Show us what yo uare made of

Reporter: by MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 16 December 2014


FIRST-TEAM coach Dean Holden has been subjected to a repeat showing of a 'video nasty' of Athletic's display against Yeovil.

And he reckons that after watching back the embarrassing 4-0 home loss twice, the coaching staff are in a position to drill into the players lessons to make sure it remains a one-off.

Holden, entering only his fifth full week at the club in his new capacity, says that the immediate response in training has been a positive one from Athletic's squad.

And he emphasised the fact that the current position of eighth in Sky Bet League One – level on points with sixth-placed Rochdale – is one that most would have accepted at the start of the season.

“It was important that we didn't just sweep it under the carpet, because it can fester,” said Holden, who along with manager Lee Johnson, assistant Tommy Wright and the full squad of players didn't allow the disappointing result to affect last night's bowling night with the Boundary Blues junior supporters' club members.

“We have looked closely at what went wrong and have had a very sharp reaction from the players in training.

“They have come under fire and rightly so. Now it's about coming up with the right response.

“We will make sure the players are as ready as they can be for a very difficult game at MK Dons.

“We want to make sure that one bad result – which can happen to any side in a season – is an isolated case.

“It is only two weeks since we won 3-0 at Rochdale in a game that lifted everyone.

“It might seem things are low at the moment, but that is three defeats now in the last 30 league games.

“And we are well in with a shot of the play-offs places. I am sure we would have taken that at the start of the season.

“We address what happened properly and then move on. It serves nobody to mope around.

“We have said what needs to be said and now have a wonderful challenge ahead at MK Dons.”

Karl Robinson's high-flying Dons were yesterday given an FA Cup reprieve after Chesterfield were ordered to replay their second-round tie due to fielding an ineligible player in a 1-0 win at Stadium mk.

Athletic only get one bite of the cherry at picking up a positive result on Saturday and for Holden, the challenge –– including proving people wrong – is an exciting one to grasp.

He added: “It is a great pitch there and a fantastic looking stadium. These are the sorts of games you want to play in.

“MK Dons are a team full of good players and I've seen them a number of times this season. They have their weaknesses as well that we will be looking to exploit.

“If we perform as we can, then it isn't being disrespectful to say we can go there and get a (positive) result.

“It's about reminding the players what we have done right to this point in the season.

“There have been plenty of false dawns here in the past and we want to prove that we are the real deal this year.

“We have hit a wall. You can either lie down and give up, or stand up, stick out your chests and say 'we'll show you'.”