One voice

Lee Johnson

ATHLETIC manager Lee Johnson admits he would prefer chairman Simon Corney to keep his own counsel on the team’s fortunes — but emphasised that the pair are singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to progressing the club.

Earlier this week, Corney told the Chronicle he was “devastated” at the exit at the hands of Doncaster in round two of the FA Cup.

This result arrived shortly after a penalty shoot-out loss to Preston in the Northern area quarter-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Both Corney and Johnson intimated after the Rovers defeat that the lack of extra revenue from an extended knock-out run might mean players sales are forced on the club next month.

However, ahead of tomorrow’s test against Yeovil — see Page 34 — Johnson extolled the undoubted positive notes played out so far in a season in which Athletic find themselves perched in the lofty position of sixth in Sky Bet League One.

“I know what he’s like and I get on very well with him,” said Johnson, in reference to his boss of the past 19 months.

“I don’t really like it when chairmen talk in the press, but it is their club.

“I respect Simon fully and I agree with him. It’s not like we aren’t singing from the same hymn sheet — we are.

“I’m keen to do well for him, as he gave me my opportunity as a manager, and not just the club.

“We get on very well and have a nice dynamic. Of course, we will disagree on things because we are two passionate people.

“But we all want the right things for the club and are working tirelessly to produce that, in unison.

“Though it’s not ideal, it’s about moving forward. We can’t change the past and we are in a great position.

“We would probably have all taken this at the start of the year, sixth in the league and knocked out of the FA Cup in round two.

“This is a different vibe from what the club has had for seven or eight years, where we are genuinely pushing for this top 10 spot or top six depending how we get on.

“We are moving forward with good players, good young players, and team selection difficulties.

“All our problems are good ones at the moment, as far as the football side of it goes.”

Athletic currently have a couple of niggling injury concerns, with player identities being kept under wraps.

Jordan Bove is back in contention after a month at Hyde in which he didn’t play as much as the club would have liked, while the main selection dilemma comes in defence with the returning James Wilson, Genseric Kusunga and George Elokobi all fighting for two centre-back spots.

Carl Winchester is likely to step aside as Mike Jones comes back into the team after illness.

Athletic (probable, 4-1-2-1-2): Kenny; Kusunga, J Wilson, Elokobi, Mills; Kelly (c); Jones, Johnson, Philliskirk; Ibehre, Forte. Subs (from): Rachubka, B Wilson, Dieng, Mellor, Winchester, Dayton, Tidser, Youngs, Morgan-Smith, Poleon, Turner, Bove.