NEILL COLLINS PREVIEWS OPENING DAY CLASH Interviews Neill Collins answered questions from the media ahead of our opening day clash with Port Vale at Oakwell on Saturday, kicking off at 3pm. Continue reading on the official site...
'We'll be without James, obviously. He's already wearing his Oldham shirt. May as well announce it here and now. Reds.'
It's crackers innit mate. Only Barnsley could throw away the bit of optimism that was building again after a few new faces arrived.
I have to say mate - and this may be an unpopular opinion and maybe I'm just a glass half full guy at my peril - but I did think with Cole, the signings of Dallas and Watters, and the upcoming youth of Jalo and Marsh (I still reckon Dyer is some way off), that we may need to offload someone. I thought the way Norwood ran the front line at Wembley was phenomenal, and his experience and graft can't be underestimated. But he is 33 in a month or so, his legs are tiring, and I didn't have particularly high hopes for him in the new campaign. I think the occasion at Wembley, and the fact we were a man down and up against it, gave him an extra spurt - he ran his blood to watter, but those legs aren't getting any younger. As I always think in these situations, we'll be reight P.s I forgot Oli Shaw!
Him anorl! I also didn't mention Cole (edited), but I meant any of the above alongside Devante. So that makes 7 strikers including ALI, Shaw, Watters, Dallas, Jalo and Marsh (8 including Norwood). It's way too many.
Yeah true. I did think there'd be more departures. Squad is bulging. I'd like a defender, central midfielder brought in. Some strikers off loaded and a younger target man brought in before end of window. Midfield looks weak without Connell and Phillips.
Nothing against Collins but the parallels between his appointment and Schopp's are uncanny. I think he'll fail but not because of his ability. The board have barbecued him already. Schopp had Iseka and Cole up front too and the team started to show a bit of pride scoring goals even in defeat. What's odds on Iseka and Cole being played together by Collins to put Iseka in shop window again? @shed131 also intimated Khaled had a say in team selection and was pilloried. Maybe he was right about that too?
I'm really glad there's no special team news or transfer business to report because it would be awful if our number 9 was on twitter in an Oldham shirt. First impressions are important and whe the first impression you give off is that you are dishonest it doesnt build a good relationship
I'm not making any accusations, just an observation. If Mr Collins is telling the truth and there is no transfer news or team news then it's all good isnt it.
Regarding Schopp he lied to the press regarding the visa situation for Iseka and Oulare. So it's easy to speculate and make assumptions of that nature about Collins based on today's events. Khaled was Chief exec then if I remember correctly.