Johnson stands by his beliefs

Athletic manager Lee Johnson has told fans: “Stick with us — and results will follow.”

Ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Crawley, Johnson admits his new-look squad is experiencing teething troubles. But the overall picture is far from depressing, he says.

In spite of a run of losses and no clean sheets all season, he has faith his squad will come good —

without discarding the progressive principles he has instilled.

“The longer your team is with you, the more chance you have of success,” said Johnson, whose 2-1 win over the same opponents last season kept the team safe in Sky Bet League One.

“I remember saying that my worry was whether this team would blend - it takes time for that to happen. But there are still plenty of teams below us and a couple of wins change the whole outlook.

“I stick strong to my beliefs, knowing we are going in the right direction.

“I just hope everyone sticks with us. We are going for wins and at times can be a bit exposed.

“But what do you do? Go for short-term results and get in a team of sloggers who know the division? Or think about where you could be in a few months time with the group we have? If we can be a bit stronger mentally, we could have one hell of a squad here.”



mattchambers@oldham-chronicle.co.uk