Selection dilemma is actually good news

Cristian Montano

The Latics striker writes every week for Chron Sport

IT MAY be the oldest cliché in the book, but what is important now is to treat every game as if it is a cup tie.

We need wins to climb away from the bottom; the process of trying to get them starts straight away.

Sheffield United are the best-recognised club in the league, second in the division and well-placed for promotion.

But we know they aren’t as good as Everton, Liverpool or Nottingham Forest - so we know we are capable of beating them.

And with Cristian Montano back in training this week after his thigh injury, there is serious competition for places.

Tony Philliskirk will have a headache when it comes to picking a team, but that is a big positive for us.

I think we can be very satisfied with what we achieved in the cup.

When we went to Forest, nobody expected us to win.

The same was true at home to Liverpool and against Everton at Boundary Park. Few gave us a hope of getting anything at all.

But we more than matched not only some of the best players in the country, but in the world. It was a great achievement.

And all the way through, not least at Goodison, our support has been magnificent. I watched the game on TV the following morning and all you could hear was our fans.

There are plenty of great memories to take away — but for now, we have to focus on getting the points we need in the league.