Players relive fright night
Reporter: TONY BUGBY
Date published: 07 September 2009
Latics boss looks to put things right
DAVE PENNEY cancelled his players’ weekend off in the wake of the home defeat by Hartlepool in Coca-Cola League One.
Athletic chief Penney ordered his squad to report back to Boundary Park at 8am on Saturday morning for a detailed debrief on the previous night’s events.
They were subjected to a DVD of the 3-0 defeat as the management team examined what went wrong.
Athletic’s coaching staff have a full week to try to put things right on the training ground before Saturday’s visit to high-flying Bristol Rovers.
Jon Worthington was the centre of another injury scare when he limped out of Friday’s game after turning his ankle.
But the former Huddersfield Town midfielder will be fit for Saturday’s trip to the West Country.
It was the third problem on the same ankle in the space of a couple of weeks. He had been forced to sit out the games against Brentford and Accrington Stanley.
Athletic’s injury/illness problems are gradually clearing with Worthington, Keigan Parker and Kelvin Lomax all returning to action on Friday, while Andy Holdsworth made a speedy return from a sickness bug.
That leaves Deane Smalley, Chris Taylor, Rob Purdie and Joe Jacobson as the only senior absentees.
Former Athletic manager Ronnie Moore is favourite to return as Rotherham United boss.
Millers manager Mark Robins — the former Chadderton-based Manchester United player — is widely expected to take over at Championship outfit Barnsley, which could lead to the comeback of Moore, who was sacked by Tranmere Rovers in the summer.
Robins is currently on gardening leave, with John Breckin, Rotherham’s No.2 and Moore’s former assistant at Boundary Park, put in temporary charge of the League Two outfit.
