Losing becomes a bad habit

The Latics star writes every week for Chron Sport
IN the changing room after the game at Meadow Lane, I repeated to the players something various managers have told me in the past.

Relegation is something that sticks with you for your entire career. Nobody wants it on their CV. It tars you and it doesn't disappear.

There is no doubt Athletic is in a relegation dogfight. Once you get into a losing habit, it is very difficult to get out of it. It drains you.

Just as when you are habitually winning games, even poorer performances seem to result in picking up three points. Everything goes your way.

We are clearly in the former camp at the moment. I don't think we played at all well at Notts County on Tuesday night. At Coventry on Saturday it was a fairly even contest and the statistics back that view.

But in the first half at Meadow Lane we were firmly second best. Notts County wanted it more — and that is inexcusable.

Whatever reasons people give, the fact is that performances like that are simply not good enough.

We gave it a better go after the interval, but throughout the game there was a lack of quality on show from both sides.

Even if the quality in your play is lacking, what you need in our situation is desire. We are slowly being dragged into the mire.

Maybe some people thought that it wasn't possible for us to be sucked in towards the bottom four. But sooner or later, if things don't change, that will happen.

Every one of us has to look at ourselves in the mirror. Right through from the chairman, who has a lack of funds for the team, to the manager - who is on his own now - to the players, these are tough times.

We all have to decide what we want. We know ourselves we can be better, so we have to go out and be better.

Clearly, we badly need a win. While everybody is looking to the Liverpool game, the need for league points will definitely remain firmly in my mind.

I am excited to see and hear what Boundary Park is like when full.

It will be brilliant to have just under 11,000 fans in the ground on Sunday and I really hope we can put on the sort of performance to entice fans back. Because from now until the end of the season, we need the supporters on our side more than ever.