LATICS favourite David Eyres has backed Keith Curle to win promotion in his first full season in charge, but has warned that he must be allowed to manage on his terms if it is to be achieved.

Curle went up to League One via the play-offs with his last club - at the end of his first complete season as boss of Northampton Town - Eyres is confident he can repeat the feat with Oldham.

But the former winger said any interference from owner Abdallah Lemsagam would be a recipe for disaster, not success.

"I don't know the full ins and outs of what's going on at the football club, but with the amount of changes there doesn't seem to be much stability there," said Eyres, who played the final six years of his professional career at Boundary Park.

"The chopping and changing seems to be a regular occurrence, which is a shame because they've got a good manager there in Keith Curle and if he's given an opportunity to build, and I mean given the opportunity... if things aren't going to plan straight away then you still give him the chance to still do what he needs to do and stamp his own mark on it.

"If he's given that time there's every chance the club could start moving upwards.

"Knowing him as a person and how he works he will want promotion this season.

"He did well with Northampton and got them promoted.

"With the backing and support of the owner and getting the players that he wants in and how he wants his team to play, if he's given the opportunity I think he'll be successful.

"But we've seen over the last couple of years that managers have been chopped and changed and some big names have left there as well.

"If it was one or two managers you'd say maybe it just didn't work, but when there's three or four leaving more or less for the same reasons then maybe the owner needs to change his ways a little bit, put his faith in the manager and give him the opportunity to take the club where they want to be and give him the support and backing to do that and maybe not get involved as much. Let him take care of everything."

Eyres, who made over 200 league appearances for Latics between 2000 and 2006 and scored 44 goals in all competitions, added: "From the outside looking in it looks like there's been maybe too much interference and not letting people do their job.

"When you've got managers like Keith Curle who have been there and done it then let him do it, don't make things difficult for him.

"Just let the manager take control and let him do his job. If he's given the chance to do the job I'm sure he can be successful.

"Hopefully Keith is going to be given that chance to stabilise the club first and foremost and then try to get back into League One. That will be the main focus this season."