6th October 2000   

Miskelly let's in 3

ATHLETIC could find the secret of success on their own doorstep this weekend when they bid for their first league win in almost two months. In his attempt to halt the slide at Rotherham on Sunday, Andy Ritchie is weighing up a start for Phil Salt — the only Oldham-born player in the squad. Midfielder Salt has had serious injury problems, but he is now back to full fitness and won a place on the bench in Athletic's last four games. Ritchie was impressed by his showing in the reserves this week and is now set to promote the 21-year-old for his first start of the season. Salt is a player in the John Sheridan mould, a reliable passer and cool head who can keep his side ticking over. He has only managed 16 league games since joining his local club as a schoolboy, but Ritchie admitted: "There is a good chance he'll play."

The manager is playing his cards close to his chest, insisting he is "counting everyone in" before Sunday's match at Millmoor (1pm kick-off). But the player to make way for Salt could be Danny Boshell, who has been shouldering a lot of responsibility at the age of 19. Athletic's plans also revolve around Shaun Garnett following the defender's visit to a specialist. They are hoping Garnett's broken hand has healed well enough for him to play with a protective cast. But the results won't come through until tonight. Athletic haven't won since the opening day of the season, a run which has brought them just three draws from nine games. Asked whether he would settle for a point against opponents who have started well, an upbeat Ritchie declared: "I'd be a lot happier with three." David Miskelly has joined Carlo Corazzin on international duty, so giant 19-year-old Jamie Campbell provides goalkeeping cover.

ATHLETIC (from): Kelly, Lightfoot, Holt, McNiven, Garnett, Adams, Innes, Smith, Duxbury, Salt, Boshell, Dudley, Allott, Tipton, Watson, Jones, Hotte, Prenderville, Sugden, Campbell. 

Promoted Rotherham are forced to make a change in defence as centre-back Guy Branston is serving a one-match ban for picking up five bookings. His place is likely to go to Chris Beech or teenager David Artell, who is available after being banned last weekend. Manager Ronnie Moore could also recall midfield player Stuart Talbot, who has recovered from the injury which ruled him out of last Saturday's defeat against Reading

A FORMER Oldham Athletic footballer has put up for sale one of the most unusual pieces of soccer memorabilia. Left-winger Colin Whitaker was undergoing treatment at Old Trafford when Sir Matt Busby gave him the crutches he used after the Munich air disaster. The image of Sir Matt hobbling out of a German hospital, in 1958, is one of the most poignant in the history of Manchester United. The legendary Scotsman used the crutches to get back on his feet and rebuild a United team which lost eight players in the Munich air crash. Colin, who scored 29 goals in 72 league appearances for Latics, has now decided to sell the crutches and they are expected to fetch up to £1,500 when they go under the hammer on Tuesday. 

When the Chronicle tracked him down on Spain's Costa Del Sol, where he spends six months of the year, Colin (68) explained: "I was playing at Oldham in 1964 when I damaged my cartilage during a match. "The Latics physio wasn't around the following morning, so I ended up going to Old Trafford. "Oldham and United used to play golf matches and that's how I really got to know Sir Matt who, for me, was the foundation of Old Trafford. "I got up off a treatment table and started to hobble on one leg, so Sir Matt told me to take the crutches he'd used when he left hospital in Munich. I used them for about a month before putting them in my garage. "It never entered my head how important they might be until the 40th anniversary of the Munich crash, when I offered the crutches to United for a display in the club museum. Now I've decided to sell them."

The sale is being held by Phillips auctioneers, at Christleton Road, Chester. Phillips's football specialist, Mr Colin Palmer, expects the crutches to attract plenty of interest. He said: "They are an unusual item and any memorabilia connected with Manchester United and the Munich disaster tends to be very collectable." Anyone who is interested can turn up on the day or lodge a bid beforehand. For more information, call Phillips on 01244-313936. Colin played for Sheffield Wednesday, Shrewsbury Town, QPR and Rochdale, before moving in 1962 to Oldham Athletic, who were then managed by Jack Rowley. Colin recalled: "He gave me the best signing-on deal I ever got — a £10,000 house on Queensway, Rochdale." After leaving Latics in 1964, he played at Barrow and became player-manager at Stalybridge Celtic. 

BBC Sport

I think she's being a bit harsh.
Andy Ritchie's only had two years in the job and it has to remembered that:
a) it almost always takes longer than 2 years to make an impression (look at wolves, Sheffield united, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham and, dare I say it, man u to name a few - look at Joe when he first arrived)b) Andy inherited a team decimated by successive managers (sharp and Warnock)
c) the club has no money whatsoever to spend on new players without selling first (who would Katie want to sell and more importantly, who would buy them ?)

surely what is needed now is for the fans to get behind both the team and the management and try to help them out of the current situation.   the people who matter most in times like this are the players as it is down to them to stand up and be counted on the field during games, something which has clearly not been happening recently.

now that the players are having collective off days with confidence draining from them almost visibly, it is up to us, the fans, to put aside out feelings of frustration, get behind the team and try to encourage rather than discourage them.   we all know that they are capable of much better than they're currently showing.

I know it's difficult but most of us have been through it before since the (very) dark days of the old fourth division and re-election.

so come on Katie, and all you other blues out there, get behind the team and let's not call for the manager's head until he's had a good go at it.

cheers
Philip Ross of Hyde writes ... Katie,

I must say that I think most of your comments are very wide of the target here, a bit like our the Latics finishing. Don't get me wrong, I like your thoughts of change but I don't think that is going to be the answer.

Like you, I see a lot of the Latics (reserves most of the time too) and I think that we need to play players in their places more often.

To start with...Holt is not a central defender!!! Ritchie needs to either re-instate him as a FB again or even play him as a winger in a 4-4-2, with Prederville at LB.

Hotte, although very fast and effective when with two other confident defenders, just isn't good enough. Jones I like, but again his head drops too quickly. What we need in defence is experience and age. Watson, Lightfoot and Garnett would be a classic combination of this, but they need to play together, for 3 or 4 games before they work as a unit and we tighten up.

In midfield, well the Sheridan saga is becoming a mystery. So too is Paul Rickers absence. Why does an injury which needs stitches take over 3 weeks to deal with? Some even have stitches during a game and play on.

Innes and Boshell are not good enough. They both have talent, but the problem is both of them are found out when a) they play together or b) we come up against a decent midfield. Duxbury is concentrates too much on getting forward.

What we need in midfield (apart from the obviousness of Sheridan) is a composed passer. I hope Pluck (on trial from Iceland) is the answer. With him Duxbury and Rickers, I think we would be a better side. I also think that McNiven (excellent display in 2nd leg vs Huddersfield) is better as a midfielder. Whether he sits in a Sheridan position and sprays it around (like vs Huddersfield) or plays as a marauding midfielder, I don't know, but McNiven too, is NOT a CB.

Upfront, I would definitely play Dudley. Corazzin is struggling to live up to his billing, so I am a bit wary of saying he is the main man, but Allott needs a few weeks in the reserves. Tipton too has impressed me this season (not including the reserve goals this week - couldn't make it this time) as he has looked alert and very inventive. I thought he was the one of about 3 who had any pride left last Saturday. As for the fans vs Tipton, I think one or two are eating their words. I think the lad has had a rough deal, despite
the fact that he does come across as a poser.

All in all, we need Sheridan back. He helps shore up the defence and also helps out the attack. We also need a bit of confidence, luck and a tighter defence. And to have a tighter defence, Holt and McNiven are not the answer. I just Ritchie can see this and will put in place a more experienced defence and stick with it for a few games for it to gel.

That's my view. If you want to read any more of my views, then look at the match reports sections at http://Latics.cjb.net I write for this Canadian supporters web-site (from it I have had reports that my unbiased views are refreshing to read) and I put a lot into my reports. Not for the faint hearted lately!

Cheers. Ross.

By David Anderson, PA Sport

Paul McAreavey became the first Northern Ireland under-21 player to be sent off in a competitive match on a night of woe for Roy Millar's starlets. Swindon midfielder McAreavey was dismissed in the first half for two bookable offences at The Oval. However, his red card could not excuse a comprehensive defeat as the Irish were outplayed in the under-21 European Championship qualifier. Rangers striker Peter Lovenkrands did most of the damage with two goals after Kim Christiansen had netted the first. Christiansen scored after 20 minutes when Lars Jacobsen broke down the right and centred for the lanky striker to stretch out his right leg and prod the ball home past David Miskelly. McAreavey earned the first of his two cautions seven minutes later for a foul on Martin Albrechtsen.

The Danes began to turn the screw and Ciaran Toner conceded a free-kick 25 yards out. Daniel Jensen set up Dan Anton Johansen and his right-foot drive was deflected wide. Northern Ireland rallied and Richard Graham played in Gary Hamilton. The birthday boy, who was 20 today, played a dangerous ball across the goal which was turned behind for a corner by Dennis Sorensen. Sorensen came to Denmark's aid again when from the resulting corner he blocked Hamilton's shot on the turn. Northern Ireland were left with a mountain to climb when McAreavey was dismissed for a second yellow card offence for a rash challenge on Christiansen. Denmark almost capitalised on their one-man advantage straight away but Albrechtsen's shot hit team-mate Christiansen on the line.

Andy Kirk thought he had equalised just before half-time only for his effort to be ruled out for offside. Jensen sliced open the home defence to set up the third when he sent Lovenkrands racing clear on 62 minutes. He rounded Miskelly and although the Oldham goalkeeper got a hand to the ball the Dane regained possession and knocked it into the unguarded net. Miskelly then saved from Patrick Mtiliga before Denmark keeper Casper Ankergren denied Kirk with his leg. Normal service was resumed on 71 minutes when Christiansen set up Lovenkrands to net his second of the night. It might have been worse and Miskelly saved well from Sorensen before Jensen blazed over. Irish skipper Sean Friars hit the post in the dying minutes to sum up the home side's night.

Teams:

Northern Ireland Miskelly, Convery, Holmes, Toner, Dolan, Friars, R. Graham (Harkin 62), McAreevie, Kirk (Ingham 76), Hamilton, McCartney (G. McCann 58).

Subs Not Used: Kelly, Scades, Carlisle, Morrow.

Goals: McAreevie (40).

Booked: McAreevie, Dolan.

Denmark: Ankergren, L. Jacobsen, Johansen, Albrechtsen, M. Rasmussen, Sorensen (Laursen 87), Silberbauer (Heilbo 80), Mtiliga (Andreasen 71), Lovenkrands, D. Jensen, K. Christiansen.

Subs Not Used Boglund, Krause, C. Jacobsen, Augustinussen.

Booked: Sorensen.

Goals: K. Christiansen 20, Lovenkrands 62, 71.

Attendance: 1,112 

Sheffield Star

Fuming Ronnie turns up the pressure on Millers

ROTHERHAM boss Ronnie Moore today called on his shell shocked players to start building "Fortress Millmoor" against Oldham on Sunday. The Millers have already lost three games at Millmoor this season and manager Moore wants his players to stop the rot this weekend with their second home win of the season. "I want us to go out there and frighten teams to death," said Moore who has been critical of his players this week after defeats for the first team and reserves. "We need to start winning home games and letting other teams know that we mean business. It is vital that we stay in this division and we have an excellent away record at the moment but we can't rely on that.  "We have to start winning at home and the time to do it is now Slam Soccer Canada McBride could miss World Cup qualifier  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Brian McBride, a starting forward for the U.S. national team, is likely to miss the Americans' next two World Cup qualifiers because of a blood clot under his armpit. McBride, on loan to Preston North End in England's first division from Columbus of Major League Soccer, sustained a slight injury during a Sept. 23 game against Sheffield Wednesday. Weight training aggravated the injury and a clot formed under his armpit, Preston spokesman John Booth said Friday. "We don't select the U.S. team, but our understanding is that he'll be out of action for at least two months," Booth said.  The United States (2-1-1) is second in its World Cup regional semi-final qualifying group with seven points, two behind Costa Rica (3-1), three ahead of Guatemala (1-2-1) and four ahead of Barbados. Only the top two nations advance to next year's regional finals. The Americans can clinch advancement by beating Costa Rica on Wednesday at Columbus, Ohio. If they tie or lose, the probably would need a tie or win in their final qualifier of the semi-finals, at Barbados on Nov. 15. For Wednesday's game, the Americans already are missing three players who are suspended: midfielders Eddie Lewis, Claudio Reyna and Ernie Stewart. In addition, coach Bruce Arena will be starting a three-game suspension imposed by FIFA, soccer's governing body.   McBride returned to Columbus on Wednesday and doctors removed the blood clot of Thursday. Crew spokesman Jeff Wuerth said McBride is taking a blood-thinning medication and has been cleared by doctors for cardiovascular training. U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman Jim Moorhouse said USSF doctors evaluated McBride on Friday but would not comment on his condition. "Brian received an elbow to the biceps while playing for Preston and couldn't continue," Moorhouse said. "His status for next week has not been determined." McBride, 28, scored for the United States in its crucial 1-0 win over Guatemala in a World Cup qualifier on Sept. 3, his 13th goal in 45 international appearances. He missed the first two qualifiers this summer because of a fractured cheekbone. McBride scored the only goal for the U.S. team that finished last in the 1998 World Cup in Paris.