Eye for players

IDENTIFYING the right players has been key to Athletic’s recent progression under boss John Sheridan.

That is the view of skipper Liam Kelly, who leads out his side tonight aiming to defeat Port Vale and potentially climb out of the relegation places for the first time since mid-November.

Kelly (26) picks out three men — defensive linchpin Anthony Gerrard, his central midfield partner Matt Palmer and fit-again striker Aaron Amadi-Holloway — as vital cogs in Sheridan’s machine over the past six weeks of his renewed tenure.

Now on a run of six games unbeaten, Athletic’s captain says that the feel-good factor among the squad has proven infectious.

“I don’t think there is a great deal of difference between the managers,” said Kelly, who has also played under Darren Kelly and David Dunn’s charge in this, his second season at SportsDirect.com Park since arriving from Bristol City.

“The gaffer has brought in good players — I think that has been the main difference for us.

“It is the quality of player that has come in. You look at Anthony Gerrard, Matt Palmer and Aaron Holloway and they have made a big difference to us.

big part

“That extra quality has played a big part in our recent good run of results.

“Getting one or two results has lifted the whole camp, confidence-wise.

“Confidence is huge in football and if one player is playing well, then it breeds through the whole team.”

Kelly, who netted a penalty in Athletic’s last win at Peterborough, is not being drawn into poring over the Sky Bet League One table.

“We will take it game-by-game,” he added. “We can’t look at the bigger picture.

“Concentrate on each game that comes up and just look to the next one.

“They are coming thick and fast and we know if we perform as we have been doing, then the results will take care of themselves — as will the league table.”

Athletic’s captain also feels that Sheridan’s is a fitter squad than Athletic possessed 12 months ago, when a succession of injuries disrupted Dean Holden’s managerial plans.

The substitutes’ bench is a strong one at present, a point reinforced by the impact made by the replacements at Glanford Park.

And Kelly reckons Amadi-Holloway helps both fill a void and take some of the burden off his fellow striker’s back in leading the line.

“We have missed that sort of player since we lost Jabo Ibehre last season,” he added.

“Having both Jake Cassidy and Aaron playing at the same time probably takes the weight off Jake’s shoulders, having to lead the line and hold up the ball.

“We do feel a force with them in the team as we know the ball will stick and they will cause their centre-backs problems with their physicality.”

Athletic (probable, 4-4-2): Coleman; Dummigan, Dieng, Gerrard, Lafferty; Winchester, Kelly, Palmer, Jones; Amadi-Holloway, Main. Subs (from): Cornell, Brown, J Wilson, Edmundson, B Wilson, Mills, Croft, Cassidy, Murphy, Forte.