Wellens sets new survival target

Athletic boss Richie Wellens reckons 50 points probably won't be enough to secure survival in Sky Bet League One this term.

Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Karl Robinson’s stuttering Oxford, Athletic have racked up 43 points, and still have eight matches to play.

They currently sit outside the drop zone, by a point, but Wellens clearly feels his team still need probably two or three more victories at least to stave off the dreaded drop threat.   

“It won’t be the be-all and end-all if we win at Oxford,” said Wellens.

“We won’t be safe if we win and we won’t be down if we lose.

“What we’ve got to do is make sure we keep performing at a level that we have been in recent weeks.

“On paper, it’s probably one of the most difficult of our remaining games, but games aren’t won and lost on paper.

“They’re won on the pitch, and I’ll be making sure I get it through to the players that if we do win, it’ll be a massive result.

“I think we’ll need more than 50 points.

“We’d probably be safe if we were in the Championship now, but if you look at League One, there are three teams who stand out as far as I’m concerned.

“Down at the bottom there’s probably seven or eight teams who have still got to play one another yet too, so although 50 points has been enough during the last 10 or 12 years or so, I think this season you’ll need more than that.”

The U’s haven’t exactly rallied since Robinson took over three games ago, securing just one point since.

Athletic would move level on points with Oxford should they win at the Kassam Stadium.

That won’t be an easy task, however, against a team and a manager Wellens has plenty of time for.

“It’s a League One game away from home, so they’re all difficult,” added Athletic’s boss.

“Obviously Karl has got his way of playing and keeping the ball, and he’s very highly respected for that at this level.

“He’s had success with MK Dons, and then been at Charlton.

“He’s been at good clubs at this level, and he’s obviously had his head turned by Oxford now.

“He clearly thinks he can develop the project there.

“Oxford is another big club, and I’m sure in the future Karl will do a good job there.

“If we can get three points on Saturday, though, it will go a long way towards getting us where we want to be.

“Karl’s a good manager, at a good club, but it’s about us trying to get three points there.

“A lot of the teams in our division are much of a muchness, so if we do the basics right, work hard and concentrate, any game is up for grabs.”

Striker Craig Davies will be available again this weekend after shaking off his recent injury, but as well as longer-term absentees Ryan McLaughlin and Cameron Dummigan, club skipper Anthony Gerrard will also miss out again on Saturday due to his calf strain.

However, Gerrard will still be a huge presence on match day, as he is all week even though currently he’s unfit.

Wellens said: “I still take Anthony down to training and obviously he’s in the dressing room before and after a game, purely because he’s such a big character.

“Characters like him are few and far between in the game thesedays.

“Ones like him, you just want to keep because he’s such a good influence on everyone around him.

“He was there on Monday, geeing the lads before the game and getting them going.

“He’s such a voice in the dressing room – I would never keep him away from it.”