Author Archives: JJ (Tony)

Give Roger a Chance

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Other

espinoza

Mexico had an amazing record in World Cup qualifying matches until a week ago. Invariably playing their home matches in front of 100,000 fans at the magnificent Aztec Stadium in Mexico City they had lost only one out of 77 such matches.

The ‘Catrachos’ of Honduras were to pull off the shock result of the CONCACAF qualifiers with a 2-1 away win. A  large part of their victory came from excellent  performances from a couple of midfield players well known in Wigan – Wilson Palacios and Roger Espinoza.

A familiar name in central defence – Maynor Figueroa – had helped repel the waves of Mexican attacks. New Latics signing Juan Carlos Garcia was on the bench, the experienced Emilio Izaguirre of Celtic being preferred.

Roger Espinoza played the full 90 minutes in Mexico and did the same in the next match when Honduras drew 2-2 at home with Panama, the visitors equalizing in stoppage time. As always, his performances were full of effort and determination, with no mean level of skill.

Espinoza is clearly a key player for his national team. However, he has been low down in the pecking order at Wigan since Owen Coyle’s arrival.  Given the injury problems that Latics had at the end of last  season Espinoza was played out of position at left wing back. Although he originally struggled in that role he was to play with distinction in the team that won the FA Cup Final. Coyle used him in  the left back position in pre-season.

Roger Espinoza is a dynamic midfield player who makes things happen. He is tenacious in the tackle, covers a huge amount of ground during a game and has good technique.  His spectacular goal for Honduras against Brazil in the Olympics put him on the global football map.

Owen Coyle has surrounded himself with largely British Isles players since his arrival at Wigan. However, he revealed that he was interested in signing Espinoza while at Bolton. Having moved from Honduras to the United States when he was 14, Espinoza speaks like an American.

Espinoza is not yet the finished article. His enthusiasm is his strength, but he can be reckless in his tacking. He has a great left foot and has shown his ability to put in crosses that have led to goals. He has successfully made a major adjustment from playing for Kansas City in the MLS.

In order to get out of the Championship division Wigan Athletic need players who are not easily deterred. The opposition can be very physical and referees can let things go in a way that they would not in the Premier League.

Roger Espinoza is not easily deterred. He is exactly the kind of player to move Latics ahead.

Following James McCarthy’s departure to Everton, Coyle has been talking about finding a replacement for the Irish international.  He should first look in-house. The Honduran/American deserves strong consideration.

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How good is Grant Holt?

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Player profiles and tagged with ,

grant-holt_2635269b

The fans at Norwich loved Grant Holt. They did not want him to leave.

Owen Coyle’s signing of the big centre forward in July looked like the bargain buy of the summer. But why had Holt left a Premier League club where he was idolised to join an outfit that had been relegated to the Championship? Why were Norwich willing to accept a fee reported to be less than £2m for a player who had been so successful with them?

A couple of months ago most Latics supporters were excited about Holt’s signing. He had scored 78 goals in 168 appearances for the Canaries, helping them get back to back promotions. He was the goal-scoring, bustling centre forward who had come up the hard way, through the lower leagues. If anybody was going to get goals for Wigan Athletic in the fast and physical environment of the Championship division then it was Holt.

How times change. Already some are questioning his ability. At times Holt can look slow and cumbersome, more willing to get into physical tussles with defenders than focus on the footballing side of the game.

Some compare Holt with Arouna Kone, who sadly for the Latics faithful, departed to Everton for a fee well below his true market value.  Kone too was a big and strong central striker, but he was also mobile and skilful. Last season Kone started in 32 league games, scoring 11 goals, conceding 39 fouls and suffering 29. In comparison Holt started 28 times, getting 8 goals, whilst conceding 82 fouls and suffering 65.

The statistics emphasise the differing styles of the two central strikers. However, it would be a mistake to condemn Holt as merely a battering-ram centre forward. The big Cumbrian has a good football brain and can put delightful passes through for teammates. The style with which he dispatched the penalty against Middlesbrough – after Marc-Antoine Fortune has been pulled down in the box – was the hallmark of a player who has the technique to match his brawn.

Holt got off to a good start in the opening game at Barnsley, opportunistically deflecting a loose ball into the net. Up to this point he has scored two goals in four league games. He has been inches away from scoring more goals on several occasions. Although often double -marked he uses his strength and technique to hold up long balls until teammates arrive. Holt has already been denied at least three penalty decisions that a referee might have awarded were he not the player brought to the ground. At times his reputation as a physical player can act against him as far as refereeing decisions are concerned.

So why did Holt leave Norwich for Wigan? Although 32 years old, he joined Wigan on a three year contract. On signing for Latics he told BBC Radio Cumbria that “The Europa League was a massive pull for me. It’s something I’ve never done in my career and I’m hoping we can have a good spell in that.” Moreover Chris Hughton had adapted the direct style of play typical during Paul Lambert’s time  at Norwich.

Having a centre forward like Holt in your team is a double-edged sword. He certainly unsettles defences and does a superb job in holding up the ball, taking the pressure of his team. At the same time having him there as a target can tempt defenders into launching long balls, by-passing the midfield where Latics have so many technically-gifted players.

At 32 years of age Holt has almost certainly passed his peak. However, he is still going to score goals, especially if Latics play with two wide players. With Holt in the middle, Callum McManaman on the right and James McLean or Jean Beausejour on the left, Wigan have a well-balanced front three that will cause headaches for Championship defences.

Holt is a players’ player, who frequently sacrifices himself for the benefit of the team. It is this attribute, along with his goals, that helped him endear himself with the fans at Norwich. In March 2009 the FourFour Two magazine revealed that Holt covered an average of 4.8 km per match, more than any other player in Leagues 1 and 2.

The season has a long way to go. Holt is injured at the moment and Wigan are short in the area of central strikers, with only Marc-Antoine Fortune available in his absence. Given the physical nature of his game Holt is frequently going to pick up knocks. However, he managed to steer clear of major injuries in his three years at Norwich, appearing on a regular basis, largely in the starting lineup, sometimes coming on from the bench.

Providing he receives the necessary service and stays clear of major injuries, Grant Holt‘s name is going to regularly appear on the score sheet. He is physically and mentally resilient and his determination to succeed is going to rub off on his teammates.

Holt’s goals could well take Wigan Athletic back to the Premier League.

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Watch out for Callum

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

Manchester City v Wigan Athletic - FA Cup Final

Callum McManaman  deservedly won the  ‘Man of the Match’ award at the FA Cup Final, after a scintillating display.  He had run the expensively-assembled Manchester City defence ragged and in doing so he won over many of the armchair critics who had condemned him following the “Horror Tackle” episode.

When McManaman walked onto the Wembley turf he had only started seven times for Wigan in a Premier League match. Seeing what he could do and that Latics were staring relegation in the face, even neutrals were asking why he had not been given more opportunities much earlier in the season. Wigan Athletic fans still ponder on what might have happened if Roberto Martinez had put him before it got too late.

McManaman was 22 years old when he helped his team win the FA Cup. He had joined Latics as a 16 year old after Everton had released him. Steve Bruce gave him his Premier League debut as an 18 year old, as a substitute for the final 12 minutes of the last match of the 2008-09 season at home to Portsmouth.

After that he did not make a Premier League start for three seasons. In 2011-12 he made four appearances for the England under-20 team and went on a successful loan spell at Blackpool. However,  the winger could still not break through into the Premier League team, making just two appearances as a substitute.

Starved of Premier League action – other than late appearances as a substitute –  his first team appearances were typically in cup ties, where he did well. After scoring a cracker in the stunning 3-0 FA Cup win at Everton in March, McManaman was given his first Premier League start of the season at home to Newcastle. What followed was his controversial tackle on Newcastle’s Massadio Haidara that got huge media coverage.

It is to McManaman’s credit that he continued to be focused on his football despite the media hype. His well taken goal in the FA Cup semi final against Millwall once again showed what a match winner he could be. Given a run of consecutive games in the first team his game was coming on and his performance in the Cup Final was a revelation.

So why was Callum McManaman not brought into the starting lineup earlier in the season, when Latics’ play was looking predictable and short of a cutting edge? Did Martinez leave it too long?

Martinez fans would say that he nurtured the young player, weaning him into a more major role. There was a huge gulf between the level of play in the under 21 competition and the Premier League. Martinez had been waiting for the right time to bring McManaman in and his timing was just right

Critics would say that Martinez did not want to risk young players in the Premier League, given the pressure the team was under.  McManaman’s contemporaries Lee Nicholls, Daniel Redmond and Jordan Mustoe still have not made the starting lineup for the first team in a competitive match. Nicholls has at least made it to the bench this season as backup goalkeeper, but Redmond and Mustoe have to compete in the Central League with the likes of the Morecambe under 21 side.  Like McManaman they too will have to bide their time, but at 21-22 years of age they are not so young any more.

The recently concluded transfer window was kind to Wigan Athletic in more ways than one. The culmination was that they sold James McCarthy for a decent fee and got Nick Powell and Ryan Shotton on loan. The skilful Powell and the combative Shotton will have important roles to play.

However, it is not so much who came in, but who did not leave, that gives Wigan Athletic hope for promotion back to the Premier League. Shaun Maloney is a class above most players in the Championship. If Latics can keep the ball on the ground and feed him the ball he can cut open Championship defences.

When McManaman picked up an ankle injury at the end of last season it looked like a blow for Latics at the start of the current season. However, had he been fully fit and starring in Championship matches, the elite of the Premier League might well have moved in and taken him away. The red card he received at Bournemouth was ridiculous, but Latics wisely resisted appealing the three match suspension. To do so would have put the player back in the media spotlight. Moreover it gave him more time to get fully fit.

If Wigan Athletic are to gain promotion this year, you can bet that Callum McManaman will play a leading role, together with Shaun Maloney. They are the two who can best unlock opposition defences, making and scoring goals.

Callum McManaman remains a relatively inexperienced footballer. Some days are going to be better than others for him as he continues to mature professionally.

However, exciting times lie ahead for Latics with this talented player remaining on board.

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A look at Latics’ Europa League opposition – Part 3: Rubin Kazan

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

Wigan Athletic’s third match in the Europa League will be at home to Rubin Kazan on October 24th.  The return match is scheduled for November 7th .

Rubin are currently in 7th place in the Russian Premier League, but are unbeaten. They have won two and drawn five matches, conceding only three goals. Last season Rubin finished 6th, becoming one of four Russian teams qualifying for the Europa League.

Rubin performed well in the Europa League last year, winning their group, being unbeaten in the six matches. In doing so they beat Inter Milan 3-0 at home after drawing 2-2 at the San Siro. They stunned holders Atletico Madrid in the last 32 with a 2-0 win at the Vicente Calderon Stadium after losing 1-0 in the home leg.

Then followed a 2-0  home victory in extra time over another Spanish team, Levante, after drawing 0-0 in the first leg. The quarter final first leg at Stamford Bridge saw Chelsea beat them 3-1. Rubin fought hard in the return match played  in Moscow but a valiant 3-2 win was not enough and saw them eliminated.

Rubin Kazan was founded in 1958 under the name of Iskra. The club never played in the old Soviet Top League and languished in the lower regional leagues until they won promotion to the Russian First Division (the second tier) in 1992. They won the First Division eleven years later, being promoted to the Russian Premier League for the first time in 2003.

Since then they have performed well, winning the championship in 2008 and 2009 and the Russian Cup in 2011-12. They took four points off Barcelona in the group stage of the Champions League in 2009-10, including a 2-1 win at the Nou Camp.

Rubin – which means ruby – are based in Kazan, a city of over 1 million people in the Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan is around 460 miles south east of Moscow. It is the eastern-most city with a team competing in this year’s  Europa League group stage. Average daily high temperatures drop from 8º C in October to -1º C in November.

2129__rubin_kazan-home-kitRubin currently play at the Central Stadium, which is municipally owned, accommodating 30,133 spectators . They are shortly due to move the new Kazan Arena – capacity 45,105 – which will host the 2018 World Cup. Rubin’s home kit is ruby red. Around one half of their senior squad are Russians, the remainder foreign players from diverse backgrounds.

In order to reach the group stage of this season’s Europa League, Rubin had to go through three qualifying round. They not only knocked out Jagodina (Serbia), Randers (Denmark) and Molde (Norway), but won all six ties they played.

Rubin have substantial experience over the past ten years in both the Champions League and the Europa League, gaining notable results. They have a tight defence and a dangerous forward in the Venezuelan Salomón Rondón – signed in summer 2012 from Malaga for €10 million – who scored three goals in the games against Inter Milan last year.

Central stadium, Kazan

The Central Stadium, Kazan

Before the draw for the group stage was made Latics were hoping to avoid a trip to Russia. They are going to have to come to terms with the length of the journey and the visit to Tatarstan will be at the onset of winter, when low temperatures are a strong possibility.More than that they are going to meet a side that is going to be difficult to beat.

Group D of the Europa League – with Wigan, Zulte Waregem, NK Maribor and Rubin Kazan – might not have the glamour clubs of some of the other groups.

However, it is going to be very competitive with any one of the four teams having a decent chance of progressing to the next round. There are going to be no easy games.The top two teams in each of the 12 groups, together with 8 third placed teams from the Champions League, will compete in the Round of 32 which starts in February.

The Europa League is a big competition. Last year 193 clubs from 53 countries were involved.  In order to reach the final from the group stage Wigan would need to play 14 matches. When Fulham got there in 2009-10 season from the qualifying rounds they had to play 19  extra games. However, there are significant financial rewards for progressing through the various  stages of the competition.

It will be interesting to see how Owen Coyle approaches the Europa League matches, where the football is going to be a different style than in the fast and furious Championship. He has some players who have already played in the competition for their previous clubs, but for the majority of his squad it will be a learning experience.

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A look at Latics’ Europa League opposition – Part 2: NK Maribor

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

Wigan Athletic’s second match in the Europa League is scheduled for October 3rd with a visit from NK Maribor of Slovenia.

Maribor currently top the PrvaLiga – the Slovenian League. After winning their first six league matches they were held to a disappointing 1-1 home draw by Gorica on Sunday.

Last season Maribor won the 10 team PrvaLiga by a margin of 8 points.  As Slovenian champions they entered the  second qualifying round of the 2013-14 Champions League, being drawn against Birkikara of Romania. Home and away victories against the Romanian team put them into the third qualifying round where they met APOEL of Nicosia.

Maribor came away from the first leg in Cyprus with a hard fought 1-1 draw courtesy of a header from Brazilian forward Magno Tavares.  Maribor were to qualify for the playoffs through a 0-0 draw in Slovenia, after having to withstand a second half barrage from the Cypriot team. However, with the Champions League group stage beckoning they were to come unstuck against Czech champions, Viktoria Plzen, losing 3-1 away and 1-0 at home.

Jurij_PivkaMaribor is a beautiful town of around 95,000 inhabitants in the Styria region in the north east  of Slovenia. It is around 60 miles from the capital Ljubljana.

Nogometni  Klub Maribor was founded in 1960. The club initially played in the Yugoslav leagues, competing in the top tier from 1967-72. During that time their highest league position was 10th place in the 1969-70 season.

In 1991 Slovenia had broken away from Yugoslavia and they established their own football league. Since then NK Maribor have dominated the PrvaLiga, winning it 11 times and the Slovenian Cup 8 times.

The Ljudskivrt Stadium

The Ljudskivrt Stadium

NK Maribor play at the Ljudskivrt stadium, built in 1952 on the banks of the Drava River. It has a capacity of 12,994. They play in an all purple kit.

Despite being a small club by European standards Maribor have reached the group stage of the Champions League in both 2011-12 and 2012-13. They frequently lose their prized assets to bigger clubs, but nurture talented young players through their youth programme.

Much of Maribor’s more recent success can be attributed to the appointment of national hero, Zlatko Zahovic, as their Director of Football in 2007. The ex-Benfica and Porto attacking midfielder  was the key figure in  Slovenia  qualifying for both the World Cup and the European Championship in the early 2000’s. He played a record 80 games for his country, scoring 35 goals.

Maribor enter the Europa league after already playing six matches in European competition this season. This well-run club continues to punch above its weight and should not be underestimated.

With such a wealth of experience behind them in European competitions they are going to be hard to beat.

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