Teale calls for patience
26 Sep 2006 - 14:19:30
Wigan Athletic midfielder Gary Teale believes the Latics will eventually come good despite their disappointing start to the campaign.
Manager Paul Jewell signed 11 new players in the summer and the much-changed squad has taken only five points from their opening five Premiership games and crashed out of the Carling Cup at the second round stage after reaching last term's Final.
Teale has called on the club's fans to be patient though, telling the Manchester Evening News: "It's early days. People are saying we haven't started well compared to last year, but don't forget, we lost our opening two games last time round.
"There's still a long way to go even though we're a point or two down on where we were last season.
"There have been big changes at this club, major ones in fact when you stop to consider who has left. If you compare the side which played at Everton a year ago to the one that played there the other week, I think only two players started both fixtures.
"This kind of thing happens but maybe it will take more time to settle, although you don't get a lot of time in this game so admittedly we need to be doing that sooner rather than later.
"I probably have been surprised just how much change there has been when you think what we had, but this has always been a progressive club with people moving on and it has never stood still.
"You expect changes - they are part and parcel of the game. But the gaffer is an ambitious fellow who openly wants to make us all better.
"We have to consolidate for a few years on what we've done and what is in place. The aim is again to stay in this league even though we finished 10th last time."