Holden issues direct appeal

Win first, worry about style later says Latics legend
ATHLETIC legend Rick Holden says the club’s players must not be afraid to ‘launch it’ if they are to enjoy a successful npower League One campaign.

While the ex-wing wizard appreciates the flair Paul Dickov’s side often display, he suspects a change in mentality — particularly away from Boundary Park — would boost their hopes next term.

He said: “I like the fact Latics get the ball down and play, but if they are playing a team with a pitch like a ploughed field, it’s no good coming away after a 4-0 defeat saying ‘we tried to play the right way’.

“In League One you have to do whatever you can to win games. If it means launching it sometimes to put the opposition under pressure, so be it.

“When I was assistant manager at Barnsley under Andy Ritchie, we would murder sides at home with our passing football, but on away-days we cut our cloth accordingly.

“That means looking at the weather, assessing the playing surface, and the hosts’ style of play.”

With that in mind, Holden believes Athletic’s first summer signing — 6ft 6in striker Matt Smith — will prove to be a wise acquisition.

“I think that was a shrewd move from Paul Dickov,” he added.

“Smith gives them another option with his height, and hopefully he can put himself about.

“Paul has got the knowledge and experience from his time as a player to know that sometimes you have to mix it a little bit.

“It doesn’t matter how you win games. Win them and worry about the kind of football you played afterwards.

“All we want at Oldham is a successful side. The style is not too important.”

Holden, who released his autobiography at the end of last year and has since established his own company, Wibble Publishing, will bring out another book about the sport at Christmas, called ‘101 things that annoy me about football’.

One of his biggest bugbears is the lack of time promising young managers are given to make their mark before getting the sack.

“Too many bosses are given the boot far too soon, often by directors who know next to nothing about football,” he continued.

“At Oldham, we have a young manager who is about to enter his second season, and he will already have learned a lot.

“Hopefully Paul will be given the time it takes to mould his squad of young players.”

And Holden believes a promotion push is possible next season.

“If they can mirror the good start they made to the last campaign and achieve a bit more consistency, they have a good chance,” he said.