Thursday 2 October 2014 11:31, UK
Uwe Rosler revealed Wigan chairman Dave Whelan delivered a pre-match pep talk which inspired his team to earn a 0-0 draw against high-flying Nottingham Forest.
Only one of these sides had so far lived up to their billing of pre-season favourites for promotion, with Forest having arrived in Lancashire a whopping 11 points clear of Latics after nine games.
Rosler had been determined to wake his men from their early-season slumber and saw plenty of encouraging signs in a 0-0 draw which saw James McClean and Michail Antonio twice go close at either end.
Moreover, Rosler's players had shown plenty of heart and desire in the stalemate in front of a watching Whelan, whose pre-match words appeared to have the desired effect.
"I'm very happy with the response from the supporters and the chairman," said Rosler, whose name was chanted by Wigan fans towards the end.
"The chairman before the game came into the dressing room and gave me and the players reassurances, he was very positive.
"And the supporters have been brilliant; they saw a team today fighting, winning more balls, driving on, being more positive.
"We are prepared to go in a higher tempo and that then is the result - you get the crowd behind you. That is what we needed and I say 'thank you very much' for that."
While the presence of a chairman in a dressing room before a game might be seen as intrusive by other managers, Rosler welcomes Whelan's close link to the club.
"I invite him into the dressing room in general," Rosler said.
"It's not the first time he's come into the dressing room, he regularly comes into the dressing room and today he wanted to have the speech.
"Obviously the chairman is always welcome whether it's the dressing room or the training ground. It's very important that he is close to me, to us, to the players. There's a unity in the club."
Second-placed Forest retained their unbeaten record in the Sky Bet Championship, although they squandered the chance to return to the summit as leaders Norwich slipped up, losing 1-0 to Charlton.
Only two points separate the top seven now and first-team coach Brian Eastick was content with a share of the spoils.
"Away from home a clean sheet and a point is a fair reward really," he said.
"It was a very close game and on reflection a point was about right. We had a couple of chances in the last 10, 15 minutes and we could have nicked it but then Uwe would have said we nicked it then. Overall I thought it was a fair reflection for a point apiece."
Forest's last three league games have all ended 0-0 but after scoring 17 in the opening seven fixtures, Eastick is adamant their mini goal-drought will end soon.
Britt Assombalonga remains the division's top scorer with eight goals, and Eastick added: "We've got goals in the team, we've got players who can score.
"To ask Britt to continue to score at the rate he was is pretty much impossible. But he will come good again."
