Wigan Athletic boss pulls no punches after demolition derby repeat

Paul Cook has promised to ring the changes - and cancel Sundays off - after Wigan Athletic once again failed to show up for derby day at Preston.
Paul CookPaul Cook
Paul Cook

Latics arrived at Deepdale with a point to prove after being hammered 4-0 here last season.

Cook even had them watching re-runs of the game in the week for added motivation.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But sadly the 90 minutes was re-enacted on the pitch as goals from Sean Maguire, Louis Moult and Paul Gallagher gave North End the points at a canter.

"It was just deja vu - exactly the same as last year," fumed the Latics boss.

"We want the lads to improve away from home, and come back with some better results.

"I actually thought coming here first up would be educational in terms of what happened here last year.

"But we were too soft, too easy to play against.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We stuck to the task well towards the end - but by then the game had gone.

"In any derby match, if you're not prepared to fight and scrap for everything, you'll get beat.

"And I want to assure our supporters that the players will not be getting an easy ride from me - make no mistake about that.

"I'm not going to come out with stupid comments just to make supporters happy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"But as you can imagine...to say I'm not happy would be a big, big understatement.

"I've told the lads there'll be no Sundays off, no easy ride for anyone who doesn't put a shift in.

"I'm a fan myself, and if I've watched my team roll over like that, I wouldn't be happy, that's for sure."

When asked what he would do to provoke a reaction, Cook added: "Watch this space!

"But it won't be the same team for next weekend, I can promise you that."