Everton at Wigan Athletic: Q&A with Pie Eaters Footie

Everton will be traveling to the DW Stadium this weekend to take on Wigan Athletic in a Premier League fixture. This will be a homecoming game of sorts for Everton's September Player of the Month Leighton Baines, who spent the first five years of his footballing career with the Latics.

We spoke with HeapyLatic, the editor over at the SB Nation Wigan blog Pie Eaters Footie, who kindly answered a few of our questions ahead of the game. Click here to read the Q&A we did for them on their blog.

RBM - Not the best of starts to the season for Wigan. After two consecutive seasons with surviving the drop by the skin of Roberto Martinez's teeth, the fans must be getting restless?
PEF - No we knew it was likely to happen the last two seasons, we are used to us climbing out of the drop zone. If anything we were frustrated with the players, they are coached well and then play well. But just don't score even when they have an open net.
This season has very much the same feel as last year. This time however we are playing even better and have looked like we could run away with some games only for the opposition to be stubborn and beat us.
We need to take our chances. Once the players work that out we will be fine.

RBM - What is the relationship like between Dave Whelan and Martinez? Martinez laid the groundwork for what looks like a good football club at Swansea City. Has he been given the resources he needs to build the footballing model he envisions?
PEF - Its like father and son is the Whelan and Roberto relationship. They are so close and always have been and will be.
So in terms of resources, Martinez gets more or less anything he wants. But what Martinez wants is better youth and training facilities. He rarely asks for much in terms of extra wages or transfer money.

RBM - Speaking of resources, how did Wigan fare in the transfer market? Who are the players that came in that fans are most excited about?
PEF - We fared pretty well, we brought in what we need and kept the majority of our squad together. The signings of Ivan Ramis and Arouna Lone have been pivotal and will help our development.
Both are experienced players and that was what we really needed to add to our ranks.
We also then added a youth dynamic with Fraser Fyvie and the very talented Ryo Miayichi both of whom will play a part this year.

RBM - Wigan has been hovering at the bottom of the home attendance figures for the last few years. While winning is always a surefire method of getting those numbers up, what else does the management have planned to boost attendances?
PEF - Our attendance isn't as bad as people make out. The population of Wigan is about 80,000 people and we get about 16,000 of that as home supporters. That's just under a quarter not a bad statistic to have.
We are always looking to draw more fans in, and against Fulham we had a buy one get one free. This saw our home attendance go over 19,000 for a game we usually have our lower end attendance. So things are being done and more people are coming, remember 10 years ago we were in league 2 with an average attendance of 8,000.

RBM - Two consecutive 4-1 wins in the Capital One Cup must have brought some smiles to the Latics faithful. They play Bradford next and surely there is hope for a long Cup run?
PEF - Did you say cup run? We don't get many of those but our second string team seem determined to get to Wembley, hopefully they will and I get a day out!
It is looking good for a quarter final place so long as we pass the banana skin that is Bradford City, and a good draw for the next round, and we could be on our way to the semi-final.

RBM - Finally, your score predictions for Saturday, and what you are expecting from the Wigan side?
PEF - What am I expecting? A great performance followed by an amazing win. Yet I know we won't get that as we will limp over the line and most likely lose out to you with the form you are in.
Yet I am a glass is half full person and I am going for a 1-1 draw.