Paul Dickov is facing his biggest ever test as Athletic manager as he watched his side limp to another 1-0 home defeat to basement dwellers Coventry City. The Latics again failed to take their scoring chances and let in the match winner from another schoolboy defending error. There were no positives to take out of the match and bad luck excuses are starting to wear thin, especially as they are being trundled out time and time again after oh-so-similar performances.
Dickov commented, “In the second half I felt there was only us would go on and win the game. For their goal, there was a little warning sign before it. We work a lot on stopping crosses but we have let their boy get the ball in once and then again minutes later where we haven’t picked up. They are basic mistakes again we are talking about, when we should be talking about winning the game. Two players haven’t stopped a cross and two in the middle have let a player get between them. It is basic, poor defending.” “I have been under pressure since the first day I took the job. I am not stupid. I know that we need to start getting results. But I know we will. We have got some good players in there. At times we are playing good football, but you can't switch off defensively. We all have to pick ourselves up and go to Crewe with a positive attitude to pick up three points, because that is what we all want.” New Coventry manager, and ex-Latics junior, Mark Robins added, “That was one of the worst games of football I have ever seen in my life. We couldn't pass the ball, we were awful, we gave the ball away. But I’ll take the three points.” It sort of sums it up at the moment but it's time the Latics boss made a similar comment.Source: FOOTYMAD
