Manager Johnson wants Athletic to relax and play at Tranmere

Lee Johnson: wants his team to relax...but probably not too much.

Athletic manager Lee Johnson’s disappointment at his side’s awful first-half showing in the Dons defeat on Tuesday night was great.

But he sees tomorrow’s clash at Tranmere as no great life-or-death turning point.

Though Athletic must go on to face Preston, Rotherham, Leyton Orient and Brentford next month, he points to his team seeing off high-ranked duo Peterborough and Swindon as evidence Athletic can live with the best the division has to offer.

“It’s another game and it is important, but I don’t want to pile the pressure on. I want us to be positive,” a relaxed Johnson told the Chronicle.

“Sometimes, we play with a little bit of tension and I don’t want that; it’s not life or death.

“It is strange for me, as I have always been in a winning mindset. But here, people lose you the games before you have played them. Nothing should be an expected three points or an expected defeat. We know we have the quality when the boys are on their game.

“It has been a tough year for all of us, with the ups and downs,” he added. “We have had big highs and low lows. The fans are very important to us, especially away from home.

“From early on the other night, the atmosphere wasn’t one of positivity. It was edgy. We don’t want that, as we want to kick on to a really positive, productive season.”