Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - 'It feels like a phoenix has risen from the ashes'

Matt Auffrey:

We achieved a major milestone last Saturday afternoon when the Exeter vs Stockport match ended in a 3-3 draw, mathematically guaranteeing our status in League One for the 2026/27 season. While the club’s long-term ambitions go well beyond just keeping our head above water in the third tier, the collective efforts over the past two months that secured safety with three games to spare should not go unnoticed.

Two clubs from this division have already been relegated and seven more clubs are still not mathematically safe ahead of this weekend’s fixtures. There isn’t a single fan who wouldn’t have snatched your hand off to be in the position we are in now, on the eve of Gary Caldwell’s hiring in mid-February.

The gaffer has remained steadfast that we will continue to approach this final stretch of the season on a match-by-match basis, but the urge to look ahead to the summer remains strong. At this moment in time, we have very few players under contract for next season. Several of our contracted players will surely move to different clubs this off-season as well.

The prospect of a personnel ‘refresh’ that allows Caldwell to build a squad capable of getting us over that ‘mid-table hump’ is enticing. These last few matches will allow the gaffer to take a thorough look at our current group without the looming threat of relegation hanging over his head.

Saturday’s home finale against Wimbledon will provide a grand opportunity for many players to leave a positive impression against a team in freefall. The Dons are winless over their last nine matches, with eight of those results ending in defeat.

They were in the top half of the league table in mid-March and 11 points clear of the relegation zone. Now, they have dropped all the way to 20th position with just a two-point advantage over Exeter, who loom right behind them with a vastly superior goal difference as well.

While we failed to bring our shooting boots with us to Port Vale last Sunday, the scoreless draw was a good result against a decently organised side that was desperate for a win. Keeping the clean sheet with captain Jason Kerr out of the squad was a positive development as well.

We enter this weekend off the back of a five-match unbeaten streak that has produced an impressive 11 points over a few weeks' span. We are also unbeaten over our past five home matches where we have outscored our opponents by a 9-1 margin.

A win on Saturday would means we finish the league campaign with a 52 per cent win rate for home matches - a considerable improvement over last season’s 30 per cent win rate at the Brick. Winning over half of our home matches should be a bare minimum expectation for the club going forward for as long as we remain in this division.

Lastly, this Saturday marks the last time many of our fans will likely see a chunk of our players in a Latics shirt, the most notable being Huddersfield loanee Joe Taylor. Our top scorer has the opportunity to finish this season with one of the best goals-per-90-minutes ratios the club has seen in recent memory.

Should we not be able to afford the seven-figure price tag to permanently secure the 23-year-old’s services over the summer, scoring a few more goals with the team on the beach would be a worthy parting gift. We weathered a great storm several months ago, and our fans deserve to end the season watching stress-free winning football in the sun. I wish everyone a great day out on Saturday!

George Arkwright:

This is a weekly football column, so I really should be speaking about the weekly football that takes place. But unfortunately, Sunday’s match was incredibly dull and didn’t hold any meaning for us as a team. We drew 0–0 with the bottom of the league and we’ve already safely avoided relegation. That’s really all there is to say.

Instead, like so many, my mind turns to summer - and beyond. Gary Caldwell said in his post-match interview that there’s no real celebration in simply staying up. The work continues right through to the end of the season, only to ramp up again on June 1, when the transfer window opens.

With that in mind, I thought I’d take a quick look through the squad and offer my two pence on who should stay and who should go - at least across the starting XI and the bench. A few months ago, I’d probably have had a very different list. But after watching Latics gradually gel, I’m now more of the opinion that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Starting at the back - Sam Tickle is class. His shot-stopping at this level is exceptional. Some 13 clean sheets and a 67 per cent save rate, particularly given how poor we were in the first half of the season, is some achievement. If we can tighten up defensively, I think we’ll see him return to his very best. His reputation may have taken a slight knock through no fault of his own, but he remains a fantastic keeper. We should be doing everything we can to keep him.

Then we’re straight into a far more complicated conversation - defence.

It’s been a turbulent season defensively, not helped by injuries. Morgan Fox, Jason Kerr and James Carragher have all spent significant time out, with the former two playing roughly 70 per cent of available minutes, and latter closer to 30 per cent. Will Aimson, meanwhile, has been ever-present, playing 92 per cent of available minutes. He’s taken criticism for mistakes, but has improved noticeably under Caldwell and, crucially, has been our only consistently available centre-back all season. Given the circumstances he played under earlier in the campaign, I’d be inclined to keep him.

Fox, I’m less certain on. He’s anonymous on the pitch - which isn’t always a bad thing - but moving forward, I think we need younger, more dynamic options. Of the remaining defenders, he’d probably be the one I’d sacrifice. Carragher is a great young player and could fetch a fair amount if we were to sell him, but I also feel like his stock could climb higher with a title push next season, so I’d be inclined to keep him. Kerr has managed to be injured for a fair amount of the last couple of seasons, but he’s also our best technical centre-back, our captain and a pillar of the dressing room. Although he’s on a fair whack and his contract expires in June, I’d probably be inclined to keep him too, given the chance.

There is also Llyton Chapman, who has looked very assured since his unceremonious introduction into the squad. It’s difficult to say if he’s more of a full-back than a centre-back, but he’s looked strong defensively and as a reliable backup to the first-choice players next season, Aimson, Kerr, Carragher and one or two of added quality, he makes perfect sense.

Our wing-backs are also an interesting conundrum. At our lowest ebb, I felt the system we were playing was entirely wrong. Both flanks were occupied by wingers out of position, and we were struggling both defensively and offensively.

However, for much of the season, Fraser Murray has been one of, if not our best players. He’s registered the most crosses in the league with 408, has eight assists, has been defensively excellent and still offers real creative output. I’m very glad we have him under contract, as I think he’s a player to build around - even at wing-back.

Raphael Borges Rodrigues has had a slightly more turbulent season. But I’d still imagine Coventry City will want him back. He’s grown into a solid player - happy to take a man on, be direct, and still defend well - but it feels unlikely he sticks around. We’ve apparently contacted Exeter City regarding Ilmari Niskanen, who I’m sure would love to reconnect with Caldwell and plays a similar role. From that perspective, even if we wanted Raphael to stay, it doesn’t feel likely.

Joseph Hungbo is a strong back-up. He’s more of a physical threat down the wings than the other two, and his pace and power are obvious, but next season I’d probably prefer someone a little more technically able to properly compete for those positions. Ideally, it’s Murray, Raphael and one or two additions, but it feels like Raphael goes, so Hungbo stays by default.

I think we’ll all be in agreement with our midfield - they’re pretty much all excellent. Sign Callum Wright. Get Matt Smith’s new contract sorted. Jensen Weir’s written himself at the top of the team sheet. Ryan Trevitt, when fit, is fantastic at this level. And we’ve still got Baba Adeeko. Maybe bring one more in to replace the outgoing Owen Moxon - someone with a bit of gravity to them, a bit of height and physicality - and I’d go as far as to say we’ve got the best midfield in the league. Add to that Tobias Brennan, who could easily fit that bill. If Caldwell believes in him after a strong loan spell, I could see him being involved next season.

Our attack is maybe our biggest problem area – but also the one with the most obvious solution. The two players we signed - Dara Costelloe and Christian Saydee - are both useful, especially as partners for someone who can actually score goals. Saydee, off the bench, with his physical stature, causes problems, and Costelloe’s energy is obvious - even if his finishing boots aren’t always.

I think I would keep both of them, considering their age and the way strikers progress with time. Watching them it is easy to think… ‘there’s something there, it just needs that one proper focal point to bring it all together.’

And that’s where we are missing the big Joe Taylor-shaped piece of the jigsaw. It’s probably a long shot but pay whatever Huddersfield Town want for him and we could very easily go up next season. He scores 30, we go up. It really is that simple. The player seems willing to stay, and everyone here wants him to. Sign da ting.

Harrison Bettoni burst onto the scene with his goals against Wimbledon in November but hasn’t featured much since Taylor’s arrival. He’ll likely have a bigger role next season - he’s clearly talented - but we need a reliable goalscorer, and currently we’ve only got one until June 30.

If we can sort that, it all starts to look quite rosy. Overall, it feels like a phoenix has risen from the ashes. After a long period of underperformance, this group - clearly talented but previously mismanaged - has come together as a cohesive unit. We don’t need a full rebuild. Just a few smart tweaks and quality additions in key areas. There’s also real promise coming through the academy. Leo Graham, K’marni Miller, Jack Rogers and Elijah Igiehon all look capable of stepping up next season.

And then there’s the wider picture. With Mike Danson potentially looking to step back or bring others in to help bear the financial burden, and several contracts still to be resolved, there’s plenty happening behind the scenes and our future could look very different come August. But all things considered, the future looks bright over the Brick. Up the Tics.

Billy Haggerty:

Saturday's results secured our League One status for another season, so it was nice to see a packed out away end at Port Vale with over 1,400 hardy Tics, including one Tic who definitely needs to see a doctor given their well-documented flatulence during the 90 minutes.

I feared the players might be 'on the beach' given we were safe, but fair play as, right from the kick off, we seemed to be up for the game and determined to make it four wins on the bounce. For the first 10/15 minutes, we pressed them back and were unlucky on a few occasions.

I'm not sure if it was my beer goggles, but the pitch appeared much narrower, which hampered our wing play. Vale at times didn't look like a team second from bottom and staring at relegation, despite the away chant of 'We're going to Leicester, you're going to York' chant.

Given Vale are fighting for survival and were on a decent run, a point wasn't such a bad result. What wasn't great was seeing Ryan Trevitt - who was just getting back to fitness - having to go off with an injury. Hopefully it's nothing too serious and we can get back on the pitch for the last few games of the season.

Martin Lally:

Arguably one of the toughest seasons to watch in Wigan Athletic history has finally hit the grand heights of League One status renewed for next season, and in the end it was without kicking a ball. Due to the Exeter-Stockport match finishing all-square in the most dramatic of circumstances, we find ourselves once again safe from relegation, a place that just 12 weeks ago looked like we would never even achieve.

Social Media Saturday saw a commencement of accolades delivered in all different directions, but my take on it all is that we are just so lucky that Gary Caldwell and David Perkins came home. But I can’t yet find it in myself to congratulate any further. In terms of the players, I always knew we had good players in a poor League One campaign, but the team just wasn’t coming together, and in the end the leadership change showed a yield of dividends.

I travelled to Port Vale, and it was nice to not feel the strain on the game. In the end it was quite a dull affair, with our safety confirmed, and Vale dealing with their third game in six days, which was clearly obvious from how they didn’t really get at us until the closing quarter. Arguably Latics should have been goals clear, but sometimes you get days like that.

Two games to go, and it would be nice to see more points on the board. I’m certain, because of the person he is, Gary Caldwell will also want to do his old club a slight favour and keep AFC Wimbledon in the mix this weekend. I for one wouldn’t blame him if he really wanted that to be the case.

We have a manager now who I support and trust 100 per cent. He has saved us from the brink and, although it’s worrying what next year may look like, because no-one really likes change, I for one am fully supportive of what Gary will bring and I’m hopeful of a much more positive season.

There are some big hitters and some up and coming contenders hitting League One next year...let’s hope we can be in the mix. Up the ‘we’re on the beach’ Tics!

Tony Moon:

An ode to the manager:

We were going down and, oh, we looked so weary; We’d lost the plot and didn’t know what to do;

Then, you and Perks turned up on your white chargers; You kept us up to avoid the drop to League Two.

You kept us up so we can still play Barnsley; You kept us up, to avoid the trip to Crewe;

And we’ll be strong when we are playing Bromley; You kept us up, just like we knew you’d do.

We love you Gary and want to have your babies; We love you Perks, even though you’re often booked;

Since your return our troubles have been lifted; Because Lord knows, without you we’d be...relegated.

You kept us up even though we were on our way down; You kept us up in spite of what’d gone before;

Roll on next season, the rest won’t know what’s hitting them; When little Joe goes up the field to score. (Get the cheque book out please Mr Danson - ta).

Sean Livesey:

So there we have it, season 2025/26 is almost complete - well at least at the Brick Community Stadium that is. What a rollercoaster it's been, obviously you expect nothing else with the good ship Wigan Athletic, but this season has seen even us test the extremes of that theory.

Full credit to anyone who had Gary Caldwell returning as the uniting Messiah the club needed to return and save us from relegation when people were rolling out their pre-season predictions! It can't be understated the job that Caldwell and all his staff have achieved since coming to the club.

Ahead of the Luton match in February, we were increasingly looking like a side that was finished for, but the way that Caldwell galvanised the side has been something else. These haven't been lucky results that have seen us scrape over the line either. It's been the sort of form if replicated over a season that would see us comfortably challenging for the play-offs.

The challenge now - and it's one that Caldwell himself has spoken about - is to ensure we never find ourselves in this position again, and to make sure that next season sees us challenging towards the top of the table. Not the bottom, as was the case under the previous head coach.

There aren't enough ways to explain how badly wrong the afore-mentioned previous head coach at got things. From his coaching of the players to his derisory attitude towards the club and its supporters, it's a period in our history that can hopefully be consigned to...history.

A lot of people at the time of Ryan Lowe's sacking chose not to blame the players. Believing they were far better than they were showing. Those opinions have been completely vindicated by the performances of this squad in recent weeks. The key now is to tie down as much of the squad as possible to new contracts.

There are a number out of contract at the end of this season. They need to be tied down as a matter of urgency. There will be players that will leave...and we know managing to keep hold of Joe Taylor next season is as unlikely as Lowe taking the blame for his part in the early season disaster. But there's plenty of opportunities to build on what we've already got.

Even with a limited transfer budget, Caldwell and his staff have already shown they're adept at working with budgets, and arguably players who haven't yet reached their full potential. You only need to look at the performances of players like Raphael Borges Rodrigues or Jensen Weir since Caldwell came back to see what he can do with players.

In many ways, it's been a disaster of a season. Off-the-field issues have resurfaced, and we wasted five months of the season with a coach who was never a fit for our club. Ironically, all of that aside, we may have finally hit on a formula that could see us start to look upwards again.

The fans forum this week will tell us a lot about how the next few months and hopefully years will look. Let's hope it's a positive outlook when we return for next season!