Martinez: We must bounce back
Roberto Martinez believes Sunday's visit of in-form Fulham affords Latics the perfect chance to learn from their 'painful lesson' at Portsmouth.
Wigan host the Cottagers on Remembrance Sunday hoping to continue their
recent good run at the DW Stadium, where they are unbeaten since mid-August.
And the game cannot come soon enough for the Wigan boss and his players, following the Halloween horror show at Fratton Park.
Martinez told the Evening Post: "It will be tough, but these are the kind of challenges we need and are looking forward to.
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"Fulham have picked up European experience this season, they are on a very good run, and they have had fantastic results against Liverpool and Manchester City recently.
"We have looked very strong for the most part at home this season, and we need to make sure we carry on showing that.
"We need to show the right attitude and the right focus to get a good result.
"We also need to make sure we learn from the painful lesson of last week."
The Spaniard also believes the advantage of playing in front of their own supporters could prove crucial on the
day.
He said: "It will be a big boost for us to be back at the DW, because every time we have played at home this
season we have managed to generate a real chemistry with the fans.
"That gives us real belief and a feeling that we can beat anyone, and we have shown that many times so far.
"Home matches are a great opportunity to get together as a club, especially when you are looking to bounce back after a disappointing performance.
"You need the warmth of the fans to help you get back to your best – but we know Fulham will be a difficult proposition."
The disappointment of last weekend was made all the more annoying given some of the superb performances the team have put in this term.
But Martinez called on his players to examine where they went wrong at Fratton Park, and come back stronger for the experience.
He said: "We need to look back at Portsmouth and learn a few important lessons.
"It was disappointing not to maintain the performance we have shown in the last six or seven games.
"And we need to make sure we find out why that sort of performance happened, and work out how to correct it and make sure it doesn't happen again.
"Saturday was a painful lesson, but it is something that will hopefully allow us to carry on progressing.
"When we don't manage to find that consistency, it is because we are facing a completely different kind of game or approach to a game, and that's where the learning curve comes in.
"We have showed how well we can perform during our 11 games so far, and we have shown special phases of football and done many good things.
"This is another case of us having to accept responsibility for a really bad performance, and make sure we are a better side for it."
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Weather for Wigan
Thursday 02 September 2010
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 22 C
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
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