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 The Premiership is back and Wigan Athletic
FC’s third consecutive season in the top flight is now well underway
The club have brought in some exciting new signings including Jason
Koumas, Antoine Sibierski, Titus Bramble and new captain Mario Melchiot.
But the biggest change at the JJB Stadium over the summer has been the
appointment of Chris Hutchings as manager. On the eve of the new season,
The LINC sat down with the new boss to talk about the challenges ahead.
What’s the target for this season?
“The chairman says if we win two trophies and finish in the top six
we’ll be doing okay! But seriously, we want a season like the first one
we had in the Premiership. We got to a cup final and we finished in the
top half and that’s what we’re looking to do again. We don’t want a
season like the last one where we had to go into the last day fighting
for survival. It’s not the player’s ambition and it isn’t mine. We want
to be pushing for a place in Europe. We have brought in some good
players and if we put a decent run together we can do that.”
How are the new signings fitting in?
“They’ve settled in very quickly. Mario (Melchiot) has brought vast
experience and we’ve made him captain. Jason Koumas has a lot of flair.
He’ll get people sitting on the edge of their seats and he brings a lot
of quality. Sibi (Antoine Sibierski) has been injured and one or two of
the other lads have little knocks too but they’re all itching to get out
there and to be part of the squad.”
Are you looking for the team to play a different style of football this
season?
“We’re trying to pass the ball a little bit more from the back. It’s
vital to retain possession at this level. If you give the ball away
cheaply you don’t see too much of it and you end up getting punished.
We’re working on these things and we hope the players that have come in
will give us that extra bit of quality.”
You’ve let a few older players like Matt Jackson and Arjan de Zeeuw
leave the club. Are you making a deliberate effort to make the squad
younger?
“The success we’ve had at this club in recent years was partly down to
those two players, so I have a lot of admiration for them. They were
fantastic during the years they were here but, with all due respect to
them, we feel we need more pace at the back this season and they are
both in the latter years of their careers.”
At the moment there are no Wiganers in the Latics first team squad. Is
there any promising local players coming through that will be pushing
for a place in the first team squad in years to come?
“Hopefully there will be. Dean Crombie is working extremely hard at our
Head of Centre Of Excellence and David Lowe is doing the same with our
youth team. We’re trying to capture the best local youngsters but we’re
in a big catchment area with a lot of other clubs. We have to compete
with Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, Bolton, Preston and on. It
is difficult but we’re definitely doing everything we can.”
You replaced Paul Jewell at Bradford but it didn’t work out for you
there. Have you learnt a lot from that experience?
“Yes. Obviously, you are always learning. This game will kick you up the
backside rather quickly if you don’t. At Bradford there was a little bit
of interference but I don’t want to dwell on that. Here at Wigan, the
chairman has told me I control the football matters so it’s a different
scenario. I’m enjoying the responsibility and I’m really looking forward
to the season starting.”
Recommended Link:
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www.wiganlatics.premiumtv.co.uk
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