Football Season Review

Oldham started the season with high hopes following the squad clear-out their manager Lee Johnson conducted last summer, but the Latics had a campaign almost identical to their previous one, as they were poor for long spells, but managed to move into the midtable thanks to a good run of form late in the season. Johnson's idea was to turn the Latics into a passing side capable of playing some attractive football, and his men started their campaign with a spectacular 4:3 away win at Stevenage, but soon descended into mediocrity, as they won only two and lost six of their opening ten games. Johnson's men often seemed somewhat naive, as they lost some games in which they created plenty of excellent scoring chances, but they paid the price for failing to properly replace last season's top scorer Jose Baxter, who joined Sheffield United at the end of August. Johnson eventually decided to abandon his attacking style and go for a more pragmatic approach, and this decision eventually paid dividends, as the Latics ended their campaign with a 10-game unbeaten run that moved them away from danger and into the safety of the midtable. The most memorable month of their season was, without doubt, January, as it saw them losing key defender James Tarkowski and signing Gary Harkins, who produced a number of memorable displays, scoring and setting up some crucial goals for the Latics. Harkins's loan stay from St.Mirren ended at the end of the season, and there is no doubt that Lee Johnson will be desperate to secure his services on a permanent basis.

Player of the Season: Gary Harkins