John Sheridan’s return to Oldham, or should we say latest return to Oldham, is clearly more important than any of his previous spells in the dugout.
The Latics are on the brink of relegation to the National League, a fall which they may not recover from. The return of the 57-year-old, who made 163 appearances for the club as a player, is owner Abdallah Lemsagam’s last throw of the dice.
Sat seven points adrift of safety, this will be the biggest challenge John Sheridan has ever undertaken as an Oldham manager. In two previous stints, the Republic of Ireland international was able to turn around the club’s flagging campaigns to avoid relegation from League One, but even he admits, this time the odds are stacked even more firmly against him.
With that in mind, here are four reasons Shezzurrection 3.0 could happen, and two reasons why it may not:
Shezzurrection 3.0 – it’s going to happen
An experienced head
Selim Benachour’s time as interim Oldham manager was unsuccessful, there is no other way to put it (without using words not allowed by this website’s editor). The youth coach stepped up to take on the role with the best intentions but it was apparent pretty quickly that he was out of his depth.
Coming into a situation like this for John Sheridan is his bread and butter, in fact, he probably prefers it (although he may not admit it) because there is no pressure and the only way is up. His experience will be very clear to the players and this should have a positive effect on all concerned.
He’ll know that confidence is the biggest thing he can give the group and if he can get a couple of wins early in his tenure, then these things can pick up a momentum of their own. If he can get the Latics rolling, then they could be pretty hard to stop.
It’s who you know, not what you know
John Sheridan is a respected name within football circles regardless of the struggles he had in his last couple of jobs. He knows people from all walks of the game and has already received calls from agents, friends and coaches offering their assistance. These connections are exactly what Selim Benachour lacked, through no fault of his own, and could be hugely beneficial in making sure Oldham secure players able to help them get out of their current situation.
Tommy Wright has already been appointed to the coaching staff and it is now a case of working the phones to find the kind of players capable of helping this founding member of the Premier League avoid the ignominy of being the first such side to be relegated from the Football League.
Instil some fighting spirit
Everybody knows how John Sheridan feels about Oldham Athletic. He said himself it was a ‘no brainer’ to return when he got the call following their lacklustre defeat at Harrogate last weekend. This is a man who offered to do the job without being paid. He will not accept players just turning up to collect their wages but will demand they fight for the shirt.
When the players walked off at Harrogate, they were met by some pretty angry Latics fans and rightly so. The performance was awful and the home side made light work of an Oldham side stuck firmly to the bottom of League Two. These players need to understand what this club means to its supporters and there is no better man to do that than John Sheridan. He’ll need to instil a fighting spirit into a squad that has, so far, lacked any sign of it. Nicky Adams is the kind of player who gets it but it will need to be drilled into each and every player who takes to the pitch if Oldham are to get out of the trouble they find themselves in.
Sheridan said it himself, the fight the Latics showed to come back to draw 5-5 with league leaders Forest Green is what they now need to demonstrate in the remaining 21 matches – each and everyone a cup final for this team.
Tactical consistency
Keith Curle had many issues to contend with during his spell at Oldham boss but the one thing he never addressed was his side’s inability to effectively play a 3-5-2 system. It did not suit the players available to him and he was not flexible or willing enough to change it. Shezza knows he needs to find a formation that best utilises the people he already has in the squad, he then needs to stick with it.
Selim Benachour’s preference for a 4-2-3-1 was more progressive but certainly no more effective. Whatever system John Sheridan settles on, it needs to be simple and get results. Players lacking confidence do not need to try and adapt to over complicated tactical instructions, especially not in a League Two dogfight, a point Shezza knows all too well.
Shezza and Nicky Adams in training
Not this time Shezza
Meet Mr Embargo
With all the excitement around John Sheridan’s return, it is easy to forget that the Latics are still subject to an embargo as part of the monitored loan agreement. This means they are limited as to how much a player can earn, how many players they can have in their squad and loan players may only join so long as no fee is involved.
This makes things a lot more difficult. It’s not easy to calculate but most people agree there is only one slot open under the current rules for Oldham to register a new player. If Harry Vaughan and Benny Couto leave as many rumours suggest, then more options become available but with very little time left in the January transfer window, this embargo could really scupper any offers of help Sheridan may get from his contacts in the game. The embargo makes an already difficult situation worse and baring paying up players no longer required, there is little hope of moving on the deadwood to bring in some fresh faces – something that is very much needed.
You can’t win if you can’t score
In Hallam Hope, Oldham have a literal number nine, but that is not his true position and it has been blatantly obvious all season that the Latics are missing a true striker to lead the line. They have wingers and players that can drop into the hole, but without a player capable of putting the ball into the net, they are not going to get out of their current troubles.
According to The Analyst, Oldham have the joint third-worst open play xG (16.6) in League Two. They have netted just 22 goals this season, only two sides have netted fewer. This needs to change fast. If they conceded as many as they currently do (42 in 25 games) then even getting a player who can score is unlikely to make a big difference. This team need to go back to basics, be harder to beat and find a way of taking their chances when they come.
The Latics have created 113 chances and made 319 entrances into the opponent’s box according to InStat data, this is about mid-table which gives a more positive outlook, but so far it has not been enough to see them gain enough points to climb off bottom spot, let alone out of the bottom two. It is never easy to change a side’s scoring form mid-season and this will be another big ask for John Sheridan if Shezzurrection 3.0 is to become the reality all Latics fans are hoping for.
words James Richards, D3D4 Football