My lads can show their reslience

Reporter: Matthew Chambers
Date published: 19 December 2014


ATHLETIC head into the land of the concrete cows tomorrow with manager Lee Johnson hoping his beef with the players will prove to be a one-off.

Johnson proclaimed himself

“embarrassed” by last week’s four-goal capitulation to Yeovil — the worst result of his 92-game career as a boss.

But whatever Athletic line-up he selects at MK Dons tomorrow, with a place back in the play-off spots possibly at stake, Johnson knows a positive result could at a stroke illuminate the gloom inside SportsDirect.com Park.

“We don’t fear it,” the manager said of the trip to Stadium mk. “We still believe we have good players.

“We have had one horror show, but it’s been the only time in my tenure so far where we have capitulated.

“It is a challenge now - for me

managerially, and for the players to get their form going.

“If you look at Yeovil’s turnaround, everything was doom and gloom. Two games later, they have got Manchester United coming to Huish Park and they are all hailed as geniuses.

PURSUIT

“We go from a 3-0 away win at Rochdale in front of 4,000 of our fans to losing the next couple at home in front of less than 4,000.

“We just have to continue down our

pursuit of excellence and make sure that when we do get these spells, they are ironed out quickly.”

Karl Robinson’s Dons side are

particularly formidable on home soil, where they have produced more goals, shots and corners than any other side in the division.

Athletic can certainly afford little of the complacency that Johnson suspects may have crept in following the 3-0 win at Rochdale to be present tomorrow.

He added: “I have seen MK Dons two or three times and yes, they have a lot of

talented individuals and are top of the form table at home.

“We have to go there and make no bones about it. It won’t be an easy game.

“But we have got the players who can affect any team in this division.”

While slating some players who waved the white flag against the Glovers, Johnson was delighted that the response of the crowd to the shock result unfolding before them was not to start berating all and sundry.

“If you are looking for positives, it was probably better that it was 4-0 as it’s seen as a complete shocker you can chalk off as one of your bad days,” added Johnson. “Whereas, 1-0 may have been more

frustrating.

“It was a wake-up call for us all and for the fans as well.

“Towards the end of the second half they knew we wouldn’t turn it round and it was fantastic that they chose to offer us their support for that period of time.”