Latics' manager on Forest cup clash
Paul Dickov is convinced Latics’ players will be inspired by Saturday’s visit to npower Championship club Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup with Budweiser.
Latics’ manager also believes his team has everything to gain and nothing to lose at the City Ground.
Dickov said: "The one thing we can do is to go out and enjoy ourselves as nobody is expecting us to get anything from the game so we can go and have a really good go.
"I want to win the game and, if not, let’s try and get Forest back here. There will be no pressure on us and all the pressure will be on them and we can go there with a lot of confidence.
"In every round of the cup there are shocks and underdogs go on and get positive results and there is no reason why it cannot be us.
"Let’s show a siege mentality and try to win the game.
"It will also be great for the players because it is a fantastic stadium and there will be lots of fans there."
Latics will be back by a vast army of supporters with almost 2,500 tickets sold. And with Forest relaxing the all-ticket ruling for visiting fans, casual supporters will also be able to turn up on the day to swell the attendance.
And with Latics receiving 40-per-cent of the gate receipts from the game, and possibly also prize money for the winners, Dickov acknowledges the financial impact cup success can have.
While James Wesolowski and Cristian Montano are ruled out through suspension and injury respectively, Latics welcome back Robbie Simpson who has completed a three-match ban.
Dickov believes Simpson’s return will be a massive lift to the team.
He said: "It is a big plus because before his suspension Robbie, by his own admission, was just getting back to the fitness levels we all know he should be at.
"He has trained well, put in a lot of extra work and he will be ready for Saturday."
Dickov believes the key to success could well be their defensive display against a team challenging for promotion to the Barclays Premier League.
"If we defend properly, we know we have matchwinners in the team. And on any given day, if they are not at it and we are at our best, we always have a chance," he said.
Latics also have a great record against Forest in recent years. They are unbeaten in their last five meetings.
They were involved in a goalless draw on their last visit to the City Ground in 2007 and the year before that came away with a 2-0 victory.