Category Archives: Match Previews

Striking problems for Caldwell ahead of Shrewsbury match

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Previews and tagged with , , , , , , ,
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Will Gary Caldwell lose sleep over choosing his attacking players for the Shrewsbury game tomorrow?

Question – which club in cash-strapped League 1 can afford to leave a £1 million striker on the bench?

The response is that Wigan Athletic can. Moreover they did it last Saturday when Will Grigg was not only on the bench, but was not called on to the field of play as the game at Rochdale progressed.

Wigan Athletic’s affluence is clearly the envy of so many clubs in their division. According to Rochdale manager Keith Hill, Latics are the Manchester United of League 1. Indeed the squad that Gary Caldwell has put together is formidable compared those of their rivals. There is a minimum of two players fighting for each position, a healthy state of affairs as far as the manager is concerned.

Of course, Latics are in a lower division now, but it could be argued that Caldwell’s squad is superior to that of Malky Mackay in the Championship. The biggest weakness in Mackay’s squad was in the area of strikers. The hapless Scot not only persisted with a centre forward who went on to score one league goal in 34 appearances, but also played  winger James McClean as a central striker, where he looked like a fish out of water.

In contrast Caldwell has a wealth of striking options available to him. At Rochdale he employed a 4-2-3-1 system, meaning that he had four specialist attackers in his starting lineup. Typically this season he has lined up with three attackers in a 3-4-3 formation, but with wing backs pushed far forward. But even though he played with four attackers he was still able to leave Grigg on the bench, with Jordy Hiwula, Sanmi Odelusi and Haris Vuckic not even making the match day squad.

Caldwell has been talking to the media recently about his sleepless nights, as he mulls around in his head the different permutations and combinations available to him. One wonders if his sleep will be any better tonight given the Shrewsbury match coming up tomorrow. It is not only the personnel he chooses for the match to be considered, but also the “shape”. According to Caldwell he had decided on a new formation early in the week because of the way Rochdale attack. Then his headache was to choose the players to lineup in that different “shape”.

In previous eras there have been managers who have had a set way of playing, with the players having to fit into the system. There have been other managers who have adapted the style and shape of the team in order to get the best out of the players at their disposal. This was certainly the case for Wigan Athletic in the 2011-12 season. Latics were bottom of the Premier League in November 201l. Following yet another defeat, this time by Wolves, Roberto Martinez switched from a flat back four to having three central defenders and two wing backs. The change in shape was to catalyse a revival in performances, enabling Latics to finish in 15th place, 7 points clear of relegation. The 3-4-3 system had become the norm under Martinez as he used it to get the best out of the players at his disposal.

Having played in Martinez’s 3-4-3 and seeing its results Gary Caldwell is clearly a fan. Like Martinez, Caldwell too looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the upcoming opposition. Martinez would sometimes change his team’s shape during a game if things were not working out, although he would typically stand by his 3-4-3 set up. In contrast, already in his brief reign, Caldwell has adopted a variety of tactical formations and is not afraid to radically change his team’s shape within the ninety minutes.

What kind of tactical formation will Caldwell employ tomorrow against Shrewsbury? Will he persist with his four attackers in the 4-2-3-1 formation or will he revert to 3-4-3? Will Caldwell consider the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition before figuring out his formation?

Part of the reason for Grigg’s benching at Rochdale will surely be down to his late arrival, following his early release from the Northern Ireland squad. Another factor must be the presence of Craig Davies. The 29 year old is a superb centre forward at League 1 level. Were it not for a succession of injuries the big man would surely have played at higher levels throughout his career. Following a hamstring problem he was absent for more than five weeks. He came back on October 20th at Peterborough as a 76th minute substitute. He made a similar late entrance in the next two matches before starting in the FA Cup match at Bury. Davies started in the next two matches against Blackpool and Rochdale, being substituted around the two thirds mark in each. Caldwell is using Davies wisely in the hope that he can have a sustained run in the team without injury. Davies’ ability to turn a defender makes him a nightmare for opposition defences, but he also has pace and no mean levels of skill and tactical awareness.

Caldwell will be seeking the right blend among his attackers. Yanic Wildschut’s emergence has provided a whole new dynamic to the forward line and his is one of the first names to go on Caldwell’s team sheet. Michael Jacobs has been one of Caldwell’s leading players this season and will surely challenge for a place tomorrow. But what of the players who did not make the squad last week?

After scoring two goals against Blackpool, Hiwula could count himself unlucky not to have been included last week. In fact in terms of goals per start and goals per appearance in his career he is statistically Latics’ best goal threat:

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Hiwula is not a “target man” type of striker, but he clearly has an eye for goal and will remain in Caldwell’s thinking.

Caldwell might not sleep well tonight, as he decides on tomorrow’s lineup. Moreover he will surely also be thinking ahead of the visit of high flying Burton Albion on Tuesday. Will he stick with that same four-pronged attack that did so well at Rochdale or will he bring back Grigg to partner Davies up front?

However, many managers in League 1 will not feel even one ounce of sorrow for Caldwell, who currently has an abundance of options at his disposal. His team selection headaches are those which so many other managers in the division would love to have.

Swindon (H) Preview – beware of the banana skin

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

Man looking the other way while slipping on a banana peel

Swindon Town finished fourth in League 1 last season. They currently sit second from bottom, with only three wins so far. They are at low ebb. Surely it is a good time for Latics to play them? Or perhaps not.

It is the end of October and Gary Caldwell’s “new era” team are in the playoff zone, not having suffered a defeat in nine matches. They are unbeaten in league games at the DW Stadium. In contrast Swindon sacked their manager, Mark Cooper, a couple of weeks ago. Moreover their chairman has taken over as manager. His first game saw a 2-1 home loss to Oldham Athletic, followed by a 2-2 home draw with Coventry City.

However, the Robins’ chairman is an ex-professional footballer, with previous managerial experience. Lee Power started off at Norwich City before playing for ten more clubs in a career spanning a decade. Two broken legs helped finish his footballing career at the age of 28. Power became chairman of Cambridge United in August 2006 and within a month he took over as caretaker manager following the dismissal of Ron Newman. In April 2013 he bought into Swindon and became chairman seven months later.

Swindon’s poor start to the season can be largely attributed to the selling of key assets over the summer together with injury problems. Nathan Byrne went to Wolves and Ben Gladwin and Massimo Luongo to QPR before the season started. At one stage they had 12 players out of action through injury.

Wigan’s new weapon, Yanic Wildschut, is likely to be a marked man tomorrow. Swindon will do their best to stop him using his blistering pace to effect. The Dutchman has made a huge impression at Latics over the past month and management want to keep him long term, but that will not only depend on Middlesbrough’s willingness to let him go, but also on competing with other clubs for his signing.

Teams are starting to realise the danger that Latics pose as an attacking unit. Not only is the three pronged attack of Wildschut, Grigg and Jacobs a potent force, but Caldwell can also change things to playing the two big men – Davies and Holt – as twin strikers. Moreover he will shortly have the cultured left foot of Haris Vuckic available to provide balance. In each of the last two matches the opposition received five yellow cards to Wigan’s one, an indication of the tactics some managers will use to nullify Latics’ good football and attacking flair.

Providing there are no injuries we can expect Caldwell to field an unchanged starting lineup tomorrow. He now has such a wealth of players at his disposal that he will have to think hard not only about those who will start, but also those who will make the bench.

Power regards tomorrow’s match as the hardest away league game of the season for his team. Early next week he expects to step back to the boardroom, with the appointment of a new manager. He will be hoping for a surprise result tomorrow.

Caldwell will be aware of the banana skin that the game with Swindon represents and will be hoping for an early goal to set the tone. Should that happen then more would surely come, but should it not Latics will need to be patient and disciplined.

It promises to be a fascinating encounter.

Avoiding another mauling – Millwall Preview

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Previews and tagged with , , , ,
"But it's a man's game". Neil Harris, Millwall manager.

“But it’s a man’s game”. Neil Harris, Millwall manager.

“That’s totally out of our control. We never throw in the towel at this club. In the first half there was one team trying to play football and one team out to rough us up.”

So said Gary Caldwell in April after Latics had been mauled by Millwall’s players and their crowd. Millwall manager, Neil Harris had a different view:

“That was a Millwall performance. I don’t condone melees but if you need a spark down at The Den you have to look after your own. I can see an argument for all three red cards. But it’s a man’s game. I can’t ask for commitment, passion, tackles, and then criticise one of my players for it.”

Latics had gone into that match at the New Den in mid-April, not having won for six matches. However, as the match started they soon settled into a possession style of football that frustrated the fiercely partisan home support. The crowd prompted their team to “get stuck in” and they did so with a series of professional fouls, in an attempt to knock Latics off their game. However, Latics managed to stay relatively calm, retaining the majority of possession until the half time whistle had blown with the score 0-0.

Up to that point the referee had resisted the baying of the crowd. Sadly he did not in the second half with Martyn Waghorn being sent off for a silly retaliation after 54 minutes. Ten men Wigan were unable to hold out, with Millwall scoring 20 minutes later. Jason Pearce and Ed Upson of Millwall were sent off after 80 minutes, a poor refereeing decision, and Latics conceded another near the end. The foul count revealed sixteen committed by Millwall to seven by Latics, with the home side receiving four yellow cards to Wigan’s two. However, what would the statistics have looked like had looked like if a stronger, more competent referee had been in charge?

Caldwell had surely known what to expect in that visit to South Bermondsey. In the 0-0 draw at the DW earlier in October the Lions had committed nineteen fouls to Wigan’s eleven, receiving three yellow cards to the home team’s none.

One wonders what kind of advice Caldwell will be giving his team tomorrow when Millwall are once again the visitors to the DW Stadium. Neil Harris is still in charge and Millwall have improved after a rocky start to the season, standing a point behind Latics in eleventh place. Surprisingly it is their home record that has disappointed – they have won three and drawn one of their four away games.

Latics come into the game following a similar physical battering at Oldham. Once again a Wigan player was unable to withstand intimidatory tactics from the opposition, leading to him retaliating and being sent off. Jordan Flores was by no means the only Latics player to have been systematically fouled.

Going down to ten men led to the match turning in the opponents’ favour, with Wigan apparently stunned by what had happened on both occasions. There are fans who were critical that Caldwell did not seem to have a plan on Saturday to help his team cope, following the sending off. He did make a substitution three minutes after Flores’ expulsion, but it was a like-for-like with Sanmi Odelusi replacing Jordy Hiwula.

Can Latics handle intimidatory tactics by the opposition? Can they match the other teams physically? Will referees give some degree of protection to their creative players? The statistics make interesting reading.

In their four home league games Latics have committed an average of 15 fouls, compared to 11 by the opposition. They have received 8 yellow cards, the opposition 4.

In their five league away games Wigan’s average foul count is 10, compared with 12 for the opposition. They have received 2 red cards and 7 yellows, the opposition 11 yellows.

In total Wigan have committed five fouls more than the opposition, with the same number of yellow cards, but with two red cards to zero.

The stats suggest that Caldwell’s side is not lacking in aggression, particularly at home.

However, there are fans who are not comfortable with Caldwell’s adherence to a Martinez-esque style of possession football, preferring a more direct style of play leading to more shots on goal. Once again the stats provide an insight.

At the DW Stadium Latics have averaged 58% possession, with 52% away from home. The only team to dominate Latics for possession was Chesterfield. In home games, in terms of shots (shots on target in brackets), Latics have had 48(22) compared with the opponents’ 34(10). Away from home the figures are 50(23) for Latics and 53(21) for the opposition.

Some will argue that too much of Wigan’s possession consists of sterile passing across the defensive line. It allows the opposition to regroup, eliminating the surprise aspect of Wigan’s play. Moreover it has too often led to mistakes being made at the back that have either led to goals or threatened to do so.

However, others will say that the defenders holding on to the ball gives the midfield and forwards some respite, an important factor given the physical demands of League 1. They will also cite that it is an integral part of a possession style of football that allows Latics to probe the opposition defences for openings.

The stats show that Latics have not only had more possession, but also taken more marginally more shots, with more on target, than the opposition.

Wigan Athletic have a salary bill that dwarfs that of the majority of clubs in the division. They have players of proven quality together with an exciting group of youngsters which augurs well for the future. It is a squad that should grow in stature as the season progresses, providing injuries keep to a minimum.

Despite the pressure of promotion upon him, Caldwell has given youth its chance in a way that no other Latics manager has done in recent memory. However, younger players tend to be less consistent than their more experienced counterparts and also more likely to be wound up by cynical opponents. Caldwell will be hoping to bring back from injury his more experienced players, to  provide the backbone of the team. Craig Morgan and Kevin McNaughton at the back, Francisco Junior in midfield and Craig Davies, Will Grigg and Haris Vuckic in attack are all key players in Caldwell’s system.

Like Wigan, Millwall too have seen a lot of comings and goings over summer. Seventeen players have left, with seven coming in. Their squad now includes more players who have come through their academy.

However, Wigan’s record against Millwall over the years reads W7 D8 L12, even if one of those wins included an FA Cup semi-final victory. With Harris remaining in charge Latics can expect a physical encounter. Self-discipline will be important.

Caldwell will want to play two strikers up front. Grigg was an unused substitute on Saturday, but Caldwell may well be tempted to put the striker in despite his elbow injury. Perhaps Davies will also appear. If not we might expect a cameo appearance from Grant Holt.

Tomorrow’s game is unlikely to be pretty. Latics must not allow themselves to be mauled again and the foul count for both sides could be high. Caldwell will be looking for a win ahead of the visit of high flying Walsall at the weekend.

Ned’s season preview

Posted by Ned in Match Previews, Reflections and tagged with

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In anticipation of the opening league game of the season we were approached by  www.undertheprem.co.uk to respond to some questions from them. The following article will shortly appear on their site.

HOW DID YOU FEEL THE 14/15 SEASON WENT FOR YOUR TEAM?

From my perspective, last season was the worst in Wigan Athletic history. Everything went wrong. From Uwe Rosler’s initially promising transfer dealings, to the appalling appointment of Malky Mackay, Dave Whelan’s subsequent defence of it, to the loss of identity on and off the pitch, and ultimately, relegation.

The atmosphere at the club was as dark as it has ever been, with a dressing room that had seen greater turnover in a year than any other in the country. For a period of time, it felt as though the club had lost its direction and the strong ethos that had guided it so successfully for so many years prior.

The darkness was finally lifted, however, when Gary Caldwell was installed as manager with a handful of games to go. Though he couldn’t steer us to safety, his impact was immediate – we saw a welcome return to the footballing values, both on and off the pitch, of his former manager and mentor, Roberto Martinez.

HAVE YOU BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE ADDITIONS MADE DURING THE SUMMER BREAK?

It’s hard to assess them at this stage – there are so many of them. On paper, and in theory, yes. Will Grigg is exactly the type of striker we have been unable to secure for years, a tricky all-rounder with a proven goalscoring record in the league we’re in, and experience playing in a lone role.

Craig Morgan appears an excellent signing in the defensive department, with important leadership skills and experience to build an organized unit around. Michael Jacobs will hopefully provide the much needed flair to unlock defenses, while Max Power looks a cultured player. Reece James from Manchester United sounds well-suited to the tactical systems likely to be employed by Gary Caldwell, seamlessly switching back and forth from traditional full-back to wing-back roles. Richard O’Donnell should be a reliable keeper and is accomplished in this division.

ARE THERE ANY AREAS YOU FEEL STILL NEED STRENGTHENING?

I feel we need another flair player or two, be that a winger or a second forward capable of playing in the hole behind Grigg. Another dribbler. At the moment we look a bit reliant on Jacobs producing a moment of magic. Craig Davies, the most likely to partner Grigg up front, has a bad injury record, and Billy McKay hasn’t quite come off yet at Wigan – I’d also be on the lookout for another striker, perhaps on loan until Grant Holt makes his comeback.

ARE THERE ANY FIXTURES THAT YOU’RE PARTICULARLY LOOKING FORWARD TO?

Coventry City, today. While we need to be patient with what is essentially a brand new squad and rookie manager, I think most of us Latics fans just can’t wait to get the new season under way and banish the demons of yesteryear. There is a real feeling of goodwill and optimism around the club – a fresh start for everyone – and we just want to start enjoying watching and supporting our team again.

WHICH OPPOSITION TEAM DO YOU HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR THIS SEASON?

Sheffield United sound like the team to watch after their near miss last year. Even more so after signing ex-Latic Conor Sammon! He may have only scored one goal for us in thirty-ish appearances, but it was a good ‘un! Sparked the comeback against West Ham which kept us up for another glorious season of Premier League play. He should be quality at League 1 level.

WHICH PLAYERS AMONG YOUR SQUAD SHOULD WE BE LOOKING OUT FOR THIS TERM?

The obvious ones are Will Grigg and Michael Jacobs – proven performers in this division with goals and flair respectively. But I’m personally really hoping one of our loanees from Everton, Francisco Junior, takes advantage of the fresh start we’re giving him and fulfills some of his huge potential in midfield. Roberto wouldn’t have sent him to us if he didn’t think he had something to offer.

One massive question mark is Grant Holt. His signing two years ago has been an unmitigated disaster, with injuries, loan spells, differences of opinion, and managerial changes combining to keep from making any impact other than draining the club’s coffers on his big wages. But if, and this is a big if – he can make a full recovery to a serious knee injury at age 34 – he could be something of a wild card in this division and mend a strained relationship with the club’s fans. It’ll be fascinating to see.

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’LL END UP AT THE END OF THE SEASON?

A slow start to the season as the team beds in. Mid-table by Christmas and playoffs all things told.