John Sheridan is looking to continue the feel good factor around SportsDirect.com Park as the new Sky Bet League One season gets underway this weekend.
“There’s a really good feel about the place, everybody gets on, everybody is comfortable and I’m not just on about the players, I’m on about the staff around the place from the cleaners to the ground staff, I think every’s enjoying themselves and it’s a good thing, it’s what we had last time I was here.” The manager said.
“The lads who I’ve brought in on the staff side don’t think they’re better than anyone else, they speak to everyone and I feel good about it.
“What I’ll get judged on more than anyone else is results and winning football matches and that’s the most important thing because it will make it an even better place and that’s what my aim is, to get back winning and have a really good feel about the place.
“I’m going into the season really positive. I think we can compete with the teams, it’s going to be a really tough league with some good teams in there.
“Even though I want to add one or two players, I feel as though if we keep everyone fit we’re strong and acquitted to do alright.
“I’m a big believer that we can get in and around the play-offs, I’d like to think that we can aim for the play-offs. Fleetwood did it last season after poor season, why can’t we do it?
“I believe we can do it, I want the fans to believe we can do it, I think they’ve got this little bit of hope that we’re going to be a lot better this season and I want them to be like that and I want them to think like that.
“I want to try and get a few more hundred, if not thousand more supporters in the ground and talking about Oldham.
“People know I’ve got a lot of affection for Oldham, I’ve played here, I’ve managed here, I know what it’s all about.
“If you’re winning matches everything takes care of itself, unfortunately for the last couple of season the team hasn’t achieved what they should be doing, they should be doing a lot better and I’m hoping that we can do that and get people coming in and enjoying us winning football matches.
“I want people thinking we can get out of this division, that’s the way I’m thinking.”
Latics face Oxford United this Saturday in the opening game of the new campaign and the manager believes it will be a difficult test.
“I went to watch Oxford at Leeds and they’ve got a really good strong squad, like most teams in the division, I think you’re getting decent players who are dropping down to League One and you’re getting big clubs dropping down as well.
“Oxford have done well over the last couple of seasons, they’re a decent team and it’ll be a really tough game for us.”
The U’s have a new man in charge for the new campaign and it’ll be Pep Clotet’s first season as a manager in England.
This is what Sheridan makes of the Spaniard: “he’s been in and around big clubs and he’s coached at a high level, I don’t know too much about him but I know he’s got really good pedigree and I’m sure he’ll be thinking like most other managers and that they’re capable of getting out of the division."
Oldham Athletic host Oxford United in the first match of the new Sky Bet League One season on Saturday, August 5, 3pm kick off at SportsDirect.com Park.