Latics will be looking to make it back-to-back wins on Saturday following Tuesday’s impressive showing at Boundary Park, with Head Coach Dino Maamria giving his thoughts ahead of a tricky encounter with Bradford City.
The Tunisian was unsurprisingly delighted with the performance that his side put in against Mansfield Town and had this to say about the win.
"The performance was really good, I have always said that I am a performance man. If you get the right performance, you get the right result.
"I thought that we controlled the game which is something that I have been talking about with the players for a long time. We have to be in control and I think we controlled the game from the start to finish, it was a good performance and a good three points."
Latics had been on a seven-game winless run beforehand and Maamria was pleased that his team finally got the result that he feels their performances merit.
"We deserved it, it was a long time coming. We have had a few decent performances where we didn't get the right results but on the back of the four draws we get a win and we did that so that was good."
The performance will allow the Head Coach to keep a similar side but he is also aware of the physical demands that three games in a week will have on his side and hinted he may have to make a few changes.
"I think that’s what gave the squad on whole a big confidence boost, its brilliant to see the subs that came on at Salford made that impact. The subs that came on, on Tuesday were raring to go, they want to be part of it as well.
"It is good for everybody but if we have to make one or two changes we will do that, but I am sure the one or two players that come in on Saturday will give us a positive impact."
The Bantams have been in the promotion conversation all season and Maamria knows that they will be stiff opposition when they come to Boundary Park despite a recent dip in form and high-profile news on incomings and outgoings.
"We have been improving all the time, Bradford are a good team they have been in the play-offs all season for a reason.
"The challenge for us now is that we have not beaten anyone in the top six or seven and my challenge to the players is are we ready yet to go and post a big win against one of the top seven teams. I think the players are ready for that."
He continued: "I think our performances say that we are ready for that and we will make sure we produce a better level than what we showed on Tuesday night because we are playing a better team but it is about us really, we know the fans will turn up in numbers, we know that it'll be a fierce game, there is a lot at stake and I'd love to see bak-to-back wins. That would give us a big boost for the new month and give us a good step going forward."
The January transfer window has allowed Maamria to make key alterations to his squad both in arrivals and departures and he believes that the additions have already added to his unit of players.
"I have to be fair to the squad, for the past three of four weeks or since the turn of January, we have trimmed the squad a little bit, we kept a close unit together. The squad has been very together and very happy, they believe in the process.
"We have brought in some players that have added in value on the pitch and off the pitch as well and there is no secret that there were four of five new faces on Tuesday night and the performance level went up.
"That can only be good thing for the whole squad and not just the starting 11 and that is what happens when you bring that type of player in, they can bring confidence to the rest of the team as well."
He continued to say: "We knew that was going to happen, we knew that January was going to be difficult in terms of the changeover but hopefully that performance on Tuesday and the second-half performance at Salford will give people a glimpse of the type of team that we are building for the future."
Maamria is aware that keeping players in his squad happy and involved is critical to his team’s success and teased that he hopes Latics fans will have some more good news soon.
"Hopefully we will have some good news in the next 24 hours, something that we have been looking for a while but apart from that even if one or two come out from the squad we still have a relatively big squad.
"I have said from the start I would like to carry 20 players and two goalkeepers if I can. I think that way you can keep everybody happy and involved and that is the plan."
In addition, Dino will be taking part in a question and answer session on Tuesday evening and admitted he is looking forward to answering any questions Latics fans may have whilst also sharing his vision for the club.
"I agreed to that a few weeks ago, it’s what I am paid to do. I have to share my vision with the fans. They have questions of course. I am really looking forward to it regardless of the result on Saturday.
"It is something that I have been after for a while. I think as a football club we need to do more of it. We need to get the fans and the club together, I understand that the fans are frustrated because we are a big club in League Two and we should be much better than where we have been.
"I want to share with them my vision going forward and how were going to get this club moving forward."