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As results go, yesterday’s victory at promotion-chasing Sheffield United can only be hailed as one of Oldham’s greatest in recent seasons.

An injury-ravaged side, made even worse when it was confirmed that Robbie Simpson, scorer of an exquisite goal at Anfield in January and who has been a reassuring presence amongst a group of players whose average is 21, had broken his toe and would miss the trip to Bramall Lane.

While he may deny so, Oldham manager Paul Dickov would board the coach for the trip over the Pennines with an uneasy feeling. Pondering how best to avoid a repeat showing and result such as the one in Oldham’s previous away match – a 5-0 loss to MK Dons – all Dickov could do is produce words of encouragement.

At half-time, the brittle away side were 2-0 down. Against a side who boasted a phenomenal home record – the best in League One – the omens bore stark similarities to the ones present at the MK Arena.

A midweek draw at home to Colchester felt like two points dropped, although it added some momentum after victory against Tranmere three days earlier. Four points from those two home encounters meant Oldham had done the important thing and secured points before this tough trip to Sheffield. However, the next 45 minutes could potentially define Oldham’s season. After weathering some early second-half pressure, in which United hit the post, Dickov’s young flipped the entire match on its head, and set about securing their best league result this season.

A quick-fire double, sandwiched in-between United’s Matthew Lowton being sent off, had Latics level, and unimaginably in control of a match that looked doomed at the interval. The match then turned into an attacking melee; both sides, to each of their credit, looked only for a winner. Danny Wilson, United’s manager, even threw on strikers Will Hoskins and James Beattie with five minutes to play.

But right at the death, Latics snatched a memorable winner, as United completely lost all discipline. Rueben Reid, making his first appearance since September, had only the keeper to beat when he was pulled back by Harry Maguire. Maguire was given a straight red and Oldham was awarded a penalty in what had turned into total chaos for United. Shefki Kuqi sent Simonsen the wrong way and gave the Latics a last-gasp victory.

Such character when all seemed lost is something Dickov has to take a lot of credit for. While the Scot has his faults and has made errors, his belief in his young stars has produced a confidence that they can compete, no matter the opposition. Having been totally outplayed against MK Dons, his players have once again responded in the most positive way. Seven points from three matches has moved Oldham away from the grasp of the bottom four teams, and now with two more home matches in the next seven days they can propel themselves into the top half of League One, but results will be secured only if the application is correct.

Should they perform like they did in the second-half on Saturday it is difficult to see how Scunthorpe or Yeovil, who are both undergoing resurgence in form and results, will cope.

The rest of March, with its incredibly stamina-testing schedule, consists of some difficult fixtures, but none more so than Sheffield United. Oldham has done the hardest job, but their next task is to follow up this terrific result with victory on Tuesday.

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My bet is that by the end of the month, the league, excluding the top five, will look very different to what it does now. If Dickov’s side can take the pace and gain momentum as the month wears on there is still the chance of a late assault on the Play-offs. It’s as likely as Charlton surrendering the title, but as long as the maths is possible there is always a flicker of hope.

By Oldham Athletic blogger Craig Worswick

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Victory in the recent Copa America tournament saw Uruguay return to the stage as a footballing superpower. Their spirited brand of football, characterized by high energy and fearlessness saw them take on the nations of arguably the strongest footballing region in the world and win.

Spirit is riding high in Montevideo, after their impressive fourth place showing at last summers World Cup, the little giants of the footballing world, were even more impressive in the Copa America, thus propelling themselves to fifth in the world rankings and making them the dark horses for the 2014 World Cup in Rio.

Since the good times prior to the 1950‘s, Uruguay have been condemned to mediocrity. It has been a bitter blow to take with their proud sporting history, but hardly surprising for a nation of little over 3.5 million people. You simply cannot expect a nation that small to keep producing quality year after year.

The resurgence in the past few years has to be credited to head coach Oscar Tabarez, the veteran who has brought the good times back to Uruguay. The transition began in the 2007 Copa America where they narrowly missed out on the final through a penalty shoot-out. Tabarez pondered how in such a small nation, it was possible for them to keep hold of their talents and their identity on the world stage. His tactic was to change their game plan to match the weaknesses and strengths of their opponents and this adaptability has certainly paid off.

He installed a high team spirit, which is unrivalled by teams littered with star names and individuals. Tabarez used every player in his squad during the Copa America, making every player feel important and part of the cause, and his side responded to this brilliantly. Uruguay play and win as a team. This team spirit is only set to increase as the side will spend a month together at next years Olympics and in the Confederations Cup in 2013.

They are strong throughout the side, with young keeper Fernando Muslera commanding at the back, and players like Diego Lugano and Alvaro Pereira providing experience and quality. Players like Diego Forlan and Lugano aren’t getting any younger though, but that shouldn’t worry Uruguay, as they seem to have a wealth of riches at the present time.

They have Edinson Cavani, who was injured during this tournament, to come into the side and bolster their strong attack. Their under-17 and under-20 squads have also done well at recent tournaments, Uruguay seem to have a conveyor belt of young players moving to the senior side. Sebastian Coates looks like he could ultimately be Lugano’s successor, while playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro, and striker Abel Hernandez would fit comfortably into a Uruguay side in the future. Tabarez again has to be given credit here, as  he was the one that came up with the project to identify technically gifted youngsters and develop them through the country’s youth sides. Recent results show that they are heading in the right direction, and if they continue to produce exceptional talent of the class of Luis Suarez then they will continue to punch above their weight on the world stage.

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Tabarez has instilled balance, team spirit and a hard working nature to this Uruguay side and if he can keep the main core of this golden generation together then they will certainly be a side to be feared over the next few years.

Let me know your thoughts on this golden era for Uruguay, comment below or follow me on Twitter @LaurenRutter

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Kenny Dalglish’s Anfield homecoming was heralded as the ‘Return of the King’.

18 months later and Liverpool’s diminished ambitions have led to the demise their former hero.

The Scot may have won a trophy this year but after a serious dip in league form and a string of questionable transfers it was inevitable the Anfield hierarchy would eventually lose patience with his ever darkening fairytale return.

Given their current decline, should Liverpool prepare for an era playing second fiddle to the Premier League’s powerhouses?

For a club with so many past glories it seems unthinkable that Liverpool wouldn’t be able to compete with the best teams in the league.

“5 European Cups and 18 Leagues, that’s what we call history” they sing with pride. Truth is that’s all it is now, history.

Belief from the fans is still there but how far can the next manager take them considering the ever increasing gap between the Reds and top sides?

Liverpool ended the season in 8th place with their worst points tally for over 50 years. To their dismay they even finished behind their old enemy Everton and lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup final. In the end their League Cup triumph was the only highpoint of a season that raised serious question marks over their ability to compete at the highest level.

Strangely had they won the FA Cup it may have been regarded as a decent season, Dalglish may even still be in charge but it would’ve only papered over the cracks.

There were a number of factors that plagued them during the season. Their big name signings didn’t work out, the manager seemed out of his depth tactically and the fans expected more than the team could deliver.

With that in mind it’s easy to see why Liverpool underachieved so badly but of course hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Some of their transfers seemed astute at the time. Effectively swapping an out of form Fernando Torres for Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez appeared to be an excellent deal.

In contrast they also spent roughly £70 million on a home grown combination of Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson. No one can ever predict how successful a transfer will be but are the North East’s finest really worth that kind of money?

Unsuccessful deals like these coupled with so many disappointing results have ultimately led to Dalglish being sacked.

Still there is some hope. Should Liverpool’s new manager blend their talent into a more cohesive unit then their results may well improve, especially if he is given the same financial backing that Dalglish received. With the players at his disposal there would be no reason why they couldn’t challenge the top 4 teams.

Newcastle proved this season what can be achieved with a small budget and a few choice signings. They may have overachieved but if they can gain success when they’re not considered as one of the league’s elite clubs then why can’t Liverpool?

Consistency is key because the Premier League is so competitive that anyone can win on their day. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham suffered major blips during an unpredictable season while Newcastle simply beat the teams that were put in front of them. They weren’t as strong as the rest but they pushed them all the way deserved their 5th place finish.

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There’s definitely potential for Liverpool even if their misfiring home form has seen them become more comfortable playing away from Anfield. Their struggling players may have found it easier because the home crowd expectation became too much for them but confidence can quickly change. A new manager with fresh ideas could reinvigorate the whole club.

Ultimately this summer could have a major say in Liverpool‘s future.

If it’s time for a change then the new manager should be backed heavily. Dalglish may not have used his money wisely but another failure to qualify for the Champions League would be so detrimental to the club’s finances that they may never recover.

Liverpool are on the cusp of ‘football limbo’. Not as quite good the top teams but clearly bigger than the mid table group.

Miss out on Europe’s top prize again and they could be walking alone for very long time.

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The captain of your team should be reserved for the most influential player in your side. He should be the one player who can rally the team in times of crisis and show great leadership on the pitch. Usually, these players would be one of the more senior members of the side who had greater experience than that of their peers. However, the recent spate of Premier League captains has put paid this traditionalist notion of what a captain should be and exposed the captain’s armband as little more than a title.

All of the other duties commonly associated with the captain’s role have been perpetuated by the iconic images of captains such as Bobby Moore and Roy Keane who have epitomised the leadership that we so readily associate with the captain position. But these days, the captain is used more as a political tool rather than a position of any real responsibility.

For example, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini decided to strip Kolo Toure of the captain’s armband at the beginning of the season and hand it to Carlos Tevez. This is in spite of the fact that Tevez had previously been vocal in his criticism of Mancini in relation to his training methods. Mancini’s reasoning behind his decision was a desire to see Tevez interact more with the squad and the captain’s armband would help facilitate this. Mancini’s decision is indicative of a need to pander to and massage the egos of the “top” players to ensure that they perform to the best of their ability by giving them an illusion of responsibility that they haven’t earned.

Captaincy can be also used as a means to instil confidence in a player that has otherwise been lacking. Arsene Wenger did this with Manuel Almunia when he handed the error-prone goalkeeper the armband in Cesc Fabregas’ absence. On paper, Alumunia doesn’t instantly strike me as captain material. He isn’t renowned for his communication skills as evidenced by the amount of goals Arsenal concede through set-pieces and crosses into the box and he hasn’t proved to be an authoritative leader during his time at Arsenal. While he is one of the more senior members in the Arsenal squad, the cynic in me is saying that Wenger’s decision to select Almunia as captain despite his lack of credentials has everything to do with increasing his goalkeeper’s confidence in the light of widespread criticism of Almunia in his time at the Emirates.

Tottenham’s pre-game build up for Saturday’s 1-1 draw against West Brom was dominated by talk about who was going to captain the side in Michael Dawson’s absence. Harry Redknapp caused a bit of a commotion when he suggested that William Gallas was in the frame to claim the captain’s role at the Hawthorns. The possibility of giving William Gallas the captaincy after only a few weeks at the club is somewhat questionable. There has not been sufficient time for Gallas to establish a sufficient rapport and understanding with his new teammates for him to lead the side effectively. Add to that the fact that his last captain’s role ended with Gallas being stripped of the armband by Arsene Wenger due to his emotional, petulant behaviour and you can see why Gallas would not be an ideal choice.

The role of the captain has become somewhat emblematic in this country. However, the image of the captain as team leader has been diluted by the individuality that is becoming increasingly pervasive in the modern game as the captain’s role is becoming a hollow honour.

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Stoke City manager Tony Pulis is expected to recall his rested stars for Saturday’s Premier League clash at Fulham.

After making 10 changes for Tuesday’s FA Cup replay victory at Cardiff, Pulis was accused of devaluing the competition, claims which he later rejected.

Only Danny Higginbotham, who lasted just nine minutes before limping off with a hamstring injury, survived from the team which beat Bolton in the Premiership last Saturday.

Danny Collins is likely to be recalled for the injured Higginbotham at left-back in the only probable change to the team which beat Bolton to lift Stoke to an impressive eighth place in the table.

“We lost at home against Fulham over the busy Christmas period and would love to get a result down there,” said assistant manager Dave Kemp.

“We got caught cold in the early stages at our place, but there is no chance of that happening at Fulham where we will be ready. The manager is meticulous in how we prepare and we will be travelling by train on Friday to avoid a long bus journey.”

Kemp confirmed Stoke had held talks with Aston Villa’s out of favour striker John Carew and were continuing to pursue several other targets as the January transfer window enters its last 10 days.

“We’ve spoken to Carew and there are a lot of other possibilities. We could also be selling one or two players because everyone has their price, but we won’t be doing that unless we can bring better players in.”

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Stoke pulled out of a six-million-pound deal for Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba last week after he failed a medical because of a knee problem but Kemp refused to rule the deal out.

“That looks dead unless we can sort out a loan and then see how he goes on.”

The focus has been on Fabio Capello’s decision to drop Theo Walcott but Adam Johnson has every reason to feel equally, if not more, disappointed with being left out of the England squad. Not only is he the only natural left winger who made to thirty man squad but his form for Manchester City as seen him move ahead of Shaun Wright- Phillips in the pecking order at Eastlands. Wasn’t good club form one of the ‘must have’ to have even to entertain having a chance of getting into one of Capello’s England’s squads?

To be fair on the Italian, he is still learning as an international manager and the jigsaw puzzle may not be as black and white when putting the picture together as he first thought when taking the job on (Gareth Barry springs to mind). But, in a squad that the fringe players have been picked on their on versatility, Johnson will feel his own has been over looked.

Brought from Middlesbrough in January where he played as a left winger for the first half of the season, he moved to the blue half of Manchester on the right wing, adapting well to life in England’s top league. This, forcing more time on the bench for his England colleague Wright- Phillips, who has since been linked with a move away from the club.

Wright- Phillips has been played on the left hand side for England it’s true but, the lack of balance that England have shown in their friendlies this year, surely the squad was crying out for a natural left winger such as Johnson? Good pace, two good feet. In addition to this his rave reports in training in the England camp and with the impressive, all be it short, introduction against Mexico.

Johnson could have romanced South Africa 2010, just as Gazza did in Italia ’90.

In the end, Johnson’s inexperience cost him and Capello has gone for Wright- Phillips who impressed earlier in the year against Egypt. Two starts against Mexico and Japan worked against Walcott who was heavily criticised by Capello in a team review of the game against the first of those two opponents

A few eye brows may be raised with Warnock’s selection ahead of Baines who played against Egypt and Mexico. Warnock though did play a bit on the left wing in his younger days and can mix it up in the centre of midfield. Joe Cole, who may have had a sleepless night on 31st May, is in there for his experience and versatility (as he proved in the Japan win when he had half a dozen different positions in forty- five minutes, including left wing) and can offer something very different as an individual and to the formation of England- which in the later stages may be needed.

The real winner though of this selection is Aaron Lennon. At twenty three, he is about to go to his second World Cup and looks set to make the right wing position his own. Unlike Walcott there has been improvement in his game for all to see this season, particularly in his final ball.

Walcott, who was convinced he had done enough to earn his place, must ask himself now what’s next in his career. In and out of the Arsenal side, where he has spent his time at the club trying to convert to a right winger, despite banging goals in for fun up front at his old club Southampton. Does he need to return back to his days up top? The way he took his goals against Croatia in qualifying proves he has the finish to match his pace. Does he need a fresh start away from Arsenal? Whatever the young man needs to do is get his confidence up for next season as his own England future concentrates now on Euro 2012.

Back to this summer though and the ‘transfer deadline day’ saga that surrounded the England twenty three man squad is over. For Capello it’s time to get some much need work done to prepare his starting eleven for 12th June. He may though look back at previous England campaign’s with a hint of jealousy over the amount of friendlies they had to prepare.

In the calendar year of 1966, England played eight friendlies before the start of the tournament. True it did start later but before England’s second most successful World Cup in 1990, they had five friendlies between 28th March and 2nd June. Times have very much changed of course with the development of the Champions League especially. The two friendlies England have had since the league season finished has more been about filling the squad up than building a team with continuity and understanding to take on the world.

The squad players, in a way you hope won’t be needed in some cases as this will mean injury to those that are first choice.

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Important though all the same but now the parade of the England twenty three is over, Capello has to rediscover the passion England had in qualifying and build the continuity and understanding in the performances. Importantly to do this he must find the right balance of the team. Find an effective role for Steven Gerrard to not only do what he is good at but makes sure it fits in with the rest of the team and as there isn’t a Adam Johnson to fly down the left wing whether its Gerrard, Joe Cole or someone else, to balance the team out down the left. Capello has got to get it right at the World Cup and, he has to get this right, first time, on 12th June.

Written By Luke Harrison

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Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing has called on the club's owners to make money available in January so that manager Gerard Houllier can sign a new striker.

The England international is concerned by the growing injury worries at Villa Park now that senior forwards John Carew and Emile Heskey are out of action.

With Gabriel Agbonlahor just back from injury himself and youngster Nathan Delfouneso their only other option, Downing believes action must be taken if Villa are to succeed in the Premier League this term.

"We've got one (experienced) striker at the moment in Gabby and he has just come back from injury," he said.

"It would be unfair to put a lot of pressure on young Nathan to manage right through the season. If you look at things, as they are at the moment, I would say we probably do need a striker.

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"But we probably need four or five players, not just a striker."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Relegation-threatened Borussia Moenchengladbach conceded a late goal in their 1-0 loss to Mainz in the Bundesliga on Friday.Lucien Favre’s men are two points from the relegation play-off spot, conceding an 87th minute goal at Mainz to deepen their troubles.

Andre Schuerrle struck from 25 yards past an outstretched Marc Andre ter Stegen to extend Mainz’s lead on fifth spot to five points.

It was the 20-year-old’s 13th goal of the season, equalling the best return for the club, which was set by Mohamed Zidan during the 2006/07 season.

The visitors’ task of getting anything out of the game was made difficult when striker Mike Hanke was sent off after picking up a second yellow card in the 53rd minute.

It was a disappointing result for Moenchengladbach after their 5-1 thrashing of Cologne last weekend.

The win ended a four-game winless run for Mainz and put them within five points of the Champions League qualification spot, although Hannover will have the chance to restore the buffer with a trip to Hamburg on Saturday.

It’s been a bugbear for many for a while now. You see, Fabio Capello just doesn’t understand. He isn’t English, he doesn’t grasp the English mentality, he doesn’t instil the fighting spirit that had previously driven our national side to decades of glory. The majority of our national sports journalists are unequivocal in the belief that the next England manager must be English – and judging by the comments of David Bernstein in the past, it seems that the FA agree.

Only, it seems that the rules are quite flexible – they are there to be bent. I was watching the Sunday Supplement on Sky at the weekend, and the selection of journalists in the studio were discussing the next England manager.

Broadsheet journalist Paul Hayward pushed for an English successor to Capello – or British. Apparently, it’s the same thing. He continued by quoting Gareth Southgate, who believes that international football should be the players and managers and supporters of one country against the players and managers and supporters of another country. Martin O’Neill was touted, as he was “effectively” English, having spent his whole life in English football (it would be pedantic of me to mention his five years as Celtic manager, or time out of the game).

Sorry to disappoint, but Martin O Neill is no more English than Fabio Capello. Maybe he understands what it takes to be an England manager more than Capello, who knows? Maybe he understands the mentality of your average England player, knows more about the passion involved, the words needed to inspire. Maybe. But then maybe Arsene Wenger does too, and he couldn’t be called upon due to his place of birth (not that he would be anyway).

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There’s no right or wrong in believing that an England manager should be English – some believe, like Southgate, that all parts of the set up should be the nationality of the country they are managing/coaching/cleaning the kits for. Southgate went as far to claim the bus driver should be English too – I would hope that comment was tongue in cheek. If that’s your view, then fair enough. It’s not mine, but each to their own. Brian Woolnough commented on the Sunday Supplement that the fans wanted an English manager – I’m not sure how he knows this, but there you go. Funny though that there seems little outcry at foreign coaches managing other England/British teams, often leading them to glory – our phenomenal track cycling team, our cricket team, our Olympic-winning rowers. Is it unacceptable for them to be coached by foreigners, or do we ignore this because they tended to be rather successful?

The fact is that England players have to be English – the manager doesn’t. So why not utilise this and get the best man for the job? That doesn’t necessarily mean throwing millions of pounds at someone, I can agree that was foolish of the FA, but it does mean you get a much greater choice. After all, the choice of English managers is pretty pitiful – if the nailed-on successor to Capello is a man with one FA Cup to his name, then don’t expect world domination to follow. This preconception that getting an Englishman back at the helm will right all the wrongs is laughable, and ignores the fact that Eriksson and Capello have the best records of all English managers since 1966. Capello might not be the answer, but if he isn’t it’s not because he was born in the north-east of Italy. Redknapp might be great at talking to people (usually through a car window), and every Sun journalist will simultaneously orgasm should he get the job, but it’s unlikely the players will perform any better. Hayward argued that the £50m thrown at the last two England managers had proved foreign managers to be a failed experiment – poppycock. The money might have been wasted, but their lack of “success” cannot be used as a reason to return to an English manager, when they have performed as well as their English predecessors (Capello rather outperforming his predecessor, Eriksson doing likewise).

The FA is right to wait until after the summer to choose a successor. The truth may be linked to them wanting a manager who is due in court on tax evasion charges on January 23rd 2012 (having just left hospital with a heart problem). It wouldn’t look good to be courting him now would it? Also, England still has a manager, and public discussions over a successor could be construed badly, though Capello has made no secret of the fact he is going, so you could argue the FA has the right to look now, which they probably are very subtly.

But English it will be. Let’s give it a go – get Redknapp in, get David Beckham as his patriotic sidekick, let’s regain our passion for the national side, let’s give youth a chance, play to our strengths, let’s use that bulldog spirit. And then let’s go out on penalties in the quarter-final as usual – because the view that England must have an English manager is a perfectly fair one, but let’s not kid ourselves that it will solve all our problems.

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Liverpool’s owners and manager Brendan Rodgers are set to come to loggerheads again, after the club announced plans to form a “technical committee” in light of the Andy Carroll debacle. The Telegraph reports.

Supporters are still fuming at the decision to let £35million signing, Carroll leave with Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini as the only options upfront.

The Reds were interested in securing a deal for Daniel Sturridge to bolster their attacking options, but were only willing to bring him in on loan whereas Chelsea were keen on a permanent deal.

But the most high-profile failure came after the club could not meet the £6million valuation which Fulham set for Clint Dempsey, resulting in the USA international joining Tottenham instead.

This new proposed committee will be set up to avoid future situations like this, advising both Rodgers and owners John W Henry and Tom Werner about all aspects of the club, including transfer dealings.

It is likely to cause even more tension between owners and management, particularly as Rodgers made it clear he wants total control over all first-team matters, but the owners have since said this so-called British model is unsustainable and costly.

The American owners want to replicate a similar kind of model that is already in place at West Brom, where Dan Ashworth has the role of sporting and technical director and is now wanted by the Football Association.

Under this new model, Rodgers will have to discuss prospective transfer targets with members of the committee, who in turn will advise the manager on the best way forward.

Ian Ayre, the current managing director is likely to hold a key role in the new set-up, along with a chief scout and an experienced football administrator.

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Liverpool fans will hope this goes some way in improving the club’s fortunes, especially as they seem a long way off from competing at the top level in the near future.

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