1st December 2000  

Linighan nostalgic

ANDY RITCHIE is demanding a repeat showing from Athletic as they prepare to meet rock-bottom Oxford at Boundary Park tomorrow. Despite the 1-0 defeat, Ritchie was happy with last week's display against Millwall. And the same level of performance could be enough to seal three points. Athletic couldn't face a more contrasting challenge as Millwall are top, while Oxford have won only twice all season. On paper, it is an ideal chance for Ritchie's men —themselves only one place above the drop zone — to get back to winning ways. We were a bit unlucky in front of goal last week," the manager insisted. "We could have scored once or twice, and their 'keeper made a couple of great saves. But we were playing the best side in the division and we totally dominated them for half the game. "Although tomorrow is different, it will be tough again and it's a game we need to win. "You don't want lose at any time, but if it's against the side who are bottom of the league they are making up ground."

Athletic's plans revolve around Paul Rickers, who is struggling with a groin strain. They expect the converted right-back to pass a fitness test, but contingency plans are being drawn up. If Rickers is ruled out, Scott McNiven will probably move to full-back, with Paul Jones coming into the centre. It could well be an unchanged team, however, as Shaun Garnett and Tony Carss have recovered from minor niggles.

ATHLETIC (from): Kelly, Rickers, Garnett, McNiven, Innes, Allott, Duxbury, Carss, Eyres, Corazzin, Dudley, Jones, Holt, Boshell, Salt, Tipton, Miskelly.

Oxford recently set a club record of nine successive away defeats and, with 42 goals conceded, have the worst defensive record in the country. But they have won their last two away games, 2-1 at Swansea in the league and 1-0 at Macclesfield in the FA Cup. Former Wimbledon midfielder Peter Fear is back from suspension, while Wayne Hatswell — a defender signed from Conference club Forest Green — goes straight into the squad. Andy Linighan, the ex-Athletic and Arsenal defender, is set to play at centre-back.

OXFORD (from): Knight, Robertson, Brown, Linighan, Richardson, Fear, Andrews, Murphy, Lilley, Gray, Beauchamp, S Weatherstone, Powell, Omoyimni, Jarman, Hatswell, Glass

ANDY LINIGHAN will be rolling back the years tomorrow when he returns to Boundary Park with his latest club, Oxford United. The big defender, who had two years with Athletic in the mid-1980s, is still going strong at an age which, in football terms, makes him virtually geriatric. Linighan, now 38, recently made Oxford his eighth club when he signed on a free transfer from Crystal Palace. It is the first time in almost 20 years that the former England ‘B’ international, who won a host of medals with Arsenal, has played outside the top two divisions. Linighan started out with his local team, Hartlepool, before becoming a regular at Leeds.

Athletic signed him for £55,000 in early 1986 and, in his first full season, he almost helped them into the top flight. Instead, there was last-minute heartache as Athletic, who had spent the entire season in the top three, lost out in the first-ever play-offs. Leeds were their torturers, but Linighan still stepped up a few months later when Norwich bought him for £350,000 — at the time, the biggest fee ever received by Athletic. He went on to play in the legendary Arsenal defence alongside Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and David Seaman. Then it was Palace. And, in probably the final move of his career, Linighan accepted a relegation battle when he joined the rock-bottom side who visit Boundary Park tomorrow. “I’ve been back to Oldham before, but it will be a nice bit of nostalgia,” said the giant centre-back. 

“It’s a while since I played for them, but I remember arriving around the same time as some other lads from Leeds in Tommy Wright, Denis Irwin and Andy Ritchie. “Losing in the play-offs was the first big disappointment of my career, apart from being told I wasn’t required by Leeds. “I never really wanted to leave Elland Road, but Joe Royle was very persuasive and it was probably the best thing for me in the long run. “Norwich turned out to be a good move as well. And obviously it was excellent to play in a defence as well organised as Arsenal’s. “But I was more of a squad player, really. I’d hoped to be a regular and maybe even play for England because I’d already won four ‘B’ caps. “It didn’t quite pan out that way, though — although my time with Arsenal did put one or two items in the trophy cabinet.” In fact, Linighan helped the Gunners to win the championship, the league cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. And, in 1993, he scored the winning goal at Wembley to earn his side the FA Cup.

He felt he was being pushed into coaching at Palace, instead of being allowed to complete his days as a player. Coaching and management don’t interest him, he insists. But he is determined to prolong his career and help Oxford avoid the dreaded drop into division three. It will take some doing. The U’s have won only twice in the league all season and are already a long way from safety. And it’s a sign of the times that they are on their fifth manager in 12 months, an amazing record which has seen Malcolm Shotton, Mickey Lewis, Denis Smith and Mike Ford fall by the wayside. The new man is David Kemp, a respected coach who has ex-Millwall boss Alan McLeary as his assistant and a high-profile Director of Football in Joe Kinnear. Linighan said: “The club is building for the future and Joe is someone who will help by attracting new players. “But we are getting a bit adrift and we need to start winning soon. So, even at this stage of the season, it’s an important relegation game for both sides.”

TEAMtalk Oldham

United boss Dave Kemp was delighted this week to see several of the fringe players at the Manor Ground pushing hard for a first-team place. After the disappointment of last Saturday's throw-away 3-2 home defeat by Notts County, it was the pick-me-up he needed to see several players impress in the reserves' 2-1 win over Northampton Res, their sixth successive victory in the Avon Insurance Combination. "A lot did very well," Kemp said. "They're getting up to pace and are ready for a (first-team) game. They've also trained well, are producing it in training and are putting themselves in contention by their work ethic. Simon Weatherstone, for example, had his best game that I have seen, yet he was very poor last week against Notts County." Dean Whitehead and Paul Powell scored the goals for the reserves and these two are surely among the leading candidates, of those who didn't play last Saturday, to be considered for selection against Oldham at Boundary Park this weekend.

This is another Division 2 match where the pressure will be on - for both teams. Oldham are fifth from bottom and Oxford will be well aware they are one of the teams they will probably need to overhaul if they are to clamber to safety. Kemp said: "I'm looking for a performance again. If we get a performance from the players and the team, just as we did in the previous two away games, I'm sure we'll get a result. "There are no guarantees that we will get a win but we must return to the consistent level we need. We were a bit airy-fairy last week against Notts County and we paid for it, and we can't afford to be like that again." Good news for the U's is that Oldham are still likely to be without their best player, midfielder John Sheridan, who has not played since the opening day of the season because of a knee injury.

He has had an operation and made his comeback in the reserves on Tuesday, but this game has come probably a week too early for him to be considered. Oldham are also without the experienced Neil Adams, who has had a knee ligament injury. United fans will know that Mark Watson spent a month on trial at Boundary Park at the start of this season, after his spell at Wolves ended. He started two games, which ended in 5-1 and 3-0 defeats, and then went again. But the Latics have another Canadian, former Northampton striker Carlo Corazzin, who has hit four goal and will be one of the main dangers to United making it three straight wins on the road.