Lee is the right Guy for Latics – Branston

FORMER Athletic defender Guy Branston has backed Lee Johnson to get things right next season – but says the young manager will first need to adjust his footballing philosophy.

Athletic have attracted plenty of admiring glances for quality football but haven’t matched it with results. At 32, Johnson is the youngest boss in the English league system, and with a full season in charge he admits to having learned a lot to take into the next campaign.

Former Boundary Park centre-back Branston has applauded the club’s decision to continue backing Johnson - but says he has to turn results in the right direction.

“I think he’ll get it right,” said Branston. “He can’t go in there with a CV full of experience, so they

obviously see something in him and want to give him another go. You can’t expect everyone to go in with no experience and be Alex Ferguson.

“But I think Lee came into it with rose-tinted glasses. You go into the job wanting to stamp your authority and I think he may have been surprised. First and foremost it is about winning football matches; once you are winning you can start playing pretty football and trying to score lots of goals.

“He needs to look at the lads who are going to win him matches and stick with them.

“But I always believe in building from the back as I’m a defender. He was an attacking midfielder, so I can see where he’s coming from.”

Branston has backed Athletic to continue developing and pointed to the youth set-up as a major

asset at Boundary Park.

But he cautioned fans from getting too ahead of themselves - another season of safety in League One could be considered a success, he believes.

“People want to see Oldham do well and I personally have some very fond memories and wish I had stayed a bit longer really, but it still needs turning around there,” he added.

“If the chairman hands over a million quid then they need success, but if not then I think Lee just has to deal with it and stay in the division.”