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Wigan’s Rosler says team need to tick all ‘boxes’ rather than just defend

They might be unbeaten in their last four games but Wigan boss Uwe Rosler knows they are struggling in attack and must compose themselves in front of goal. 

The 0-0 draw against Millwall was their third consecutive stalemate and the same old story of Rosler’s team dominating but failing to master their opponents defence was there for all to see. 

The German boss was pleased with what he saw mostly but knows his team must be better in the final third. 

He said: “I was happy in general but what counts in football is both boxes and, unfortunately, in the penalty area we weren’t good today.

“I’ve just watched the crosses and all the final third situations back and that is our problem, in the last 20 metres.”

Rosler has admitted though that there were positives about the game but it seems vital that the Latics must apply these throughout the whole game rather than just sections of it.

“We started the game very well; the pitch was very soft and very heavy and in the first 30 minutes I was happy,” he said.

“I said to the players that they showed the response in difficult conditions and showed a better desire to show everybody that we really wanted to win.”

The manager was pleased with the way Honduran Maynor Figueroa performed, after he returned to the Latics on a one-month loan deal from Hull City, as well as being impressed by Shaun Maloney and James McClean. 

The quality of players is obvious but their ability to produce tidy attacking football as a collective force is not and with Derby next up the Lancashire side must get their act together.

“We do everything right up until the last 20 metres and then we are not acting like we should act, especially for the quality of players we have in our squad.”

Main image courtesy of Wigan Athletic via YouTube, with thanks.

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