OPINION: Why the new-look Wigan Athletic will be all about the 'Shaun Identity'

With Wigan Athletic being Wigan Athletic, the 'off' season has contained more anguish, fear, hope, expectation, excitement and activity than most clubs' whole campaigns.

The big plus is the fact Latics will actually take their place on the start line.

Which may seem glib but, for a time earlier in the summer, was very much hanging in the balance.

Thankfully the takeover by Wigan-born billionaire Mike Danson has steadied the ship completely.

And drawn a line under the most excruciatingly painful periods in the club's 91-year history.

Unlike previous Latics takeovers, there has been a complete and utter lack of boastful pledges about Premier League and beyond.

And that will sit perfectly fine with every single one of the supporters.

Don't get me wrong, the long-term ambition will always be to progress up the pyramid and, hopefully, one day back to the top flight.

But it must be done in a way that never again puts the whole future, the whole existence, of the club in jeopardy.

In Shaun Maloney, they have the perfect man to lead the rebuild.

Someone with genuine ambitions of leading the club back to the big time.

But in a careful, honest, humble and responsible fashion.

The Scot, by his own admission, was reduced to tears at point during the takeover process, when it looked as though Latics may have played their final fixture.

Along with Gregor Rioch - whose Academy project had saved the club once already during the summer of 2020 - Maloney's role in the successful takeover cannot be underestimated.

The glue that held everything together...the one keeping his head while all around were losing theirs.

And it would have been such a welcome relief when he was allowed to get back onto the field with his players for pre-season training.

With so much upheaval, the task of moulding a new-look squad into his vision was far from straightforward.

But anyone who has caught any of Latics in pre-season cannot fail to have been struck by how much of a mark Maloney has already made on the playing style.

The players have interchanged, boosting their own personal fitness, but the philosophy has been loud and clear.

Keeping the ball on the deck, playing the 'right' way...the 'Shaun' Identity, if you will.

As the manager has acknowledged more than once, 'We'll win games, we'll lose games...but this is how we're going to do it'.

We saw clear evidence of improvement during the second half of last term, when Maloney was largely restricted to a squad put together by those before him.

From this weekend, it will be Maloney's squad, in his mould, with his name above the door...and a blank canvas

The recruitment policy has so far been loud and clear - young, hungry players with everything to prove.

Who will be given the licence to 'enjoy their football', in the knowledge their manager will back them every step of the way, and take all responsibility for anything that goes wrong.

Rewind just over a decade, and it's exactly how Maloney and Co were able to deliver on the club's biggest day, under a similar mindset under Roberto Martinez.

Maloney says it's only by using that blueprint will Latics be able to realise their potential, while being on a financial plane that will be lower than most.

It's worked before and, fingers crossed, it'll work again.

But Latics have their DNA back...and that's something to be excited about approaching the big kick-off.