Football Season Guide

Oldham had a relatively disappointing campaign last time out, but, given the constant injuries Paul Dickov had to deal with throughout the campaign, it cannot really be said that the Scottish manager did a poor job. Now, the Latics are entering the new campaign with a lot of uncertainty surrounding them, as they had a major squad overhaul over the summer, and the pessimists among their fans will certainly feel that they look weaker than they were last season. Some of the club's best players, such as Filipe Morais, Shefki Kuqi, Chris Taylor and two-time Player of the Year Kieran Lee have all went, leaving Dickov with major holes to fill. However, Dickov was also very active in trying to bring in replacements - Cliff Byrne, Jonathan Grounds and Lee Croft are all proven at this level, while a huge air of uncertainty and anticipation will surround loan strikers Dan Taylor and Jordan Slew - there is little doubt that a lot of Oldham's success in the upcoming season will depend on the form the duo produce. One of the main problems Dickov is facing is that he is dealing with a rather thin squad, with options in depth not being as strong as he would've wanted, but his ties with Manchester City will prove in handy if another injury crisis forces him to dip into the loan market. To sum it up, Oldham are a side that lost their last season's backbone, and it's very difficult to make any predictions about them with any sort of confidence.