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Latics step up striker search
Reporter: KEITH McHUGH
Date online: 26/01/2010
ATHLETIC manager Dave Penney is striving to bolster his strike force in readiness for Saturday’s crucial League One clash with Brentford at Boundary Park.
Goal-shy Athletic have failed to score in their last two home games, a 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers Tranmere and 1-0 reverse at the hands of play-off hopefuls Millwall.
They have hit the target only 20 times in 25 league games this season and, alongside Gillingham, are the division’s lowest goalscorers.
With the transfer window closing this weekend, Athletic are desperate to bring in at least one forward following their decision to sell Chris O’Grady to League Two pacesetters Rochdale for an undisclosed fee.
Doncaster striker Paul Heffernan, who scored one goal in four games during a month’s loan at Athletic earlier in the season, heads Penney’s shopping list.
But the under-pressure boss also has other irons in the fire.
Athletic chief executive Alan Hardy said: “The manager is working at it at the moment.
“One or two players are being looked at. We can’t provide any names at the moment although we are clearly looking to strengthen the strike force.”
The sale of O’Grady is expected to provide Penney with funds with which to make a permanent signing, but money is tight at Boundary Park following several postponed matches over Christmas and New Year and dwindling attendances during the team’s recent poor run of results.
The situation could become even worse tonight should fifth-from-bottom Brighton — the team immediately above Athletic — win at bottom club Stockport.
Tranmere, four points and a place behind Athletic, entertain mid-table Yeovil, while Gillingham — two places and one point ahead of Penney’s team — go to Hartlepool.
Comments
Heffernan? 1 goal in 360 minutes last time he was at BP! Not worth the money, however little he would cost.
Just how much longer will Penney stay and draw his pay? Sack him now, you know it makes sense.
Mind, if,why have I said if? When OAFC drop to div2 ,it makes it easier for me to see away matches as we have lots of 2nd div teams in my local area.
They've just realised down at B.P. that we've got no strikers ! 6 months into this season !...yet we've sold or released Lee Hughes, Craig Davies, Chris O'Grady...and Mr Penney announced at the start of January he was looking for strikers- now with only 6 days to go - we're looking again at Heffernan when he's committed to Doncaster, why are we still bothering with yet another crock ?
Hopeless attitude from B.P. makes you wonder if they want to go down and run the club almost into oblivion ?
Any striker we sign will be expected to play for peanuts. Why cant people see Penney is the fall-guy for the owners who have zero interest in the club and just want to make their quick buck. Why didn't they pay Hughes what he wanted? Why sell O'Grady?
3 Amigos? The Judas brothers more like, they're killing the club.
Penney's been awful but let's not forget that the club has been declining for 15 years and more rapidly over the last 6. Those who appointed him and reduced the ground to three sides have to hold their hands up too.
Dont worry i have it on good authority we will be saved by the church. They have brought in a priest to say masses for them called Father Down.
Yesterday Alan Hardy stated that we only four points from mid-table, and the next three games at home to Brentford, and away to Stockport and Tranmere are all winnable, provide of course we start scoring again! Start scoring again! I thought the problem was that we haven't been scoring all season. It would appear that more than a few people are living in cloud cuckoo land at B.P. Please wake up before it is too late, and put an end to the slow painful decline of a much loved football club.
Typical Oldham disease. Its all too easy to get on the back of the players and manager at a time like this. Injuries have taken their toll this season on key players and it has been stop start all the way. Its about time so called supporters showed some faith and got behind the club as this is the only way we are gonna get out of it
So come on folks lets hear it for the THREE AMIGO's hip hip BOOOOOray!. and well said wildy and its good to see alot more are seeing them for what they are, THEY ARE NOT FOOTBALL FANS, especially not of this club anyway.
Latics Observer- In case you had not noticed a lot of the games were called off because of the weather earlier, and players will wait to see what is the best offer, hardly any signings have happened.
At least wait to see who is signed before writing them off.
Latics fans used to whinge before they got on the pitch, now they don't even bother to find out who it is.
This is the worst team to grace BP for over 20 years & previous managers have been sacked having achieved much better results including JS. Penney should be sacked without further ado before it is too late to save the club.
This is the worst team to grace BP for over 20 years & previous managers have been sacked having achieved much better results including JS. Penney should be sacked without further ado before it is too late to save the club.
Penney etc out / gregan player manager with Dux as assistant = wage bill reduced then get a decent striker and a creative midfield player.
Plead with Fergie now to let Scholesy come as player manager the guy wants to come so why not before it's too late
IVE JUST SOLVED LATICS STRIKER CONUNDRUM- SIGN ARTHUR SCARGILL.
Wildy - you're talking nonsense! The 3 Amigos have invested about £10 million in Latics over 6 years, including £3 million to buy The Lancaster Club and land in Failsworth for the new stadium. Zero interest and a quick buck!! Moreover, Hughes refused to sign a bumper new contract and O'Grady is not a League 1 striker. Get real!
wildy - All this get rid of the TTA, is becoming very tedious, but if they were to leave please tell who would takeover - at the moment there's a queue of errrrrrm NOBODY.
As for Chris O'Grady, the club had to sell him, because he was going to leave at the end of the season anyway and club couldn't afford another Chris Porter incident.
OLDHAM SCOTLAND - Despite asking you on numerous occasions, you have yet to provide me with an answer - If theTTA decide to cut there loses and pull out of the club WHO IS GOING TO TAKE OVER.
Come OS, enlightened us, which, billionaire is going to come to our rescue??
NB Gordon Brown isn't going to nationalise, the club - even if we promise not to pay bonuses !!!!!!!!!
yes and mad4it i have asked you on numerous occassions what have they done for the club, except knock down part of the ground take the land and slowly kill the club off. and what the directors have invested into the club will get back easily with the land they have taken from under the club. your answer nothing!.
I fuly agree with the watcher and blue for 30 years, the club has been in worse predicaments over the years and has come out fighting,or are the knockers too young to remember why the club earned the nickname of the Yarddogs! Lets get behind the club and hope for a better 2nd half of the season with players getting back to fitness, our luck will change .
Have Your Say
I'm sorry but Heffernan is not the answer to our problems he's just another one of Penney's mates ( 1 goal in 4 games says it all ). Get rid of Penney and bring someone in who will spend money on decent signings, leave it to Penney and he'll be bringing Ricketts back seing as Tranmere cancelled his contract.
By chaddyender @ 26/01/2010 12:10:38
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