The Latics had a fantastic opportunity to take maximum points this weekend and lift themselves out of the bottom three. Instead, a vital error of judgement from Hugo Rodallega has cost his team two points against Everton.
Rodallega has received plenty of stick on the websites this week and perhaps rightly so. He has struggled to replicate any of his goalscoring form over recent weeks and many supporters are calling for him to be dropped.
It does remain though that aside from N’Zogbia, Rodallega remains our major goal threat and the Latics need the Columbian to be firing on all cylinders for the final three games of the season.
The question after Saturday is if your glass is half-full, or half-empty? With three games to go including the visit of West Ham United to the DW Stadium, survival for another year in the top flight is a distinct possibility.
Whilst it may feel as though it was a case of two points dropped against Everton, the performance has matched those of late that has seen the Latics climb up the form table.
It is the performance is perhaps the most important factor. With Wolves stuttering, Blackpool hopping along like a wounded animal, and West Ham beaten in the first twenty minutes against Manchester City, only Blackburn pulled themselves away from relegation this weekend.
The trip to Sunderland apart, the Latics have been putting in some impressive performances over the past few weeks and all bodes well going into the final three games.
The bookies favourites for the drop are now Blackpool, West Ham, and Wolves. With winnable games against Aston Villa, West Ham, and Sunderland to come, Martinez and his team have more than enough in their locker to pull away from the bottom three.
The three games left to go give the opportunity for Hugo Rodallega to quite conceivably go from zero to hero should he manage to net some crucial goals and fire the Latics away from the relegation zone. Despite struggling of late, with a little fire in his belly and support from the stands, Rodallega is more than capable.
