I wouldn't class Wigan as 'lower league' at all, but then I never start with a premiership-level team... My advice for the lower leagues (by which I mean Championship downwards) is to prioritise physical attributes. A player with 10-15 on acceleration, pace, crossing and dribbling will always be effective on the wing; a 190cm+ defender with decent jumping and heading stats is always going to be effective when dealing with crosses. Also, determination and work rate can make up for low levels of technical skill. With Wigan, I'm sure you could cut the wage bill right down by offloading some highly-paid-but-not-very-good senior players, then you'll have room to manoeuvre when bringing new talent in. Hire some good scouts and send them off around Europe.
1
