Jonno’s to respond to boss’s blast

PACE AND POWER: Athletic manager Lee Johnson believes Jonson Clarke-Harris can do much more.

ATHLETIC could be strengthened at Tranmere by welcoming back two key figures.

Captain Korey Smith was set to take a full part in training this morning after three matches out with a knee injury. Carl Winchester - dropped for the midweek MK Dons game - impressed as a sub and is also pushing for a recall along with Smith.

Further upfield, Jonson Clarke-Harris performed well after coming on as one of three half-time substitutes against the Dons. Left out of the squad for the first time in 2014 after angering Johnson with his attitude in the clash at Milton Keynes on February 15, the pace and power of Clarke-Harris could give Athletic another attacking dimension.

But that depends on whether the teenager is on his game. But Johnson revealed that a one-to-one talk with the former Coventry prospect preceded his recall on Tuesday.

“We had a good chat,” said Johnson. “I was very disappointed with him in the MK Dons game last time out and it took me a while to get over that. I felt his attitude was poor.

“The good thing about Jonno is that he can take a good kick up the backside. We sat down, talked about it, decided I was right and moved on.”

Johnson, who said that Smith has “a chance” of turning out at Tranmere if his knee holds up, was left questioning the stomach of his players following the 2-1 home defeat by Karl Robinson’s side.

“It takes character and quality to go and get two or three wins on the spin,” Johnson added.

“Whenever we look like we have done something decent, we chuck in a little performance like that. It is naivety on the players’ part. You can’t be like that.

“The worrying thing is, we seem to have a group that picks and changes whether they are going to be lively or not. It is something we have to change.”