'Will get better' - Gary Caldwell makes Wigan Athletic pledge
Gary Caldwell has pledged Wigan Athletic will continue to improve as the players get used to his methods.
The head coach was speaking after Saturday's 1-1 draw at Blackpool, which saw Latics double the buffer to the League One relegation zone to two points.
Having fallen behind to Olly Casey's fourth-minute free header, Latics levelled just before the break through on-loan Stockport County midfielder Owen Moxon.
That makes it seven points taken from the four matches since Caldwell took charge in mid-February.
And the Scot believes things will get even better - at both ends of the field - during the last two months of the campaign.
"We have a lot of quality among the attacking players," he said. "Our understanding of how we attack will get better, the more that we work with the players.
"But I thought the patience we showed to keep the ball - rather than just dumping it into the box, which the defenders were waiting for - was great.
"We can still be more precise with our final pass, but we've not had much time to work with the players, and that will improve over the coming days and weeks."
While disappointed with the defending on the free-kick that gifted Blackpool their early lead, Caldwell felt the response was more than positive.
"We did a lot of work on that before the game, but it's obviously something we still need to get better at," he said.
"We probably need to stop giving away as many free-kicks as we do, but it was an amazing reaction we showed, in a stadium that was obvously noisy at that point.
"For a team that hasn't had too many great results away from home, achieving that shows the progression."
Latics looked the more likely side to win the game in the second period, and came closest to forcing a winner, only for Joe Taylor to hit the inside of a post after a blistering run from the left.
"It was all of his own doing," acknowledged Caldwell. "Having the speed to run away from the defender was incredible, and the finish...I think the goalkeeper got a touch, so credit to him for saving it.
"But Joe produces some great moments at times, and that's why he's such a key member of the side."
As well as picking up a precious point from the game, Caldwell also went home with a yellow card - as did opposite number Ian Evatt – for comments made in the technical area.
"For me, there has to be passion in the game...there has to be,” he explained. "I think for some of the decisions the officials got wrong...both benches could have reacted a lot worse...I'll take it on the chin and move on.”
The caution was then third picked up by the Latics coaching staff in the four matches since Caldwell took charge, after David Perkins in the home game against Luton Town and Graham Barrow at Stockport.
“We're sharing them out,” mused the Scot.