Category Archives: Match Previews

A good time to play Rubin

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

Europatable

Wigan Athletic travel to the most easterly club remaining in the Europa League on Thursday to play Rubin Kazan.  What are the chances of a good result for Latics?

Latics’ 1-1 draw with the Russian team ten days ago at the DW Stadium was well-earned and keeps them in with a more than even chance of qualifying from the group. Moreover it halted a nine game winning streak by Rubin in Europe.

Rubin are a formidable side at home in Kazan in European competition. They have not lost there for 22 matches, winning 13 and drawing 9. They have not conceded a goal in their last 7 European matches at their Centralniy Stadium.

For climatic reasons Rubin have had some of their previous European ties moved to Moscow, where they have understandably been less successful. However, this match will be played in Kazan, with a 9 pm kick-off (5 pm UK time).

Latics will count themselves fortunate in that they are going to arrive in Tatarstan a couple of weeks before the night temperatures drop below zero. The weather forecast for Kazan on Thursday indicates a daytime high of 11 °C, dropping down to 7°C at night.

Despite their formidable record in Europe, Rubin have only won one out of their last five matches in the Russian Premier League. Prior to coming to Wigan they lost 2-1 away at Volga Nizhny Novgorod. After drawing at the DW Stadium they lost 2-1 at home to second placed Lokomotiv Moscow, with ex-Tottenham player Roman Pavlyuchenko getting the Muscovites’ first goal.

Last Wednesday they made the 3,600 mile trip to Vladivostok, where they were knocked out of the domestic cup competition, losing 4-2 to the home side Luch. On Saturday they drew 0-0 at Rostov-Na-Donu. Rostov is on the Don River a mere 700 miles south west of Kazan. The result puts Rubin in 9th place, level on points with Rostov, but with a superior goal difference.

The timing of the match looks good for Wigan, despite the continued absence of key players through injury. When I wrote my initial posting about Rubin Kazan in early September they were unbeaten and in seventh place, within striking distance of the leaders Zenit St Petersburg. Since then Rubin’s league form has not been so impressive.

Although they are not scoring a lot of goals in the domestic league, Rubin are the most prolific scorers in the  Europa League Group Stage with ten goals. Although Latics have scored only four up to this point other statistics for the two teams make interesting reading.

Both teams have committed 43 fouls in their three games so far, but Rubin have suffered 36 and Latics 49. Rubin have completed 829 out of 998 passes attempted, Latics 716 out of 852. Rubin have had 16 goal attempts on target, compared with 14 for Latics. The Russian team has had 7 yellow cards, Latics 5.

Although Rubin’s form in Europe has been impressive, poor results in the Russian Premier League indicate they are not playing at their best.

Wigan Athletic will be hoping that Rubin’s recent run of poor form will continue – at least for one more game.

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Huddersfield Preview

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

Callum McManaman slots home in the 4-1 FA Cup win over Huddersfield in February.

It seems like more than nine months ago since Wigan Athletic demolished Huddersfield Town in a fifth round FA Cup tie at the Galpharm Stadium. Callum McManaman was the star for Wigan, repeatedly ripping open the Terriers’ defence in a 4-1 win.

How times have changed. Latics were then a Premier League team, a class above opponents who were languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship.

So far this season Wigan Athletic have outclassed only one team, a woeful Barnsley in the first competitive match under Owen Coyle.

But the good news  is that the Wigan defence is getting stronger and not throwing away goals like it did in the Martinez era. The goalless draws at Charlton and at home to Queens Park Rangers are an indication that Latics can become a ‘mean machine’ capable of grinding out results.

There is certainly no shortage of effort and commitment from the current  Latics side.  They are now physically imposing, with height in defence, less likely to give away soft goals from aerial set pieces than they were even a couple of months ago.

Latics remain unbeaten at home, largely down to their resilience. They trailed to both Doncaster and Middlesbrough in their first two home games, but came back with late goals to secure draws. The subsequent wins over Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Blackburn were gained through hard work and determination. The bore draw with QPR was not one for the spectator to enjoy, but Latics showed that same resilience. In previous times they might well have come away without any points in such a match.

Huddersfield currently lie a point above Wigan, but their away record is not good – W1 D2 L3. Moreover they are without top scorer James Vaughan, who is suspended.

Despite the FA Cup win last year, Latics have a poor record against the Terriers. In league matches over the years they have a home record of W6 D1 L5 against the Yorkshire team, but Latics’ away record against them  is W0 D5 L5.

Owen Coyle believes that Latics are close to fulfilling their potential. He commented this week that “We know that if we keep knocking on the door it will fly open and someone will be on the end of three or four goals. There’s so much more still to come from this team, players to come back from injury and money to be spent come January.”

Coyle will once again have to rotate his squad.

Having started in three consecutive games in less than a week, Emmerson Boyce is due for a rest. Ryan Shotton will probably move over to the right back position, with Thomas Rogne returning in the centre of defence.  Chris McCann has silenced his critics with an excellent trio of displays in central midfield, but is likely to find himself rested with Ben Watson coming back in.

Nick Powell and Leon Barnett too have started in those three games, but both seem to get included in the starting lineup despite the physical demands they might face. Both have become key players.

Marc Albrighton could well make his debut on the right flank and Jean Beausejour is due to return on the left.  Marc-Antoine Fortune will probably take over from the out of form Grant Holt at centre forward. However, Holt might well be used as an impact substitute later in the game.

Were Latics to really click and win this match in style and by a clear margin it could be the turning point that Coyle seeks.  Latics fans have been patient up to this point, but the time has come for a convincing display to reward them for their loyalty and support.

Maybe this will be the game in which the team will show what it is capable of.

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Albrighton ready for crunch match with QPR

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

Albrighton

Marc Albrighton could be thrust into the crunch match with Queens Park Rangers at the DW Stadium tonight.

The 23 year old has been  signed from Aston Villa on what must be one of the shortest of loan periods –  reported to be just 28 days. However, the winger  has had injury problems and has fallen out of favour with Paul Lambert. If he can prove his fitness and fulfill his potential he might well become a player that Latics want to keep.  The possibility remains open for a permanent deal when the transfer window opens up again in January.

The QPR match is the acid test for Owen Coyle’s Wigan Athletic revolution. Failure to win will be viewed as a failure by most fans who feel that Latics need to build more momentum for a promotion challenge. They face an expensively assembled QPR team that is currently on track in 3rd place, with only one defeat so far.

At this point Latics stand in 14th place with a record of won 4, drawn 3 and lost 4 matches. The games they have lost have all been away from home to teams above them in the table – Leicester (in 2nd place), Blackpool (4th), Watford (7th) and Bournemouth (11th).

Up to this point Latics are unbeaten at home, a considerable improvement given the terrible record they have had at the DW Stadium, albeit against much stronger opposition over recent years. However, Coyle will be keen to make the DW a fortress for visiting teams to scale as the promotion battle unfolds.

Given the indifferent form of Latics’ wide players it could be that Albrighton will find himself in the starting lineup. Coyle has already shown he is not afraid to throw in new players at the first instance, after doing the same with Leon Barnett and Nick Powell earlier in the season.

It will be interesting to see how Coyle deals with the squad rotation for this game. On Sunday, Ben Watson looked tired, but was withdrawn only after 72 minutes. The man best known for his famous header has been a key component of Coyle’s lineups in recent weeks.

Roger Espinoza came on and looked useful at Charlton and it could be that he will see more playing time tonight, but one doubts  that he will make the starting lineup ahead of Watson. Moreover Jordi Gomez is higher up in the pecking order and is due for a return.

Leon Barnett is the outfield player who has played most matches this season, only missing the game at Zulte Waregem. If Coyle is willing to risk resting Barnett he will have the option of bringing in Ryan Shotton to partner Thomas Rogne in the centre of defence, although the big Stoke man might come in at full back for Emmerson Boyce. Another option would be to move James Perch across and bring in Stephen Crainey at left back.

The risk with too much rotation in defence is that in a radically new formation the players are not going to have that mutual understanding built up through regularly playing together.

Up front Coyle has to decide whether he wants to play with twin strikers – any two of Marc-Antoine Fortune, Grant Holt and Nick Powell – or play with two wingers.  Latics actually  played with two strikers and two wingers – an old fashioned 4-2-4 system –  for a period in the defeat at Blackpool.  Coyle is unlikely to risk it against a midfield as strong as that of QPR . His other option would be to play Powell in what is his best role, in attacking midfield behind the central striker.

Latics will want to narrow the 12 point gap between themselves and QPR.  Although they look good on paper the visitors are by no means invincible.

If  for once Latics take their chances and the ball does not keep crashing against the woodwork  there is no reason why they should not come away with three points tonight.

Whether they can do that will depend largely on Coyle’s tactics and how he rotates his squad.

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Grant Holt – where do we go from here?

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

grant-holt_2635269b

He was lauded as the best of Owen Coyle’s new signings. But if you were ask a room of Latics supporters which of the twelve new players brought in by Coyle has been the most disappointing – the name of Grant Holt would be the one which comes up most.

What has happened to Holt? Is he past his best? Does his style of play suit Latics? Can he still make a major impact on the promotion push for Latics?

Up to this point Holt has made seven starts, with two appearances as a substitute. He has scored two goals, one being a penalty. He was injured in the Middlesbrough match in late August, coming back as a substitute against Blackburn in early October.

In the last two matches, against Rubin Kazan and Charlton, Holt has looked slow and cumbersome.

One cannot say that Holt is past his best. He has not played enough games to tell. But what is noticeable is that when he does play there are more long balls played by Latics. His mere presence causes the midfield to be by-passed.

Two years ago, in Norwich’s first season back in the Premier League, it was a surprise to their supporters to see their icon often being used as an impact player. Before that  Holt had been the first name to be written on the team sheet as his 45 league goals helped the Canaries ascend two divisions in consecutive seasons.

However, Paul Lambert used Holt to good effect as a super-sub. By the end of November Holt had scored four Premier League goals,  three of them being when he had come on as a substitute. At the end of the season Holt’s record in the Premier League was 15 goals from 24 starts and 12 appearances as a substitute.

Holt can clearly be very effective as an impact player, but the broader question remains – is he the right type of player for Wigan Athletic?

Despite it being the end of October  Latics still do not have a defined style of play. The manager continues to tinker on the tactical side and it does not help a squad with so many new players to gel together.

However, in general Latics try to play the ball through their highly capable midfield for the first 60 minutes. After that the defenders start to loft the ball over their heads, adopting a ‘more direct’ approach.

In the last two matches Holt has been substituted in the 63rd and 76th minute, leaving Marc-Antoine Fortune the task of beating big central defenders to high balls. That is not Fortune’s forte. He is big and powerful certainly, but is much more effective with the ball to his feet. If Latics are to continue to play ‘direct’ in the final third of the game it would make more sense for Holt to be the player coming on, not going off.

Grant Holt has a great reputation  as a top professional and a real team player. He will run himself into the ground for Wigan Athletic. He has a superb goalscoring record over the course of his career and is likely to get them out of  the Championship, given the right service.

The more cogent question is not so much whether Holt is the right type of player for Latics, but how to get the best out if him.

Holt is as good as anyone in the division in the role as a target man for long balls out of defence. He has the physical strength and technique to hold off two or three defenders, keeping the ball until teammates advance. In fact his enthusiasm is such that you see him actually courting the long pass.

However, Holt’s primary purpose is to score goals. He gets a lot of his goals through headers and deflections and needs the ball coming into the box from the flanks. Up to this point only Jean Beausejour of Latics’ wide players has been able to put quality crosses into the box. Callum McManaman and James McClean have not produced up to this point, but the season is still young.

Maybe we have expected too much from Holt. Given the physical exercion of holding off big opposition defenders he is expected to be sharp and lively in the box. All at 32 years of age.

Coyle needs to be realistic about how to get the best from the big Cumbrian. Give him the right service and don’t allow defenders to take the easy way out with long balls up to him when they are under pressure. Let him receive the ball facing the goal rather than with his back to it.

There will be matches where Fortune or Powell’s mobility will be required rather than Holt’s combativeness. Holt has proved how effective he can be as a super-sub.

Whether Grant Holt has a successful season and gets the goals to take Wigan back up depends on Coyle’s tactical approach.

In the match at Charlton there were signs that Latics were willing to play the ball through midfield when under pressure. Instead of taking the easy route of a long ball to an isolated central striker they sought the counterattack.

Give Holt good service from the flanks, minimize those speculative long balls and we will see the big Cumbrian get a lot of goals.

It is the tactics that have to be right for Holt to succeed.

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Charlton Preview

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

Wigan Athletic go to Charlton tomorrow following four successive league defeats away from home, not having scored a goal in any of them.

However, Latics come into the game following a fine performance, drawing 1-1 at home against  a strong Rubin Kazan side in  the Europa League. Charlton occupy 19th place but are unbeaten in their last three league games, with two home draws being followed by a 1-0 win at Blackburn.

Why have Latics had such poor away results this season? One could say they have been unlucky, with shots almost going in and some crucial refereeing decisions going against them.

However, the recipe for being a successful away team is based on a sound defence, with a capability for a goal on counterattack. Latics have not met these criteria in the last four away matches.

The defence has given away soft goals, albeit involving some dubious refereeing decisions. There have been few effective counterattacks. Too often a Wigan defence under pressure has hoofed the ball away rather than looking to pass the ball out of defence to launch a counterattack.

Latics have the quality to be a very good counterattacking team away from home. Tomorrow Owen Coyle might well field his pacy wingers Callum McManaman and James McClean. With decent service either one is capable of outpacing the Charlton defence. But much will depend on the ability to play the ball out of defence under pressure.

This is a game Latics can win, or at least get a draw. Charlton have won only one home game so far.  Much will depend on Coyle’s initial lineup and his tactical nous.

Regular league starters Thomas Rogne, James Perch and James McArthur are likely to return.  Leon Barnett has played a lot of games recently, but is likely to continue in the centre of defence, where he has been building up a good understanding with the excellent young Norwegian, Thomas Rogne.  The alternative would be to move Perch across for Barnett and play Stephen Crainey at left back, following his improved performance on Thursday.

In midfield Ben Watson is likely to start, but could well give way to Roger Espinoza at some stage. It would be a revelation if the Honduran/American were given a chance to start. Chris McCann played really well against Rubin, but will probably find himself rested.

McManaman and McClean are likely to play on the wings. At centre forward Coyle will have to choose between the combative Grant Holt or the more mobile Marc-Antoine Fortune. The former is more dangerous from crosses and set pieces, the latter more pacy and more suited to the counterattacking game.

What tactical formation Coyle is going to put forward remains to be seen. One never knows what is coming next. However, playing away from home it is likely to be more conservative and he has the option of playing Nick Powell or Jordi Gomez in the advanced midfield role behind the central striker. Alternatives remain of playing a more defensive-minded midfielder – such as Espinoza – in that role or playing two central strikers with one less wide player.

Let’s hope Latics can get an early goal to calm their nerves. They have been unlucky so far in the first half away from home, with a number of close calls.   If they do fall behind one hopes that they do not revert to the ‘Bolton style’, as they have too often as late.

Wigan Athletic have a superior squad to Charlton and are capable of beating the south London team tomorrow. Despite playing a game on Thursday Latics have sufficient strength in depth to be good enough to beat the Addicks.

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