Let's see if his side beats the odds tomorrow at St James' Park.
Roberto Martinez: "When you play for Wigan you need to be able to defy the odds and that is the way we have always played our football.
"I feel we are capable of responding to adversity and that is what we have to do on Saturday.
"Don't get me wrong we don't want to be in our current position but we know at the moment it doesn't mean anything now because it could be a reflection of who you have played and what injuries you have.
"We know where we are and what we have to correct. The next game is a massive football occasion and we are ready for that.
"At Wigan you learn to push yourself to the maximum.
"We have been seven seasons in the Premier League and we have to give everything and more to keep that going.
"We will never run away from the fact that we want to take risks, get on the ball and control games and for that you need to be capable.
"I feel the team can go anywhere and impose itself. That has always been in our culture.
"As a manager you learn to be under pressure and it is not externally it is what you put yourself under.
"We want to be better and achieve more and that is the only way you can manage.
"Externally there is a role for the media and supporters to have expectations and opinions but as a manager you don't look outside.
"You go down to character and responsibility - if you don't have these ingredients in your dressing room you cannot face adversity.
"But we have been through that time after time and we carry on doing that because we are relying on players with potential and youngsters with huge talent.
"The experience comes through painful lessons.
"What is important is you understand the margins are so small. Even though we are in the bottom three in October things can change drastically.
"If we had scored the penalty against Swansea (a goalless draw) with 10 minutes to go we would be mid-table.
"It is about finding solutions and being demanding of each other. and going back to responsibility and maturity.
"From myself, to the staff and every single individual we all need to give that extra five per cent because we need to affect those small margins which at the moment are going against us."