The only trouble was when I checked the football scores on my mobile. In the three games played while I was on foreign soil, Oldham shipped eleven goals in three calamatous defeats, which leaves them deep in the relegation mix again. The only realistic hope of glory for the season - the LDV Vans Trophy - appears to be scuppered with a 5-3 loss to Wrexham.
It has inevitably led to the "Talbot out" brigade coming out in force. Not without reason, it has to be said. His comments on how the Oldham team "wasn't his" are frightening. Brian Talbot has had almost a year to mould the team in his image, bringing in 17 players in the process. He also inherited some talented players from the previous regimes, like Will Haining, Les Pogliacomi and Scott Vernon. So why the whinge? To me, it sounds like Talbot is just trying to make excuses.
A more valid excuse would be that Oldham can't defend. A bit of a problem, really. I managed to catch one of the goals Latics conceded in the Stockport team. Had it been any other team who let in a similar goal, I would have laughed. Instead I felt like crying. I've seen schoolboys defend calmer and more assured than that. Bobbles off defenders and the goalkeeper, another defender swinging and missing, only for the striker to take advantage and score. Madness. I am sure that the other ten goals conceded in the three games were just as farcical.
What do we do now then? Well the obvious thing to do is to not sack Brian Talbot.
For a start, we cannot afford to. Even with the money flowing into the Latics coffers from their cup runs, they are still £500, 000 in the red. So where is the money going to fund his payoff? Obviously a huge posse will arrive over the hill, led by Father Christmas on a big white horse, which have a couple of billion quid to sack Talbot, appoint Arsene Wenger, sign Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell and Ronaldinho, and fire Athletic into Champions League football.
Also, the guy must be given a chance. Despite all the players Talbot has signed, most of these were short-term loans. And some signings just didn't work out, like Mark Arber. And then key players kept getting injured at key times. Just when Chris Killen looked like getting into scoring form, he got injured. With a small squad as it is, injuries make the task infinitely more harder.
Just give Talbot TIME. Not many Latics managers in the last decade have had that. Given time, he will turn this club around, slowly but surely. Just keep the faith...