Melchiot rallies Wigan

Mario Melchiot insists now is the time for his team-mates to show their professionalism as managerless Wigan prepare to face Tottenham on Sunday.

The Latics have lost their last six Premier League games and are 18th in the table ahead of their trip to White Hart Lane, with Frank Barlow in temporary charge of first-team affairs following the sacking of Chris Hutchings on Monday, ending his six years as part of the Latics coaching staff.

Melchiot admits it is tough to see the man who signed him from Rennes this summer leave, but told Wigan Athletic World: “The responsibility is there because of the disappointment of what has happened to a manager who has been around for so long.

“We have had two knockdowns – the first is that we have not been winning games, and the other knockdown is for your manager to be gone. This is when you have really got to be self-firing.

“The last thing Chris said to us was ‘you are good pros, don’t disappoint yourselves’. Being a good pro is coming to the training ground and knowing my manager is not going to be there. I have to do my business on Saturday, and on Saturday I will be ready.”

Melchiot has urged the club to act quickly in naming Hutchings’ permanent successor, with former boss Paul Jewell linked with a quick return as well as former Newcastle and Blackburn manager Graeme Souness.

“As soon as the new person comes in, whoever it may be, it is going to be the best thing for the club and for the group as well, because it makes a more settled group,” the former Birmingham man said.

“I’ve been in this situation at Chelsea when (Gianluca) Vialli left, it’s not the greatest time at the club. But besides that this is football and sometimes you have got to live with it and try to move on.

“The most important thing is we stick together. All the people outside (the club) are wondering what is going on and what is happening and the best thing for us is to stick together and do the best that we can.”