The crowd against Arsenal was 10,000 down on capacity

Just 15,311 supporters watched Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, nearly 10,000 down on capacity.

"If we'd had an extra 10,000 in the crowd against Arsenal we might have even won that game," said Jewell.

"It makes you wonder whether the Wigan public really want Premiership football. You have to ask that."

Wigan's average crowd of 17,500 is 3000 down on last season, their first in the Premiership.

"I think for some people, being in the Premiership is wearing off," said Jewell.

"They don't come to watch Wigan, they come to watch the opposition.

Maybe those who aren't coming now will never come back. Maybe I'm banging my head against a brick wall Paul Jewell

"I'm not slagging off the fans that come, and I can't stress that enough because the fans that come are really good, but we really deserve more.

"They will come back and say it is expensive. I know that, and maybe it's something the club can look at.

"But it is dispiriting, and the players do talk about the lack of atmosphere at times around the ground.

"It is also making my job more difficult to prove we're a forward-thinking club, and I know we are because of the way we do things off the pitch, but we need help from the supporters."

Jewell believes poor attendances are not only harming the club on the pitch, but are making his job more difficult off it as he tries to attract new players and turn Wigan into a respected force.

606 DEBATE: Are Jewell's comments fair? What can the club do?

"I'm ambitious. I want to be as good as I can be, and I want football in Wigan to mean as much to them as it does to me," he said.

"But when I'm trying to get players in it makes it difficult when there are only 15,000 against Arsenal. It doesn't look good.

"Maybe those who aren't coming now will never come back. Maybe we can't bring them back. Maybe I'm banging my head against a brick wall.

"I keep trying to do my best for the team, and wherever it takes me, it takes me.