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Boss hails 'great pro'
Wigan Athletic, 15:23, October 7, 2009 ,
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez insists he has not fallen out with Paul Scharner - who he calls a 'great professional'.
Rumours of the pair not seeing eye to eye following the Austrian's second-half substitution against Hull City were denied by Martinez, who played down talk of a rift.
"Paul is a winner and a great professional, and I have no problems with what happened,'' the Latics boss said. "It was nothing out of the norm for me. There is nothing to forget because it was never an issue.
"He was obviously very disappointed because it was his man who scored from the corner. He wanted to put it right, and that is a natural reaction."
The Wigan boss also addressed rumours that Scharner's beef was at having to constantly play centre-back when he prefers a holding role in midfield, but Martinez likes the versatility the 29-year-old brings to his team.
"I think Paul is at that stage of his career that he understands the different positions really well and it's not a big problem for him at all," he told the Wigan Evening Post. "He is a good aerial threat, especially at set-pieces, which is useful, and he gives us many options in front of goal.
"But he is responsible enough to play in any position that the team needs him to play in, and that is the most important thing."