Author Archives: JJ (Tony)

WIGAN ATHLETIC 3 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 2 – CHAMPAGNE FOOTBALL IN A PARTY ATMOSPHERE

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What a pleasant way to end a season – champagne football played by Latics, with an appreciative home crowd lapping it up. How strange that after 8 minutes with the home crowd celebrating an upcoming 8th year in the Premier League, Matt Jarvis should dampen the party atmosphere by scoring a peach of a goal. Receiving a ball from Steven Ward he cut in from the left and put a peach of a shot beyond Ali Al Habsi’s reach.

Latics came back in the 12th minute with an opportunist goal from Franco Di Santo, kicking the ball between the legs of a Wolves defender into the left hand corner, after James McCarthy had dispossessed Stephen Hunt in midfield. The Jimmy Macs and Shaun Maloney were running the midfield and it came as no surprise when Emmerson Boyce scored two minutes later with a towering header from a Jean Beausejour corner. Latics dominated the remainder of the first half with their excellent movement and silky skills, but could not further add to their tally.

Wolves came out with more resolve in the second half and the Wigan defence had to be on its toes. Al Habsi produced an excellent save from Kevin Doyle, but Gary Caldwell was ruling the roost at the back. Wigan continued to produce waves of classy football, with Shaun Maloney orchestrating the play, giving the Wolves defence a torrid time. The lively Albert Crusat came on for Victor Moses after 58 minutes and Hugo Rodallega for Franco Di Santo after 79 minutes. Within the first minute of coming on it was Rodallega who headed the ball for Boyce to hit a screamer of a half volley into the net. Jordi Gomez came on for Shaun Maloney after 82 minutes.  In the 84th minute Boyce went through the Wolves defence with the chance of a hat trick. However, he unselfishly tried to square the ball to Rodallaga and the chance was lost. Steven Fletcher got a consolation goal for Wolves on 86 minutes, after Adrian Lopez – in for the injured Antolin Alcaraz – got caught in possession on the edge of his penalty area. In another sweeping move Rodallaga was unlucky to see his shot hit the post in the final minute of added time. The final whistle signaled a pitch invasion by delighted fans.

The Good

The scoreline did not truly reflect the gulf between the two teams. This was champagne football from Latics, with Shaun Maloney being at the core of practically all of our best attacking moves. The Latics fans have been fantastic over the past few months, in sharp contrast to the doom and gloom that pervaded the earlier part of the season. The belief shown by the fans has galvanised a team previously lacking self confidence.

 It is not only the prospect of an 8th season in the Premier League that makes me look forward to the resumption in August. More than that it is the prospect of Latics playing this brand of football and not being afraid of the rich and bloated clubs who dominate the league. We have to shed the image of “Little Wigan” and move up a notch in our own estimation. If Bob and Dave both stay for a few years longer we will not be perennially looking to avoid relegation, but towards being in the top half of the table, seeking a Europa league place.

The Bad

After being outstanding in recent games Antolin Alcaraz suffered a thigh injury in training. Estimated time of recovery is 6 weeks so let’s hope all will be well for him at the start of next season. He was missed in defence.

Player Ratings


Ali Al Habsi: 8 – Did all he could to keep Wolves out.  A top class ‘keeper.

Emmerson Boyce: 9 – This defensively minded player has become a real attacking option in the right wing back position. Has scored three cracking goals in recent matches.

Adrian Lopez: 6 – Tried hard to impose himself physically, but looked nervy. His lack of match fitness and practice probably contributed to him losing the ball for Wolves’ second goal.

Gary Caldwell: 9 – Superb at the back once again.

Maynor Figueroa: 8 – Excellent yet again.

Jean Beausejour: 8 – Played more of an attacking role than usual. Put in some lovely crosses that might have led to more goals.

James McCarthy: 8 – Excellent yet again.

James McArthur: 8 – Probably our most under rated player. Excellent performance.

Shaun Maloney: 9 – A brilliant performance from the Little Magician.

Victor Moses: 6 – Ineffective, taken off after 58 minutes. Maybe unsettled by transfer talk?

Franco Di Santo: 8 – Must be one of the best in the Premier League in his skilful hold-up play. Scored an opportunist goal.

Substitutes

Albert Crusat: 8 – Made a major impact as a substitute, coming close to scoring on at least three occasions. Promises well for the future.

Hugo Rodallega – Has been a great servant for Wigan Athletic. What shame he was unlucky in the last minute, hitting the post as his Latics career was coming to a close.

Jordi Gomez – Worked hard and put through some nice passes. This has been his best season at the club and he has managed to silence many of his critics.

WIGAN ATHLETIC-WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS PREVIEW: LET’S KEEP BOB AND DAVE!

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

What an emotional time it has been this season for Wigan Athletic supporters. It has been a roller coaster ride and there was a period when even the most positive of our supporters were moving towards the dark side, touting for Roberto Martinez’s resignation. What a change there has been in recent weeks. The post match interviews with Roberto Martinez and Dave Whelan at Blackburn revealed a mutual love for the club on behalf of manager and chairman. Moreover they showed that strong professional bond between two men who have the utmost respect for each other. That Wigan Athletic are moving on to an eighth season in the Premier League is testimony to the belief of the two men that Latics can compete with the best. The interviews reduced me to tears.

Emotion is one thing but how can we measure a successful season in the Premier League for Wigan Athletic? The cynics in the national media tip our club for relegation each year, but somehow we continue to maintain our status. Let’s look at the statistics to compare this season with those previous in the Premier League.

Our most successful season was our first in the Premier League in 2005-06 under Paul Jewell, finishing in 10th place with 51 points and reaching the League Cup final. The next most successful seasons were under Steve Bruce – 11th with 45 points in 2008-09 – and 14th with 42 points in 2007-08, when he rescued us following a disastrous start to the year under Chris Hutchings. Roberto Martinez’s teams have twice finished in 16th place, last season with 42 points and with 36 points in 2009-10. Paul Jewell’s 2006-07 team finished 17th with 38 points, winning at Sheffield United on the last day of the season to avoid relegation. We are currently 15th with 40 points. A win against Wolves would seal this position, but would not take us  any higher since the teams above us have 44 points. However, it would place us above Aston Villa, who tried to convince our manager to join them last summer.

Wolves have succumbed to relegation after teetering on the edge for the previous two years. Their decision to sack Mick McCarthy in February and replace him with his assistant Terry Connor was hard to fathom. They have just appointed ex-Cologne manager Stale Sollbaken, a Norwegian whose most successful time was in winning five consecutive Danish league titles with FC Copenhagen. He played a handful of games for Wimbledon in the 1990’s. He will have a difficult task revitalizing a demoralized squad. Nevertheless Wolves have fine players in strikers Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher. The previously excellent winger Matthew Jarvis has had a mediocre season, but remains a threat. Any of these three players would be a welcome addition to the Wigan Athletic squad next year, although their transfer fees and wage demands might be beyond our current parameters. Wolves fought out a goalless draw with Everton last weekend, despite having only 9 shots on goal (0 on target) compared with Everton’s 21.

Form predicts a win for Wigan Athletic on Sunday. Latics’ lineup is likely to be the same as that at Blackburn. A  bumper crowd will be at the DW Stadium to celebrate the recent achievements of the Latics team. This is likely to boost our average attendance statistic which currently stands at 18,447, already well up on last season’s 16,812 and the 18,006 figure in Roberto Martinez’s first season. Latics’ league performance over this season does not  statistically  reach the level of the Bruce era and Jewell’s first year. However, the quality of football we have seen over the past couple of months far outshines that shown at any time during the club’s history. Moreover there are grounds for genuine optimism for the future, with a good squad and young players continuing to come through.

The Wolves game provides an opportunity to not only congratulate the players on their mind blowing recent performances, but also to let Bob and Dave know how much we appreciate what they have done for our club. Were either of them to leave we would be back to square one. They are an amazing double act and we need to do all we can to persuade them both to stay. Let’s congratulate them both on being true believers who keep the faith!

BLACKBURN ROVERS – WIGAN ATHLETIC PREVIEW : Another demon to exorcise?

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

This topsy turvy season for Wigan Athletic is drawing to a close. They are three points above the relegation zone and their last games are against the bottom two clubs. A good position to be in, compared with a couple of months ago when they were the bookmakers’ favourites for going down. Over the past weeks several demons have been exorcised. Latics had not gained even a point against Manchester United in six years of trying, but on April 28th they managed to break the spell and beat the champions. Who would have guessed that they would also go on to win at Arsenal and Liverpool? However, further demons remain. Since joining the Premier League in 2005 Latics have gained only one solitary point at Blackburn, that being in 2005-2006. It has been consecutive losses ever since.

Latics come into this game on a high after a superb 4-0 victory over high flying Newcastle. Blackburn have lost 6 out of their last 7. Their display at Tottenham last week suggested they had thrown in the towel. Rarely will one ever see a team in grave danger of relegation play with such little passion. The 2-0 scoreline was flattering. Tottenham were poor but should have scored a hatful. Blackburn had zero shots on goal.

So which Blackburn will we see on Monday night? Will it be their final fling, with a gigantic effort to stave off relegation? Or have they already accepted their fate? Given the local pride at stake I would expect the former and expect them to throw everything they can into the game. Then again, which Wigan Athletic will we see? Will it be the one which has surpassed all expectations with great results against top clubs, or will it be that stale team that lost recently at Fulham?

On the playing front Latics have a clean bill of health, with only Ronnie Stam doubtful. A big factor in their recent run has been having a settled team, being free from injuries and suspensions. One expects the same starting lineup that faced Newcastle. Being Blackburn one can expect an aerial barrage, although Steve Kean’s team try to play a better brand of football than the horrible stuff that typified Sam Allardyce’s sides. Indeed they have flair players in the Canadian Junior Hoilett and Argentinian Mauro Formica. Added to that is the goalscoring expertise of Yakubu  and the tenacity and experience of Blackburn-born David Dunn in midfield. This Blackburn side can play but have been largely in a self-destruct mode over the past couple of months.

What better time to exorcise another demon? Latics are playing well, Blackburn badly.The form book suggests a win for Wigan. After almost 7 years of not winning at Blackburn the time has come. Keep the faith, you believers.

WIGAN ATHLETIC 4 NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 – A VINTAGE DISPLAY FROM LATICS

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Wigan Athletic once more played with confidence, style and determination, as they had against Manchester United a little over two weeks ago. This first half display with four spectacular goals completely blew away a 4th placed Newcastle team that had arrived full of confidence after 6 consecutive victories.

From the start the Jimmy Macs – McCarthy and McArthur – ruled the midfield, barely allowing the visitors a touch of the ball. This laid the foundation for the wing backs to play more like wingers and the forward players to slice holes in the Newcastle defence. The little genius, Maloney, was orchestrating it all from midfield and the end result was a fluid attacking style with more than a touch of class. Vintage football indeed!

The first goal arrived in the 13th minute when Moses got the back of his head to wing back Boyce’s cross for the ball to loop past Krul. The second arrived two minutes later when another of those beautiful curling crosses from the other wing back, Beausejour, was making its way towards Di Santo at the far post. The unfortunate Coloccini got in its way but the ball ricocheted to Moses who hit it home with aplomb. The third was a real gem with Di Santo putting Maloney through on the left. The little man raced inside to put the coolest of finishes past Krul with a low drive to the far post. Then as half time beckoned Di Santo showed us his superb technique in lobbing Krul, the ball reeling into the top left hand corner leaving the goalkeeper helpless. A breathtaking first half.

The second half could not live up to the first, with Newcastle coming more into the game. The dangerous Papiss Cisse (11 goals in 11 games for Newcastle, 37 in 65 previously for Freiburg in the Bundesliga) was to draw a fine save from Al Habsi and to hit the woodwork twice during that second half. Latics did have chances. Moses drew a fine save from Krul and Sammon almost scored after a great run, his effort being blocked practically on the line by Coloccini.

Latics had 57% of the possession, having 6 shots on target compared with 2 for the visitors. Wigan committed 15 fouls and Newcastle 12. Two yellow cards for Latics, one for Newcastle.

The Good
The first half performance was probably the most spectacular in Wigan Athletic’s history. This was no fluke, but more the result of a long process of building the foundations for future success. Over the past weeks Roberto Martinez’s vision has been put into practice by the players. Interesting that in a post match interview when asked what has been the basis for the recent successes, Shaun Maloney put it down to work rate. Latics now work really hard to get the ball back when they lose it. Moreover there are players making 30-40 yard runs on a regular basis. It is this increased work rate that means that the centre forward is no longer alone, but supported by team mates coming in from all directions. The change to the defensive trio and wing backs was the catalyst that helped the players change their mind sets and play to their strengths. A central defence that was leaky has now become a rock. Confidence now surges through the Latics’ ranks, in place of the fear that was present for so long this season.

The Bad
Following a performance like that – on the back of wins against Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal – Roberto Martinez has become a target for speculation among the media. Why would a manager who can produce teams that can play that kind of football want to continue to work on a shoestring at Wigan? Let’s hope that this speculation does not upset the momentum that the team has built up. Losses for QPR and Blackburn today make it increasingly likely that Latics will maintain their Premier League status.

Player Ratings

Ali Al Habsi: 8 – Another good display.

Emmerson Boyce: 8 – Tireless in his efforts to support the attack and solid in defence.

Antolin Alcaraz: 9 – In top form again. Looks a quality player.

Gary Caldwell: 9 – Superb yet again.

Maynor Figueroa: 9.5 – In the best form of his Latics’ career. His interceptions and powerful tackles have been so important over recent weeks.

Jean Beausejour: 8 – A complete player. What a January signing!

James McCarthy: 9.5 – Took the initiative from the start. Hugely energetic and technically gifted.

James McArthur: 9.0 – Superb yet again. Runs himself into the ground for his team. Put in lots of neat passes too.

Shaun Maloney: 9.5 – The little magician engineered most of Latics’ best moves. Took his goal superbly.

Victor Moses: 8.5 – Took his goals well and was a constant threat to the Newcastle defence.

Franco Di Santo: 9 – Another superb exhibition of leading the line. Brilliant goal.

Substitutes

Conor Sammon: – Once again gave 100%. Unlucky with a fine run in the final minutes.

Jordi Gomez: – Came on and fitted in seamlessly.

Arsenal – Wigan Athletic: Beware of euphoria

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Wigan Athletic travel to Arsenal on Monday on a euphoric high after two performances that have confounded their critics. There have been many among the Wigan Athletic faithful who have doubted the capability within Roberto Martinez’s squad. There was talk of several players not being up to Premier League standard. The last two games have proved that this is not the case. The display against Chelsea was excellent, being robbed of a deserved win by two offside goals. Latics were the better team on the day — hard to believe they could reach such a level after the frustrating season we have been through.

Wigan Athletic were also the better team at the DW Stadium on Wednesday and their performance was such that Manchester United rarely looked like scoring. The quality of Latics’ football in that game was way beyond anything we have seen from them before in the Premier League. The stats reveal Latics having 13 attempts on goal, Manchester United 9. Wigan Athletic had 55% of possession with 7 corners, compared with 3 from the visitors. Latics commited 8 fouls, United 14. One yellow card for Wigan two for United. As has become the Premier League norm when a little club plays a top four team,  Latics had to deal with adverse refereeing decisions, which would have broken the backs of many teams. A rare headed goal from Victor Moses was disallowed by a linesman who focused on the protesting De Gea. Caldwell, stood in front of the Spaniard, did nothing against the rules but the goal was annulled. In the 60th minute Jonny Evans made a tackle that would have been a yellow card 99% of the time, but the referee decided it wasn’t. Maybe his decision was influenced by the yellow card he had given the same player earlier? It is not the first time Evans has escaped like this against Latics.

We have an appalling away record against Arsenal. It has been a history largely of capitulation. Arsenal have won 8 of their last 9 games and are in 3rd place. Can Wigan Athletic summon up the psychological and physical fortitude to make a go of it on Monday?

The matches against Chelsea and Man U must have taken their toll. Moreover they are almost certainly going to have an unsympathetic referee and a hostile crowd of 65,000 to deal with. The referee will be Andre Mariner, who famously allowed that Blackburn goal to stand after Morten Gamst Pedersen ran the ball in from a corner. If the goal hadn’t stood, by the way, we would have a 6-point cushion over Blackburn — all the difference in the world. Let’s be fair though – it is not only Latics who have suffered from refereeing decisions – other teams near the bottom of the table have to deal with the same thing. But sometimes one irrationally thinks that the Premier League does not want unglamorous clubs like Wigan Athletic in its ranks.

However, relegation continues to threaten. A good result at Arsenal would be a fantastic boost – a walloping could set us back to where we were before. Worse still would be injuries or suspensions. During Roberto Martinez’s reign he has never been afforded the opportunity to play a settled team, particularly in defence. Alcaraz, Caldwell and Figueroa have been superb over the past few games – to lose one of them would throw a spanner in the works that we don’t need. The defensive cohesion of a back three used to playing together is paramount. I hate to say it, but a damage limitation approach if things go awry against Arsenal might be the way to go. Particularly given the favorable results of direct rivals Blackburn and QPR yesterday.

On the team front it looks like Hugo Rodallega is going to miss out again through injury. Franco Di Santo was superb in his ball-holding skills against Man U but Rodallega remains the best goalscoring centre forward we have. Let’s hope he will be back soon. Having a settled team is a big plus for Latics. The question is whether they are going to have the collective energy and mental fortitude to make this an even contest. There were some severely tired legs towards the end of the Manchester United contest. We need to beware of the euphoria that has followed the defeat of the league champions, hope that we can continue with the positive approach that we have seen recently, but not be surprised if our players are not quite ready for a game against another top five team. Let’s hope for a good result against Arsenal but also look ahead at the remaining fixtures, which are more easily winnable. Let’s keep the faith!