Roberto Martinez is a man who wears the pressures of Barclays Premier League football particularly well. April is traditionally the time of worry lines and sleep deprivation for those threatened with relegation but the Wigan manager appears to carry no such burden.
The Spaniard is used to this, for a start. He has been here - and come through - for each of the last two seasons. Also, Martinez and his chairman Dave Whelan see Premier League survival not so much as an obligation but representative of yet another year of over-achievement.
‘I do enjoy it,’ said Martinez with what appeared to be genuine conviction. ‘These are the stages of the season when you have to be perfect.
Good result: Wigan earned a point against Champions League hopefuls Spurs - but could have taken all three
‘I know we would all like to be mid-table but I prefer to push the football club forward so that we go in to every game with a meaning. I thought we were magnificent against Tottenham.
‘Maybe it’s my Spanish genetics that keep me calm and relaxed. I need my eight hours sleep every night. I can’t work without sleeping. It’s the intensity of the job that’s important, not the stress.
‘I think if you can work as hard as you can then you can always affect things and the group of players we have here help me with that. They are receptive and want to listen and are a joy to work with.
‘I will watch the game again on tape. I thought we were magnificent so I am sure I will get a big smile out of that when I watch it.’
Martinez was speaking just half an hour after his side had conceded a late goal against Tottenham. Three points had quickly turned to be one and that could yet be crucial. At Wigan, though, there seems to be no anxiety among the crowd, the coach or indeed the chairman.
At full-time, Whelan merely got to his feet, puffed out his cheeks and said: ‘What a great game.’
It is tempting to wonder if key people at Aston Villa and Newcastle are so relaxed.
Martinez added: ‘There is no anxiety here because we are not under-achieving. It’s not like we have spent a lot of money and should be in the top ten. This is where we are.
‘We are over-achieving by getting to the FA Cup final and if we can play in the manner we did today then I think the club will benefit and get stronger year by year. That’s our aim.
‘Other clubs may be more anxious because they have not been fighting for relegation before this season. They have been in a safe place. They are not used to it. It’s difficult to change their approach.
‘For us, we begin each season fighting hard to get the points tally that will get us to safety and that is our aim.
‘Other clubs maybe start the season looking at top ten and then from February it starts to be a relegation battle all of a sudden. That can be difficult for them.’
No worries: Roberto Martinez is keeping cool despite the relegation dogfight Wigan are embroiled in
Wigan led for long periods in the second half on Saturday after a super goal from midfielder Callum McManaman.
It was a first Premier League strike for a young player whose place in the headlines this season had previously come on the back of a poor tackle on Newcastle midfielder Massadio Haidara.
McManaman was heavily criticised for the tackle, not least because the FA’s current guidelines on retrospective action mean he was not punished.
Speaking for the first time in the Wigan match programme, he said: ‘There was a long wait after the game for the next match but what happened didn’t get me down. Things happen in football and all you can do is look forward.
Wing king: Callum McManaman impressed during the draw with Tottenham
‘People around you help but ultimately it’s about you as an individual and whether you go one way or another.
‘Having just got in the team I was just desperate to get back on the training ground and make sure I was back in the team for the next game against Norwich.
‘When the gaffer put me in that team it was a big moment and from that point onwards I think I have progressed and become a stronger part of the team.’