Author Archives: JJ (Tony)

Maloney’s summer recruitment nears completion- but what can we expect?

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

I’m really happy with what people in the background have done, we’ve all worked extremely hard to get the squad to where it is now. I don’t see too many more coming in, maybe one or two.”

It has been a difficult summer recruitment exercise for Shaun Maloney and his staff. The previous recruitment team were shed in the upheavals over the previous months. Moreover, the Guardian newspaper reported that the EFL had decreed that the club would not be allowed to pay transfer fees until the summer of 2024.

Having rescued Latics from impending liquidation Mike Danson has kept faith in the manager, but has made it clear that he expects the club to be run in a more sustainable manner. That presents a considerable challenge to Maloney and will induce a major shift in expectations from the fan base.

Since Dave Whelan bought the club in 1995 it has never been run in a sustainable manner.

Whelan invested a large sum of money to help the club climb up to the Premier League in 2005. The first season was a great success, but Latics came so close to relegation in the second, an away win at Sheffield United on the last day of the season saving them. Steve Bruce took over from Paul Jewell in 2007 and stabilised things, albeit at a financial cost. Roberto Martinez was presented with a reduced budget when he took charge in 2009 and did incredibly well to keep the club in the division for four more years, winning the FA Cup in the relegation year of 2013.

Despite the huge increase in revenues Latics had continued to struggle financially in the top tier, with Whelan subsidising considerable losses. With large sums coming into the club from parachute payments and some £20m incoming transfer fees the return to the Championship could have been profitable. However, poor decisions were made in the hiring and firing of managers and recruitment of players. David Sharpe had replaced his grandfather as chairman in March 2015, but the net result was the frittering away of two years of parachute payments and relegation to League 1 The following season saw Latics winning League 1 but the heavy wage bill to do so largely wiped away the parachute payments coming in.

After more years of financial losses, the Whelan family sold the club to IEC in November 2018. The mysterious happenings under IEC saw the club go into administration in July 2020, before being bought by Phoenix 2021 in March 2021. Like IEC, the Bahraini ownership had poured funds into the club, but their overspending in the 2021-22 season was to become a millstone around their necks. Somewhere between £40-50m had been put into the club over those years by IEC and the Bahrainis.

Football clubs below the elite levels of the Premier League are rarely going to be good investments, as IEC and Phoenix 2021 discovered. Dave Whelan was a massive benefactor to Wigan Athletic, allowing the club to live beyond it means. He never required it to be run in a sustainable manner, constantly bankrolling it: some would say it was a series “gifts” from the local-born millionaire.

However, Mike Danson, another local-born owner, is not prepared to support the club in the Whelan way.

Most fans realise that without Danson the club could have ceased to exist. They are both relieved and appreciative, currently accepting his plans on running the club sustainably. However, with the billionaire due to take over full control of Wigan Warriors in November there are concerns of what will happen with the same person owning both the football club and the rugby league club. There are questions about whether the DW Stadium, currently under football club ownership, will be regarded as a separate entity, owned by neither club, but by Danson himself.

Given the number of players remaining at the club on bloated salaries given them by Phoenix 2021 it is unlikely that Latics will break-even financially this season. Reports suggested the budget will be set at around a third of that of least season, bringing to a figure around £6m, well over the average for the division.

Given the situation Maloney has been facing, with little wiggle room in the budget and a transfer embargo from the EFL, he has had to look for free agents add loan players. His main squad currently comprises:

Goalkeepers: Ben Amos (32), Sam Tickle (20).

Full backs/wing backs: Sean Clare (26), James McClean (34), Tom Pearce (25), Luke Robinson (21).

Central defenders: Charlie Hughes (19), Jason Kerr (26), Sean Morrison (20), Jack Whatmough (26).

Midfielders: Thelo Aasgaard (21), James Balagizi (19), Jamie McGrath (26), Liam Shaw (22), Matt Smith (22), Scott Smith (22),

Wide players: Jordan Jones (28), Callum Lang (24), Callum McManaman (32), Jonny Smith (25).

Strikers: Stephen Humphrys (25), Josh Magennis (32), Josh Stones (19), Charlie Wyke (30)

Several of those players can play in various positions in addition to the ascribed above. I have included Josh Stones in the senior squad because he appears there on the club website. The situation regarding Jamie McGrath remains uncertain, with him not having taken part in pre-season games. Reports suggest the return of central defender Kell Watts on loan, with rumours suggesting that Jack Whatmough will soon be leaving for a fee. With only one specialist right back/wing back in the squad, Sean Clare, Maloney will be looking for backup. Rumours link Latics with the experienced Josh Emmanuel (25) a free agent, ex-Grimsby Town.

Against Everton Latics played a fluid 4-4-2 system, with Callum Lang and Charlie Wyke up front and Stephen Humphrys and Callum McManaman playing wide. One expects that Maloney’s preferred formation will be 3-4-3 with Clare and McClean as wing backs and a mobile, interchanging front line of three. However, he will switch to the likes of 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 when a tactical change is needed.

Maloney’s squad is close to being complete. On paper it is not a strong as previous squads that have won the division. However, the manager will continue to work on a style of play that will help his players develop professionally. The latter is so important for the long-term survival of the club with Latics grooming young players to have significant sell-on value, unlike so many in last season’s squad.  

Morale among the fan base is fairly high at the moment, but we need to expect some hiccups along the way. The Whelan years spoilt us to a large degree, but now we are getting closer to what the economics of the club will be like without him. Some fans, weaned on that era, have particularly high expectations, but will need to temper those with the reality of the present.  

Wigan Athletic 0 Everton 1: Maloney brings good football back to Latics

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

Pre-season friendlies can be notoriously unreliable in indicating how a club will do in the season proper. They are largely training exercises where the scorelines are so much less important than they will be when the fiercely competitive stuff begins.

However, I cannot remember enjoying a pre-season Latics game as much as I did this one.  Facing Premier League opposition, they started the game with two centre backs aged 19 and 20 and a goalkeeper with just one prior senior appearance under his belt. Moreover, a central striker who was unwanted by previous management was placed on the right wing. It was bold team selection from Shaun Maloney which led to a display that helped lift the gloom the had enveloped us for so long.

Maloney rejoined the club under circumstances which were difficult at the time and became increasingly so. It got to the stage where one worried about the continued existence of Wigan Athletic football club. The situation was on a knife edge with Latics having been served a winding-up order from the HMRC with scant assets to sell to stay afloat. Due to a short-sighted recruitment policy the club had been left with an aged, bloated squad with too many players on inflated salaries, but with minimal sell-on value. The club was in a poor position to woo new owners.

Mike Danson’s takeover in mid-June saved the club from possible liquidation. Despite the turmoil Maloney had stayed at the club, helping to hold things together. It was no surprise that Danson entrusted him in rebuilding the footballing side of the club and setting it on track to sustainability.

We have since seen thirteen senior squad players depart, significantly reducing costs. It was reported that the wage bill for the coming season would be just a third of what it was in 2022-23. Seven new players have been recruited, with four on free transfers and three on loan. The pattern has been markedly different than it was previously, with all but one of the new players aged 26 or below.

It was a fine performance from Latics yesterday, their football being a delight to watch. The much- maligned Kolo Toure had encouraged the players to be “brave on the ball” but it was too much for those who were used to an antiquated physical, long-ball approach to adapt. When Toure’s brief stay was terminated Maloney came in with a more pragmatic approach, trying to get the best out of the players at his disposal, within their means.

With so many of last season’s squad already gone Maloney and his staff have been able to impart a more modern footballing philosophy on the players. Yesterday we saw players unafraid to play the ball out from the back, their teammates creating space to receive the ball. We have not seen such fluidity and movement for so many years.

Maloney’s starting lineup certainly indicated his priorities. The 21-year-old Sam Tickle had a fine game in goal, being brave and dominant in his box, comfortable with playing out from the back. In 2018-19 he played five times for England Schoolboys, conceding only one goal. The manager chose to leave the experienced Ben Amos on the bench, opting for a goalkeeper who is more comfortable with playing out from the back.

Thelo Aasgaard was paired with Matt Smith in central midfield in the first half. It is a long time since we have seen two players in that holding role who show so much skill on the ball. Smith, 22, was excellent throughout. Aasgaard, 21, was less effective in the second half when he was moved further forward. Aasgaard has made 79 senior appearances, but has never been an automatic starter. Maloney and the club clearly have great belief in him and he remains the most prized asset, as evidenced by him signing a new contract until 2028. Like so many others he has a poor season in 2022-23. Will 2023-24 be his best yet?

Stephen Humphrys was largely employed as a central striker under Leam Richardson, who sent him out on a season-long loan to Hearts last summer. It was a surprise to see him on the wing yesterday, although he had played there during his stay in Edinburgh. Humphrys showed pace and trickery, with thunderous shooting. He is 6ft 1in tall and physically powerful. Still only 25 he has all the attributes to be a top-class footballer.  Can he establish himself as a regular starter and score the number of goals that his talent indicates?

We can expect more staffing changes in the coming weeks with players on higher salaries being released if they can find suitable clubs to accommodate them. This season’s squad will certainly have a different profile than that of last summer, being younger and recruited to fit into a more modern possession-based style of play.

With an eight-point penalty on their backs, Latics have a difficult season ahead. There will be occasions when the opposition adopt a strong physical approach to nullify the smooth, skilful football that Maloney seeks. A mid-table position would be an achievement, given the circumstances.

Restructuring at Wigan Athletic: can it bring more stability and hope for the future?

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Specials and tagged with , ,
Can Talal steady an unsteady ship?

“As an ownership group we have invested well in excess of £20m since we came on board in 2021. Clearly mistakes have been made and this investment has not been spent in the right areas meaning finances this season have been difficult to sustain. This latest payment will ensure our wage obligations are secured until we finalise a sustainable budget for next season.

Clearly mistakes have been made and this investment has not been spent in the right areas meaning finances this season have been difficult to sustain. This latest payment will ensure our wage obligations are secured until we finalise a sustainable budget for next season.

“There will also shortly be announcements made regarding board and staff re-structures which will help us deliver this. I finally again want to reassure all staff, players and fans that Mr. Al Jasmi and I are fully committed to the club with manager Shaun Maloney at the helm.”

Talal Al Hammad’s announcement was long overdue, but it did provide a glimmer of hope for what is to follow. The Wigan Athletic Chairman has been subjected to some vile attacks by fans on social media over these past weeks, a far cry from the adulation he was receiving this time last year after Leam Richardson’s team had secured the League 1 title.

Following administration, the senior squad was down to just a handful of players and a massive recruitment process had to be undergone. At the time the recruitment looked impressive, with relatively little spent on transfers and experienced players brought in on free transfers. There had been stories in the national media of Latics offering salaries that few other clubs in the division would or could match, but they were somehow downplayed by the club. Unbeknown to the fans those “competitive” salaries were to become the root cause of the club making a £7.7m loss for the season.

In terms of achieving promotion to the Championship the recruitment had done the trick. However, over the summer fans were getting increasingly concerned about the lack of Championship-level quality in the squad. Recruitment was minimal and Latics line-up in the opening game showed no new faces. Richardson was to rely on the players who formed the backbone of the team in 2021-22. Although fans had been buoyed by the results of the previous season there were those who questioned whether the manager’s physical – some would say outmoded – style of football would work in the Championship. It did at first, until the cracks started to appear when the momentum provided by the successes of the previous season was slipping away. By the time Richardson was sacked the football had become dire to watch.

The recruitment drive of summer 2021 had left the club with so many players on long-term contracts. Moreover, the squad was one of the most aged in the division, containing so many players with minimal “resale value”. Having already incurred a significant financial loss the previous season, Phoenix 2021, had to cut back on recruiting new players. Nevertheless, Latics sources were quoting their wage bill to be the 12th or 13th highest in the Championship.

The overspending by Phoenix 2021 is by no means rare in the Championship but it raises a red flag to a fan base that has been through the trials of administration: one that worries about the continued existence of the club. The ownership itself can surely not have envisaged the kind of investment made to get the club promoted, then to see it drop back down to the third tier. It is a lesson they have learned the hard way.

We will probably never know the reasons why staff salaries were paid late on so many occasions. One can only assume it has been caused by liquidity issues with the owner seemingly unprepared for the sums of money needed over the course of the season. The whole thing has been so unsettling to all associated with the club. However, it is of key importance that Phoenix 2021 have already wiped out £20m of debt by buying shares.

There are complications in having an owner and chairman who are based overseas. It means that the directors and CEO have a key role to play. Mal Brannigan’s sacking was no surprise given the losses made, but who was overseeing the CEO himself? It would be no surprise to see locally-based representatives at director or CEO level in the restructuring that Talal is considering. It would be a wise move on a PR level as a means of rebuilding trust with fans and the wider community.

For a number of weeks, it has been rumoured that Gregor Rioch will take over a new role as Director of Football. The creation of such a position is something that has been mooted by fans for several years. If there had been one when Roberto Martinez left would a DOF have agreed to bring in Owen Coyle, whose long-ball approach was diametrically opposed to that of the Catalan? Creating an all-encompassing footballing ethos around the club will surely give it more direction. One of Phoenix 21’s prime goals has been to bring more home-grown talent into the senior squad. It was Kolo Toure who gave Charlie Hughes his EFL debut and how he has shone since. Previous managers had resisted bringing in the club’s academy players, preferring to rely on senior professionals or bringing youngsters from other clubs, except in the season of administration when they simply had to.  

Al Hammad and Maloney will need to bring down the running costs of the club to a sustainable level. Rumour suggests that there are dissatisfied players at the club: those whose contracts are expiring and those remaining under contract. Given the problems with late pay it is to their credit that they put in the effort for so long. The chairman and manager must reassure those who they want to keep that the club’s future is secure and those late payment are a thing of the past.

The club is once again at a turning point. If the restructuring is handled well, it could provide Latics with more direction for the future. The restructuring together with the continued financial support of Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi can help steady an unsteady ship.

Talal sets the target of financial sustainability

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

“It’s important for us to be financially responsible going forward, and we’re fully committed to doing so. Beginning next season, we’ll operate within our means and we will prioritise maintaining a solid financial standing. Our strategies for the upcoming transfer window and beyond will take this into account and we’re determined to build a sustainable future for the Club in line with a modern data-backed approach.”

The past couple of weeks have been particularly unsettling for Wigan Athletic fans. For the fourth time this season players and staff were not paid on time, resulting in disciplinary action from the EFL. The three-point deduction imposed will almost certainly see the club relegated back into League 1. Moreover, there could be further punishment to come because the club’s owner failed to deposit an amount equal to 125% of the forecast monthly wage bills in a designated Club account as previously instructed by the EFL. Should there be a further points deduction it is likely to be imposed for the upcoming season.

Fans have been bewildered by these events and unsure of the direction in which the club is heading in the short term. Many took to the social media and message boards. Most sought an explanation from club management why this could have happened, seeking reassurance for the future. Sadly others were condemning in their tone, some sending totally unacceptable tweets to the chairman, Talal Al Hammad. They had perhaps overlooked that the owner had previously settled club debt to the value of at £14m through the purchase of shares, leaving the club debt free at the time.  

We had been therefore been waiting for Talal Al Hammad to give us a statement of the direction in which he intends to take the club. Al Hammad had tweeted that the first priority was to make sure the players were paid for the recent missed pay date. After that he would provide further information. His statement came on Friday, when the player payments had been processed.

Although we still do not know why the payments were not made on time – perhaps the true reasons will never be revealed – Al Hammad stated that “This issue has now been resolved and I can assure you that the late payment of wages will not happen again. It simply cannot happen again.” He also recognised the need to rebuild trust with players, staff and fans.

On March 8 the club announced a loss of £7.7m for the 2020-21 season, with staff costs of £13.4m and turnover of £8.3m. The announcement included a statement that “Phoenix 2021 Limited will continue to fund the future commitments as equity rather than debt”. A similar loss was made in Dave Whelan’s last season as chairman, 2017-18, with a similar staffing cost. Both Leam Richardson and Gary Caldwell were successful in winning League 1, buoyed by the club paying wages well above the norm for the division.

A financial loss for a season was commonplace in Dave Whelan’s time as Latics owner. Despite the lucrative TV money coming in during the eight years they were in the Premier League the club only made a profit once. Whelan was the local benefactor who wrote off debt and enabled the club to live beyond its means. 

When Whelan sold to IEC in November 2018 the club was already on the way making a significant loss for the season, as it sought to consolidate in the Championship. The £9.2m loss for the 2018-19 was largely down to a salary bill of £19.4 to achieve an 18th place position in the league table. Despite the loss IEC continued to loan funds to the club, with somewhere close to £10m spent on signing Jamal Lowe, Kieffer Moore, Antonee Robinson and Joe Williams in the summer of 2019. We will probably ever know the ins and outs of the takeover by Next Leader Fund in June 2020 and why the club was put into administration, but a loan of over £24m from IEC to the club was written off in the process.

Faced with a significant financial loss in their first full season of ownership Phoenix 2021 trod cautiously in the transfer market in the summer of 2022. Ryan Nyambe was acquired as a free agent and Anthony Scully was signed from Lincoln City for an undisclosed fee. With so many  players recruited on long term contracts the previous summer the squad was largely going to be that of the previous season. With the momentum of winning League 1 behind them, they started fairly well. However, the physical long-ball approach that had enabled them to do well in the third tier was not going to be successful against the more sophisticated opposition in the Championship. The alarm bells were already ringing when Leam Richardson was given a new three-year contract, only for him to be sacked weeks later, after winning only one of the last ten home games.

The appointment of Kolo Toure was at best ambitious, at worst naive. The team’s performances in Toure’s first two games – a draw at Charlton and a narrow home defeat by high-flying Sheffield United – showed some promise as the manager encouraged his players to be “brave on the ball”, veering away from the long ball strategy. However, major defensive lapses saw results take a major turn for the worse and the manager was sacked after 59 days with no wins in 9 games.

Shaun Maloney was appointed in late January. His record up to this point is W1D6L3. Maloney has impressed fans with his eloquence, openness and realistic approach. He has talked of improvement in both boxes and he has tightened up a defence that had leaked so many goals before his arrival. However, the attacking aspect is in need of considerable improvement. Al Hammad commented in his statement that:

 “Shaun and his staff have worked relentlessly since he was appointed and we have all seen in the last few weeks the improvement in both the team and individuals. The connection between the manager, players and fans is back and this progress is the first step in our long-term journey together. He has my and the Board’s full support.”

Mistakes have certainly been made that have proved very costly. Richardson and Toure and their associated staff will need to be paid off and the club now faces a return to League 1. Al Hammad has stated his view that the club needs to be financially responsible, operating within its means. This is a different approach to that of the Whelan/Sharpe/IEC eras.

The financial balance sheet for this season will show another considerable loss, but can Al Hammad get close to balancing the books next season? What steps will he have to take to do so?

The first step is to reduce costs by shedding players on relatively large salaries. There are 10 players whose contracts expire in June, along with 5 on loan from other clubs. That leaves 14 who remain under contract. They are:

Defenders: Charlie Hughes, Jason Kerr, Tom Pearce, Jack Whatmough

Central Midfield: Tom Naylor, Graeme Shinnie

Wingers/creative: Thelo Aasgaard, Jordan Jones, Callum Lang, Jamie McGrath, Anthony Scully

Centre forwards: Stephen Humphrys, Josh Magennis, Charlie Wyke

The board will set a budget for the coming season and Maloney will need to work within it. Some of the players whose contracts run out in June may yet be offered extensions, although on reduced terms. The highest earners of those still under contract may be urged to move on or sent on loan to reduce costs.

Talal Al Hammad’s statement has been welcomed by so many fans who were seeking clarity as to the stability and direction of the club. However, there are those who have come to expect the club to have a benevolent owner in the mould of Dave Whelan, enabling to punch above its financial weight. There are others who are angry at the board for the late payments of players, incurring a points penalty making the chances of avoiding relegation become smaller still.

Al Hammad will be visiting Wigan in the coming week in an attempt to rebuild trust with stakeholders and the wider community. It is an unenviable task that he has ahead of him.

With a period of austerity coming up at the club there will be fans who will not accept the situation and attendances will drop. However, most fans will accept that if the club continues to be run like it has in the past there is always a risk of amassing great debt and subsequent liquidation.

Wigan Athletic: five talking points after grabbing a point at Cardiff

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

January 14, 2023: Cardiff City 1 Wigan Athletic 1

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0CQ6IuIOW2o

A game between the two teams with the worst records in the division over the past 10 matches was always going to be tense. It was a mediocre spectacle, with neither team able to play with any fluency.

Kolo Toure had opted for another conservative lineup with Steven Caulker coming in to play in the middle of a back three and Callum Lang and Will Keane up front.

Callum O’Dowda’s 82nd minute deflected shot gave the home team the lead, but Latics did not cave and Keane was once again in the right place at the right time to equalise after 96 minutes.

Following the game Toure commented:

“I have to praise the players because they worked hard, and gave everything in the game. We started the game well, and I believe we were the better team in the first half. We created so many chances, but we have to be more clinical. In the second half, it was more balanced, but they started to dominate and scored.

This afternoon, you could see the players were together and wanted to come back. It shows the team spirit that we are trying to create here, and we want our players to hate losing games.I have to praise them (the players) for their fighting spirit, and their mentality in refusing to lose. We want to make sure we give everything in every single game, so we can have no regrets.”

Some talking points:

A valuable point gained

Following three successive 4-1 defeats in the league it was important to halt that losing streak. Toure continued with the defensive approach that he used for the draw in the FA Cup at Luton. It looked like he was playing for a draw until Cardiff scored, after which Latics had to play with more attacking intent.  

At this stage of the season with the composition of the squad in a state of flux, with morale so low, any point gained is a blessing.

The point helped keep Wigan from falling further away from the rest of the relegation pack.

How long will it take for Toure be able to find a happy medium with his tactical approach?

Kolo Toure remains winless after 7 games in charge. His first two games showed promise: a composed performance producing a 1-1 draw at Millwall, then a second half fight back after going two goals behind against high flying Sheffield United. Latics had shown bravery on the ball, loose long balls from defence were minimised and the quality of their football really improved.

However, the following three matches saw the defence torn apart with the team looking short of organisation and shape.

What we saw yesterday was akin to the approach shown by Leam Richardson in his worst times before he was dismissed. It was effectively playing five at the back with three holding midfielders, with the two front men starved of decent service. Max Power’s ugly long throws, largely ineffective under the previous manager, once again reared their ugly head.

The hope is that Toure can find a happy medium between the two extremes.

Caulker makes a good debut

Much has been said about Steven Caulker’s career and the number of clubs he has had. However, he played a key role in the point gained at Cardiff. Caulker was a rock in the centre of the back line, not only having a good game individually, but playing a key role in marshalling the teammates around him.

Latics had needed that kind of experience in their rearguard for some time.

Azeez offers something different

When Jordan Cousins limped off after 49 minutes Miguel Azeez took over his role in left midfield. He entered the field with a bit of a swagger, wearing short socks with little protection for his shins. He went close to scoring 6 minutes after being on the field, making an intelligent run to the centre of the box latching on to an incisive pass from Tom Naylor. His effort sadly passed over the crossbar, but his movement was good to see.

Azeez clearly has a touch of class, something that Toure can build on. But will the defensive aspects of his game be strong enough for him to warrant a regular place in the starting lineup?

Lang and Power off form

Callum Lang has had a difficult season adjusting to the play in a higher division. He looked a forlorn sight yesterday, unable to retain possession of the ball. It was no surprise when he was substituted after 71 minutes.

Max Power was largely anonymous in this game until he made a superb cross for that last-minute equaliser. His recent form has been disappointing.

Both players have lost their way over these months. Lang would be a constant danger to League 1 defences and Power’s pinpoint crossing produced so many chances last season.

Toure’s dilemma is in whether to continue to show faith in them or to give them time on the bench to go back to re-examine their games.