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I didn't realise he too was only 32 when he got the managers job

 

Aye, and if you recall his performance early on, it wasn't all sunshine and roses. His first season 82/83 - with Frizzell's team - ended well in 7th, but his second 83/84 was dire. He nearly took us down.

 

There was some furore about an approach he was applying in his early years called 'condensing the field', for which I read keeping it tight and boring. A far cry from his eventual expansive winger lead approach that often saw us with 3 at the back and 5 up top.

 

His 4th season 85/86 saw us on run of 12 games without a win and 18th in the table. Similarly in 88/89 we went 15 games without a win and were 21st in the table. Losing streaks that today would have OWTB, twitter and the Chron's website lighting up with bile from some quarters calling for his head. How short sighted that would have been.

 

However, in 86/87 we were robbed by the inaugural play offs and 89/90 and beyond needs no explanation.

 

In summary, luck, injuries, Royle himself learning his trade as a rookie manager all required patience from fans for him to be able to succeed. He was also forced to sell many of our better players during his early years; Andy Goram; Darren McDonough; Andy Linighan; Kevin Moore; Micky Quinn; Tommy Wright, Mike Flynn to name but a few.... but he kept plucking lads, most of which will no need no introduction, from lower leagues and reserve teams for a pittance that were just as good / better. He also made some bad signings for time to time as well, I never liked Peter Skipper or Brian Kilcline for instance, but he got more right than wrong over time.

 

The basic lesson in this little appraisal of the past, is that we all ought to be more patient and look to the long term and not just the here and now. Its a risk giving LJ a deal until 2018, but one that could be inspired. I hope Tarky doesn't leave for as little as £250k because I think he's worth more in the current market, however some of the players listed above left for less than I thought they should and it didn't matter in the long run.

 

I love my football club and as a result, I will only support my chairman, manager and players and not get on their backs when its going against us. Come on Oldham. KTF.

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Aye, and if you recall his performance early on, it wasn't all sunshine and roses. His first season 82/83 - with Frizzell's team - ended well in 7th, but his second 83/84 was dire. He nearly took us down.

 

There was some furore about an approach he was applying in his early years called 'condensing the field', for which I read keeping it tight and boring. A far cry from his eventual expansive winger lead approach that often saw us with 3 at the back and 5 up top.

 

His 4th season 85/86 saw us on run of 12 games without a win and 18th in the table. Similarly in 88/89 we went 15 games without a win and were 21st in the table. Losing streaks that today would have OWTB, twitter and the Chron's website lighting up with bile from some quarters calling for his head. How short sighted that would have been.

 

However, in 86/87 we were robbed by the inaugural play offs and 89/90 and beyond needs no explanation.

 

In summary, luck, injuries, Royle himself learning his trade as a rookie manager all required patience from fans for him to be able to succeed. He was also forced to sell many of our better players during his early years; Andy Goram; Darren McDonough; Andy Linighan; Kevin Moore; Micky Quinn; Tommy Wright, Mike Flynn to name but a few.... but he kept plucking lads, most of which will no need no introduction, from lower leagues and reserve teams for a pittance that were just as good / better. He also made some bad signings for time to time as well, I never liked Peter Skipper or Brian Kilcline for instance, but he got more right than wrong over time.

 

The basic lesson in this little appraisal of the past, is that we all ought to be more patient and look to the long term and not just the here and now. Its a risk giving LJ a deal until 2018, but one that could be inspired. I hope Tarky doesn't leave for as little as £250k because I think he's worth more in the current market, however some of the players listed above left for less than I thought they should and it didn't matter in the long run.

 

I love my football club and as a result, I will only support my chairman, manager and players and not get on their backs when its going against us. Come on Oldham. KTF.

This 100%

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Aye, and if you recall his performance early on, it wasn't all sunshine and roses. His first season 82/83 - with Frizzell's team - ended well in 7th, but his second 83/84 was dire. He nearly took us down.

 

There was some furore about an approach he was applying in his early years called 'condensing the field', for which I read keeping it tight and boring. A far cry from his eventual expansive winger lead approach that often saw us with 3 at the back and 5 up top.

 

His 4th season 85/86 saw us on run of 12 games without a win and 18th in the table. Similarly in 88/89 we went 15 games without a win and were 21st in the table. Losing streaks that today would have OWTB, twitter and the Chron's website lighting up with bile from some quarters calling for his head. How short sighted that would have been.

 

However, in 86/87 we were robbed by the inaugural play offs and 89/90 and beyond needs no explanation.

 

In summary, luck, injuries, Royle himself learning his trade as a rookie manager all required patience from fans for him to be able to succeed. He was also forced to sell many of our better players during his early years; Andy Goram; Darren McDonough; Andy Linighan; Kevin Moore; Micky Quinn; Tommy Wright, Mike Flynn to name but a few.... but he kept plucking lads, most of which will no need no introduction, from lower leagues and reserve teams for a pittance that were just as good / better. He also made some bad signings for time to time as well, I never liked Peter Skipper or Brian Kilcline for instance, but he got more right than wrong over time.

 

The basic lesson in this little appraisal of the past, is that we all ought to be more patient and look to the long term and not just the here and now. Its a risk giving LJ a deal until 2018, but one that could be inspired. I hope Tarky doesn't leave for as little as £250k because I think he's worth more in the current market, however some of the players listed above left for less than I thought they should and it didn't matter in the long run.

 

I love my football club and as a result, I will only support my chairman, manager and players and not get on their backs when its going against us. Come on Oldham. KTF

 

 

To be fair, Joe also had to steer us through near bankruptcy in those early years. His wheeling and dealing saved us, kept us up and then moved us forward. We lost the Clayton Arms and were run down by Lee's. What Joe did was nigh on a miracle, especially when you consider some gates dipped below 3,000. What happened from 1986 was truly incredible, given what he faced.

Two managers in over 20 years reaped its own rewards.

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What happened from 1986 was truly incredible, given what he faced.

 

 

Agreed.... which is why 4 seasons [1982 - 1986] is the standard from which I feel a rookie can only really be judged. A new manager will make a lot of mistakes before he begins to get it right.... and even then [the run referred to above in 88/89].... there may well be some lean periods because of injuries, luck, new players bedding in.

 

This is LJ's first full season. It may well take him until 2018 before we start to see us challenge the top 6, assuming he regularly keeps us up in the meantime. I hope it's earlier, but if its not, recall the fable of Joe Royle.

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Please stop using the word "rookie"

 

Royle & Johnson aren't Yanks and neither are you.

 

A. How do you know I'm not....?

B. Grow up. Its simply a descriptive word created by the Yanks that has a very specific meaning, an equivalent - used by indigenous English folk - of which I am unaware.

Edited by lookersstandandy
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Did Dickov deserve more time then?

 

Arguably yes, however once Corney had sacked his backroom team, his job was effectively untenable. I know a Donny fan, who tells me he's doing ok given the lack of investment in their team plus the injuries they've had. He could end up with a decent managerial career.

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The big Joe analogy is a smaller version of what Sir Alex has done at OT .

Give a manager the time to build and it will pay off , hopefully Corney has seen the sense of having a potentially decent manager at the helm and giving him the time to reap some rewards.

We don't see what goes on in the back ground and the day to day running of the club . I assume that what LJ has done in this area is a lot different to PD hence the extended contract.

Only time will tell but i am happy with how things are developing with LJ and these supporters that are expecting play off challenges this season or next are living in cloud cuckoo land.

Given time , maybe another 2 full seasons i am sure LJ can build a decent enough cheap side to have a go at the play offs.

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Sadly,as much as we would like every new Manager to be the new Joe Royle, we wont get the Irwin,Barrett,Warhust, Ritchie type bargains any more from big clubs.As unbelievable as it sounds all these players came here for bigger wages,"Johnny average" in City reserves will probably be on twenty times the wage our highest paid player is on.

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