Wigan Athletic boss admits 'real body blow' has knocked him back

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Shaun Maloney admits Wigan Athletic's off-field issues have come as a 'real body blow' to the change in mentality and culture he'd started to implement.

Latics have nine matches to save themselves from the drop, but the five-point gap to safety will surely become eight when the EFL adds a three-point deduction for another late payment of wages.

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While Maloney has brought an improvement in the on-field standards, he admits the well-documented distractions off the pitch have been extremely harmful.

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Shaun Maloney has nine matches to save Latics from the drop back to League OneShaun Maloney has nine matches to save Latics from the drop back to League One
Shaun Maloney has nine matches to save Latics from the drop back to League One

"I've tried to start to build a culture here over the last 40 or so days, where I've pushed really hard to instil a work ethic and a culture," he said.

"I've never experienced something like this, but it's felt like a real body blow to our hopes of doing that.

"Because even where we are in the league, I feel there's actually been a big positivity in terms of the club connecting again on and off the field.

"I think everyone saw me after the game at Burnley, when I was devastated with what had happened.

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"But I really wanted to show on Monday we had a renewed belief and motivation to rebuild this club so that a season like this never happens again."

Tuesday's draw against Coventry made it eight points from nine games since Maloney took charge in January – and he remains unbeaten in four outings at the DW.

But he's well aware of the need to turn those draws - five in total - into wins.

"We're off the bottom, it's something, but we have to win games in this situation," Maloney said.

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"That's why we made the changes (during the Coventry game) we did, because draws aren't going to be enough for us.

"We're trying desperately to win games, and we'll continue to do that."

Maloney made five substitutions during the Coventry game, in addition to the five changes to his starting line-up, signalling a desire to shuffle his pack to find the winning formula.

"Some of the changes before the game were definitely physical, because of the recent games we've played, especially with 10 men on Saturday (at Burnley)," he added.

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"A couple of them were also tactical, but I thought they worked on the whole.

"We were very good in the first half, although I thought we were too open at times to the counter attack.

"But in the situation we're in, I have to try to create moments where we can win the game.

"I took off Christ Tiehi, who I thought was brilliant in the first half, just in terms of the space I saw that needed to be attacked.

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"After the game, it perhaps looks harsh, but I had to go for it and allow him to rest up for Saturday."

Maloney also hailed midfielder Max Power, who made his 500th career appearance in midweek.

"On the pitch, he's somebody that wants to compete, and he's channelling it in a way that I want, being one of those leaders, and being vocal,” the Latics boss added.

"He's understanding his position now, we're really getting him to concentrate on being in that central area.

"To play 500 games is a massive credit to anyone.

"He's only 29, so he's got a lot in him as well, hopefully with us.”