Dowie on the spot
“Have we received any offers for players?”
His response was, “Can Alan please put his hands over his ears now,” Alan Hardy then said “You haven't told me” to which Iain replied “I wouldn't tell you. I know you'd take em.”
In a more serious vein the manager went continued with, “No we haven't received any offers, there's some luminaries on this table. I think you're well aware of that. From that point of view I set out to do two things. One's to reduce the age of the squad. I felt it was an ageing squad that didn't have much potential on the pitch for the long term future. I don't believe in short termisim at clubs, I really don't. I think if you do that you're always going to end up getting yourself unstuck so I tried to make a younger squad with the people we bring in. I think we've done that. We've got value on the pitch.”“It's not meant to make people blush but I think the fella two to my left (Fitz Hall) would grace any Premiership team. I believe that passionately. I think he would. I think Clint Hill would be certainly a top, top class 1st division centre
half, maybe Premiership. That's the reason I brought them to the club. That's just two people we're talking about. You look at Chris Armstrong who's played Under 21's, Will Haining now a Scottish International possibly if things go his
way. We've got a very young squad. Les is still a very young age. Anyone who keeps 17 clean sheets and does what he does in goal will get attention. It will happen and that's great for me. It means we're doing something right. You want
to get bids in.”
“If I was someone who had money, I would be looking at Oldham. So, there's one or two players who can definitely make the step-up. That has to be in the right manner for Oldham Athletic. If there was a bid for Fitz Hall and this is on
record, I wouldn't stop him going to the Premiership. I wouldn't do that as a manager. I think it's wrong but it has to be right for Oldham Athletic. If it's a situation in a couple of years or a years time and there's a bid for Fitz that maybe secures Oldham's future, it's a decision I never want to take but it's one I would have to and I think it's something people would accept in today's footballing environment. I just hope that day doesn't come or Fitz is playing in the Premiership with us and I don't give up on that goal personally.”
“You were made promises when you came to the club. Some of these have not been forthcoming. If these circumstances remained would you be the manager of this club after May?”
“I'm a straight talker. I always have been, the lads will tell you that. I don't beat around the bush. To be honest with you, I came here on the promise of the ground being re-developed, there would be no problem with the purchase of
players, no problem whatsoever, there was an expression used ‘sign a certain number, I don't care if these don't work’. That was my synopsis of taking it. Not talking out of turn, I had the opportunity to go elsewhere, not as a number one,
as a number two. I felt I always wanted to do it myself, knew I had good people here. I knew Tony (Philliskirk) was in key, and knew myself that Tony would do very well and he's proved that with me, I think he's done terrifically well.”
“To answer your question, I'm not sure what will happen after May. Would I like to be here?, Absolutley. Will I be here if I can't take the club forward in a positive manner? I don't know. I won't put a team out, this is the truth as far as
I see it, this situation is becoming, staring in my face. I'm wondering if the building blocks of the team I put in place are starting to be knocked from under me. I don't want to be part of a team that is not putting a good product out on
the field for you to watch. I don't want to be part of it. I want to be part of a successful team.”
“I've got no problem bringing in young players. We've had Danny Hall. Marc Tierney's been in the squad. I've got no problem with that, bringing some of the kids in and letting the older generation go and work with them, it's a bit I enjoy. At the same time, I need to know where we're going, What is the product here? I need to be told or I need to be made fully aware of the situation.
“I was aware of the announcement of the resignation somedays beforehand, and I'm talking in Alan's defence here. He worked long and hard to try and do things and our relationship has been excellent throughout. He wasn't much more aware than I was of the situation so we're in the dark a little bit.”
“I'd like to thank you lot because you've made me very welcome. I'm an adopted Northerner now and I've found it very warm and very welcoming. I've found the club like that and I thank you for that but at the same time. I've got a goal in my life that I want to achieve as much as I can. I don't stop from that. That's not saying this is a stepping stone. I want to be as good as I can at this particular job. I wasn't that great as a player. I had a good career but I'd like to be much better than I was as a player. All I want is the opportunity to take the club to where I think it can go and at the moment. I am in no way sure of how that will come about. I can't answer fairer than that.”