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After Thoughts on: Beating the Canaries

The weekend was brilliant for Latics. We winning and other teams starting to falter, so it couldn't go much better. We have yet to wait and see how QPR do tonight, but so far it is all going well. Martin O'Neil's sacking at Sunderland could also play into our hands, but lets look at the football from Saturday.

Paul Thomas

It wasn't a pretty game. That is one thing to look at the game, Wigan weren't at their best, players off the pace and most likely fatigued from travelling with their international sides. Saying that we still stuck to our task and kept on plodding on, holding onto the ball and looking to hit Norwich on the break.

With Arouna Kone we always look a threat on the break, the striker is in sensational form and you can see the confidence flowing from his body and play on the pitch, and his two goals in the last two games have really turned our own fortunes around. For a player who looks quite small he has incredible strength and was able to hold off Michael Turner for most of the game.

At the other end for us, it is Antolin Alcaraz who has turned our defensive fortunes around. He was undoubtedly the man of the match at the weekend, I don't remember a tackle or a header he didn't win. A few key tackles in our own penalty area for the defender both to deny Kie Kamara from going through on goal.

They have been the two changes to this current side. We have found goals going forward, and we have found a player who can keep the defence solid and keep teams out. It has all come at the expense of Gray Caldwell and Franco Di Santo. Two players we all felt would be key to our run in towards the end of this season have been dropped, and are now having to look and wonder will they get back into the starting line up.

It is those subtle changes that have made the difference for Wigan. It was always going to take a couple of tactical switches or a few changes to personnel to give this team the kick in the right direction. We have been stop start all season, and hopefully being able to pick the same line up week in, and week out will give Latics the base to push on.

With two back to back home wins that gives everyone a massive lift. Now we have to replicate that on our travels. The next two games could decide the short term future of the club. Beat QPR next weekend, and we are looking to have relegated them and being pushing ourselves well clear of the bottom three.

Follow that up with a win against Millwall in the FA Cup, and Wigan could be looking at Premier League safety and Europa League for next season.

The belief we can now do it is there. So bring on the two Londoners and our trip to Wembley.