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Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 09:57:15
Difficult to tell whether we played really well or Newcastle just didn't turn up. Perhaps some of both.

Started really well and if we had been 3 or 4 up at 20 minutes (because the strikers actually put their foot through the ball rather than trying to walk it in), nobody could have complained. As it was, no score and after 25 minutes the tempo drops. Normally, against a team who want to work and try against us, that's the signal for some slightly worrying tendencies to creep in. Newcastle were not that team however and didn't seize the opportunity to bring the game to us.

Scoring just before and after half time (thanks Ricky) was what we needed and the result was never in doubt. Lallana scores from 25 yards? can't remember him even trying from that range this season. Confidence or the fact that Newcastle just stood off? Good finish from J Rod at the end.

Difficult to assess the form of our England candidates as they were not tested here at all. I did think Cork put in a shift and Chambers (who took a battering) was impressive. Unfortunately for the latter I suspect Woy has already inked in the Skate at Liverpool for that role with the Spurs boy as back up.

Cork for Brazil? Probably not. Gerrard seems to be reinvented in that role and is perhaps a bit better at the inventive pass forward (although a bit worse at tackling).

It may also have been the lack of interest from the opposition but good to see us trying from longer range and not always wanting to walk the ball in.

Good professional job but hard to say how good as the French boys from the North East are already on the beach.

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Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 08:15:07
I would call this a game of 4 parts.

In the opening 15 minutes or so, we threatened to run up a massive score and played well. The choice of a single striker which looked odd on paper did not seem to make much difference.

Then a period of endeavour and effort but no penetration. I did not detect any Norwich tactical changes, but the Saints just seemed to lode their way.

The second half and especially after Ricky came on and we were a bit more direct saw us pick up, score twice and were cruising.

The last 10 minutes or so we did our best to throw the game away. Against a better team we could have converted 3 points to 1 easily and that sort of sloppy approach has to be nipped in the bud. How many good teams win matches in the last 10 minutes? Most of them because they play for the whole 90.

Referee was inconsistent and on another day I suspect that Norwich could have been down to 10 or less.

Perhaps 7/10 but concentration needs to be better.

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Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 10:38:35
Essentially it came down to quality of strikers.

Suarez had one half chance and buried it. Jay Rod and Lallana had better chances and failed. Getting caught on the break for the second was understandable BUT.. I thought the defence - with the exception of Chambers - had poor games. We made more Liverpool chances than they did. Shaw has not done himself any favours yesterday in terms of playing for England.

Ramirez was great for the first 10 minutes of the second half then disappeared. Wanyama is just not good enough in possession to play the style MP wants. (He was unlucky to get booked for a perfectly good tackle).

The ref was vague and never in control but he was equally bad for either team. Time we looked at adding a quality finisher because I fear that without one, we are a mid table team.

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