Source: Daily_Mail
Manager Roberto Martinez has big shoes to fill as Wigan face Aston Villa
Fans no longer come round to his house to drink coffee and offer their opinions, but Roberto Martinez is painfully aware of the challenge facing him as manager of Wigan Athletic.
Martinez kicks off his first Premier League campaign at Aston Villa today without the core of the team that have kept Wigan in the top-flight for the last four years under his predecessors Paul Jewell and Steve Bruce.
No Emile Heskey, Amr Zaki or Mido in attack, no Antonio Valencia on the right wing, and no Wilson Palacios or Lee Cattermole in the heart of midfield. Those are big gaps to fill, and the Spaniard knows it.
'It doesn't get any harder than this,' said Martinez. 'In any club, if you lose the principal players it's going to take you time to get over that.
'So we've got a new squad, a different way to play and a different philosophy. The next six months are going to be a real challenge.
'I think the fans know it's not going to be easy, but only through the tough times can you grow. If we are together and show patience we'll be able to get to the next level.'
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has promised the man he first brought to the club from Real Zaragoza 14 years ago that he will keep his job even if the club go down.
