Gary Caldwell has urged Wigan Athletic not to write off their 4-0 home defeat to Stockport County as a complete disaster, insisting the Latics can still draw lessons from a difficult afternoon at the DW Stadium.
Caldwell looks for the positives
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester after the final whistle, the Wigan manager acknowledged that the scoreline was painful but refused to let it define his side's direction of travel.
"Everything wasn't a disaster," Caldwell said. "There are positives we can take from it and things we can build on."
It is a familiar tone from the Latics boss, who has called on his players to keep working through adversity on more than one occasion already this season. With confidence fragile following a difficult run of results, though, a four-goal home defeat will test even the most optimistic reading of events.
A statement result for Stockport
For Stockport County, the win at the DW Stadium represents a significant statement in the early weeks of the League One season. The Hatters arrived in Wigan having been frustrated in recent outings, and a four-goal haul against a fellow third-tier side will do their confidence no harm at all.
The result also underlines the quality Stockport carry going forward. Four goals away from home in any division demands respect, and County will be encouraged that they can produce that kind of performance at one of the bigger venues in the third tier.
Wigan's run of form a concern
Wigan's League One campaign has been stop-start. A 3-1 win over MK Dons offered a brief lift, but defeats have outnumbered wins in recent weeks. Sunday's reverse adds further weight to the questions gathering around the DW Stadium, and Caldwell will be well aware that patience among supporters can only stretch so far.
The Latics have shipped goals at an uncomfortable rate. Conceding four at home to a divisional rival is the kind of afternoon that demands a direct and honest response in training, not just careful words in a post-match interview.
Caldwell, to his credit, has consistently spoken about the need to keep working and keep the group together. The challenge now is translating that message into results on the pitch, starting from their next League One fixture.
What comes next
Both clubs will look to respond quickly in a division where momentum can shift inside a week. Wigan need a performance to settle nerves and quiet the doubters; Stockport will want to build on a convincing win and push themselves into the upper reaches of the table.
For Caldwell, the immediate priority is clear: identify what went wrong, hold on to whatever slim positives exist, and make sure a repeat does not happen. His players will need to show a very different face the next time they run out at the DW Stadium.
Frequently asked
- What was the score between Wigan and Stockport?
- Stockport County beat Wigan Athletic 4-0 at the DW Stadium in League One.
- What did Gary Caldwell say after the Stockport defeat?
- Wigan manager Gary Caldwell said that "everything wasn't a disaster" and insisted there were positives his side could take from the heavy defeat.
- How is Wigan Athletic performing in League One this season?
- Wigan have had a mixed start to the League One season, with the 4-0 home loss to Stockport continuing a difficult run of results for Gary Caldwell's side.