Latics ready and raring to go

HIGH-FIVES: new signings Jean-Yves MVoto (left), Matt Smith, Alex Cisak, Zander Diamond and Matthew Lund.

Dickov and his men out to prove pundits wrong
THERE is little gloom on Athletic’s horizon as far as manager Paul Dickov is concerned.

On the eve of the season’s curtain-raiser at home to Sheffield United, Athletic have been tipped to struggle in npower League One by bookmakers and national newspaper pundits — despite highly favourable pre-season results.

“I have seen that we are fourth-favourites to go down,” said Dickov, who has enjoyed confidence-boosting friendly wins over Blackburn, Wigan and Blackpool. “They have obviously not seen us play recently.

“I know what I have got in the changing room and their strengths and weaknesses.

“If they go out there and do their job, there will be no arguments from me.”

Dickov is set to name all five of his new signings in the starting line-up for tomorrow’s game, for which he is missing the suspended Filipe Morais and the injured Connor Hughes (ankle).

While Jean-Yves Mvoto has plenty of games under his belt in an Athletic shirt having starred last season while on loan from Sunderland, for goalkeeper Alex Cisak, centre-back Zander Diamond, midfielder Matthew Lund and striker Matt Smith it will be an all-new Boundary Park experience.

And the Athletic boss is particularly pleased he managed to bring together the defensive section of that quintet.

“Before the end of last season we had targeted getting big Jean in as well as Zander and Alex,” Dickov added.

“We are delighted to have done that. And in all three cases, they could have gone to bigger clubs for better money.

“They have bought into what we want to do here. First and foremost when we sign people we want to check out their characters and they have fitted in well.”

Athletic (probable, 4-4-2): Cisak; Lee, Diamond, Mvoto, Black; Winchester, Furman, Lund, Taylor; Smith, Reid. Subs (from): Connor, Carr, Mellor, Brooke, Millar, Bembo, Burns.