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'WE MUST COME TOGETHER' - GAFFER

Posted on: Fri 05 Feb 2010

Martinez calls for club spirit to pull Latics through difficult period

Ahead of Saturday's massive league clash with Sunderland Manager Roberto Martinez has called on everyone associated with Wigan Athletic to show the same kind of togetherness that has so often brought the club through adversity in the past.

Tuesday night's defeat to Notts County was a hurtful one, but the gaffer insists that the reaction of the players has been as positive and professional as ever, and he now wants a collective effort from fans, player and staff alike in pulling Wigan Athletic through tough times:

"The last couple of days have been tough because obviously we wanted to progress in the cup, but the reaction from the players in training has been excellent," said Martinez.

"It was always going to be a case of us controlling the play and trying to break Notts County down. They got plenty of men behind the ball in typical FA Cup fashion and so when you do create a chance taking it can have a different outlook on the game altogether.

"It's important for us to understand that we're in a period where we are getting heavily punished for the slightest mistakes, and we need to make sure that doesn't affect our standards and we keep on improving.

"When you look back at the Everton game they only had one opportunity in the second-half which they took, and you get into periods where you must make sure that previous results don't affect future performances.

"So with that in mind we can't let the experience of Notts County have an impact on our performance against Sunderland. It's been a tough period over the last few weeks, but there have been big positives in the reactions of the players and the responsibility they've shown.

"We have a great dressing with real characters who have been tested like this before. There have been times this season already when we've all been tested and the reaction has always been superb.

"We've responded with great togetherness with the fans always providing the backbone to that reaction and that's exactly what we need. The players as well are responding well and now we need to make sure that we get the desired results that our performances deserve.

"We all have to stand together throughout the entire season, and once you have that you become a stronger football club, ready to face adversity. We've done it before and created that family-feeling we know we have here and now with 16 games left we need to show it again to allow the talent to come out of the players that we know they have."

Looking forward Sunderland themselves have been through a rough period, having not picked up a win home or away since being defeated at the DW Stadium back in November.

But the gaffer explained how big a threat they still are and preferred to focus on the players who will take to the pitch, rather than the former players on the side-lines:

"The game is all about the players and the importance of three points, not who is managing which side.

"The squad have been preparing well for the game and are eager to put things right as soon as possible.

"On the injury-front Chris (Kirkland) is progressing really well as expected, but the game might come a little too early for him.

"Mario (Melchiot) will again have to be assessed right up until the day of the game so we don't know if he'll be ready yet."

"It was a big result that day, for both sides. Although their form hasn't been great since they have an outstanding squad with great talent after big investment in the summer.

"Playing at home they'll be full of intensity and physicality which we'll have to match from the very start. It's going to be a tough game but we ourselves feel hard done by with recent results when we've deserved better outcomes. But if you keep doing the right things you will get rewards and we need to make sure that we have the right attitude going into this game.