WHEN David Unsworth was having his guided tour of Boundary Park on the day he was unveiled as the new Latics boss, it was like watching a house buyer view a new property.

In every room he was shown, the cogs appeared to turn with ideas about how he could improve the set-up, allied to improving the team.

Slowly but surely things are starting to take shape behind the scenes.

Latics had been using the smallest changing room at the club on match days, but they are now in the bigger of the two. Unsworth has also switched dug-outs, preferring to be closer to the home fans. They are subtle alterations but all part of the bigger picture.

In addition, the players now meet at Boundary Park daily, and eat together before and after training, the idea being that they will feel more at home at their football home the longer they spend there. He has integrated the Academy too, and established the B team to help build a better pathway from youth level to senior level.

But as with any long-standing structure, it is only usually once you’re in it and start to scratch beneath the surface that problems not previously seen by the naked eye - often much bigger issues than you had perhaps anticipated - begin to arise. And that is exactly the situation Unsworth finds himself in as he peels back the different layers of Latics, a club that has gone through 20 managerial changes in less than 20 years and has been crying out for stability.

The former Everton defender knew he was taking on a project when he took the job. But the scale of it has only become apparent once he began living and breathing it on a daily basis.

Fitness levels, for example, were not up to the standards that Unsworth expects and demands. They fell well short, in fact. There was a run of double training sessions to help mitigate that, and since the OEC came back under the club’s ownership, the squad has had the use of the gym in The Joe Royle Stand, and experienced physio Mick Rathbone has been appointed to support the existing medical staff.

An extensive injury list restricted not only who Unsworth could play, but how he could play them, the shape he used to best suit those he had available in his first 10 games was through circumstance than design.

Gaps have been plugged in order to reach a point where he was able to put more of his own stamp on the team, and finally play his preferred 4-3-3 against Barnet.

Over the last fortnight, the foundations of this rebuild have been laid with National League title winner Mark Kitching coming in at left back, forward Hallam Hope returning from a two-month lay-off, young Sheffield United prospect Sydie Peck signing a youth loan, captain Liam Hogan reporting back for duty after almost three months out and, arguably most significantly, fans’ favourite Peter Clarke returning to Boundary Park.

After the disappointment of defeat at Halifax, Unsworth vowed the team - one way or another - would look very different in their next league game. To that end, he has succeeded, but Latics are still waiting for the success they crave on the pitch.

They need it soon.

For while the side had a better balance, looked more solid and more organised defensively in the first half against Barnet, they lacked energy and invention in the final third over the piece.

There were flashes of it. Timmy Abraham is another recent signing who has made an impact and had a couple of half chances, but he was largely stifled on Saturday by a side that had kept clean sheets in their previous two games and proved hard to break down again, with former Latics loanee goalkeeper Laurie Walker looking particularly imperious against his old club.

Peck showed a bit of promise but nothing penetrative.

Ben Tollitt looked the most likely goal source but was thwarted at every opportunity.

John Rooney, who has flattered to deceive since a decent debut, tried his regulation long range effort but to no avail again.

Yet, had a defence that had looked more robust with Hogan and Clarke at the heart of it not sprung a leak then perhaps Latics would have been able to unlock the door.

However, Hogan got caught out for the first, which Idris Kanu finished well just before the hour.

Mike Fondop was introduced in the hope of bulldozing his way through the backline, but never came close to any kind of demolition work.

Fit-again Dan Gardner replaced Rooney but a number of mis-placed passes rendered him ineffective.

Conor Carty came on as Latics looked for a late equaliser. But in pushing forward they left themselves vulnerable at the back and Harry Pritchard finished the job in the 87th minute.

Defeat, their third on the spin in the league, put them in the bottom four.

There is long-term planning at Boundary Park, they are building for a brighter future for club and community, but right now Latics need a quick fix to kick-start their season.