Dunn hints at return to lone striker system

DETERMINED . . . Athletic manager David Dunn wants a more aggressive approach from his players, starting with tomorrow’s trip to Bramall Lane.

DAVID Dunn will go back to basics at Bramall Lane, switching his formation and sticking to his guns in a bid to lift Athletic out of their dip.

The FA Cup second-round tie at Sheffield United will see Athletic abandon — at least for now — the two-up-front line-up, which has not had the desired effect.

Dunn hinted he will go back to having a player in the ‘hole’ behind a lone striker.

At the back, with Dunn short of shake-up options, he is impressing the need for a more aggressive approach as the team embarks on a misson to enter Monday’s third-round draw.

“If I am being honest, I have probably gone off what I really believe in, for various reasons,” said Dunn, whose dual forward line of Ricardo Fuller and Michael Higdon drew a blank at Crewe; Higdon and Dominic Poleon doing likewise against Southend before a switch in formation at 3-0 behind.

“I will be back to what I believe is the best way to move this football club forward,” Dunn expanded.

“There are a few individuals who have probably been left out as the formation didn’t quite suit them.

“They will be back in and it is a chance for them to hopefully stop the rot and put those three losses to bed.”

Dunn knows Athletic will need to put in a strong defensive show to stand a chance of staying in the FA Cup. While limited in terms of changes he can make to personnel, one clean sheet in the last 15 league games indicates something lacking. He is asking his available defenders to rise to the physical challenge.

Dunn added: “This is not going to be a quick fix and it might take a couple of transfer windows to get exactly what we want. Defenders have to be willing to defend first, at times I don’t see that. If headers are there to be won, you have to win them.

“I went to watch Millwall and Burton on Tuesday night and it was the biggest thing that stood out: centre-backs who are aggressive and go and win headers. That is what we need to get back to.”