Arry: All about progress

FORMER Latics captain and club legend Arjan de Zeeuw is confident that Roberto Martinez will scale further heights at the DW Stadium next season.

Last season was one of ups and downs of course, but ultimately the battle for Premier League survival was a successful one, with safety being guaranteed with a couple of games to spare.

Now de Zeeuw is looking for his former team to carry on making significant progress.

De Zeeuw, speaking after representing Latics at the Selco Masters Cup, told the Evening Post: “You have to hand huge credit to Roberto and the team for staying up last season.

“They played some really good football at times, but then it looked as though they’d fallen apart against Tottenham.

“It must be difficult having to look after so many different nationalities and characters in the squad, but in the end they stayed up reasonably comfortably so hopefully they can build on that next season.

“I believe Roberto and the team can make progress – they have to.

“He’s now brought in his own ideas and his own players, and I think they will do better next season.

“There does seem to be togetherness there, that’s such an important ingredient. I’ll continue to root for the boys.

“We don’t get Sky TV 
back home in Holland, but I can always catch up on the results and scorers every Saturday night on Match of the Day as we can watch the BBC.”

Latics’ former boss Steve Bruce is being heavily tipped to be on the verge of making a bid for winger Charles N’Zogbia.

It has been speculated that Sunderland manager Bruce has gone back to his former club to see if they would be willing to part with N’Zogbia and, if so, at what price.

Latics have already turned down a bid for N’Zogbia from Birmingham this summer.

Meanwhile, reports also suggest that Latics’ current boss Roberto Martinez is preparing a bid for Portsmouth’s highly-rated teenage defender Lenny Sowah – a German Under-18 international.