Barnsley vs Sheff Wed 4-2

Just looking at the team for that game. The midfield was Williams, Philips, Connell, Kane and Cadden who are still at Oakwell Upfront was Cole and Norwood. Backline of Thomas, Anderson and Kitchin. Wonder in Collins played Maël, Mc Cart and Lopata with Roberts instead of Isted with Cole and Watters or Cosgrove up top if we might get back to playing a formation that suits us better. (By the way Norwood has scored 11 times in 21 appearances for Oldham-granted in a lower league but I feel losing him was a big blow to the team morale as well as goalscoring threat)

 

I hoped Cosgrove would've sepped into Norwood's boots as a bullyboy centre forward. The only time he showed that side he ended up with a goal, so hopefully he learns to be consistent

 

Norwood has been a massive miss. Experience and nous like he has are hard to replace. He’s also got a lot of ability that he doesn’t get credit for. Cosgrove has looked raw in comparison. Shown neither the nous or ability.

 

Those of us who suggested Norwood’s loss was huge were mullered by some on here.

Genuinely, does anyone think his energy, nous and general shithousery, never mind the fact he has more ability, would not have made us more effective than Watters, Cosgrove - or Dallas, Shaw?

The back three has been decimated but the decision to let Norwood go for the sake of an extra twelve months on not that much money was equally as bad as the decision to replace last year’s defence with non-league punts and a lad from a French semi-pro league.

 

I don’t disagree about trying to keep Norwood but the defensive losses far outweigh his influence.

 

Jesus wept, are we still going on about Norwood?

I'd half understand it if we forced him out of the door, but it was the other way around.

 

Well I will hold my hands up I didn't think he would be a miss.
Well he as , but the biggest problem is the loss of Kichen Anderson and Thomas.

 

He has, and I don't think there's any disputing that. But we seem to have weekly reminders that Norwood would be an improvement on what we have now, ignoring the fact that he'd been offered a deal he couldn't refuse at Oldham and wanted to leave.

There's certainly questions over the recruitment strategy too, bringing in several strikers and then farming a couple of them out on loan. And as you say, we've been left a little short at the back too; McCart appears to be a stop gap intended to plug a Liam Kitching shaped hole until we can make a permanent transfer. Williams too, isn't a centre half.

 

100% agree , if in January a good centre half isn't brought in ,then we can have a go at the board.
By the way I agree in Nors getting a better deal at his age and the reason he left.
I didn't think it would be a problem.

 

The same old scatter gun approach has left us with umpteen strikers that obviously aren't very good. We never seem to learn.

 

You could give exactly the same argument about Kitching - and we hardly forced Mads to go either.

It is still the case that they all weakened the team, were inadequately replaced, and it would have been easy to retain Norwood. Much easier than it would have been to keep Andersen and Kitching anyway.

Another twelve months on a decent non-league salary, not even a decent league one salary, would have done it.

 

Let's hope that with the appointment of a DoF, the club don't make any more Norwood-esque fuxk-ups.

 

Its not quite the same, in the sense that both Kitching and Andersen are probably still approaching the peaks of their careers, whereas Norwood is probably past his. You could make the argument for offering a long term, lucrative contract to a couple of 25 year olds, but it's not financially prudent to be doing that with a 33 year old journeyman striker. The thing is, if the reports are true, and he's gone there on more money than he was on here, for a 3 year contract, it's a no brainer for him. You can't blame him for requesting a move. It's further proof that the game is completely knackered from top to bottom, when a club like Oldham, and the financial plight they've been through in recent years are happy to pay league 1 wages, over a long contract to a 33 year old striker, in the National League.

I reckon his personal situation probably warranted him wanting to move closer to home too.

I went on a rant the other day about ambition, and how the club are often accused of lacking it. Not throwing money at a 33 year old, league 1 at best, striker to me shows that the club has ambition beyond being a top end league 1 club. In my opinion.

 

What fvck up?

 

That certainly is an issue which needs resolving. James Norwood isn't the answer though.

 

Kitching and mads moved to a higher league. Norwood chose to leave and drop 2 leagues and hardly setting the confrance alight last time I looked. Defence has been the problem this season and missing connell for a long spell.

 

Norwood has scored 11 so far this season - and Oldham are now 10th. So not too bad after a slow start.

One of his strike partners is Nathan Sheron - son of Mike.

 

Will griggs scored 11 in less games but if we were linked with him in January I don't think people would be too keen.

 

I'm not saying he is, that ship has long since sailed now.
It was a mistake not to try to keep him though.

 

Still like to see Jalo get a run in this side, he's very different to the typical bully boy Norwood type, but that's what makes him unique, bags of pace and energy and I don't think there's too many players like him in this league, attack is probably our best form of defence with the present personnel.