Scholes gives his players rest after defeat to Shakers
OLDHAM boss Paul Scholes believes his team are desperate for a break after playing four games in just 11 days.
The former United midfielder has faced a chastening time as Latics manager since taking over a couple of weeks ago – losing two of his first four matches in charge.
The most recent of those was at Gigg Lane on Saturday, where a remarkable comeback from Bury condemned Oldham to a 3-1 defeat.
And speaking following that loss, Scholes thinks he knows why his side’s performance levels have not been up to scratch.
He said: “I think in the end four games in just two weeks are starting to take a toll on some of the players. It’s turning out to be a bit too much for some of them.
“We’ve been playing on some bad pitches too, and that doesn’t help the way we play.”
Scholes plans to use this week to give his players a chance to recover ahead of Saturday’s trip to Hertfordshire to take on Stevenage, a side who are just two points ahead of Oldham in the League Two table.
And it is a game which Scholes knows his team must surely win, if they are to have any chance of reviving their fading play-off hopes.
“I’ll give the players a couple of days off because they need it and then prepare for another tough game against Stevenage on the weekend,” Scholes outlined.
“Too many of them need a rest, but I’m sure they’ll all be okay by the weekend.”
Meanwhile, on-loan Bury midfielder Jordan Rossiter has drawn comparisons between the Shakers style of football and that of his parent club Rangers.
The 21-year-old has impressed since moving to Gigg Lane in January, earning the man of the match award in Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Latics. And he believes part of the reason for his success if that he is used to the positive football that Bury play.
He said: “I think both teams like to play an attacking style of football and that’s what both teams work on in training every day.
“We do that at Bury and we did that at Rangers as well. Being at a club like Rangers you are expected to win every game, and the way we are playing at the minute, we expect that from ourselves as well. “So I’d there are similarities.” Rossiter’s seamless transition into the Bury midfield has only enhanced Ryan Lowe’s side chances of promotion, and the former Liverpool academy product says it has been easy for him to settle in at his new club.
“I’ve settled in well and that is due to how everyone around the club has been around me,” Rossiter outlined. From the first day of being here the lads have been first class, I can’t speak highly enough of them.”
Rossiter joined Rangers in 2016 but has been limited to only 16 first team appearances for the Scottish giants, so jumped at the opportunity to help Bury in their promotion push.
“My agent rang me, he’d spoken to the gaffer [Ryan Lowe], and said would you be up for it, and I definitely was,” he explained.
“I watched the Lincoln game, where the lads were brilliant, and it was just something that I wanted to be involved in.”
Bury supporters will hope Rossiter is at his best again on Tuesday night – with a trip to Wembley on the line in the semifinals of the Checkatrade Trophy against Portsmouth.