Another brick in the wall for Wigan Athletic boss ahead of Preston test

After being seven points adrift of safety just over a week ago, Latics can climb out of the Championship’s bottom three with a win over Preston on Saturday.

And the Wigan boss says the secret behind the recent upturn has been not getting too daunted about their plight.

“When you’re at the bottom of the mountain, you don’t ever think you can reach the top,” he said.

“But the only way to get to the top is to start climbing, one step at a time.

“When you win football matches, everything in the world changes.

“If you’re not winning football matches, nothing in the world will change.

“That’s why, for us, the mentality has always been to keep going, and focus on the next game.

“You can’t affect the last game, the only one you can affect is the next one.”

Cook has maintained all along Latics’ luck would change, and his steadfast belief has been borne out of late.

“It’s an amazing game football, the minute something’s not working, people want change,” he said.

“The reality is, in football these days, supporters just want their team to win.

“They probably don’t have that much interest in how the team plays, they just want it to win.

“If you’re playing a not-so-good football style, and not winning, they want a passing style.

“If you’re playing a passing style, and not winning, they want a more robust style.

“The brutal truth is just the fans want to win and, as a manager, you need to be hardened to that.

“You’ve got to take the criticism when it comes, but that’s just the game we’re in.”