Just Back

...to the tram. First game of the season for me, admittedly was looking forward to seeing a more goal threat than the last few season but our attacking play was shoddy and one noted. Defence was everywhere too. Started bright but for 70 minutes we didn’t deserve anything. I’m glad we rescued to it but feel like this was another opportunity missed.

Away support was class, but we didn’t have much to sing about for most of the game. Looking forward to Salford away as it’s round corner from me.

Onwards and upwards
UTM

Definitely a different mentality in this season's squad, they really do have a "never die" attitude...
Still think Jolley got it wrong with his formation today and we got out of jail, but he's still learning his trade and hope he learns a lesson from today...UTFM..

Amazing support......but we certainly stole a point. However, never gave in so won't complain.

My son said we deserved at least a point. Maybe he was at a different game to everyone else.

After a bright first few minutes, we were absolutely dreadful for the first 75 minutes of the game. Not so much when we didnt have the ball, as Oldham didnt play through us many times. But in possession we were as bad as you'll see from a professional football team. Nothing went into midfield, everything pumped long for Hanson to try and make something of it.

Any player put under pressure from the opposition either wasn't comfortable enough to stay on the ball, or wasn't good enough to see and play a pass forward. So every time we were closed down it went backwards and backwards until McKeown played it long.

With Vernam on, Whitehouse central, but more importantly Cook in midfield, we suddenly started to pass the ball to each other and were able to work it through midfield. Shock..... this results in us getting back in the game.

Probably lucky to get a point from a game when we were terrible for so much of it. But to take the positives it showed character and showed what we CAN do in the last 10/15 minutes.

Think it showed we're not good enough individually in midfield to play 442. So hopefully the usual clamour for us to play 442 will simmer down a bit now.

Whitehouse needs to be central.
Hewitt needs to play right back but nowhere else. Anonymous when we had the ball.
Hard to judge Max Wright. Didn't do anything today but was starved of opportunities with the ball at his feet. Probably got shoved about a bit by opposition players too today.

Good point in the way it panned out, but NEED to learn from today and what we should/shouldn't be doing moving forward.

There is no justice in football is there. Last week we lost to Crewe who were better then us. This week we nearly lost to a team because we didn't turn up for 75 minutes. We were garbage when we sat back and let them pass the ball around when we pressed the back 4 properly they were all over the place why can't we do that from the start, it really bugs me we let teams do it to us and rush but we won't do it to the opposition until the final minutes.

Once again it looked like we were playing with 7 at the back and 3 uptop. Someone needs to tell our midfield 3 only Hess needs to stay back the rest can go and support the strikers. They need to spend the week practicing pass and move because our movement off the ball was shocking today Gibson was getting irrate in the first half at them everytime he had the ball he had to give it back to Macca.

I'm so please Öhman has finally got a goal, typical its the one week I haven't stuck a quid on him isn't it    

Nothing wrong with 442 but you stick a centre midfielder on the left wing its not going to work too well is it and put a lad in CM when he has been atrocious in the last 2 times we put him there. And lumping it up to 10 stone when dripping wet winger in the air does not help the cause either. Again sat far too deep all game allowing there defence to play tippy tappy till an opening on wings came up. Their centre halfs couldn't pass wind when we got in thier faces and had to hoof it anywhere, They had a few good footballers playing for them but I feel they were very beatable if put under any amount of pressure. Still  a point when playing badly away can't  be sniffed at.

At times Oldham were stringing 20+ passes together with little pressure on the ball. We were making them look like Barcelona!!!! Think sides are seeing we can be exposed out wide and the long switch ball is so often an outlet for the opposition.

Jolley seems to be blinkered about Max. Ogbu and Green are switched sometimes as were Embo and Vernam last season. We were hopeless on the left today but Max was not switched. We seem unable to ask questions of a defence who have been well briefed.
Chasing the game demanded Vernam and Wright running at the defence prompted by Hess in a more forward role.
Hewitt to right back, switch Hendrie and there is more balance. We get little benefit from a left footed full back when he is mainly pressed back by at least two attackers.

BTW Oldham Stadium manager put his stewards in a no win today by denying access to the front seats. It would have been far easier to block off the back rows. Gave some of our unruly brigade an unnecessary grievance. He and Jolley should tear up today's plans and go with what works.

Quoted from Croxton

BTW Oldham Stadium manager put his stewards in a no win today by denying access to the front seats. It would have been far easier to block off the back rows. Gave some of our unruly brigade an unnecessary grievance. He and Jolley should tear up today's plans and go with what works.

I mean they could just not act like a bunch of dickheads. It's always somebody else's fault and "Town fans never cause trouble" etc etc.