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BOUNDARY BULLET-zine

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Today's Edition for

          24th August 1999 

Today's Headlines

 Michael Yarwood of the Oldham Evening Chronicle writes, IRISH call-ups for Gary Kelly and David Miskelly are threatening to add a goalkeeping crisis to Athletic's early-season troubles. The club's only senior stoppers could both be in international action over the first weekend in September, when Athletic face a daunting trip to Gillingham. Miskelly has been included in Northern Ireland's squad to play Turkey and Germany in Euro 2000 under-21 qualifying matches. The talented youngster, whose 20th birthday coincides with the first of those games, a week on Friday, was in the team which beat France 3-1 seven days ago. Meanwhile, Kelly is on standby for Eire's games against Yugoslavia, Croatia and Malta. If he is drafted in, Athletic will either have to call on 18 year old John Mohan, who usually plays in the youth team, or take a keeper on loan. But, as the minimum loan spell is a month, they would have the burden of paying four weeks' wages for a man they only need for 90 minutes. Neither could they apply to have the match postponed. At least three players must be involved in international calls for the rule to be activated. Meanwhile, new signing Jordan Tait could make his Athletic debut in tonight's Worthington Cup first round, second leg against Stockport at Boundary Park (7.45). The former Newcastle full-back is in an 19 strong squad which will be trying to recover from a 2-O deficit. Skipper Lee Duxbury is definitely out after spending the last week ill with tonsillitis and a stomach bug. ATHLETIC (from): Kelly, S McNiven, McLean, Holt, Garnett, Swan, Tait, Rickers, Adams, Innes, Salt, Sheridan, D McNiven, Allott, Beavers, Sugden, Tipton, Miskelly. First division Stockport have injury doubts over midfield man Tony Dinning, fullback Sean Connelly and goal-keeper Carlo Nash. If Nash is ruled out, former Athletic keeper Ian Gray will step in. They will replace unfit striker Aaron Wilbraham with Frenchman Laurent D'Jaffo, signed last week from Bury for £100,000. HISTORY in the making? DEFEAT by Stockport tonight would condemn Athletic to the worst start in the club's history. Athletic have never before lost their first five competitive games. Only once, in 1942-43, have they previously recorded five games and five defeats. But competitive football had been suspended because of the war, so matches in the Football League North don't count for official purposes. They equalled the record of four games set in 1996-97, 1979-80 and 1960-61 - against Burnley on Saturday.Athletic have already set a new mark for the longest goalless run at the start of a season, which previously stood at two games.Match Preview JORDAN TAIT has made a regular starting spot his number-one target after three years of frustration at Newcastle. The full-back, signed on a two-year contract after a successful trial period, turns 20 next month but has still to make his league debut. At St James' Park, Tait found himself stuck at the back of a long queue boasting some illustrious names. Now, with the chance to break through at a lower level, he intends to waste no time in cementing a place in Athletics' first team. "I know it's quite late to be looking for a debut, but I was in the same situation as a lot of other lads," said Tait. "If I had been at another club I'm sure it would have been different. I was a regular in Newcastle's reserves towards the end of last season and I was playing with people like Stuart Pearce, John Barnes, Andreas Andersson and Alessandro Pistone. "There were a lot of expensive players around and that made it difficult to come through. "If you were playing well in the youth team and deserved to go into the reserves, you might not get in because there was a £4million player in the way. "Now that I've come here, I can push for a first-team place. And I'd like to get a good few games in before the end of the season. "I know I have to prove myself and I certainly don't expect to go straight in. But, because there isn't the money to spend on bringing in many players I hope to establish myself quite soon." Tait was with Newcastle from the age of 14 and, after leaving school, spent three years looking in vain for his big break. He had three managers in that time -and they don't come much bigger than Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit. Tait revealed that the three international superstars ran the club with vastly differing styles. He recalled: "Kevin Keegan was all-out attack and that was clear to everyone. "When he left and Kenny Dalglish came in, it was an easy changeover because he made sure he talked to everyone and made them feel important. "He tried to keep the attacking side going but, right through the club, he wanted things tightened up at the back. "Ruud Gullit was different. He didn't work much with the young lads because no-one but the first team really mattered." It was Dalglish who had the biggest impact on Tait, helping him to add versatility to his fledgling game. Dalglish even devised a special training-ground routine for Tait and Aaron Hughes, who has since graduated to the Premiership. "I'm naturally right-footed, but Kenny made me play every single day with my left," Tait explained. "He had us pinging 40-yard passes and it made a big difference. Now I can play right-back and left-back equally well." After Gullit released Tait during the summer, he joined Hartlepool for pre-season training and had soon agreed a deal. Hartlepool manager Chris Turner then discovered that he had to call off the signing because financing it would be tougher than expected. So Turner contacted Athletic counterpart Andy Ritchie, who was equally keen to add more youthful potential to his ranks. Ritchie was quick to make his move and, having compared Tait's pace, poise and passing to that of Denis Irwin, clearly expects big things of his latest young gun. DEPENDING on your viewpoint, Andy Ritchie has so far been either brave or impatient in his attempts to solve Athletic's goalscoring crisis. Four games into the season, he has already used NINE different strike combinations, including two occasions when he has opted for a three-man attack. Shaun Garnett's foray up front for the final few minutes against Bumley on Saturday would make it 10, but it is fairer to concentrate on specialist forwards only.Of those, six have so far been tried without goalscoring success. On-loan Junior Agogo has returned to Sheffield Wednesday after failing to live up to his early promise, but the remaining five Mark Allott, Matthew Tipton, Paul Beavers, Ryan Sugden and David McNiven - remain in contention for places. At this stage, regardless of whether Athletic start finding the net in the next few games, Steve Whitehall looks certain to go straight into the side once he has fully recovered from his ankle surgery.

In the meantime, Ritchie continues to search for the right blend among players who, with the exception of Beavers. know each other's games from their experience in the reserves and youth teams. The current drought is nothing new for Athletic as Ritchies predecessors, Graeme Sharp and Neil Warnock. found the well was similarly dry. Almost without exception. successful teams score at least one and a half goals per game over the course of the season. But Athletic have failed to do so since the Premiership Great Escape of 1992-93, when they hit 43 in 21 home games alone.

Although it is unjust to compare the present situation with that of seven years ago the harsh fact is that Athletic three in one game back on January against Blackpool. How ironic - not to mention infuriating for the man himself - that the current manager was one of the club's great centre-forwards.

 Teamtalk Oldham
Boss to make changes
Andy Ritchie has promised to ring the changes for tonight's Cup tie with Stockport with youngster Iain Swan and new boy Jordan Tait included.The Latics are 2-0 down from the first leg but Ritchie has insisted: "The tie is along way from being over.
"We have to get at least three goals to get through but I honestly believe that we can do it. "I plan to use the game to try out a few different options and will be looking to give a couple of the lads that haven't had a chance yet, the opportunity to show what they can do. "I can't see Stockport coming to attack us, so the ball will be in our court." Andy Ritchie has named an 18 man squad and it is likely that David Miskelly will make his Worthington Cup debut whilst Iain Swan, Phil Salt and Ryan Sugden are all likely to make their first starts of the season, with Gary Kelly and John Sheridan likely to drop to the bench.
Kelly's dig
Gary Kelly has had a dig at his shot-shy teammates warning that the Latics are in for another disappointing season if they don't get their act together. Kelly explained: "At the moment, there is no passion or commitment and those are two vital ingredients if we are to turn things around. "There are players at the club who could play at a higher level, but they will have to start performing otherwise they are going nowhere. "The goals themselves will come, but only if we dig in and start believing in ourselves.
"We've only conceded four in three league matches but no goals at the other end speaks for itself."
 Contributions and letters should be sent to Gary Davies by e-mail at [email protected]The views expressed on this e-zine are not the views of Oldham Athletic F.C. nor necessarily the views of the EditorAny complaints will be dealt with swiftlyThe editor will not publish any letters containing bad languageThis e-zine is written using Microsoft Outlook Express
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