I hoped for new players – Dunn

POINTING THINGS OUT: David Dunn, pictured in his last game in charge of Athletic against Millwall.

DEPARTED manager David Dunn believes he could have turned Athletic’s fortunes around had he been given the chance to bring in new players.

The 36 year old lost his job last week, with John Sheridan taking over in an Oldham hot-seat that has now seen five permanent managers in the last year.

In a statement Dunn paid tribute to his colleagues, describing his four-month stint as manager as a “very useful learning curve”.

“I wish to pay tribute to the backroom staff, Dean Holden and Keith Brown in particular, for their tireless efforts during a very difficult season.

“I thank the players, who continued to play for me when confidence was low, the fans for their support from day one and the club, who gave me my first opportunity in football management.

“When I joined Oldham as a senior member of the playing staff, I was made aware of the competitiveness of League One and when I took over as manager, we ensured we would be a tough team to beat. The fact we drew more games than we lost in the league reflects this and our results against some of the stronger teams in the league shows how organised we were as a squad.

“I had hoped to have been given the opportunity to strengthen the squad during the transfer window and I feel confident that had I done so we would have turned the season around, improved results and secured the League One status of the club.

“Managing Oldham Athletic has been an invaluable experience. I have learned a great deal during my time at the club.”