For a club the size of the Latics - whose average attendance is about 19,000 - to stay in the top flight for so long is no mean achievement. However, it has not been the easiest of rides and the previous campaign saw them spend the majority of the time playing under the threat of relegation. In the end they finished six points above the drop zone in Roberto Martinez's debut season as a Premier League manager. The Spaniard has not been slow to recruit new players, bringing in the likes of Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli, Paraguay defender Antolin Alcaraz and Hamilton midfielder James McArthur, and there is increased optimism at the DW Stadium. But Kirkland admits they cannot afford to become complacent. "This will be the club's sixth year in the top flight and to be a part of it all, playing alongside and competing with some of the best teams in Europe, is a great feeling," said the former England international. "But just because we've managed to stay here doesn't mean we're bedded in now. "We've seen in the past that any team can go down and we've just got to make sure we get off to a good start come August. "If we can get that good start which is vital then hopefully it'll set us up for a good season. "Every season is more difficult than the last and it'll be no different this time round. "The teams who have come up are looking strong, especially Newcastle and West Brom, and I think, with respect, they're better than the teams who went the other way. "Newcastle for example are going to be playing in front of a 50,000-strong crowd at home, which will be a massive test for any team going up there." Martinez has spent the last 12 months trying to effect a style change as he wants his side to play more football than they did under former boss Steve Bruce, who achieved a degree of success playing more pragmatically. In order to do that he has had to change personnel and also reduce the age of the squad. Experienced players in captain Mario Melchiot, Paul Scharner and Titus Bramble have all left in the summer. In have come Alcaraz, Boselli and McArthur while Steven Gohouri, on loan last season, has been given a two-year contract. Martinez's recruitment is far from finished but Kirkland is happy with the way things are going in terms of squad improvement. "Hopefully the gaffer can bring in the right players to replace the ones we've lost so far, and that's the way it is for nearly every club nowadays," he added. "You change your team every season and you have to grow as a group very quickly to achieve your goals. "The manager is a very ambitious man and so are the players. We don't want to be just scrapping for survival each year, we want to progress but it's a slow process. "To build it up and get to the position we want takes time. We managed to get around that point in the table under Steve Bruce and it was a great feeling and that's what we've got to aim for."
