Chris Kirkland has admitted Wigan let their fans down with a dismal 4-0 home defeat to relegation favourites Blackpool. Keeper Kirkland admitted Wigan deserved the boos that went ringing round the DW Stadium at half-time and after the final whistle.
"To a man we let the fans down," said Kirkland.
"They are entitled to say what they want. That is part of football. The way we played in the first half, we deserved it.
"Now everyone has to stand up because we are going to take a lot of criticism, and rightly so. We weren't good enough."
And, with the opening day's other handsome winners, Chelsea, visiting Wigan next weekend, and memories of an eight-goal drubbing at Stamford Bridge on the final day of last season still fresh in the mind, Kirkland admits a form reversal has to be executed pretty quickly.
"Last season's result was last season," he said.
"It has no bearing on next week. The point is, if we play like we did against Blackpool we are going to get beaten.
"We have a lot of hard work on the training ground in front of us, but by next weekend we have to pull our socks up and be ready to go again."
