COOK EYES TASTY AWAY DAY RECIPE
Latics seek to break duck
THERE’S been plenty of away-day pain for Wigan this season, but manager Paul Cook is confident their fortunes will soon turn. A battling 2-2 draw at Millwall in midweek earned the Latics just their third point on the road this term. They’ve already suffered seven defeats away from the DW Stadium. Before the draw against the Lions, Wigan lost to an injury time goal at Derby, saw City score a late equaliser and fell to a stoppage time Stoke winner last weekend.
“It’s football, it is what it is,” said a philosophical Cook after the midweek match. “The games we’ve played at Derby, Bristol City, not so much Stoke, we’ve played really well.
“The results are disappointing because we don’t look like a team in trouble and who are at the bottom end of the league.
“At times there’s naivety. Stoppage time today was the best we’ve looked in stoppage time – we actually time-wasted, if you like, and did the professional things you’re supposed to do!
“Sometimes we haven’t been able to do that. It’s a tough learning curve and the players have to make the mistakes to learn.”
Optimistic
While the Latics, who dropped into the relegation zone in midweek, haven’t been able to bag that elusive first win on their travels, Cook is optimistic it will come if they keep turning in decent performances.
“We’ve just got to keep go Bristol ing,” said the former Portsmouth boss. “We’ve got a really good squad, a good team spirit. They’re a good set of lads.
“They just haven’t had that bit of confidence injected in them from getting results. If they’d lost tonight, it would have been heartbreaking because they’re not deserving to lose these games.
“I’m sure that with one or two wins, the confidence would flow – without a shadow of a doubt.
“Instead of snatching at a chance or two, we’d probably relax a little bit more.”