Source: PA
Martinez expects Wigan to survive
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is convinced his team will prove the doubters wrong and escape relegation.
The Barclays Premier League's bottom side have been written off in many quarters having spent the majority of their campaign in the drop zone.
That is despite attracting plaudits for their playing style, an uplifting last-gasp win over Birmingham last time out and having an impressive 12 players on international duty last week. Martinez believes all those factors give his side, who are just one point below the safety line, confidence for the remaining eight games of the campaign, starting with Saturday's testing encounter against Tottenham.
The Spaniard said: "From the outside it is understandable. If you look at the clubs that are fighting to avoid relegation with, people are going to have their views.
"But as we have always done, we are here to defy the odds and prove people wrong. We feel we have been playing at a very good level in the last few weeks and now it is a matter of getting that good play reflected in the table. It would be a great, great achievement to defy the odds and spring a surprise. But that is the nature of Wigan Athletic - we are a fantastic football story and we want to carry on with this dream.
"There is a really good mood. The game against Birmingham allows you to have that feeling. We are in a great moment, everyone is fully fit. We had 12 players flying around the world representing their countries and there is huge belief and excitement about catching up some of the points that we feel we have been missing."
