Let the inquest begin.

[BP1960]

2 hours ago, spanishfly said:

Isn't the consensus though that MM doesn't like/trust younger players BP? People have often said he goes for older, experienced heads first and foremost.

 

I`m in your camp, though. We definitely need some energy, pace and excitement adding to the squad. Oh, and some quality wouldn't go amiss.

 

I'd be looking at the likes of  Manchester City u21s for a couple of dynamic loanees, we've been offered them in the past (I know because I was asked to scout them), but not followed up only to go to EFL clubs and do well.

 

[Bobledgersheart]

1 hour ago, BP1960 said:

 

I'd be looking at the likes of  Manchester City u21s for a couple of dynamic loanees, we've been offered them in the past (I know because I was asked to scout them), but not followed up only to go to EFL clubs and do well.

 

Absolutely no chance of City's U21's going on loan to non league.

Championship or League 1 at least.

 

[BP1960]

3 hours ago, Bobledgersheart said:

Absolutely no chance of City's U21's going on loan to non league.

Championship or League 1 at least.

 

 

I was told they were offered to us, you can believe it or not.

They have loaned players to Rochdale when they were in Division 2.

[sempreazzurro]

I've been following latics man and boy for over 35 years now, and this forum for a good long while - voyeuristically... but need to get this off my chest.

I feel deep despair at present. Following 30 years of decline, and with the club having teetered on the brink, I feel - as do we all - profound gratitude that Frank has stepped in, and gifted us a platform on which we can build. For the first time in ages I have been looking up the league hierarchy in real hope, if not expectation. I even bought myself a new replica top for match days, and was looking forward to this season with real optimism, especially given how strongly we finished the previous term.

Realistically, I know we need to accept that the journey (back to where we need to be as a club) will be long and not without it's bumps... but I can't help but feel that the initial goodwill of the fans now has been utterly exhausted. It's been a poor, poor season.

From where I stand, we have regressed. It's obvious that the recruitment has been less than perfect, but, on paper at least, we have a group of professionals who should have had more than enough to get us out of this poor league.

Something, though, is rotten - in the mindset of the whole group (including the manager), and in the relationship between the playing staff and the fans. Whatever cancer this is needs cutting out, quickly, because it translates into performances and results which are beyond piss poor.

I don't need sexy football at this point. Before the pinch-me years, there was some pretty uninspiring fare served up at BP, and I still turned up, and since, obviously, but what I have seen this year has been beyond bad.

I'm no DU apologist. He never had a rapport with the fans, and, after the start we had this year, his position was untenable: however I personally think he was getting a better tune out of the squad than MM. I went to watch us at Borehamwood, and what I saw was structured and disciplined. Either team could have won it, but I think we defended well and looked promising in the final third. There was some width. Basically, I came away not feeling too negative. In the final analysis, in his 9 league fixtures, his return was 7 points, and SEVEN of those games were against opponents who were amongst the stronger teams in the division (in that they all finished above us). Tricky fixtures, in hindsight.

In the final leg of this season, when it really counted, MM has managed to return 5 points from the final 9 games, against mostly poor opposition. This from a guy with 'experience' and a 'track record', and a squad which should have been super-motivated.

I have never liked this guy. I find him dour and uninspiring. The team has developed a distinct imbalance, we hoof it, we don't seem to play with any discernible tactics (the recent draw vs.Chesterfield being a rare exception), and without the required energy or fitness levels. Even during our purple patch, we were being found out. I know we ended up winning 3-2, and the second half was exciting (thanks in no small part to the width an energy of Wigan's Stones), but the first half at Solihull Moors is without doubt the worst football I have ever seen from an Oldham team. It was dire.

I thought we couldn't get any worse than we were when I saw us at Meadow Lane last season - but this was just another level of shit.

I have experienced some bad performances and results over the years (e.g. losing 7-0 at MK, but that was almost funny; just a really bad day at the office)... but the sheer consistency of the terrible football we have trotted out this season has been difficult to take.

My last game this season was vs. Halifax last week, and it was just the final nail in the coffin for me. We played OK in spells, but we had no left-side, defended poorly, played without pace or passion (especially given what was theoretically at stake), and should have lost against an opponent who were more pacy, direct and organised.

I don't know where to go now with this lot, but want to keep the faith - if only to repay Frank.

It's bleak. Academy mothballed, parachute payments ended. The modern infrastructure DU was trying to put in place abandoned, the same core squad contracted into next season.

The are boils which need lancing. The Reid situation needs concluding. For me, the manager needs to go, and I believe we need to get some young managerial blood in, and hopefully a young player or two who can inject some pace and directness. A manager who is able to fashion a system which brings the best out of the players we have, because, as I say, they are mostly capable of more than this, in my opinion. It couldn't turn out worse than this, could it?

The Sachdev situation mystified me. MM calls him a wing-back (is this not what we needed - a bit of width and attacking intent??) - a young, England U19 international, who had put in MOM performances... but clearly not to MMs taste. Weird in terms of both recruitment and subsequent team selection (or lack thereof). I wish Sai well, and hope we haven't damaged him too much.

For me, the straw which broke the camel's back for me was MM's pre-match presser for the Rochdale game. He had all the excuses already to hand (players not of the calibre, not able to field a team with width etc...). For such an important game (and a derby at that) he was downbeat and negative, whilst repeatedly stating that he knows what we need, and he has all the experience, blah, blah. Also seemed to say that he didn't really care about the fans' reactions on the terraces. God's gift to motivational speeches he is not. We should have been buzzing for that. What pissed me off the most though is the way he spoke of Oldham in the third person ('they', 'the club'). He has done that right from the start... like he's some external fucking consultant come in to write a big report on how shit our squad is. Where's the "We" Micky? To be fair, he has jointly shouldered it post-match after some of the horrorshows, but I think that's more because he was obliged to.

No manager will be perfect, but we've had some promising talent pass through our club through the years. Guys who seemed more invested. Even in recent times, I would take e.g. Wellens, Kewell, Wild, and, dare I say it, Unsworth over this guy.

Hopes for next season? Scraping a playoff place, and building an on-field identity. More than that?? You're having a laugh. Last season I watched Notts County a lot. At Wembley, it was clear that Chesterfield were a formidable and organised team. Unlucky as they were, it was clear to me on that day that they would piss it this season. Latics are nowhere near the level that either of those teams turned out. Nowhere.

Anyway, I've been rambling enough now. Doubtless many will disagree with much of what I say, but I do feel better for getting that off my chest
 

Edited April 23 by sempreazzurro
Wording change

[yarddog73]

2 hours ago, sempreazzurro said:

I've been following latics man and boy for over 35 years now, and this forum for a good long while - voyeuristically... but need to get this off my chest.

I feel deep despair at present. Following 30 years of decline, and with the club having teetered on the brink, I feel - as do we all - profound gratitude that Frank has stepped in, and gifted us a platform on which we can build. For the first time in ages I have been looking up the league hierarchy in real hope, if not expectation. I even bought myself a new replica top for match days, and was looking forward to this season with real optimism, especially given how strongly we finished the previous term.

Realistically, I know we need to accept that the journey (back to where we need to be as a club) will be long and not without it's bumps... but I can't help but feel that the initial goodwill of the fans now has been utterly exhausted. It's been a poor, poor season.

From where I stand, we have regressed. It's obvious that the recruitment has been less than perfect, but, on paper at least, we have a group of professionals who should have had more than enough to get us out of this poor league.

Something, though, is rotten - in the mindset of the whole group (including the manager), and in the relationship between the playing staff and the fans. Whatever cancer this is needs cutting out, quickly, because it translates into performances and results which are beyond piss poor.

I don't need sexy football at this point. Before the pinch-me years, there was some pretty uninspiring fare served up at BP, and I still turned up, and since, obviously, but what I have seen this year has been beyond bad.

I'm no DU apologist. He never had a rapport with the fans, and, after the start we had this year, his position was untenable: however I personally think he was getting a better tune out of the squad than MM. I went to watch us at Borehamwood, and what I saw was structured and disciplined. Either team could have won it, but I think we defended well and looked promising in the final third. There was some width. Basically, I came away not feeling too negative. In the final analysis, in his 9 league fixtures, his return was 7 points, and SEVEN of those games were against opponents who were amongst the stronger teams in the division (in that they all finished above us). Tricky fixtures, in hindsight.

In the final leg of this season, when it really counted, MM has managed to return 5 points from the final 9 games, against mostly poor opposition. This from a guy with 'experience' and a 'track record', and a squad which should have been super-motivated.

I have never liked this guy. I find him dour and uninspiring. The team has developed a distinct imbalance, we hoof it, we don't seem to play with any discernible tactics (the recent draw vs.Chesterfield being a rare exception), and without the required energy or fitness levels. Even during our purple patch, we were being found out. I know we ended up winning 3-2, and the second half was exciting (thanks in no small part to the width an energy of Wigan's Stones), but the first half at Solihull Moors is without doubt the worst football I have ever seen from an Oldham team. It was dire.

I thought we couldn't get any worse than we were when I saw us at Meadow Lane last season - but this was just another level of shit.

I have experienced some bad performances and results over the years (e.g. losing 7-0 at MK, but that was almost funny; just a really bad day at the office)... but the sheer consistency of the terrible football we have trotted out this season has been difficult to take.

My last game this season was vs. Halifax last week, and it was just the final nail in the coffin for me. We played OK in spells, but we had no left-side, defended poorly, played without pace or passion (especially given what was theoretically at stake), and should have lost against an opponent who were more pacy, direct and organised.

I don't know where to go now with this lot, but want to keep the faith - if only to repay Frank.

It's bleak. Academy mothballed, parachute payments ended. The modern infrastructure DU was trying to put in place abandoned, the same core squad contracted into next season.

The are boils which need lancing. The Reid situation needs concluding. For me, the manager needs to go, and I believe we need to get some young managerial blood in, and hopefully a young player or two who can inject some pace and directness. A manager who is able to fashion a system which brings the best out of the players we have, because, as I say, they are mostly capable of more than this, in my opinion. It couldn't turn out worse than this, could it?

The Sachdev situation mystified me. MM calls him a wing-back (is this not what we needed - a bit of width and attacking intent??) - a young, England U19 international, who had put in MOM performances... but clearly not to MMs taste. Weird in terms of both recruitment and subsequent team selection (or lack thereof). I wish Sai well, and hope we haven't damaged him too much.

For me, the straw which broke the camel's back for me was MM's pre-match presser for the Rochdale game. He had all the excuses already to hand (players not of the calibre, not able to field a team with width etc...). For such an important game (and a derby at that) he was downbeat and negative, whilst repeatedly stating that he knows what we need, and he has all the experience, blah, blah. Also seemed to say that he didn't really care about the fans' reactions on the terraces. God's gift to motivational speeches he is not. We should have been buzzing for that. What pissed me off the most though is the way he spoke of Oldham in the third person ('they', 'the club'). He has done that right from the start... like he's some external fucking consultant come in to write a big report on how shit our squad is. Where's the "We" Micky? To be fair, he has jointly shouldered it post-match after some of the horrorshows, but I think that's more because he was obliged to.

No manager will be perfect, but we've had some promising talent pass through our club through the years. Guys who seemed more invested. Even in recent times, I would take e.g. Wellens, Kewell, Wild, and, dare I say it, Unsworth over this guy.

Hopes for next season? Scraping a playoff place, and building an on-field identity. More than that?? You're having a laugh. Last season I watched Notts County a lot. At Wembley, it was clear that Chesterfield were a formidable and organised team. Unlucky as they were, it was clear to me on that day that they would piss it this season. Latics are nowhere near the level that either of those teams turned out. Nowhere.

Anyway, I've been rambling enough now. Doubtless many will disagree with much of what I say, but I do feel better for getting that off my chest
 

That's about where I'm at and as of yet I've not renewed and will wait and see what the clubs next move is, I think many are in the same boat.

[Littlemoor Lad]

5 hours ago, sempreazzurro said:

I've been following latics man and boy for over 35 years now, and this forum for a good long while - voyeuristically... but need to get this off my chest.

I feel deep despair at present. Following 30 years of decline, and with the club having teetered on the brink, I feel - as do we all - profound gratitude that Frank has stepped in, and gifted us a platform on which we can build. For the first time in ages I have been looking up the league hierarchy in real hope, if not expectation. I even bought myself a new replica top for match days, and was looking forward to this season with real optimism, especially given how strongly we finished the previous term.

Realistically, I know we need to accept that the journey (back to where we need to be as a club) will be long and not without it's bumps... but I can't help but feel that the initial goodwill of the fans now has been utterly exhausted. It's been a poor, poor season.

From where I stand, we have regressed. It's obvious that the recruitment has been less than perfect, but, on paper at least, we have a group of professionals who should have had more than enough to get us out of this poor league.

Something, though, is rotten - in the mindset of the whole group (including the manager), and in the relationship between the playing staff and the fans. Whatever cancer this is needs cutting out, quickly, because it translates into performances and results which are beyond piss poor.

I don't need sexy football at this point. Before the pinch-me years, there was some pretty uninspiring fare served up at BP, and I still turned up, and since, obviously, but what I have seen this year has been beyond bad.

I'm no DU apologist. He never had a rapport with the fans, and, after the start we had this year, his position was untenable: however I personally think he was getting a better tune out of the squad than MM. I went to watch us at Borehamwood, and what I saw was structured and disciplined. Either team could have won it, but I think we defended well and looked promising in the final third. There was some width. Basically, I came away not feeling too negative. In the final analysis, in his 9 league fixtures, his return was 7 points, and SEVEN of those games were against opponents who were amongst the stronger teams in the division (in that they all finished above us). Tricky fixtures, in hindsight.

In the final leg of this season, when it really counted, MM has managed to return 5 points from the final 9 games, against mostly poor opposition. This from a guy with 'experience' and a 'track record', and a squad which should have been super-motivated.

I have never liked this guy. I find him dour and uninspiring. The team has developed a distinct imbalance, we hoof it, we don't seem to play with any discernible tactics (the recent draw vs.Chesterfield being a rare exception), and without the required energy or fitness levels. Even during our purple patch, we were being found out. I know we ended up winning 3-2, and the second half was exciting (thanks in no small part to the width an energy of Wigan's Stones), but the first half at Solihull Moors is without doubt the worst football I have ever seen from an Oldham team. It was dire.

I thought we couldn't get any worse than we were when I saw us at Meadow Lane last season - but this was just another level of shit.

I have experienced some bad performances and results over the years (e.g. losing 7-0 at MK, but that was almost funny; just a really bad day at the office)... but the sheer consistency of the terrible football we have trotted out this season has been difficult to take.

My last game this season was vs. Halifax last week, and it was just the final nail in the coffin for me. We played OK in spells, but we had no left-side, defended poorly, played without pace or passion (especially given what was theoretically at stake), and should have lost against an opponent who were more pacy, direct and organised.

I don't know where to go now with this lot, but want to keep the faith - if only to repay Frank.

It's bleak. Academy mothballed, parachute payments ended. The modern infrastructure DU was trying to put in place abandoned, the same core squad contracted into next season.

The are boils which need lancing. The Reid situation needs concluding. For me, the manager needs to go, and I believe we need to get some young managerial blood in, and hopefully a young player or two who can inject some pace and directness. A manager who is able to fashion a system which brings the best out of the players we have, because, as I say, they are mostly capable of more than this, in my opinion. It couldn't turn out worse than this, could it?

The Sachdev situation mystified me. MM calls him a wing-back (is this not what we needed - a bit of width and attacking intent??) - a young, England U19 international, who had put in MOM performances... but clearly not to MMs taste. Weird in terms of both recruitment and subsequent team selection (or lack thereof). I wish Sai well, and hope we haven't damaged him too much.

For me, the straw which broke the camel's back for me was MM's pre-match presser for the Rochdale game. He had all the excuses already to hand (players not of the calibre, not able to field a team with width etc...). For such an important game (and a derby at that) he was downbeat and negative, whilst repeatedly stating that he knows what we need, and he has all the experience, blah, blah. Also seemed to say that he didn't really care about the fans' reactions on the terraces. God's gift to motivational speeches he is not. We should have been buzzing for that. What pissed me off the most though is the way he spoke of Oldham in the third person ('they', 'the club'). He has done that right from the start... like he's some external fucking consultant come in to write a big report on how shit our squad is. Where's the "We" Micky? To be fair, he has jointly shouldered it post-match after some of the horrorshows, but I think that's more because he was obliged to.

No manager will be perfect, but we've had some promising talent pass through our club through the years. Guys who seemed more invested. Even in recent times, I would take e.g. Wellens, Kewell, Wild, and, dare I say it, Unsworth over this guy.

Hopes for next season? Scraping a playoff place, and building an on-field identity. More than that?? You're having a laugh. Last season I watched Notts County a lot. At Wembley, it was clear that Chesterfield were a formidable and organised team. Unlucky as they were, it was clear to me on that day that they would piss it this season. Latics are nowhere near the level that either of those teams turned out. Nowhere.

Anyway, I've been rambling enough now. Doubtless many will disagree with much of what I say, but I do feel better for getting that off my chest
 

Thanks for that,

I was hanging on your every word there and I pray this post is seen and discussed at board level, because that's where any changes required begin.

 

 

[Lee Sinnott]

18 hours ago, yarddog73 said:

Yes it was either Brad or Paddy, they will probably confirm. 

It was me, they were stood behind me at Ebbsfleet. And yep, they said that...

[Lee Sinnott]

18 hours ago, Monty Burns said:

order of blame lmho

 

the lemsegams

TTA

bazza

Unsworth

the players as a collective

Big Joe

refereeing

the fans

thompson

redfearn

eyres (the agent not the poster)

the FA

the prem

the NL

various minutae

luck

other stuff

 

Keith Curle...

[O.A.F.C.]

19 hours ago, Monty Burns said:

order of blame lmho

 

the lemsegams

TTA

bazza

Unsworth

the players as a collective

Big Joe

refereeing

the fans

thompson

redfearn

eyres (the agent not the poster)

the FA

the prem

the NL

various minutae

luck

other stuff

 

Mark Hughes??

[JoeP]

1 hour ago, Lee Sinnott said:

It was me, they were stood behind me at Ebbsfleet. And yep, they said that...

 

Did they say why? 

[Lee Sinnott]

10 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

Did they say why? 

Style of football...

[LightDN123]

7 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Style of football...

He might have done well at Vale but Conlon grinds my gears. 
 

Whether it be the fact his right foot is redundant or he over exaggerates his movements. He also seems to stand clapping sarcastically at the end of games. 
 

Something about him which is odd. 

[Hemel latic]

14 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Style of football...

They did well to discern a style of football.

[JoeP]

9 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Style of football...

 

 

Well that isn't going to change while Mellon's here. Not good. 

[Hemel latic]

4 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

He might have done well at Vale but Conlon grinds my gears. 
 

Whether it be the fact his right foot is redundant or he over exaggerates his movements. He also seems to stand clapping sarcastically at the end of games. 
 

Something about him which is odd. 

Brilliant on debut, never more than a 5/6 out of 10 in pretty much every game since, have to hope he will benefit from pre season and, I'm really starting to hate this phrase, "having better players around him".

[nzlatic]

27 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Style of football...

He knew who the manager was when he signed though? Mellon had already been here a couple of months. 

[JoeP]

11 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

He knew who the manager was when he signed though? Mellon had already been here a couple of months. 

 

I guess he might have thought he was going to be the cente-piece for a change in style.  What's the point in Mellon signing him if he doesn't fit into his system? 

 

What a pickle we're in..

[nzlatic]

6 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

I guess he might have thought he was going to be the cente-piece for a change in style.  What's the point in Mellon signing him if he doesn't fit into his system? 

 

What a pickle we're in..

I think out of all our signings, Conlon is the biggest mystery to me. 
 

He should be really key for us but either hasn’t shown it himself yet or hasn’t been used right. Will be interesting to see what happens to him over the summer. 
 

Just editing to say that the signing wasn’t a mystery, what has happened since he joined is the mystery!

Edited April 23 by nzlatic

[Lee Sinnott]

25 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

He knew who the manager was when he signed though? Mellon had already been here a couple of months. 

Pass. It's worth noting though, that it seemed like it was just the opinion of his family and not necessarily anything that has come from Conlon himself...

[O.A.F.C.]

48 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Pass. It's worth noting though, that it seemed like it was just the opinion of his family and not necessarily anything that has come from Conlon himself...

Ironic considering we brought him to the club to try and change the style of how we played.  He was meant to be creative and bring positively to the team.

Edited April 23 by O.A.F.C.

[oafc1955]

8 minutes ago, O.A.F.C. said:

Ironic considering we brought him to the club to try and change the style of how we played.  He was meant to be creative and bring positively to the team.

Can’t do it by himself!

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

I’m hopeful Conlon will play a part and produce more performances in line with his debut. Having McGahey as your chosen grafter in midfield most matches won’t have helped him, albeit I can see why MM played him there.

 

I had suspicions that MM’s brand of football will be unpalatable grinds before he got the job, based on his Tranmere team. He’s experienced enough to know that when you’re under pressure, in a results-driven business, setting up not to lose is the go-to plan. I assume it’s one reason why 3-5-2 was ditched with 7-8 matches left for a more rigid 4-4-2. 
 

I think next season will see him focus once more in making us hard to beat first and foremost, but with specialist personnel in those glaringly obvious positions. It was draws that cost us towards the end, not defeats. We absolutely have to convert those into W’s and it’s critical our home form is turned round. Three or four quality additions in the right areas will see a big improvement in my opinion. Might not be anywhere near a finished article, but the difference between flopping out of the play-offs to entrenching ourselves amongst them.

[BP1960]

1 hour ago, nzlatic said:

He knew who the manager was when he signed though? Mellon had already been here a couple of months. 

 

Who was the manager who got him playing well at Port Vale?

[Lee Sinnott]

50 minutes ago, O.A.F.C. said:

Ironic considering we brought him to the club to try and change the style of how we played.  He was meant to be creative and bring positively to the team.

Yep...

[deyres42]

18 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

 

Who was the manager who got him playing well at Port Vale?

Askey and Clarke.