Partnerships are built on trust

POSITIVE INTENT . . . Oumare Tounkara has forged a productive alliance with Chris Taylor.

Latics’ assistant manager writes for Chron Sport every Friday
WE STARTED off the better team against Rochdale last weekend and looked a threat from the off.

In fairness, we probably should have capitalised more on the possession and chances that we had.

After a good early goal from Cedric Evina, a lapse in concentration on our part let them in to equalise.

And to be fair to Rochdale, in the second half they came out, simplified their game and looked the better team to leave us relatively happy with a draw.

The weather conditions this week have affected our training arrangements

It is far from ideal training indoors but I am sure it is a situation replicated by clubs right across the country.

We are all well used to it from seasons gone by. It has happened before and it will again, so we get on with it as best we can.

With indoor facilities, there is an extra challenge. You have to be careful not to overdo things, because on indoor surfaces there is the danger of hurting joints like knees, ankles and backs.

Christmas is approaching and it is about to become a very busy period for us.

The last thing we want is for games to be called off, creating a backlog of fixtures.

Around Christmas, it is a period where injuries and suspensions can play a part.

As a management team we have to box clever, possibly by rotating players. We will have to get our thinking caps on in due course.

We haven't suffered too badly with injuries so far and I believe that is down to managing players properly.

That doesn't just mean in training, but also away from football in ensuring they recover properly. Our head of sports science Paul Butler plays a big part in that.

Looking at our season as a whole up to now, I see it as a work in progress.

The attitude shown by the players has been excellent and I can't fault their application and the way things have been taken on board.

There is still room for improvement, though. What we have managed in the first half of the season, hopefully we can exceed in the second.

Rome wasn't built in a day. But we have built partnerships across the field that are important to us.

Especially with the young players that we have, it will take time to gel.

And the only way they will get better is by playing together.

If you look at our front two, Oumare Tounkara and Chris Taylor, everything they try to do has a positive intent and that is so important.

At the back, Reuben Hazell is our most experienced player and can cope with playing alongside anyone. Jean-Yves Mvoto has done very well in partnership with him.

And in midfield, Dean Furman and Dale Stephens are two young players with a lot of energy who both want to do the right things and learn all the time, working out each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to improve.