Joyce has faith in current squad

Warren Joyce believes his injury-hit Wigan Athletic squad still has enough quality and fight to get back to winning ways '“ even before the addition of new blood.
Warren Joyce thinks his current squad has the strength to get out of troubleWarren Joyce thinks his current squad has the strength to get out of trouble
Warren Joyce thinks his current squad has the strength to get out of trouble

Latics emerged from the festive period mired in 23rd place in the Championship, six points adrift of safety, ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup third-round clash against Nottingham Forest.

Joyce has acknowledged the need for reinforcements during January to bolster the squad for the second half of the campaign.

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But he has also reiterated his faith in those players who have been swimming against the tide in recent weeks.

“I’ve spoken before about the belief here, and I still believe we’re capable of winning every game we play,” the Latics boss acknowledged.

“We’ve played the top sides, we’ve played the bottom sides, and we’ve looked a better, more organised outfit against the top sides.

“We had a method in our play on Monday against Huddersfield that I thought we’ve had in the last few games.

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“The only game I thought we struggled was in the first half at Rotherham, and even then it was scruffy goals we conceded.

“It wasn’t like they ripped us apart, it wasn’t clever play on their part, it was just fighting to win second balls.

“Nobody’s carved us open, nobody’s outplayed us, there’s not been one time I’ve come in thinking: ‘We’re a poor side, there’s no hope for us, because we can’t deal with this, that or the other’. I don’t think it’s looked that way in any game since I’ve been here.

“If you’ve got that, you’ve got hope – because you’ve got hope of winning every single game you play.

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“Obviously I knew it was a big task before I came here, and it is a challenge.

“All we can do is take each game as it comes, approach each game the same – whether it’s a league game or a cup tie – and try to win, because you want that winning feeling. Winning becomes a habit.”