Hi °C | Lo °C It takes all manner of tricks to make a successful manager and Roberto Martinez employed a particularly artful ruse to inspire Callum McManaman to deliver the man-of-the-match display that carried Wigan into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for only the second time in their history.
"I told him I wasn't sure I would play him," Martinez said after the 21-year-old winger – a fringe player – had scored their first goal and set up the second, finished off by Arouna Kone, giving them control of the tie before half-time.
"Callum is a very talented winger but in previous games, when he guessed he was going to play, he got so hyped up he couldn't sleep.
"Against Bournemouth and Macclesfield in the previous rounds he didn't last the 90 minutes and I could see he was starting to get anxious again, so I took him to one side and told him I was not sure he would start. I think he was a little bit angry but he slept better and when I told him he was playing he was delighted."
After seeing their side beaten by Notts County and Swindon in the last two seasons, Wigan's 1,740 fans probably travelled with some misgivings – though Huddersfield are struggling to keep out of trouble in the Championship after only two wins in 15 league games.
Instead, Wigan took control before half-time and, though Huddersfield rallied in the second half, there was never any real suggestion that the tide would turn.
Substitute Lee Novak headed a fine goal for the home side but by then Wigan had three on the board, with James McArthur having effectively put the result beyond doubt with a sweetly struck third.
Kone added Wigan's fourth with a thunderous finish two minutes from time.
