United were never really at it all game and needed a slight improvement in the second half from a wretched first half to take a draw after they had conceded early thanks to Clarke Harris’ flicked header. Former Latic Jose Baxter continued his recent hot streak with a thunder bolt of a free kick but after this United never really built on gaining parity and the game ended in a fair result with neither side doing quite enough to win it.
United were unchanged from the draw at Stevenage and seemed to be going with three centre backs once again. Oldham had former Blade Connor Brown at right back but were without the injured Danny Philliskirk. United began the game slowly and lost several loose balls and this uncertainty was penalised as the visitors were quick out of the blocks and into an early lead. After both Miller and McGinn gave the ball away, the ball was transferred to the right and Rooney’s dangerous cross saw CLARKE HARRIS get in front of the centre backs and flicked home expertly with his head giving Long no chance.
United had been poor and their sluggishness continued with the forwards unable to hold the ball up and the midfield losing the early battle.
White took a nasty knock and had to be helped off and in the circumstances surely curtailed his loan spell at the Lane. Murphy came on and Hill went back to left back as United went with a more orthodox 4-4-2 formation.
United were nearly two down as after more poor play saw the ball given away Smith’s low drive was only parried by Long and Clarke Harris slammed home but fortunately for United the assistant referee’s flag came to United’s rescue.
The crowd were becoming frustrated and United were not even looking like testing the Oldham rearguard. Porter’s poor touch was becoming a feature as the ball kept bouncing back into the middle of the field but in truth Miller in an unfamiliar wide right position was no better. The midfield could not get hold of the ball and it seemed United were not able to keep it for more than one pass so poor they had been! Oldham had been sharper and looked more dangerous going forward albeit playing on the break more since they had gained the breakthrough. The half time whistle came amidst boos from the terraces as United’s desperately disappointing performance was given exactly what it deserved.
After the break United immediately showed more urgency and started to at least win the occasional loose ball and tackle. Still they were not creating much with Oxley still under employed. Indeed Oldham went the closest as Long held well from a driven free kick from Smith. Porter won an innocuous free kick after he was adjudged to have been held but it was still at least 30 yards away from goal.
It had looked as if McMahon was going to take the set play but BAXTER stepped up and hit a tremendous drilled effort which flashed into the net away from the despairing dive of Oxley. To his credit he did not celebrate wildly giving respect to his former club.
United had a sense of momentum and Collins headed wide when well positioned at a corner before McMahon wrongly opted to come inside and shoot with his wrong foot but Oxley’s spill was not capitalised on and Oldham cleared.
Still despite the growth in United’s performance, Oldham were not sitting back completely and after Long spilt a routine cross, Hill had to hoof clear. The game was evenly poised but both sides lacked quality to open each other up. Rooney was nearly in but Long saved at his feet as the crowd became restless again.
Finally changes came with the substitute Murphy being subbed being replaced by Flynn and Taylor coming on for the disappointing Miller. They had little time to make an impact with the clock winding down.
There was an additional 4 minutes of stoppage time and Baxter was close to winning it for United as his deflected effort hit the base of the post and then was scrambled behind for a corner. From the resultant corner the ball fizzed across and both Porter and Flynn were too slow to react and could not convert from close range and the ball was kicked away. United had been poor but had these late chances at the death to win it. It was Oldham who finished on the attack just before the final whistle to end a disappointing performance from the home side.
United – It was really poor today. After improvement in solidity of recent weeks in terms of defence and midfield; today was a few steps backwards. We never started and looked like they were hungover for the opening of the game! Oldham started quicker and got a well taken goal and maybe could have had another. We lost balls all over the field and then when we had it, we tossed it away at every chance. I cannot remember a chance we had all first half and it was truly abject.
We got better second half as we finally played at a pace and Baxter got on the ball. Just through showing greater urgency we had a few half chances and then Baxter scored the wonder goal. I thought we may push on after this but it never happened and the game became scrappy. McGinn and Doyle were desperately disappointing all game never having any control of midfield and we had nothing down the flanks from Murphy and/or Miller. Porter up front had a bit of mare; albeit with limited service and Baxter did well just to fashion something out of the game with a moment of brilliance. The defence did better second half as we came onto the ball more and showed some more determination and we showed a better attitude but so many times the final ball/cross/shot was wayward beyond belief. So many of our players not only lack technical ability (how many mis controls or passes were they?) but also a football brain as they have no idea how to read things, make runs or play the right kind of ball. Everything is so square and rigid with no clever runs, balls into space or interchange. No one moves positions and we look so slow and immobile relying on the perfect pass/ball which sadly never comes as the players cannot do it. Without any kind if movement off the ball allied to the awful touch and passing it was a wonder we kept it more than a few seconds. In truth it was not much more than that most of the game!
Worryingly, we did not look solid today despite the attacking shortcomings and after recent improvements defensively we looked error prone here. Long was mistake ridden throughout and outside of Maguire the rest of the defence were often at full stretch too. Both full backs gave the wingers too much space and Collins lost so many balls played into his area. You felt we may concede again when Oldham attacked but as much down to our defence as their great attacking play.
We now have a big game v Tranmere (who won again) and need a strong home performance and three points or we face being back in the bottom four as we start 2014. I cannot see us winning a run of games as we lack quality throughout and if the defence loses its solidity as it does today we are in trouble as there are no goals in this side at all (take away Baxter recently and where would we be?) and we do not look like creating anything. We must bring in attacking reinforcements in January otherwise I believe it will be touch and go if we stay up. Porter, Miller and Taylor are not good enough and the abject scoring record (one of the worst in the whole football league) tells a story. The service is poor from wide and central but our strikers do not even look like scoring (look at likes of Wilson at Coventry and Wells at Bradford and even lesser players lower down who make goals on scraps/chasing things down) We arguably have the worst collection of forward in the league and I cannot remember the last time an orthodox striker scored (Miller/Porter) in league play.
Those thinking comfortable mid table were probably given a rude awakening today as a team as poor as us in the table looked better than us for long spells. Those sort of teams are the ones we are competing for to stay up in this division and if they are fighting harder we are in trouble? I saw some saying we may threaten the play offs (after recent improvements) but today showed how far off we are even being around the middle.
Oldham – They had a few players out and still did well and I felt attacked for much of the game and did not sit back as some teams have at the Lane. They realised that the best form of defence is attack (as our defence is so poor). They scored a well taken goal and could have had a few more. They deservedly led at half time for showing such an attacking attitude. After the break United were better and got level and they easily could have sat back but did not and had as many attacks as we did. They nearly scored after Long’s error and had a few close shaves before they survived at the end after a few scrambles. They definitely deserved a point though and showed more fight for the game than many of our players who seemed to think things would just happen. They won a lot of first and second balls and looked more determined for long spells. Worrying a side that is right with us in relegation area wanted it more for a long duration of game and realised we were quite poor and attacked whenever they could.
Long 4/10 – Thought he was poor despite a few saves. One decent punch and one held free kick apart; he looked extremely hesitant. He had little chance with the goal but he dropped at least 3 crosses and spilled a few shots too that nearly led to goals and his kicking from all situations was awful. Looked a nervous wreck most of the game and whenever it went near him many home fans had their heart in their mouth sadly.
McMahon 4/10 – Not great. Some wild challenges and got in some poor positions too defensively. Too many times he lost the ball in critical situations and/or overplayed Thinks he is far better than he is bit sadly he is not even a steady lower league full back. Was at fault for the McGinn booking when he got in a bad position and led to us having to foul. Had a great chance to get a ball in second half but cut inside onto his left foot and tried a shot when a ball first time with his favourite right foot could have caused problems.
White – Not a great start to the game with some poor touches before he picked up what looked a serious injury and was taken off. With his loan spell up anyway that is the last time we will see him I expect but he was no better than what we have really.
Hill 5.5/10 – He was not great but made fewer defensive errors than many of the defence albeit with some awful passes/slices at the ball. He is a poor footballer who never hides or tries anything he cannot do. Sadly he cannot do very much! I do think defensively he does not give much away but on the ball he is clueless.
Maguire 6/10 – Our best defender but still culpable on goal as man seemed to get across him. Won his headers and tackles and tried to bring it forward when he could. Looked frustrated with complete lack of movement in front of him and this led to a few errant balls but one of few who did try and bring it out or find feet when he could.
Collins 5/10 – Slow and erratic. So many times he just kicks it out, often when he is under little pressure. Also lost a lot of headers to smaller and weaker players. Do think there is a strong argument to play Hill and Maguire at centre backs. I think he has been quite poor this season and dithers too and does not dominate as much as he should.
McGinn 4/10 – Many criticised Doyle who was not great but McGinn was even worse for me. He was at fault in many ways for the goal for giving the ball away twice in quick succession and often was playing in slow motion. His main strength is his passing but that was poor today and coupled with his lack of pace/mobility/strength it meant he offered next to nothing. Oldham won so many loose balls in the middle and then when he got on the ball the number of times he put his hand up to signal a poor ball I lost count of.
Doyle 5.5/10 – Poor as we never won many first or second balls all game until a brief spell in the 2nd half. He got better after the break but his passing, like McGinn’s, was wretched and neither offered much protection in front of the defence either as they had a lot of time and space. They gave next to no service up top and out spine from midfield and up top was pretty poor all game.
Baxter 7/10 – He did some poor things and overplayed a few times. He still carries too much weight and lacks pace/stamina but he has scored 3 in 4 and is one of the few (if the only one) who looks like scoring at all. Scored a wonder goal and had a few other half chances too. He makes things happen for all his weaknesses and is crying out for some movement/quality around him.
Porter 3/10 – Not sure how even his staunchest critics can defend that performance. He had little service which prevents him scoring even lower but he gave a show on how not to lead the line. Never got to the ball first, was behind his man, on his heels, slow and won few headers all game. He did not link, did not run the channels and the few half chances he had he made an utter rick of. He is so slow to react to chances or balls across and as bad as the service was, there were 3 or 4 crosses into a decent area (Baxter/Murphy/McMahon) where he just stood there (I watched him). The fact he was not even starting for a side a league down (Chesterfield) when on loan says it all. Sadly he is still better than the headless chicken Taylor and we have no one else. Tells a story. Needs to be replaced as it means we have no outlet or goalscoring threat (not all his fault) in a key position.
Miller 3/10 – He was no better than Porter for all the criticism I have given him above. My mates Dad says he needs 6-8 months after a serious injury to get fit which is ridiculous as we cannot wait that long for a player to get sharp/match ready. Also is he not out of contract at the end of the season. He looks so far behind the pace and although played in a wide position for long spells; he never was in the game and got hustled out of it when he had the ball. He lost the ball in the lead up to the first goal. He was that bad someone said we should put him on 2nd half (forgot he was actually playing!). Maybe those 5-6 decent games he had pre Xmas last year were a flash in the pan as before that he was a reserve at Crewe and had not scored for a full season. He has played a couple of months now and has looked really poor and been a passenger in many games.
Subs-
Murphy 3.5/10 – Never in the game at all. Impressed with him at Cambridge but today against better opposition he was never in it and looked the disappointment he has been for much of his spell. He was subbed after coming on which is the ultimate embarrassment really. He ran the ball out once and then the rest of the time he tried to come inside and just got crowded out. No threat whatsoever and cannot remember a decent cross, run or shot at all.
Taylor – Not given much time as he came on with just over 5 minutes to play. Cannot recall him touching the ball. He had that one cameo v Coventry but for a signing that cost money he has been a major disappointment and it would not be a surprise if he moved on in January as he is part of one of the poorest (check the goalscoring record) in the division that rarely looks like scoring.
Flynn – He spent much of final few minutes in a defensive position rather than attacking. Came on with limited time to go and not given a chance to really get in the game.
Manager rating – Clough 4/10 – Felt it was odd going 3 at the back at home when we needed to win and then he had to go 4-4-2 when White went off. He got lucky in some respect as we were behind and would have had to make a formation change anyway.
McGinn and Doyle offered much of the same (which was nothing) and we needed to change this area as we lost so much ball and could not keep it when we had it. He played Miller wide right for long spells which did not work and we had nothing up top but did not change it as the game coasted along in a really poor contest crying out for an injection of something; anything. We needed a lift but we made no changes to formation, to the side or the shape and it just sort of petered out.
His substitutions came too late and were at least 10-15 minutes too late. I have not been Brandy’s biggest fan but he would have made more of an impact that Flynn or Taylor for me as there were no pace on the field. He got his selection wrong at the start and also never changed it when we had chances to do that. I felt the side were slow from the start and Oldham were quicker and sharper from the beginning. We improved after the break but did not do enough to win and Clough has to say the side were not really at it today in terms of winning battles or what they did with the ball. We had very few chances all game and did not deserve to win.
Officials – Another poor set of officials. The referee seemed to book people on reactions from the players and/or the crowd and I never felt he had control. Let a lot of time wasting go and seemed to not know which side was committing the offence (gave away 2 or 3 fouls to the wrong side). All the officials let sides gain several yards on throws but then decided to penalise Hill for gaining hardly any yards at all.
Crowd – Good crowd for Boxing Day with nearly 20,000 in the Lane and a decent following of around 1,000 from Oldham. Much of the game the home crowd were frustrated with general groans and sighs at basics not being executed. There were loud boos at half time which probably were deserved for a poor performance and a few more at the end despite some improvements and a point. The fact is most United players were second to the ball and could not do the basics right (a 5 yard pass or simple piece of control) so you could understand the frustration. I felt many were quite patient considering the utter shambles in front of them. The level of football for the price many paid – Wife paid £19 - was unacceptable and was barely better than what you would see at non league level. So many times this season I have been appalled by professional footballers fail to even do the most basic of things. Today was no different. Doubt many floating fans will rush back after that sadly.