Latics gear themselves for big kick off after great pre-season

Report By Paul Chialton

The Beijing Olympics got underway at the weekend,with the motto; 'Citius, Altius, Fortius'  ('Swifter, Higher, Stronger'). The perfect summary of Latics' pre-season campaign, that went like clockwork after their return from Austria pre-season.

Four games, four victories, twelve goals scored, two conceded - results do not mean anything at this stage of course, but statistics like that have never done any team any harm!!

Steve Bruce and the coaching staff have introduced a new training programme designed to enhance the team's overall fitness, and ensure that they hit the ground running this Saturday against West Ham.

A 6-0 goal-fest at Barnsley and a 3-2 win against Sheffield Wednesday not only showed a marked difference in class between the teams, but also a level of fitness Latics' opponents just couldn't keep up with.

Fans have also had the chance to feast their eyes on Bruce's new recruits, and will have been impressed at the start they've made.

Daniel de Ridder and Olivier Kapo have been creative on the wings, providing some telling crosses and causing defenders plenty of problems. de Ridder even managed to grab three goals along the way, against Barnsley (2) and a superb free kick at FC Utrecht.


Olivier's army - Kapo's versatility could be a big asset

Lee Catermole has made a solid impact in the middle of the field, challenging hard, breaking up play and starting attacks.

Cat amongst the pigeons - Lee will ruffle some feathers this season

And goal-hero Amr Zaki seems destined to be a firm fans favourite. Scoring match-winners against Sheffield Wed and Hibernian, the Egyptian has plenty of strength and desire to provide a threat to plenty of Premiers League defences this season

Zak Attack - looking forward to the Premier League

The other strikers Emile Heskey, Henri Camara and Antoine Sibierski all apppear to be in goal-scoring mood and the season is set to be an exciting, and hopefully successful one for Latics.