LJ’s sights fixed on play-offs

Reporter: Matthew Chambers
Date published: 23 January 2015


ATHLETIC are scrapping for one of only two remaining play-off spots in the league, says Lee Johnson.

The manager, who sees Swindon, Bristol City, MK Dons and Preston as being too far ahead of the pack to catch, wants three more players in his squad alongside new signing Jacob Mellis to drive a top-six challenge.

While Rochdale manager Keith Hill wants to reach 50 points, Athletic’s manager is looking much higher.

“I want to get in another two or three players, if possible, to aid us in the 22 games we have left,” Johnson said.

“It’s going to be a league within a league now: the top four haven’t gone completely, but a lot will have to change to peg them back. Certainly, fifth and sixth spots are available.

“People say get to 50 points first and then worry about it. But I believe you have to look up and put yourself under pressure to chase the leading pack.”

Even if Athletic don’t make it into the play-offs, Johnson says having key players tied down to contracts beyond the summer should help future success.

“At a club like ours it’s difficult to build consistency because there is so much player-trading,” he explained. “Hopefully, we have a core of seven or eight we can go with for a couple of years and add bits of quality around them.”

Johnson is expecting a difficult contest at Gillingham tomorrow.

“They have got some good players,” the manager said. “It’s always a tough place to go and last year we played well to win 1-0. We have to not get intimidated by their crowd.”