Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell has issued a rallying cry to
his players, urging them to prove wrong the critics who expect to
see them make an immediate return to the Championship.
The Latics' Barclays Premiership campaign begins on August 14 at
home to champions Chelsea and Jewell wants the tone to be set that
day.
"When people ask my opinion I say Wigan are one of the favourites
to go down on the mere fact that is what happens (more often than
not to promoted teams)," said Jewell.
"But people have written us off without ever seeing us play or what
we are about. That is cheap. People don't respect us. People are
writing disparaging things about us.
"I don't like that and I'd love to stuff a few people's words down
their throats.
"It is very exciting times but I don't want us to be going out
there on August 14 with our autograph books and wanting to swap
shirts.
"We will respect Chelsea before the game but when it starts it is
every man for himself."
Jewell wants to change Wigan from a club admired for its remarkable
rise to the Barclays Premiership to an established top-flight
entity that strikes fear into the leading sides in England.
"We will be everyone's favourite second team this season because
everyone thinks they can beat us and we are not a threat - maybe
one day we will be disliked," Jewell told Radio Five Live's
Sportsweek programme.
"We have that image of pies and flat caps - but I dont want to
play up to that stereotype. I want to take Wigan forward and the
best way we can do that is with football.
"Wigan is a great place and it's buzzing at the moment because the
team is in the Premiership.
"The club has had a meteoric rise. Twenty years ago the club was in
the Northern Premier. This is a chance to prove all the people
wrong."
But it will take time. Jewell has missed out on a number of
transfer targets during the summer, including England midfielder
Scott Parker.
Wigan offered Chelsea £10million for Parker but the midfielder
chose Newcastle United.
Jewell was not at all surprised, but is determined to change the
way Wigan are viewed.
"We bid £10million, Peter Kenyon accepted it but if I had the
chance as a player to go to Newcastle, Everton or Tottenham I'd go
to one of the other three before Wigan.
"Wigan is about being part of something moving forward. It's a new
adventure. No-one thought Wigan would be in the Premiership. But we
are there on merit.
"We are a forward-thinking club that can't go and buy current
internationals playing for England - but we can get better players
and gradually build a squad up that way."
Hopefully in the 20 days before we face Chelsea we will get three
or four more new faces in."
But it us unlikely Jewell will bid for Manchester City midfielder
Joey Barton, who was sent home early from the club's pre-season
trip to Thailand following an off-field incident.
"Barton is obviously a good player," said Jewell.
"I don't know what's gone on over there. He is a good player but
not one I've thought of at the moment." - premierleague.com
