Author Archives: JJ (Tony)

Roberto Martinez and substitutions

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Other

While some managers have gained reputations for making inspired substitutions, it is up for debate what exactly makes them good at it. Is it the manager’s tactical nous, or does he simply have quality players at his disposal on the bench who  may even be better than those who started. While the role of the impact sub is in the limelight after Chicarito’s hat-trick for United, it was hardly rocket science to put him on when trailing 2-0. Hernandez may well have scored for Latics if he had some on for the second half against West Brom. Can you remember Roberto Martinez making substitutions that made such a difference?

Let’s look back to early March of last season, with Wigan Athletic desperate for points. They are trailing 1-0 to a 10th minute Wes Hoolahan goal at Norwich. Roberto Martinez makes a substitution after only 56 minutes. Just over 10 minutes later his tactical change — Shaun Maloney for Jordi Gomez — comes to fruition as the Scot slots through a lovely ball for Victor Moses to score. This was to prove the beginning of a glorious run for Maloney and a miraculous escape from relegation.

Scroll back a little further to December 31st, 2011. Ten-man Latics trail 2-1 at Stoke with 5 minutes to go. Hugo Rodallega goes down in the penalty box. Ben Watson is brought off the bench to score the equalizer. Latics gain a vital point from a match they looked like losing. It must have taken some courage from Martinez because Watson had missed the last two penalties he had taken. Another inspired substitution.

Last weekend the situation was ripe for an inspired substitution. Latics were losing 2-1 at home to West Bromwich, looking well organized, but predictable in their approach. The situation was crying out for something different. Martinez did make a bold substitution after 65 minutes, taking off captain Gary Caldwell and bringing on Ronnie Stam. Stam made a difference – it was pleasing to see the attacking wing back being brought back in from the cold. Together with the other wing back, Jean Beausejour, they put over an array of crosses for the two central strikers. Granted some of the crosses were better than others, but there were chances that could have been put away. Di Santo is a fine footballer, but is woefully lacking when the ball is in the air in the box. Boselli is probably the best header of a ball at the club, but once again he was brought on in the last five minutes, far too late. No wonder there is newspaper talk about Boselli wanting to go back to Italy in the January transfer window. Despite rattling in goals in the League Cup and Under 21 teams he has been brought off the bench only twice in the past six league matches in the 83rd and 86th minutes.

A year ago at this stage Wigan Athletic were woeful. They had 6 points from 12 matches and were propping up the division. There were players who just were not performing well and the team looked disorganized and vulnerable. At this stage they are doing much better. Players in the starting lineup have been performing pretty well and the team has shape and purpose. The problem comes as other teams get to know Wigan’s tactics and devise ways to upset them. Any manager worth his salt is going to figure out how to disrupt that slow Latics build up from defence. We can expect that kind of “pressing” particularly from opponents in the relegation zone.

Moreover without Victor Moses there is more reliability, but less spontaneity. There needs to be another player who will run at opponents and upset defences. This columnist has several times advocated for the inclusion of Callum McManaman, who does not have the pace of Moses, but is nevertheless able to dribble past defenders. Ryo Miyaichi has been injured recently, but his electrifying pace would be an asset, particularly at the end of a game when opponents are tiring. Sadly Albert Crusat’s time at Wigan continues to be dogged by injury, but the diminutive winger definitely has something to offer when fit.

If you are the manager of a top three club,  making an inspired substitution is not so difficult. Manchester City can choose any two forwards out of Aguero, Balotelli, Dzeko and Tevez. Roberto Martinez does not have such luxuries on the bench and needs to manage his substitutions the best he can. At times he will change the shape of the team, reverting to a conventional back four. If he is to be criticized, I would say it is the lateness of too many substitutions when things are not going to plan. Being well organized is one thing, but being predictable is another. I’d love to see a bolder approach to substitutions from Roberto.

Is par for the course still good enough?

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

Last November, Wigan Athletic were bottom of the Premier League with just 5 points from 11 matches. At present, they lie in 14th place with 11 points, averaging a point per match? If they were to maintain that point rate  through the season, they would end on 38 points, usually enough to stay up. But is staying up sufficient for Wigan Athletic supporters and its management anymore?

Lets look back on the season so far. The team has won 3 league matches out of 11. With the exception of Ivan Ramis and Arouna Kone, this is the same nucleus that won 7 out of their last 9 games last season against stronger opposition. So why have they not done better?

It cannot be put down to Ramis and Kone. Apart from his difficult Premier League baptism against Chelsea, Ramis has been solid, getting better game by game. Despite speaking almost no English he has become the de facto captain in the absence of Caldwell. Given that he was previously captain of RCD Mallorca for several years, it is no surprise. Kone has made an excellent adaptation to English football. Strong, speedy, skilful and unselfish he has already 4 league goals – Moses only scored 6 in the whole of last season. Both are excellent signings. Moreover Martinez has moved on with his tactical formation without the maverick Moses (exciting,  but frustrating) to be able to play with two big strikers and a mobile playmaker.

Over these past years one has seen Wigan Athletic teams that have been either disorganised or short of a real game plan. That cannot be said of the current team, who play within a well-created tactical system that can pose problems for even the finest of Premier League teams. Moreover, the players know their roles and show a high degree of commitment. Roberto Martinez talks about this being the best squad he has had – and given the budget he has to work under, he has done a marvelous job at recruiting the players at his disposal.

So why are Wigan Athletic not at least in mid-table position at this stage? You could blame referees or say they have had some bad luck and there is validity in such arguments. However, so could many other clubs stuck in the lower reaches of the table. Losing at home to Chelsea with their wealth of talent is not going to be a surprise, but home losses to potentially mid-table teams like Fulham and West Bromwich is hard to take. Both matches were characterized by giving away soft goals and a lack of finishing. The old failings continue to haunt. Player-for-player, neither Fulham nor West Brom is superior to what Latics have, except maybe Berbatov for the Londoners. However, what both those teams have is a deep-rooted self confidence, which Wigan Athletic just don’t seem to have.

Roberto Martinez has put together a team that could beat any team in the division on their day – a remarkable achievement. His players are largely international journeymen or players who have come in from weaker leagues. Nevertheless they have the skills to compete with the best. Whether he can instill that kind of self-belief in his players, like those in the higher-placed teams continues to be his challenge. He has done everything else really well – a superb tactical system, motivated players – but is it within his powers to convince his players that they can be as good as those earning two or three times their salaries in the Premier League? Without that, Wigan Athletic are going to be involved in yet another relegation dog fight.

JORDI GÓMEZ – A LOOK AT WIGAN ATHLETIC’S ENIGMA

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

Just over  a year ago I wrote an article on this site about how Wigan Athletic’s new tactical system had helped get better performances from the players. In particular I focused on the improvements in performance of Jordi Gómez and Ronnie Stam.  

Both Stam and Gómez had previously struggled in the Premier League. But then Gómez had scored four goals in five games and Stam was clearly relishing playing in his more natural position of wing back. Latics had come through an horrendous set of fixtures in December with pride intact. It looked like they were going to be moving onward and upward. That proved not to be the case for the next three months until the miraculous recovery started in late March. During that time Stam hardly played and has since become almost a forgotten man as supporters are concerned. Gómez lost his place to Shaun Maloney during the revival run and has since been limited to the odd starting appearance, largely being used as a substitute.

If you were in a room full of Wigan Athletic supporters and asked them to speak up if they thought if Jordi Gómez merited a place in the first choice lineup then you would hear a deadly silence. However, Roberto Martinez continues to have faith in the enigmatic player, Gómez having signed a further extension on his contract at the end of last season. So what is it that Martinez sees in his fellow Catalan? Gómez had revealed his best-ever Latics form in those difficult games last December against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester  United. It looked like he had finally been able to make the transition to the Premier League. Since then his form has been patchy to say the least.

How does Jordi Gómez fit into the current tactical lineup? Martinez likes to play with a front three, with the two big strikers – Di Santo and Kone – combining with the playmaking Shaun Maloney. Nominally Maloney is the third striker, but he tends to be more effective playing behind the big men, threading through the passes. However, Maloney tends to be more based on the left. Having played as a winger he has the ability to beat his man and cross from the by-line. The Latics website categorizes Maloney as a midfielder, but his current role is a bit of a hybrid. If Gómez is to be brought in is it to be as a striker or in that hybrid role?

Jordi Gómez has scored 7 goals in the Premier League in 46 starts and 25 appearances as a substitute. He has had 128 shots on goal, of which around 30% (38 to be precise) have been on target. He has made no assists. As Championship Player of the Year in the 2008-09 season for Swansea he scored 12 goals in 38 starts and 6 substitute appearances. He made 5 assists. Interestingly more than 50% of his 119 shots on goal were on target. The stats reveal the difficulties Gómez has had since making the transition to the Premier League from the Championship. As a creative midfielder he should be providing at least some assists. As a forward he should be scoring more goals.

In the disappointing performance against Bradford last week in the League Cup, Gómez got himself into clear scoring positions on at least four occasions without success.  Rarely for him he also missed a penalty. He has the rare ability to drift in, seemingly unnoticed by the defence. There have been so many times over the last three years when Gómez has done everything right until his final touch has let him down, whether it will be a header, a shot or a defence-splitting pass. He just does not seem to have had the self belief to deliver. This must be as frustrating for the player himself as much as for the supporters. Maybe a spell in the under-21 team would be benefical in helping Gómez find his goalscoring boots?

At times one cannot help but feel sorry for Gómez. He has often been played out of his best position in central midfield. He is the butt of the crowd’s frustrations. Not only is he a poor tackler, but too often he passes the ball backwards when a forward pass is possible. This was particularly evident when he came on as substitute at Swansea a couple of weeks ago. There was a need for urgency and the substitution proved to be ill-judged. However, when he came on as substitute against Tottenham last Saturday, with Latics leading, he looked much more comfortable. Martinez will often use Gómez in such situations. When his defence is under pressure he can hold on to the ball in midfield, often drawing fouls from an opposition desperate to score.

However, whatever shortcomings he might have, there can be no doubting his determination and commitment to the club. Gómez has learned to hassle and harry the opposition, and to cover a large number of yards of the pitch in each game he plays. At Swansea he played in a newly promoted team that was on the up. His role was to orchestrate the midfield and to score goals. When he arrived at Wigan he moved into a stuggling team that was too often unable to get the lion’s share of the possession. Apart from his recent miss against Bradford, Gómez has been an effective taker of penalties. He has an aura of calm that few players have. Gómez is also capable of scoring from free kicks on the edge of the box.

Roberto Martinez clearly has faith that Jordi Gómez can reach his full potential. One hopes that his best is yet to come. He is now close to his peak at 27 years of age. Only time will tell if Martinez is right.

Twin strikers at Wigan Athletic — a trip down memory lane

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

1964-65 : Wigan Athletic 3 Oswestry 0. Harry Lyon gets on to a Walter Stanley cross as Carl Davenport lurks menacingly. Allan Brown looks on from midfield (photo from Wigan World). 

In the late 1970s, my Dad and I would typically go out for a beer on Friday nights. We would rarely discuss things like politics or the weather, preferring to focus our conversations on Wigan Athletic’s progress in the Cheshire League. Among our discussions would be recollections of trips to watch Latics in exotic places like Stalybridge, Mossley and Oswestry. We lived in the south of Wigan, rugby league territory, so the pubs around us were steeped in that kind of nostalgia. One of those was ‘The Waterwheel’, run by ex-Great Britain rugby player, John Stopford. In his heyday in the early 1960s Stopford had been a lightning-fast winger for Swinton. Although he never played for Wigan RLFC, Stopford would draw rugby enthusiasts to his pub. We mostly avoided such places, preferring to walk further afield to pubs that were more salubrious for Wigan Athletic supporters.

One rainy night we succumbed, and tried ‘The Waterwheel’. Upon opening the door and the sight of the scrum surrounding the bar we started to think twice about it. There were some burly men there, faces like boxers, some with arms in slings. We were just about to walk out when my Dad said “Look it’s Harry Lyon over there.” It was indeed my hero from my teenage years. Chatting with Harry was easy. He just made you feel comfortable talking with him. Although he had left the club a decade before you could tell that Wigan Athletic was his first love. He said that it was a wonderful feeling running down the tunnel at the start of a game at Springfield Park, with some 3,000 people urging you on.

Harry Lyon was a great favourite with the fans, Wiganers not only appreciating his incredible goalscoring record, but also loving his commitment on the pitch. I asked him who was the best manager he had worked under – he had 5 during his time at the club from 1962-1968 — his reply was Allan Brown. Brown caused waves in the non-league world in 1964 when he took over at Wigan as player/manager, hiring a swath of full time professionals in a semi-professional league. After training, Brown would sometimes take his players to the town centre restaurant where my mother worked. I would be thrilled when she would bring home players’ autographs, usually written on the backs of serviettes.

Brown’s teams played an attacking 4-2-4 with the manager orchestrating from the centre of midfield. Carl Davenport was Lyon’s striking partner in Brown’s first year. Like Lyon he was an excellent header of the ball. I recall going to the Anchor Ground – aptly named at the time, a real quagmire of a pitch – to watch Latics play Darwen in a cup match. My Dad would recall for many years how Davenport had risen so high that his head was well over the height of the crossbar as he put the ball in the opponents net. Although Davenport was often referred to as an inside forward in those days, he was in reality a twin striker with Lyon. No teams found it easy to cope with the two of them. That season Harry Lyon scored 67 goals!

However, when I asked Harry who was the best striking partner he had played with he immediately retorted: Bert Llewellyn. Unlike Carl Davenport, Bert Llewellyn was only 5 feet 4 inches tall. A headed goal was a rarity, but after joining Latics in the summer of 1965, he scored 49 goals in 39 league appearances over the course of the season. Llewellyn was far from an elegant player, but was a natural goalscorer, sniffing around the penalty box for deflections, toe-poking and scrambling the ball into the back of the net. In his four years at Springfield Park, Llewellyn scored 140 goals in 185 appearances in all competitions. Remarkably, he outscored Lyon in his time at the club. Check out this wonderful article on This Northern Soul on Bert Llewellyn.

Since that era there have been lots of twin striking partnerships at Wigan Athletic. What a pity that wonderful pairing of Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington was broken up when Latics reached the Premier League. How refreshing that Robert Martinez has adjusted his tactical system to play with two big strikers this season. The interplay between Arouna Kone and Franco Di Santo is a joy to watch. It is almost like turning back the clock.

We would love to hear from our readers – which has been your favourite striking partnership at Wigan Athletic?

Bradford preview: More for Mauro?

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

I have often thought that the League Cup is a waste of time. Shadow teams playing each other in empty stadia. What purpose does it really serve? However, in a disappointing season for Wigan Athletic up to this point it has been the League Cup matches that have been the highlight. We have seen two successive 4-1 away wins where the finishing has been lethal, an uncommon experience for Latics fans. Moreover the ties have also shown that the club has considerable strength in depth, with ‘fringe’ players putting in excellent performances.

Will the finishing in the game against Bradford City tonight once again be of that order? Leading the charge, with three goals already in the competition, will be the excellent Mauro Boselli. Boselli is well on the way to proving his doubters wrong. It has been all too easy for the cynics to knock him. All kinds of misleading statistics have been thrown his way. Recently I even heard a football commentator on television say that Boselli had not scored a Premier League goal in three years at Wigan. It is not unusual for such people to put Wigan Athletic down, with their condescending attitudes towards the club. However, this recent comment was palpably unfair. Boselli started only five times in the first part of the 2010-2011 season before going off to Genoa and Estudiantes on loan. He has not started for Wigan in the Premier League since returning in July.

At Estudiantes, prior to joining Wigan, Boselli had scored 22 goals in 29 league starts in 2009-10 and 10 in 23 league starts in 2008-09. Impressive stats when playing for a relatively small club in a league with tight defences. He was the leading goalscorer in whole of the Copa Libertadores competition in 2008-09, helping his team lift the trophy with the match winner in the final against Cruzeiro. Since his return to Wigan he has been carefully nurtured by Roberto Martinez, being limited to three brief  substitute appearances in the Premier League. However, the snippets we have seen of Boselli’s finishing for Latics League Cup and Under 21 teams have shown us how he scored so many goals in tough and competitive competitions in South America. We may well see that tonight.

Prior to cup ties Roberto Martinez typically reiterates that they are an opportunity for the fringe players to break into the first choice lineup. However, he was careful to provide a backbone of experienced first choice players in defence for the wins at Forest and West Ham. Tonight he is likely to play both Roman Golobart and Adrian Lopez in the back three. They come from the opposite sides of Spain and have contrasting styles.

Roman Golobart – a Catalan from Barcelona in the east of Spain – is a big, powerful central defender, nevertheless with good passing ability. Golobart joined the club from Espanyol as a 17 year old in August 2009. Last season he had a successful loan spell at Inverness, being voted fans’ player of the year. Playing under the influence of manager Terry Butcher, ex-England centre half, will surely have helped his game. Still only 20 he is an excellent prospect.

Adrian Lopez –from the province of Coruña in Galicia, north west Spain – signed for Wigan in December 2010 from local team Deportivo La Coruña, as a free agent after a heated dispute over his contractual situation. In the previous three years he had played 26 matches for Deportivo, scoring one goal. In Spain he was known under his nickname ‘Piscu’ to distinguish him from the other Adrian Lopez ,a forward who plays for Atletico Madrid. Now 25 years old, Piscu has had 6 starts since joining Wigan. According to the Wigan Athletic club website, Lopez “ brings cultured development to Latics’ back line”. Clearly a different type of player to the more muscular Golobart. Lopez has struggled with the physicality of the Premier League, but Martinez retains confidence in the player.

Other likely starters for the match are Callum McManaman, Ronnie Stam, Fraser Fyvie, David Jones and Jordi Gomez. There are doubts over the fitness of Ryo Miyaichi. Albert Crusat remains out injured. Martinez may once again opt to put in some of his first choice players, although maybe fewer  than in the previous League Cup games with the away match at Tottenham coming up at the weekend.

Although tonight’s match is at the DW Stadium it might seem more like a home game for Bradford City, who have sold all of their 5,000 ticket allocation. Bradford are currently in 5th place in League Two, but have the highest average attendance in the division at just below 10,000.

Prediction: at least one goal from Mauro Boselli and a win for Wigan Athletic.