The Next Oldham Manager

[mcfluff1985]

26 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

You mean like the screamers from Dickenson, Tollit  & Sheron. 
Course we have but that goal at Dale and the one at Chesterfield were proper poachers goals which is what he does best and what we actually brought him in to do!

Plenty of far better finishes 

[LightDN123]

19 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

No need to apologise - I don't care if you don't think I'm making sense.  I also don't have to justify posting my "rubbish" to anyone.

 

I don't think Kurt has been given enough of a chance, for what it's worth.  Nuttall, I'll give you. 

 

I think we possibly could have used Norwood's wages to strengthen elsewhere so we have a more balanced team.

 

Just a different opinion - don't let it wind you up..

 

 

I agree the teams not balanced, I’ve said the same all season. But you don’t create balance by getting rid of your best players, surely that’s not logical. 
 

We have far more players which we should be looking to get rid of than Norwood. 
 

Anyways, it’s a mute argument because I’m more than certain MM values Norwood as much as anyone and he will continue to lead the line for us. I just hope people don’t get on Norwoods back because if fans do, I can see that going wrong for everyone. Which makes no sense given he’s currently scoring goals and has done all his career. 

[oafc1955]

14 minutes ago, mcfluff1985 said:

Plenty of far better finishes 

Quality of finish is pretty irrelevant as long as the ball ends ip in the net.

Do you honestly think, Reid, Fondop, or Nuttall would have got themselves into the right area to score those Norwood goals at Chesterfield & Rochdale?

[Dave_Og]

13 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

I agree the teams not balanced, I’ve said the same all season. But you don’t create balance by getting rid of your best players, surely that’s not logical. 
 

We have far more players which we should be looking to get rid of than Norwood. 
 

Anyways, it’s a mute argument because I’m more than certain MM values Norwood as much as anyone and he will continue to lead the line for us. I just hope people don’t get on Norwoods back because if fans do, I can see that going wrong for everyone. Which makes no sense given he’s currently scoring goals and has done all his career. 

It's moot...

But more importantly has anyone actually suggested we 'get rid of him'

[LightDN123]

3 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

It's moot...

But more importantly has anyone actually suggested we 'get rid of him'

Joe P was suggesting we should have spent the money elsewhere. That’s what I meant by get rid. But judging by his posts, Joe P would get rid now if he could. - wrong words on my behalf but I assume Joe P would sell him now to find other areas of the pitch. 

[League one forever]

2 hours ago, LightDN123 said:

I get your point but how else do you contextual how good he’s doing ?

With our eyes. 
 

You don’t like players that have a great engine, will work hard for team and always put a shift in. You dismiss them and the fans that like that with the generalised trope of-  ‘Latics fans love a headless chicken’. Or ‘Latics fans love someone who runs a lot’ 

 

Then later in this thread, you claim ‘fans who say he doesn’t work hard enough are just being lazy.’ But you don’t like workrate or running- you think it’s headless chicken stuff. . so how you would know. . . 
 

It seems if you rate them as a footballer, which you like- other qualities don’t matter. 
 

He’s our best player, and highest earner. For a player of his pedigree, and talent I’ve been a bit disappointed. For a player with his scoring record and reputation his goal return is decent, but not amazing. In my view he’s in and out of games. His link up play is either very good or non existent. (Down to attitude not ability)

 

Now you might say, if he scores I don’t care. Which is fine. But again for a player of his calibre and ability I want more than just goals. I want consistent performances from our top earner that brings the best out of others around him. I don’t want him drifting in and out games when he’s our best technical player. 
 

Just saying- he’s scores goals isn’t enough for the best player at the club. Alex Reid scores goals, and he isn’t fit to lace Norwood’s boots. 

[TheBigDog]

3 hours ago, LightDN123 said:

He’s our top scorer you muppet. On track for 20. You are chatting shit. Another Weirdo. 

 

1 hour ago, LightDN123 said:

Hardest thing in football is scoring goals, we have a player that does just that, and people question him because he’s not winning every heard or celebrating / smiling. Genuinely come on and give your head a wobble and listen to yourself. 

Wow!

 

I’m all for a healthy debate where each puts across his viewpoint but when you resort to comments like ‘Muppet’ and ‘You are chatting shit’ plus calling a fellow Latics fan a ‘Weirdo’ it seems to me that it’s you that has a huge problem. 
 

Are you okay hun? Did someone have the temerity to put forward an opposite viewpoint to your own? 
 

I genuinely feel sorry for you that you resort to insults and generalisations in a pathetic attempt to support your argument. 
 

At no point did I question him not winning every header or celebrating/smiling - I merely questioned your statement that he ‘could kill off any team on his day’ - mere supposition on your part with nothing to back that statement up.

 

As someone else pointed out on here, Norwood has missed more than he has scored - so service is not the problem.

 

If Norwood is the player you say he is then it’s about time that he stepped up and proved it.

[Dave_Og]

24 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

Joe P was suggesting we should have spent the money elsewhere. That’s what I meant by get rid. But judging by his posts, Joe P would get rid now if he could. - wrong words on my behalf but I assume Joe P would sell him now to find other areas of the pitch. 

Spent the money elsewhere and get rid are spectacularly different!

[LightDN123]

2 minutes ago, League one forever said:

With our eyes. 
 

You don’t like players that have a great engine, will work hard for team and always put a shift in. You dismiss them and the fans that like that with the generalised trope of-  ‘Latics fans love a headless chicken’. Or ‘Latics fans love someone who runs a lot’ 

 

Then later in this thread, you claim ‘fans who say he doesn’t work hard enough are just being lazy.’ But you don’t like workrate or running- you think it’s headless chicken stuff. . so how you would know. . . 
 

It seems if you rate them as a footballer, which you like- other qualities don’t matter. 
 

He’s our best player, and highest earner. For a player of his pedigree, and talent I’ve been a bit disappointed. For a player with his scoring record and reputation his goal return is decent, but not amazing. In my view he’s in and out of games. His link up play is either very good or non existent. (Down to attitude not ability)

 

Now you might say, if he scores I don’t care. Which is fine. But again for a player of his calibre and ability I want more than just goals. I want consistent performances from our top earner that brings the best out of others around him. I don’t want him drifting in and out games when he’s our best technical player. 
 

Just saying- he’s scores goals isn’t enough for the best player at the club. Alex Reid scores goals, and he isn’t fit to lace Norwood’s boots. 

Your first point is an incorrect paraphrase. Of course I value players with a great engine and who will work hard for the team.
 

My point was, a central midfielder has to be a lot more than that for us to get control of a game. Our current midfield is technically inadequate to control a game. The fact we havnt been able to control a football game for 12 months shows that. In my opinion it’s simply not enough to just work hard and run to play in central midfield at a successful team, our recent history shows that. 
 

Again you have misquoted me. Norwood does work hard for this team. He is vocal, he tries to get on the ball, he continually makes runs (no one sees them), he does his best to hold up a ball when it’s pinged to his head for 90 mins. He puts in bigger challenges than any of our other players do. He presses the defence, see Rochdale chances and Newport chances for evidence. People saying he doesn’t try or is lacking in effort are making a lazy assessment of Norwood. - What fans maybe dont appreciate is he’s 33 years old. He is of an age that he knows how to manage and conserve his energy, but his intelligence of when to use that energy and how he will make up for that. As he has already shown with my above points made. 
 

On the I don’t value other qualities point, that’s incorrect. Reid can’t dribble, but he gets in behind and is a threat. Kitching is one dimensional, but he’s our biggest supply to our attack. Green can’t cross, but he sets up a lot of our counter attacks with his pace. - I value a range of qualities. I just have a minimum expectation that a central midfield player should be able to control and pass a football to a certain standard. 
 

But Norwood isn’t a Harry Kane type striker, he’s not going to drop into midfield and ping it around. I don’t know why people have this expectation of him. He’s also not a typical hold the ball up type of striker. If you supply the ball in the box, he will score goals. It’s a team game, and it seems because Norwood is this major signing he should be able to do everything. But that’s just not his game. 
 

How can you be disappointed when he’s pretty much a 1 in 2 striker for us ? I just can’t fathom it. - You have an expectation that he’s going to be this number 9 that links up, spreads the ball, scores outside the box, inside the box, it’s just not him. 
 

Give him the ball in the box and he will score. Simple. Go see every goal he has scored for us, you’ll work out what type of striker he is quickly. 
 

What has really got my back up about this Norwood debate is our fans base continually say Boundary Park is a strikers graveyard. Well, we have a proven striker scoring goals, and people are on his back. It’s a small minority for now, but it shouldn’t be a discussion. 

[LightDN123]

13 minutes ago, TheBigDog said:

 

Wow!

 

I’m all for a healthy debate where each puts across his viewpoint but when you resort to comments like ‘Muppet’ and ‘You are chatting shit’ plus calling a fellow Latics fan a ‘Weirdo’ it seems to me that it’s you that has a huge problem. 
 

Are you okay hun? Did someone have the temerity to put forward an opposite viewpoint to your own? 
 

I genuinely feel sorry for you that you resort to insults and generalisations in a pathetic attempt to support your argument. 
 

At no point did I question him not winning every header or celebrating/smiling - I merely questioned your statement that he ‘could kill off any team on his day’ - mere supposition on your part with nothing to back that statement up.

 

As someone else pointed out on here, Norwood has missed more than he has scored - so service is not the problem.

 

If Norwood is the player you say he is then it’s about time that he stepped up and proved it.

You are complaining that a striker that’s scoring 1 in 2 games doesn’t score enough. - That is muppet worthy. 
 

My comment re kill off any team was in relation to us being in the playoffs and it being a raffle. Merely pointing out a player like Norwood tends to be the difference in those big games and could win us those games, if we could be in that position. 
 

Again, you claim to have been to 12 games, then you know service is the problem. If not, then firstly, our other strikers need to take a look at themselves. Secondly, another muppet territory comment. 
 

I’m sure James Norwood will continue to score goals at the rate he has for us. As long as self-sabotaging fans like yourself don’t get on his back. 

[TheBigDog]

14 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

You are complaining that a striker that’s scoring 1 in 2 games doesn’t score enough. - That is muppet worthy. 
 

My comment re kill off any team was in relation to us being in the playoffs and it being a raffle. Merely pointing out a player like Norwood tends to be the difference in those big games and could win us those games, if we could be in that position. 
 

Again, you claim to have been to 12 games, then you know service is the problem. If not, then firstly, our other strikers need to take a look at themselves. Secondly, another muppet territory comment. 
 

I’m sure James Norwood will continue to score goals at the rate he has for us. As long as self-sabotaging fans like yourself don’t get on his back. 

You really don’t get it do you? 
Sad really. 

[LightDN123]

1 minute ago, TheBigDog said:

You really don’t get it do you? 
Sad really. 

I get it. I’ve had multiple debates on here without resulting to personal insults. I am all for opinions. 
 

But your comments crossed a line of opinion to the point of just wanting to be controversial and aggravating, in my view. 

[League one forever]

11 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

He is vocal, he tries to get on the ball, he continually makes runs (no one sees them), he does his best to hold up a ball when it’s pinged to his head for 90 mins.

I can’t comment on whether he’s vocal. As I can’t hear the players. What I see is a lot of hands up in the air, and exasperation. (Sometimes at himself to be fair) Agreed he make runs that get missed a lot.  

 

17 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

He puts in bigger challenges than any of our other players do

That’s nonsense. Hobson Hogan Sheron put far more and far bigger challenges than Norwood does. But he does put himself about. 
 

19 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

But Norwood isn’t a Harry Kane type striker, he’s not going to drop into midfield and ping it around. I don’t know why people have this expectation of him

You’ve made that up to suit your view.  No one is saying or wanting him to drop into midfield.  I’d like him to show in between the lines - use his touch lay it off, (let’s midfielders catch up with play) spin and get in the box. He doesn’t do that- and for a player of his quality that isn’t difficult. 
 

23 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

It’s a team game, and it seems because Norwood is this major signing he should be able to do everything

No, I just want a bit more from his technical ability to link up play and do it more consistently. 


 

 

25 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

How can you be disappointed when he’s pretty much a 1 in 2 striker for us ? I just can’t fathom it. - You have an expectation that he’s going to be this number 9 that links up, spreads the ball, scores outside the box, inside the box, it’s just not him. 

Do you agree he’s the best footballer at the club? If you do, then what I’m asking is really not difficult for a player of his calibre in division 5. 

 

27 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

Give him the ball in the box and he will score. Simple. Go see every goal he has scored for us, you’ll work out what type of striker he is quickly

We have done, and he’s missed more than he’s scored. So the idea we just need to feed him and he will score- isn’t simple at all. It doesn’t stack up- if it did he’d be on 15 plus by now. (Still think his goal return is fair/half decent) 

 

30 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

It’s a small minority for now, but it shouldn’t be a discussion. 

[League one forever]

33 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

It’s a small minority for now, but it shouldn’t be a discussion. 

So he’s above discussion??? 
 

Not for me. 

Edited November 7, 2023 by League one forever

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

With regards to how quickly things can change, Grimsby's promotion season in 2021/22 was well weird. Won ten of their first thirteen matches. Then lost eleven of their next fourteen. Before losing just twice from the end of January to sneak into the playoffs. And then they didn't win a single play-off match in normal time.

 

Expect the unexpected in the Vauxhall Conference.

 

 

[LightDN123]

1 minute ago, League one forever said:

I can’t comment on whether he’s vocal. As I can’t hear the players. What I see is a lot of hands up in the air, and exasperation. (Sometimes at himself to be fair) Agreed he make runs that get missed a lot.  

He talks players through the games all the time. Watch him a bit closer next time. But I noticed it a lot V Dale and a lot V Alti. He speaks to the centre backs and Hudson a lot. 

 

1 minute ago, League one forever said:

That’s nonsense. Hobson Hogan Sheron put far more and far bigger challenges than Norwood does. But he does put himself about.

 

He puts in challenges that they do, those three players have more opportunity to do so. But yeah, we agree he puts challenges in. 

 

5 minutes ago, League one forever said:

You’ve made that up to suit your view.  No one is saying or wanting him to drop into midfield.  I’d like him to show in between the lines - use his touch lay it off, (let’s midfielders catch up with play) spin and get in the box. He doesn’t do that- and for a player of his quality that isn’t difficult.

Honestly, we don’t get players around him for him to even lay it off. I think his play outside the box is not always great. 

 

5 minutes ago, League one forever said:

No, I just want a bit more from his technical ability to link up play and do it more consistently.

He got no one to link up with. I don’t think it’s any surprise that Freeman who has quality above this level managed to link up with him. Honestly,  the other players just arnt on that wave length. 

 

5 minutes ago, League one forever said:

Do you agree he’s the best footballer at the club? If you do, then what I’m asking is really not difficult for a player of his calibre in division 5.

Best footballer is very general. He’s our talisman, and his job is to score goals. Which he is doing effectively. Is he the best outside of the box ? I’m not so sure. 
 

 

5 minutes ago, League one forever said:

We have done, and he’s missed more than he’s scored. So the idea we just need to feed him and he will score- isn’t simple at all. It doesn’t stack up- if it did he’d be on 15 plus by now. (Still think his goal return is fair/half decent) 

 

 

He hasn’t missed that many chances. Plus, if he has a 100% conversion rate he would be in the Prem. The assumption he scores every chance is an unrealistic measurement of performance. Strikers miss chances all the time. 

[League one forever]

3 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Expect the unexpected in the Vauxhall Conference.

Like Big Mikey to be our salvation and score 10 lat season goals, firing us into playoffs and Nutall to go to Scunthorpe on loan. . 
 

 

To far?

[Charles or Eddie]

Dave challinor would be next choice of oldham manager for me

 Think he's really progressive and would help stamp an identity to the club and the town

[oafcmetty]

48 minutes ago, Charles or Eddie said:

Dave challinor would be next choice of oldham manager for me

 Think he's really progressive and would help stamp an identity to the club and the town

Do fuck off

[JoeP]

10 hours ago, LightDN123 said:

Joe P was suggesting we should have spent the money elsewhere. That’s what I meant by get rid. But judging by his posts, Joe P would get rid now if he could. - wrong words on my behalf but I assume Joe P would sell him now to find other areas of the pitch. 

 

I'm going to help you out here - yes, you're probably right.

 

If selling Norwood meant we could GUARENTEE signing a midfielder that would revitalise the team and create loads of chances AND sign a decent right-back, I would sell Norwood.  I think there would be enough goals in the other four strikers to make the team better.  I know Wrexham had Mullins, but is it essential for team in this league to have a Championship-standard striker to get them up out of it?  I ain't doing the research, but would guess not...this league isn't that that great.

 

Obviously the ideal scenario is we sign a quality midfielder and right-back and also keep Norwood, but it looks like the budget has been spent.

[LightDN123]

3 hours ago, JoeP said:

 

I'm going to help you out here - yes, you're probably right.

 

If selling Norwood meant we could GUARENTEE signing a midfielder that would revitalise the team and create loads of chances AND sign a decent right-back, I would sell Norwood.  I think there would be enough goals in the other four strikers to make the team better.  I know Wrexham had Mullins, but is it essential for team in this league to have a Championship-standard striker to get them up out of it?  I ain't doing the research, but would guess not...this league isn't that that great.

 

Obviously the ideal scenario is we sign a quality midfielder and right-back and also keep Norwood, but it looks like the budget has been spent.

Fair enough. 
 

I clearly disagree and think it’s bonkers. Ah well. Sorry if I insulted anyone with defence of Norwood, rattled me more than it should. 

[Hemel latic]

31 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

Fair enough. 
 

I clearly disagree and think it’s bonkers. Ah well. Sorry if I insulted anyone with defence of Norwood, rattled me more than it should. 

That's alright James, good to see you belatedly show some passion for the club. Perhaps you could throw in a goal celebration next time you score? 

[dannyboy55555]

15 hours ago, League one forever said:

Like Big Mikey to be our salvation and score 10 lat season goals, firing us into playoffs and Nutall to go to Scunthorpe on loan. . 
 

 

To far?

Swap Nuttall for Ogle and Butterfield and we are sorted.

[LightDN123]

2 hours ago, Hemel latic said:

That's alright James, good to see you belatedly show some passion for the club. Perhaps you could throw in a goal celebration next time you score? 

firmly in the James Norwood fan club. 

[wiseowl]

20 hours ago, Worcester Owl said:

 

You said "there's no doubt we have regressed under MM (as against ST/Redders)". No doubt? Really? Well let's see. ST was in charge for six games and his three wins came against the three teams currently propping up the NL. He then drew three, two of which were against teams only a few places higher. By contrast MM has had three league games - three - two of which were against teams in the top 10, including a local derby. It became clearer with every game that ST and NR were not about to effect a miraculous transformation in performances. 

 

To talk of a guy "regressing" after three games is utter nonsense. As for your comment that "you can sense the seeds of discontent being sown already", if that's true, it says more about some of our fans than it does about MM. More likely, you're gaslighting.

I give up. I don't even know what gaslighting is and can't be bothered to look it up. ST was unbeaten in 6 - MM has lost 2 out of 4. 

 

I support MM and that needs no further clarification because I gave a lengthy response previously. You clearly enjoy being a drama queen.

Edited November 8, 2023 by wiseowl