As Latics prepare for Saturday's home game against Bristol Rovers in npower League One, Paul Dickov admitted his team has become a victim of its own success.

The Latics manager believes opponents are paying his team more attention due to their early-season exploits.

Dickov says that is especially apparent at Boundary Park where in the last week Yeovil have drawn and Shrewsbury triumphed.

He explained: "Teams are coming here and showing us respect as they know we play good football at a high tempo.

"What teams are doing is getting eight, nine and 10 players behind the ball which means the onus is on us to break them down and we need to be cleverer in doing that.

"It is a big compliment to the boys who have to realise that they have come a long way in a short space of time, as I have also done.

"We will continue to work hard and we shall get better."

Dickov also stressed the importance of patience saying he has detected a note of anxiety when the team has failed to make an early breakthrough in the last two matches.

He believes had they scored in the opening 20 minutes, he feels they would have won comfortably against Yeovil and Shrewsbury.

Dickov continued: "We were at it hammer and tongue for the first 20 minutes in both matches and when it has not happened we have got dejected.

"We have to be at it for 90 minutes and show patience. If we continue to do the right things then the breaks will come."