Also known as: The Latics
Ground: DW Stadium
Capacity: 25,138
Year Formed: 1932
Website: www.wiganlatics.co.uk
FootyMad Site: www.wiganer.net
Manager: Gary Caldwell (since April 2015)
Odds to win the League: 6/1 Odds for Promotion: 9/4 Odds for Relegation: 18/1
2014-2015:
League (Championship): W: 9 D: 12 L: 25 F: 39 A: 64 GD: -25 Points: 39
Home Record: W: 3 D: 8 L: 12 F: 18 A: 29
Away Record: W: 6 D: 4 L: 13 F: 21 A: 35
Pos: 23rd
Top Scorer: James McClean (6)
Worst Discipline: James McClean (11 yellows, 1 red)
FA Cup: Third Round (lost 1-0 to Bolton)
League Cup: First Round (lost 2-1 to Burton)
Last Five League Positions: 23rd (Championship), 5th (Championship), 18th (Premier League), 15th (Premier League), 16th (Premier League)
Head To Head v Barnsley: W: 5 D: 2 L: 2
Last season v Barnsley: N/A
Last Meetings with Barnsley: 3/8/13 Barnsley 0-4 Wigan (Ben Watson 37, Grant Holt 54, Leon Barnett 79, Shaun Maloney 88) &18/2/14 Wigan (Nicky Maynard 35, Martyn Waghorn 44)
Last Five Results v Barnsley: won 2-0, won 4-0, won 1-0, won 3-1, won 1-0.
Meet in 2015-2016 on: Saturday 19th December at Oakwell & Sunday 8th May at the DW Stadium.
View From The Terrace:
Kieran Makin – (News and Feature writer for wiganer.net)
Level of Interest:
Season ticket holder of ten years but due to commitments unable to have one for this coming campaign.
How has pre-season gone for you?
Gone pretty well, we have lost just the one game so far at Dundee and have played some attractive football and made some shrewd signings for this level.
Are you pleased with the signings your club has made?
Yes, absolutely delighted with the signings. We've done some top business at this level and so we should as our budget is better than most in League One. I expect to see a few more ins and outs before the season starts though.
What realistically are you aiming for this season?
For many bookies and League One teams we are favourites to either win the league or get automatically promoted, but I'd take a top six finish. Realistically I think we will finish top 10 as we are in a rebuilding process, which will take time and patience to be successful.
Which player has past his sell by date?
No one in the current squad springs to mind, but as much as I loved him Emmerson Boyce definitely was and it was the right decision to let him go.
Have you got the right manager in charge?
Yes I think we have, Gary Caldwell has the right ideas in terms of philosophy and how he wants to play a passing style, but he isn't afraid to mix it up and go route one with the likes of Grant Holt and Craig Davies. He may be inexperienced but he's young and hungry for success, especially with a club he played for and loves so much.
What advice would you give him?
If things aren't going right stick to his guns, chopping and changing the team won't help especially with lots of new signings, he needs a settled team. Like I said it’s going to take time and patience to properly click.
Who do you see as your key player?
Will Grigg, we haven't had a consistent proven goalscorer since the days of Jason Roberts in 05/06. Grigg has scored goals at League One level for both Walsall and last season for MK Dons where he scored 20 League One goals. The Dons went up automatically.
Who would you most like to beat this season?
Oldham Athletic. I didn't realise until now how much they're obsessed with us, labelling us the plastic Latics, so it would be nice to shut their 3,000 fans up :)
Where will you finish?
I honestly think we will finish around 8th place. Slow start, finish strongly but just miss out on the play offs.
How do you rate Barnsley's chances next season and where do you think they will finish?
Barnsley have got all the capabilities to launch a bid for the top six, but I think they will be hit and miss like ourselves and finish in a similar position to us. You have a good young manager like ourselves in Lee Johnson who likes to play attacking football and I'm a fan of Conor Hourihane, I think he's got an excellent left peg.