Wigan Athletic legend plots downfall of his old club

The Hatters host Latics at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, looking to bounce back from their heaviest defeat of the season.

But he insists his time with Latics as assistant manager to Roberto Martinez - which included a 9-1 defeat at Tottenham and an 8-0 loss at Chelsea in 2009/10 - will stand him in good stead.

“I have had this kind of thing before," he acknowledged. “We (Wigan) got beaten 9-1 at Tottenham and we won the next game, we beat Sunderland 1-0, as an assistant, and that’s exactly what we have to do now.

“We can’t change what’s happened. We must make sure this is never repeated again, and we have to go and beat Wigan next week, simple as that.”

Speaking to Luton Today - sister publication of Wigan Today - Jones sees a lot of similarities between Luton's task of staying in the Championship, and Latics' attempts to remain in the Premier League against the odds.

“This challenge really reminds me a lot of my time at Wigan, a small club in a big league, having to take a few on the chin, dust yourself down, show some character, and come back," he added.

"That’s exactly where we are.”