Manager delivers positive message
Paul Dickov has vowed that Latics will adopt a positive approach in tomorrow's npower League One match at Crewe Alexandra.
Latics' manager said: "We will have a really good go and try to get the three points we desperately need.
"We have to take any fears and negativity and nervousness out of the game tomorrow, take off the shackles and have a really good go."
Latics' manager said: "We will have a really good go and try to get the three points we desperately need.
"We have to take any fears and negativity and nervousness out of the game tomorrow, take off the shackles and have a really good go."
He said: "We have to keep going, roll up our sleeves and the results will come.
"Things are not going well and we are not winning games, but I really do not think we are not far away. We are simply suffering from a little bit of a lack of confidence and belief.
"We have to keep the players believing and it is fine lines at the moment. On another day, we could have won the game on Saturday like also the Saturday before."
Dickov added that a positive is that Latics are creating chances despite them having the worst goalscoring record in League One.
"I know it is the old cliche, but we need one to go in off somebody's backside or get a scrappy goal which I thought we might get on Saturday with the goalmouth scramble," he continued.
Latics' manager believes his side is defending well as underlined by the fact they have the joint seventh best defensive record in the division.
"As a whole we are defending well - it is just lapses in concentration which is costing us. The goal we conceded on Saturday was really poor," he said.
Dickov added that when you are down the breaks invariably go against teams pointing to the offside decision which denied Matt Derbyshire against Coventry.
He continued: "I don't want to sound like a broken down record, but refereeing decisions have cost us and are defining moments in games.
"When Matt went through and possibly if the whistle hadn't gone, he would have scored.
"If not, the goalkeeper brought him down so the least we would have got was a penalty and Coventry down to 10 men with their keeper sent off.
"The big decisions are not going our way at the moment, but we cannot keep blaming them and using that as an excuse.
"They will go for us eventually and the little breaks we are not quite getting will come as long as we all keep believing."
Dickov admitted he is under pressure after Latics' disappointing start to the season and he realises fans are not happy.
He said: "I can completely understand their frustration, but I want to move the club forward, not just short term but long term.
"I believe we have the squad to do that. Once we starting getting results and gelling together properly as a team, and everybody does their jobs, I am sure we will be alright.
"There can be a lot of negativity when you are not winning games, and rightly so, but there will be no negativity from me."