Home help

ATHLETIC have only NINE home games in which to turn around abject form and save their skin.

While Boundary Park memorably rocked as Liverpool crumbled in the FA Cup, bread-and-butter fixtures have brought precious few points.

Only three times this season — against Preston, Leyton Orient and Shrewsbury — have visiting teams walked away in defeat.

And despite hitting three past the Anfield giants, the overall total of 13 league goals on home soil is a pitiful return — less than one a game. Only bottom club Hartlepool have a poorer record.

With Athletic in a relegation zone 21st position, turning around form at Boundary Park is an absolute necessity.

The arrival of two new strikers — Chris Iwelumo and Lee Barnard — should help. But Jose Baxter will also be needed to chip in at home. Though the playmaker is the club’s overall leading marksman on 11 goals, his last strike at home was on October 20.

Athletic also have to start shaping up defensively. Only twice all season has the team kept a clean sheet at home.

Remaining this month are home tests against play-off chasing MK Dons on Saturday and relegation-threatened Portsmouth two weeks later. In between is the FA Cup, fifth-round tie against Everton.