Windass has high hopes
Reporter: TONY BUGBY’S weekly look behind the scenes at Boun
Date published: 27 January 2009
DEAN WINDASS . . . “Athletic need clean-sheet mentality.”
Automatic promotion within reach, insists striker
DEAN WINDASS says Athletic ought to be aiming high as they bid for promotion from Coca-Cola League One.
The 39-year-old striker believes the Boundary Park club should be striving for an automatic promotion place, rather than being content with a top-six play-off spot.
Though Windass scored a dramatic match-winning goal for Hull in last season’s Championship play-off final, he is not looking for a repeat at Wembley in May.
“I would prefer automatic promotion as it means I can get away sooner on holiday with my family,” he joked.
Windass believes Athletic are in a great position to push for a top-two finish, recalling how Hull came from nowhere to win promotion this time last year.
Hull found themselves in 14th place in the Championship in December before producing a remarkable second half to the campaign.
He said: “I have told John Sheridan that we need to get into a clean-sheet mentality as we did at Hull. Once we do that, we have the players here who will score goals.
“At Hull, we had a fantastic run from December until the play-off final in May.
“But while it is great to reach the play-off final at the new Wembley, I would much rather get automatic promotion.
“I have come here not simply to play and accept getting beaten.
“That is not my nature – I am here to win promotion and take Oldham into the Championship.”
Windass believes Athletic’s senior players - Lee Hughes, Andy Liddell, Sean Gregan and himself - could be vital in the bid for promotion.
He said: “At this level you get a lot of young players who get jittery and nervous.
“When they get to the top they start to panic and they lose confidence.
“There are three or four of us in the changing room who have played at the highest level.
“That experience is priceless and I would like to think that we can help the young lads, who will make mistakes as that is the way with them.
“As senior players we are not allowed to have a bad game, although we all let ourselves down at Hereford.”
