It hasn’t taken long for Malky Mackay to voice his confidence in the squad of players he has inherited at Wigan Athletic.
Despite leading the Latics from the relegation zone to the playoffs last season, Uwe Rosler was dismissed earlier this month following a terrible start to the current campaign. Mackay was a controversial appointment due to still being under a Football Association investigation for allegedly exchanging racist and anti-Semitic texts during his time at Cardiff City.
However, the Scot is determined to get his career back on track and believes he can do so at the DW Stadium. His first game in charge ended in an encouraging 1-1 home draw with third-place Middlesbrough, and he believes what he saw from that game and in training has shown him that he has plenty of quality to work with in his current squad.
“If we play like we did on Saturday consistently over the course of the season, we’re going to win more games than we’ll lose,” Mackay told the club website. “Middlesbrough are a very good team, third in the league and certainly one of the most confident teams in the division right now, so to get a result against them will breed confidence in ourselves.
“We’ve got a good group of players, I thought that from afar, but I’m even more impressed now I’ve seen them up close and personal. They know that they’ve underachieved so far this season, so it’s about making sure there’s confidence and belief here. The most important thing is to make sure there’s self-belief because I certainly believe in the players.”
Wigan remain in the relegation zone after 18 matches, but are only a point away from safety in what is proving to be a hugely competitive division. Indeed, although they are 13 points adrift of a playoff position, Mackay may feel there is still plenty of time left in the season to mount a bid for a playoff place and the chance of a return to the Premier League.
Are Wigan good enough for a playoff place, or is it already too late this season? Let us know your thoughts by joining in with the discussion below.
