FourFourTwo's Wigan Athletic season preview 2023/24 – can Shaun Maloney restore hope and optimism after a campaign of misery?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Wigan Athletic season preview 2023/24 finally has positivity, following a dismal 2022/23.
The Latics have found financial stability, with a takeover complete, wages paid and debts settled. Wigan Athletic will recover this season, make no mistake.
Manager Shaun Maloney still has that eight-point deduction to negotiate but, after he galvanized the club last season, a surge into mid-table in League One is possible if they can use that as motivation.
Wigan Athletic season preview 2023/24, the fan's view: Sean Livesey (@livesey99)
Last season was infuriating, frustrating and totally unnecessary. Two bosses sacked midway through the campaign, failing to pay wages on schedule not once but five times, huge overspending and points deductions that resulted in relegation. It was without a doubt the worst season we’ve had at that level.
The big talking point is still having a club to support. It’s not a stretch to imagine that Wigan Athletic could have ceased to exist this summer if Mike Danson hadn’t come in to save us.
Fans think our owner is our saviour. Danson is a Wiganer done good; from a family of coal miners, he made his money in data and analytics. He’s one of Britain’s richest men, and while he’s Wigan-born rather than Wigan-based, we have faith he’s here for the right reasons, as a Labour Party donor and owner of the New Statesman with links to this fiercely Labour-voting town.
James Carragher could make a breakthrough at Wigan this season (Image credit: Getty Images)
The one change I’d make would be a new ticket provider. Have two tickets in your household? Want to buy tickets with your pals at away games? Sorry, not with Future Ticketing.
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Look out for 20-year-old defender James Carragher. Jamie’s offspring has been with Wigan since his early teens and bubbling under for a number of seasons now, but last term’s loan at Oldham ended in injury. With a reset squad, thanks to the restructuring, he might get his first-team opportunity.
The active player I’d love to have back is Nick Powell. A player just clicks at your club sometimes, and Powell is that player for Wigan.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is that Shaun Maloney was a shining light in a season of woe. He couldn’t be any worse than the woeful Kolo Toure, and he wasn’t. Our performances and results picked up, while his enthusiasm and knowledge of the club is central to everything we want to be.
If he left, he should be replaced by Roberto Martinez. Maloney is one of his disciples, and although he’s a bit busy with Portugal these days, it’d be lovely to have Bob back. One day.
We’ll finish mid-table. Starting on -8 need not be terminal for our chances.
Season previews for the Premier League, League One and League Two are all available HERE
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
