Category Archives: Match Previews

Wigan Athletic v Tottenham Preview – Can Caldwell do it?

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

Tomorrow Wigan Athletic face a  resurgent Tottenham side currently in fifth position, desperate to reach the top four and thereby gain a place in the lucrative Champions League. Very difficult opposition for a team like Wigan, in the relegation zone.

The nerves will be jangling for both Latics and Spurs, with so much at stake for the two clubs, at opposite ends of the table. The odds favour Tottenham, who have caused Wigan so much damage in  previous years. No Latics supporter will forget the horrible 9-1 drubbing at White Hart Lane three seasons ago. However, they will also point to stoic performances, which produced 1-0 wins at that compact London stadium in November of this season and in August two years earlier. Wigan have surprised the Spurs before and can do it again.

The loss of Antolin Alcaraz – for what looks like three weeks – is a body blow for Wigan. The question is whether Gary Caldwell can step up to the plate and make a seamless transition. This time last year Caldwell’s form was a revelation and it led to a player, who had many fierce critics among the fans, being voted ‘Player of the Year’.  Can he do it again this year?

Alcaraz had been building up a defensive partnership with Paul Scharner. With the two together the aerial threat of the opposition had diminished and the defence had conceded a lower proportion of goals than over previous months.

Caldwell will have to forge an understanding with Scharner, not an easy matter, given the Austrian’s maverick tendencies. The interaction of those two strong personalities will prove pivotal in Latics’ attempts to avoid that trap door of relegation.

Despite his frustrating ways, Scharner has already proved to be an excellent January loan signing. Wigan fans cannot help but warm to his effort, his  excellent interceptions and his technique in the tackle. We are told that Paul Jewell never really trusted him as a central defender, but Scharner has always had the skills to excel in the position. However, years after Jewell’s reign, doubts still remain of the Austrian’s ability to be a reliable team player.

Providing Caldwell and Scharner can forge a strong partnership Latics will approach their remaining games with a strong defensive backbone. It is going to be particularly crucial tomorrow. Dealing with Bale and co is never easy, but Wigan have done it successfully before and can do it again.

Gary Caldwell has had a difficult season, having been dogged by niggling injuries. Fans have rarely seen him at his best. This is the time for him to show what he can do. He has shown himself capable in the past and much will depend on his performances.

Roberto Martinez will certainly consider the opposition when he decides on his lineup. Given that Tottenham are likely to start with a lone striker – Jermain Defoe or Emmanuel Adebayor – he may well revert to a conventional back four. This would push Jean Beausejour into a left wing position. Up front he can choose between Franco Di Santo and Callum McManaman, to join Arouna Kone. Jordi Gomez will most likely continue to operate as a midfield anchor, although Martinez might think of putting in James McArthur to neutralize the threat of the Tottenham midfield.He might also consider packing the midfield by including the two of them with James McCarthy.

A tough game for Wigan, with the odds stacked against them. However, Wigan Athletic have proved their resilence, time after time. Providing there is strength in the centre of defence, an upset is by no means impossible. Believe Latics!

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Man City vs Wigan Athletic: Focus needed

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

Latics

It’s hard to remember a senior member of the current Wigan squad who has not publicly stated that league survival trumps cup success this year — but no one put it better than Roberto Martinez yesterday in comments to The Guardian, in reference to today’s clash with Manchester City.

“In many aspects the league game is bigger,” he said. “I don’t think there are games which are more important than others. They are all very significant. But if you are asking me what it represents for a club like Wigan winning the FA Cup final or staying in the Premier League, then staying in the Premier League would mean the next 10 years of the football club would be financially very stable. The new facilities that we have planned can happen and behind the scenes the club can go to a different level.

“But when you have the opportunity to win the FA Cup, you can’t disregard it and say that’s not important. They are both important. This is the sort of season we want. There’s only Manchester City, Chelsea and Wigan who are involved in two competitions at this moment. It requires a strong mentality and we’ve never had that before.”

To further assert the point, Martinez yesterday admitted that the season would be assessed as a failure internally should the team win the FA Cup but subsequently be relegated from the league. The money involved in another season in the league is what keeps the club developing behind the scenes, and a year without it would represent a huge setback to the excellent progress of recent years.

He also outlined the strength of his squad. This is a squad that was torn apart by injuries for the first half of the season but is finally approaching full strength. The lessons of Birmingham and Portsmouth — teams fighting on two fronts that eventually lost out in the league — are valuable, but neither team was peaking in form or fitness as Latics currently are, or had strength in numbers. Wigan’s bench, with Franco Di Santo, Gary Caldwell, James McArthur and until recently, Ali Al-Habsi, has never been stronger.

With a very important fixture at West Ham looming next Saturday, we may witness some changes to the starting eleven tonight. It will be interesting to see if Ali Al-Habsi retains his place, or if his role for the rest of the season will be that of Cup Goalkeeper, as was Joel Robles’ before the Everton performance changed things.

It’s hard to forsee any changes in the back four unless there is concern over the fitness levels of either Paul Scharner or Antolin Alcaraz, who played very few minutes in 2012. In midfield, it wouldn’t be surprising to see James McArthur included to add steel in midfield. And Franco Di Santo must be itching for a game. The Argentine has been the victim of Callum McManaman’s emergence and the change of shape to accomodate traditional wingers instead of wing-backs. But with a contract on the negotiation table, Martinez will want him to feel involved and important to the team.

While it is highly unlikely that Wigan should obtain two positive results against an in-form Manchester City side at away and neutral venues respectively, the pragmatist among us would happily settle for one. The impossible question, of course, is which of the two?

A loss today in the league would not crush Wigan’s hopes of staying up, considering there are more accessible fixtures remaining from which to gain the necessary 8-9 points such as West Ham and West Brom away, or Swansea, Spurs and Aston Villa at home. On the other hand, every point matters at this stage and the league table is tighter than ever.

The key today will be whether our players can retain their focus and energy levels after their Wembley adventure, against a wildly different opponent, and one they’ve struggled against. The odds are not favourable, but Manchester City was one of the few scalps Wigan did not claim in the amazing run last season — can they do it this time around?

QPR v Wigan Athletic Preview – Keep Grinding, Latics!

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Previews, Other and tagged with , ,
robles2

Joel Robles – the young Spanish goalkeeper is key to Wigan’s hopes tomorrow at Loftus Road.

Around this time last year the great revival started. Wigan Athletic were to not only beat the elite, but to beat them on merit, through champagne football, winning 7 of the last 9 games. Before the revival started we saw an awful performance from Latics at Loftus Road in January, with Queens Park Rangers winning 3-1. Somehow QPR managed to stay up, but by the skin of their teeth. Given the upturn in recent results for Wigan Athletic can we expect a better result in tomorrow’s key encounter at Loftus Road? Some champagne football, even?

Wigan Athletic come into this game after gaining 6 priceless points from home games against Newcastle and Norwich, following a momentous 3-0 win at Everton in the FA Cup. Only one goal has been conceded in these last three matches and late goals have sealed the league wins. Last week Norwich did not force Joel Robles to make a single save, such was the quality of the Wigan defence. In those home games champagne football was a scarce commodity, but the results have been just what the doctor ordered. Latics ground both Newcastle and Norwich down, restricting them, then delivering the hammer blow.

“Must win” is a term that is banded about too freely. Wigan supporters have seen their team lose “must win” games, but nevertheless survive. If this game is a must win for one of the teams tomorrow , then it must be more so for QPR. They lie 8 points adrift with only 7 games left. Even a draw would put them under great pressure in the matches that remains. A draw would not be ideal for Wigan, but it would help keep them afloat. Put simply, this is a more crucial game for QPR than for Latics.

Roberto Martinez deserves credit for sticking his neck out and rewarding the players who helped the club reach the FA Cup semi final. Ali Al Habsi and Gary Caldwell were pivotal in last year’s revival, but they are now on the bench. How times can change. The upturn in results coincides, not for the first time, with the return from injury of Antolin Alcaraz. His recent performances have been a revelation and one wonders what league position Wigan would be in now, if he had been available all season. His central defensive partnership with Paul Scharner has been the centrepiece of recent performances.

Joel Robles is clearly a very capable young goalkeeper, tall and dominant. It was never going to be easy to step into the shoes of fans’ favourite, Ali Al Habsi, but he has handled it well so far. The Omani has not been in the same form this season that he showed previously. However, he is such a capable goalkeeper that his time will come again. For the moment Robles is first choice. The defence has managed to shield Robles up to this point, but tomorrow could well prove to be the acid test for him. His performance could well be the main factor that helps decide the result.

Harry Redknapp refuses to accept that QPR will go down. Looking at the real quality players they have in their squad they should be able to stay up. However, like Wigan they have a penchant for throwing away good results through appalling defensive errors. Tomorrow’s result might well depend on which defence gives it away, rather than which team plays better.

Wigan will probably field an unchanged lineup, although there is a possibility that James McArthur will replace Jordi Gomez in the holding midfield role. Although he made the pass for Arouna Kone’s goal against Norwich, Gomez did not have a good game.

With the FA Cup semi final coming up next weekend, this game comes at a difficult time for Latics. Wembley is sure to be in their players’ heads, although Martinez will surely emphasise the need for a good result tomorrow.

QPR have a wealth of good players to choose from. At their best they could thump Wigan. However, they are in deep trouble and they are playing a team that has a good record against relegation rivals. It is one of those matches that is very hard to predict: it could be a stalemate or even a spectacular result for either team. As far as Wigan are concerned, grinding out another result though strong defence, is probably the way to go. Keep grinding, Latics!

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Wigan vs. Norwich: Six-pointer at the DW

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

2013-norwich

If Wigan Athletic is a team in the ascendancy with four wins out of six, then Norwich is one fighting valiantly to arrest the opposite. After an amazing run of unbeaten games in late 2012, the Canaries find themselves just seven points clear of Latics in 12th place, having drawn five of their last seven matches.

Tellingly, all of those stalemates came against mid-table or relegation-threatened sides. All signs point to a loss of momentum for Chris Hughton’s charges, and if left to the Laws of Form, a victory for Wigan appears the most likely outcome.

Of course, it’s never that simple, and nothing shakes things up quite like an international break. Some players, most vocally Paul Scharner, have benefited from a two-week break. Internationals at both clubs, however, will have played two matches in the space of five days. People like Maynor Figueroa and Ali Al-Habsi were not only key performers for their countries in high stakes World Cup Qualifiers, but have had to recover from flights back from Panama and Australia and the jet lag that comes with it.

Enough has been written about Wigan’s post-international break struggles, however. There is a real opportunity at the DW this weekend, and there is a squad to achieve it. Many eyes will be focused on Callum McManaman, so influential in Latics’ two most recent victories. The last few weeks will have brought very mixed emotions for the young winger, after the ecstasy of scoring against Everton followed by the media witch hunt after his bad challenge on Massima Haidara. Glad that discussion is over. But it will be interesting to see how the player reacts. If recovered from his own injury, one would expect him to start. Roberto Martinez’s comments in the build-up to the match about his potential as a future England star should not only give him a shot of confidence, but hopefully minimize ill-treatment from the visiting supporters.

Given he has now fielded the same starting XI for consecutive victories over strong opposition, there is no reason to believe Martinez will not do the same tomorrow. This should mean another start for young Spaniard Joel Robles in goal, who looks increasingly likely to be permanent signing in the summer. He’ll — hopefully — be protected by a back four of Emmerson Boyce, Antolin Alcaraz, Paul Scharner and Maynor Figueroa. James McCarthy and Jordi Gomez would continue in midfield, with Shaun Maloney ahead of them in a free role. McManaman and Beausejour should retain their places on the wings, while Arouna Koné will lead the line. This leaves Franco Di Santo, who partnered Lionel Messi in attack for a period of time in Argentina’s 1-1 draw against Bolivia, on the bench once again. As it does Ali Al-Habsi, captain Gary Caldwell, and James McArthur.

A win tomorrow would heap pressure on Southampton, Sunderland and Aston Villa, who are four, four and three points ahead of Latics respectively having played an extra match. It could also suck Norwich into the battle — although with 34 points already and home fixtures against Reading, Aston Villa, West Brom and Swansea, they should be fine.

More importantly, another win would make it five in seven for Wigan and fuel the belief that they can do it yet again.

Wigan Athletic vs. Newcastle United: Positivity pervades

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

2012-alcaraz

A refreshing wind of optimism swirls around the DW Stadium ahead of Sunday’s crunch match against Newcastle. As painful as the Liverpool setback was a fortnight ago, Roberto Martinez’s team is enjoying a fine run of form that has seen Huddersfield, Reading and Everton dispatched by three-goal spreads, with two clean sheets obtained in the process.

The results are almost as concerning as they are remarkable, however, given the successes were achieved away while the 4-0 fracas was suffered at home. Much like the bulk of last season, Wigan just cannot seem to get going on their home patch. Of course, last time around it did finally click, and in some style, with the 4-0 demolition job of Newcastle a highlight. With Norwich next in line to visit, these two home fixtures are crucial.

In any case, the injection of positivity has not jut come from reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history, but the manner in which it was achieved. I cannot remember a team so dominant at Goodison Park in the past decade — and this is certainly the strongest Everton team in that time. That Latics achieved it with a mixed lineup and attacking formation was all the more remarkable. It also makes the guess-work quite tricky for a potential lineup against Newcastle this weekend.

One unfortunate loss is that of Callum McManaman — a driving force in Wigan’s cup run — to an ankle injury. While he has not been starting in the league, he would have made a solid case to do so this weekend — particularly if Martinez continues with his more traditional back four and wingers, as opposed to his previously preferred wingback system. The switch has resulted in improved attacking play and offered much-needed unpredictability against opponents who had figured out that they key to stopping Wigan was to stop their wing-backs. It has also surprisingly improved the defensive record with two clean sheets out of four, although this may have more to do with the fitness levels of the personnel available now versus earlier in the season. Given the performances of Antolin Alcaraz and Paul Scharner against Everton, it is hard to foresee a return for captain Gary Caldwell this weekend.

If Martinez were to preserve the Everton back four, the only difference to the defence would be the return of Ali Al-Habsi. Up front, Franco Di Santo will probably join Arouna Kone, with Shaun Maloney taking McManaman’s place on the right wing. It’s anyone’s guess whether Jordi Gomez, excellent against Everton in a central midfield role, will retain his place or lose out to James McArthur.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are “fresh” from a 1-0 victory over Guus Hiddink and Samuel Eto’o’s Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala. The hope, of course, is that they will not be so fresh. Stand-in captain and Yohan Cabaye limped off in the first half of match on Thursday and will surely be a doubt. Hatem Ben Arfa has also been out with a hamstring injury. Both are quality players and important for the cause, but Newcastle nonetheless have the look of a refreshed side, reinvigorated by January signings and recent improvement.

Crucial to Wigan’s chances is striking the first blow. The team has a dangerous tendency to implode upon conceding, but has looked increasingly deadly on the break and likely to increase a lead when striking first. A patient first half approach would be wise, with a second half push if things remain cagey. A win would do wonders for the Wigan survival cause, but this is likely to be the trickier of the back-to-back home fixtures. Four points from them should be considered a success.