Roberto Martinez is confident his Wigan side will get the slice of luck required to propel them towards Barclays Premier League safety.
For the second weekend running, the Latics were left cursing after failing to gain any reward for their efforts. This time they fell victim to Manchester City, or rather Ali Al Habsi's embarrassing first-half mistake to allow David Silva's shot over the line, which condemned them to another week at the foot of the table.
With only nine games remaining, time is starting to run out for Martinez's men, but he said: "Sometimes you need a bit of luck in one game and that triggers a successful run. The Premier League is an unforgiving place and football sometimes doesn't give you what you deserve. But at the end of the season I believe it will."
Wigan's chronic lack of goals will need to be addressed, however. They have now drawn 11 blanks this term, with James McCarthy and Conor Sammon wasting their best chances to claim a point against City that would have been thoroughly deserved.
Yet Martinez shows a calmness under intense pressure and is vowing to stick to his principles of flowing football, even though scrapping for points would seem to some like a more productive option.
"We don't need nastiness," he said.
"My players just need to understand how they are going to get points, which is by playing well.
"It is a circle. You get frustrated, then you get a chance and instead of thinking you are going to score, you think you are going to miss. Mentally we need to change that.
"But the dynamics are very positive and we have huge belief.
"It is just a matter of time before it clicks into place and we get the results our performances deserve."
Source: PA
