Safety is a great achievement, now let's build for the future

Roberto Martinez has congratulated his players after Burnley's failure to beat Liverpool this afternoon confirmed that Latics will play a 6th consecutive season in the Barclays Premier League!

He has now urged his young team to finish the season on a high and called for 'a party atmosphere' at the DW Stadium next Monday against Hull City for the final home game of the season.


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"The target for this season was always to survive and it's another great landmark for the club," he said.

"We have done it by being brave, keeping to our beliefs and achieving some great phases of football.

"Congratulations to the players but this is also a great achievement for everyone at the club and to our fantastic supporters, we will only achieve our aims by all pushing together.

"There have been some real highs this season, beating Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal for the first time in the club's history has shown what is possible and to see the DW shaking to its core like it did on those occasions was a great prospect for the future.

"But we have also had some real low points too, losing 9-1 was a massive test of character for everyone at the club.

"We felt that disappointment together as a club and we came through it together, and we need that togetherness in the future as we build to make the club stronger moving forwards.

"The players reacted from the disappointments by maintaining their standards on a daily basis, and they have got their rewards when it counted.

"That's what gives everyone hope.

"The club lost some very big players going into the campaign, and we have had to be very creative in who we brought in and who we continue to bring in. We need players who are desperate to represent the club, proud to be Wigan Athletic players and want to progress with us.

"Achieving our primary aim now feels so rewarding and gives everyone at the club a real sense of happiness

"Now we need to build for the future and make sure that as a club we are never in this position again.

"I want Wigan Athletic to be challenging for Europe on a regular basis, not looking over our shoulder every season and seeing survival as the only target for the season.

"We had two 19 year-olds on the pitch yesterday while half the team were 24 or under - that is a great omen for the future

"We have got a very exciting young squad of players, the club is in a financial position where we don't have to sell anyone and we now have a tremendous opportunity to evolve and move to the next level.


YOUNG GUN: McCarthy - one of two 19-year-olds in action at West Ham on Saturday.

Martinez was hoping that Premier League safety could have been confirmed yesterday with victory at West Ham, but it was another game that got away.

"It was another strong performance, and like several other occasions recently, we have outplayed the opposition without getting our just deserts from a game. That has been the story of our season. But we will learn from that and take it into the last two games of the season.

"Now we are looking to finish the season as strongly as we can and we want to show all our great attributes in the next two games

"Let's get ready to create party atmosphere at the DW next Monday and all enjoy the feeling we deserve as a football club. Our supporters have been magnificent this season, lets make sure Monday is a day they can really enjoy."