Wigan need to adapt to Kone, says Martinez
24 September 2012 19:17
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is confident that striker Arouna Kone will score plenty of goals in his Premier League career.
The 28-year-old Ivorian international has played in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany within the last five seasons, and Martinez believes this breadth of experience will help him adapt to English football quickly, as will his physicality.
He emphasised, however, that it will take time for his squad to understand the forward's style of play, but when this happens he expects him to be able to perform at the highest level of his ability.
"Arouna is a top goalscorer," Martinez said.
"If anything, we need to develop an understanding of his play and the players around him to get the best out of his ability. He's a powerful player.
"He's ready, he's experienced. He's played in Holland, Germany and Spain already."
Kone missed a clear chance against Fulham on Saturday before scoring a late consolation goal, but Martinez believes that his overall play, including a late consolation goal, showcased the threat that he can pose to opposition.
"It was a real surprise when he missed the one-on-one with (Mark) Schwarzer because he's very clinical in those positions," he said.
"But you can count on Arouna because he's always in the right place and never runs away from the places that as a striker you need to be in to have chances."
