Crucial

[bigfatjoe1]

Some of you lot are being unfair... I know what the original poster was on about and he is bang on...

 

He never said a loss on saturday would cost us promotion, but losing these type of games will defo cost us promotion! Thats a fact. It easy to raise your game for the Leeds and the first game against Millwall. Cold wet windy BP on a Saturday against a team we should beat....over the last ten years these are the games that have cost us....

 

Saturdays game will tell me more about our chances of promotion than either the Leeds or Millwall game did....

 

 

I agree. The problem in recent years has been losing/drawing too many games against teams lower down the league, usually in front of smaller crowds with a poor atmosphere. We've done well against the better/bigger sides, but then let ourselves down. I think this has been the source of much of the frustration. Then again, i remeber this being a problem in the 1980s and, perhaps, it's a problem with many clubs. Obviously, its the key difference between staying in the league and promotion.

[Diego_Sideburns]

Shez's thoughts on tomoorow's game, from tonight's rarely wrong Chron:

 

Sheridan warns of tough test

Reporter: Latics latest by Michael Yarwood

Date online: 22/08/2008

 

JOHN SHERIDAN believes Athletic are on the crest of a wave ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Cheltenham at Boundary Park.

 

Sheridan’s men have made a 100-per-cent start to the season – but he has warned his players that Cheltenham will be just as tough as last week’s vanquished opponents, Leeds United.

 

The manager said: “Everyone is buzzing at the moment, but playing in front of 25,000 people at Leeds is different to playing Cheltenham at home.

 

“We’ve got to lift ourselves all over again. This is a game which most people are expecting us to win, but it doesn’t just happen like that.

 

“I can tell you now, Cheltenham will be very strong and organised. They will come here full of confidence.

 

“They have just beaten Southend (in the Carling Cup) and Swindon (in the league), so that tells you what a decent side they are.

 

“We are on the crest of a wave at the moment, so we’ll be taking the game to Cheltenham and seeing how they respond.

 

“If they want to make it an open game, all the better, but it’s vital we win plenty of games at home this season.

 

“We were on and off last year. There were too many home games where we lost, even though we dominated the opposition.

 

“I want us to keep the ball in Cheltenham’s half and hopefully create a few chances, but we’ll be taking nothing for granted.”

 

Sheridan is likely to name an unchanged team, with Danny Whitaker getting the nod in midfield ahead of Kevin Maher.

 

As Athletic are still without banned striker Craig Davies, Lewis Alessandra will partner Lee Hughes in attack.

 

Cheltenham could include their new loan signing, Charlton midfielder Dean Sinclair, but Ben Gill is suspended after being sent off against Swindon last week.

 

ATHLETIC (from): Crossley, Eardley, Hazell, Gregan, Lomax, Liddell, Allott, Whitaker, Taylor, Alessandra, Hughes, O’Grady, Smalley, Stam, Maher, Stephens, Fleming.

 

CHELTENHAM (from): Higgs, J Gill, Townsend, Duff, Wright, Bird, Russell, Armstrong, Vincent, Myrie-Williams, Hayles, Gallinagh, Connor, Lindegaard, Sinclair, Brown.