Latics boss has Euro vision
Martinez's side are just two points above the Premier League relegation zone having failed to win in their last six games. The Latics have only won twice in the past three months but Martinez, who took over last summer, is pleased with the direction they are now moving in, even if results are not necessarily showing it. The Spaniard said: "We have got a great challenge, staying in the Premier League. "There is no hiding that we are in a relegation battle. "How are we going to do it? Showing togetherness with the squad, management, fans, directors - everyone at the football club. If we do that we will go on to the next level, I'm sure. "Very soon we will be fighting for other aims, rather than just fighting to stay in the Premier League. "I don't want Wigan to be a team that needs to fight for survival. "I want Wigan Athletic to compete for Europe but to do that we need to come through this challenge. If we do that we make massive steps forward. "I always knew it was going to take a long time to change the philosophy and the way we play. "The talent is there, that is clear for everyone to see. "We just need to change our luck - but we need to do that ourselves." Wigan travel to Birmingham tomorrow looking to bounce back from last week's disappointing 3-0 loss to Tottenham at the DW Stadium. Bottom side Portsmouth apart, the situation at the foot of the table is tight with West Ham in 13th and 19th-placed Burnley separated by just four points. "We have to make sure we show how much we want to go to that next level," added Martinez. "It is not a moment to show anxieties, feel sorry for ourselves or doubt. "It is a moment to get together and try to show we are excited about the next game." Promoted Birmingham were expected to be one of the sides fighting relegation at the start of the season but have proved the competition's surprise package. Blues are sitting pretty in 10th - just a win short of the 40-point barrier - but having lost their last two, Martinez hopes they can be caught cold. The former Swansea boss said: "I think they have been outstanding in everything they have done. They deserve massive credit. "They have consistently got results, they are very solid, they work extremely hard for each other and they have great talent. "We are going to be tested to the maximum and they are coming off the back of a couple of disappointments, so they will want to get back to their normal selves. "But we haven't been getting the points our performances deserve and we need to change that around." Martinez feels the international selections of James McCarthy, 20, and Victor Moses, 19, this week is proof of the club's bright future. McCarthy, signed from Hamilton last summer, has impressed since breaking into the first team in January and has now been included in the senior Republic of Ireland squad. Highly-rated striker Moses, snapped up from Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day, has been called up by England Under-21s. Other considerations could have come into both selections - McCarthy is also eligible for Scotland and Moses Nigeria - but nevertheless, Martinez is delighted. "It is huge," he said. "It shows you that while we are working on the present we are working on the future as well. "To have players as talented as James and Victor puts a smile on your face, to see the potential we have got. "It is exciting for everyone at Wigan Athletic."