POPULAR NEWS

This area does not yet contain any content.
MORE FOOTBALL BLOGS
    WRITE FOR FF

    « Pep's Bayern move paves the way for Mourinho's Chelsea return | Main | The 3 best buys this window »
    Wednesday
    Jan302013

    Is this the season Wigan Athletic go down?

    Wigan Athletic have developed a knack of picking up form towards the tailend of March in recent years that has continuously seen them avoid the drop into the Championship. Picking up unlikely wins at destinations, where normally they would succumb to defeat, manager Roberto Martinez has developed this mental toughness over time that has seen the club secure their safety in the Premiership time and time again.

    It isn't the easiest of tasks for any manager, let alone one that has overseen his side in the bottom three for much of the season. But on a yearly basis, the Latics dig deep to find that little bit extra to pick up the necessary victories to stave off the threat of relegation, much to the bemusement of fans who question why the club couldn't churn similar performances across the season.

    However, could this year be the one where the petrol finally runs out on the Wigan Championship-avoiding-machine? Tuesday night's 2-2 draw with Stoke City was a sign of the psychological strength Martinez has consistently delivered on a seasonly basis.

    With his side 2-0 down, many had ruled the club out of making a game during the stalemate with the Potters, only for James McArthur and Franco Di Santo to pull Wigan level during the second half.

    It's as if Martinez once again rediscovers the winning formula his side lack, before drunkenly misplacing it around the DW Stadium and forgetting whereabouts it is, only to find it again come March; something that is repeated year after year.

    But will it happen again this year, or will the Spaniard have hidden the formula in a location so difficult to remember where it's been left that will see Wigan suffer? Judging on last night's draw with Stoke, evidence would suggest it will be the former.