Wigan Athletic chief in bullish mood ahead of Barnsley visit - ‘as good a place as we’ve been’
Wigan Athletic chief Gary Caldwell in positive mood ahead of crunch clash against Barnsley
Gary Caldwell insists Wigan Athletic are ‘as good a place as we've been all season’ heading into Saturday’s shoot-out against fellow strugglers Barnsley.
Latics, in 21st position, are two points and two places ahead of the Tykes, who have two games in hand.
But four points from the last two league games - followed by back-to-back wins at Boreham Wood and Crewe Alexandra in the FA Cup and Jersey Mike’s Trophy respectively - have boosted morale in the Latics camp.
"We're in probably as good a place as we've been all season,” agreed Caldwell, whose side can move out of the drop zone with a positive result.
"A lot of things are starting to come together, and winning football matches is a very good habit to get into.
"Now we need consistency of behaviour, consistency of performances, which will hopefully lead to consistency of results.”
So what’s brought about the resurgence in recent weeks?
"Time,” said the Latics boss. "I think it takes time for people to settle, to feel comfortable, to build relationships, and to understand what each individual needs.
"The challenge for us of late is to build relationships and build an identity, and I think we have made huge strides in that.
"I can see a real spirit and friendships in the group, and you can see that on the pitch - especially when the team goes behind.
"That maybe wasn't there earlier in the season, and I think that has been evident in recent weeks.”
With nine of Latics’ 10 points this term having come at the Brick Community Stadium, Caldwell is under no illusions as to the importance of home advantage.
"We've been very good at home this season, and recently that's been shown in the results,” added Caldwell, whose side lost on penalties at Barnsley in the first round of the Carabao Cup, with the Tykes due back in Wigan for an FA Cup round two clash next month.
"They're a better team than when we played them at the start of the season, but I also think we're a much better team.
"Our team was nowhere near complete at that point...several players have come in since then, and made us a much better team.”
Caldwell has reported no fresh injuries for the game, with Scott Hogan and Archie Harris hoping to be in contention to return after lay-offs.