Source: Team_Talk
Martinez out to stop the rot
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is determined to come up with a system which stops Latics from getting punished for every mistake they make.[LNB] Wigan have lost their last five Premier League matches in a run which also saw them exit the Carling Cup to Championship side Crystal Palace.[LNB]In the last three matches in particular isolated mistakes have turned out to be pivotal in affecting the result.[LNB]Maynor Figueroa's error at home to Tottenham saw Latics concede a third-minute goal on their way to a 2-1 defeat in which Steve Gohouri was sent off.[LNB]Antolin Alcaraz was caught in possession by Darren Pratley last Saturday for Bolton's first goal after four minutes before Gohouri criminally gave the ball away to Kevin Davies on the stroke of half-time - just five minutes after Wigan had equalised - which led to Wanderers' second in a 3-1 win.[LNB]Tellingly the Ivory Coast defender, playing out of position at left-back, did not appear for the second half but Martinez stressed he will not single out players as he believes the squad as a whole have to work to address the issue.[LNB]"We know the defeat on Saturday was self-inflicted and in a way it gives you a lot of margin to work on that because you can turn things around," he said.[LNB]"It wasn't that the opposition was better than us or won a game without us being able to do anything about it, it was more a case of rustiness as a group.[LNB]"It is not just mistakes. Football is a game of errors and you shouldn't be punished for every mistake you make.[LNB]"But the side is so anxious to get positive results sometimes it goes against you.[LNB]"We shouldn't have got punished for those mistakes (against Bolton) as there are many other mechanisms and ways to avoid that and that is where the work is.[LNB]"You need to understand you have to have a certain urgency and fear of conceding and that allows you to correct those mistakes.[LNB]"We accepted errors and being punished by them and it is time to change that."[LNB]Martinez insists it is far too early in the season to start worrying about making drastic changes as, even though his side are second-bottom of the table, they are only three points off 12th place.[LNB]The principled Spaniard has refused to change his approach to the way he thinks the game should be played, even when the situation was even more dire towards the end of last season.[LNB]What change is required must come from within the players themselves, he believes.[LNB]"We know what we have to do. We have been through this many times and it is a moment to be all together and face adversity," he added.[LNB]"We are brave. We are a football club who base their way to win on a very clear group of concepts and we will continue doing that.[LNB]"But it is important we find that very good individual level of performance because we cannot afford to have two or three players not performing on the pitch.[LNB]"That has happened too many times unconsciously for many different reason and that is what we have to address.[LNB]"But it is not about being hard [on the players]. We all need to be demanding. Overall the players in their careers don't deserve to be in a bad run of results but it is not about blaming people.[LNB]"We need to find our best moment of form individually and that is down to demands."
