Summer 2023 Player Signing News & Rumours

[wiseowl]

1 hour ago, Lags said:

 

Damn,  if he wasn't a board members friend he'd be Pep Guardiola.

It's just a dig at the board these kind of statements nothing more.  Bring back Al.

No it's not. It's bewilderment at the one particular aspect they have got wrong. I can accept they made a mistake in hiring him. It seems they can't. That's not a good sign.

[mcfluff1985]

11 minutes ago, wiseowl said:

I didn't mean it to appear lazy. Nepotism is now the only other reason (other than a contractual minimum term clause) that I can think of as to why he's not gone (or at least being questioned from above). When I saw Frank's unwelcome "finger wagging" at the fans/supporters, in the stand, at Gateshead I felt totally deflated. 

That sounds like a you problem if that makes you feel deflated. Nepotism isn't the only reason. There are a host of reasons they maybe haven't sacked him. I'm sure he is being questioned. Not in public though and rightly so

[True Tic]

4 hours ago, deyres42 said:

So if the next guy comes in and only wins 1 out of 10 he has to go as well and the revolving door starts again?

No because this one’s had 46 games 

[mcfluff1985]

1 minute ago, True Tic said:

No because this one’s had 46 games 

So if new manager won 1 in 10 you wouldn't want rid?

[deyres42]

5 minutes ago, True Tic said:

No because this one’s had 46 games 

But the squad is so good that not getting into the top 7 in a short space of time would be failure wouldn't it?

[True Tic]

2 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

But the squad is so good that not getting into the top 7 in a short space of time would be failure wouldn't it?

It goes much further back for me. After Sheridan left , we dropped like a stone for a period and suddenly the narrative became about keeping us in the national league. Even with that “appalling” squad he “inherited” DU struggled more than his predecessor and (personal opinion) I think we would have finished higher in the league with shez, although a change was needed really. DU has stuttered and struggled pretty consistently all the way through his time here bar a bit of a purple patch leading up to the spring. The much heralded pre season comes and I  know you can’t take too much from them but it was pretty underwhelming. Then this season starts and, well. it’s been a disaster on the field to date.  I just feel like he doesn’t know what he’s doing . 

[oafcmetty]

5 hours ago, League one forever said:

This always gets trotted out. . . 
 

Name me a single time that a club has sacked a manager for 1 win in 10, and the next come guy comes in, he wins 1 in 10 and they sack him. 
 

It’s a cool story, but It’s never happened in the history of football. 

oooh close - we didn't keep Dean Holden on after his caretaker period ended in a run of 2 wins in 10. Then we (Barry) hired Darren Kelly, who was sacked after 1 win in 9.

[True Tic]

54 minutes ago, mcfluff1985 said:

So if new manager won 1 in 10 you wouldn't want rid?

I’m talking in the context of a full season as in what we have at the moment with DU. 1 win in 10 is poor in isolation but reinforced with a poor season prior it looks even worse. 

[League one forever]

21 minutes ago, oafcmetty said:

oooh close - we didn't keep Dean Holden on after his caretaker period ended in a run of 2 wins in 10. Then we (Barry) hired Darren Kelly, who was sacked after 1 win in 9.

So. . I’m still technically correct. .

[latics22]

4 hours ago, deyres42 said:

What qualifies as steady improvement though?

A style of play, players improving, performances improving. Not over night, but he’s had the equivalent of a full season and we have gone backwards.

[Shrek]

21 minutes ago, latics22 said:

A style of play, players improving, performances improving. Not over night, but he’s had the equivalent of a full season and we have gone backwards.

This is it. If he was either winning ugly or you could see an attractive style being implemented that needed time to develop we'd mainly be ok with that.

 

We've lost the point winning we had earlier this calendar year, still have the shite football and seem to have no real ambition to sort either. All that despite us making the squad stronger*.

 

*except right back which is a disgrace 

[Littlemoor Lad]

Festering away

What price happiness?

[Can Neil Redfearn Do It]

14 hours ago, wiseowl said:

I didn't mean it to appear lazy. Nepotism is now the only other reason (other than a contractual minimum term clause) that I can think of as to why he's not gone (or at least being questioned from above). When I saw Frank's unwelcome "finger wagging" at the fans/supporters, in the stand, at Gateshead I felt totally deflated. 

 

What would that look like? Isn't a fixed-term contract basically that by default? Not a cat in hell's chance the board have somehow restricted their right to stand Unsworth down via the usual compensatory mechanisms.

 

It might well be that he's assured a minimum period on a handshake.

 

Frank definitely needs to stop sitting with the fans. We're far too big a club to have that going on and likewise is pretty much every other club in our shitty division. As an owner it could only be okay if your club's permanently small-time, without any real ambition and your handful of fans know and accept that.

[deyres42]

12 hours ago, latics22 said:

A style of play, players improving, performances improving. Not over night, but he’s had the equivalent of a full season and we have gone backwards.

But if the squad is as good as everyone keeps saying then it has to happen overnight doesn't it?

[BPAS]

23 hours ago, yarddog73 said:

I won't be happy no, getting rid of managers means my club is failing again which to be fair it has for the past decade for one reason or another.

 

We're flogging a dead horse and the only thing holding us back is the very few Unsworth in crew who want to hang on to this pipedream of being able to say 'I told you the lad would come good' which is complete nonsense.

 

Anyone who thinks I or the majority of those who want to see Unsworth gone take any pleasure in seeing us bobbing around at the bottom of the NL are probably part of the problem, it's a ridiculous view to have, I'm desperate for my club to have some success but I've given up any hope it will be with the current management team.

 

I don't want to wait till the end of this fellas contract or even Christmas for that matter, he needs gone now before it's another wasted season, he's had far more time than better managers before him and our progression on the playing side can be measured in line with a Nathan Sheron pass, we've gone backwards. 

 

Surely that's also blaming the fans? It's not any fan's fault we've not been very good at football for a while (something we all agree on). The only differing of opinion is whether you think you know Unsworth isn't up to it, or you're happy to place your faith in the people in charge, to know whether Unsworth is up to it or not. For me (Andy), I'll trust the board's opinion over unqualified opinions (including my own) from the terrace.

[oafc1955]

28 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

But if the squad is as good as everyone keeps saying then it has to happen overnight doesn't it?

Not really, I would welcome an improvement curve starting today!

[Lee Sinnott]

15 hours ago, deyres42 said:

But the squad is so good that not getting into the top 7 in a short space of time would be failure wouldn't it?

Any decent manager coming in wins the next 6 with little trouble...

[wiseowl]

11 minutes ago, BPAS said:

 

Surely that's also blaming the fans? It's not any fan's fault we've not been very good at football for a while (something we all agree on). The only differing of opinion is whether you think you know Unsworth isn't up to it, or you're happy to place your faith in the people in charge, to know whether Unsworth is up to it or not. For me (Andy), I'll trust the board's opinion over unqualified opinions (including my own) from the terrace.

There are some exceedingly knowledgeable football people, amongst the fans, who regularly attend BP. I sit next to one (he's a very balanced chap) and his opinion is that DU is a poor manager and the key reason for our failings on the pitch. Some of OAFC's board members had zero football knowledge prior to the takeover.

Edited September 16, 2023 by wiseowl

[redlion]

24 minutes ago, BPAS said:

 

 For me (Andy), I'll trust the board's opinion over unqualified opinions (including my own) from the terrace.

There are many people on the terraces and on this forum that have been watching professional football for fifty and sixty years. There are also ex-latics players on the terraces. There is a huge amount of football knowledge and experience on the terraces that is of the opinion that Unsworth is out of his depth. It dwarves the qualified opinion of the board.

[nzlatic]

I’ve been watching tv for over 40 years. But I wouldn’t think I was qualified to tell a tv company how to make a successful sitcom. 
 

I could tell them to make it funny and employ good actors. But I’m not sure how insightful that would be. 

[yarddog73]

35 minutes ago, wiseowl said:

There are some exceedingly knowledgeable football people, amongst the fans, who regularly attend BP. I sit next to one (he's a very balanced chap) and his opinion is that DU is a poor manager and the key reason for our failings on the pitch. Some of OAFC's board members had zero football knowledge prior to the takeover.

Very true, being largely advised by......... David Unsworth.

 

Andy makes a fair point but what sort of qualifications do these board members hold then?.

 

The Rothwells and family seem largely oblivious, Darren's past for some is questionable, I haven't even seen a couple of the other directors around the club for a while so whose making the call in the face of supporter backlash?, are the new owners stubborn by nature and prepared to plough on regardless? It can't be how they envisaged it (on the pitch) and you'd would struggle in my opinion to find anyone outside of the boardroom who given the choice would choose Unsworth to continue as Oldham Athletics manager, are they that out of touch that they'll allow this continue if results don't significantly improve?.

 

I keep hearing about all the good work going on off the pitch but ultimately at some stage the football side along with the recruitment could undo and undermine a lot of all that because of what is happening on the pitch,  it's the Rothwells money so they are free to do as they like but this notion that they know best along with the rest of the board on the face of it appears fanciful to me because on the playing side from appointing this manager and the subsequent recruitment is all a bit car crash.

Edited September 16, 2023 by yarddog73

[sjk2008]

21 hours ago, deyres42 said:

So if the next guy comes in and only wins 1 out of 10 he has to go as well and the revolving door starts again?

This still remains one of the most bizarre points people can possibly make when talking about sacking an incumbent.

Edited September 16, 2023 by sjk2008

[Steve_R]

47 minutes ago, BPAS said:

 

Surely that's also blaming the fans? It's not any fan's fault we've not been very good at football for a while (something we all agree on). The only differing of opinion is whether you think you know Unsworth isn't up to it, or you're happy to place your faith in the people in charge, to know whether Unsworth is up to it or not. For me (Andy), I'll trust the board's opinion over unqualified opinions (including my own) from the terrace.

As Frank has said more than once that he knows nothing about football and as far as I’m aware neither him or his family were interested in Latics before the takeover, I’m not sure I ‘trust’ them on the football side of things.

Its their decision to make though ultimately, and they seem happy to give him plenty of time, which in many ways is admirable.
I’m not sure what they’re seeing in him that justifies their faith, but feel we’ll pick up enough points in the upcoming games to keep him safe for a while yet, so this debate will just rumble on.

[oafc1955]

11 minutes ago, Steve_R said:

but feel we’ll pick up enough points in the upcoming games

Well you’re a damn site more optimistic than I am!!

[deyres42]

20 minutes ago, sjk2008 said:

This still remains one of the most bizarre points people can possibly make when talking about sacking an incumbent.

Nothing bizarre about it, it is a straightforward question, will the same criteria apply to the next manager as the current one? Given we have this brilliant squad now the answer has to be yes surely?