Blue_Guru Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Could be reading too much into it as usual but is this LJ's way of setting our expectations on some of the out of contract players we would like to keep? Might have told LJ they fancy a new challenge next year... Grounds? Weso? Who else is out of contract that is our player currently and you would be sad to see go? Rachubka, Lockwood, Mcdonald? http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/10/oldham-athletic-news/85392/no-panic-in-big-player-market Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimsleftfoot Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Probably, it would be nice for once to try and build a stable core and improve on that. We've had loads of changes every year and its hard to get excited about more changes to the squad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmer1 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 (edited) I'd be more concerned if we had finished in the top 10 every year. However the players he will be talking about must have been here longer than a year and always seem to be fighting relegation so if they wat to go, let them go. Some Oldham fans get so attached to average league 1 players and then beg for success. Edited April 8, 2014 by palmer1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4froale Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 would like to see grounds and wes stay but both are replaceable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mighty_bosh Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 As good as Wes has been I think that he'll be easier to replace than Grounds will be. Left-footed centre-backs/left-backs aren't easy to find. I wouldn't hold it against either of them if they did leave, they've earned themselves a better deal than the club can offer imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticsEddie Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 In all honesty I wouldn't be overly disappointed if grounds went. I'd rather him stay than go but he will no doubt be on more than most of the other playing staff, he has had an on and off season and we have truelove coming back to fitness for next season. I wonder how long mills has on his contract with Burnley? If we replaced grounds with him I think it will be an improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneSizeFitz Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Losing Wes'd be a big blow; player of the season, arguably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brierleys555 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I dont think LJ will chop and change to much but if players want to leave then so be it. latics will still be here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChaddySmoker Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Losing Wes'd be a big blow; player of the season, arguably. Arguably not! Losing Grounds would be the bigger blow, as someone else said above, left footer and can play full back or centre back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD's Orange Heels Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Arguably not! Losing Grounds would be the bigger blow, as someone else said above, left footer and can play full back or centre back! It doesn't matter which foot you use if you can't pass to a player on your own team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deyres42 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Think we will struggle to keep hold of the big two out of contractors, Weso's performances will not have gone unnoticed higher up the wage paying food chain and Grounds will always appeal as a natural left footer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I'd be more concerned if we had finished in the top 10 every year. However the players he will be talking about must have been here longer than a year and always seem to be fighting relegation so if they wat to go, let them go. Some Oldham fans get so attached to average league 1 players and then beg for success. I tend to agree but, look at it as us securing some continuity rather than securing the players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_bro Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 LJ said a few weeks back that Wes had been offered a new deal. He hasn't agreed to it yet, so he is obviously keeping his options open, and waiting to see if we avoid the drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I think Wes will sign and we'll maybe lose Grounds. Certainly think we need to secure Lockwood and Wilson for next season. Offer Harkins whatever we can to put pen to paper and try and hope Tranny go down so we can sign Ryan Lowe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shefflatic Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 whatever we get for MR, offer St Mirren £100k for Harkins - worth every (Dave) penney. Ironic thing is he is not a winger yet he has a little pace to suddenly bamboozle players, would prefer him central and Dayton out left as that is his position, but Harkins offers that unpredictability to go other side and has the bit more time on the ball than he wold maybe get in the middle where it is congested Harkins and Wes massive priorities, Grounds good but lets his good bits down with his passing, invariably very poor, but defensively very solid All depends on Harkins i think - if we sign him then it encourages others as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Grounds is decent but his not so good spells last longer than I'd look for in a top player. Wes is a leader who I'd be gutted to see leave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmer1 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 (edited) I tend to agree but, look at it as us securing some continuity rather than securing the players.That's exactly how I would look at it and that's a good thing. My worry is that we have seen that many average players come through this club that people can't see the difference between a good player and someone who consistently works hard and puts in a shift like Wes. That's not to say that Wes is a bad player ( he is another that many on this board where crying out for him to be shipped out 18 or so months ago) Some can't see the difference between a poor player and poor form ala Korey Smith. If they don't sign then OK, if they do then OK. I trust LJ for next year. I'm just sick of the mediocrity at this club and the fact that some of that mediocrity have bee referred to as legends by some in the past. I would like to see Harkins here next year although if under contract it may be unlikey. He is talented and exciting and hopefully Oldham is a fit for him like when Ritchie joined from Leeds, but you also have to wonder if he is as good as he has shown. Why Oldham in league 1. Why so mediocre under contract elsewhere? As I said hopefully he signs and its just the right fit for both Edited April 8, 2014 by palmer1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mighty_bosh Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I agree about Grounds' passing to an extent. He seems a lot better on the ball in central defence than at left back, although he has a decent cross on him at LB. The thing that I think is overlooked by many when discussing Grounds is his defensive ability. Compare playing Grounds at left back to Mellor when it comes to defending a winger, I know who I'd rather try to beat one-on-one. Grounds' positioning is considerably better than the majority of left backs we've had recently (Simon Charlton being the only one on par with him). If they don't sign then OK, if they do then OK. I trust LJ for next year. Great post by the way, the only thing I slightly disagree with is the bit in bold. Johnson has made the odd great signing and I'm impressed with the way he's developed some of the players this year (Tarky and JCH most obviously, Oxley too indirectly) but he can't afford to make as many long contract failures as he has this season. I'd rather give him the chance to learn from his mistakes than another new manager but he still has a lot to prove in the summer window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forte_Baby Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 May have not had the best of seasons Grounds but like him to Sign a new deal along with Wes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChaddySmoker Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 5 priorities for me; Korey, JCH, Harkins, Philli and Grounds I like our 2 centre backs and Chubs in goal-the rest I aint bothered about really-can replace all with better! I also am sick of mediocre players! We need better for next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I said a few months ago that LJ's priority for me in the transfer market was securing Wes and Grounds on long-term deals, so obviously I would like to keep both of them. If I could only keep one, I'd chose Grounds, not because he is the better player, but because I think he is harder to replace compared to Wes. Last season I struggled to think of a better LB in this league than Grounds, and he was my choice for POTS. Also, whilst his performances haven't been as good this season, probably as a result of changing from playing CB to LB regularly, he is still a very good LB for this league. Yes there is Mills, but we won't be the only club trying to sign him, and Burnley don't have to let him go, even if it is just on loan, although I expect he will play quite a few games for someone other than Burnley next season, and if he isn't going to be on loan, I'd expect us to have to pay him more than we would Grounds. Wes, however, is someone who I think is more easily replaced, especially as Wes probably makes more money than Grounds, and I think there are more readily available players in CM than LB. Especially, as whilst not ideal I think there are more PL youngsters of good enough quality who will be available for loans. However, the issue could be us keeping Korey Smith, as whilst he is our highest earner and him leaving will free up salary for Wes and Grounds it will become more important that we keep Wes for continuity. As if Korey goes it means that we need to keep Wes so it doesn't mean we are looking for 2 CM regulars before the transfer window shuts, because whilst our current back-ups are good enough for cover I wouldn't want our first choice CM pairing in August to be made up of any combination of Winchester, Mellor, Rodgers and Gossett, some of whom I expect to leave in June anyway. As to who LJ refers to in the article, I expect to see Kusunga and McDonald leave and probably Rodgers too. As whilst I don't think any of them are bad players, in fact more the opposite, but I think they have been bad value for money. Due to what they have brought to the team, as a result mainly of injuries, compared to the wages I'd guess they are on and the availability of replacements. I also wouldn't be surprised to see us sell Korey Smith too, especially if the Richards transfer saga proves to be a prolonged one. Then again this time last season, I expected us to keep more players than we did, and the order which we let them go wasn't the order I'd have done it too, and that was with a well placed source within the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 5 priorities for me; Korey, JCH, Harkins, Philli and Grounds I like our 2 centre backs and Chubs in goal-the rest I aint bothered about really-can replace all with better! I also am sick of mediocre players! We need better for next season. JCH has another year to go, as does Korey and Philliskirk and whilst one or all of them may leave we would expect a fee for any of them.We would in all likelihood need to spend money to get Harkins back because he is under contract at St. Mirren until 2015 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latics_Fanatic Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 St Mirren may simply want rid of Harkins and may let him go for free, as we did with Rooney. I can see him attracting attention of other managers in our league though, who may be willing to pay him more than we can do. Depends on the players priorities, he hopefully genuinely likes playing here and being here, meaning he'll commit to the long-term project and vision LJ speaks of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngen Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Nobody arsed about Worrall siging then? Think hes become a much better player in recent weeks, and is the best deliverer of a ball. If JCH keeps his current curve of improvement with his box positioning and heading up, Worrall could be an asset next season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latics_Fanatic Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Nobody arsed about Worrall siging then? Think hes become a much better player in recent weeks, and is the best deliverer of a ball. If JCH keeps his current curve of improvement with his box positioning and heading up, Worrall could be an asset next season Evans said that he would be back at Rotherham in and past summer. Although, if they go up, he will probably be surplus to requirements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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