Wigan Athletic guest column: Nathan Byrne

We were really happy to get back on track against Bolton in our last game, and we’re determined to pick up where we left off.

In an ideal world we wouldn’t have had a fortnight off, we’d have played the next game as quickly as possible.

But it also gave us the chance to rest a few weary bodies ahead of the run-in.

If we can pick up where we left off, we should have a good chance of getting something against Brentford.

We all felt it was a must-win against Bolton - there was a lot of pressure on both teams heading in.

Anything less than three points wouldn’t have been good enough, but fortunately we stepped up to the plate and got the win.

On a personal note, I was pleased with how I did.

The gaffer has told me what he wants from me - plenty of energy down the right-hand side.

He knows I’ve got the engine to do that as well as defending, and it’s up to me to provide the quality when I get up to the top end.

It was nice to get an assist for the last goal, which Leon Clarke headed home.

I pride myself on the quality of my crosses, and thankfully Clarkey put it away for me.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to pop up with a goal myself - with my shot right at the end hitting the post.

I have to admit I started laughing when it didn’t go in, I just thought: ‘It’s never going to happen, I’m never scoring for Wigan’!

It didn’t happen for me last year, I hit the post then as well, but it just wouldn’t go in.

It’s strange because I didn’t have a problem scoring goals at any of my previous clubs...it must be a curse!

I’ll keep going though, and hopefully it will come sooner rather than later.

To be fair to the lads, they haven’t given me too much stick about it.

They were saying after the game: ‘We thought it was in as well’, so they’re very supportive. It is what it is, I’ll keep going, hopefully it’ll come for me against Brentford. The main thing though is to get another win that would push us even further away from the bottom.

It won’t be easy, because Brentford play such good football, they’re a nice passing side.

We’re going to try and get on the front foot and see if we can impose our game on them.

Back-to-back wins are what you want in this league - they can make the league position look so much better.

Of course sometimes you have to take a draw, but wins are everything when you’re in the position we are.

Our record at home also fills us with plenty of confidence.

The manager’s never been one for sitting off teams, and playing defensively.

He wants us to attack teams, get on the front foot, and that’s what we’ll be trying to do.

There’s a lot of teams involved in the dogfight, and we want to get ourselves out of it as quickly as possible.

As a former Tottenham player, it was unbelievable to see the pictures of the new stadium opening last weekend.

You see all the gimmicks they’ve got there - including the fancy bars serving the beer - and it’s incredible.

I’m sure it’s an amazing arena to play in, and it’ll be such a big boost for the Tottenham boys.

They’ll certainly fill it every home game, 100 per cent...it holds 60,000, and I think they’d even fill 80,000 for big games.

They’re established as a top-five team in the Premier League and this will only help them push on to greater things.

* Nathan Byrne was speaking to Paul Kendrick