news-engine

'Bring it on' - Wigan Athletic boss' message ahead of return to 'real' action Gary Caldwell has called for the real Wigan Athletic to stand up when the new football season starts in earnest this weekend. After four mixed pre-season hit-outs against Port Vale, AFC Fylde, Southport and Grimsby Town, Latics face their first 'real' test of 2026/27 at Barnsley on Saturday in round one of the Carabao Cup. And with the League One opener at Cambridge United looming large the following weekend, Caldwell knows the focus now firmly switches from 'performances' and 'minutes in the tank' to 'results'. "We're really looking forward to Barnsley," he said. " A game that matters, a game that means something. "Pre-season games are always difficult, and totally different from games where you need something...whether that's league points or progression in a cup. "We've had a good seven weeks since we've been back. We've worked on many different things, worked on a lot of new relationships, and we're now ready to attack the new season. "We're as ready as we can be, from where we've been building from. "We knew it was going to be a big rebuild this summer - with a lot of players leaving and a lot of players coming in...and still time for more players to come in. "I feel the players are in a good place, and I feel performances have progressed over pre-season, albeit with the results not quite what we would have liked. "But we are always demanding more from the players, pushing them to new levels, and we're ready for a game where we will be judged on the result as well as the performance. "The key is to achieve a successful outcome in both areas, and that's how we're heading into Saturday's game. "I feel we have the makings of a good group here, I can see it coming together, and I see a lot of good people and good characters as well as good players. "But, as I said to them in a team meeting this week, they will get judged from now, when the results start becoming important. "When we win games, are we going to stay humble? When we lose games, are we going to stay resilient, and keep being accountable to each other? "I'm not someone who likes to give the players too many rules, because when you do that, they're more likely to break them, and then you'll have to do something about it! "For me, it's about 'team first'. And that's not a slogan on the wall...it's about behaviour every day, that covers so many aspects of how I want the players to conduct themselves - on and off the pitch. "That's my one and only rule, we've spoken about it in the group, and hopefully that will stand us in good stead throughout the season." Latics have made nine signings so far this summer – Max Power, Connor Barrett, Sonny Perkins, Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Hindolo Mustapha, Akeel Higgins, Joe Walsh, Ryan Trevitt and Archie Harris – to bolster their squad, with more set to follow before the transfer deadline.