John Sheridan: Oldham Athletic boss to stay on next season with promotion aim
- Published
John Sheridan remains a popular figure with the Oldham support
Manager John Sheridan will stay with Oldham Athletic despite relegation, with the aim of an immediate return to the English Football League next term.
Sheridan returned for a sixth stint in January, but was unable to save the Latics from the drop out of League Two after Saturday's loss to Salford City.
The 57-year-old will oversee the bid to win promotion from the National League.
"I didn't want to leave with that feeling of the club getting relegated," Sheridan told BBC Radio Manchester.
"The supporters have supported me and the team since I came in like we were going for promotion, I couldn't ask any more."
Latics fans have cause to hold Sheridan in high regard following his previous spells at Boundary Park, in which he guided them to the League One play-offs in his first full-time role and helped avoid relegation from third tier on his return.
The timing of his arrival for this most recent stint came just before the end of the January transfer window, and limited the amount of squad strengthening available.
There was also the backdrop of the supporters' extremely frosty relationship with owner Abdallah Lemsagam, triggering protests at matches like the one which delayed the defeat by Salford.
Sheridan, who also played more than 150 games for Oldham at the end of his playing career, expects to get his chance to overhaul the playing group this summer.
"I feel for the sake of a year, just give me the opportunity, if I can bounce back," he said.
"I believe in myself that I can get the right team, the right recruitment and the right players. [By] making some tough decisions, making decisions where I feel I can keep players on to push and be stronger next year.
"I was only too willing. It gives me an opportunity, if I can bring players in of my own choice and make us stronger, and get a team strong enough to get us straight back up.
"It's massively important to get straight back up, if you stay in that league it's very difficult to get out of."
Sheridan described relegation as "one of the biggest downers of my footballing career", and understands the frustrations of supporters after a miserable campaign.
Yet, he is keeping his focus on the football-side, regardless of the ownership status.
"I'm not someone who gets involved in a lot of politics and talking," Sheridan added.
"I just try to take care of what I try to be good at, and, if I am any good at it, it's managing a football team."