Lofty ambitions

Paul Dickov

PAUL Dickov believes his team are in line to live up to the club’s pre-season expectations — but Athletic’s manager still wants more.

A win tonight at a Brentford side high on confidence would rank alongside the defeat of Sheffield United on their own ground as a major highlight of Athletic’s npower League One season.

Three points would also lift Athletic up to 11th in the division, level with the top placing of the campaign so far.

And after Simon Corney’s blast at the players last week, Dickov has praised the role of the club’s sole remaining backer, who he is set to meet with in order to make plans for the 2012-13 season.

“I had a long chat with the chairman on the telephone on Sunday night,” said Dickov, who faces off against his good friend Uwe Rosler in the Griffin Park dugouts tonight.

“We will be sitting down to plan forward soon.”

Pointing to a gritty display at Notts County as evidence of improvement compared to the home loss to Leyton Orient four days earlier, Dickov added that slender margins have cost Athletic a potential hatful of league points in 2012.

Keanu Marsh-Brown and Reuben Reid are among the players hoping for a recall to the 16 in action tonight. Neither player was chosen at Notts County, with Dickov stating he wishes that he had enjoyed such selection problems all season.

ATHLETIC are in the process of trying to renew centre-back Reece Brown’s loan from Manchester United in time for tonight.

The 21-year-old has been in sparkling form since moving to the heart of defence alongside Jean-Yves Mvoto, with Athletic conceding only one goal in the three matches in which he has started in that position.

JACK Laird scored the consolation goal as Athletic’s young guns were beaten 3-1 by Preston North End in the last four of the Lancashire Youth Cup.
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