Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has admitted that he is wary of the threat Darren Bent will pose.
Latics boss admits Villa will be a different proposition now
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has admitted that he is wary of the threat Darren Bent will pose his team for Aston Villa.
The relegation-threatened clubs go head-to-head on Tuesday at the DW Stadium with both sides desperately needing a victory to keep their hopes of staying up on course.
Bent, who transferred to Villa for a whopping initial fee of £18million from Sunderland last week, started his career in the Midlands in style with the winner against Manchester City on Saturday.
The victory moved Villa three points clear of the bottom three, but a win for the Latics could put them back level on points with their opponents and bring them right back into the mix.
Martinez was appreciative of the impact Bent had made at Villa, and that it would make the club a different prospect to deal with heading into the game, whilst also stating that he was unsurprised by the figure paid.
"They come here with a great feeling on the back of a good result and important performance for them, and we need to be prepared to face that," he said.
"It's a Villa side with huge experience, enormous talent, and now with a new signing they are a team enjoying a great moment in their campaign.
Exceptional
"He (Bent) controls the transitional play exceptionally well, and we all know the pace he has which allows him to get into great positions.
"Once in those positions he has a great goalscoring record, and when he plays with confidence he is someone who can win a game single-handed, which is something very valuable and expensive in the market.
"Three years ago his move would have been a big surprise. But we've become accustomed to big-money moves in the last few (transfer) windows, so I didn't see this one as a real surprise.
"We've seen high-profile players move from club to club with huge fees because in a way it seems as if everyone has a price, which is the nature of the game."
The Spaniard however insisted he was not jealous of his opposition's spending power, instead opting to focus on what he had available to him and how it could be improved.
"The way we are, we never look at what we haven't got," said Martinez.
"We're excited about being able to compete against a side like Villa who are able to spend that kind of money.
"For us, it's about finding ways and solutions to be competitive and to try and get what would be an important win. That is where we really enjoy being where we are.
"I don't think it's good in football or in life to hope for something you haven't got, and not enjoying what you've got."
