“The second half was everything that we want, and the complete opposite in the first half.”

So said Shaun Maloney as Latics had narrowly gone down to a 1-0 defeat.

A look at the team sheets an hour before football games start can give us an inkling of what might follow. It probably provided more than that in this case. Matt Smith and Jordan Jones on the bench, Jonny Smith at right wing back, three centre backs in place to blunt the home team’s aerial approach.  

Given such a crowded fixture list and with having players suffering from injuries, knocks and strains a football manager can have difficult decisions to make. In this case Maloney decided the rest midfield king-pin Matt Smith, still easing his way back in after a long spell out with injury. With Liam Shaw, Sean Clare and Steven Sessegnon unavailable he decided to pair Baba Adeeko and Scott Smith in midfield. Jonny Smith had not looked comfortable previously at right wing back, but Maloney was short of options for that position, given the formation he chose.

The lifeless first half performance was another of those we have seem so often: practically devoid of life, players opting for the easy way out when receiving possession by passing the ball sideways or backwards. However, a rare slip by Sam Tickle was to prove the difference between the two teams in the first half. In the 19^th minute Josh Scowen had easily got past Scott Smith on the edge of the box to put in a hard cross that the goalkeeper deflected into his own net. Tickle has been Wigan’s outstanding performer over the course of the season, but this time his technique let him down.

Playing with three centre backs had certainly blunted Wycombe’s cutting edge, but Wigan’s lack of movement and mobility in midfield and further forward meant that they posed little threat to the home team’s defence. We were to see that sterile football that has reared its head too often with centre backs gobbling up time passing the ball among themselves, central midfield incapable of providing the link between defence and attack and a blunt and ineffective strike force.

The manager introduced Jordan Jones, Matt Smith and Martial Godo following the half time break, taking off the ineffective Adeeko and Jonny Smith, plus Liam Morrison who had been his usual solid self. Reverting to a back four and with an injection of energy and creativity Latics looked a different team. Wycombe were pushed back into defence with Wigan on the front foot. The ineffective Stephen Humphrys and Josh Magennis were replaced by Chis Sze and Charlie Kelman after 62 minutes. However, despite their much-improved approach play Latics could not put the ball in the back of the net, with Argentinian goalkeeper Franco Ravizzoli having a fine performance for Wycombe.

The first half of this game was depressing from a Latics point of view, but the second period saw them playing with some degree of flair and drive. The challenge for Maloney is to find a way to induce his players to play with tempo and be brave on the ball from the start, not having to rely on bringing on a swathe of substitutes to provide impetus.

Of the 11 players who started the game, 5 were products of the Wigan Athletic Academy, 3 were loanees, two signed by previous managers and one by Maloney last summer. Given the trajectory defined for Maloney by the owner it reflects the kind of balance that we can expect in the coming years. The squad is likely to be made up of a handful of senior pros, together with academy products and loan players.

There are a handful of players in the senior squad whose contracts expire this summer. There has been media speculation that some of them will be offered new contracts, but on much reduced salaries. The likelihood is that all will depart in summer, as will the loan players.

Wigan’s best performing players this season, Charlie Hughes and Sam Tickle, are academy products. Of last summer’s signings Matt Smith stands out as a real bargain, a key cog in Maloney’s preferred style of football. Sean Clare and Steven Sessegnon offer versatility, although the latter has had problems with injury. Jonny Smith has struggled for consistency. Callum McManaman has provided energy and dynamism when used off the bench and might well be offered an extension on his one-year contract.

Whether Hughes and Tickle remain at the club over summer will depend on the offers that will surely be coming in for them on the transfer market from the big clubs. Owner Mike Danson will be keen to cash in on transfer fees following another major loss-making season. Transfer fees for players in League 1 tend to be low compared to those in higher divisions: it will be interesting to see what develops.