Charles N'Zogbia will have learned a valuable lesson during this transfer window. Never mouth off about your team unless you're absolutely certain of a move. With a proposed transfer to Birmingham falling through at the final stage, N'Zogbia now faces the prospect of spending at least the next four months stuck at a club who don't really like him.

The Frenchman didn't need to hand in a transfer request with Wigan. The club's owner Dave Whelan has made it clear since he has been in charge that he won't stand in the way of any of his players who get the chance of moving to bigger clubs. Whelan's only sticking point is that he demands interested clubs pay the right price for his players. The Premier League odds indicate Wigan will never win huge amounts of prize money, so the club has to balance the books somehow.

N'Zogbia could have stayed quiet and waited for bids to arrive while ensuring he stayed in Wigan's good books. After creating a fuss about moving and then failing to agree personal terms, N'Zogbia is stuck in a kind of limbo. The Frenchman's attitude won't have impressed many interested clubs and despite his obvious talent, teams won't be keen on taking on a problem player.

His manager at Wigan, Roberto Martinez, has made it clear, N'Zogbia faces a battle to get himself back into the first team. Although the Frenchman is one of Wigan's best players, in a season where the football odds suggest the club will face a relegation battle, team spirit will be integral to the club's survival.

Dave Whelan is from the old school, he won't be bullied by the 24-year-old upstart. If N'Zogbia keep whooping and wailing about a move then he could face a future in the Wigan reserves till someone takes a chance on him.