Wigan manager Roberto Martinez predicts a ferocious fight to the end of the season for the bottom 10 clubs in the English Premier League as they bid to secure their top-flight survival.
Martinez, who has engineered the Latics’ safety in the closing stages of the last two seasons, believes it will be a much tighter finish this year, with several teams battling each other to pass the magic 40-point barrier and secure safety.
Wigan are second bottom of the standings ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Stoke, with the visit of Southampton on Saturday a vital game in potentially deciding their future in May.
“This year the bottom 10 positions are really open,” Martinez told reporters.
“I know that now people are looking at the table but I don’t think it shows the reality of the teams that are involved. There will be a lot of twists and turns from now until the end of the season.
“When you go to the last third of the league season, where you are in the table is just a starting point, but I do believe it is going to be a ferocious fight until the end of the season.
“A lot of teams are going to get involved because if you don’t get the 40 points that you need you are going to be fighting to avoid relegation. There are ways of winning football games and everyone will have a say from now until the end of the season.”
Martinez knows he needs to find reinforcements quickly if he is to give his side the best chance of securing their Premier League status as Wigan’s injury list keeps on growing.
Defender Ivan Ramis is the latest big concern for the Spaniard after he was ruled out for the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage.
With centre back Antolin Alcaraz still not match fit following a groin injury he picked up while on international duty with Paraguay, Martinez knows he needs to act quickly in the transfer window to find suitable cover.
Wigan have been linked with both Wolves defender Roland Zubar and Liverpool’s Sebastian Coates, but while Martinez refused to confirm his interest in particular players, he admitted there is business to be done.
He said: “I don’t like to get into positions where you are desperate to bring one player in the final week.
“Unfortunately we lost Ivan Ramis in the last away game in the league against Fulham. That’s been a position we are already short, so it’s been something that’s forcing us to look around and see if we can find the right personality to come in, but not just any player or any signing.
“We want to be in a position where we can take advantage of the window as the injury surprised us a little bit but my focus goes to trying to get all of the players fully fit and back from injury and trying to play the last third of the competition.”
And Martinez expects his search for new players to continue right up to Thursday’s deadline.
“It will be difficult between now and Thursday and I am sure it will go all the way because another feature I never enjoy is having important games in between,” Martinez said.
“Our focus goes to the game against Stoke, which is a vital and difficult game so you imagine it will go down to the last moment of the window because it has been thrown at us with the injury of Ivan.
“It’s something we will announce to the fans, if not I’m sure a youngster will get the chance.”
But with Stoke his immediate concern, Martinez is prepared for a tough battle and a clash of styles on Tuesday night.
“One of the hardest places to visit in the Premier League is the Britannia Stadium,” Martinez said.
“We know they have been in a difficult period with their results but they are still in a good position in the table.
“That is a sign of a team that is settled in the Barclays Premier League with a particular style which is always very difficult to play against.”