English FA Premiership Interview Michael Walkerfinds Wigan manager Paul Jewell as ambitious as ever as he attempts to consolidate the club's position in the Premiership
It says something about Paul Jewell that when he starts talking about music three of the artists he first mentions are Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and Billy Ocean. "I'm no trendy student," he says. Jewell was speaking about the concept of that difficult second album and how it relates to Wigan Athletic in their second year of top-flight football.
"I've been putting that analogy to people, because after the novelty factor of last season, the romance, I knew this was going to be hard. First time round we surprised a few, partly through their lack of awareness of us. That's gone and we've won some respect. But I knew this was always going to be that difficult second season for us."
Given that Wigan sit 12th in the Premiership, and on 22 points appear halfway to survival, Jewell's concerns can seem inflated, but Wigan have just lost at home to Sheffield United, today brings Chelsea, Tuesday a trip to Manchester United and then another meeting with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in mid-January.
The last seven matches have brought only one win. Then there is the issue of the relatively small numbers willing to pay to go to Wigan's JJB Stadium. Throw in a fresh six-week injury to striker Henri Camara and a manager could get agitated.
Jewell hardly needs an edge. He is self-made and is fiercely defensive about his club. "There's a group of people who want Wigan Athletic to fall apart," Jewell says, "the told-you-so brigade. This season will be really difficult for us, but we're up for it and we are here for the long term.
"In the short term we have come so far: in the last four years we have had our first taste of the Championship and we all thought simply staying in it would be hard. Then we went one better by getting promotion, then we stayed up in the Premiership. Because of what we have done in the last four seasons, last week I was actually asked about 'the decline of Wigan Athletic'. People need a reality check. You could actually say our first album was getting out of the second division. We went platinum by getting into the Premiership."
Now it is all about staying there, about establishing the sort of presence Jewell says that Bolton Wanderers have done. That takes season-on-season improvement, which requires better and better players.
"When I came here we were looking for players to get us out of the second division; in three years' time I'd like to think we'd be looking for players to get us into the top six."
Wigan in the top six is a notion that would make some flinch, a reaction based largely on the club's attendances this season. Ten days ago only 15,311 turned up to see Arsenal, and only 1,000 more had turned up for the visit of Manchester City in October, a derby. Wigan performed well in both matches, losing 1-0 to Arsenal and beating City 4-0.
If they were struggling, what size would their gates be? Jewell is bothered. He knows there is an impact on his team and on the recruitment of new players.
Ticket prices have been cut for today and all Wigan's seats will be filled, though Chelsea have not sold all of their tickets.
"I've spoken to the chairman and we have to do something about the price, make it more affordable. Wigan is no more poor than Liverpool or Manchester or Blackburn, but it is smaller. And I'd much rather have 25,000 here paying £15 than 15,000 paying £30. Then people would see a vibrant, progressive club, not just a rich one. It's not just about the money. Bringing players here is a lot easier if you have a better atmosphere.
"But people also forget that five years ago we had 5,000 here - last season the average was over 20,000. So I'd never have a go at Wigan fans who turn up; I just want more of them more often.
"But in broader terms the Premiership has to think about attendances. Blackburn, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, ourselves, those grounds where you see empty seats, that's because fans are not stupid. Those clubs' fans know they are not going to win the title, so you have to offer them something else - attractive football they all say. But they won't come if it's losing, attractive football, not in the long run. The prize of staying up is so great that winning is everything and what we have a lot of now is fear-factor football, survival football. We don't want that and fans don't want to pay £30 to see it."
Yet Jewell's professional life is all about striking the right balance. He says his "socialist ideal" of treating everyone the same "doesn't work in a dressing-room group environment" and he knows his fan's eye is different from his manager's eye.
The prospect of beating Chelsea or Manchester United is spicy, but it's Watford and Blackburn after that.
"I was talking to Alan Curbishley a while ago and he said at Charlton they treated the season as 30 games. Anything you get in those eight games against the top four are a bonus, though he might think different after last weekend. Sheffield United last Saturday, that was a big game for us. If we'd won, we'd be eight points above them; because we lost, they're just two points behind."
That hurt. Jewell is no fan of Neil Warnock. But when he put on his car stereo, Jewell at least knew what Billy Ocean had to say on the subject.
