Boss backs team to get job done

CONFIDENCE . . . Athletic manager Lee Johnson has faith in his team despite a worrying start to the season.

LEE Johnson wants his side to be single-minded at Doncaster tomorrow.

Athletic’s clash at the Keepmoat Stadium holds special significance for a host of Rovers men with links to SportsDirect.com Park — including Johnson’s predecessor in the hotseat, Paul Dickov.

The Scot, flanked on the bench by ex-Athletic goalkeeping coach Paul Gerrard, has within his squad ex-captain Dean Furman, Richie Wellens, Reece Wabara and Cedric Evina, plus one-time trialist Marc de Val.

“It gives it that intensity, doesn’t it? Obviously you have people like Furman and Wabara and the coaching staff there,” said Johnson, who is hunting down Athletic’s first win of the season.

“They will want to turn us over, but the higher power is our going there needing a win.

“We have to be controlled in our performance and nice and solid, making sure we impose our game on them. They have their weaknesses and we have to expose them.”

Johnson isn’t expectng anyone to leave the club before Monday’s transfer deadline: “There is a little bit of interest in one or two players, but not huge offers,” Johnson said. Rhys Turner, who has recovered from a hip injury, could head out on loan to get matches under his belt.



ATHLETIC spent £20,350 on agents’ fees last season, a Football League survey has revealed.

That’s an increase of £181 on the previous season’s tally.