Oldham Athletic have offered Joe Royle the manager's job on a permanent basis.
Oldham want Big Joe to stay on long-term
Oldham Athletic have offered Joe Royle the manager's job on a permanent basis, with the experienced tactician to make up his mind whether to stay on at Boundary Park in the next few days.
The League One outfit replaced the sacked John Sheridan with Latics legend Royle on 15th March, with the club a point outside of the play-offs having previously been in the top six all season.
Temporary boss Royle has been unable to halt a downturn in form and has overseen just three points from six games at the helm of the club he steered to the Premier League during his first stint in the North West, back in the late 80s and early 90s.
The club's board have, though, been sufficiently impressed to offer him a permanent deal, with the two parties currently in discussions in an attempt to find an accord.
Athletic chief executive Alan Hardy told the
Oldham Evening Chronicle: "We would like to have a chat with Joe this weekend. The job is there if he is happy with the budget available for players.
Open mind
"We had an open mind as to the future when he arrived here, as did Joe, but the players seem to like him and obviously the fans do.
"Even if he is not here next season, hopefully he will still offer us advice."
Meanwhile, Oldham have offered midfielder Mark Allott a new contract as Royle begins his preparations for next season.
Allott, whose current deal is due to expire in the summer, has made 47 appearances for the Latics this term and scored three goals.
Consistent performer
The midfielder re-signed for Oldham in the summer of 2007 following six years with Chesterfield and is currently considering the potential new deal.
Royle told the
club's official website: "Mark hasn't got too many mentions from me so far but in fact he's been remarkably consistent.
"There is an offer on the table and we are hoping to get Mark's agreement very soon."
While Royle is keen to keep Allott he has told loanee Steve Kabba to return to parent club Watford.
Kabba had returned from injury for the Easter programme, but Royle said: "I sat down with Steven on Thursday morning and told him I wanted to look at other options.
"He wasn't going to figure in my team any more before the end of the season so it is best for all parties that he returns to Watford."
