|
"Other than not scoring, I think we gelled well and we were a threat going forward. If we keep making chances like we did, the goals will come. We're getting there, the players are getting used to what we want from them. I thought we dominated, especially second half, and on another day the chances go in and you win the game. It looked like Stockport came for a point and we're pleased that we made chances, but disappointed we didn't get a penalty that I thought we should have had
"Every game we go into we try to win. We'll freshen up in certain areas, especially up front. Alex Marrow's out, as Blackburn don't want him cup-tied, but Sean Gregan has trained today and he's fine. We're just missing Chris Taylor, with a slight groin problem, and he'll have a late fitness test ahead of the game. We are quietly confident that any of the 18 players on duty on Saturday will do a good job for us if called upon.
"If you have a good cup run it generates cash - and the one we had at Doncaster, when we reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup, probably brought in £1million for the club. It can have a massive impact because if you draw a decent team and get on television you can make a lot of money."
To say it has been a busy summer at Boundary Park as far as transfers is concerned is a bit of an understatment as 15 players have joined the Latics, 11 have left, and one (Sean Gregan) has left and then come back again. Gregan having initially been released by Dave Penney before a change of heart from the new Oldham boss saw the 35-year old return to the Latics on a one-year deal. Oldham's mammoth transfer dealings since the end of last season being as follows :
Ins
Goalkeepers - Dean Brill (Luton), Przemysław Kazimierczak (Darlington).
Defenders - Joe Jacobson (Bristol Rovers), Peter Gilbert (Sheffield Wed), Michael McKerr (Birmingham - loan), Rene Steer (Arsenal), Alex Marrow (Blackburn - loan).
Midfielders - Jon Worthington (Huddersfield), Andy Holdsworth (Huddersfield), Rob Purdie (Darlington), Dean Furman (Rangers), Phil Ojapah (AFC Liverpool).
Strikers - Pawel Abbott (Darlington), Keigan Parker (Huddersfield), Darren Byfield (Doncaster).
Outs
Goalkeepers - Mark Crossley, Greg Fleming, Josh Bell.
Defenders - Stefan Stam, Neil Eardley.
Midfielders - J-P Kalala, Kevin Maher, Matty Wolfenden.
Strikers - Lee Hughes, Andy Liddell, Mark Allott.
In team news for the Latics tonight two of those summer signings will miss out as winger Rob Purdie (stomach) and left-back Joe Jacobson (hernia) will both be sidelined. Jacobson is a Welsh international at full and under-21 level though so he would have perhaps been away on country duty, that also being the case for right-back Neal Eardley who was sold to Blackpool last week for a fee believed to be in the region of £300,000.
Tricky winger Chris Taylor is rated as 50/50 to play at the moment and he will undergo a late fitness test after picking up a groin injury in the 0-0 draw against Stockport, defender Sean Gregan is definitely fit though after recovering from a kick to the knee in that same match.
One in and two out is the last news as striker Deane Smalley (back) is out while fellow frontman Lewis Alessandra is in after his proposed loan move to crisis club Chester unsurprisingly fell through. The other out being Blackburn-loanee Alex Marrow who will not be featuring at right-back as Rovers boss Sam Allardyce does not want him cup-tied.
The referee for tonight's match is Eddie Ilderton from Newcastle, and he will be assisted down the lines by Martin Coy from Darlington and Ross Joyce from Middlesbrough. Meanwhile the fourth official is Paul Kettlewell from Lancaster. One of the potential jobs for Mr Ilderton being to oversee 30 minutes of extra-time and then maybe penalties if the scores are still level in the tie after 90 minutes.