Latic Acid Test. Oldham Athletic - Away. Sat 15th Apr 17 @ 12.30

[Bruce Rioja]

Let's get this one up and running, good and early.

BP and I will be there.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Will someone lock LE up and lose the key until the maths works out in our favour?

[twilight]

If any of you nice people have 2 spare adult tickets please let me know? pretty please xx

[jetsetwilly]

Annoying KO time. Anyone planning to have a beer before the game? Looking like the only option at that time will be Weatherspoons. Rochdale or Oldham?

[bristol_Wanderer3]

0-2. Beevers and Wheater. Bradford win which means promotion clinched in front of 2500 salivating Bury fans, 20,000 joyous BWFC fans including me!!

[Bruce Rioja]

Annoying KO time. Anyone planning to have a beer before the game? Looking like the only option at that time will be Weatherspoons. Rochdale or Oldham?

Might come home via Rochdale and nip in The Cem for a snifter. No chance before the game though.

[Nicko58]

Is there any reason why it's a 12.30 KO?

[Bruce Rioja]

Is there any reason why it's a 12.30 KO?

I always assume (rightly or wrongly) that it's so that people have limited opportunity to get leathered first up.

[LeverEnd]

Is there any reason why it's a 12.30 KO?

I always assume (rightly or wrongly) that it's so that people have limited opportunity to get leathered first up.

I expect you're right. Trouble at the home game is probably the cause.

[TonyDomingos]

Goal Machine & Andy Taylor might be back for this according to the BN.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wa ... ion_boost/

[officer_dibble]

Good news. Play both patched up until we are secure I guess. Hopefully that gives them Saturday and Tuesday only.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Here's a thought for the discussion. IIRC, last two times Madine has started he's had to leave early (and we've gone on to win, etc etc). Now, I don't doubt the ability of Parky's staff to make the right decision, but as a theoretical, let's imagine he could probably only play one or other of Oldham or Bury. Which would you go for?

[BWFC_Insane]

Here's a thought for the discussion. IIRC, last two times Madine has started he's had to leave early (and we've gone on to win, etc etc). Now, I don't doubt the ability of Parky's staff to make the right decision, but as a theoretical, let's imagine he could probably only play one or other of Oldham or Bury. Which would you go for?

Depends on results elsewhere. If gap is closed to 4, be tempted to stick him in against Oldham. Try and ensure we get at least a point. I think that on the Oldham pitch the likes of Long will be far less effective.

If however the gap is maintained or only reduced by one point (unlikely I know) then take our chances at Oldham and play him against Bury. Likelihood in that scenario would be that beating Bury would confirm or very nearly confirm promotion.

[boltonboris]

0-2. Beevers and Wheater. Bradford win which means promotion clinched in front of 2500 salivating Bury fans, 20,000 joyous BWFC fans including me!!

You mean 700 bury fans

[boltonboris]

Here's a thought for the discussion. IIRC, last two times Madine has started he's had to leave early (and we've gone on to win, etc etc). Now, I don't doubt the ability of Parky's staff to make the right decision, but as a theoretical, let's imagine he could probably only play one or other of Oldham or Bury. Which would you go for?

Oldham certainly. They're in good form and we need to be at our absolute best

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Yeah, I understand the reasoning, makes sense. I'm just wondering if we're more likely to be able to play through-balls for Long at Oldham than at home to Bury, who might sit deep. Sitting deep means Long's less useful and you need a target man more.

Probably all hypothetical anyway. It would be incredibly ballsy of Parky to "save" him, and in truth it's not the sort of energy-sapping injury which might cause a gentle loss of effectiveness: with a f*cked shoulder you're either on, or off. (Unless it's 1970 and you're Franz Beckenbauer, or 1986 and you're Jose Luis Brown.)

[Nicko58]

Yeah, I understand the reasoning, makes sense. I'm just wondering if we're more likely to be able to play through-balls for Long at Oldham than at home to Bury, who might sit deep. Sitting deep means Long's less useful and you need a target man more.

Ordinarily it would be more likely but their pitch really isn't much more than a sandpit at the minute, and I doubt that there's much chance of anyone playing through balls on it. It would really be a bonus if Madine's fit for this one as we probably have no option but to go aerial.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah, I understand the reasoning, makes sense. I'm just wondering if we're more likely to be able to play through-balls for Long at Oldham than at home to Bury, who might sit deep. Sitting deep means Long's less useful and you need a target man more.

Probably all hypothetical anyway. It would be incredibly ballsy of Parky to "save" him, and in truth it's not the sort of energy-sapping injury which might cause a gentle loss of effectiveness: with a f*cked shoulder you're either on, or off. (Unless it's 1970 and you're Franz Beckenbauer, or 1986 and you're Jose Luis Brown.)

I'd save Taylor, as a torn calf muscle won't be helped by Oldham's pitch. And for me, Moxey is so shot, nerves wise, that asking him to play in a crucial local derby at home is a bad idea. So Taylor for the Bury game.

As you say, Madine is either fit or not. So if fit, I do think it depends on the scenario on the day.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Marc Iles collected some good quotes from Speeeeearo:

(On Oldham’s sandpit)
I don’t have any concerns. Whether it’s grass, sand or mud we have to go there and compete. And we can mix our game up. The place doesn’t hold any fear for us, we believe in ourselves.

(On Madine’s presence or absence)
Look at the lads on the bench. Gary Madine has been fantastic for us this year and I can’t take that away from him – he’s an unsung hero for us, I believe. He does a lot of the hard work up front, often on his own. But Longy is there, Max Clayton and Conor came in at Scunthorpe – and anyone who gets on that pitch knows we can play it short or long. We have got to push on and go again.
Conor has been out on loan quite a bit and done himself well, he works hard and maybe you don’t see that behind closed doors. He could have maybe got himself on the end of one or two but he’ll learn from the experience and it was a tough game to come into.

(On his own sitch)
This season has gone well for me on a personal level and as a squad we’re happy with the way it has gone. I was disappointed to get injured when I did but that’s football. I wanted to get back as quickly as possible and now I think I am getting back to those levels and pushing on. I am trying to prove a point to everyone that I’m capable of playing good football.

And Dorian Dervite, il adore les spectateurs:

It helps us on the pitch a lot – when you see how much people care and how they’ve travelled hundreds of miles and paid lots of money, it makes you want to make them happy. It motivates you as you want to reward them for their loyalty.

(On Oldham’s physicality)
Physically we are one of the strongest teams in the league and I think a few people have noticed that. We cannot let our standards slip – we have to keep that mentality in the team and also the same positive atmosphere.

[BWFC_Insane]

Pratley, Dervite, Taylor and Madine all very doubtful for this game according to Iles' latest tweet.