Wolves v Latics: Jacobs says it's time to start aiming higher

Michael Jacobs is hoping Wigan Athletic can use the hectic fixture list to their advantage as they attempt to fight their way away from the foot of the Championship table.
Michael JacobsMichael Jacobs
Michael Jacobs

Latics remain five points adrift of safety after the last-gasp 3-2 defeat at Fulham on Saturday, a deficit they will be looking to reduce tonight at Wolves.

And with little time to draw breath between games, Jacobs feels the time has come for Latics to take the bull by the horns.

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“I think it’s a gap we can make up, especially with all the games we’ve got to play,” he told the Post.

“We’re playing Saturday-Tuesday until the middle of March, so we know there’s 
always another game 
around the corner to put things right.

“If you can put a run together of two or three games you can lift yourself right out of it, and it’s up to us to do that.

“We managed to do that at the start of this year and got ourselves out of the bottom three for a bit, and we need to find that form again.

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“It’s important we stay together and we work together and try to fight our way out of this situation.

“We know we need to start winning games, because the longer the season goes on and we’re still down there the harder it becomes.

“We know we’re in a relegation battle, but it’s important we don’t get cut adrift at the bottom.

“It’s a massive week for the club, with Preston at home to come at the weekend, and we need to start picking up points.”

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Jacobs will be looking to make an impression on his first return to Molineux since leaving for Wigan in the summer of 2015, with a spring in his step after breaking a scoring duck going back almost six months at the weekend.

“I surprised myself actually – I don’t know what I was doing in there to be honest!” he laughed.

“On a serious note, it’s something I’ve spoken about a few times, and it has been playing on my mind a little bit.

“I’ve been in some good positions and not taken full advantage, and that has been frustrating for me.

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“To pop up and break my duck at the weekend was obviously nice, but it didn’t make the impact I was looking for.

“It would have meant a lot more had it contributed to us picking up three points.

“On the whole, I feel I’ve been doing all right this season. But as a winger or a midfielder it’s your job to create and supply a few goals.

“The fact I’ve gone so long without a goal has been playing on my mind a little bit, because obviously it was a massive part of my game last year.

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“I need to try and score more and set up more, and hopefully Saturday will kick me on a little run.”

Despite the stakes, he’s also looking forward to catching up with some familiar faces before and after the game.

“I had a great association with Wolves, I really enjoyed my time there,” Jacobs added.

“It didn’t work out quite the way I wanted it to in my second season, because I thought I did really well in my first year in League One...it was frustrating the way it ended.

“But it’s a great club, great fans, great lads, great staff.”