Former Latics boss and playing legend Andy Ritchie has confidence that John Sheridan will turn the club's current plight into success. Ritchie signed Sheridan when he was Latics' manager and he insists that Shez will get the very best out of his available resources.
Ritchie said, “You play the cards you have been dealt and you can't change them. It's not possible to turn a two into an ace, so you have to think, 'this is what I've got to work with and this is what we have to do.' If you are managing in the lower leagues, you just have to accept it - unless you are managing a Wigan, or a Fleetwood who have a few bob. You have to work with it and that's what I did when I was there. I knew we had to work with the kids we had and I was quite happy with that. I knew I had an assistant in Billy Urmson who knew them all as well and who was able to identify those who were good enough and those who weren't. At that time, we did have quite a few who were pretty good.”
“I spoke to John after the Oxford game and didn't think they played that badly, but they didn't threaten the goal. That will be a problem for them as you need strikers to get you the goals and they cost money. Blackpool will be more of an even test in terms of where the clubs are and also the monetary situation. You don't want to keep harping on about it, but it's a massive thing. There are divisions within divisions right from the Premier League right down to the Conference and below.
"John wants to get people in and he's already said that. But it's difficult when you haven't got any money to tempt people. I think probably the way he will have to go is loans again. I have massive faith in John. He was a magnificent player for me and my best signing, no doubt about that - though David Eyres keeps saying it was him! He has the credentials and he has done it twice before. He won't leave any stone unturned and he is very conscientious, as are his staff.”