Let the inquest begin.

[TheBigDog]

10 hours ago, sempreazzurro said:

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.

It’s a collective ‘mental breakdown’ in footballing terms.

It seems that once it started, there was no way to stop it - it was painfully evident that most of the players had simply stopped playing how they could, and were hamstrung and shackled by the tactical approach and positional choices adopted by the management team.

Once it started, it spread throughout the squad and the season was lost.

The fans could quite clearly see this but are powerless to affect any change - this results in a breakdown in the relationship between fans and players and ultimately the manager.

 

The close-season is the time to reset and excise these demons but given the number who will still be here in August, it does not fill me with any hope that next season will be any better

[LightDN123]

1 hour ago, TheBigDog said:

It’s a collective ‘mental breakdown’ in footballing terms.

It seems that once it started, there was no way to stop it - it was painfully evident that most of the players had simply stopped playing how they could, and were hamstrung and shackled by the tactical approach and positional choices adopted by the management team.

Once it started, it spread throughout the squad and the season was lost.

The fans could quite clearly see this but are powerless to affect any change - this results in a breakdown in the relationship between fans and players and ultimately the manager.

 

The close-season is the time to reset and excise these demons but given the number who will still be here in August, it does not fill me with any hope that next season will be any better

Even when we were in the playoffs, it never really felt like anyone was particularly bothered tbh.. 

[BP1960]

50 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

Even when we were in the playoffs, it never really felt like anyone was particularly bothered tbh.. 

 

Yes, there was never any passion shown and that's the most worrying aspect of the whole debacle.

That has to change next season.

Edited April 23 by BP1960

[Ogdenwoodwhittle]

1 hour ago, BP1960 said:

 

Yes, there was never any passion shown and that's the most worrying aspect of the whole debacle.

That has to change next season.

Contrast that with the passion that the team of 73/74 spoke with last Friday. 

They were proud to have been part of an Oldham team on the rise and played for each other.

Above all they played as a team, small squad to choose from, and a defined style of play.

 

Edited April 23 by Ogdenwoodwhittle
Grammar

[cheshireblue]

56 minutes ago, Ogdenwoodwhittle said:

Contrast that with the passion that the team of 73/74 spoke with last Friday. 

They were proud to have been part of an Oldham team on the rise and played for each other.

Above all they played as a team, small squad to choose from, and a defined style of play.

 

Wasn’t it fantastic to see them and hear what it meant to everybody, players and fans alike. All of them saying it was the best bunch of lads they’d played with in their career.

[LaticsEddie]

I know its early days in the Betfred League 1 but I cant help draw comparisons with whats happening at Yeds going from strength to strength to us.

 

They, like us, have had a recent miracle takeover and club rebuilt. Both clubs sacked a manager shortly after their takeover and from there the similarities seem to end.

 

Latics went and recruited an unproven youth coach to their first job in charge, let him have free reign of the clubs rebuilt structure and gave him a summer to recruit. After an interim Mike Ford reign, Yeds on the other hand appointed a new and progressive coach but with a fantastic record at a club a division higher and a wealth of coaching experience in the mens game with top clubs.

 

On the player recruitment side, in the close season the Latics modus operandi seemed to be signing the "best" player from teams in our division or around (Lundstram, Ward, Willoughby, Hobson) or those that agents touted to us (Norwood, Raglan, Dickinson). All signed, in hindsight, with no clear plan especially given we were supposed to trim the squad and ended up with an excess of strikers and centre halves and 1 full back and winger. This lead to a massively imbalanced squad which is undoubtably a factor in us missing out on the playoffs.

Sean Long spoke earlier this week about recruiting for next season and spoke about building a team that will gel together and not just "buying your way" to promotion with big names. I can only assume the thinking was the same for this season with a blend of experience and youth and players that seem to play with passion, belief and for their team mates and shirt.

 

The Yeds also have a identifiable way of playing, and an attractive one at that. Long constantly refers to their system and the freedom to play outside of it, a system that relies heavily on defensive workrate.

Latics dont have a style of play. 80% hoofball, 20% misplaces passes on the deck.

 

Of course their are different factors at play between the sports but the point is broadly the same, the recruitment through the club needs a structure and plan, from the boardroom down. This summer will be a massive one for us and we could do with having a chat with out eggball friends.

[Dave_Og]

19 minutes ago, LaticsEddie said:

I know its early days in the Betfred League 1 but I cant help draw comparisons with whats happening at Yeds going from strength to strength to us.

 

They, like us, have had a recent miracle takeover and club rebuilt. Both clubs sacked a manager shortly after their takeover and from there the similarities seem to end.

 

Latics went and recruited an unproven youth coach to their first job in charge, let him have free reign of the clubs rebuilt structure and gave him a summer to recruit. After an interim Mike Ford reign, Yeds on the other hand appointed a new and progressive coach but with a fantastic record at a club a division higher and a wealth of coaching experience in the mens game with top clubs.

 

On the player recruitment side, in the close season the Latics modus operandi seemed to be signing the "best" player from teams in our division or around (Lundstram, Ward, Willoughby, Hobson) or those that agents touted to us (Norwood, Raglan, Dickinson). All signed, in hindsight, with no clear plan especially given we were supposed to trim the squad and ended up with an excess of strikers and centre halves and 1 full back and winger. This lead to a massively imbalanced squad which is undoubtably a factor in us missing out on the playoffs.

Sean Long spoke earlier this week about recruiting for next season and spoke about building a team that will gel together and not just "buying your way" to promotion with big names. I can only assume the thinking was the same for this season with a blend of experience and youth and players that seem to play with passion, belief and for their team mates and shirt.

 

The Yeds also have a identifiable way of playing, and an attractive one at that. Long constantly refers to their system and the freedom to play outside of it, a system that relies heavily on defensive workrate.

Latics dont have a style of play. 80% hoofball, 20% misplaces passes on the deck.

 

Of course their are different factors at play between the sports but the point is broadly the same, the recruitment through the club needs a structure and plan, from the boardroom down. This summer will be a massive one for us and we could do with having a chat with out eggball friends.

Agreed although it is a bit of a joke of a league - only nine teams and the only points that two of them are likely to get are when they play each other.  Further tests to come when they play the only realistic challenger and hopefully next season

[AndyB2]

7 hours ago, TheBigDog said:

It’s a collective ‘mental breakdown’ in footballing terms.

It seems that once it started, there was no way to stop it - it was painfully evident that most of the players had simply stopped playing how they could, and were hamstrung and shackled by the tactical approach and positional choices adopted by the management team.

Once it started, it spread throughout the squad and the season was lost.

The fans could quite clearly see this but are powerless to affect any change - this results in a breakdown in the relationship between fans and players and ultimately the manager.

 

The close-season is the time to reset and excise these demons but given the number who will still be here in August, it does not fill me with any hope that next season will be any better

Also known as, the players are shite

[Wardie]

9 hours ago, TheBigDog said:

It’s a collective ‘mental breakdown’ in footballing terms.

It seems that once it started, there was no way to stop it - it was painfully evident that most of the players had simply stopped playing how they could, and were hamstrung and shackled by the tactical approach and positional choices adopted by the management team.

Once it started, it spread throughout the squad and the season was lost.

The fans could quite clearly see this but are powerless to affect any change - this results in a breakdown in the relationship between fans and players and ultimately the manager.

 

The close-season is the time to reset and excise these demons but given the number who will still be here in August, it does not fill me with any hope that next season will be any better

Stopped playing how they could on purpose or stopped by inept management tactical choices?

[TheBigDog]

2 hours ago, Wardie said:

Stopped playing how they could on purpose or stopped by inept management tactical choices?

An element of both I reckon.

[sjk2008]

12 hours ago, deyres42 said:

Askey and Clarke.

Clarke was my absolute first choice too.

 

Look what he’s done at Cheltenham. Joined them end of September when they were rooted to the bottom of league 1 having got 1 point from the first 9 games and having not scored a single goal all season and a goal difference of -15.

 

They battered Peterborough tonight (18 shots to 7) and now just 2 points from safety. 
 

Surely we’d have paid more than them, unless he simply wasn’t in the running…

 

 

[League one forever]

8 minutes ago, sjk2008 said:

Clarke was my absolute first choice too.

 

Look what he’s done at Cheltenham. Joined them end of September when they were rooted to the bottom of league 1 having got 1 point from the first 9 games and having not scored a single goal all season and a goal difference of -15.

 

They battered Peterborough tonight (18 shots to 7) and now just 2 points from safety. 
 

Surely we’d have paid more than them, unless he simply wasn’t in the running…

 

 

Or he wanted a club two divisions  higher. . 

[sjk2008]

5 minutes ago, League one forever said:

Or he wanted a club two divisions  higher. . 

Absolutely that may have been his thinking. Having said that, if he fast forwarded his thoughts 12 months on, he may have thought we’d be in the same league…

[TheBigDog]

8 hours ago, sjk2008 said:

Clarke was my absolute first choice too.

 

Look what he’s done at Cheltenham. Joined them end of September when they were rooted to the bottom of league 1 having got 1 point from the first 9 games and having not scored a single goal all season and a goal difference of -15.

 

They battered Peterborough tonight (18 shots to 7) and now just 2 points from safety. 
 

Surely we’d have paid more than them, unless he simply wasn’t in the running…

 

 

And he is picking Nuttall

[BP1960]

3 hours ago, TheBigDog said:

And he is picking Nuttall

 

Rave reviews in his last match.

[Boyyou]

12 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

 

Rave reviews in his last match.

But roundly criticised by Cheltenham fans prior to that. He is that infuriating sort. Capable of a good display but nowhere near consistently 

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

12 hours ago, sjk2008 said:

Clarke was my absolute first choice too.
 

Surely we’d have paid more than them, unless he simply wasn’t in the running…

 

 

 

12 hours ago, League one forever said:

Or he wanted a club two divisions  higher. . 

 

I believe he wanted to move more South / South West. It's likely that ruled us out if anything.

[LaticMark]

1 hour ago, BP1960 said:

Rave reviews in his last match.

 

1 hour ago, Boyyou said:

But roundly criticised by Cheltenham fans prior to that. He is that infuriating sort. Capable of a good display but nowhere near consistently 

Feed the peanut??

[Monty Burns]

On 4/23/2024 at 7:04 AM, Lee Sinnott said:

Keith Curle...

oh aye yeah! he can count as bazza or sumat.

[BP1960]

1 hour ago, LaticMark said:

 

Feed the peanut??

 

Minted.

[Dave_Og]

Seems bit weird to be in a position to release the released/retained list when we are still in May if we want to retain any of the players that are coming to the end of their current contracts.  The contracts don't end till the end of June so if we are interested in retaining one or two then plenty of time for a discussion with them.  Today's news item seem pointless

[PeteG]

20 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

Seems bit weird to be in a position to release the released/retained list when we are still in May if we want to retain any of the players that are coming to the end of their current contracts.  The contracts don't end till the end of June so if we are interested in retaining one or two then plenty of time for a discussion with them.  Today's news item seem pointless

The out of contract players could sign pre-contract deals with any other interested parties though. I'd like to think if wanted to keep any of the players we'd have the decency to tell them and make them an offer now rather than keep them in limbo. It may well be that they have made some offers but shouldn't they let the fans know?

[Dave_Og]

8 minutes ago, PeteG said:

The out of contract players could sign pre-contract deals with any other interested parties though. I'd like to think if wanted to keep any of the players we'd have the decency to tell them and make them an offer now rather than keep them in limbo. It may well be that they have made some offers but shouldn't they let the fans know?

 

I'd rather they had some conversations in house and told us next week. Are pre-contract deals really much of a thing down here?

Edited April 24 by Dave_Og

[PeteG]

Just now, Dave_Og said:

 

I'd rather they had some conversations in house and told us next week

Fair enough but i'd have thought they knew weeks ago who they wanted to keep and in previous years they have told us who had extended their contract or who was in negotiation. Obviously the club is not obliged to tell us anything.

[LaticMark]

Have you voted? 

 

 

At the moment 66% of OWTB members (who expressed a preference) think Micky Mellon should stay as manager.