Author Archives: JJ (Tony)

Wingers hold the key for Latics

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Reflections and tagged with , , , , ,

2012-beausejour

Ben Watson’s great run into the penalty box in the 34th minute of the recent Maribor match enabled him to put Latics into the driving seat with a 2-0 lead. Watson’s header was spot-on, but would not have been possible without a wonderful cross from Jean Beausejour on the left.

One of the features of Latics’ historic first home match in the Europa League was the width with which they played. Maribor were stretched in coping with Callum McManaman on the right and Beausejour on the left.

The Chilean received an ‘assist’ for Watson’s goal, but should have had more as he laid on chances that were spurned, despite his sublime crosses.

There are fans who don’t like Beausejour’s style or say he is lazy. He is not the kind of wide player who can speed past a full back to the by-line. Neither could David Beckham.

However, like Beckham he has the ability to squeeze through inch-perfect crosses from tight situations.  Beausejour played largely as a wing back in the past couple of seasons  – the most demanding position as far as running and sacrifice are concerned. Maybe the Chilean looks a little chubby and ungainly, which gives people the impression that he is lazy. The reality is that he is a team player who does not shirk his responsibilities or hide during a game.

Last season Beausejour provided seven Premier League assists, one less than Shaun Maloney. Although he only joined the club in the January transfer window he led with five assists in the 2011-12 season.  The Chilean has sometimes been employed at left back under Owen Coyle, which is not his best position, but gives the manager more options. If the opposition play without an orthodox right winger Coyle might continue to be tempted to put Beausejour in that position to provide a more attacking balance on the left.

Callum McManaman was starting to look more like himself before he was taken off early in the second half against the Slovenian side. It has been a difficult season for him so far, fighting injuries and illness. At his best he can stretch any defence with his directness and acceleration.

McManaman’s style contrasts with that of Beausejour. The 22 year old is the kind of player who can get to the by-line and cut the ball back. He is also a natural goalscorer and can shoot with both feet. Latics need him back to full fitness.

James McClean is 24 years old and took a pay cut to join Latics. He is fighting to get a place in the starting line-up. McClean’s workrate cannot be faulted and he is not afraid to run at the opponent’s defence. He has a good left foot and genuine pace.

Although he started in 44 Premier League games over the past two seasons he has yet to reach his peak. At times Coyle has played him on the right flank, in the kind of role that Charles N’Zogbia played in the Martinez era. Some say McClean lacks the close control to play in that position, but he can be dangerous when cutting inside to shoot.

McClean’s style also contrasts with that of Beausejour.  The Chilean is best with the ball played to his feet, whereas the Irishman is at his most threatening when he can use his pace to run on to through balls. Coyle will use him on either flank and with continued playing time McClean is going to get better and better.

Nouha Dicko is still only 21 and is another wide player with real pace. His first team opportunities continue to be limited and one wonders when he is finally going to get a start in a league game.

Shaun Maloney remains unavailable through injury. When he comes back he is going to have to fight Jordi Gomez and Nick Powell for his best position – the advanced midfield role. We are likely to see him on the wing at times.

Coyle has wingers who can be match winners. Providing they can stay fit and that the team lines up  with width there are some exciting times ahead for Latics.

Grant Holt and Marc-Antoine Fortune will be licking their lips at the service they are going to get from the wide men.

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Wigan Athletic 3 Maribor 1 – champagne then flat beer

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Reports and tagged with , , , , ,
wigan

Ben Watson is congratulated after Latics’ second goal

Wigan Athletic put in a Jekyll and Hyde performance in beating Maribor.  At times we were reminded of that brand of champagne football that Roberto Martinez’s teams could sometimes conjure up.  But then again we saw that lethargic side of this current team’s make-up. Champagne it wasn’t – flat beer maybe.

Both teams had gone into the game knowing that Rubin Kazan had thrashed Zulte Waregem 4-0. The most important thing for Wigan was to get the three points, although Owen Coyle had been suggesting they might go further and produce a footballing feast. At times they did.

Unlike the first match in Belgium, Coyle put out his first choice players. Emmerson Boyce came in, pushing Ryan Shotton to centre back. Jean Beausejour replaced James McClean who was not fully fit, but made the bench.

Coyle’s starting line-up and formation was spot-on. James McArthur and Ben Watson played the midfield holding roles, with Jordi Gomez in his best position in the attacking midfield role. Callum McManaman and Jean Beausejour played wide, with Nick Powell in the lone centre forward role.

Latics dominated the first half playing calm, controlled possession football reminiscent of times gone by. Nick Powell ran through the Maribor defence in the 7th minute following a poor back pass, but goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic made a good save.

Wigan took the lead after 22 minutes when an almost comic punch by Handanovic went backwards, allowing Powell an easy chance to head home. McArthur and Watson were controlling the game from central midfield, with Gomez and Beausejour linking up very well. Although well marked, Callum McManaman was a danger on the other wing,

Wigan’s second goal in the 34th  minute came from a fantastic curving cross from Beausejour, headed in by Ben Watson, who had made a great run from midfield.

Powell squandered a chance in the 36th minute when clean through, putting in an audacious chip that went wide. Roberto Martinez was sat there in the stands and would surely have loved that kind of arrogance that Powell had shown, even if the effort was unsuccessful.

In the 38th minute McManaman made a surging run with a good cross for Beausejour who could not control the bobbling ball and scuffed his shot. The same player went through again in the 44th minute and was unlucky with a cross shot that went wide of the far post.

After going in with a 2-0 lead at half time, with Maribor on the ropes, Latics could have won by a landslide. However, once again  they defended deeper and allowed the away team more possession. After 61 minutes the dangerous Jean-Philippe Mendy outpaced and outmuscled Shotton and Magno Tavares scored from the chaos that followed the Frenchman’s cut back.

The whole feel of the game had changed. Latics were edgy, although they were still creating chances at the other end. In the 61st minute a pass from McArthur found Beausejour whose superb low cross just needed a touch with an open goal ahead. Powell stretched but could only manage to hit the post with the ball being cleared.

In the 89th minute it took a spectacular save by Scott Carson to deny a powerful drive from Tavares as he pushed the powerful effort over the bar. Latics were living dangerously.

However, in the 91st minute, Powell who had been a real handful for the Slovenian team all night, got a deserved second goal dribbling through the defence before slotting home with his left foot.

The Good

The well balanced team that Coyle put out provided Latics with the width that they used to stretch Maribor’s defence. They started with six of last year’s squad in the lineup and the understanding between those players was the key to Wigan’s dominance of the match.

Wingers McManaman and Beausejour constantly threatened, until the former was taken off after 67 minutes. In the first half we saw calm, patient build ups with the ball passing through a very capable midfield trio. Even goalkeeper Carson played his part, making short passes, rather than hoofing the ball upfield as has been his wont on previous occasions.

With better finishing Latics could have won the match by at least five clear goals. Powell was guilty of wasting several chances, but his effort and technique cannot be faulted. He is already starting to look like a top quality centre forward, although it is not his natural position. There is no question that he is a future England player.

The Bad

Once more Latics took their feet off the gas in the second half, allowing the visitors back into the game. It has happened so many times this season. Some say that the root of the problem is a lack of fitness.

However, it is nothing new and happened under Martinez too. Apart from the epic cup run, Latics have not had a winning mentality. Constantly struggling against the elite clubs of the Premier League is not good for a team’s psyche. It is going to take some time for Latics to get back that winning mentality and not pay overdue respect to the opposition.

Maribor’s goal should have been avoided. Tavares was the only opposition player within yards of Mendy’s cutback, but nobody marked him.

Player Ratings

Scott Carson: 8 – not overworked but inspired confidence when he made interventions. His superb save in the closing moments kept Latics ahead.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 – solid in defence and linked up well with McManaman.

Ryan Shotton: 6 – exposed for the Maribor goal and not at his best.

Leon Barnett: 6 –  needs to build up more of an understanding with Shotton to be at his best.

James Perch: 6 – solid, but limited in attack.

Ben Watson: 8 – getting back to his best. Hardworking and cultured in his passing. It was good to see him getting into the penalty box for his well taken goal. Substituted after 77 minutes.

James McArthur: 9 – covered every blade of grass on the pitch, a midfield dynamo. It has not been an easy season for the Scot, adjusting to the Championship, but he is back to his best.

Jordi Gomez: 7 – much more effective in his natural role as the midfield playmaker. However, he will need to fight to keep that position with Shaun Maloney and Nick Powell also in the frame.

Callum McManaman: 7 – gradually getting back to form. Looked dangerous at times, although well policed by the Maribor defence. Substituted after 67 minutes.

Nick Powell: 8 – dangerous throughout. Spurned some chances but was a real headache for Maribor’s defence.

Jean Beausejour: 8 – a cultured attacking display from the Chilean. Set up great opportunities with his sublime crossing. Made an outstanding defensive intervention in his own penalty near the end with his defence all at sea.

Substitutes

James McClean: – poor. His lack of close control let him down on too many occasions.

Chris McCann: – came on for Watson after 77 minutes. A cultured midfield player who has received few opportunities so far.

Nouha Dicko: – brought on in stoppage time at the end of the match.

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Poyet and Wigan

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Reflections and tagged with , , , ,

The rumours are that Gus Poyet is lined up for the vacant position of Sunderland manager.

A few months ago Dave Whelan was looking for a new manager, but Poyet was still involved in wranglings over his controversial dismissal at Brighton. Where would Wigan Athletic be now if Poyet had taken over at the DW?

Poyet’s Brighton last season had been playing a kind of football akin to that of Wigan Athletic under Roberto Martinez. If Whelan had wanted to carry on the footballing tradition put in place by Martinez, Poyet was the most obvious choice.

Poyet had joined Brighton, struggling in League 1, in November 2009. Within no time the style of play had changed to something unseen before at the south coast club.  Moreover it brought excellent results. Poyet steered the club to safety in that first season, then to the League 1 title in 2010-11, when he was named ‘Manager of the Year’ in the division. Last year Brighton adjusted well and made a late run to reach the playoffs in the Championship, but were thwarted by Crystal Palace.

Why Poyet was sacked soon after remains a mystery, but his record was undeniably good. He had transformed a disjointed, struggling League 1 team into a formidable side who played with an emphasis on skill. Moves built up from the back, with the ball on the ground – not a common sight in the frantic Championship, let alone League 1.

Poyet’s name was one of many banded about by the media to replace Martinez,  but in the end it came down to either Owen Coyle or Steve McClaren, both experienced and capable managers who could do a job for the club. However, once their candidacy was made public the writing was already on the wall for Latics’ playing style, which had been developed over a period of four years at all levels within the club.

Latics were to choose a manager diametrically opposed to the previous one in terms of football philosophy and tactical approach. In contrast, Brighton sought to find someone who could continue to build on the work of Poyet. Oscar Garcia was to be their new appointment.

On his appointment Garcia said that “My obsession is to attack, to attack the opposition, to keep the ball and to have the ball as many times as possible”. They could have been the words of Roberto Martinez or Gus Poyet.

Looking at Garcia’s background it is not surprising that he espouses that philosophy. He was an attacking midfielder for Barcelona in the 1990’s, winning no fewer than 11 trophies in his time with them as a player. From 2010-12 he was in charge of Barcelona’s famous youth academy at La Masia, before going on to take Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Israeli title for the first time in ten years. Maccabi’s owner had wanted to change their philosophy to develop a more attractive style of football.

Neither Garcia at Brighton nor Coyle at Wigan has had an easy start to the season. Brighton and Latics  stand neck-and-neck just below mid-table at this point. Both clubs have had injury problems and have not yet  performed at their best.

It will be interesting to see who is higher in the table at the end of the season. Will it be the club who appointed someone to build on past success by maintaining a certain style of football or will it be the one for which the style is secondary to good results and promotion back to the Premier League?

It seems a long time since Roberto Martinez left Wigan. His Everton team are currently unbeaten and in fourth place in the Premier League. Moreover the quality of their football has noticeably improved in his short tenure there.

Martinez certainly had his up and downs at Wigan, but he proved that a club of relatively modest means can win the FA Cup – on merit, through playing attractive football.

Whether Martinez can maintain the good results at Everton remains to be seen. The Goodison club just don’t have the financial resources to consistently challenge the elite. However, he has certainly confounded his critics and made a good start.

Football would be boring if all teams played in the same way. People like Guardiola and Allardyce have widely different philosophies, but both have produced results out of what they have had available.

The question is not of choosing one style over another, but how to provide progression within a club. Surely Coyle would be wise to build on the good things that Martinez put in place, working on the weaknesses, rather than throwing out the baby with the bathwater. A better defence and a more direct and urgent approach in attack would help.

Only time will tell if Coyle is willing or able to do that. Who knows what would have happened had Poyet been appointed at Wigan in July?

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A good time to play Maribor

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Specials and tagged with , ,

The DW Stadium will host an historic event on Thursday, with FK Maribor the visitors. Latics will be hosting  their first-ever Europa League match.  Wigan will come into the game in confident mood, following a resolute 0-0 draw against Zulte Waregem in Belgium. What are the chances of a Latics win?

The timing of the match looks good for Wigan, despite the continued absence of key players through injury. Since I wrote my initial posting about FK Maribor in early September they have been on a downward spiral, winning only one match since.

Maribor’s Croatian coach Ante Čačić has resigned by mutual consent following a bad run of results by the team that normally dominates the Slovenian League. Čačić had only joined Maribor in June, following his success in winning the double with Dynamo Zagreb in the Croatian League. He resigned following a home defeat to FC Koper on Saturday.

Under his management Maribor had started the season in style, winning their first six matches. Since then they have only won one of their last five league matches and crashed 5-2 at home to Rubin Kazan in the Europa League. However, they remain at the top of the league table, on goal difference ahead of Zavrč .

The scoreline in the defeat by the Russian team has clearly caused shock waves in Maribor. Although Maribor had cut Rubin’s lead to 3-2 after being two goals behind, they had been stretched by Rubin’s forwards, the Venezuelan Salomon Rendon in particular. Rubin were to add gloss to the scoreline by getting two counter-attacking goals in time added on, including one from Rendon.

Since the loss to the Russian team Maribor have lost two matches away and drawn one at home. They are also without a win in their last five European outings. They knocked APOEL of Nicosia out of the Champions League on goal difference after two draws, then went on to lose home and away to Viktoria Plzen.

Moreover Maribor have a poor record against English teams in the Europa League, having drawn one and lost three against them. Jean Beausejour played for Birmingham City in their home and away wins against the Slovenian team in the Europa League a couple of years ago. Maribor were to finish bottom of the group with one point.

Last year Maribor went through the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, beating Zeljeznicar Sarajevo of Bosnia and Dudelange of Luxembourg before losing home and away to Croatian champions, Dinamo Zagreb in the play-off round. They were placed in a difficult group in the Europa League, which was won by Lazio. Maribor finished bottom on four points, with a 3-0 home win against Panathinaikos and a 1-1 home draw with Tottenham.

Maribor are competing in their twentieth season in European competitions. By contrast Latic were the only one of the 48 clubs competing in the opening day  of the Europa League group stage who had never played in European competition before.

It is an exciting time for Wigan Athletic, who will be hoping that Maribor’s recent run of poor form will continue – at least for one more game.

There is going to be a wonderful atmosphere at the DW Stadium on Thursday night and Latics have every chance of chalking up a memorable home win.

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Progress Report: Owen Coyle

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Other, Specials and tagged with ,

Coyle4Owen Coyle surely knows that the npower Championship is not an easy place for a football manager.

He has been there twice before. In the 2008-09 season he was successful, taking Burnley back to the top tier of English football for the first time since 1976. Just over three years later his inability to halt his team’s slide down that same division caused his release by Bolton.

If a manager is looking for longevity at a football club he should steer clear of the Championship, where the average length of stay is much lower than in the Premier League and Leagues 1 and 2. Statistics provided by the League Managers Association put the average length of stay for a Championship club manager at a mere 1.16 years.

The likelihood is that Coyle will spend no more than a year as manager of Wigan Athletic in the Championship. He was appointed on a one year contract with the brief of getting the club back into the Premier League. If he fails to do so it is unlikely that he will stay. If he were to win promotion Dave Whelan would then need to decide if he were the right man to lead the club in the Premier League.

Can Coyle succeed in reaching the goal of getting the club back into the top flight?

Let’s take a look at his progress so far. The grades go on a scale from A (excellent) to E (poor).

Success in the Transfer Market: – A

Coyle was faced with an uphill task when he arrived. The playing squad had been decimated over the summer through players leaving at the end of their contracts. Moreover three of the senior professionals he inherited were recuperating from treatment for long-term injuries.

Coyle has done a remarkable job in bringing in twelve new players, including two on loan. All the players he has brought in are suitable for a Championship promotion run. Some players came in at the ends of their contracts with previous clubs, others for bargain fees.

Moreover he has left the club in a good position financially. The funds he received for the transfers of Mauro Boselli, Arouna Kone and James McCarthy by far outweigh what he has spent on new signings.

Although the transfer window is now closed Coyle continues to scour the market for further loan signings.  When the window opens again in January he will be in a position to spend money were the right player to become available.

Public Relations: – B

Coyle might lack the charisma of his predecessor, but he is eloquent and comes over as a bubbly, positive person with the media. He has made a point of recognizing the importance of the fans. His warm briefing to fans on the aeroplane to Belgium was something special.

Results so far: – C

Latics are currently in 11th place in the Championship, but have a game in hand. At home their record is W2 D2 L0, with an away record of W1 D0 L2.

They got a good result in their first-ever Europa League match, drawing 0-0 against Zulte Waregem in Belgium.

They lost 5-0 at Manchester City in the League Cup.

Given the high proportion of new players in the squad it is not surprising that results up to this point have not reached most fans’ expectations.

Although Coyle’s primary goal is promotion to the Premier League he also has an obligation to fans to ensure that Wigan give a good account of themselves in the Europa League.  Few supporters will be upset with the club’s exit from the League Cup, given that it was Latics’ third game in six days.

Results over the next three months are likely to be unpredictable, with so many matches to play in a packed calendar. However, by January the three long-term injured players – Al Habsi, Caldwell and Ramis – should be back in action and the six matches in the group stage of the Europa League will have been completed. The transfer window will reopen and new players can be brought in to supplement the squad.

Latics need to be in at least a mid-table position in the Championship by the end of December if they are going to make a push towards promotion.

The Balance and Quality of the Playing Squad: – B

Coyle has done well in making sure that there are at least two players competing for every position.

The players he inherited are experienced Premier League players, capable of excelling in the Championship. Many of the players he has brought in had ample Premier League experience;  others had performed at good levels in the Championship.

The squad is particularly high on quality in the areas of goalkeeping and midfield. It is currently light in the area of strikers.

Coyle has recruited largely British or Irish players. Of the three from outside the British Isles two speak good English.  Many of the overseas players brought in by Martinez  left in summer. The benefit is that fewer players are going to come back jet-lagged and exhausted after international breaks, which was problematic in the Martinez era. The higher proportion of  British and Irish players is  going to change not only the languages spoken in the dressing room, but also the style of play.

Coyle has already been unlucky in having key attacking players ruled out by injury. Callum McManaman is still not fully fit and injuries to Grant Holt, Marc-Antoine Fortune and Shaun Maloney have made life difficult for the manager.

The challenge for Coyle is in uniting the new players with those he inherited. Let’s hope there is no truth in the rumours of rifts between the two camps.

Tactics and Team Selection: – D

When a new manager comes in he usually brings with him his own tactical stamp. None has been evident from Coyle up to this stage.

It is still early days but Latics lack a defined playing style. The one consistent feature has been playing with a flat back four. He has put in lineups without attacking width, other times using two wingers. The norm has been a lone centre forward, but he has also fielded twin Continue reading →