Micky Mellon reflects on James Norwood’s exit as Latics’ striker search continues
Micky Mellon says Oldham Athletic are “running out of time” in their search for a striker, but insists he has no regrets in allowing James Norwood to leave in the summer.
Experienced striker Norwood helped to fire Latics back into the Football League in scoring the second goal in a 3-2 play-off final win over Southend United at Wembley in June. But that was to be his last appearance in an Oldham shirt and, at the end of his two-year contract at Boundary Park, he joined Fleetwood Town on a free transfer in the summer.
The 34-year-old started his first game for the Cod Army against his old club on Saturday, having scored in each of the previous two games.
Latics signed targetman Joe Quigley in the first week of the season. But while a natural goalscorer in the mould of Norwood continues to elude them during the summer transfer window, which closes in a week’s time – on September 1, at 7pm, Mellon has no wish to back-track.
“No. It was the right decision at the right time for everybody concerned,” said the Latics boss, albeit conscious of the looming transfer deadline.
“We’re kind of running out of time now but we’ll see.”
“Some of the boys aren’t very keen to go to some of the options that came their way, which is disappointing for us because surely they want to go and play, but at the end of the day they’re holding the cards because they’re the ones with the contracts,” said the Oldham boss.
“We’ve told them it’s not looking likely they’re going to play any football here, but if we can get them out if might free up a bit of money for us if the player that we want does become available. It could make a difference.
“That’s the situation we’re in. We possibly need to let players go out, unless Frank (Rothwell) goes ‘yep, boom’, sticks in any more, which I’m not putting him under pressure to do by the way because he’s been fantastic for us, but that’s the situation.”
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