Talking football: Wigan Athletic's worst-kept secret and how the land lies post-window

Wigan Athletic players, management and supporters have known for some time that Thelo Aasgaard is the real deal.

After the Norwegian Prince's match-winning cameo at Luton last weekend, the rest of the country is also aware.

This weekend's visit of Blackburn is particularly apt, given Rovers were on the receiving end of Aasgaard's jaw-dropping winning goal in the FA Cup third round last year.

Leam Richardson has been careful not to over-burden the 20-year-old with too much, too soon.

Very wisely too, with the youngster developing perhaps a little bit later in his teenage years, pouting his body at risk of injury.

In the meantime, he remains a very useful asset to be able to call on as and when.

One of these days I'm going to understand why, after a whole summer of being able to sign players, some clubs wait until transfer deadline night before making their move.

And by 'some clubs', obviously I mean Latics.

Both deadline day arrivals at the DW - Rarmani Edmonds-Green and Anthony Scully - were announced in a half-hour window either side of the 11pm cut-off.

Plenty of waiting, plenty of pizza being eaten - not by me, I hasten to add - but we got there in the end.

That took the total number of incomings this summer to five, to replace the seven senior outgoings since the end of last term.

And while the numbers are down, you'd have to say the quality of recruits has given the squad a stronger look to it.

Of the seven departures, three of them are now in League One, three moved to the Scottish Premier League on season-long loans, with only one remaining in the Championship.

The incomings all have a pedigree of performing at this level or, in the case of Nathan Broadhead, shown already they can cut it in the second tier.

And with a strong start behind them, Leam Richardson's men look in good shape to attack the first half of the campaign.

At the same time, it's also important not to get carried away.

The landscape has changed hugely in even the two years since Latics last played at this level.

After winning promotion in 2018, Latics spent several million pounds - and had the 'cheat code' of having Reece James on loan - and still only narrowly avoided the drop.

The following season - although they secured enough points to finish in lower mid-table - they also flirted with the drop zone for three-quarters of the campaign, after another sizable outlay in the summer.

This time, Richardson has had to beg, steal or borrow players, with four of the five players arriving on loan, and the other penning only a one-year deal.

The gaffer will always back himself to consolidate at this level.

But it's worth bearing in mind, that in itself would be a huge achievement this time round, given the disparity between the haves and have nots.

Looking at the bigger picture, Manchester United spent more on Antony than the 24 Championship clubs spent in total during this summer.

That 'level playing field' looks even more uneven by the day.