Manager's defiant message
Paul Dickov insists Latics have not become a bad team overnight as his team prepares for Saturday's npower League One match at in-form Bournemouth.Latics' manager was speaking after back-to-back home defeats by Bury and Tranmere Rovers ended a decent run of results has seen him shortlisted for the October League One manager of the month.
Dickov said: "We thought we have turned the corner after suffering only one defeat in seven games only to suffer two defeats in the same week against two of our local rivals which was really disappointing.
"When we were on the good run, I mentioned that a week is a long time in football. And the two defeats has got everyone on a downer.
"We will stay positive as not long ago we were on a good run. Two defeats in the space of a week doesn't make us a bad team overnight.
"It has been massively disappointing but I don't buy into it that there is a crisis."
Dickov added that not long ago during the good run people were getting carried away saying they would be challenging for the play offs.
"That never crossed our mind. We know what we have to do throughout the whole season and we will do that to the best of our ability," he said.
Dickov admitted his side didn't play well against Bury and Tranmere, but they could still have taken something from those games.
"If you pick out the bones of both games, we lost to a freak own goal, penalty and set piece," he said.
Dickov is full of praise for the way new manager Eddie Howe has transformed the fortunes of the Cherries.
In the seven matches since his return to the South Coast club, Bournemouth have won six and drawn one to climb to mid-table after an awful start to the campaign.
"Eddie has gone in and rejuvenated Bournemouth and has picked them up since he went back," he said.
Dickov says his side must approach the game in the same way as they did for matches at high-flying Sheffield United and Bournemouth, both of which they drew.
"Those teams were right up there and in good form, but we picked up really good results. We have had good performances away from home and take them into Saturday," he continued.
Dickov added that his side will be similar to the one which drew at Sheffield United and Crawley with Jean-Yves M'voto and Robbie Simpson returning.
Since returning to Bournemouth, Howe's side has beaten Leyton Orient, Tranmere, Carlisle, Daggenham in the FA Cup, Shrewsbury and Doncaster and drawn at Notts County.
They have scored 19 goals in those seven games and conceded seven, an indication as to their strengths going forward.
They have plenty of firepower with Josh McQuoid returning to the club after a spell at Millwall and Lee Barnard on a half-season loan from Southampton.
McQuoid, a full Northern Ireland international, has scored four goals in the last six games while Barnard also has four.
Marc Pugh is top scorer with five from midfield while the goals are spread thorough the team with six players having scored three or more goals.
Latics last won at Bournemouth in 2007 though it is not usually a happy hunting ground with only two wins in 26 visits.