Author Archives: JJ (Tony)

Macclesfield Town 0 Wigan Athletic 1 – Professional display sees off non-leaguers

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Reports, Other and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Jordi Gomez puts Wigan 1-0 up.

Jordi Gomez puts Wigan 1-0 up.

Wigan Athletic’s second string put them into the  5th round of the FA Cup for only the second time since the club was formed in 1932. A professional performance saw them grind out a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Jordi Gomez penalty after Callum McManaman had been clumsily scythed down in the box.

The crowd of 5,849 packed Macclesfield’s small Moss Rose ground to the rafters, reminiscent of a bygone era when the clubs were adversaries in the Cheshire League. How times have changed since those epic tussles between those two well-matched clubs in the 1960s. Curiously the football played by the non-league side yesterday more than matched that of Premier League opponents, ranked 82 places above them. Wigan had to hang in there with resolute defending as the Silkmen launched their second half assault.

The second string have been fascinating to watch in cup matches this season. On previous occasions they have been reinforced with a smattering of first choice players, but only Maynor Figueroa was in the starting lineup this time around. The  pragmatic approach of the second string has contrasted sharply with that of the Premier League XI. In this match there was an absence of the flowing football that characterises the senior team. Although it made for a drab spectacle Wigan looked defensively strong and resolutely defended their lead for 83 minutes after the penalty had put them in front.

This time they did not have Mauro Boselli to score goals for them, the Argentinian seemingly going on another loan move to Italy. He was replaced by Nouha Dicko who almost scored in the second half, after being put through by an incisive pass by Gomez, the goalkeeper making a good save.

A word of mention for Maynor Figueroa. The admirable Honduran has not had a rest from football for some 18 months. He played with his national  team in the Olympics over the summer and has started in all but one of Wigan’s Premier League games this season. It was no surprise that he was the senior professional who stepped forward to lend a hand in this match.  Captain for the night, he looked a class above anyone else on the pitch.

The Good

A win is a win, albeit against non-league opponents. This match was a potential banana skin, but the players worked hard to make sure the unthinkable did not happen.

Roberto Martinez views cup matches as an opportunity for players to stake a claim in the senior squad. Once again Callum McManaman looked the part. Although he rarely plays more than a few minutes as a substitute in the Premier League he has recently signed a new three year contract. One wonders when Martinez will jump in at the deep end and start the young forward in a league match. Roman Golobart teamed up well with Maynor Figueroa in the centre of defence and looks a powerful presence. If Martinez does not get an experienced central defender in what remains of the transfer window then Golobart will push for a first team spot, together with Adrian Lopez who made a welcome return from injury.

Fraser Fyvie is gradually making his mark, after being given a settling in period. The 19 year old is not without experience, having played 58 games  in the SPL for Aberdeen prior to joining Wigan in summer.  It was a pity an injury caused him to go off after 53 minutes. Roger Espinoza made a promising Premier League debut against Sunderland last weekend, but was unable to really stamp his mark on this match. It was good to take a first look at the big Spanish goalkeeper, Joel Robles, on-loan from Atletico Madrid.

 The Bad

More injuries for Wigan with Fraser Fyvie and Nouha Dicko going off in the second half.

 Player Ratings 

Joel Robles: 6 – looked comfortable, though Macc’s poor finishing rarely tested him.

Ronnie Stam: 6 – clearly worked hard on the defensive side of his game, following recent criticism.

Roman Golobart: 7 – teamed up well with Figueroa in the centre of defence.

Maynor Figueroa: 8 – a captain’s display.

Jordan Mustoe: 5 – a rare start for the young defender. Was kept busy by attackers on his side of the pitch, but hung in there.

Fraser Fyvie: 6 – starting to look like the player who had so much hype in Scotland. Clearly one for the future.

Roger Espinoza: 5 – disappointing after his exciting first team debut last week.

Jordi Gomez: 6 – put through the pass that led to the early penalty that he converted. Nicely set up Dicko at the beginning of the second half.

Nouha Dicko: 6 – looked lively. A pity he had to go off injured when he was establishing himself in the game.

Angelo Henriquez: 6 – showed some nice touches, but must have learned how hard it can be being the lone centre forward in the Martinez system.

Callum McManaman: 7 – looked dangerous in the first half.

Substitutes:

David Jones – a capable replacement for Fyvie after 53 minutes.

Adrian Lopez – made a welcome from injury, coming on for  Dicko after 66 minutes.

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That sinking feeling — how can Wigan defy relegation?

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

logo_premier_league_1241BadgeLatics
That sinking feeling is back again. After the resolute rearguard performance at Fulham came the 25 minutes of defensive shambles which gifted Sunderland three points. An exposed defence lacking cohesion, leaking like a sieve. Players looking short on confidence, with nobody willing to take a risk and do something special.

Once again Wigan Athletic find themselves in the bottom three in the month of January. The team that promised so much at the end of last season has failed to live up to expectations. Key players have had dips in their form at various times since the season’s opener in August, even Wigan’s top player, goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi. So many times the team has played well enough to merit a positive result, but it has not happened because of individual errors or a collective lack of understanding among the back line. Put simply, there is no reward for playing good football if you give away goals by not getting your fundamentals right.

Are Latics capable of staying up? How are they going to be able to stop hemorrhaging goals, having conceded 43 in 23 league matches up to this point? The good news is that they are still 4 points ahead of bottom placed QPR and only 4 points behind Southampton, currently in 15th place. A couple of back-to-back wins would be sufficient to get them out of the bottom three.

So what can Wigan do to defy the threat of relegation?

1. Stick with the 3-4-3 formation, but have a plan B if things go awry. The current squad has been built around the 3-4-3 formation. It is not the system that has been the determining factor in the more disappointing performances witnessed this season, but individual and collective errors. Wigan are the only team in the Premier League to regularly play 3-4-3 and other teams have had difficulty dealing with it. However, tactically wiser opposition managers have learned to find ways of neutralizing the wing backs, who play a crucial role in the system. If the shape becomes neutralized then it needs to be adapted. Being behind at Fulham, Roberto Martinez reverted to a flat back four in the second half, pushing the balance back into Wigan’s favour.

2. Avoid losing to other teams in the danger zone. The home encounter with the Southampton on February 2nd is going to be a crucial one for Wigan, as are all of those against teams in the danger zone. In the first half of the season Wigan had largely positive results against teams currently in the bottom 6. The one they lost was 3-0 at Newcastle, but they beat Aston Villa, Reading and Southampton and drew with QPR.

3.Sign a dominant and experienced central defender in the January transfer window. The loss of Ivan Ramis for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury was a hammer blow. Add to that the hamstring injury suffered by Adrian Lopez and the slow recuperation of Antolin Alcaraz. Injuries have meant that Wigan have had to constantly chop and change their back three, resulting in a lack of mutual understanding between the players selected. Last season’s grand finale was based on a back three of Alcaraz, Caldwell and Figueroa, each player knowing the other ones’ game, gelling together as a unit. The trio have not once played together in a back three unit this season. Moreover in recent matches Emmerson Boyce has had to be moved across from wingback to the centre of defence. Having Boyce at wing back gives Wigan more height in defence, a key factor in the aerial battles.

4.Crowd support. Latics great escape last season was underpinned by the wonderful “I’m a Believer” support they got. Being a Wigan Athletic supporter in the Premier League can be exasperating, but that intensity of support is going to be needed if Wigan are to defy their critics in the media and stay in there.

5. Stay calm when other teams are panicking. Latics have been in this position before and have kept their cool and survived. Any 3 of the teams currently in the bottom 6 could go down, but there is always the possibility of a club in a higher position going into freefall. Teams  like Fulham, Norwich and Sunderland could yet be dragged into the relegation mire, with panic setting in.

6.Have luck smile upon Wigan Athletic. Seldom does a team suffer the number of injuries that have hit Wigan Athletic this season. The injuries have had a severe disruptive effect on team performance and morale. Some say that refereeing decisions even themselves out over the course of the season. However, teams near the bottom seem to consistently suffer, more so than those at the other end of the table. In Wigan’s case it has been severe, with so many marginal penalty decisions given against them, let alone good goals being disallowed for non-existent offsides and dubious red cards changing the course of a game. They say that you make your own luck. Let’s hope Wigan can do that!

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A trip to Moss Rose

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

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Mauro Boselli’s rocket shot at Bournemouth on Tuesday was eventful in more ways than one. Once more he showed the kind of clinical finishing that Latics have desperately lacked in the Premier League this season. The big question is whether he will ever be able to show such finishing in the Premier League. Roberto Martinez has been reluctant to put him in there, but has the time come for a change of heart? In any event, Boselli’s goal was enough to beat Bournemouth and set up a fascinating match at Macclesfield.

Macclesfield Town is a special name for those Wigan Athletic supporters who remember the club’s non-league era. My first sight of the ‘Silkmen’ was at Springfield Park in autumn of 1961, when the reigning Cheshire County League champions were visiting. Latics had only just got back into the league, at the expense of Wigan Rovers, after being relegated in 1947. However, they had finished in second place in the Lancashire Combination and were holding their own in the Cheshire League.This match proved to be a rude awakening for Wigan. Macc’s silver-haired player-manager, Frank Bowyer, led his team to a 4-1 rout. Macclesfield were to finish second and Wigan fifth at the end of the season.

Macclesfield proved to be formidable opponents for Wigan over the next couple of decades. A visit to their Moss Rose ground was to be feared and Latics often came unstuck there. One exception was a Boxing Day fixture on a snow-bound pitch in 1964 when Carl Davenport’s volley was the difference between the two sides. That was the season when Harry Lyon scored his 66 goals and Latics won the league, Macc finishing second. Both Wigan and Macclesfield joined the newly created Northern Premier League in 1968, each club winning the championship twice before Wigan got elected into the Football League 10 years later.

The fortunes of the clubs have differed greatly since those days. Wigan are in their eighth season in the Premier League and Macclesfield back in the Conference after 15 years in the Football League. There are people who knock Wigan Athletic’s success, but the reality is that Latics are four divisions above their old rivals. A remarkable achievement.

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Bournemouth v Wigan Athletic – Golobart ready to stake a claim

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

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On Tuesday a largely second-string Wigan Athletic side travels to Dean Court to play Bournemouth in a Third Round FA Cup replay. So what are the odds of Wigan pulling off a victory? Shouldn’t a team composed of Premier League squad players be expected to beat a team from League 1, given the gulf in quality between them? Judging by the 1-1 draw between the teams at the DW Stadium 10 days before, it appears this game could go either way.

The bookmakers, William Hill, currently offer 6/4 on a Wigan win and 9/5 on an opposition victory. They clearly see it as tight. Much will depend on the lineup that Roberto Martinez puts out and the Wigan players’ willingness to physically match a rejuvenated Bournemouth team that has gone 18 matches without defeat since manager Eddie Howe’s return in mid October.

Much has been said in of Wigan’s cup performances in the Martinez era. Last year they exited the FA Cup Third Round after being beaten by League 2 Swindon, much to the chagrin of their loyal supporters. This season their performances in the cup – in this case the League Cup – have been mixed, with excellent 4-1 wins at both Nottingham Forest and West Ham, followed by an abject defeat at home on penalties to Bradford City. However, the away wins were largely due to fine counterattacking and bode well for tomorrow’s cup fixture.

So what type of lineup will Wigan put forward tomorrow? The cruel injury to Ivan Ramis at Fulham on Saturday leaves Martinez in a quandary as to whether he should risk his first choice centre backs to bolster what would be an inexperienced central defensive line. It appears that Antolin Alcaraz is still not ready to return after injury, leaving only Gary Caldwell and Maynor Figueroa of the normal back three, unless Emmerson Boyce were to revert there. However, to play any one of the three would be a gamble with the important Sunderland match looming on Saturday.

Martinez has limited options available. Roman Golobart will be keen to show his quality. By most accounts Golobart played well in the previous encounter and Martinez has made it clear that the 20 year old Catalan is a prospect for a first team place in Ramis’ absence. This encounter could prove to be the acid test for him. Given the absence of experienced central defenders Martinez might well revert to a flat back four for this game.

Mike Pollitt might well start in goal, giving Ali Al Habsi a well-earned rest. Ronnie Stam will probably play at right back/wing back, but the left side position could be up for grabs. New signing Roger Espinoza and Fraser Fyvie are likely to feature in the centre of midfield and there are lots of possibilities for the front three positions. Mauro Boselli, inexplicably left out of the lineup at Fulham , will be set to line up at centre forward with Angelo Henriquez, Callum McManaman, Nouha Dicko and Daniel Redmond all pushing for places. Jordi Gomez tends to play in cup games and it would not be surprising to see him appear at some time during the game.

On paper Wigan have the quality to beat League 1 opposition. However, whatever side Wigan put out it is not going to be a team which has the mutual understanding developed between players who consistently play together. It remains to be seen whether Martinez is going to be willing to risk first choice defenders, given Wigan’s precarious position in the Premier League. But then again, playing an inexperienced defence against a team full of confidence and motivation could prove costly. However, the development of young players is a key driver in Wigan Athletic’s future plans. Roberto Martinez has not yet thrown his youngsters into the Premier League arena, being fearful of plunging them into a team that is stuggling. The cup competitions remain the main outlet and a good performance at Bournemouth could open doors for a young player. The opportunity is there to be taken. Roman Golbart in particular will surely take note.

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Fulham 1 Wigan Athletic 1: Di Santo redeems himself

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

DiSanto

A game of two halves for Franco Di Santo. Prior to this match, the Argentinian had not scored a goal since the beginning of October. The way he played in the first half reflected as much. In the first five minutes he somehow managed not to hit the net from two yards out, the ball trickling from his boot to the goalkeeper following a lovely move involving James McCarthy and Shaun Maloney. Even his usually excellent approach play wasn’t quite up to his usual standards as frustration set in. Shortly before half time, a neat backheel from James McArthur led to Emmerson Boyce putting over a great cross that a more accomplished Premier League striker would have poached — Di Santo put it over.

Roberto Martinez had gone into it with a conservative line-up. He packed the centre of midfield with David Jones, James McArthur and James McCarthy, while Shaun Maloney was employed in the second striker role. Fulham had strangely started without a recognized holding player to compete for midfield possession.  After Fulham had taken the lead in the 22nd minute with a spectacular goal from Giorgos Karagounis it looked like Wigan had a hill to climb and their lack of cutting edge was cause for concern. Neat approach play is to no avail without clinical finishing.

As the second half progressed the need for another forward became even more apparent. However,  in the 66th minute Jordi Gomez was brought on for David Jones.  Wigan reverted to a straight back four, with Gomez and Beausejour pushed into wide midfield positions. Although the move resulted in Wigan having two players in wide positions who do not have the speed to get past opposing full backs, the change of shape galvanised their play.The chief beneficiary was Shaun Maloney, who dropped deeper into the playmaker role, and dictated Latics’ attacking play from that moment on. Di Santo and his teammates  improved and the revived Argentinian went near with a quickfire volley before scoring a gem of an equalizer in the 71st minute. His confidence restored, he went close to a winner minutes later.

After a horrible injury to Ivan Ramis in the closing minutes Wigan fell apart and it was only an amazing goal line clearance from Maynor Figueroa that stopped them losing a match they had deserved to win.

The Good

A valuable point gained at a ground where Latics struggled so much in the past. The defence was disciplined and alert.  Wigan played skillful football and created chances. The reemergence of Franco Di Santo from the doldrums bodes well in the absence of the accomplished Arouna Kone. Wigan played with spirit and the result will help boost morale, following a poor run of results.

The Bad

Wigan’s cruel luck continues with a bad ligament injury to Ivan Ramis, who had done so much to neutralise the threat of Dmitar Berbatov.  Wigan had the better share of clear scoring opportunities and could have brought home three  points rather than one.

Player Ratings

Ali Al Habsi: 6 – a quiet afternoon.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 – very solid in defence, reading the game well, using his considerable experience.

Ivan Ramis: 7 – played the major part in keeping Berbatov at bay. Solid in defence and possibly a big loss for the rest of the season. Let’s hope not.

Gary Caldwell: 8 – marshalled his defence, excellent in positioning and tackling.

Maynor Figueroa: 7.5 – saved two points with a stunning goal line  clearance. Disciplined and solid  in defence.

Jean Beausejour: 6 – gradually regaining his touch. Worked hard in defence and put in some nice crosses.

James McCarthy: 7 – consistent as ever. Looked classy.

James McArthur: 6 – worked hard, tackled well and put through some nice passes.

David Jones: 6 – hard working,  but  wish his passing would be more incisive.

Shaun Maloney: 7 – much more comfortable in the playmaker role. At the heart of the second half revival.

Franco Di Santo: 6 – a game of two halves , but good to see him back on form in the last half hour.

Substitutes.

Jordi Gomez: – played out of position on the right and had little input on the game as a result.

Ronnie Stam: came very late in the game, but his lapse could have led to a defeat in added time.

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