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O’Grady set to spark bidding war
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date online: 31 December 2009
CHRIS O’GRADY may be on his way out of Boundary Park after all, with Championship suitors set to move in for the striker.
The 23-year-old, on loan at high-flying Coca-Cola League Two side Rochdale until January 16, has been in hot form of late and has bagged 12 goals in 21 appearances for Keith Hill’s men.
The Dale boss has already stated publicly it is a “must” that O’Grady signs for the Spotland outfit, who are currently 14 points clear of the play-off places at the top of their division and chasing a first promotion in 40 years.
At the same time, Athletic manager Dave Penney has insisted that the player will be hauled back to the club on the expiration of his loan spell.
But that view could change if a cash deal — rather than an extension to the current loan, which Athletic won’t countenance — is made, allowing Penney to spend money elsewhere on his side.
Pawel Abbott’s imminent return to fitness along with Chris Taylor, added to a possible deal for Doncaster striker Paul Heffernan, mean that Penney has new striking options even without O’Grady — who has yet to find the net in 16 appearances for Athletic over two seasons.
A bidding war would help drive up his price tag and it is reported that Derby County, Peterborough United and Scunthorpe United have all been sufficiently impressed with the striker’s form to be interested in signing him permanently.
Athletic would prefer to do a deal sooner rather than later to capitalise on the purple patch of O’Grady, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
The club would still get a fee come the end of that deal if the former Rotherham man left for another club after being offered a renewed contract, as he is under the age of 24.
Comments
oldham Scotland:This has absolutely no bearing on how the club is run at all. Sheridan, Royle and now Penny didnt play him not the owners. Add to that McCall Knill and gannon couldnt get him to hit a barn door with a banjo it could be that he is suited to rochdales style of play and will fall on his face in the championship? IF anyone signs him
Yet more nonsense spouting from B.P. the Manager states
"we'll have a look at him "...(Chris O'Grady)the Assistant states "we've been keeping an eye on him" (Greg Fleming)
Just shows what is wrong at B.P. also we don't actually have any strikers for Saturday....unless we play half fits, and now Donny have said "No" to Heffernan. We can't blame the Chron this time !
Come in the Three Amigos - the time is up.
I couldn't agree more. I think every oldham fan has been impressed with how O'Grady has taken his chance at Spotland. Hopefully we'll get a good price if he goes, although once the suiters find out he's an oldham player, the purchase price won't be that great.
Amazing that Rochdale have not achieved promotion in 40 years. Good luck to them, from what I see they play football in the right way
I hate to say this, but Scotty I have to agree with you about all this' I have said before Chris was never given a good run out at BP I fear the same will happen to Ryan Brooks as well! If Chris wants to stay at Rochdale and who could blame him good luck to him, but lets hope DP can offer him an extension to his contract so we can retain his services.
Nothing amazing that a club with plummeting gates needs to sell when it gets the chance. Missed out on the chance of a decent fee for a player approaching the need of their contract too often in the past to risk it again.
"Come in the Three Amigos - the time is up" - Latics Observer have you been sipping the cooking sherry in the company of OLDHAM SCOTLAND.
I will again ask you and any of the other "get rid of the board" contingent, who exactly do you think will invest in Oldham Athletic if the TTA's leave ?
You only need to look at Portsmouth, to understand the dangers of over stretching the a clubs finances, and the alternatives to the TTA'a is administration, relegation, points deducted and distinct possibility of playing conference league football, within 2 seasons.
Nj33 I am not a manager, but to me the basics of formation is to play in a way that suites your best players, and especially if your a attacking side you play to your strikers strengths like Rochdale at the moment. Perhaps Mr Penny goes to spotland and get a master class from a manager who seems to know his stuff, or even Leeds. Who have all turned around their fortunes.
And to thwart your arguement they was one offs they also did it at previous clubs. Good managers always gets the best out of his team even Alex ferguson struggled at the beginning, they have never looked back since. and none of it is route one with one striker up front!
You so called latics fans amuse me!Chris ogrady is out on loan purely becuase hes no good for us, hes doing ok at a team thats successfull and are also a league BELOW us but yet u seem to forget he hasnt scored in 16 games for us. All blaming penney for this but least well get money for him i hope he goes becuase hes always been terrible for us when payed - Stump!You all want penney out yet if we win our games in hand we go into the top 10 again! not bad for a clb with next to nothing to spend.
CHRIS 'PELE' O'GRADY will no doubt go on to lift a world cup or two if you were to believe some of the comments here.Are the people here for real or what??
He is a big target man without any fancy tricks, he is no Abbott, his high goal tally has been due to the favourable partnership with Dagnall. We should get rid and get the cash now because he is going at the end of the season anyway
OldhamLatic1 - where does this "so-called Latics fans" point come from? A number of people have cast doubt on both Sheriden and Penney's managerial skills for not giving O' Grady an opportunity. How many of those 16 games you rferred to were FULL consecutive games? He has started to score because he is getting a significant runout for Rochdale and for a manager who looks to play to people's strengths not make do and mend like Penney.
mikeymate you'll be the first to moan when o'grady comes back into the setup and doesnt play well at us. Again calling penny we'll waiot and see where grady ends up, he will be awful at us like he has been previously when given a chance. QWait and see for when grwady does nothing
OldhamLatics1. O'Grady has proved he can deliver.....hence Keith Hill wanting him to stay. The problem, should he return to BP, will be to play him as he does at Rochdale. Somehow, I don't think that will happen.
Unless Latics are going to offer Ogrady a new contract and the opportunity of regular 1st team football, why should he want to come back? He is out of contract at the end of the season anyway, so better to get a few quid off Rochdale now for him, as I can't see why a championship side will want to pay good money for someone who has scored a few goals playing league 2 football for 4 months, but couldn't score at league 1 level?
Have Your Say
Amazing deemed not good enough for Oldham, never given a chance, scoring for fun for Rochdale and now championship sides after him. It justs about sums up how latics is being run, yet another own goal......CLUELESS the lot of them.
By OLDHAM SCOTLAND @ 31/12/2009 12:05:29