In the ninth of a series of pre-season reports, HarryFromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, looking here at how things have progressed for the newly-promoted Latics this summer. All of the teams in the division will be covered between now and the start of the season.
"This squad last year won a very poor League One. We weren't always spectacular but we played for each other and worked as a team to grind out results. During the later stages of the season and the FA Cup run, squad players came in and did a solid job. There is a very good feel factor in the group.”
"It's very difficult to predict. Some promoted sides can ride their momentum to great seasons while others struggle with the step up. If I had to take a punt, I think that a lower mid-table finish, flirting with the edges of relegation battle but not really getting too dragged in could be where we end up.”
"That’s an awful August.” The reality of a return to the Championship was swiftly brought home to Latics when the fixture list handed them early games against the Sheffield Wednesday, Villa, Forest and Stoke. "The Owls at home for our first game will be a cracker. They will sell out and the sun will be shining.”
"Welcome back to the Championship”, "It's a baptism of fire but you have a better chance getting point from the bigger clubs off the bat than couple of months in when they have settled. It saves any of the six-pointers for later in the season when we will have properly found our feet in the division.”
"Our manager is no mug. He and his staff improved many of our players. He even got Nick Powell to put a shift in so don't underestimate how much more our coaching staff can get out of players”, "It’s going to be a huge test for him but Sheff United and Millwall did okay and even Bolton survived.”
"Ultimately I trust Cook's judgement.” The 51-year-old left Portsmouth to take over at the DW Stadium in May 2017. He steered them to the League One title in his first season in charge, while also taking them on a run to the FA Cup Quarter-Finals which included a win over Manchester City.
"Cook’s lack of Championship experience could be an issue. We know that it's a difficult league and a step up in quality is needed to survive and thrive in it.” A minority of Latics are worried about his lack of experience at this level. "He has a good track record and certainly capable of making the step up.”
"The last time we got promoted to this league we brought in quite a few new faces. At the time it seemed a positive thing but with hindsight it took away some of our momentum and team spirit”, "We do need to re-enforce but there are not going to be the wholesale changes that some want.”
Cook has tried to strike a balance between leaving his successful team intact while at the same time strengthening to cope with the step up in quality. Goalkeeper Christian Walton played on loan for the Latics last season from Brighton and the 22-year-old has returned on loan for the coming season.
There are four new arrivals. Midfielder Leonardo Lopez, 19, has signed from Peterborough and 26-year-old Kal Naismith has arrived from Pompey. Winger Callum McManaman, 27, has returned to Wigan from Sunderland while full-back Reece James, 18, is on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
Latics are happy with their squad but the left-back position and a lack of Championship experience are worries. The arrival of experienced trialists James Perch (ex-QPR) and Ross Wallace (ex-Sheffield Wednesday) have reassured them that their management are thinking along the right lines.
There have been 10 departures. Defenders Craig Morgan (to Fleetwood), Luke Burke (to AFC Fylde), Sam Stubbs (to Middlesbrough U23’s), Terell Thomas (to AFC Wimbledon), Andy Kellett (to Notts County) and a different Reece James to the Chelsea loan arrival (to Sunderland) are with new clubs.
Centre-back Donervan Daniels is currently unattached, while midfielders David Perkins (to Rochdale) and Josh Laurent (to Shrewsbury) have relocated. Former Town striker Noel Hunt, 35, has returned to his native Ireland and signed for Waterford.
Wigan have confirmed only three pre-season fixtures this summer. A 2-1 win over Tranmere was followed by last night’s 1-1 draw at Chesterfield in a testimonial for Spireites keeper and stalwart Tommy Lee. Their one remaining warm-up game is away to Glasgow Rangers on Sunday.
The starting XI (above) for last night’s game against the Spireites contained the nucleus of the side likely to open the season against the Owls on Saturday week. Fans are optimistic that they will have more room in which to operate this season with fewer opponents sitting back to frustrate them.
"Many of our less effective home games last season were down to teams coming to stop us winning, packing the midfield and defending in numbers. We had no space to play our preferred game. There will be less of that in this coming season as teams will not see us as a big scalp or a promotion rival.”
"The strategy that I can see will be to keep it tight in our 4-2-3-1, which could see a fair few goalless draws and some low margin victories. If we concede I think 4-4-2 will be seen again. My worry with strikers is that we looked poor with one up front. We lumped it long and they were very isolated.”
"It will be tough to score goals.” For many Latics, success this season will rest on playmaker Nick Powell and striker Will Grigg respectively providing sufficient creativity and goals. "We are very light weight up front and Grigg needs to hit the ground running this time around in this division.”
"Grigg’s ability to be an effective goalscorer will likely define our success. We will be solid at the back and midfield but if Grigg doesn’t take chances we will struggle. This is likely to be his last chance to become a Championship regular. Let’s hope he takes it”, "He will be as good as the support he gets.”
"Our season will rest on Nick Powell”, "One of the strengths of Cook's system is how that Powell role gives us an extra player in the box when the ball is often out wide”, "Powell is the only player I have full confidence in delivering game winning moments. If he stays fit he’ll get 10 goals and 10 assists.”
"We need to stabilise and use the momentum that we had as League One Champions and move on from there, slowly building up”, "Pound for pound we don't have the same quality as the majority of other teams in the division but we don't have the finances to compete with most of them.”
"Positivity and momentum can do a lot in football. I am realistic and say that lower mid-table would be a good season but I’m more than confident that the current squad are capable of achieving that. We need to find stability in this division before looking to kick on and push further up the league.”
"You never know in football. What looks good on paper can easily turn out to be a disaster and what looks like a slice of bad luck might turn out to be a blessing in disguise”, "Survival is all I hope for, it was what I hoped for last time but they failed to achieve that. Maybe we will be luckier this time.”
The busiest Wigan Athletic message board is the friendly Latics Speyk.