Year on year Wigan Athletic struggle at the foot of the table as the rigmarole of the Premier League appears too much for the club to handle. Yet each season the side dig deep, and despite relegation seeming inevitable they somehow manage to claw their way to an improbable survival.
This campaign has been no different, as Wigan have spent the majority of the season languishing near the foot of the table, hovering inside or just outside of the relegation places. A few weeks ago Wigan were well and truly rooted in the bottom three, but a turn of fortunes over the past weeks have seen them move out of the relegation zone. The question is can they once more complete the great escape?
Apart from a thumping 4-0 home defeat by Liverpool, the Latics have enjoyed a brilliant run of form, defying the odds to win five of their last six games and move ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, whilst progressing through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, after a sublime victory over Everton.
A month ago they seemed odds on for relegation, yet now they seem more than capable of once more beating the drop. And it won’t be the first time that the club have instigated such a remarkable escape; you just have to take last year for an example, where Wigan embarked upon a magnificent close to the season to avoid the dreaded fate of relegation.
Resilience, passion and determination flow through the club, and the exuberance and intelligence of manager Roberto Martinez reverberates throughout his players. Even when all of the odds are stacked against them, Wigan seem capable of overcoming the toughest of obstacles and somehow manage to ensure their Premier League survival.
By no means is their place in the Premier League for next year safe yet, and there is still a lot of work to do in the closing weeks of the season, but there is a growing belief and even inevitability that once more Wigan will achieve what until recently seemed improbable and again survive.
You get the impression that this season the Latics have moved forward as a side, adding more bite, solidarity and class to their team. Arouna Kone has demonstrated flashes of brilliance, James McCarthy continues to shine and defensively the side has shown great courage. In a way for the first time in a few years it would be a bit of a surprise if the Latics got relegated, as you feel that there are far weaker teams in the Premier League.
Yet until the past month that theory looked to be falling by the wayside, as Wigan seemed on the edge of the disastrous relegation back to the second tier of English football. However after recent results the great escape is once more well and truly on.
I like Wigan. I like Wigan alot. But I like Sunderland more. So I hope they go down.