Likely to be extra pressure on Lam this season considering additional signings and increased expectations from supporters.

What are people’s expectations this season of Lam as a coach? If Wigan don’t deliver at least one trophy can you see Lam keeping his job long term?

Reading between the lines, i think he's only going to be here for 12 months anyway.

There has to be a marked improvement on last season, even when we were good our games were still riddled with mistakes and poor attacking and D. I feel for the most part we relied on individual brilliance rather than the team style of play or coaching.

I can’t say I expect to make OT or Wembley. I’ve just got a horrible feeling we’ll be as shambolic as we were last season and little actual game improvement. Given that I expect Lam to last until June/July before he has been shown the door. I just don’t believe he is of the standard required and is more of a #2 than #1.

You might ask what I see as an improvement; it isn’t go one better in SL or the CC. For me it’s all about performance. A vast defensive improvement with an actual structure that works rather than the dog leg we had last season. A big attacking improvement with a clear structure and not relying on one or two players to make something out of nothing on every set. A big improvement in the pack, more go forward, more yards from the forwards and more aggression. In exchange for all the above I’d take finishing 4th, it’s all about rebuilding and a rebuild doesn’t happen in one off season with a raft of new players. A full season and 2nd pre season at least before we see real positive change in the form of results and league standings.

As always I’ll be more than happy to have to retract that, I hope we go on and win the lot but I think even for the more confident of fans that’s unlikely.

Pressure is huge this year given the investment in the squad. Anything less than one trophy will be a failure IMO whereas last year it felt like any final appearance would be an achievement.

Hand on heart I don’t think he’ll be successful. I just don’t get a feeling the players buy in to him but we’ll see. I just hope if things aren’t working out come May/June we don’t hang about. It’s unlikely he’ll be here come 2021, so it’s now or never and if we don’t see major improvements come May/June then we need to start looking at options for this year and beyond.

Looks like I’m in a minority but I’m quite optimistic about where we are going and the impact Lam can have.

I think once the farce that was the Edwards situation was resolved and he was confirmed as boss going forward the players responded and the improvement was very noticeable.

We have recruited size in the pack and depth so if we pick up an injury we have lads with size and experience to come in to replace them.

A couple of poor games by a player we can comfortably replace them competition is strong in every position.

Do I expect a trophy? I’m not sure. It is possible but Saints will take some catching given their dominance last year I guess they have to adapt to a new coach.

I am hopeful that the entertainment levels step up and we can be a little more consistent. I think we had to put a lot of energy into the middle of the season to put ourselves in contention in 2019 and that caught up with us in the playoffs.

A positive start will be a real shot in the arm and get some confidence into the team and coaches.

My main concern is the investment in Burgess. I just hope he can get back to his best form as he has seemed like a player on the decline.

Difficult situation for the club. I don't think you'd have to be a professional pessimist to feel the same way you do, and they must at least be considering the possibility (I personally feel we were knee-jerked into giving Lam the gig because of the nightmare scenario that Shaun Edwards left us with - we gave him the very minimum after all, a one-season deal).

But what do they do in response?

I remember hearing that IL decided not to renew Brian Noble's contract very early in his last season because we were seeing no change at all in the team since the previous one - and if you want to land a quality coach you have to start trying to source him early, anyway.

So, do we anticipate this? Is the search already tentatively on, or are we gambling that Lammy will come good?

I don't envy the person making that decision.

Me either!

I think we’re in a position that we were in 2009. Seeing whether we actually have improved or are carrying on as we were. That being said that review needs to be constant, we can’t just start like a house on fire and then plummet like the proverbial off a shovel and Lam keep hold of his job.

It’s frustrating for me because the one thing I want to say is “I’m confident we’ll win a trophy this season and make both finals”. But I just don’t see Lam being the one leading us there. I’d much rather be proved wrong than right but honestly I just don’t see it

Needs to be a trophy IMO. He's got two of the biggest signings of the season, the best academy, and many players with experience of winning finals together.

He is in a losing battle already. Too many players past it or on the decline and the team is short of a crafty hooker and a decent scrum half. 2 key positions that we look very weak in. Im still not convinced about the pack either. Bullock and Burgess will need to hit real form otherwise not much will improve other than a visual difference in size.

No matter who is the Coach, there will being always be some supporters who will never be happy unless Wigan are winning every game!

Part of me thinks not only is that a good mindset to have, but it's also what sets us apart from the rest. Second best is never acceptable for this club. Too many of our fans have started to accept a drop in standards imo.

A recent example is the outcry from some at the loss of Jarrod Sammutt.

We finished second last year and 80 minutes away from a shot at the trophy we all play for. We were knocked out the cup at Warrington and on that day we could have progressed had a few decisions gone for us. We started terribly but once we found out about things going on behind closed doors and all was out in the open we started to improve our results. It’s imperative that we get off to a better start this year and hopefully stay injury free. With mr Lenegan again spending up to the allowed cap and beyond using marquee money to bring quality in despite the club being heavily indebted to him for the way he continues to prop the club up. What we need is people to leave there houses and pubs and get down there and make a difference and get behind um. Its only fair we give Lammy a fair crack at it and support him, he is our current coach and at the minute the most important one. Hopefully in 4 weeks today we will be sitting top of the league.

1. This happens with all clubs. Are you happy walking away after a loss?

2. Would depend on the amount of games lost surely? If Wigan play 40 games this season and win 39 of them including LLS, GF and CC Final (but therefore haven't won 'every' game) then I'm sure all our supporters would be ecstatic.

As a club there is an expectation by fans, players and management to compete for (and win) trophies, this hasn't changed in my nearly forty years of supporting them. No doubt this is the main reason for our success.

Without the expectation we may as well be another Leigh.

I don't understand why you would think that's a bad thing. It's not even an unrealistic thing. Saints set that standard last season, so it's something their main rivals should also be aiming for. To settle for less is a much more dangerous mindset.

As ever by the time of the magic weekend I think we will know if Lam has the measure of the job,I’m far from convinced by him but am hopeful he will get it together.

This season there’s no hiding place he has to get results from the off the points gap from Wigan and saints last season was unacceptable and the standard of performance was brilliant either,so he has to show he has the chops for the job from day one

We are Wigan. We are supposed to be high standard setters not standard droppers so forgive me if my attitude is “if we’re not the best I’m not bloody happy”.

St Helens set the bar incredibly high last season. If I were a SL player/coach at Wigan right now my ultimate goal would be, and to paraphrase Sir Alex Ferguson, “knock them off their f****** perch” and reset the bar higher. That’s what as a fan I want my club to do. Any less and I won’t be happy.

At least one of the two major trophies would be a successful season.

Two would be an amazing season.

None, mean the season is a failure.

We are not Hull FC, Warrington, Castleford etc who are just happy to make it to finals.

I’m going to really contradict myself here and say I don’t expect any trophies - and I’d be happy to an extent if there weren’t any but a significant upturn of on field performances.

We’ve got to remember that we really are in a rebuilding phase at the moment, one that is changing the whole ethos of the club (though one would hope they keep the Wane type attitude!) and those things take time, as much as I don’t want it to.

It’s a strange position for me to take as on one hand I’m saying I expect the best and only the best from Wigan, but on the other saying I just expect improvement and we’ll build towards success. Contradictory and confusing all at the same time!

We should be expecting a better season this year compared to last. There have been quality signings to the forwards, half backs and backs. That in itself should give Lam a far better chance of coaching a winning team than last season.

I felt the need to highlight this as going into the new season with the signings we've made I feel quite optimistic. I too have reservations about Lam after last season but - as mentioned by JonnyBroad above - as fans we need to go into this season/start this season buoyant and generate a "buzz" similar to that of the early 2010's. Early season performances would obviously contribute hugely to that and put us in a good position for the rest of the year in the process.

Hopefully season ticket sales are up a decent number too on the last season or two given the decision we have taken to bring in some higher profile players at the expense of a good few squad players.

Anyone who supported the great days prior to the mid nighties will say that it is not the standard of the fans which have dropped, but the standard of the game and also the atmosphere since the club moved from Central Park to Whelan's White Elephant!

Personally, I'm trying to give Lam a clean slate, but I have some very serious doubts about his ability.

We've made signings in the halves and front row that were serious weak points. Overall I'm tentatively looking forwards to the new season, but I'm not optimistic.

It's stopped me getting a season ticket.

Just on a side note there’s a video going round on Twitter if Andy Farrell giving a team talk to the B&I Lions RU a few years ago (I think I read it was 2007ish). It’s absolutely fantastic and shows why he was Wigan, England and GB Captain and how he got to where he has in RU.

Can’t help but feel RL has missed a huge beat with people and coaches like him. We need his calibre back in the game and I would love him as Head Coach.

Would you consider yourself part of the problem or part of the solution??