With their Premiership status ensured for another season, Wigan Athletic did not need to secure any points when they travelled to Stamford Bridge for their final game. Nevertheless, boss Roberto Martinez will have been less than happy at his team’s capitulation to the new Premier League Champions and with an 8-0 scoreline not the heaviest defeat of the season – a 9-1 hammering at White Hart Lane in November remains fresh in the memory.

It has not been the best campaign seen at Wigan. The win by a single goal over West Ham in the second week of September was their first of the season. Defeat at Villa Park on the opening day followed by a home defeat to new-boys Wolves put the pressure on but a 5-0 second half blitz by Manchester United went from bad to worse as Blackpool put four past the Latics backline to send them crashing our of the Carling Cup.

 

A win over Chelsea was the highlight of the first half of the season and a 4-1 FA Cup 3^rd round win against Hull City gave fans hope that the worst was over. However, two-nil down at Notts County in the next round required a fight back to earn a replay. Unfortunately, County again scored twice and Wigan were unable to reply dumping them out of the FA Cup.

No less than seventeen players scored for Wigan this season and the spread of goals was one major positive for the club. If that can be replicated next year, and someone can step up to the plate moving Hugo Rodallega’s top scoring 10 into the teens then comfortable mid-table should be an easy aim.

Roberto Martinez won’t have much to spend but what he does have he must use well.