The Latics enter the new season on the back of a mediocre 10/11 campaign, when they finished 17th. When the fixture list was published and Oldham fans saw who they had first, there's no doubt it whet their appetite.
Paul Dickov is entering his second full campaign as Oldham boss, and is no doubt eager to improve on last season's finish.
The bookies suggest Dickov's side will struggle to keep hold of their place in League One this time around, but he shrugs off the possibility of relegation, claiming what the bookies are saying will only spur his team on.
He said: "It doesn't bother me in the slightest that the bookies have us as one of the favourites to go down. My lads will give me everything they've got, and they're definitely at their best when people write them off."
Switching his thoughts to Saturday's game and new Blades boss Danny Wilson, the Scotsman is eager for the game to get underway in what is to be a pretty full Boundary Park, and he also reckons United will be real promotion contenders under Wilson.
He continued: "It's a great, big game for us - hopefully it'll be a full house. It'll be a tough game with United rightly so being favourites to go straight back up.
"Danny has come in and they'll have a different mentality than last year. Danny is a fantastic manager with a lot of experience, so he'll know how to pick them up. Danny's teams always play good football.
"Saturday's game will be a tough test for us, but what a great game to kick the season off."
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