Welcome Oldham

[Dan_Macclad]

This league is looking great.. Especially after most away games in Kent this season!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

As I think valefan16 alluded to yesterday when he said about Vale coming to this level in 2008 for the first time in years thinking they'd do well before they struggled all season, I really can see Oldham struggling at a level they're relatively unfamiliar at next season. They've got to completely rebuild that squad because you'd imagine most will be released at the end of the season, there's no winning mentality at that club and hasn't been for years and I can't see it being an attractive job for an ambitious manager either. For years, they seem to have been a squad of patched up loan signings and players on short term contracts which they can't retain, and high player turnover will never guarantee you success if you don't have a Steve Evans inspired daft budget. There seems to have been no solid foundations on the club to build upon at all, hence the near decade of finishing between 15th-19th in League One until this season.

I remember when we came back to this level after 15 years in the middle two tiers in 2009. We thought we'd piss the league and go straight back up because, at the time, we had a huge budget for this level full of signings on silly money. An opening day defeat to Dagenham and Redbridge soon brought us crashing back down to Earth and, despite a good start to the season, conceding 5 to an Accrington side who were very close to going out of business really made us realise we were nothing special as we plodded on to an 18th placed finish (still our lowest finish since 1983 when Dario came to the club). We managed to rebuild and go back up in 2012 but that first season truly was a humbling experience for a fan like myself who knew nothing but Championship and League One football at the Alex.

I think Tranmere were relegated after 25 years in the middle two tiers and they went straight down again. I don't think Oldham will double drop (there really are some basket cases waiting to happen festering in this division) but I can't see them troubling the playoffs at all. I think MK Dons and Northampton will be up there but Bury and Oldham will end up bottoming out before they can rebuild.

 

[SELatic]

As I think valefan16 alluded to yesterday when he said about Vale coming to this level in 2008 for the first time in years thinking they'd do well before they struggled all season, I really can see Oldham struggling at a level they're relatively unfamiliar at next season. They've got to completely rebuild that squad because you'd imagine most will be released at the end of the season, there's no winning mentality at that club and hasn't been for years and I can't see it being an attractive job for an ambitious manager either. For years, they seem to have been a squad of patched up loan signings and players on short term contracts which they can't retain, and high player turnover will never guarantee you success if you don't have a Steve Evans inspired daft budget. There seems to have been no solid foundations on the club to build upon at all, hence the near decade of finishing between 15th-19th in League One until this season.

I remember when we came back to this level after 15 years in the middle two tiers in 2009. We thought we'd piss the league and go straight back up because, at the time, we had a huge budget for this level full of signings on silly money. An opening day defeat to Dagenham and Redbridge soon brought us crashing back down to Earth and, despite a good start to the season, conceding 5 to an Accrington side who were very close to going out of business really made us realise we were nothing special as we plodded on to an 18th placed finish (still our lowest finish since 1983 when Dario came to the club). We managed to rebuild and go back up in 2012 but that first season truly was a humbling experience for a fan like myself who knew nothing but Championship and League One football at the Alex.

I think Tranmere were relegated after 25 years in the middle two tiers and they went straight down again. I don't think Oldham will double drop (there really are some basket cases waiting to happen festering in this division) but I can't see them troubling the playoffs at all. I think MK Dons and Northampton will be up there but Bury and Oldham will end up bottoming out before they can rebuild.

Hard to disagree with that

 

[Hurrikeen]

Morning everybody.

Some new grounds to tick off so every cloud and all that.

 

[valefan16]

Good post TNO. The issue is after years out of it you come down and go to some of these little grounds like Morecambe or Barnet and see a crowd of less than 2000 and think you’ll just steam roller them because your a bigger club and your too big for this league, got to admit I did and after beating a pumped up Luton in the first game away seeing Accrington turn up with 100 fans in our vast away end the shock when they promptly beat us was hard to take... problem was even some of our staff and players expected to walk it. After a 4-1 mauling at home to Macc Town Shane Tudor had an infamous rant about how we shouldn’t be losing to them as they are a shit little club...

The expectation and reality are far different, this time we were a bit more down to earth about the challenge but even then none of us would have predicted just how bad we’d be... and we came down in theory the strongest of the relegated sides in terms of finishing forth bottom.

 

[DippyDon]

It's hard to predict where we will all be. MK will certainly have the money so I'd expect to be up there, but then we had the fifth highest average wages in the league this season apparently and finished 23rd. For all of us it all depends on the rebuilding in the summer, especially for MK and Bury who will have some stupidly high earners that they'll need to get rid of.

 

[shoddycollins]

On the flipside of Oldham coming down. Wonderful for Joe Thompson to have scored the goal that kept Rochdale up.

 

[UTS]

Good post TNO. The issue is after years out of it you come down and go to some of these little grounds like Morecambe or Barnet and see a crowd of less than 2000 and think you’ll just steam roller them because your a bigger club and your too big for this league, got to admit I did and after beating a pumped up Luton in the first game away seeing Accrington turn up with 100 fans in our vast away end the shock when they promptly beat us was hard to take... problem was even some of our staff and players expected to walk it. After a 4-1 mauling at home to Macc Town Shane Tudor had an infamous rant about how we shouldn’t be losing to them as they are a shit little club...

The expectation and reality are far different, this time we were a bit more down to earth about the challenge but even then none of us would have predicted just how bad we’d be... and we came down in theory the strongest of the relegated sides in terms of finishing forth bottom.

Fuck me you make it sound like League One and Two are vastly different. You get away followings of sub 100 in League One too.. and the majority of the clubs in League Two wouldn’t look out of place in League One and vice versa.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Good post TNO. The issue is after years out of it you come down and go to some of these little grounds like Morecambe or Barnet and see a crowd of less than 2000 and think you’ll just steam roller them because your a bigger club and your too big for this league, got to admit I did and after beating a pumped up Luton in the first game away seeing Accrington turn up with 100 fans in our vast away end the shock when they promptly beat us was hard to take... problem was even some of our staff and players expected to walk it. After a 4-1 mauling at home to Macc Town Shane Tudor had an infamous rant about how we shouldn’t be losing to them as they are a shit little club...

The expectation and reality are far different, this time we were a bit more down to earth about the challenge but even then none of us would have predicted just how bad we’d be... and we came down in theory the strongest of the relegated sides in terms of finishing forth bottom.

Shane tudor is the landlord of where i live and he is just as shit at that as he was at being a footballer at vale.

 

[shoddycollins]

Shane tudor is the landlord of where i live and he is just as shit at that as he was at being a footballer at vale.

What is it with these failed footballers? Lewis Guy is a massive landlord around Penrith.

 

[UTS]

What is it with these failed footballers? Lewis Guy is a massive landlord around Penrith.

Lots of spare cash that will only dwindle after football career is over... might as well invest it in something profitable and properly is a good money maker.

 

[AdamStag]

Lots of spare cash that will only dwindle after football career is over... might as well invest it in something profitable and properly is a good money maker.

Absolutely. Folk always talk about what you’d do if you won a million - simple - buy 6 places at around £125k charge £800 a month (if somewhere that isn’t crap, if the rent is less so it’ll be less than £125k) 6 x £800 and you’ve basically £5k a month for nothing. Footballers will follow the same model, presumably through some adviser

 

[Luke Imp]

Oldham have always been a club I've expected to drop for the last 10 years or so but just seemed to do enough. Can't be much fun doing that for so many years.

 

[Habbinalan]

Shane tudor is the landlord of where i live and he is just as shit at that as he was at being a footballer at vale.

I hope they don't let him carry glasses. The guy could fall over for England.

I think they replaced his knees with universal joints.

 

[Carver]

YES!

One of our big local rivals will be playing us once again, what a derby this is going to be, along with 6 points in the bag!

 

[Vanni]

Oldham have always been a club I've expected to drop for the last 10 years or so but just seemed to do enough. Can't be much fun doing that for so many years.

Yep. People say being a mid-table side is boring - season over in Feb et al - but surely that's preferable to always struggling to stay up year in year out??

 

[Richard Cranium]

Feels like we’ve shared a league with Oldham for a while considering how many times we’ve played them in the cups recently. Manchester for the night at least.

 

[4froale]

Feels like we’ve shared a league with Oldham for a while considering how many times we’ve played them in the cups recently. Manchester for the night at least.

Do yo not fancy liquid or envy in Oldham??? You can enjoy waiting fifteen minutes for a cubicle in the toilets, in between wreck heads racking lines up anywhere. And if your feeling a bit fruity then you can enjoy the Georgian, oldhams 24/7 massage parlour just 100 yards away.

 

[Conker]

Every pub / club has ‘wreck heads’ racking up half a gram anywhere in the country to be fair.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Was going to say, I meant Oldham away not Oldham at home with the fine establishments on offer on Leeming Street!

 

[Hurrikeen]

Word on the street is that Wellens had an interview with MK recently.

That being said, recent words from the club suggest Wellens will be staying on.

 

[hold'um Oldham]

Nothing I've seen last season, or heard for that matter gives me confidence going into next year. Too much is wrong with the club from top too bottom.

AL has one hell Of a job on his hands to turn this round and I fear it's too much.

The pitch
The manager
The situation with ground ownership
Unfinished north stand.
Fans not on board
Poor squad

I could go on. Nobody has a clue what his plans are but even with the best intentions I'd be surprised if we are anywhere near the top 10 this time next year. Much more likely to be knocking around the bottom.

 

[Indian Dan]

If you have issues both on and off the field, take heed of Chesterfield and Vale. It’s hard enough when things are OK.

 

[LondonOrn]

Were many Coventry fans confident of reaching the play-offs this season, or Blackpool fans going straight back up last year? I can't see how Oldham's situation is any worse, and even it is, they still went down with a much better team.

 

[Simpo]

A bit of chat from our recently-arrived owner in response to relegation.

https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2018/may/09052018-statement-from-owner-abdallah-lemsagam/

Comes across as very level-headed in communications to the fans so far. A few rumours about him overstepping into team matters, but nothing concrete and proven. I'll wait and see.

 

[Simpo]

btw, after 21 years hanging about in L1, this is what Saturday felt like!

 

[AdamStag]

Every pub / club has ‘wreck heads’ racking up half a gram anywhere in the country to be fair.

And if you can't find them in Oldham, you'll certainly find them in Manchester.

The one plus of Oldham is that the tram from Chorlton, a good 5 minutes from my house, goes all the way to Oldham without getting off. Bonus

 

[AdamStag]

Were many Coventry fans confident of reaching the play-offs this season, or Blackpool fans going straight back up last year? I can't see how Oldham's situation is any worse, and even it is, they still went down with a much better team.

Well, 4 teams go down, so given that nearly 1 in 3 teams qualify for either the playoffs or promotion spots, it's likely one of the sides will make it.

On the flipside - 2 out of the last 3 seasons have seen sides relegated from league 1 fall down again into the conference - Leyton Orient did after 2 seasons. So yeah out of the sides coming down Coventry made the playoffs (6th) Swindon 9th, Port Vale 20th and Chesterfield 24th (ha)

 

[DippyDon]

Word on the street is that Wellens had an interview with MK recently.

That being said, recent words from the club suggest Wellens will be staying on.

We've been interviewing/talking to lots of managers to be fair, I know Ritchie Barker has been seen hanging around the club recently, with Alexander being a favourite for a while as he supposedly wants to move back down south (Lived in MK while he played for Luton, so there's that link) and rumours are that Pete has made his mind up and wants Tisdale. Wellens more than likely won't get it.