Author Archives: Ned

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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.

Newcastle 1 Wigan Athletic 0: Unlucky Latics beaten again

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

Never has a league loss given supporters so much cause for optimism. Perhaps it’s a knee-jerk reaction, having spent last week in the gutter following the depressing home loss to Bolton, but I’m tempted to say the first 45 minutes at St. James’ Park were the best we’ve seen of Wigan since Roberto Martinez took the job. Only the goals were missing. Ultimately, we tired, Newcastle improved, and their sustained pressure culminated in a sublime Yohan Cabaye strike that settled matters.

But those 45 minutes set a new benchmark. Ali Al-Habsi hardly touched the ball until the final minutes of the first half. The defense was alert, strong, and neat in distribution. The midfield was physical, energetic and inventive. And the attack was pacey, if hesitant when it mattered the most. Anyone out of the loop would have assumed Latics were the in-form, unbeaten side, not Newcastle. If we start the Fulham and Wolves fixtures in the same way, they should be over by halftime.

Unfortunately, the goals never came. The match commentator shared a damning statistic midway through the first half. Hugo Rodallega has only scored twice in his last 19 Premier League matches. This time, he had two chances. The first, a quick-thinking through-ball from David Jones. The second, an incisive ball from Ben Watson deep from midfield. Both times, the Colombian snatched his shot toward the near post, failing to test Tim Krul. But the best chance of the match had already fallen to Victor Moses, who volleyed from inside the box after Hugo had guided the ball into his path, only for Krul to pull off a magnificent reflex save. Towards the end of the encounter, Mo Diame was inches from poking home a Victor Moses cross, and headed agonizingly wide.

Goals will continue to be a concern, but even at our best, we don’t expect to score many. Which is why the defensive effort in this match was so encouraging. Not only were the first-choice back four restored to the lineup for the first time this season, so too was the spirit of last year’s relegation battle. Antolin Alcaraz was at his best, powerful, intelligent and composed, without risking the ball with unnecessary dribbling. Gary Caldwell was all heart, flinging himself in front of shots from the opposition. Emmerson Boyce was quiet but effective enough, although he did get beat by Ben Arfa in the second half, while Figueroa had a tough afternoon with Gabriel Obertan’s electric pace. In midfield, Ben Watson, Mo Diame and David Jones battled valiantly and will surely be the starting three against Fulham after that performance.

Further ahead, Albert Crusat and Victor Moses provided pace down both flanks that has been badly lacking, although both faded in the second half. Crusat looks a useful little player with speed and a nice touch, though his finishing on this showing was ineffective. It was his first start in a Wigan shirt, and will need time to get used to his teammates before judgement is passed. Victor Moses faded in and out of the match, was unlucky not to leave with a goal and an assist to his name. Rodallega worked hard, did everything right except finish his opportunities. With the departure of Charles N’Zogbia, he has become the club’s marquee player. He needs to rediscover the goalscoring touch that earned him said status.

A Neutral Would Say

Wigan were unfortunate not to get anything out of this one. Poor finishing let them down.

Player Ratings

Al Al-Habsi: 7.5 —  Might as well have been drinking mojitos in the first half, but much more active in the second, excellent as usual.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 — Good first half, tormented a bit in the second by Hatem Ben Arfa, who dangerously slipped past him on more than one occasion.

Gary Caldwell: 8 — A captain’s performance, he was commanding and all-action. Put his body on the line, making several crucial blocks in the second half when the pressure was on.

Antolin Alcaraz: 8 — Strong, classy, looked back to his best. Clearly out to make amends for his mistakes against Bolton.

Maynor Figueroa: 5.5 — Struggled with Gabriel Obertan in the second half, unable to get forward.

Ben Watson: 9 — Excellent. Truly got stuck in, and played some exceptional passing football. His best performance for the club.

Mo Diame: 8 — Played his part in a very tough battle with Newcastle midfielder Tiote. Worked his socks off, and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet late in the game. Probably should have done better with the headed chance, but it’s a good sign that he continues to get in goalscoring positions.

David Jones: 7.5 — Very good performance as the attacking tip of the midfield triangle. Has an eye for a through ball and his left foot provides balance.

Albert Crusat: 6.5 — Looked lively and positive in the first half, with some neat touches and lots of pace. His final pass let him down on several occasions, but looks really promising.

Victor Moses: 7 — What a shame his volley did not go in. He continues to be Latics most dangerous player, but cursed with bad luck. His late crosses should have resulted in goals as well.

Hugo Rodallega: 6 — Worked hard and his build-up play was good, but the team needs him to finish his chances.

Subs:

James McArthur: N/A — Odd choice to come on after the Newcastle goal as he lacks the pace to be much of an attacking threat.

Conor Sammon: N/A — Ran around like a bull in a china shop, his work rate is exceptional. Unfortunately, didn’t have the ball in dangerous areas.

Wigan Athletic – Newcastle: Morale may be low but strongest XI are finally fit

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


Under normal circumstances, this match preview would address a history of relative success against Newcastle with measured optimism. I’d point out our last result at St. James Park (2-2 draw that we should have won), and the fact that Newcastle tend to be in that mid-table pack that has been very much accessible to us in our Premier League years; a much bigger club, but one that tends to let its guard down when minnows like us turn up.

But we won’t discuss such things because these are not normal circumstances. While we’ve slumped to six consecutive defeats and half our supporters are calling for our manager’s head, Newcastle have enjoyed their best start to a season in years. They may not have the glamour of the Shearer, Ginola, Asprilla era, but they look something they haven’t in years — solid. They’ve uncharacteristically invested well, and while Alan Pardew is no rocket scientist he has created an organized, talented and competitive side. Getting rid of Andy Carroll and Joey Barton can’t have hurt the atmosphere in the locker room either — or at the very least halved the team’s collective criminal history. Midfield pair Tiote and Cabaye are one of the most underrated partnerships in the league, while Hatem Ben Arfa, Jonas Gutierrez and Gabriel Obertan offer pace and invention from the wings. Demba Ba has started to click up front after a slow start, and Leon Best, despite always looking thoroughly workmanlike, scores more frequently than our strikers do.  The defense has been playing together for several years and you can tell. If anything, the only possible weak link — the player I would try to expose if I were Roberto — is rejuvenated ex-Wiganer Ryan Taylor, who is doing a job at left back. Steve Bruce used him as a left midfielder and it looks like Pardew has caught on as well. He may lack pace, but if you can keep him on the pitch long enough to take a few set pieces, he can win the match for you.

So while it is very possible Ryan will wreak havoc with his corners and free-kicks, there is at least hope that Victor Moses, and possibly even Hugo Rodallega if he’s down that wing, can get past him without too much fancy footwork and cause some problems.

I don’t anticipate any surprises in the lineup, but will breathe a huge sigh of relief if our strongest back four is finally restored, albeit nine games into the season. In midfield, I imagine Roberto will stick with McCarthy for his tackling ability, despite his poor attacking contributions of late, while Rodallega should be on the pitch from the start on the left wing. The bench too, should look strong. Crusat, Maloney and Sammon offer attacking options, while Dave Jones seems to have leapfrogged James McArthur in the pecking order. Hendry Thomas has been frozen out — a shame, because on his day he is the best tackler at the club. One of last weekend’s villains, Steve Gohouri is the most versatile defender available and worth a bench spot, although Van Aanholt really did little wrong in his appearances and could provide defensive cover. And the old Ronnie-Stam-for-Emmerson-Boyce-after-a-crap-first-half is a Martinez favorite, so he’ll probably be there. My best guess for the starting XI: Al-Habsi; Boyce, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa; Watson, Diame, McCarthy; Rodallega, Moses, Di Santo.

Results have been bad, but performances have largely been decent. The squad is finally fit. There is of course, plenty to lose, but three points in this forgiving league table would see us to mid-table. Unfortunately, no one else has beaten Newcastle this season and it’s a big ask away from home. But nothing much — except the eradication of mindless defensive mistakes — is expected. The stage is set for our boys to bounce back as they’ve done for us so many times in the past.

Heart says: Massive defensive performance, with a Victor Moses goal, 1-0 Latics.

Mind says: Early lead, eventually crumbling to sustained pressure. 2-1, Magpies.

Reflecting on Roberto: Time to repay his loyalty

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

Bright-eyed, congenial, eloquent as they come, Roberto Martinez is the kind of character people in the game love, with good reason. In the past year alone, he has led our unfashionable Wigan to survival on a shoestring budget in the most principled of ways. Then, he follows it up with an encore of rare football loyalty, turning down an offer from a much bigger club that would double his paycheck, not to mention spending power in the transfer market. The chairman treats him like a son, guaranteeing him a job for life. It’s a match made in heaven.

And it doesn’t stop there. His relationship with the club — and town — dates back to 1995, when he arrived as a player with fellow amigos Isidro Diaz and Jesus Seba, scored on his debut, finished club top scorer and was voted player of the year in the old Division 3. His return was to Wigan as a manager was greeted as that of the prodigal son, and rightfully so.

Fast forward to present. 19th in the league, fresh off a mistake-riddled 6th consecutive defeat, this time to our despised local rivals. Supporters have taken to the web and are understandably upset. If Martinez’s lineup on Saturday raised some eyebrows at kick-off, even more at full-time. Specifically, the inclusion of Steve Gohouri at left-back when both Maynor Figueroa and Patrick Van Aanholt were available; and the conservative decision to field James McCarthy in an unfamiliar left-wing role when more natural — an adventurous — options were available for the position.

The odd thing is that while these might have been mistakes, it is not individual tactical mistakes at the root of the fans’ growing frustration with Roberto. Deeper is the feeling that he is too rigid, unwilling to adjust his formation and style of play to accommodate the players available or the situation faced.

One recurring debate is his deployment of Hugo Rodallega on the left-wing ala David Villa — a goalscorer playing as a winger, cutting in and joining the centre-forward in attack. The idea is a good one, and sometimes works, but in practice Hugo is more limited than David Villa. He doesn’t have much dribbling, his crossing is not particularly good. He is most productive as a striker, playing alongside another striker. His best days came under Steve Bruce in a 4-4-2, with Heskey his partner.

The Rodallega conundrum is central to most fans’ concerns about Martinez. When you’re a goal down, at home, against weak opposition, why not switch from one centre-forward to two? The midfield could easily shift its shape to accommodate, while both Di Santo and Sammon would offer muscular foils for the Colombian. So many players have struggled in that lone centre-forward role, starved of service. Our wingers have not scored a goal this season, is there not a plan B? (And more importantly, shouldn’t plan B involve two strikers?)

My take on all this — and it has taken several days to reconcile with the Bolton performance — is that we owe him time and support to turn it around. It’s too easy, and not fair, to turn on him after a deeply frustrating match, in which three individual errors lost us the game. His system just about worked last season, once the squad was fit. It sounds foreign at the moment, but he had managed to make Wigan hard to beat. His defense was organized, his players fired up, and his key man Charles N’Zogbia (read Victor Moses for this season) started delivering goals. Once again, he has been terribly unlucky with injuries this time out. Whereas captain Gary Caldwell missed the first third of last season, Antolin Alcaraz has been out this time. Emmerson Boyce has missed games. Instability is a defense’s worst enemy, and Roberto has had more of that in defense than any other manager in the league.

Lets try to keep this all in perspective too. Anyone aware of Latics’ financial challenges (this article is essential reading) knows we are basically asking Roberto to perform miracles. His first moves were to free the club of big earners such as Titus Bramble, Paul Scharner, Mario Melchiot, Lee Cattermole. I would imagine Mo Diame, James McCarthy, Victor Moses, Antolin Alcaraz are making half the wages of their predecessors, which allows the club can keep ticket prices low, continue to expand it’s supporter base, and hopefully eventually compete on slightly more level playing field. The fact that Bolton were able to buy a young striker who made 63 appearances for Liverpool illustrates the gulf between even those two clubs in terms of transfer market spending power and allure. Ali Al-Habsi and Franco Di Santo remain the only players signed directly by Roberto Martinez from other Premier League clubs, and they were both reserves. He’s basically being asked to survive in the premier league with a team of players plucked from inferior leagues.

So, I’m supporting him. He’s a young manager and will make mistakes. But he’s been unlucky. If Jordi’s shot had gone in at Swansea, or Victor’s, or Ben’s penalty, Dave Jones’ lob at Goodison — any one of those would have pulled us out of the relegation zone. Unfortunately, the Bolton match was the kind that sours everything else. But you can bet he will be using this example to stamp out those kinds of mistakes. And who knows, given our players’  apparent need for a wake-up call, perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise that the relegation battle starts so early this year.

Wigan Athletic 1 Bolton Wanderers 3: Defensive disaster

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

Match Report: Wigan Athletic 1 Bolton Wanderers 3

If you’ve watched Latics at all in the past few years, you’ll be familiar with our two most basic failings — individual defensive mistakes, and a lack of killer instinct up front. When we lose matches, it’s generally the former, when we draw them, the latter. You might as well insert your joke here, as I’m basically saying we can’t defend or attack. But it’s not quite that simple. The amazing conclusion to last season proved that when concentration levels are high, and individual mistakes are cut out, there is enough talent up front to get the necessary points. But it is games like this one — a local derby no less — that just makes you scratch your head in disbelief.

How is it possible that these are the same players who battled so hard to keep us up last year — did they not learn anything at all from that experience? Each of the three defensive lapses was a direct result of being too casual, taking too much time on the ball, as though it were a kickabout at the park.

The key sentence in our match preview was “Whether Latics go on to beat Bolton resoundingly, or to even beat them at all, is going to depend on their approach to the game.” It’s hard to assign all blame to the coach when your defenders do silly things to give away goals, but Roberto’s lineup — and approach — was just too conservative. Packing the midfield is acceptable when you’re playing the big boys, but at home to Bolton, who were bottom of the table at kickoff? Come on. It sends the wrong message to the players, and affords too much respect to the opposition. Victor Moses was the only creative player on the pitch. Shaun Maloney could have started. We’ve seen all too little of Conor Sammon, who might’ve started as centre-forward, pushing Franco Di Santo out wide. We must assume Albert Crusat is injured, another shame, as his pace is much needed. What about Callum McManaman, Nouha Dicko, both of whom have been outstanding for the reserves?

All that said, I still thought we had enough to win it, in large part due to the return of Antolin Alcaraz. My optimism was short-lived, as it was a rusty Alcaraz who gave the ball away in the move that led to the first goal, and then later in the game for the third. Steve Gohouri, given the nod ahead of Maynor Figueroa at left-back — a strange move given Patrick Van Aanholt’s availability — had his worst match in a Wigan shirt. If he hadn’t cheaply given away possession right before half-time, Latics’ momentum probably would have carried them to victory in the second half.

The Good:

We should be pleased with Rodallega’s return, and that of Alcaraz, despite his mistakes. Ali Al-Habsi saved a penalty and remains someone we can rely on. Mo Diame scored again, and is emerging as our best midfielder. Victor Moses was dangerous as always, though he once again couldn’t score.

The Bad:

Lack of concentration. Individual mistakes. The manager’s defensive approach and tactical rigidity. The league table.

Credit Where it’s Due

Chris Eagles was a handful all afternoon and deserved his goal. David N’Gog’s goal was well taken, although all three goals exposed Gary Caldwell’s lack of pace in one way or another. If Latics players had even a percentage of the desire that Kevin Davis shows, in every single game, we’d be pushing for European places.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 7 — Saved a penalty and wasn’t to blame for any of the goals.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 — Wasn’t involved in the poor defending that led to Bolton’s goals, but we didn’t see too much of him either.

Gary Caldwell: 5 — Beaten to the header by the less-than-lightning Nigel Reo-Coker for the first goal, gave the penalty away (though it was very soft indeed), and had his lack of pace exposed by David N’Gog for the second, and Chris Eagles for the third. A bad afternoon.

Antolin Alcaraz: 5 — Too casual, particularly given the fact it was his first match back from injury and he was bound to be a little rusty. Got caught in possession a few times, two of them led to goals. A shame, because he is our best centre-back.

Steve Gohouri: 5 — One to forget. Looked a bit confused at times at left-back, struggling with the impressive Chris Eagles. Caught trying to dribble his way out of trouble in the buildup to the second goal. Substituted at half-time. Not a left-back.

Ben Watson: 6 — I actually thought he was one of the better performers in the first half, but was sacrificed in order to bring on Hugo Rodallega at half-time.

Mo Diame: 7 — Took his goal very well, and the only Latics midfielder that consistently gets himself in scoring positions.

Dave Jones: 6 — Didn’t show his best, although his left foot set piece deliveries were useful (when he was allowed near the ball. What on earth was Di Santo doing taking direct free-kicks in the second half?!)

James McCarthy: 5 — For me, the biggest disappointment this season. Always works hard, but his class and attacking ability have been absent. So much potential, but if anything he has regressed. Still young, but we need him find his form.

Victor Moses: 7 — Same as every week. Dangerous, fast, powerful, a headache for the opposition, but needs someone to poke home the chances he creates. And a cooler head when he goes to finish them himself.

Franco Di Santo: 6 — Worked hard, a decent and skilful target man who has everything except the goalscoring instincts. He is rarely in the right place at the right time, when a cross comes into the box.

Subs:

Hugo Rodallega: 6.5 — Latics did look better with him on the pitch, but he ballooned a dangerously positioned free-kick and had most of his shots blocked.

Maynor Figueroa: 6 — Better than Steve Gohouri.

Shaun Maloney:  N/A — Not on the pitch long enough to make an impact. Wish he had been in the starting lineup.

Aston Villa 2 Wigan Athletic 0: Punchless Latics suffer fifth consecutive defeat

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

Several weeks ago, I used a match preview to illustrate the comical gulf in financial resources between Latics and the rival of the day, Manchester City. I labeled that game a no-hoper, and the match obliged. As supporters, we were unhappy with the performance, but very few of us expected any other result. There are a growing number of teams like Manchester City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, that we just can’t compete with.

But if you polled most Wigan Athletic supporters, few would list Aston Villa in that category. Sure, they are a big club with good support and some financial backing. But they’ve been, over the years, the type of team we can beat, and indeed try to.

The daft thing about all of this is that Aston Villa are, albeit to a lesser extent, still light years ahead of Wigan in terms of spending and wages. This summer, they bought our best player, Charles N’Zogbia, and proceeded to leave him on the bench, where another of our former best players, Emile Heskey, would keep him company. Key players for us are not key players for them. (Although I do think N’Zogbia will probably go on to become a key player there eventually).

Are we expecting too much from — to put it bluntly — a poor team in the world’s richest league? At risk of sounding bonkers after the elaborate preface I’ve just given, I don’t think we are.

Because Wigan Athletic has always punched above its weight. We expect our boys to upset the odds, and they do year after year. It’s the club ethos. The fact that Latics had not lost away at Villa before Saturday was an astounding statistic given the above realities. So as I launch into this match analysis, keep in mind two things. First, as a supporter I’m very proud of what the club has achieved and continues to achieve against clubs with greater resources. But second, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing better than we are.

Match Highlights

Latics actually started this one brightly, with plenty of possession and some attacking intent, without actually creating any clear chances. Roberto opted for a similar lineup to that of the second half against Tottenham, with Emmerson Boyce returning at right-back, Figueroa partnering Caldwell in the middle, and Van Aanholt out left. Ronnie Stam lined up as what can only be described as a defensive winger on the right, with Victor Moses on the left and Franco Di Santo up top. The usual suspects played in midfield: Watson, McCarthy and Diame.

Against Spurs, the Ronnie Stam experiment was designed to provide extra defensive cover on the left flank where Gareth Bale was causing problems. It worked to some degree before Gohouri’s red card, and seemed a reasonable approach to keep Villa’s most dangerous player, Gabby Agbonlahor, in check. But as Latics grew more comfortable in possession, they got caught out of position, and when Agbonlahor cut in from the wing in a one-on-one situation with Gary Caldwell, we knew what the outcome would be. Caldwell had been given a yellow card for next to nothing minutes prior, which probably discouraged a professional foul, but credit where it’s due, Agbonlahor produced an absolute rocket of a finish past Caldwell and Al-Habsi.

Latics only created one chance in the first half, and it fell to Franco Di Santo after Victor Moses had broken from midfield, panicked and almost scuffed his pass to the Argentine, who shot low and just wide. With his strength and speed, Moses probably could have gone on his own, but the man’s confidence is low and you can tell.

The second half began with another good effort from Agbonlahor, who again cut in from the left to curl an effort past Al-Habsi, skimming the post in the process. Emmerson Boyce, back from injury, was visibly tiring and would continue to struggle with the Villa striker As the match went on. Barry Bannan had a good long range effort tipped over the bar, before Franco Di Santo, against the run of play, took matters into his own hands. On a mazy run, he slipped in between several Villa defenders and found himself one on one against the keeper when he was clearly clattered by Alan Hutton. Mark Clattenberg and his haircut, both poor all match, the former favouring the home side, ignored it, and minutes later the game would be over.

Bizarrely, Martinez introduced James McArthur as a right-wingback in place of Ronnie Stam. If he was looking for pace to help Boyce deal with Agbonlahor, McArthur was clearly not the man for the job. The Scot was caught in possession and found himself chasing Agbonlahor, who is about seventeen times faster than he is, and also breezed past Boyce to deliver an excellent cross for Darren Bent’s goal.

Then Shaun Maloney was introduced at the tip of the diamond in attacking midfield, and chances started to come. First, Victor Moses slipped in a cheeky through ball which Maloney just failed to make good contact with. Ben Watson fizzed a corner straight through the entire Villa defense, with Gary Caldwell a whisker away. James McArthur whipped a delicious low cross just begging to be tapped in, but no one was on the end of it. Hugo might have, or Sammon. Even Boselli.

But it wasn’t to be.

A Neutral Would Say

Wigan pass it around a lot but don’t have anyone who can stick it in the back of the net. Villa have the opposite, but do look tough to beat under McLeish.

Player Ratings

Al Al-Habsi: 8 —  Slightly out of position for first goal, probably a result of watching Agbonlahor’s highlight reel in which he curls most of his effort far post. But he kept Latics in the game with a series of outstanding saves, to Darren Bent in the first half, then Bannan and Petrov later on.

Emmerson Boyce: 5 — Tough match for him. Got caught far up the pitch on the first goal, and was then outpaced for the second. Agbonlahor was excellent and Boycey was his main victim. But it was good to have him back, he’ll be important in the next few games.

Gary Caldwell: 5.5 — Hard to grade the captain. He’s been playing in makeshift defenses. It wasn’t his best game, but not his worst either. Most of the danger came from the flank.

Maynor Figueroa: 5 — Not a long term solution at centre-back. Sometimes looks very good, other times completely out of position. Darren Bent was unlucky not to have scored in the first half.

Ben Watson: 6.5 — Latics did enjoy some excellent possession, much of which was down to Ben. Rushed a pass on a breakaway that might have led to a real chance. Finally delivered one excellent corner, though the rest of his efforts were poor (and Latics had a lot of corners, at least ten).

James McCarthy: 6.5 — His energy levels were great, covering a lot of grass and working very hard defensively. We finally saw a glimpse of the old James when he delicately chipped a ball to Franco Di Santo in the second half. More of that please.

Mo Diame: 6 — Quiet one for Diame, ineffective in attack, but contributed toward good possession.

Ronnie Stam: 6 — Did fairly well in the first half down the right flank although he was nowhere to be seen in the buildup to the goal. Substituted in second half.

Victor Moses: 6.5 — What a shame one of those crossbars or posts had not been a goal earlier in the season. Looks low on confidence but still a threat. Sadly, his finishing was poor once again. Played one excellent through ball for Maloney that could have been a goal.

Franco Di Santo: 7.5 — Worked tirelessly and almost created something out of nothing for the penalty that wasn’t. All he lacks is poacher’s instinct and finishing to poke away those crosses.

Subs:

James McArthur: 5.5 — Every now and again he shows his quality, but his lack of pace is a problem. Roberto seems very loyal to him, but there are better options on the bench.

Shaun Maloney: 7.5 — Looked bright and inventive. Finally, someone who is looking for that incisive pass, a one-two, making runs into the box. Would be great to see him in the starting lineup, eventually with Rodallega in it as well.

Conor Sammon: 6 — Didn’t have much time. Would like to see Di Santo out wide, with Conor as centre-forward.