The only way is up
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 10 February 2012
Dickov demands positive outlook
THE CHAOS of a mangled fixture list and the headache of arranging frost-free training venues hasn't stopped Athletic manager Paul Dickov from adopting a bullish attitude towards the remainder of the season.
Despite being without a win in 2012 and having suffered the hammer blow of failing to reach Wembley in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, Dickov's attitude is a resolutely positive one.
The Scot doesn't believe a huge upswing in fortunes is needed to match the feats of his ex-Manchester City contemporaries, managerial duo Uwe Rosler of Brentford and Lee Bradbury of Bournemouth.
"It is easy to look at the league table and say games in hand are useless if you don't win them," said Dickov, whose side are 16th having played fewer matches than any other club in npower League One as a result of recent postponements.
"But with Brentford and Bournemouth, people are saying what great seasons they are having. Yet if we win our games in hand and beat them, we go above them.
"That has to be the target for the players, to look upwards, rather than over shoulders.
"You look at the fixtures we have left and although there are no easy games in this
division, we have a lot of winnable ones coming up.
"Do so, and with the teams sitting seventh, eighth and ninth there is no reason we cannot catch them."
One puzzle Athletic fans have been trying to unravel is the non-appearance of two of the club's brightest young talents, teenage pair David Mellor and Carl Winchester.
Left-back or midfielder Mellor last started a game on Boxing Day and Winchester hasn't turned out since the home draw with Stevenage in September.
Dickov, who says he is down to the "bare bones" in terms of fully-fit men in his squad, explained the reason for the duo's non-inclusion.
"Carl and David have to go to college on Thursdays, which isn't ideal.
"I know a lot of people are wondering what has happened to them, but we are dictated to by what the authorities tell us.
"We can go through a week with them only training once with us, on a Friday.
"Fitness-wise, it doesn't help. And most of the preparing for a game is done before Friday.
"We worked out the other day that in seven weeks, they trained with us six times.
"I would like to have them in training with us every day and pushing for selection.”
