Author Archives: JJ (Tony)

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 →

Youngsters to get their chance

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

What is the point of tonight’s match at the Etihad Stadium? Is there anything Wigan Athletic can gain from it, other than a share of gate revenue?

The League Cup meeting between Wigan Athletic and Manchester City was being built up as a repeat of the FA Cup final. Could David once again kill Goliath?

The media have now come to their senses. They now realize that Latics will be playing their third game in six days, let alone having been hit by injuries to both of their mainline central strikers and their playmaker.

The Citizens’ fan site Vital Manchester City reckons that Nick Powell will be the man to watch in the Latics side. The reality is that of all the players who might make the lineup tonight, Powell is one of the least likely. He played a full match against Ipswich on Sunday after playing for 83 minutes on his debut in Bruges last Thursday. To be fair to the fan site they do qualify their comments by stating that Powell “will need some shackling, if selected”.

Owen Coyle has rightly criticized the powers that be for their scheduling of the match. He has also said he will have to make “umpteen” changes, with a chance for some of the young players from the fringes of his squad.

In terms of the senior players, Coyle will not want to risk injuries with a difficult Championship fixture at Watford coming up on Saturday. On the other hand he will not want to run the risk of annihilation by putting out a team too short on experience.

His best option will be to look at putting in senior players who have not played major roles in the last two games. That rules out Scott Carson, Ryan Shotton, James Perch, James McArthur, James McClean, Nick Powell and Callum McManaman.

Even then Coyle will need to take a look at other players who made the lineup on Sunday, having to make a decision whether he is willing to risk them for another match only two days later. Emmerson Boyce was given a partial rest on Sunday, coming on as a substitute after 75 minutes. Ben Watson came on after 66 minutes in Belgium and played a full game on Sunday.

Senior players who clearly stand a chance of making the starting lineup include Stephen Crainey, Roger Espinoza, Fraser Fyvie, Jordi Gomez and Chris McCann. Juan Carlos Garcia is still adapting to his move from Honduras, but could be thrust in tonight at either left or centre back.

The names of “youngsters”  Lee Nicholls, Adam Buxton and Nouha Dicko have already been mentioned as possibilities for the lineup tonight. Nicholls is likely to replace Scott Carson in goal, with Buxton coming in at right back. Given the likely absence of other challengers Dicko could even end up in the centre forward position, where he has played before for the under-21 team.

Rob Kiernan is a promising young central defender, but Coyle might not want to expose him to dealing with the outstanding strikers that City can field. Jordan Mustoe deserves a chance at full back, as does Danny Redmond in midfield.

The emergence of the talented 19 year old Ross Barkley at Everton has had journalists praising Roberto Martinez for giving youth a chance. However, that was not always the case while he was at Wigan. The “youngsters” mentioned above are 21 to 22 years old. Their appearances with the senior side have been confined to cup matches against lower league opposition.

Coyle has a difficult task in putting together a team that can give Manchester City a contest tonight. At least three of the senior players he puts in the starting lineup are likely to be replaced in the second half, providing he does not have to make substitutions earlier due to injuries.

In the grander scheme of things the result of tonight’s match is of minor importance to Latics. The priorities are to get promotion out of the Championship and to put up a good show in the Europa League. However, Coyle will not want a whitewash that might damage morale within the club.

The most positive aspect is that opportunities will be given to young players – at long last!

Zulte Waregem 0 Wigan Athletic 0 – an historic point gained

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

A gritty display helped Wigan Athletic gain a valuable point away from home in their first Europa League match.

Owen Coyle made seven changes to the lineup that faced Leicester last weekend. Latics started the game without a recognized centre forward and with a couple of centre backs – James Perch and Ryan Shotton – who had never played together before.

Stephen Crainey returned at left back. In midfield James McArthur played in the holding role in front of the back four, with Jordi Gomez to the right and Chris McCann to the left. Nick Powell was thrust into the unfamiliar role of centre forward, with Callum McManaman and James McClean on the wings.

Latics had made a bright start, with a rasping drive from James McArthur hitting the post in the 3rd minute. For the first 20 minutes they had their fair share of the ball, but from then on the home side asserted themselves in midfield. The Wigan defence had to work hard as Zulte Waregem pressed in the remainder of the first half.

Latics had a scare on 35 minutes when McClean headed on to his own crossbar. Soon after McCann was dispossessed outside the penalty box and Carson had to make a fine save from Conte.

The home team dominated the second half with over 70% of the possession. However, Wigan kept their shape, with the midfield dropping back to make a solid line in front of the penalty area.

Latics finally announced their attacking intentions by bringing on Marc-Antoine Fortune after  66 minutes, together with Ben Watson. Gomez and McManaman went off. Fortune was to have few opportunities as the home side continued in the ascendancy.

There were several close calls around the Wigan goal before James Perch had a snap shot well saved by goalkeeper Sammy Bossut.  Zulte Waregem continued to press throwing everything they could at the Latics defence, which somehow kept them out.

Nouha Dicko replaced Nick Powell after 82 minutes, only to have a penalty claim against him not long after. The Polish referee, who had been excellent all night, ignored the home team claims.

In the 86th minute McCann threw his body in the way of a shot that had ‘goal’ written all over it – a remarkable block. Somehow Latics survived the 90 minutes plus 3 minutes of time added on.

Zulte Waregem were disappointed with the result, but Coyle was clearly delighted. His patched-up team had played with real endeavour and worked so hard to get this historic result.

The Good

Following the shambles of the Leicester match Coyle changed his tactical system, playing with two wingers. This time around every player knew his role and was 100% involved in the game.

The new look centre of defence held up well, no doubt helped by a midfield that dropped back to shield them as needed. The two starting  wingers worked hard and covered a lot of ground. Only once was one of them able to  get behind the opposition defence – Callum McManaman putting in a dangerous cross in the first half – but both did more than their fair share of defensive duties.

It is rumoured that Coyle is close to getting a third central striker on loan. It was not an easy debut for Nick Powell, having to play in the centre, then later being pushed wide on the right. His natural position is the same as that of Shaun Maloney, in the hole between the midfield and the central striker. We may well see them alternate in that position as the season progresses.

The Bad

Rubin Kazan announced themselves with a 5-2 win at Maribor. Two of the five goals were scored in time added on, but the Russian team remains favourite to win the group.

Player ratings

Scott Carson: 7 – once again an important player. Very solid defensively and his distribution was much better than in previous games.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – solid.

James Perch: 6 – restored to the centre back position and staked his claim.

Ryan Shotton: 6 – a solid debut.

Stephen Crainey: 6 – his distribution was much better. Still adjusting to the change from being at Blackpool.

James McArthur: 7 – fitted in well to the ‘McCarthy role’. Full of endeavour and unlucky with a superb shot early on.

Jordi Gomez: 6 – a few passes went astray but showed a lot of commitment and covered a lot of ground.

Chris McCann: 6 – gradually adjusting to Latics’ style of play. Some nice touches and solid in defence in the second half especially.

Callum McManaman: 6 – worked hard and played for the team. His more spectacular moments will come.

Nick Powell: 5 – played out of position and clearly not match fit. His best is yet to come.

James McClean: 6 – industrious and involved. With time his final pass should improve.

Substitutes:

Ben Watson: – pegged back into his own half most of the time. Worked hard.

Marc-Antoine Fortune:- isolated as Latics were pegged back in defence.

Nouha Dicko: – given a chance at last, albeit brief.

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