Dickov will keep players focused

PAUL DICKOV . . . preparing his Athletic side for three games over Christmas and New Year.

BARRY Owen has backed Athletic manager Paul Dickov to keep the players’ mind on the “bread and butter” of npower League One duty before they turn their attention to the FA Cup third-round game at Liverpool on January 6.

Managerless Hartlepool United come to Boundary Park on Boxing Day before the visit of Notts County on New Year’s Eve and the January 2 trip to Chesterfield.

Trust Oldham chairman Owen, one of four board members at the club, believes boss Dickov will settle for nothing less than complete concentration on the task in hand as they look to climb the table.

He said: “As important as the Liverpool tie is, we have three very winnable games coming up in the league, which is our bread and butter. Everyone is keen to get a bit higher in the table and positive results in the upcoming fixtures can push us closer to where we want to be. The League One table is still tight. Everyone seems capable of beating everyone else so it is quite unpredictable.

“In years gone by a lot of teams have been guilty of letting their league form slide if they are in the middle of a cup run — but Paul simply won’t settle for that.”

Owen has pinpointed the first two of the next three games as vital in Athletic’s bid to close the gap on the play-off places.

He added: “It won’t be easy against Hartlepool because they parted company with their manager recently, which historically tends to give sides a temporary lift. I believe we have the squad in place to beat Hartlepool and Notts County at Boundary Park, which would set us up perfectly for the Chesterfield match.

“A top-six finish would be fantastic and we don’t care if it takes until the last day of the season to secure it. The lads showed what they are capable of in the 1-1 draw at Charlton at the weekend.

“It was a tremendous performance against one of the most consistent teams in the division. The players can take heart from that display and hopefully carry their good form into the Boxing Day game.”