The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Broken Fan Belt And A Flat Tyre.

[iSmiff]

Very impressive. Should be interesting to see how you go about the transition from Championship to Premiership. Good luck to you. I've always wanted to attempt a similar style career but my computer is too feeble to have enough leagues open to receive job offerers from the wider corners of the Earth. I guess i'll just have to stick it out with ROMA until I have a dodgy season and get sacked (it only takes 6 months of unlucky results and dodgy form to get sacked in Serie A..) or feel I need a new challenge..

Following this with intrigue. I love the comparisons you do at the end of the season + when a job offer comes in. Subtle but I think it really puts your accomplishments/choice into perspective and makes it more entertaining as a reader. Looking forward to your next update!

I'm subscribing now, so I don't forget to follow this!

[B.W.G]

Cheers mate

Think anyone would get the sack with 6 months of unlucky results and dodgy form,unless your Mark Hughes

Glad you've been enjoying it.One thing about me is I always try to find ways to improve the things I do.Will have at least two up dates tomorrow,one for end of season and one for pre-season.Hopefully I will get at least one update for August/September results.

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - nPower Championship - End of Season 2015/16

2015/16 Transfers

I am mostly happy with my transfer dealings with exception to Craig Dawson leaving as I had no idea he had a £10.75 million buy out clause.Campos,Bah and Kostadinov bought in a more youthful look to the ageing first team so the club had a bit brighter future.As for Paul Jewell's transfer dealings,I'm less than impressed,he may have bought in Ramos on loan but he let a lot of good quality players go which would have made my job a lot easier.The most notable departures were di Santo and McCarthy who would have been brilliant in my system.Not a lot I can do though.

Competitions

nPower Championship

League Table - Playoff Semi-Final Leg 1 - Playoff Semi-Final 2nd Leg - Playoff Final

Well who would of thought it,not only would we get a playoff spot but we would get promoted via playoffs!I was hoping for a top ten finish when I first took over as we were rooted to the bottom of the table but between taking over in November and finishing the league campaign off at the end of April,we only suffered three defeats.I though it was brilliant but my board had other things on mind as my job was listed as insecure after getting the team up from 24th to 5th!We faced Blackburn in the Playoff semi's,we were very poor in the first leg so I was happy with the draw but in the second leg,I am curious about how we didn't win the game outright instead of relying on penalties as we won 7-6.The playoff final saw us face another former Premier Leaegue side in Sunderland,the had more shots than us,they had more possession than us but it looks like I've still got the Gangneung City spirit as we still won and found ourselves promoted even if we were outplayed.A remarkable achievement,very rare that a side comes 5th and wins the playoffs!

FA Cup

6th Round

We had a mini run in the FA Cup until we were knocked out by the first decent team we faced.We entered at the third round where we faced the eventual Championship champions Fulham,it was an even game but we sneaked it 1-0 to send us to the 4th round.We faced League 2 side Burton ALbion in the 4th round and we made it more of a meal than it should have been as we went through with a disappointing 3-2 victory.The 5th round saw us face another Championship side in Huddersfield,again it was another close game but we edged through with a 2-1 victory thanks to a late Steven Sidwell strike.The 6th round saw us up against high flying Premier League side Tottenham.They dominated the first game but we held out for a 0-0 draw to take it to a replay,we showed much more a fight in a replay but still lost out as Spurs's quality shone through.Spurs would go on to lift the FA Cup later in the season.

League Cup

2nd Round

We were already knocked out of the League Cup by League 1 side Doncaster,well done Paul Jewell,well done.

Players,Statistics and Awards

Best XI 2015/16 - Overall Best XI

A quick look at the Player Statistics for the season.

Top Scorer

Szabolcs Huszti and Mauricio Sperdutti - 15 Goals

Looks like my wingers made a lot of contribution to our promotion success as both the AMR and AML scored 15 goals each.I am really pleased that they managed to help with goal scoring playing a 4-3-3.Although one of my players made me happy and the other has annoyed me,Sperdutti has signed a new contract which will see him here till 2018 at least which is brilliant as it gives us a bit extra experience for tutoring reasons.Huszti on the other hand would not even negotiate a new contract and will leave at the end of the season but I have already found his replacement!Hopefully Sperdutti can help contribute next season while I can only wish Huszti well in his future endeavours.

Most Assists

Carlos Carmona - 11

The Chilean was struggling a bit before we took over but it was the same with other team members as well.When I took over Carmona didn't even have an assist to his name so he did well to finish the season with eleven.He was playing in the DM position to start off with but I moved him to MC when we signed Campos in January.Quite relieved he signed a new contract as he may have left with a lot of others at the end of the season.Helps bring experience in next season so will be looking at him to tutor players.

Kornel Salata

Was one of the more consistent performers for the team during the course of the season.He averaged at 7.22 over 43 appearances which was brilliant as he did miss some ties due to injuries.Will get his chance to show what he can do in the Premier League next season as it will be quite difficult to replace him as he is experienced so can be good for the incoming youngsters to learn off.His performances saw him pick up Fans Player of the Year.

Jose Luis Ramos

Probably him signing on loan is the only thing Paul Jewell actually did right in my eyes.The on loan Chelsea Player was brilliant from when I took over,injuries did disrupt his season but I cannot complain as he made a massive contribution in helping us to promotion with his league performances.I will be looking to see if I can sign him permanently or bring him on loan again for next season.His performances saw him pick up Young Player of the Year.

Manager's Thoughts

It feels like a minor miracle has happened with us getting promoted after being in 24th when I took over in November!We did lose a few times and we did struggle quite a bit towards the end due to injuries,suspensions and having a small squad compared to other teams around us.I'm ecstatic with what has happened so far and can't wait to face England's best in the Premier League next season,should be a steep learning curve.My major problem is the ageing team,with a lot of the players being 29 plus,it shows that their is a lack of youth presence in the team which may be needed to show that the club has a long term future.If worse comes to worse then the club can sell the any youngster I sign for profit which will help financially.

I have a contract until June 2018 if I'm not fired which could be a possibility next season as I reckon we could have one of the weaker sides due to older players not being good enough,moving or retiring which means I need to bring in younger players which could disrupt the harmony to try and give the club a brighter future.We were in line for youth facility upgrades but they were cancelled due to lack of funds,this came after Whelan put in £16 million into the clubs coffers!We also have to deal with reduced budgets for transfer and wage but will try to get it raised,this should be a fun pre-season.

Season       Club          Division       Country      League       Cup       Continental    Avg.Att       Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012    Gangneung City    N-League       S.Korea       4th       3rd Rnd        N/A          1618     Playoff Defeat!
2013    Gangneung City    N-League       S.Korea       1st         Q.F          N/A          3540     Playoff Vitors!
2014    Gangneung City    K-League       S.Korea       4th       WINNERS        N/A          3707     FA Cup Winners!
2015    Gangneung City    K-League       S.Korea       3rd       WINNERS      WINNERS        4233     Left 18/11/15
2015/16   Wigan Ath.     Championship     England       5th       6th Rnd        N/A         13218     Playoff Winners!  

[DodgeeD]

Congrats on promotion - quite a turnaround from when you first took over

[B.W.G]

Cheers fella I think it was a false position they were in when I took over,they were far too good to be at the bottom of the league.

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - Pre-Season 2016/17

Club Information - Facilities - Boardroom Overview - Expectations - Finances

Pre-Season 2016/17 Transfers

I've done what I've could have done.Sold Sahar as he whining about game time so was happy to get £2.2 million,the rest who left were ageing bar Albrighton who wasn't that good.I've managed to bring in nine players who are no older than 20 years old so I am investing heavily in youth players who can help either now or in the near future.Still got a couple of million and I've identified the targets but due to injuries they failed their medicals.Will be able to get one of them in as his injury isn't too bad but the other player is out a couple of months and will be looking to get him in January.If all else fails then I should be able to sell some of the youngsters for big profits which will help the finances.

Pre-Season Fixtures

Not the best of pre-seasons but they mean nothing as I am still getting the players together.The defeat against Porto was actually encouraging as we played really well and was lucky not to get at least a draw against one of Portugal's elite teams.

The Team

Team Report - Tactics

Key Players

Keylor Navas - GK

Signed on a free in January,the Costa Rican number one did very well.Can't believe Levante let him go on a free transfer,not that I am complaining.He played 18 times and conceded 17 goals but did keep five clean sheets.Hopefully he can put on more impressive displays this season as I think he is going to be a lot busier than he was last season.

Wilson Armando Marquez - DR,DL,DC

The big money signing of the transfer window,his versatility will play it's part this season as he can cover any position in defence.He has very good physical stats,his mental are not too bad but his tackling is pretty brilliant.He maybe not be brilliant now but he does have the potential to be even better.He is regarded as a good right back for Premiership sides but he can become a leading right back in the future.First team action should be able to help him develop faster but £5.75 million seems like a good deal for a player with over 30 caps for his country by the age of 20!

Petar Kostadinov - DC,DM,MC

Bought for £2.1 million in January,he took a bit of time to settle in but looks like he is going to be very good in the near future.Another versatile player who will be able to help cover other positions.He will more than likely start the season either in DM position or the more defensive of my two MC's.He has already improved since he came with improvements in creativity,composure and long shots as well as some of his physical stats.He can already net us a minimum of £700k profit but I have no intention of selling.

Petr Scasny - ML/AML

Definitely my bargain buy of the Summer,not often you can get a fully capped international for £1.2 million.He is also very young so has years in the game and has very good wages so definitely good for the club.He was bought in as a direct replacement for the outgoing Szabolcs Huszti.He will be getting a lot of game time this season so hopefully he is not too overawed by the occasion of playing in the Premier League.Already worth more than double what I played,thank you Xanthi management for putting in a low valued release clause.

Ones to Watch

Riccardo Nyffenegger - DC

Very cheap transfer fee at £1.8 million but had to pay a bit more in wages due to clubs like Fiorentina and Dortmund having offers in for him.Glad he chose us and has a bright future,he was one of the stand out performers in pre-season.He will definitely be getting a lot of game time in the near future.Fully capped by Switzerland at 19 and possibly a future captain as he has quite high influence already.

Carlos Colman - MC

I was in need of a player who sole role was MC and I found one in Colman.He is a fully capped Paraguayan international who easily got a work permit to my relief.He will be getting game time but I'm not going to rush him if I can help it.Should be very good in the future as he is rated at 5* PA which means he could become a leading Premier League player,when he does play he will be the more attacking of my midfielders.I am looking forward to see how Colman will develop in the future.

Manager's Thoughts

Well I've done what we can and I feel we are in a good position to just about survive even if my opening three fixtures to the season are away to Chelsea,home to Man Utd and away at Man City!I suppose it is probably better to get the tougher fixtures out of the way first but I am not really expecting anything from that start.The transfers made this Summer have been done for the future as they will either help Wigan move up the table or help Wigan make a profit in the future.I am hoping this season that the board are a bit more lenient towards me considering I only just got my status to stable after winning the playoffs last season.Survival is the main aim and anything else will be a bonus for me.

We are practically done with regards to transfers as I am hoping to get in at least one player who I've had a bid accepted for.He plays primarily up front but can play in the AMR position as well which will be handy for me.As for upgrades,well there was none as the only one we were supposed to get was cancelled due to a lack of funds days after Whelan put £16 million in the clubs coffers.Yes,I'm still annoyed by that as for me it's a lack of ambition but with good training facilities and some excellent youngsters,I feel we are ready to start building for the future.My only hope is I am able to help start the rise as a bad patch of form could see me out the door.Time to get this roller coaster ride started.

[B.W.G]

My scouts have gone and done it again.This little gem cost me £1.2 million thanks to a foreign club buyout clause,welcome to Wigan Frane Deranja!

[Big Marv]

He looks a bit special!

[B.W.G]

He made an instant impact as hit a brace on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup.

In other Wigan related news.....

He wants to sell to a local businessman,I'd rather he sell to someone with a lot of money!

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - August and September 2016

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Very pleased with how we have performed in the league and we're sitting higher up than expected considering we have faced Chelsea,Man Utd,Man City and Liverpool!Hopefully we will be able to stay out of reach of a relegation battle but I have a feeling this season still has many twists and turns left which could be annoying for many teams.My only wish is that we could face teams from the Midlands as we beat both Villa and Birmingham to record our only two wins this season,we've only lost to City but the number of draws could be worrying as we missed penalties in the games against Chelsea and Man Utd which would have put us fighting the top teams.We fell short of the expectation of reaching the 4th round of the Capital One Cup but drawing Chelsea in the third round was harsh considering they were playing the likes of Hazard and Neymar!

The next couple of months sees us concentrating on the league but October starts off very tough as we face Everton,Arsenal and Tottenham,after that it appears to be easier so we should start picking up a few more points.Mid table would be ideal for us but we will see where we are at the end of November as that will give us a better indication of where we will roughly finish.No sign on the takeover front but hopefully it will be sorted before January.

[AK22]

Well done on promotion! Made a decent start too

[B.W.G]

Cheers fella

Unfortunately the decent start ended,we're currently on five games without a win so we are definitely in a relegation fight which is what I wanted to avoid,hopefully November will be better for us!

[shnen]

Keylor Navas remember him from a career I did with Albacete last year

great work!

[deltablue]

Great deal on Deranja

[B.W.G]

shnen - Cheers fella He has been very good for us this season,he has won us a few points,most notable of which were against Chelsea and Man Utd at the start of the season.

deltablue - He has been a very good signing so far,he has hit six goals in ten appearances.He still has a bit of improvement left in him,could be quite scary in the future.

[SRL88]

Solid start dude.

[AcidBurn]

Very good start especially considering it was such a hard start.

[B.W.G]

SRL88 - Cheers fella

Acidburn - Thanks buddy I'm probably more gutted that Ben Watson missed penalties in the games against Man Utd and Chelsea.Think we're good to survive though.

[cerud]

Nice job on promotion! Looks like how have some great scouts over there too !

[B.W.G]

Cheers fella My best scout has 14/14 so nothing world class really,think they deserve a pay rise,or Christmas Day off.

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - October and November 2016

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

A tale of two months,October was an absolute disaster where we picked up one point in the game against Reading in which we blew a 3-1 lead.The less said about October,the better.November was a brilliant month which saw us go the month unbeaten with three wins and three draws which saw us pull away from the relegation zone.Was pretty annoyed with the game against Stoke as we were 3-0 up and they got it back to 3-3!The games against West Ham and Norwich were really pleasing,especially the game against Norwich as they have players such as Podolski playing for them.

December is a pretty mixed month,we have games against the likes of West Brom,Middlesbrough and Fulham which are all winnable,then we face the likes of Newcastle,Chelsea and Man Utd to face!January is another mixed month as we have difficult games against Man City,Liverpool and Everton but then we have games such as Aston Villa and Birmingham.We also have the transfer window and I am hoping to persuade for the board for more funds as I have spotted two hot prospects for defence and a pretty amazing goalkeeper who could be first team now!My main focus will be gathering the points to help with survival as I am not safe by any means.

[cerud]

The pick up in November has you in a solid position now. Hopefully the new year brings some stability:thup:

[B.W.G]

December and January haven't been too bad,we're definitely in a mid-table position but think catching the top teams is a bit too much for us.

[B.W.G]

The January transfer window is done,we've bought in three players with one to come in July.

We've bought in Michael Laugesen as third choice Keeper.

The other two who came in January are:

Tom Schindler - 2.5*/5*

Cost quite a bit at £5 million but has 5* PA,looks pretty amazing for a 16 year old.Definitely has a bright future in the game,just called up to the Germany u21 side.

Luca Fornasiero - 2.5*/4*

Absolute bargain at £575k so than you to Roma for selling him for that cheaply.Can be a good Premiership MC in the future so my options in the future are done as Fornasiero has completed it.

Sander van Baarlen - 1.5*/4*

Coming in July at the end of his contract.Looks very good for being rated at 1.5*,will eventually become a good Premier League player and I reckon he will become a Dutch international at some point.

I think we did okay in the window as I am building the club for the future,if we can survive the Premier League then I shall look at buying wingers,fullbacks,a goalkeeper and another striker then the team will be set for the future.

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - December and January 2016/17

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

It's been a couple of solid months for us which see us challenging for a Europa League spot which is very surprising as I honestly thought we would be battling with relegation.The fact we are close to a Champions League spot than a relegation spot shows you how well we have played.I think our best win would definitely be against Man City which was remarkable as they dominated most of the game.I will give our FA Cup run a C so far as were pretty poor in both games against Watford but was over the moon in beating Arsenal in the 4th round in which they fielded a side containing the likes of Mario Gotze,Wilshere,Vermaelen and Oxlade-Chamberlain!

The next couple of months feature more league games in which we now have most of the bigger teams out of the way,the hardest games we have in the remaining part of the season are Arsenal and Tottenham.I'm not taking anything for granted though as my new aim is to surpass Wigan's best finish of 10th place in the league.We have a FA Cup tie against Newcastle in which I feel is winnable as we have the home advantage,unlike last season,the FA Cup stills contain the likes of Liverpool,Chelsea,Man City and last seasons winners Tottenham!I also hope Charlie Austin can carry on his impressive form,he currently has 15 goals this season and needs three more to break the record for the most goals in the season which is 17 goals and that was set by Franco di Santo in 2014/15!

[deltablue]

Reasonably promising signings.

[AK22]

Ticking over quite nicely, although I'm surprised to see Charlie Austin still banging the goals in!

[B.W.G]

deltablue - Shame I probably be around to see them develop,unless I sign them for a bigger European club.

AK22 - Cheers fella He's 27 so I'm guessing he's at his peak now.I think he was a bargain at £1.2 million considering Liverpool ruined him for 3.5 seasons,he played 16 times and scored 8 goals for them as well as costing them £7.75 million from Burnley in 2013.

[B.W.G]

The new batch of Youth Candidates has given us two decent strikers.

Carl Southwell - 5*(silver)/4.5* (gold)

Carl Haworth - 4.5* (silver)/4* (gold)

Think we have too many strikers now,we have these two,two Northern Irish strikers I signed last Summer,I have a Dutch forward signing in the Summer,Deranja's natural position is up front and I have Charlie Austin has my number one striker.So that is 7 players for 1 position!

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - February and March 2017

Fixtures

League Table

Managers Thoughts

Not the best couple of months in the league as we drew one game and lost five which has seen us fall to 10th place which is equal to Wigan's current positional record.On the plus side,we've done really well in the FA Cup as we beat Newcastle and Norwich to clinch a trip to Wembley where we face Championship side Swansea in the semi-final.I feel this is a very winnable tie but the winners will go on to face Tottenham or Chelsea in the final.I think another three points will see is safe and that is my main focus but with our games left,we should be able to do it pretty comfortably.

We're now into the last two months of the season,we have a FA Cup semi-final tie which is my main focus and seven league games left.I need three points to ensure survival and five for my target of 45 which I set myself at the start of the season.Hopefully we can pick up form as we have not won in the league since January which is pretty worrying.Fingers crossed we don't choke between now and the end of the season.

[Mikal]

Good luck on your travels!

[B.W.G]

Cheers buddy,I'm actually finding the league competitions a lot tougher than last year.

In Competition related news,we beat Swansea 3-0 in the FA Cup semi-final.We will now face Chelsea who we've not beat in the last 9 meetings,if there was ever a time to record a first win,I think this would be it!

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - April/May 2017

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

No real complaints off me,we finished the league campaign on a high as we won six out of seven league games with the only points dropped coming against Fulham,that run helped us set a record high finish of 8th.The FA Cup saw us tear apart Swansea in the semi-final with a 3-0 victory but the final saw a late Juan Mata goal sink us as we lost 4-3 to Chelsea who basically ended our hopes in both cups this season!Charlie Austin was my hero of the season as he finished on 25 goals which I don't think will be beaten at Wigan for a long time,so he was definitely worth the £1.2 million I paid for him.Have made another couple of signings who will take up their roles in the first team next season but the future is looking very bright for Wigan!

[AK22]

Unlucky in the FA Cup final, but still a decent season. Top half is great for Wigan

[Jason the Yank]

Think we have too many strikers now,we have these two,two Northern Irish strikers I signed last Summer,I have a Dutch forward signing in the Summer,Deranja's natural position is up front and I have Charlie Austin has my number one striker.So that is 7 players for 1 position!

Just bring back the 2-3-5 formation.

[deltablue]

Very good season.

[Big Marv]

So, end of season, with regards jobs: stick or twist?

[B.W.G]

ak22 - Cheers fella This is undoubtedly the best Wigan team ever!

Jason the Yank - It's always a possibility if we're short on goals.

deltablue - Cheers mate

Big Marv - I'm going to stick for now,I've only got one season left on my contract so it's see where we are at the end of next season.If I'm offered quite an unbelievable offer then I will seriously consider it.

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - End of Season - 2016/17

2016/17 Transfers

Out went the players who were not going to cut it or were whining for first team action as I didn't want too many problems.A lot of the older players also left due to them having big wages which I needed to get rid of to afford wages for better and younger players.I have to give a lot of credit to the scouts at the club as they found a lot of high potential talent who were willing to come to the club and as you can tell,we didn't pay too much for them.I have to say Scasny or Deranja were the bargains thanks to cheap foreign club release clauses.

Competitions

Premier League

League Table

It was a pretty incredible season for us as we easily fought off relegation with a very young side,we were not too far off a place in the Europa League and I honestly believe we may be able to do it next season.The eight placed finish represented Wigan's highest ever finish in the Premier League so I definitely do possess their best ever squad.The title race hit the last day and Man Utd choked,they lost 2-1 to Norwich while Tottenham beat Arsenal 4-2 to clinch the title.We won our last game of the season 2-0 but it didn't really matter as we were not fighting for anything.

FA Cup

Runners-Up

We started the campaign off with a penalty shoot out victory against Watford after enduring two dismal ties but after that we picked up our performances in the Cup.The fourth round saw us face Arsenal and we actually managed an upset and we beat them 2-1 thanks to a late Roman Golobart goal after a defensive error.The fifth round saw us face another Premier League side in Newcastle,they actually posed very little threat as we eased to a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Austin and Scasny.The sixth round saw us against relegation strugglers Norwich,we actually struggled to put the ball in the net even though it was like a training match,a goal from a Ben Watson free kick was enough to see us through.The semi-final against Swansea was the easiest tie we had in the FA Cup,the Championship side were no match for us and we went through with a 3-0 victory.The final was disappointing but I will accept defeat,we were 3-1 down before we managed to pull it back to 3-3 before late Juan Mata goal sank us in the final.

Capital One Cup

3rd Round

We kicked off our short campaign off at home to Sheffield Wednesday,Deranja made his debut by scoring twice to help send us through to the third round with a 3-1 victory.The 3rd round saw us face the reigning Premier League Champions Chelsea,we were outclassed for the majority of the match and we crashed out with a 3-1 defeat,no complaints off me about being knocked out even if the board did whine about it.

Players,Stats and Awards

Best XI 16/17 - Overall Best XI

A look at the Player's Statistics for the season.

Top Scorer

Charlie Austin - 25

Can't say I expected Austin to score 25 this season,I would have been happy with 15 off him!He has definitely more than paid off the £1.2 million we paid Liverpool for him.His performances saw him earn a England call up at the end of the season but he didn't feature for them.He set a record this season for top scorer this season and I don't see anyone breaking it in the near future,he has already made it onto the favoured personnel list in just 18 months,if he can carry on like this then I see no reason why he can't reach icon status or greater.

Most Assists

Petr Scasny - Mauricio Sperdutti - 10

The youth and the experienced wingers came joint top in the assist chart with 10 each.Sperdutti made the step up pretty easily and even scored seven times to show he could do his stuff in the Premiership.Scasny on the other hand was playing his first season in England and he was very impressive as he scored nine times and if he can continue like this then he will become a fan favourite in no time what so ever.

Fan's Player of the Year

Kornel Salata

The 32 year old was brilliant for us and his experience really showed through which I think helped us in places as he was one of four players normally above 25 years old.He made 45 appearances and scored three goals while he averaged at 7.51 which is a very impressive rating.He should be able to have at least another year playing at this year which could be vital to help us move up the table.His performances this season saw him pick up Fans Player of the Year.

Special Mentions

Frane Deranja - Joao Santos

Both players deserve a mention after a number of impressive performances throughout the season.Santos was a rock throughout the season and his impressive performances saw him called up to the Portugal national team and appeared three times for them,he will be a key player for Wigan for years to come.Deranja was an absolute steal at £1.2 million,he improved massively during the season and still has a lot of room to improve.He will be a brilliant player who could possibly make it at the top.These two shown glimpses of their potential and hopefully we can see a lot more next season.

Manager's Thoughts

It was a very impressive first season in the Premier League considering we had quite a young squad who can only get better in the near future.I was disappointed with the Capital One Cup run but getting Chelsea so early wasn't in my plan.Very pleased with the performance of the team in the FA Cup and the league and I feel we should be able to kick it up to the next level.I think we relied a bit too heavily on Charlie Austin who hit 25 goals this season but his form saw him earn a call up to the England team even if he didn't play.

I have one year left on my contract but the surprising thing is that I haven't been offered a new contract but we'll see what will happen at the end of next season.We should be able to challenge for a European spot as the youngsters we had in the team will get better and we will be able to get in more players to help strengthen the team.We're having no upgrades for any facilities,the stadium is staying the same as well,we've got a new chairman but he also lacks ambition as he won't do anything to help the club.If this is to be my last season then lets go out with a bang.

Season Club Division Country League Cup Continental Avg.Att Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 Gangneung City N-League S.Korea 4th 3rd Rnd N/A 1618 Playoff Defeat!
2013 Gangneung City N-League S.Korea 1st Q.F N/A 3540 Playoff Vitors!
2014 Gangneung City K-League S.Korea 4th WINNERS N/A 3707 FA Cup Winners!
2015 Gangneung City K-League S.Korea 3rd WINNERS WINNERS 4233 Left 18/11/15
2015/16 Wigan Ath. Championship England 5th 6th Rnd N/A 13218 Playoff Winners!
2016/17 Wigan Ath. Premiership England 8th Runners Up N/A 19551 Top half finish.

[JackJCFC]

Good season back in the Prem, not a bad average attendance for Wigan either.

[B.W.G]

Cheers mate The average attendance was the third highest,their highest came in 2013/14 when they averaged 20723.

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - Pre-Season - 2017/18

Club Information - Facilities - Boardroom Overview - Expectations - Finances

Pre-Season Transfers

The outgoings were mainly on loan to help get the players first team experience,only Defoe and Fyvie left permanently as Defoe wasn't going to do much and Fyvie was not going to get much game time due to our midfield being packed.The incomings saw two key players in Ogasawara and Ngambi,one first teamer in van Baarlen and two backups in Nenem and Bassiouny,I wasn't given much of a budget but I reckon I will be able to challenge for a spot in the Europa League.

Pre-Season Fixtures

Was quite a good pre-season with some impressive displays,the only disappointing match was Groningen in which they finished their chances much better than we did even if it was a close match.

The Team

Team Report - Tactics

Key Players

Shohei Ogasawara - GK

I've known about Ogasawara since my time at Gangneung City and I wanted to sign him last season but we had a lack of funds.I am really happy to have finally got him and it's even better that he rejected Everton to come to Wigan!Will be the number one choice keeper for a long time and is most definitely Navas's long term replacement.

Joao Santos - DC

The rock at the back,this guy did brilliantly in his first season and his form was that good he even got called up and capped by Portugal.He played 43 times and averaged at 7.32 in his first season in England.I am thrilled to have got him for £3.6 million as he is now worth more then that and we rejected a £9 million bid from Arsenal for him during the summer.

Petar Kostadinov - DM,MC

Made the step up to the Premier League with relative ease and definitely is starting to look like a solid signing.He primarily play at DM but he can play at MC if I need him to which is always handy if I need to change things in matches.Will start the season as first choice for the DM position.Will be looking for him to carry on with last seasons form.

Frane Deranja - AMR,ST

Was a very hard choice between him and Austin as my key striker but I gave it to Deranja as he is younger and has the versatility that could be needed throughout the season.The £1.2 million we paid for him last season was definitely a bargain and in his first season he hit 13 goals in 36 games which was an impressive contribution from the youngster.If he can continue to improve then he can be come one of the best players the club has seen.

One to Watch

Nenem - DL,WBL - 2*/4.5*

I can't believe I got him for £675k,his agent offered him to us so I got him scouted out and he was available to sign a contract straight off.I am a bit annoyed with his former club Bahia who could have hindered his development as they didn't play him but that can be rectified with us as he will get game time at times this season,will look to give him his debut against Luton in the Capital One Cup.

Manager's Thoughts

Considering where we finished last season,I honestly thought that the board would be more generous with the budgets but boy was I wrong.I'm already over spent on the wage budget by roughly £12.5k a week and we have £654k left in the transfer budget so I will definitely have a problem with the board if things mess up at some point this season.Saying that,I am more than satisfied with the squad I have and I feel we can really push things up to the next level which would be qualifying for the Europa League.It's just a shame we have a tough start to the league as we Kick off at home to Man City and straight after we face Arsenal at the Emirates!

The one annoying thing to have come out of pre-season is that there has been no contract offer given to me so I am now down to less than a year till it expires.I feel I should at least warrant a new contract offer but it just makes things easier for other clubs to offer me a job as there will be lower compensation fee.If this is to be my last year then I will go out with a bang and try to make it Wigan's most successful season ever.

[JackJCFC]

Looks like you've got some quality young players there, that Nenem already looks like a good player, should be amazing in a few years. Definitely a bargain!

[AK22]

What a cracking 'keeper the young Japanese player looks!

[B.W.G]

JackJFC - I gave him his debut against Luton,he put in a brilliant shift and looks like he will be class even though he is struggling to blend in at the moment.

AK22 - He has done brilliantly so far,he has conceded two goals in four appearances,already worth more than what we paid for him

[iSmiff]

8th in your first season; congrats! D'ya feel any loyalty to Wigan or are they just a stepping stone until a major club comes knocking?

[B.W.G]

Cheers fella Hard to say at the moment,we're flying in the league as we sit in 3rd going into October,if we get into some form of European football then I'd like to stay but I've got less than a year left on my contract and no offer has been given to me.

[B.W.G]

Wigan Athletic - Premier League - August/September 2017

FIxtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Can I just end the season now?We made a flying start by knocking off Man City and Arsenal in our opening league games,the only down side to the campaign so far was against West Ham and Stoke as we were lucky to draw both games.The Capital One Cup has seen us knock out Luton and QPR in which the latter should have been more comfortable than what it actually was.After seeing the fixtures,I honestly would have put us for Mid-Table.Austin has been the star for us so far with six goals in five appearances so if he can keep that up then who knows what will happen.

[JackJCFC]

Great start to the season, great win against Arsenal but relatively easy games besides so far.

[john1]

Cracking start to the season That Japanese keeper looks awesome and 38 caps already at age of 19?