Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez is determined to end the season on a high as his relegated side take on Aston Villa at the DW Stadium.
In a tumultuous week for the Latics, the joy of winning a historic first FA Cup was quickly replaced with the heartbreak of relegation.
Martinez explained his side were anxious to erase the memories of the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal and create a celebratory mood on Sunday.
“The players are desperate to get rid of the feeling we were left with on Tuesday night and make sure we get a celebratory atmosphere here,” he said.
“They want to show we can compete against an Aston Villa side that will come here with a good relaxed feeling and a lot of attacking threat.
“The most important aspect is that we are competitive, that we can celebrate with our fans and that we can perform in the manner we have done.”
The Spanish boss has urged the fans to get behind his team once more and remember both the good and bad points of the last campaign.
“The FA Cup victory is something to be proud of, something to enjoy and something to celebrate between ourselves, he added.
“But the disappointment of relegation needs to be celebrated in terms of looking back over more than 300 consecutive games in the Premier League.
“We had some incredible nights and incredible afternoons and I’m sure everyone will have their own special moment.
“We have created an incredible story for Wigan Athletic.”
As for Wigan’s future, Martinez believes the club is in an excellent position to move forward and he is looking forward to the challenges ahead.
“We are very proud of our historic win in the FA Cup, but we will reset the targets and make sure that we come back stronger than ever and ready to carry on progressing,” he said.
“To have our name as on the prestigious trophy is a part of history and it will help us in the future to have a reference to carry on growing and building our reputation.
“The football club is on the best financial footing we have ever been on so there is a lot of exciting times ahead.
“We will make sure we have a proper send-off in a historic campaign.”
