Caretaker manager Pete Wild is labelling the game against Morecambe tomorrow vital as Oldham Athletic look to get back to winning ways.
Latics are currently on a run of four games without a win, where as our opponents Morecambe currently sit just above the relegation zone.
Despite their league position, Wild is expecting a tough test from Jim Bentley’s side.
“Anybody that knows Jim Bentley knows what you're going to get from his Morecambe side.” He said.
“They're going to work as hard as they can, they're going to be tough to play against, they're going to be intense and they're going to make it hard work for us.
“All our preparation has been around: one, we match their intensity and two, not making it a fight or a physical contest, because we're better than that.”
Wild believes that Latics need to get a win to get the season back on track.
“Both teams need to win the game. For them, they probably don't want to get beat. And they would be happy with a draw.” He commented.
“But it's a game we've got to go out beyond the front foot and go and try and win, so I'm determined to make sure that that's the case.”
With Peter Clarke returning from suspension, Wild could be dealt with a selection headache ahead of Saturday’s game.
Jamie Stott deputised in Clarke’s place on Tuesday night and Wild is happy to have someone unhappy on Saturday as it shows how strong Latics are in that area.
“One thing I will say about the back four on Tuesday, which included three of our academy boys, is that I thought they equipped themselves very well.
“As I said on the night, Jamie Stott comes in, does really well and he’s given us food for thought as we go into Saturday.
“Competition is what I want, I want players that want to work hard for this club, and when they come in, they are chomping at the bit to do well for this club.
“All three central defenders, Peter, Jamie and George (Edmundson), you can't get three more committed members of this squad.”
As Wild looked ahead to Saturday, he hoped that everyone involved with the club can come together to get Latics through this sticky patch.
Wild says that the players that determined to get back to winnings way, starting with Morecambe on Saturday.
“Everyone's desperate to do well, everybody doesn't come into this ground whether you're a fan, a player, or a coach, nobody comes into this ground to lose.
“What we've got to do now is reflect, we've been in this position before and we've fought our way out of this position before, so we can do it again and it starts Saturday.”