Wigan Athletic boss admits his side have to locate 'another gear' in attack

Latics have recorded three goalless draws in a row - against Lincoln City, Stevenage and Exeter City - having edged all three in terms of territory and chances.

While Maloney is happy with the way Latics have shored up at the back, he admits he has work to do to improve their fortunes at the other end of the pitch.

"My overriding feeling is that we have another gear to find in possession," said the Latics boss. "Even if we have to go side to side three or four times, I want it to be quicker.

"Probably then we're asking a little bit more of our 10s, Jensen (Weir) and Thelo (Aasgaard). But we have to try to hurt teams first through the middle, and then go wide...sometimes at the moment, it's just wide, wide, wide.

"I want to give the crowd goals and exciting matches...it's a difficult one. Generally, for the last three matches, defensively we've been very, very good. I just feel we need a little bit more when we attack...and if we can get that, we can be a pretty good team.

"We just have to work on that...because I don't want to ever feel like we accept a 0-0...I want to be continually pushing the players.

"I think if the players really start to believe that they can become a very good team if they get certain things right...we can beat any team. But what we've also seen is we can get beat if we're not defensively right.

"I just feel like we’re on the verge of something quite good...but I don't want to say it too loudly."

There has been some frustration in the stands about Latics’ inability to translate their possession into genuine goalscoring chances.

Maloney acknowledges there are ‘small details’ to be ironed out, but he remains positive things will eventually come good.

"We want to get from the middle of the pitch, to those attacking areas, as often as we can,” he said. "There's definitely positions, and the way we receive the ball, the angles players are standing at, where we can improve.

"Probably the hardest part at the moment is I've got a dressing room that feels like it's been a defeat (on Saturday), and it hasn't been.

"It's up to me to inspire them, to get those small details right, and instead of creating a couple of chances, creating maybe five more. That's what we're trying to build here, but it's not an overnight thing."

Maloney admitted the latest stalemate – against Gary Caldwell’s Exeter – represented another ‘missed opportunity’.

He added: “I trust their talent but we’re not taking our chances. Teams are setting themselves up in a certain way, and we just have to be really patient, and when we do get chances, we have to take them.

"I want to give the fans goals and wins, but it’s building blocks at the moment. I am desperate to win for them."