Wigan Athletic boss underlines need for 'patience' amid fan frustration

The Latics manager admits he was aware of groaning from the stands during the first half of Saturday's home defeat to Exeter.

Some home supporters wanted their side to get the ball forward quicker, rather than pass it around the backline looking for an opportunity to strike.

And Maloney addressed the issue at length during his post-match press conference.

"I can hear it...and I've heard it in some other games," he said. "And it can be tough for the players to really stay calm in those circumstances.

"I hope they can look over at me and see I'm pretty calm.

"I know they can make the wrong pass or make a technical mistake at any time. But if we stick to the way we want to play...this season, next season...history has told us when we have a certain way of playing, we can do special things.

"We can't take a step back just because we're a goal down, or two goals down.

"I actually have to give lots of credit to the supporters, because I felt a really big support when we were 2-0 down. And I thought that had a positive effect on the players, who played the way we wanted them to play.

"When we had to play forward, we did, so lots of credit has to go to the fans for that...and the fans have always been great with me here.

"I know there are times when they want us to play forward more, I just need us to play forward at the right time.

"When we get it right, we can be a decent side, and I thought we showed that in the second half.

"If we concede goals, especially deflected goals, we still have to keep playing, and keep believing in what we're doing."

After a difficult first half against Exeter, Latics - boosted by a triple half-time substitution - asked far more questions of their opponents in the second period.

"The way we played in the second half was exactly the same, in terms of the idea of how we play," Maloney acknowledged. "I actually thought in the first half we lost a little bit of patience if anything.

"But I could sense it...and I've sensed it in previous games as well, in games that we've won here...Reading, Wycombe, and others. And I did think it was both on and off the pitch.

"It works both ways, because the players can affect the fans, the same as the fans can affect the players.

"There were definitely some possessional things we could have done better in the first half.

"So when we are passing the ball around the back three and back four, our positions could be better, we could go forward quicker.

"But also we need to stay patient...if it isn't on down one side, we need to go down the other side and try again...exactly what we did in the second half.

"I just need us to find the right pass, rather than always a forward pass...it might take us three or four more extra passes, but that's what I was taught here as a player 12 or 13 years ago."

Maloney also referenced the number of young players in the side, and the need to try to protect them from added outside pressure.

"You forget how young some of these boys are, even someone like Charlie Hughes, who's captain at 20," he added. "It's just trying to keep these boys calm.

"I'll never criticise the fans, because I know what they've done for this club, and what they've done for me.

"I only hear it a little bit from the West Stand, behind me, but that's okay...they have an opinion, I've no problem with that.

"It's my job to try to keep the players as calm as I can, so they can keep that belief they need to play the way we want them to."