The final trip of a long opening month takes QPR to Wigan tomorrow. Latics fans Josh Barton and Gary Hudson gave LFW the latest on their team.
How did Wigan achieve an immediate return to the Championship last season?
GH:The fans and the players showed good faith in manager Gary Caldwell. We made good investments in players and topped those up with intelligent use of the loan market. The ongoing parachute payments from the Premier League certainly helped too.
JB: Between 2013 and 2014 we saw 62 players come and go at the club and we started last season with just three players from that season. The start of the season was a question of the great unknown, having spent eight years in the Premier league and two in the Championship. The manager was very young and not really tested. However despite our slow start when the team needed to bed in, we ended up as champions.
Presumably Gary Caldwell is held in pretty high regard, achieving this in his first managerial job?
GH: Gary Caldwell is former player then captain at Latics. He has brought the leadership from the field to managers office. The players have a lot of respect for the manager and seem to work hard for him and got their rewards last season.
How was pre-season and the first few games?
GH: Pre season means nothing to be honest, it's just a training game against different platers. The start of the season has gone well, picking up win against Blackburn by a 3-0 scoreline against former manager also helped. Unlucky against Bristol City with two late goals and then against Forest we thought had secured a draw again to lose late, late on. The draw against Birmingham was unlucky as the Latics were the stronger side but a dodgy penalty decision put them on the back foot. It's been an ok start to the season and Caldwell has secured the services of former favourite Jordi Gomez so let's hope he finds his scoring boots.
JB: Like last season we have started slowly. We seem to be able to score goals but unlike last season we are conceding frequently and at crucial times in the game. Caldwell again sets off a new season with a number of players he does not how they will perform in the Championship. Young Luke Burke, 'he is one of our', has been brilliant at left back. Dan Burn is having a season to forget, a mistake a game (at least). Giblet looks very useful, Shaun Mc Donald seem steady and Bogdan seems to be a very capable goalkeeper. Nick Powell has been on loan with us in the past and
is quality, as is Jordi Gomez. Jake Buxton, as of yet untried, has been serving a three match ban.
Summer transfer window activity? Any business still to do?
GH: We’ve just brought back Jordi Gomez from Sunderland. He was a favourite during our time in the Premier League so hopefully he can get his scoring boots on. The rest of the team seems to be complete but time will tell.
JB: Again we have lost a couple of players, Chris McCann and Jason Pierce are greatly missed. Emyr Huws, who was on loan all last season at Huddersfield, because he did not want to play in League One has now been sold to Cardiff, so it looks like he just didn’t want to play for Wigan. To date we have signed goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, centre backs Dan Burn and Jake Buxton, midfielders Alex Gibley and Shaun McDonald, Jordi Gomez on loan, forward Nick Powell and Everton’s Luke Garbutt, again on loan. Stephen Warnock who was on loan all last season has now signed for us.
Expectations for this season?
GH: I will be happy with seventh to tenth. Stabilise in Championship and hopefully be back in Premier League in three to five years.
JB: Famous last words of any fan, we want consolidation first this season, anything else will be a bonus. Strengths, obviously Will Grigg is still on fire and he plays as a lone striker. Otherwise it is much too early to say. Weaknesses - conceding goals.
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