Johnson signs 3 and a half year deal

[OAFC_Ryan]

I get the impression Corney could shag some fans' wives and they'd thank him for it.

 

This is :censored:ing lunacy, even by Latics' standards.

 

If we go down, which is a distinct possibility, the guy in charge will still have four years on his contract. Mental.

 

I've said a few times over the past few months, I'm unconvinced by Johnson. There's no evidence to suggest he's any better than Dickov, who was sacked with us in an almost identical league position, whereas Johnson is rewarded on the back of an awful run of form with a longer contract than I can remember any Latics manager having.

The happy clappers will clap us into non-league, they're worse than the constantly negative folk.

[jsslatic]

I get the impression Corney could shag some fans' wives and they'd thank him for it.

 

This is :censored:ing lunacy, even by Latics' standards.

 

If we go down, which is a distinct possibility, the guy in charge will still have four years on his contract. Mental.

 

I've said a few times over the past few months, I'm unconvinced by Johnson. There's no evidence to suggest he's any better than Dickov, who was sacked with us in an almost identical league position, whereas Johnson is rewarded on the back of an awful run of form with a longer contract than I can remember any Latics manager having.

You don't think there's a clause in there that can get rid without paying off (or paying off a lot less) if we get relegated?

[Stevie_J]

You don't think there's a clause in there that can get rid without paying off (or paying off a lot less) if we get relegated?

Possibly. Although, I wouldn't bet on it.

 

What about if we're just consistently :censored: in league one?

[tangerinedreams]

:censored:ing hell, is this a piss take?

 

I'm not for one minute suggesting he should be sacked, but how are our recent performances, League position or entertainment value worthy of a three year deal?

 

We are edging precariously close to the drop zone and the guy who is taking us there has just been given a long term contract...

To give the fans, or at least some, a feel good factor.

[JohnnyPimp]

This topic is crying out for a poll.

 

Who's got the skillz?

[longtimeblue]

I can understand people's concerns due to this seasons performance but I'm personally really happy about this.

 

It's his first season as a manager and he's shown a lot of promise thus far -

 

1. Brought in some decent players - Korey Smith being one...even before LJ joined us

2. Creating a team built on exciting, passing play on the pitch

3. Forging some strong links with the likes of Liverpool in the Prem and teams in lower leagues with promising players

4. Shown that he's decisive when striving for success - getting rid of Rooney as one example, Schemltz another

5. Not prepared to take any :censored: from players - again Rooney, Rusnak etc

6. Been unlucky with some players - Montano for obvious reasons

7. Been unlucky with some players failing to deliver - Rooney and Schmeltz

8. Young, driven, enthusiastic...could easily afford not to work I understand due to property empire but wants to manage, wants to succeed and wants to win

9. Connected with the majority of the fans has great PR skills as a manager

 

We've struggled this season but it's his first season and what do you expect with inexperience? He needs a season or two to develop consistency, wheel and deal, imprint his work ethic through the whole team and squad, achieve success.

 

We've been impatient for a while, hiring and firing managers, chopping and changing playing personnel and it's led to failure time and time again.

 

About time we committed to a young, hungry, passionate manager who displaying all the necessary skills and potential

 

Well done LJ and here's to a long and successful career at Oldham Athletic

I think all of your points were considered as plus points of Dickov's appointment less than a year into it.

[rudemedic]

I keep reading about this "property empire" - he just did a house up and sold it, didn't he?

As far as I'm aware yep, and considering the area the house was in, it didn't take a genius to see the potential, but not everyone can afford to "spend" £500k on a house as a "project"

[deyres42]

As far as I'm aware yep, and considering the area the house was in, it didn't take a genius to see the potential, but not everyone can afford to "spend" £500k on a house as a "project"

Property is one of the conspiracy theories I'm working on as a reasoning for this contract award.

[oafcmetty]

Its the negativity that's killing this club. The club has been shrouded in it for years.

 

Is it bollocks. It's the lack of investment. Although some would say that we're reverting to the mean - i.e. we'll eventually drop to where our attendances suggest we should be - League 2. But money brings money - better facilities, better players, more entertainment = more bums on seats and more cash in the coffers.

[bazerx]

Y'know what. The only two managers we've had in the last 40 odd years who did anything both nearly got relegated, but guess what? The owners stuck by what they saw as potential, kept stability, and they were ultimately rewarded. Tell me guys, what would you do instead?

[jsslatic]

Possibly. Although, I wouldn't bet on it.

 

What about if we're just consistently :censored: in league one?

Well I don't know, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility there are clauses that if we don't finish over say 14th next season etc.

 

Though of course there may not!

[mikeroyboy]

This is a business deal funded by a businessman/men who's first concern is his/their investment and second our club. There is no financial risk for the fans.

 

The terms of the contract are unlikely to be stacked in Johnsons favour, more likely a fair compromise.

 

It is not difficult to see we are slowly beginning to move on from a three sided ground and survival mentality to something better.

 

Someone, somewhere - and definitely not on these pages - has got to take the bold step to reshape the club from the core to the end product that is delivered on the pitch. That will never happen without giving a promising manager some security.

 

From his appointment LJ has spelt out in detail how he wants to uniform the coaching format from the juniors upwards. He has engaged with the fans in a uniquely frank way. There are umpteen posts as to other positive contributions he has made. However,this season he has lost 13 league matches, 11 by the odd goal, the other 2 by two goals. I have seen 17 of our league games this season and have only seen us outplayed once, at Wolves. We are very close to being above average, even as it stands, maybe 3 players who deliver.

 

I welcome Johnsons appointment and length of contract. I also applaud Corney's bravery in awarding that contract. It would be fair to say that SC has a far better understanding of what impact and input LJ is having behind the scenes. Whatever anyone says about Corney, he has no appetite for relegation. And he must certainly see something different in LJ, and so do many fans.

[bazerx]

Well said sir. If the opinions on here had been actioned years ago both Sir Jimmy and Sir Joe would have been sacked in their early managerial career. (Well, maybe not Jimmy)

Edited January 23, 2014 by bazerx

[blueatheart]

 

Try getting rid of the :censored: when it's all gone tits up, he'll have to walk of his own accord.

I think Stagger Lee makes quite a succinct point.

The devil is in the detail

 

Until we know the clauses, and I assume there would be some in Oldham's favour, have faith in SC judgement.

 

I don't like Corney. I think he's a liar, I think he is a bad manager of people, I think he tries to act big and I don't believe he has the substance to back it up.

 

What he does have, and this is where his judgement comes into it, is experience. He has been the director/chairman/owner of a football club for ten years. In that time he has either directly or indirectly hired seven managers and fired six of them. He has dealt with Chris Porter going up to Scotland and he has dealt with Lee Hughes and his contract issues.

 

More recently he has dealt with Montano and that whole palaver.

 

He has experience on his side, whilst Alan Hardy/Neil Joy will no doubt have been heavily involved in the above, Corney still has first hand experience.

 

I don't trust Corney. It is his experience I Trust. Corney himself has run out of one too many planning meetings saying it's over and committed to moving the club to Failsworth before cancelling that and moving the club elsewhere in Oldham before canning that. I'm sick of it. Ten years of :censored:ing around, frankly. But I still like to think he has learnt from the experience because, as ChaddySmoker puts it:

 

'A Fourth Stand wasn't built in a year'

 

I have said I would never Trust TTA, now Corney, until a new stand was built. It still isn't, but at least some sort of progress is being made off the pitch and that now needs backing up with long term plans on the pitch.

 

Smith, Tarky, Mellor, Grounds, Phili, possibly JCH could have a long future at this club, if they don't get bought by others. They are all young and that is a good foundation, I say let LJ continue laying the bricks.

[Senor_Coconut]

Possibly. Although, I wouldn't bet on it.

 

What about if we're just consistently :censored: in league one?

Why not, previous managers have had it.

[grahamb]

really pleased with the new contract for LJ . Frizell , Royle , Wenger , Ferguson all had time in the job . Too many chairmen don't have the belief and the balls to back their manager . well done SC . LJ is the man.

[Adelatics]

In my opinion it's a good thing to extend his contract, not so sure about the length, I think 3 years down the line his plans should be bearing fruit. Lj seems to admit to his mistakes, hasn't messed about when he decides a player isn't working out and gives an honest opinion On performance from interviews I've read. Who he brings in now decides our season for me, he already said there was room in the budget before Rooney left, you never know it may surprise us.

[mrs synic]

First reaction. WTF has he done to derseve that.

 

2nd reaction. Well at least there's some sort of strategy in place for the long term of the club.

 

I think it could be a good move in the end but might take a couple of years to come to fruition

its not a reward for success is it, don.t understand the reasoning behind it, keep us up and then do it,

[Ritchierich]

I sometimes despair of our fans

 

I have supported Latics for over 40 years and for the last 15 years it's been a pretty depressing merry go round of managers and players alike. Finally we have a young manager who is trying to bring stability and consistency in approach and basing it on a passing / attacking game which I like to think is Latics preferred style. We are finally signing players for 2 years to try and build a base, not just short term loanees.

 

At the same time we have an owner who has, I believe, tried to do the right thing and has not followed the all too common debt fuelled lunacy beloved of so many clubs. He has backed each and every manager and dozens of players have come and gone at BP. The man does not deserve the spite of so many on here.

 

Happy clapper? Not really, I can be a miserable sod sometimes but I think we've been short of a goalscorer and a little luck this season, not much else.

 

Be careful what you wish for

[pinevillawill]

I'm more than happy that he is staying, there has not been a lot wrong with what he has done so far. The building blocks continue to be put in place, so ever onward.

Wow.

 

This is far from the truth.

[pinevillawill]

Something isn't quite right here. This contract cannot be justified.

[davegtt]

Why not, previous managers have had it.

I recall we dont agree on much in the past but exactly this^

 

We have been :censored: for what,17 of the last 19 seasons. The talk of LJ being rubbish is ridiculous. We might not be any better than any of them other 17 seasons but at least the football is watchable and the potential is there. Lets see what this potential can turn in to.

 

Ive heard the relegation word mention season after season yet Im hearing it so early on this year without any foundations to back up why its worse than its ever been

[Latics_Fanatic]

Something isn't quite right here. This contract cannot be justified.

It can.

 

Manager and chairman share a common long-term vision, which so-far has been satisfied in the eyes of Simon Corney and some fans (including myself)

 

Long-Termism is highly important now and the continued support of the youth system by LJ has been visible since he came in last season. This commitment to bringing through new talent which ultimately pay dividends when/if a group of talented players come through and some move on for a decent fee. Allowing more money to be pumped into the side.

 

Providing that Simon has done his sums correctly. The New Stand will go a long way in financing the club and making us nearly, if not actually, self-sufficient and able to run the day-to-day business of the club from the profits made on the stand. Of course, that doesn't take into account the 6 million to build it.

 

If the club is able to run off the facilities accommodated in the New Stand then some of the money made through player sales or that has previously been disappearing down the black hole.

 

Of course, i'm pinning this on what Corney has said and a very basic knowledge of financing and economics.

 

The contract makes complete sense to me.

[slystallone]

I'm a fan of LJ. I like the cut of his jib.

 

But the length if this contract is :censored:ing madness.

 

Madness.

 

So far, its been a transition. I can see it's a transition that is going to take time. But - when i underperform at work; I dont get a reward.

 

For all our decent football so far, we are where we are in the league: perched above the relegation zone.

 

Brave move from messers SC and Bazza this is. It really is.

 

As I say, I like LJ. But so far, he hasn't (from the outside looking in) done anything to warrant this contract. Yet. And maybe he won't.

 

Madness...

[Bristolatic]

What this thread has proved is that some people are never bloody happy. There's been numerous threads on here about how the club needs continuity and stability. SC has done just that and he's still wrong as far as some are concerned.

 

The long term contract isn't necessarily about what has happened since LJ arrived; it's what SC sees can be produced in the future and constantly chopping and changing managers doesn't give you that.

 

Even Taggart was apparently close to the bullet at one point, but it didn't turn out too bad for him. Big Joe had some rocky times, but the board stuck with him and look where we ended up.

 

I, for one, am happy with this as it shows that the club is trying to move forward with more ambition than it's shown for years, so for Christ's sake, give him a chance to improve the potential he obviously has instead of sniping at every opportunity.