshine skill, especially at this level

 

Sick of the journeymen.

 

Its not a quick fix as we do need the likes of Iwelumo and Barnard to keep us up but in the long run there is a real need for hunger in the squad.

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it would be great if we did have such people but homegrown doesn't necessarily outweigh the hunger, determination and commitment of those brought in.

I can't remember more of that commitment than from players such as Milligan, Ritchie, Jimmy Frizzell, Alan Groves, David Eyres, etc

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Unfortunately I feel that a majority are money driven these days, it's all about the material things in life. Long gone are the days of the youth team earning respect by cleaning the boots and stands etc. I know that doesn't make them better players but it made them look upto the senior pros and try to emulate them. These days it seems most players would rather look good than put in 100%.

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It is a strange world where the lack of security fails to drive these players to perform at their best. The best that has given us three wins in the FA cup whilst only winning one in the league. The fact that most of them should be fighting for a contract for next season doesn't seem to motivate them one little bit. Of course if in your heart of hearts you feel that you are being asked to do the wrong things, no matter how much you like the gaffer, it does become difficult to perform as things fall apart around you. Even more strangely when we do give players a contract that doesn't seem to work either - Simpson turned off in the league once he got the deal. Strange bunch. Need a sports psychologist.

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Agree with the Tarky comments.

He undoubtably has a lot to learn but he has something you cant teach and that is leadership qualities

 

If we looked at it on that basis you would say Scholes should get the job as he actually cares about this club (or at least appears to) and hopefully could show his passion. What worries me is we have people like Saturday as an example when we are winning find it easy then when we conceded didnt want the ball etc.

I would rather have half the talent in this squad and twice the battlers in the current postion we find ourselves in

Dickov had the passion but lacked the tatical nous and ability to get the passion out in the players

 

From what I have seen Furman always strikes me as caring about the club but im struggling to name many more, I think Wes cares but more about football than neccasarly Oldham

We lack winners as well as home grown players as they would also care

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Tarky could be that one he's a talker a work in progress but just his attitude in the oppo's box dies it for me - a future Latics Captain

 

I second that. I worry though that when he next gets a run and makes a couple of mistakes (as young players will and indeed must do) he'll begin to get the abuse we've seen in the past.

 

As much as I think Dickov was too hesitant to use youth players he wasn't sure were ready I think he was right to be slightly hesitant. There's a tendency for some of our support who are used to watching the Premier League on TV to think every youth player should slot straight into the first team like your Wilsheres, Rooneys and Cleverleys. This often manifests itself in a ridiculously impatient attitude to the development of our young players. The result being they become the target of the 'boo boys' and are sadly unappreciated by some until they leave (see Taylor, Eardley and to a lesser extent even Tierney).

 

So I hope Tarky will be given a run by the new manager, but I also hope that if he (or of course any of our other youngsters) has momentary lapse and loses his man or slips a short backpass to the keeper he gets a ripple of encouragement from the crowd rather than the sound of 2000 people groaning, shouting abuse and turning to their mates and saying "He's :censored:e, he'll never make it. We need Gregan back".

 

I realise I've started to sound like some sort of happy clapping American therapist, so I'll get off my soapbox.

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no - we are missing players who win matches.

 

Where they are from doesn't interest me. How many of these were home grown?

 

Ritchie

Adams

Holden

Jobson

Barrett

Palmer

Richardson

Eyres

Dux

Sheridan

 

 

How many of those would people want to have back when they were at their best?

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