EXCLUSIVE: PART 2 - Wigan Athletic boss Gary Caldwell reflects on the transfer window - 'Wiganers are the best I've ever seen at getting behind a group and individuals and their own'

PK: THERE WERE A LOT OF THEORIES FLYING AROUND THE FANBASE AFTER THE TRANSFER WINDOW SHUT...THE OWNERSHIP DIDN’T PUT ENOUGH MONEY IN, THE CLUB MESSED AROUND ON DEALS, MEANING YOU RAN OUT OF TIME...HOW DID YOU SEE IT?

GC: "Look, every single owner who buys a football club will probably lose money, and our owner has lost a lot of money - or at least has put in a lot of money, that we hope he will get back one day, through the success of the team, if we achieve the amazing things that we all hope will be in the future. But at this moment in time, we need to be better as a football club - on and off the field - in terms of what we generate to make sure we are less reliant on that. Whether that is recruitment, player sales, people in the stadium, hospitality, and how we generate that money. There are loads of things we can do better at this football club, to help it run better, to make it run better, and to enable to buy better players, and be more successful, and hopefully one day get us back to the top of English football - where we were not too long ago. When we had that before, when I was here as a player, we had an owner who put in a lot of money, who had a clear vision of where he wanted to get to, and he wasn't going to stop for no-one. Look at Graham Barrow - he paid the price a couple of times for Dave Whelan's vision and ambition and how quickly he wanted to get there! Now, we're in an era where the owner is still backing the football club, but we're in a different financial landscape, which isn't going to change. We're all going to have to buy into it, and I know we can get nights like Wednesday. And the more nights like Wednesday, the better the football club will be.”

PK: THE SCNP (SALARY COST MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL) WASN'T A FACTOR IN THE PAST...HOW BIG A FACTOR IS THAT IN COMPARISON TO HOW THE CLUB OPERATED IN THE PAST?

GC: "Yes, it’s massive, and I think even more legislation needs to come into football. Because twice in recent history this football club has been on the brink, and you only need to look at so many other clubs, Bury being one, who have faced the same. It's not what any club wants, and legislation like has been brought in can only help. Obviously it's not what you want as a manager, it makes it more difficult, because you want to get the best players you want, and quickly. But as long as you've got a clear plan and a strategy, that's what's important. It might take a little bit longer but, if you're a well-run football club, the success will come.”

PK: THERE ARE A LOT OF FREE AGENTS AROUND...SCOTT HOGAN HAS BEEN ON TRIAL HERE FOR A NUMBER OF WEEKS...THERE'S A PFA SQUAD PLAYING GAMES INCLUDING WILL KEANE, WHO HAS SCORED MANY GOALS FOR THIS CLUB IN THE PAST...IS THAT A ROUTE YOU WILL LOOK TO GO DOWN?

GC: "It is, but we're in a situation where players would have to go to make that happen. At this moment in time, we couldn't do anything. But were that to change, and certain things were to happen in the squad, then it could be a possibility.”

PK: YOU'VE PRE-EMPTED MY NEXT QUESTION...RONAN DARCY HAS BEEN AVAILABLE FOR TRANSFER SINCE THE END OF LAST SEASON, WE ALL EXPECTED TOM WATSON TO GO OUT ON LOAN AGAIN TO GET SOME FIRST-TEAM FOOTBALL, THERE ARE SOME OTHERS WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM GOING OUT TO GET GAMES...WOULD THAT HELP YOU TO DO SOMETHING? GC: "Yes, that could still happen. But we need to wait and see, and make sure it's right for the player as well as the clubs involved. We can't just push players out. We want to get to the right outcome as a football club but, from a human perspective, we need to do it in the right way. I've always been very honest and up front with people, and I think it's very easy to forget at times like this that real feelings and human beings are involved. It's their lives and livelihoods that are involved, so we'll always try it in the right possible way and do right by them as well as us.”

PK: DO YOU HAVE A FINAL MESSAGE TO THE FANS AFTER THE WINDOW?

GC: "I thought the supporters were brilliant on Wednesday, in terms of getting behind a new, very young team from the off, that they could see is a work in progress, but desperate to do right by them...a young team playing positively and enthusiastically. I thought we played some incredible football in possession, and we need to keep that going. I know there's frustrations with certain things, I get it. But you're called a supporter for a reason...come and support the team, and hopefully you'll get the rewards you're looking for and we're all looking for. Everyone wants better for their team and their club, and I'm no different. But as long as we we do it in a positive and constructive way...when you really need people...I think Wiganers are the best I've ever seen at getting behind a group and individuals and their own. And we're going to need that this season, with a young group that will miss chances, make mistakes, give goals away... If you get behind these players, I guarantee they will give you something back."