Wigan Athletic stars 'will be held accountable'

Latics have lost seven of their last eight league games heading into this weekend's tough trip to Swansea City.

It's a run that's seen them drop from the fringes of the play-offs to the Championship relegation zone.

But Cousins isn't about to throw out the baby with the bath water - and insists the answers to the problems can be found within.

"I don't think the performances have been terrible, we've been in the vast majority of the games," he said.

"But you can't allow your standards to slip even one per cent in the Championship, because you will get punished.

"We're a tight-knit group, and we all hold each other accountable.

"If we can do that, and we keep up the level of performance we have, then the tide will turn and the losses will turn into draws and hopefully wins."

One thing Cousins won't do is turn to social media for advice on how to put things right.

"I can tell you honestly, I'm not really a social media person," revealed Cousins, who’s played the last four games since returning from a quad muscle injury sustained in pre-season.

"I'm not on Twitter - having been in the game for 10 years, I don't tend to look outside too much.

"All that matters to me is what happens inside the training ground and inside the club.

"If I was to have a good look at what was on social media, and look at every comment and nook and cranny, it would blow my mind crazy and I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my football.

"I let other people have their say and do their jobs, and I just concentrate on what I can control.

"When things are going well, you'd be typing in your name and seeing all the nice comments.

"When things are going bad, you'd just be seeing a load of negative stuff.

"And that can only have an adverse effect on what you're trying to do.

"For personally, staying away from all that just keeps me nice and grounded."