Author Archives: Ned

Unknown's avatar

About Ned

I am the son and grandson of ardent Wigan Athletic supporters, and have followed the Latics closely wherever life has taken me. This website is dedicated to discussing all Latics-related matters, with occasional summaries in Spanish for the growing contingent of Latin American and Spanish Wigan fans around the world. Thanks for reading.

Wigan vs. Fulham: Battle of the strikers as Hugo returns

Posted by Ned in Match Previews, News, Other and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wigan’s record Premier League goalscorer Hugo Rodallega returns to the DW Stadium this weekend with his new club, but most eyes will be on his illustrious strike partner, Dimitar Berbatov.

The Bulgarian notched his first two goals in a Fulham shirt in the 3-0 win over West Brom, while Hugo hit the post from three yards out, something he specializes in. The Colombian has already amassed more shots per minute than any other striker in the league — it is no wonder Mauro Boselli didn’t get any service playing between Hugo and Charles N’Zogbia. But the reception should be warm for a player who worked his socks off in that lone striker role, scored some very important goals, and developed a warm relationship with the Latics support in his years with the club.

Interest should not be fully reserved for Fulham’s strikeforce, however, as Roberto came out with a public promise of playing opportunities for Boselli yesterday. Franco Di Santo has been excellent with two brilliant finishes in four matches, really beginning to fulfill his huge potential; Arouna Koné is still adapting but has pedigree and looks a little sharper with his touch as the days go by.

Assuming Antolin Alcaraz is not yet ready to return to action, Roberto should be able to field the same XI as he did at Old Trafford. But he has options if he is looking to mix things up. Home games like this where we would expect to control possession should theoretically be ideal for Boselli, with crosses flying in from both sides. Ryo Miyaichi looks fast and skillful and offers something closer to what Victor Moses did. There is cover in midfield, though it is hard to imagine any interference there.

Aside from Swansea, whose style of play was instilled by Roberto long before Brendan Rodgers or Michael Laudrup came along, Martin Jol’s Fulham have become one of the more pleasant teams to watch. They’ve lost the excellent Moussa Dembele, playmaker-in-chief Danny Murphy and Clint Dempsey. But if fit, Bryan Ruiz is a very exciting player behind the front two of Rodallega and Berbatov. New left winger Alexander Kacaniklic looks lively and has already contributed goals and assits, while Damien Duff has had an effective start to the season on the right. Steve Sidwell has been waiting for regular football for years and now has it. He will provide steel in midfield, though he can play a bit too. And the defense is well established, with Haangeland and Hughes, and Schwarzer behind them always difficult to beat. They were the one team we didn’t outplay in the fantastic run-in last season.

So a tricky but intriguing encounter on the cards. The good news is that both Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson have moved on and therefore cannot score against us anymore — for Fulham, anyway. The bad is that Berbatov has a very decent record against us, while Hugo has scored a few at the DW as well. Lets hope this is a day for Latics’s stikers to rise up and keep them in the shadows.

Manchester United vs. Wigan: Will jet lag tell?

Posted by Ned in Match Previews, News, Other and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

One of the problems with a global recruitment policy as far flung as Wigan’s — Oman, Japan, and Honduras for a start — is that when international break comes round, half of the starting XI are likely to be jet lagged for the ensuing Premier League match.

Latics famously under-performed in the home loss to Swansea last season after players like Maynor Figueroa and Antolin Alcaraz had only landed in Manchester a day before the match. This year, ahead of the always daunting trip to Old Trafford, Roberto has again made the point that it is extremely difficult to prepare for a match without knowing who you have at your disposal.

Players like Antolin Alcaraz have played two matches in the past week, sandwiched by two day-long trips to the other side of the world, and will likely need — but not get — two full days to recover. Even if they survive the 90 minutes, proper rest and recuperation is never achieved.

Manchester United supporters might point to similar troubles, but replacing a tired Luis Antonio Valencia with Ashley Young or Nani is a bit different than, say, Adrian Lopez on for Antolin Alcaraz.

The Paraguayan (groin) is one of two major doubts for the Latics going into the fixture, with Jean Beausejour the second (hamstring). If Alcaraz misses out, we’ll expect to see the Ramis-Caldwell-Figueroa trio that figured against Stoke at the back. If Beausejour doesn’t make it, Maynor Figueroa will be pushed forward into the wingback position. If neither are available, the beneficiary will likely be David Jones at left wingback. The midfield should be the standard Scottish/Irish diamond, with Di Santo and Koné up front. The only variation in the attacking third I can imagine is the more conservative addition of Jordi Gomez at the expense of one of the strikers. Or — you never know — the introduction of the lightning-quick Ryo Miyaichi for added counter-attacking threat.

Manchester United, meanwhile, only have two international strikers to choose from after Robin van Persie picked up a knock  playing for his country. Wayne Rooney is still sidelined thanks to that unfortunate encounter with Hugo Rodallega’s boots. They’ll have to rely on Chicharito Hernandez and Danny Wellbeck, which will undoubtedly feel quite a hardship.

The clubs live in different realities. Watching Wigan outplay and topple Ferguson’s side on that special evening last April was one the greatest football spectator experiences I can remember. They played with belief, desire and no shortage of skill. One suspects that the ultimate significance of said result will not be lost on United’s players or fans — and they’ll be looking to put it behind them this Saturday at Old Trafford. But the gap on the pitch narrows each time these two teams play each other. If Latics can retain that belief and sin miedo attitude, a first result at Old Trafford is possible.

Wigan Athletic vs. Stoke City: Are we Stoke’s bogey team?

Posted by Ned in Match Previews, News, Other and tagged with , , ,

As I sat down to write this — amid transfer deadline madness — I was struck by a re-assuring thought. The pressure is completely off us going into this deadline. The planning for Victor Moses’ departure began a long time ago and his move could not have been more swiftly put behind us. Whilst not replacing like for like, we have three very able strikers and a host of talented attacking midfielders competing for three berths. While a new body or two are always welcome, they are certainly not necessary and I imagine they would add depth and cover, rather than an immediate first team challenge. As has become a theme when reporting on the progress this club has made under Roberto Martinez and Dave Whelan’s partnership, there is simply no comparison to this time last year, when Charles N’Zogbia’s departure and Shaun Maloney and Albert Crusat’s adjustment periods totally derailed the team’s start to the season.

Indeed, in the two matches immediately following Vic’s departure, we have scored six goals — each from a different player, and each more emphatic than the last. We’ve had long range strikes, one-on-ones, headers from crosses, left foot, right foot, from all three strikers, two attacking midfielders and our left back. Victor who?

This should not be read as a wildly optimistic view on our chances against Stoke this weekend, but rather for the season and indeed seasons to come. Stoke are always a tricky proposition, and stakes always seem to be high when we play them. That said, our record against them in the Premier League is good, with our only loss coming away in 2009. In the other seven encounters, we’ve drawn five times and beaten them twice, including that victory to stay up two seasons ago. Statistics are on our side, just.

But it’s not all optimism from me today. I think we’ve been something of a bogey team for Stoke — and we’ve been lucky against them. Be it Ben Watson’s late penalty to equalize after Gary Caldwell’s sending off at The Britannia last year, or managing to keep the ball out of Al-Habsi’s net in the first half of the survival match Rodallega ultimately won for us, I think we’ve been riding our luck a bit against them. Logic says that luck will eventually turn, so I reserve a little concern for tomorrow’s clash.

This all said, we are showing the sort of form that doesn’t rely on luck. The cup win against Nottingham Forest carried on where the excellent away win at Southampton left off, underlining the strength in depth Roberto has at his disposal. There are few superstars in the lineup, but there is strong cover for every position, except goalkeeper.

Which means Antolin Alcaraz’s suspension, the lone negative from Tuesday’s cup tie, will be a much lesser problem than it would have been four months ago. We can expect a back three of Figueroa, Caldwell and Ramis (who by the end of the match will have played in all three centre-back positions in his first four matches for the club) — and the inclusion of now-fit Jean Beausejour at left wingback. Emmerson Boyce will likely return at right wingback despite Ronnie Stam’s strong performance mid-week. The Jimmy Macs will almost certainly reclaim the midfield with Maloney ahead of them. The big question is who will start in the attacking berths. Jordi Gomez’s performances this season have been of a high standard and he might be in with outside chance if Roberto feels conservative with his lineup. More likely is a repeat of the Southampton strikeforce, with Koné and Di Santo up front. But Mauro Boselli’s goal and performance had the manager raving, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he could be given the nod. If you haven’t already, check out our interview with the Argentine here.

Meanwhile, Stoke were booed off at half-time in the home cup loss to Swindon — who incidentally also knocked Latics out of the FA Cup last season. In the league, they drew away to newly promoted Reading and at home to Arsena, both respectable results, and have just signed Charlie Adam from Liverpool for 4 million pounds. Presumably he will take the set pieces they are always dangerous on, but we are unlikely to see much of the playmaking he showed at Blackpool in a team that likes to bypass that part of the pitch. Fellow new signing Michael Kightly has looked impressive for them and will be a threat.

An interesting one as always. With a trip to Old Trafford coming soon, a positive result in this one with be vital to keep the good feeling we’re enjoying at the moment.

Prediction: 2-1 Latics.

“I want to become a part of Wigan’s history” – Mauro Boselli, exclusive interview

Posted by Ned in News, Other and tagged with , , , , ,

Few players in the current squad divide opinion as does Argentine striker Mauro Boselli, who returns for a fresh crack at the Premier League following a season and a half on loan in Italy and Argentina. A lot has changed since his troubled first half-season — particularly in the way the team attacks. While many have long written him off, there are plenty — Roberto Martinez and the writers of this blog included — that believe the best of Boselli is soon to come.

Signed for six million pounds from Estudiantes de la Plata of Argentina after top-scoring in South America’s equivalent of the Champions’ League — la Copa Libertadores — the Argentine struggled to make an impact in his half-season stint at Latics. Operating as the lone centre-forward between Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia, he found chances to be at a minimum and pressure at a maximum.

With money comes expectation. The transfer fee heaped undue pressure on the striker, known for his clinical finishing but not necessarily pace or his ability to hold up play as a lone target. Unlike many Roberto Martinez signings, Mauro did not enjoy the luxury of an adaptation period, despite arriving in Lancashire after a career spent in Argentina.

All this said, Mauro’s first pre-season with the club was hugely promising, bagging several goals as he has two years later in the current version. In the league, he never looked far away from a goal but was largely starved of service. But for a narrow headed miss and a penalty miss against West Ham  moments after being substituted on, which ultimately proved the last straw (more on that penalty in the interview below)… his first season may well have turned around.

But much has changed at Wigan Athletic since then, and Mauro is delighted to be back. He scored a well-taken header in Tuesday’s cup match against Nottingham Forest, and was unlucky not to have been awarded two penalties. He describes the squad as having a real sense of togetherness — one of fewer individuals and a real team ethic. What follows is his exclusive interview to the Three Amigos of Wigan — given before the beginning of the season. iMuchas gracias Mauro, y mucha suerte!

* note: this interview was translated from Spanish, by the author.

Q: How does it feel to be back in Wigan?

A: I feel more mature in this new chapter with Wigan, with a lot of experience that I didn’t have when I first arrived here. I’m back with motivation to succeed in English football.

Q: How is the club different from your first season, two years ago?

A: I found a very different group now to when I first arrived. The group is more together and the focus is on the team, rather than the individuals.

Q: What are your personal goals for the season?

A: My personal goal is to win my place in the starting lineup and regain the confidence the club put in me with goals and good performances.

Q: Have you tasted the famous Wigan pies? What is your favourite filling?

A: I’ve unfortunately not yet been able to taste the traditional food of Wigan, so I can’t comment on this one.

Q: Many of us think you were a bit unlucky in your first season at the club because the midfielders were not providing much service for you. How you do see that season?

A: Contrary to the first season I was at the club, there are many players that have the ability to assist me and give me the chance to take advantage of my strengths as a footballer. I am a centre-forward that needs my team to score goals.

Q: Why did you take that penalty against West Ham — you’d just come off the substitutes’ bench?

A: I’ve taken penalties all my life and will continue to do so. That day, I’d just come onto the pitch and couldn’t feel my feet it was so cold — and no one was stepping up to take the kick. If there is a penalty and I am on the pitch, I will take it because I am confident I’ll score it.

Q: Roberto’s new tactical system uses wingbacks such as Jean Beausejour, Ronnie Stam, and Emmerson Boyce, who love to get forward and put crosses in the box. Do you think this system suits you?

A: In my first season at Wigan I played with Rodallega and N’Zogbia on the wings. They are players who like to finish the attacking move themselves rather than assist. Now, there are players like Maloney, Crusat, Jean (Beausejour), Di Santo — players who could favour my game. This tactical system that encourages more crosses into the box is the one I like the most. I hope I am allowed opportunities and a run in the team to show what I can do.

Q: What can Latics supporters do to help you on the pitch?

A: The thing that would be most helpful is to always support the team. Personally, before every game in Argentina, people would sing my last name (Boselliiiiii, Boselliiiii) before the game which really motivated me a lot and I’d take to the pitch with absolutely everything I had.

Q: Which striker, current or former, do you idolize?

A: The forward I idolize is Ibrahimovich. He is, without doubt, the best centre-forward in the world.

Q: How was your time on loan in Italy?

A: When I was in Italy, I had some bad luck. Two days before I signed the loan deal, I suffered a muscle injury that left me sidelined for a month. Then I suffered a setback that put me back another 15 days. The club had to find another forward, and he did well when he arrived, so it was hard to get back in the team. All this said, I came back and scored the match-winning goal in the last minute of the derby against Sampdoria, and I am very proud that I became a part of the club’s history.

Q: And Argentina?

A: I had a good season in Argentina even though (Estudiantes) did not have a great one. I scored 11 goals and performed well.

Q: What do you miss most about your native Argentina?

A: There is only one thing that I miss: the affection I leave behind in Argentina which is the most important thing. Everything else can be managed, but not that.

Q: Your former club, Estudiantes has gone through some changes in the last few years, with a new stadium. Tell us about the club.

A: When Veron arrived at Estudiantes in 2006, the club grew and it is now considered one of the strongest teams in Argentina. Thanks to God that things have always gone very well for me there and I am proud to say I am part of the great history of Estudiantes. I hope to do the same at Wigan and will do everything I can to achieve it.

Southampton 0 Wigan Athletic 2: Mature Latics win tricky fixture

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, News, Other and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Saturday’s was a calm and measured performance in which, as time went on, the gulf in experience and class between the two sides appeared to widen.

Had Adam Lallana’s excellent long range strike not been expertly tipped onto the bar by Ali Al-Habsi in the first half, we might be telling a different story. As it was, Wigan limited Southampton to hopeful long range efforts or deep crosses in the first half, before pouncing early in the second and cruising from there on out.

Indeed there was a period of about 4-5 minutes in the second half as Latics pinged the ball around park when it was a like watching Spain — Southampton couldn’t get near them. Statistics will suggest Southampton had the better of the goal attempts, but each of Latics breakaways was incisive and dangerous, while the newly promoted side couldn’t find a way through. The first goal resulted from a cheeky Shaun Maloney flick, which Franco Di Santo raced onto and smashed into the roof of the net. The second was a little more controversial as new-boy Arouna Koné forcefully dispossessed a Southampton defender close to midfield before racing down the pitch to thump home.

The Good:

This performance — as did the final 80 minutes against Chelsea — mirrored the excellent form that kept us up last season. The passing, midfield pressing and levels of concentration were outstanding. The finishes from each striker were as emphatic as any in our Premier League days. New signings Koné and Ramis got another 90 minutes under their belts and performed well.

The Bad:

Not much, really. I felt Victor Moses was missed in the first half and would have been a useful outlet when the team was trying to weather the early storm. Some matches will require players with a bit of dribbling and pace, and the hope is that players like Albert Crusat, Ryo Miyaichi or Callum McManaman can fill that void. But overall we can safely say the squad is strong and full of options, and didn’t miss Vic in this particular fixture.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 8 — Fantastic. Kept Wigan in it, and ahead, with some brilliant reflex saves. Wisely punched away long range efforts in rainy conditions.

Antolin Alcaraz: 7.5 — Very strong and assured performance from the Paraguayan. It was a pleasure to watch all three centre-backs stroking the ball around, their distribution was excellent.

Gary Caldwell: 7.5 — See Alcaraz.

Ivan Ramis: 7.5 — See Caldwell and Alcaraz. A much more assured showing after that difficult debut against Chelsea. Looked the part.

Maynor Figueroa: 7 — Didn’t get forward quite as much as we’d like, but didn’t let anyone down.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 — Typically solid, played a delicious chipped cross from a tight angle in the second half that the strikers weren’t ready for.

James McArthur: 7.5 — Made some fantastic tackles in the first half, and enjoyed possession in the second.

James McCarthy: 7.5 — See McArthur. Still hoping to see him appear in more advanced positions from time to time.

Shaun Maloney: 7.5 — Quiet in the first half when the team was on the back foot, but excellent in the second before being withdrawn. As usual, provided the creative spark that put us ahead.

Franco Di Santo: 7.5 — An odd and interesting day for the Argentine. Accustomed to leading the line as target man, he played a wider role for much of the match with Koné ahead. We saw a lot less of him holding the ball up, chasing down defenders, and instead saw him pop up out of nowhere to score a very well-taken goal.

Arouna Koné: 7 — Improved as the match went on. His first touch let him down a few times, but he combined very well with Jordi, before smashing home late in the game. A hugely promising signing.

Subs:

Jordi Gomez: 7.5 — Playing in-the-hole, he caused plenty of trouble in his half an hour on the pitch. A ferocious long range effort and fantastic through ball to Koné stand out.

Jean Beausejour: 7 — Nothing flash, but came on as a left winger and was neat in his play. Will be hoping to push his way back into the lineup, having proved his fitness.

Mauro Boselli: N/A — Only on the pitch for a couple minutes, but it was good to see him back. No doubt he will get a chance to shine against Forest on Tuesday.