Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez stresses that the Latics will not be going to the Emirates on Saturday with damage limitation in mind, but instead they will be playing to win and will get at Arsenal in order to secure the three points.
Martinez believes that as a team you learn nothing from being ultra defensive and that they need to be brave so that they can grow and he points to the Manchester United game as an example of this, Latics may have lost heavily in the end but for 50 minutes it was an evenly balanced game and in fairness fitness of key players had an impact on the outcome.
The Latics boss believes that the United game taught his side and actually helped in last Saturdays win against West Ham at the DW stadium, speaking to the Wigan Evening Post Martinez said: ‘We are not going to go into any game thinking about damage limitation, because you have no chance of getting any points and you don’t learn anything like that.
‘We will be brave and open-minded, and use every game we play to grow as a team.
‘The 5-0 defeat against Manchester United probably looked damaging from the outside, but the first 50 minutes in that game helped us to win the game on Saturday against West Ham.
‘It’s the way you develop, the way you learn, the way you grow as a team – and we are going to carry on doing that against Arsenal.’
Martinez feels that the West Ham game proves that the Latics are indeed growing and that the players are now gelling together and getting to know their roles within the team, his patient football he says will bring results.
Also the Latics boss says that individual players are starting to find their form and this is helping the team come together, he continued: ‘The most pleasing aspect was that we knew as a team what to do in every single situation, and it was a very, very important performance’
‘We had to show patience in our play, and we had to find the chance rather than chase it.
‘That will be the key to any success we have.
‘We know we are in a transitional time, we know we are learning certain aspects in terms of growing together, and to be able to see the game through like we did against West Ham was pleasing.
‘That was something we couldn’t do against Everton, and that shows you we are growing as a team and as a club. We know we have a very talented squad and the challenge for us is to fulfil all that potential.
‘Every player is starting to master what they are good at, and that allows you to build partnerships and different strengths throughout the team, which is how you create a good team.
‘You don’t want every player to be the same, or areas where they show the same ability, and it’s very important that in every single department on the pitch we have different strengths.
‘When they all link up together, that is when you become a strong side.’
Book competition
Vital Latics have teamed up with the author Ken Barlow to offer one lucky Vital member the chance to win a personalised signed copy by Ken himself of his fabulous new book about life supporting the Latics back in the 1970`s, entitled `Mild and Bitter Were the Days`.
To enter the competition simply answer the following question:
Which league were the Latics in before they gained election to the football league:
A – Southern Premier League
B – Northern Premier League
C – National Premier League
To enter click here don`t forget your name and address in case you are the lucky winner and also include your Vital username, good luck 
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