Author Archives: JJ (Tony)

QPR 1 Wigan Athletic 1- Maloney spares Wigan’s blushes

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

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Shaun Maloney’s super strike from a free kick in the last minute of added time spared Wigan’s blushes and pushed QPR firmly towards the trap door of relegation. Despite the home team having to play with 10 men since the 21st minute Latics had not been able to find a way through until that moment.

There was no doubt about the sending off for Bobby Zamora, after his boot was raised high enough to decapitate Jordi Gomez. It was a huge blow for Rangers, but they dug in and played with spirit and organisation. Their much criticized defence was excellent throughout and allowed Latics’ forwards no breathing room.

Despite their numerical superiority Wigan were unable to create many clear cut chances. The best was in the 78th minute when Jordi Gomez put in a superb cross that James McArthur should have buried, but he headed straight at Julio Cesar with the goal at his mercy. Seven minutes later Maynor Figueroa’s shot Wigan’s from an elaborate free kick routine from thirty yards out was cleared and Loic Remy scored one of the goals of the season from the counter attack. A breathtaking strike.

All in all a fascinating match. Wigan supporters will be disappointed not to have got three points against the ten men. However, this should not detract from a superb performance from the home side. Sadly for them the result presents another nail in their coffin. It is going to take a minor miracle for them to survive now.

The Good

The defence played well throughout. It was only a superb goal that stopped them getting a clean sheet. Latics played with organization and discipline.

Once again Wigan have gained a result against relegation rivals. Only with hindsight at the end of the season will we see if the three points should have been gained in this match will outweigh the psychological body blow that QPR might not recover from.

Wigan have had a disappointing season and the threat of relegation still hovers above them. However, today they were playing against a team whose wage bill is probably double their own. Once again to stay up Latics have to punch above their weight. It was a disappointing outcome today for Wigan fans, but Latics are still alive and kicking in the league and the FA Cup semi final is coming up next weekend.

The Bad

The lack of cutting edge of the attack against 10 men was frustrating to see. The incisive pass was not coming from the midfield and the forwards ran down blind alleys. It almost seemed like Latics were playing for the one point, rather than the three.

Roberto Martinez might have played down the effect of the upcoming FA Cup semi final on the players’ minds, but was it a factor today?

Player Ratings

Joel Robles: 6 – once again not tested with shots on goal. However, looks commanding and composed. Could not be faulted for Remy’s goal.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 – very solid in defence, made a superb tackle on Remy in the first half to prevent a goal. Played a captain’s role.

Paul Scharner: 6 – not at his best but his partnership with Alcaraz gives Latics much hope.

Antolin Alcaraz: 8 – once again excellent in defence.

Maynor Figueroa:6 – as committed as ever, although he had problems with Townsend. Let’s hope he will sign a new contract and stay at Wigan.

Jean Beausejour: 6 – worked hard down the left flank. Taken off after 62 minutes.

James McCarthy: 8 – consistent as ever. Could not be faulted for effort and commitment. Had a good shot pushed wide by Cesar in the first half.

Jordi Gomez:6 – infuriating at times, but improving in the role of holding midfield player. Covered a huge amount of ground during the game. Put in a sublime centre that James McArthur should have buried in the second half.

Shaun Maloney: 7 – well marked and not as effective as in recent games, but his free kick was superb.

Callum McManaman: 6 – worked hard and had a good effort go very close in the first half. Substituted after 68 minutes.

Arouna Kone: 6 – tightly marked and did not receive much good service. Grafted hard as always.

Substitutes.

James McArthur: – has scored some really important goals for Latics, What a shame he could not put that one in today. Came on after 62 minutes for Beausejour.

Franco Di Santo: – ineffective after coming on for McManaman after 68 minutes.

Roger Espinosa: – brought on after 88 minutes for Figueroa.

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QPR v Wigan Athletic Preview – Keep Grinding, Latics!

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Previews, Other and tagged with , ,
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Joel Robles – the young Spanish goalkeeper is key to Wigan’s hopes tomorrow at Loftus Road.

Around this time last year the great revival started. Wigan Athletic were to not only beat the elite, but to beat them on merit, through champagne football, winning 7 of the last 9 games. Before the revival started we saw an awful performance from Latics at Loftus Road in January, with Queens Park Rangers winning 3-1. Somehow QPR managed to stay up, but by the skin of their teeth. Given the upturn in recent results for Wigan Athletic can we expect a better result in tomorrow’s key encounter at Loftus Road? Some champagne football, even?

Wigan Athletic come into this game after gaining 6 priceless points from home games against Newcastle and Norwich, following a momentous 3-0 win at Everton in the FA Cup. Only one goal has been conceded in these last three matches and late goals have sealed the league wins. Last week Norwich did not force Joel Robles to make a single save, such was the quality of the Wigan defence. In those home games champagne football was a scarce commodity, but the results have been just what the doctor ordered. Latics ground both Newcastle and Norwich down, restricting them, then delivering the hammer blow.

“Must win” is a term that is banded about too freely. Wigan supporters have seen their team lose “must win” games, but nevertheless survive. If this game is a must win for one of the teams tomorrow , then it must be more so for QPR. They lie 8 points adrift with only 7 games left. Even a draw would put them under great pressure in the matches that remains. A draw would not be ideal for Wigan, but it would help keep them afloat. Put simply, this is a more crucial game for QPR than for Latics.

Roberto Martinez deserves credit for sticking his neck out and rewarding the players who helped the club reach the FA Cup semi final. Ali Al Habsi and Gary Caldwell were pivotal in last year’s revival, but they are now on the bench. How times can change. The upturn in results coincides, not for the first time, with the return from injury of Antolin Alcaraz. His recent performances have been a revelation and one wonders what league position Wigan would be in now, if he had been available all season. His central defensive partnership with Paul Scharner has been the centrepiece of recent performances.

Joel Robles is clearly a very capable young goalkeeper, tall and dominant. It was never going to be easy to step into the shoes of fans’ favourite, Ali Al Habsi, but he has handled it well so far. The Omani has not been in the same form this season that he showed previously. However, he is such a capable goalkeeper that his time will come again. For the moment Robles is first choice. The defence has managed to shield Robles up to this point, but tomorrow could well prove to be the acid test for him. His performance could well be the main factor that helps decide the result.

Harry Redknapp refuses to accept that QPR will go down. Looking at the real quality players they have in their squad they should be able to stay up. However, like Wigan they have a penchant for throwing away good results through appalling defensive errors. Tomorrow’s result might well depend on which defence gives it away, rather than which team plays better.

Wigan will probably field an unchanged lineup, although there is a possibility that James McArthur will replace Jordi Gomez in the holding midfield role. Although he made the pass for Arouna Kone’s goal against Norwich, Gomez did not have a good game.

With the FA Cup semi final coming up next weekend, this game comes at a difficult time for Latics. Wembley is sure to be in their players’ heads, although Martinez will surely emphasise the need for a good result tomorrow.

QPR have a wealth of good players to choose from. At their best they could thump Wigan. However, they are in deep trouble and they are playing a team that has a good record against relegation rivals. It is one of those matches that is very hard to predict: it could be a stalemate or even a spectacular result for either team. As far as Wigan are concerned, grinding out another result though strong defence, is probably the way to go. Keep grinding, Latics!

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Arouna Koné – Best yet to come

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

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In August 2007 Sevilla paid PSV Eindhoven a reported €12 million for their Ivorian striker, Arouna Koné. Club president, José María del Nido, commented at the time that Koné was “One of the best attackers in the world” and that his acquisition gave them the strongest side in their history. Sevilla had just won two successive UEFA Cups and the signing of Koné on a five-year contract was the icing on the cake.

Koné had come to Europe as a 19-year-old, playing for Lierse SK in the Belgian first division. Despite his youth and lack of experience Kone scored 11 goals in 32 games in his year at Lierse. He then moved to Roda JC of Kerkrade, a town in the old coal mining area in the south of Holland. He regularly scored goals, like this spectacular one, for the club which usually finished in the top half of the Eredivisie table. In his two years at Roda he scored 27 goals in 63 appearances.

Koné clearly impressed reigning champions PSV when he scored this beauty against them for Roda, so it was no surprise when he joined the Eindhoven side in the summer of 2005. He was to spend two years at PSV, winning the Eredivisie title twice and scoring 21 goals in 52 matches.

Given Arouna Koné’s previous track record in Holland, the move to Sevilla promised so much for him and the club. However, the first season did not go to plan. He had been signed only a few days after  Sevilla midfielder, Antonio Puerta, had suffered a heart attack on the field of play and died three days later.  A couple of months after that their successful coach, Juande Ramos, left for Tottenham. It was a difficult period for the club and Koné. The striking partnership of Frederic Kanoute and Luis Fabiano was to become very successful and Koné’s altercation with a member of the club’s training staff made national television. His difficulties were compounded when he suffered cruciate knee ligament injury  in August 2008,  when playing for Ivory Coast against Guinea, leaving him out of action for six months.

On 1 February 2010 Koné joined Hannover 96 on loan, scoring on his Bundesliga debut, at Hoffenheim. He had only appeared once for Sevilla in the 2010-2011 season, that being as a substitute in the last minute. His career was to be revived when he was loaned to Levante UD for the 2011-2012 season.

Levante had come up from the second division the previous year, gaining 14th position in La Liga. Koné’s arrival was to spark an upturn of fortune for the poorer relations in the city of Valencia. His first goal for them was a winner against Real Madrid in September 2011. Levante were to finish 6th and qualify for the Europa League, with Koné scoring 15 goals in 34 appearances, including one against Sevilla. He missed the last three games of the season , having suffered an injury. Moreover, if he had reached 18 goals the terms of his contract meant that he would have to return to Sevilla.

Koné played one game for Ivory Coast in the recent African Nations Cup tournament, on the right wing against Algeria. He has tough competition for a striking position for his country, being up against Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou. However, he has already represented his country 38 times, scoring 9 goals. Koné also played Champions League football at PSV.

The Ivorian comes from a humble background, being the eighth of fifteen children that his father had through three wives. He is a man who stays in contact with his roots, supporting his large extended family back in Ivory Coast. Together with Ali Al Habsi they are practicing muslims and both will be found praying at the appropriate times. His elder brother Bakari is a 31 year old winger currently playing in Qatar, following seven years in France playing for Lorient, Nice and Marseille. Bakari has played 41 games for Ivory Coast, scoring 9 goals.

When Koné joined Wigan Athletic in summer he took over the number 2 shirt, as he had done at Levante. He likes to dye his hair yellow, as did his basketball hero, Dennis Rodman. With 10 goals in the league under his belt, Koné is getting close to reaching Henri Camara’s record of 14 goals in a season for Latics. He has also made 5 assists. His transition to English football has been rapid. An excellent target man, able to withstand strong physical challenges, he is yet to incur a single yellow card this season. He is fast, intelligent and a team player.

The move to Wigan has been a good one for Arouna Koné. The disappointment of his time at Sevilla is now water under the bridge. He has all the attributes to be a top class Premier League centre forward. Although he has done very well so far one feels that the best is yet to come from the 29-year-old Ivorian.

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The Canals of Alcaraz

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

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In May of 2010 Wigan Athletic supporters were to hear that their club had made a ‘Bosman signing’ of a Paraguayan centre half from a club in Belgium. A month later, on June 10, Antolín Alcaraz was to make himself known on the world stage when he scored a headed goal against Italy in Cape Town. The 1-1 draw helped steer Paraguay into the World Cup quarter finals. But who was Alcaraz and how did he get into his national team despite never playing at senior level in his own country?

Aveiro is a prosperous coastal town in central Portugal. It is often called the  ‘Venice of Portugal’ because of its canals and boats. It aveiro3is home to SC Beira Mar whose crowds rarely reach five fugures. One of their claims to fame is that the great Eusebio played for them for a brief time in 1976. When the 21 year old Antolín Alcaraz joined them in January 2003 they were in the first division, although the club has oscillated between the first and second divisions since then. Alcaraz was to spend four years in Aveiro, cutting his teeth as a professional footballer, becoming Beira Mar’s defensive lynchpin and captain. He was to pick up the first of his 22 caps for Paraguay in his final season at the club.

Antolín Alcaraz comes from a humble background. He was raised in the south of Paraguay in San Roque González, a town of around 12,000 people, some 100 km from the capital Asuncion. After joining Racing Club of Argentina as a teenager he was snapped up by Fiorentina, but at a bad time since the ‘Viola’ were to be relegated to Italian lower leagues because of financial problems. He left, and after a trial with Palermo, headed for Aveiro.

Alcaraz was to leave Aveiro in July 2007 to move to another place famous for its canals, Bruges. Club Brugge were a more well known club than Beira Mar, having reached two European finals and won the Belgian league 13 times. During Alcaraz’ time in that beautiful city the club finished in the top three each year. In the 2008-09 season Alcaraz made six appearances for Club BrugesBrugge in the UEFA Cup, when they were knocked out in the group- phase, although overall they had only lost one match in the competition. He made seven appearances in 2009-10 in the newly formed Europa League. Brugge qualified through the group stage but were to be undone in extra time at Valencia.

Alcaraz has been a regular member of Paraguay’s side since the World Cup, his team reaching the final of the Copa America in 2011, beating Brazil on penalties in the quarter final.

Strangely enough the Leeds-Liverpool canal runs right next to the DW Stadium. It might lack the beauty of those in Aveiro and Bruges, but certainly played its part in the Industrial Revolution and today offers pleasant walks along its paths. Not that Antolin Alcaraz will be too concerned about that. He will be focusing on two things: helping Wigan Athletic avoid relegation and finding himself a new contract for vnext season at 30 years of age.

One has often felt that the best has been yet to come with Alcaraz. He has had his ups and downs with the club, including a controversial red card in December of 2011 for spitting at a Wolves player. He made 34 appearances in his first season, but only 25 in his second due to injury. However, his return to the team in April last year was crucial in providing a solid defensive backbone alongside Gary Caldwell and Maynor Figueroa . A defence that had been leaking like a sieve was to concede only 10 goals in the final 11 league games.

This has been a frustrating season for Antolín Alcaraz, with 6 months out through injury. However, once again his return to the team has stabilised the defence. His partnership with Paul Scharner promises to be something special. For once Wigan have height and pace in the centre of their defence. The way the two players have gelled in the Everton and Newcastle matches has been quite remarkable, given that Scharner had left Wigan when Alcaraz arrived in 2010.

There is no certainty that either Antolín Alcaraz or Paul Scharner will be at Wigan next season. At the moment they are both playing the best football of their Latics careers. If they can continue to do so until the end of the season it could mean Wigan achieving the double goal of Premier League survival and playing in the Europa League.

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Towards Europe and Survival

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

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Roberto Martinez is indeed a brave and unusual man. Who else would turn down lucrative offers to manage Aston Villa or Liverpool to stay with a club that is continually fighting relegation? Who else stays calm and optimistic in the darkest of times when it just does not seem possible for Wigan Athletic to succeed?

The 4-0 home defeat to Liverpool was hard to bear for Wigan Athletic supporters. It was not only the result but the manner in which the team had performed, or one might say, not performed. Then a week later Martinez puts out the most attacking starting lineup we have seen during his tenure, with only one genuine holding midfielder in James McCarthy. The resulting 3-0 victory at ‘Fortress Goodison’ was a revelation. The Everton players must have been shell shocked by not only the result, but in Wigan’s command of the game. A match that will be remembered by Latics fans for years to come.

Sometimes a team struggling in the league does well in a cup competition. So it was to prove on Saturday, when Roberto Martinez took a gamble by putting in most of his first choice players for an FA Cup tie at Goodison Park. Some would say that he risked injury to his senior players at a crucial time and that the FA Cup is an unnecessary diversion in Wigan’s fight against relegation from the Premier League. Better to concentrate on the league and let the second string side deal with Everton. In the event Callum McManaman limped off after 40 minutes and Ryo Miyaichi is now out for the rest for the season, following a tough challenge from Kevin Mirallas.

Whether Martinez was right or wrong to take that risk is a question that would be best answered at the end of the season. The 3-0 win has created a huge amount of interest among Latics followers and has sent shock waves to the other teams embroiled in the relegation battle. Latics face a potential banana skin in the semi final against Championship rivals, but if they can play to their potential then they will not only reach the final, but will probably also qualify for the Europa League.

It is only two years ago since Birmingham City qualified for the Europa League by beating Arsenal in the League Cup final. Three months later they were to lose their final Premier League fixture at Tottenham, condemning them to relegation. They had only won 2 of their final 12 league matches after lifting the cup.

Despite now being in the second tier of English football Birmingham were to perform well in the Europa League, being unlucky to be eliminated in the group stage after winning four, drawing two and losing two matches in the tournament. Their gates averaged 24,431 in the four Europa League games played at St Andrews, compared with 16,451 in the Championship division where they finished in 4th place.

The possibility of Wigan playing in the Europa League is mouth-watering to their loyal fans who have stuck with their club through thick or thin. It would represent the next level of achievement for a club that has come so far since joining the Football League in 1978. At this stage it is only a possibility, depending largely on beating Millwall, but also on whether the other team that reaches the final also qualifies for the Champions League. Given that the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea are the candidates it looks a strong possibility.

In that same 2010-2011 season Bolton Wanderers reached the FA Cup semi final, only to be undone 5-0 by Stoke City. Following that defeat Bolton slid down the table, losing 5 out of their last 6 games.

The experiences of Birmingham and Bolton following big cup ties serve to highlight the knife edge that Wigan Athletic are currently perched on. The main priority has to be Premier League survival, but a win in the FA Cup semi final would provide some icing for the cake and push Wigan into new pastures. The worst case scenario of achieving neither would be a hammer blow for the club.

Roberto Martinez is a shrewd manager and if anyone can guide Latics through the coming weeks it is he. The win at Everton showed the talent he has at his disposal. Despite their lowly league placing Wigan Athletic have the best quality squad they have ever had. Martinez’ main task will be to ensure that such quality continues to shine through consistently in the matches that remain.

A place in the Europa League would be fantastic. But avoiding relegation is what Martinez will have in mind above anything else.

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