FC Halifax Town: Wild's impact at Oldham bodes well with plenty of work to be done at Town

Pete Wild's instant impact both times he was appointed as caretaker-manager at Oldham bode very well for FC Halifax Town.
Pete WildPete Wild
Pete Wild

The Latics won three games in a row immediately after Wild was appointed to replace Frankie Bunn in December last year, and again when he replaced Paul Scholes in March this year.

And Wild will need to make a similar impact with The Shaymen, with the Town squad still to be completed and the new season just over a week away.

Welcome to Halifax.

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Wild is expected to take charge of Town for the first time in a friendly on Saturday, replacing the scheduled home game with Salford that had to be cancelled due to the condition of the Shay pitch.

He will then take on his boyhood club Oldham at Boundary Park on Tuesday, before his first league games in charge at Ebbsfleet on Saturday, August 3.

His first home game will be, depending on the condition of the Shay pitch, against Hartlepool the following Tuesday.

Top of his to-do-list must be to finish the squad rebuild started by Jamie Fullarton.

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Town are arguably four or five players - possibly two left-backs, a winger, an attacking midfielder and a striker - short of the depth they need to tackle the gruelling National League campaign.

Some of those may well come from the trialists currently at the club, which will give Wild a head start.

But there is very little time for Wild and his squad to familiarise themselves with each other before points are at stake.

The Town boss will have to learn on the job about his players, not having the luxury of a full pre-season to try out different systems, patterns of play or set piece routines.

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But this is where Wild's immediate effectiveness at Oldham serves him well.

Compared to his first stint in charge at Oldham, Wild has oodles of time.

Appointed the day after Boxing Day last year, his first game was against Port Vale less than 48 hours later. Then it was Notts County at home three days later. Then five days later, Fulham away in the FA Cup.

They won all three.

Similarly, after the departure of Paul Scholes in March, Grimsby, Tranmere and Colchester were all beaten within the space of eight days, although Wild had two weeks to prepare this time.

If Wild enjoys the same quick success he had twice with Oldham, Town can mercifully put their turbulent summer behind them.

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