Football Season Guide

Oldham Athletic remains a club in turmoil as Abdallah Lemsagam’s chaotic ownership continues unabated. The success story of last season was undoubtedly Pete Wild, whose two separate spells as caretaker boss saw Premier League Fulham beaten in the F.A. Cup and an unlikely late challenge for a play-off place. Ultimately they left themselves with too much to do and Wild followed in the footsteps of predecessor Paul Scholes in stepping down from his role and leaving the club at the end of the season. Lemsagam has appointed Laurent Banide as head coach this summer. The Frenchmen has no experience of English football and has spent the last decade managing in the Middle East. Allegations of Lemsagam’s meddling in team selection continue and several first-team regulars have been allowed to leave, including Captain Peter Clarke and midfielder Jose Baxter. Defender George Edmundson’s move to Rangers has seen the Latics recoup a fee around half a million. They have lost the goals of loan strikers Callum Lang and Sam Surridge, who were the only players to get into double figures and have returned to their parent clubs. Banide has made some new additions; including two goalkeepers but still has work to do in the transfer market before it shuts at the start of September.