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Penney seeking home comfort
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date online: 26 February 2010
ATHLETIC’S players have been told to take the initiative when Norwich come to Boundary Park tomorrow.
Manager Dave Penney wants his side to forget about the disappointing display in the midweek defeat at Leeds and get back to the way the team played at Colchester last week.
And Penney reckons that if the team creates as many chances tomorrow as they did at the Weston Homes Community Stadium seven days ago — albeit in defeat — then the goal drought will end against the current front-runners in Coca-Cola League One.
“We knew the fixture list when it came out and we have to play them all twice anyway,” said Penney, when asked about a run of fixtures against the top three sides in the division.
“So you have to get the points whether these games are spread out through the season or confined to a week like we are having.
“We had a good week before, beating Tranmere and Walsall, then we went down to Colchester and produced an excellent performance. To get nothing from that game was criminal.
“Against Leeds we set out our stall to frustrate them, which we did first half. But we didn’t do enough when we had the ball and gave it away cheaply.
“We were well beaten there but it is great to get the chance to bounce back now against the league leaders in what will be another tough game.
“We have the chance to put that right. It is a home game and we have to take the game to them.”
Penney also confirmed that, barring any injury problems, he expects to extend the loan of Millwall striker Jason Price next week.
On the comeback horizon, midfielder Jon Worthington and striker Lewis Alessandra both played the best part of an hour in a heavy defeat for the reserves against Rochdale on Wednesday afternoon but neither is deemed ready yet for the first-team squad.
Jim Goodwin (thigh) and Danny Whitaker (flu) have both missed the past two games but could return tomorrow, while Darryl Flahavan may replace Dean Brill in goal.
Athletic (from): Brill, Marrow, Hazell, Gregan, Jacobson, Smalley, Stephens, Furman, Taylor, Abbott, Price, Flahavan, Aljofree, Lomax, Parker, Lee, Colbeck, Eaves, Brooke, Whitaker, Goodwin.
Midfielder Darel Russell is suspended for Norwich and boss Paul Lambert may decide to leave Oli Johnson — scorer of both goals in the midweek 2-1 win against Southend — on the bench.
Norwich (probable): Forster; R Martin, Doherty, Nelson, Rose; McNamee, Smith, Lappin, Hoolahan; C Martin, Holt. Subs: Steer, Gill, Spillane, Adeyemi, McVeigh, Johnson, Hughes.
Comments
"We had a good week before beating Tranmere and Walsall" Seems like he has erased the battering at Swindon from his memory. Welcome to the fans world DP, trying to forget the rubbish, we have to do it every week!!
I wish I knew you were just setting out your stall at leeds before I paid £27 x 2 and drove all that way in the snow.
I wont be doing that again before long, I will be there saturday as its paid for.
But saying all this I also paid £48 to see the worst game of my life at city vs liverpool last sunday!
Dont tell the wife but its still better than being stuck indoors!
He's clever our Mr Penney - he knew that we would play Norwich twice! Whood a thought!
Get behind the lads!
COME ON LATICSAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!
Pine Villains!
The trouble is, of course, that these players are not good enough or capable enough to take the initiative.
Is Mr Penney still searching for a striker ?....or has he now forgotten we've still only got one !
I dread to think what will happen if Pawel Abbott gets injured, this is getting worse each day, with Mr Penney quite clearly suffering from Amnesia and in need of urgent medical care....PLEASE
After Gregan and Hazell's sterling performances at Leeds perhaps they should play up front tomorrow ( a la Hurst / Peters!), might even score a goal or two, can't do any worse!
Dave Penney will have to do something he has'nt done all season in the game vs Norwich, USE SOME TACTICAL NOUS!!! The best team by far in L1, Norwich score goals for fun, a habit that Oldham are total strangers to. Oldham's lack of pace in their two frontmen is well known and Norwich boss, Paul Lambert will not be losing any sleep over our goal threat!! I hope & pray for a home win tomorrow so that my regular 150 mile round trip for home games is to be a happy one. P.S. We still need a striker!!
Mmmm penney was upset abt leeds yet that word positive for the Colchester game. He is now saying that the team are up for this game and thay have worked on scoring goals in training. He is also planning an upset. WHY Are Norwich not playing their forwards???? Utter rubbish from his mouth and the fans are behind the players IT'S YOU we don't like as you are not a league One manager.Norwich are the top goalscorers and we are the lowest. Mmm we might score but how many will they score?????
Lazyboy Penney has set his stall out at plenty of matches this season espeiall aw from home. Norwich away was awful. Penney doen't do thw word POSITIVE he just says it and thinks it.
I agree that some of our players aren't good enough to take the initiative (see alanshaw) but we can't pick Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney so we have to try and make the most of the players we've got. No team outside the top 7 expects to beat Colchester, Norwich and Leeds so if we get anything from these games (still possible!) its a bonus. The real pressure comes with the games against Stockport, Exeter, Wycombe and Brighton - these are the games I'm worried about.
What stupid remarks DP makes. He really is not of this planet. Surely not?
A message to all those dreamers who actually thought we woul get any points out of the last 3 games, there you go 3 games nil points, roll on march.
Better performance but still no goals against a poorish Norwich team which makes us poor really as no goals. Penney put Kieran lee at right back and even Price ended up at right midfield. Genius moves. Colbeck can't cross a ball and Parker can't score when clean through with only the goalie to beat. Penney will now take the POSITIVES FORM THIS GAME and not notice that we are still in the bottom 4. He is hoping to win our next 4 home games I think. Any goalscorers around????
So, Mr Penney, what initiative did the lads take? It would seem,according to Paul Lambert (now he could play football), that Latics were a spirited team BUT if Norwich had taken their chances it would have been all over by half-time. 'Spirited' or not - once again NO GOALS!!!!!
Please just do the honourable thing and go - admit that you cannot motivate the team and have now lost any faith the fans might have had in you when you first arrived at BP.
Have Your Say
bla bla bla heard it before expect the excuses on Monday (always hopeful otherwise)
By tommo @ 26/02/2010 13:43:18