Once a Premier League and FA Cup winning side, Wigan Athletic now seem to be a side in trouble in the Championship if you believe the stories on the net. Sitting 22nd in the second tier, Latics have been back-and-forth from the Championship to League One in recent seasons and it looks as though this may well be the case once more unless we can keep the form of the last couple of games up.

Despite our perilous position, however, Wigan have taken the scalps of play-off hunting Sheffield Wednesday and automatic promotion chasing Leeds United, games in which we were not expected to win.

Latics are even 7/4 to beat Preston on Saturday, which seems like an attractive price given their recent scalps.

However, we are still just 13/8 on average to drop down to the third tier so you might want to read over some reputable bookmaker reviews to see if you can find some enhanced bookmaker offers before you make a decision to back that.

As recent results and performances suggest, Wigan are far from dead and buried in this division just yet but how can they avert relegation?

Find the back of the net

Wigan’s problems for quite a few seasons is finding the back of the net. Latics have scored just 28 goals in the Championship so far, which is comfortably the worst goal average in the league.

The only saving grace is that Wigan’s away goal difference is better than those around them in the table. Our top goalscorer this season is Cheyenne Dunkley with five.

Bearing in mind that Dunkley is a centre-back, that does not exactly bode well for the Latics going into the business end of the season.

Wigan’s top goalscoring forward is Kieffer Moore with a measly three, though he is 13/2 to be the first goalscorer against Preston at the weekend. It’s rather surprising, therefore, that the gaffer Paul Cook did not delve into the January transfer market more than he did.

Keep going for the full 90 minutes

Football is a 90-minute game, everyone knows that. But, it appears as though the Wigan squad has little reality of that. The number of points the Latics have dropped following last minute goals has been incredibly damaging.

The 1-1 draw to Derby on Boxing Day was down to a 93rd equalizer from County’s ex-Latic player Martyn Waghorn.

Likewise, Wigan’s 2-1 defeat to Luton Town in early December was down to an 87th minute equalizer and 93rd minute winner, the first from ex-Latics player Callum McManaman.

Naturally, momentum changes in football, but concentration should always be present.

For Wigan, that has been a problem this season and that has to change before Paul Cook’s side self-destruct.

Keep the faith

Last season, Wigan were in the same predicament for a lot of the season. Paul Cook’s team then lost just once in nine games as Latics finished in 18th place.

Who says the same cannot happen in 2020? With a great team bond, superb work ethic and the ability to pull off major shocks like the one against Leeds, Latics can once more fight against the odds to stay in the second tier.

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