Wigan Athletic boss on James McClean and future formations

The 32-year-old rejoined Latics on the eve of the campaign, and has been one of the key reasons behind Latics hitting the ground running.

His goal against Burton at the weekend was his fourth in the last five matches, which led to him being named the club’s player of the month for October.

And his manager says the splash McClean has made on his return isn’t just limited to what fans see on the field.

“James does the right thing off the pitch every single day,” said Richardson.

“His habits from Sunday to Friday mean he comes out on a Saturday able to produce on a consistent basis.

“One big thing about James is that he loves football.

“He loves playing football, he loves this club, and I think you can see that with his performances so far.”

McClean had a new role in the side at the weekend, having switched to left wing-back to accommodate the introduction of a third centre-back.

The move worked a treat, and Richardson admitted it’s something he has been considering for some weeks.

“We have spoken since pre-season about having the flexibility to change formation,” he said.

“Looking at other teams’ systems, we’ve got to be really respectful of their strengths.

“Saturday was one of those, and with the personnel on the pitch, it’s important to be as flexible as possible.

“We’ve got through a long period where there’s been so much consistency, so there was no real need to change.

“But I just felt that putting in a bit of bite and steel, Saturday was the right time to do that.

“The next game and the one after that might be completely different.”

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