Latics boss: Some show lack of game intelligence
OLDHAM head coach Dino Maamria admits that some of his squad are currently playing ‘without any consequences’ after they were beaten 6-1 by Mansfield on Saturday.
The Latics boss was left frustrated with his side’s performance after two first-half red cards, a Nicky Maynard hat trick and three second-half goals provided their heaviest defeat of the season so far.
“I’m disappointed with that minute before half-time. I was screaming from the sideline keep your shape and keep it tight,” said the Tunisian following the result.
“We give the ball away in silly areas and again I think some of our players have a lack of game intelligence and lack of understanding.
“We’ve got a lot of players that they’re just happy-go players. They’re just playing without any consequences like they’re playing with their mates in the park.”
Despite the performance on the pitch, Maamria was also quick to show his appreciation for the impressive away following at the One Call Stadium, with over 400 Latics fans making the trip to Nottinghamshire.
He said: “They inspire me. I promise them that I’ll get them a team they can be proud of.
“I promise them I’ll get them a team that are fighters, play on the front foot and stand up and be counted during adversity.
“We need to start building to get them that team they deserve because they were absolutely outstanding and you see throughout the 95-100 minutes we play, they back the team.
“I want to thank those fans because they keep turning up in numbers and some of us have to got to stand up and be counted.”
Oldham face Macclesfield Town at Boundary Park on Saturday. UNITED are braced for a testing January transfer window as they look to strengthen their squad as part of a long-term rebuild.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has outlined his intention to recruit a forward in the New Year but highlevel club sources have told the M.E.N. that January is a ‘difficult market’ to conclude business in.
United annually maintain they are open to activity in the January market if the right players are available, though pressure to recruit in the winter has intensified following their failure to replace midfielder Ander Herrera or goalscorer Romelu Lukaku in the summer.
Senior United sources previously viewed January as a market ‘driven by the desperation of the buyer more than the motivation of the seller,’ but United have mustered a measly five goals in their last seven league matches and Solskjaer has secured only five wins from the last 23.
United are two points above the relegation zone but also five points adrift of the final Champions League qualifying place. The club posted record revenues of £627.1million last month and the
M.E.N. recently revealed United are targeting a minimum of four signings in 2020.
Solskjaer passed on the chance to sign Juventus outcast Mario Mandzukic, 33, or free agent Fernando Llorente, 34, before he joined Napoli in the summer but the United manager is eager to enhance an impotent attack.
Solskjaer recommended Red Bull Leipzig striker Erling Haaland, 19, to United when he was manager of Molde last year.
“Of course, we let Alexis and Romelu go,” Solskjaer said.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that it’s [a] forward that, next time, we’re going to recruit – we’re looking for some creativity and goals.”
United held a recruitment meeting at the start of September to commence plans for recruitment next year. The club operated via a one-at-a-time strategy in the summer and spent well over a month finalising separate deals for Aaron WanBissaka and Harry Maguire, which partly contributed to their inability to acquire two more priority targets. Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, 19, and Leicester playmaker James Maddison, 22, both interest United but a January move for either is unforeseeable. Mandzukic has not played a single minute for Juventus this season and was excluded from their Champions League squad.
The Croatian has been linked with a move to the United States or Qatar and is the antithesis of Solskjaer’s preference for young and British options. Samuel Luckhurst