Category Archives: News

Wigan Athletic vs. Chelsea: Match Preview

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

Despite heartbreaking defeat in the club’s first ever Premier League fixture seven years ago, the prospect of another opening fixture against Chelsea only recalls positive memories. It was a sunny, exciting and historic day for all of us when the reigning champions — Mourinho’s Chelsea at the height of their powers — rolled into town. They were a bit like current-day Manchester City at the time, with huge investment by a foreign billionaire and a young, charismatic and shrewd operator at the helm.

The match itself was an exciting end-to-end encounter resolved at the death by an injury time wonder strike by Argentine striker Hernan Crespo, moments after Andreas Johansson might have won it for Wigan at the other end. Chelsea would go on to win the league once again while Wigan would finish an amazing 10th, still a record.

Times have changed, and there is irony to it. Chelsea are now European champions but far from the power they were in England back in 2005. They finished 25 points adrift of eventual champions Manchester City last season, and trailed them by the exact same number in goal difference. It speaks volumes that despite winning the most prestigious of club competitions, they have been busier in the transfer market than any of their direct rivals. Most of the investment has been in attacking flair players, a group of expensive and talented but largely unproven young players Victor Moses may soon join. One gets the sense that Roberto Di Matteo — who may turn out to be a very good manager — rode his luck last year after Villas-Boas’ departure and is about to face a more realistic test of his managerial abilities. All in all, they have the air of a club in transition.

In comparison… and not only with Chelsea but most of our direct competitors in the lower half of the table, we have a healthy stability and momentum on our side. The new signings (and Victor Moses’ potential/likely departure) will add an element of the same to our side on Saturday, though I tend to think Martinez will line up with a familiar XI. His preference has always been to ease new signings into the side as the season goes on unless he feels they are exceptional talents or play in must-fill vacancies. On those grounds, Koné might make an appearance on Sunday, but still probably from the bench.

James MacArthur has very unfortunately missed out on most of the pre-season through injury and is 50-50 to start alongside James McCarthy at the heart of the team. Shaun Maloney missed last year’s preparations but will be itching to start this year at the tip of the diamond. Jordi Gomez or Ben Watson should fill that third central midfield role, as much as Fraser Fyvie would love a chance at it. Surprisingly, Jordi has been used in a deeper role in the pre-season exercises and appears to be slightly ahead of Watson in the pecking order at the moment. But Roberto will have to remember who we are facing — the midfield pressing executed so excellently by the Jimmy Macs last season will need to be replicated to obtain a positive result this weekend.

At the back, it remains to be seen if Martinez opts for new signing Ivan Ramis or the excellent, though presumably fatigued Maynor Figueroa, who contributed as one of the over-age players in Honduras’ Olympic squad to keep clean sheets against talented semi-finalists Japan and pre-tournament favourites Spain at left back. Fitness is likely to be the determining factor, with captain Gary Caldwell being withdrawn during international friendly action earlier today (apparently after a shift in the holding midfield role — please leave us a comment if you watched it, with how he did).

Up front, it’s anyone’s guess. I suspect Moses may not be involved from the start just as Charles N’Zogbia wasn’t two seasons ago for not being “in the right frame of mind.” Funny to think that N’Zogbia, a far more polished player, was heading to Villa while Victor Moses, very much still a raw talent, might make the leap to Chelsea a year later.

See Jakarta Jack’s article for thoughts on the fantastic signing of Arouna Koné from Levante. He scored 15 goals in La Liga for Levante, another unfashionable side in one of the top leagues in the world, and has all the attributes to do well for us. But what does it mean for Di Santo, Boselli, and our general tactical shape?

Our guess is that Crusat may well start in place of Moses, with Di Santo up front but the starting XI largely resembles that which ended last season. We would support Martinez in resisting the urge to throw the new signings straight in. Stability and momentum are good. Give the players that achieved the impossible last Spring a chance to keep their places.

A draw would be an excellent start to the season. We shouldn’t kid ourselves — a gulf in quality remains and Chelsea have many match-winners in their side including a rejuvenated Fernando Torres. They are after all, the reigning champions of Europe.

Heart says: 2-1 Latics with a late header from Boselli or Kone.

Mind says: 1-1 Latics rally to equalize after conceding an early Chelsea goal.

Koné and change? Tactical formations at Wigan Athletic

Posted by JJ (Tony) in News, Other, Specials and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Trawling the internet for news on upcoming football transfers can certainly be entertaining, if often misleading. I quite enjoy it, but have learned to take it with a pinch of salt. This is not to denigrate the work of the internet journalists who give us these revelations: quite often they may have received a tip off from a player’s agent, family member or a club. Sometimes even the player himself. What is clear is that only a small proportion of the transfers reported by our sources, actually happen.

Over these weeks I have read  that Wigan Athletic have been interested in quite a few central strikers. The names of Victor Anichebe and DJ Campbell have been banded about more than others. But why would Latics want a fourth central striker, with Di Santo, Boselli and Sammon already on the books? If they played 4-4-2 it would be perfectly understandable, but our knowledge of Roberto Martinez and his tactical preferences precludes that possibility.

Arouna Kone has now arrived.  Although Kone has not played in the Premier League before he has all the attributes to be successful. He is strong and agile and to score 15 La Liga goals for Levante (the “other” team in Valencia) last season means he is sharp.  No league in the world plays the same kind of fast and physical football that we see in England, but La Liga is a highly competitive league, one of the world’s best. None of Latics’ previous acquisitions from Spanish clubs had established themselves as mainline players to the same degree  as Kone and the other acquisition from Mallorca, Ivan Ramis. I view both as potentially excellent signings.

Let’s get back to those internet transfer gossip sites. Today’s digest suggested Conor Sammon was headed for Derby County. The link between Sammon and Derby has come up repeatedly  but now there is talk of a permanent transfer rather than a loan deal. We may well be back to to three centre forwards again. However, is there going to be sufficient playing time for three central strikers, who are going to be on the same par, despite contrasting styles? Di Santo was developing into a fine centre forward last year, with his brilliant hold-up play and superb technique. Boselli is a natural goalscorer who has come back to Wigan motivated to show us his best. He has a fine pedigree. Kone is maybe a cross between the two in the way he plays.

So how do you fit in three quality central strikers, given the manager’s preference for the lone centre forward? Last year Victor Moses was given licence to roam, cutting in from the wings, getting into central positions. If and when Moses goes there will be wealth of players to compete for his role. Crusat,  Dicko, McManaman and the exciting new loan signing Miyaichi are the natural winger-types, who could slot in there. However, given the quality of the three central strikers now at his disposal, Martinez might choose to play one of them in the Moses  position. This would require some tactical adjustments, with a shift towards a more conventional twin striker system. Let’s hope Martinez has this in mind.

The change in tactical formation midway through last year proved to be the catalyst that helped Latics stay up, defying the odds. It helped to get the best out of the players at Martinez’s disposal. Assuming the Moses transfer, he will soon be faced with a similar challenge – how to get the best out of three quality central strikers, while not leaving out the winger-types. An exciting prospect.

Momentum building: Wigan Athletic season preview

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

On first look, it’s hard to blame the people who doom Wigan Athletic to relegation each year. On paper, our late August squad looks weaker than the lads that kept us up in May. We’ve typically lost our top player (or three) to bigger clubs and replaced them with little known youngsters from the Scottish league or unfashionable, though generally astute, Spanish-speaking gambles in their late twenties.

But this season irks more than any of the previous. How short is the memory? To repeatedly read paid journalists make the point that Latics will suffer without Hugo Rodallega and Mo Diame is more than lazy. The finest run of form in Wigan Athletic history — ultimately resulting in survival and the scalps of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, in-form Newcastle and almost European Champions Chelsea but for two horrific mistakes by match officials — was achieved with the pair of them reduced to cameos from the substitutes bench. They scored three goals between them since Christmas and all were in matches that we had already lost.

This is not a slight on either player. Both immensely talented, they were a pleasure to watch and have at the JJB/DW. Hugo, a poacher, was frustrating on the left wing but certainly a success overall and crowd favourite, and suffered from injuries last season. Diame was outstanding in the first half of the term when no one else was, before losing his place to the thoroughly committed and deservedly appreciated James McArthur after the African Cup of Nations. But the point stands that they played no real role in Latics’ sensational final two months.

If anything, that unforgettable survival run emphasized the transition of Wigan Athletic as a Premier League club where individuals come to make their name, to a club of players proud to play for Wigan that operate as a team. Mauro Boselli, recently returned after a year and a half on loan in Italy and Argentina, made the interesting comment that contrary to two years ago when he arrived, there were no longer any divisions in the squad — it feels like a team of players that play for each other. We’ll be publishing an exclusive interview with him later this week.

What people are missing is that, behind the scenes, we’ve been making steady progress. Most people see Wigan as just surviving every year. But each of Roberto Martinez’s three years have brought progress. The squad is deeper and stronger, investment in youth has been made, and our crowds are growing as a new generation grows up supporting their local team in the Premier League.

Replacing people like Valencia, Palacios and N’Zogbia was a nightmare, though their sales may have been necessary to keep the books steady. Things are changing. We would all like to hold on to Moses, but he only really clicked last season when the rest of the team did. If he leaves, there will be an adaptation period as the team re-shapes itself without him, but this is no longer a “get it out wide to Rodallega, N’Zogbia or Moses and see what they can do” situation. Roberto’s highly successful wingback system is extremely flexible, and it is intriguing to think about how it might set up. New boy Aruna Kone is an astonishing buy at a reported 2.75 million pounds or good buy at 5 million depending which price you believe — a 28 striker at the peak of his career that just managed 15 goals in the Primera Liga last season for (another) unfashionable club like Levante. Mauro Boselli is back after a good season in Argentina, and hungry. Ryo Miyachi has been signed from Arsenal and didn’t look half bad at Bolton last season. Not to mention Shaun Maloney and Franco Di Santo, two of the undisputed stars of our survival success last year.

Wigan Athletic is quietly gaining momentum. I suspect it will be the midfield and defense that will have to spend more time adapting if Moses leaves — he is truly excellent at holding the ball up and drawing fouls to give the (even) harder-working core a breather.

The other gaping hole in the squad was defensive cover for the three centre-backs. Steve Gohouri has been released. He had a rough time last year, jittery and lacking sharpness. Adrian Lopez, to whom we wish the best of luck this season, has been dodgy at best. He seemed to struggle with the pace and physicality of the game. Roberto has faith in him, but has also brought in Ivan Ramis — another very good signing at the peak of his career. There is no questioning his ability as an uncompromising centre-back, the question is how he will take to his new surroundings after a career and life spent on a gorgeous island in the Mediterranean.

I’ll save the rest of the new signings talk for Jakarta Jack, whose article is coming soon.

Prediction for the season? Not quite the lofty heights of mid-table comfort that the brilliant and much-appreciated optimists out there are suggesting, but not relegation either. Somewhere in between. I would expect a wobbly start if Moses leaves. The new signings will take time to bed in like Maloney did last year and many before him. I personally have high hopes for Boselli, although the Kone signing radically decreases his chances of a regular run in the team. Perhaps Di Santo will drop deeper into the Moses role? Or is it Crusat’s year to shine in the free role? Talented young loan signing Ryo Miyaichi?

The fixture list is never kind. With Chelsea and Man United in two of the first four fixtures, plus a hungry Stoke without the Cup distractions of last season. If there is a time to play Chelsea it is now, with all their new signings and an uncertain new era under the lucky Roberto Di Matteo (lets face it, his approach to the CL was equivalent to Roy Hodgson’s for England in the Euros — he just had a better centre-forward.) The Southampton match is crucial.

We welcome all Latics supporters to the new season. Please join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or subscribe (scroll down, lower right) to this blog. Please leave comments — we look forward to hearing from you, and c’mon Wigan — keep the faith!

* To read Jakarta Jack’s even more optimistic take on the new season, click here.

 

Blind optimism and Latics’ new season

Posted by JJ (Tony) in News, Other, Reflections and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

One of the lads in my class at school was called Brian. He claimed to be an Horwich RMI supporter.  I thought I was remarkable enough at the time, being a Latics fan, in a town dominated by the cherry and white. There were few of us Latic fanatics at school and if we dared to utter words of blind optimism about our club, our classmates were quick to shoot us down.  The message was – how can you support a measly little non-league football club? Don’t even dream of reaching the heights of our wonderful local rugby team or the football giants in neighbouring cities. However, I considered myself an optimist as far as Wigan Athletic were concerned. It was in my blood – and still is. I trust that those classmates are eating their words now.

To be honest, Brian was even more of an optimist than me. Horwich Railway Mechanics  Institute was in fact a much older football club than Wigan Athletic, having been formed in 1896. Their only major  success over those years was in winning the Lancashire Combination championship in 1957-58.  Coming up on Saturday afternoon at Springfield Park was a Lancashire Junior Cup tie between our two teams. It was akin to David and Goliath. Brian saw it differently — an epic tussle between two of Lancashire’s outstanding non-league clubs. He reeled off the names of RMI’s starting eleven, declaring each player a “good-un”, although it was clear from the intonations of his voice that some were more good than others. He had faith – I thought foolishly so – that RMI would get a good result.

Brian was right that day, the match ended in a draw. My Dad was so furious he said he wouldn’t go and watch the replay in the coming week. Their ground was a freezing, a God-forsaken place on the top if a big hill where the wind ruled the roost, he said. Their pitch was going to be rutted and would make good football impossible.

Fortunately, he relented and we took the short bus ride, and walked up to RMI’s ground at Grundy Hill.  Latics won 5-0, and Brian avoided me at school the next week, although I did quietly admire the genuine faith and optimism he seemed to have in his little club. Later, I became disillusioned to find out that he went to see Bolton more than Horwich.  But then again —  why would he announce himself a  fan of Horwich RMI rather than First Division Bolton? Strange how it turned out that Bolton now play home games  in Horwich, whereas the latest incarnation of RMI plays in Leigh.

So what would an optimist make of Wigan Athletic’s chances this season? That Bob and Dave are still here and therefore the club is continuing to move forward.  The appointment of the admirable Matt Jackson to spearhead the much needed youth system upgrade is to be commended. Boselli  is back and so far has averaged a goal a game in pre-season, having only played a half in each. He remains our potentially most clinical finisher, if not the silky skilled player that Di Santo has become. Both Fyvie and Ramis look like excellent signings. Roberto has also brought in two 19 year olds from elite Spanish clubs, each with good credentials. Assuming no major injuries or loss of form, a place in the top half of the table is a distinct possibility.

So what of Victor Moses? Why are Chelsea putting in such derisory bids for him? The odds are that he will go. He is far from the finished article, mainly with his decision-making in goal-scoring opportunities. He wasted a lot of chances last season. However,  there is a need for  a flair player like Moses, or N’Zogbia before him, to do the unpredictable and unsettle defences. Providing he can avoid injuries I expect Albert Crusat will make more of an impact this year. He is pacy, intelligent and David Silva has shown that slightly built players can flourish in the physical Premier League. It would be a mistake, however, to view Crusat as the replacement for Moses  — they are different types of player – and Dicko and McManaman will also compete for that spot.

Latics’ superb end of season performances, however, were built from the back. The three central defenders — Alcaraz, Caldwell and Figueroa – were outstanding, but one lived in fear of any injury to any of them. There was always the possibility of slotting Boyce into the centre but he was playing possibly the best football of his career at wing back. The signing of the experienced and highly capable Ivan Ramis is therefore welcomed. In fact, Figueroa might miss the first part of the season after being on Olympic duty for Honduras. Expect Ramis to slot in for him – if not it will be Lopez or Golobart.

In goal we have the outstanding Ali Al Habsi. The promising  young goalkeeper, Lee Nicholls, is clearly one for the future, but needs to get more experience before stepping in for the Omani. The 40 year old stalwart, Mike Pollitt, will be the first choice backup ‘keeper. There is newspaper talk about a promising young Australian coming on trial.

Latics are well served for wing backs. Ronnie Stam was in excellent form last season before being left out for Emmerson Boyce, who did spectacularly well. Jean Beausejour was the piece in the jigsaw puzzle that made a big difference in the latter part of last season. Wing back is not a position most clubs use, but Beausejour played in that position for Chile under Marcelo Bielsa. Both he and Stam are specialist wing backs. Ramis’ arrival allows Figueroa to serve as emergency wing-back in the event of injury to Beausejour.

Despite losing Diame and Thomas the midfield looks strong. The classy Ben Watson will fight to get his place back from James MacArthur, although he will face competition from Fraser Fyvie. The excellent James McCarthy is potentially as good as most midfield players in the Premier League and is likely to be our sought after by the big clubs before the end of the season. It may be that Fyvie is seen as his long-term replacement. He is a complete player and the goals that have been missing over the past season are likely to return. All he lacks is a little self belief.  David Jones remains a useful squad player able to play in a variety of positions. He has a great left foot and is an intelligent footballer. Hopefully he will steer clear of injuries this year.

Shaun Maloney was a revelation in the latter games of the season as the playmaker.  He has that kind of quality that can make a difference. His experience in a Celtic team that dominated the SPL has given him the level of self-confidence that most of his teammates lack. His career has been blighted by injury and one doubts his ability to make it through a full season unscathed. Jordi Gomez, the butt of some fans, remains a good footballer, able to play that role. Jordi has learned that he has to work hard off the ball and now covers a lot of ground. He is not a natural tackler, but does a lot of harassing of opponents to complement his considerable skills on the ball. Both Maloney and Gomez are likely to score goals, be it from open play or the penalty spot.

There has been talk of Conor Sammon going out on loan, although he does not seem to know anything about it. Sammon needs regular first team football if he is going to develop further. He is not likely to get it with Di Santo and Boselli ahead of him in the pecking order for the centre forward position. Speaking of loans, Lee Nicholls is already fixed up for a spell at Northampton.  One wonders how many more of last season’s loanees –  Golobart, Kiernan, Mustoe and Redmond – will be sent off again for more first team experience.

Perhaps I am being a blind optimist like my friend Brian, but with Bob and Dave still at the helm this club is going to be steered towards a bright future.  They are a great double act and deserve to succeed at the club. Whether Wigan Athletic have a good season in 2012-13 depends on the players. Shaun Maloney summed things up at the end of the season by suggesting that the great revival was brought about by hard work. We have a pretty good squad this year and with the full commitment of the players a mid-table position is a distinct possibility. Forget about the friendly loss to Real Mallorca. We are in for  a good season. Believe and keep the faith!!

The summer of Moses: should he stay or should he go?

Posted by Ned in News, Other

Premier league summers have historically been a time of dread for the Wigan Athletic supporter. While Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Arsenal — recently joined by City and Spurs — are out spending their tens of millions, Latics face the two-headed beast of keeping their prized assets at the club and persuading new talent to join one of the league’s least fashionable outfits.

It was Bullard and Chimbonda that first season, it was Charles N’Zogbia last season, and there’ve been plenty in between. The fact is, Latics’ recruitment strategy is based on the promise to young or unproven foreign players that they will be given the chance to develop their game at Wigan before eventually moving on to a bigger club. So the question is really not “will he leave?” but “when and how will he leave?” It is a calculation involving two key factors: how easy or hard he is to replace, and what is his potential value? (Which depends largely on how many years he has left on his Wigan contract)

This year’s case is a classic example. Victor Moses is by far Latics most saleable asset. Young, undeniably talented, physically imposing, he is the player that can make something out of nothing. If media reports are to be believed, he wants out, with Chelsea the most likely destination. His agent, Tony Finnegan, has been banging the transfer drum for most of the summer. He only has a year left on his contract and appears unwilling to sign a new one, meaning he could leave on a free transfer a year from now. It is believed that Latics are asking for something in the region of 9-10 million pounds. Is one season of Vic worth that much money to a club with limited resources at this level like Wigan?

Don’t get me wrong. We’d all love Victor to sign a new Wigan contract, give us another season, and if he must leave, do so for a decent sum of money. But the fact of the matter is that looks highly unlikely. And so, if the question is leave now for 9-10 million, or stay and leave for a tribunal set fee nowhere near our valuation of the player, the answer has to be go now. Progress is being made all the way from the first team down to the youth squad, but we must realize that it is player sales like those of Luis Valencia and Wilson Palacios that have allowed for that money to be invested in long-term sustainability. As valuable as he is to the first team, we need to cash in on him while we can — the time is now.

Chelsea, however, are not making things so easy. In addition to the existing competition like Juan Mata, Daniel Sturridge, Florent Malouda, Yossi Benayoun and Gael Kakuta, they’ve signed three more attacking mid or winger types in Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Brazilian Oscar. Vic would almost certainly spend most of the season on his backside, on the bench, although he is potentially better than many of the aforementioned. Potential is the key word, however — the irony is that what he needs to break into the Chelsea team is another year at Wigan.

And so… what if a deal could be negotiated in which Chelsea bought him this year but loaned him back to us for further development? Wigan would lower their valuation a couple million to account for the season-long loan, Chelsea would have their man and not risk losing him to someone else next summer when he becomes a free agent, and the player himself would benefit from continued development. Unlikely scenario, but worth a discussion?

Inbound

The capture of Ivan Ramis has hardly been headline news around the country but represents a major coup for Roberto. Very few Martinez signings boast extensive experience in a top level league. The more experienced players like Gary Caldwell or Antolin Alcaraz came from weaker leagues. Others like Ali Al-Habsi or Franco Di Santo were reserves at their Premier League clubs. Even the promising youngsters who have grown up in Latics colours like Moses himself, McCarthy or McArthur came from the Championship or Scotland.

But Ramis is more than experienced. He is the right age, at 27, to come in and make an instant impact but still have a potentially long career at Wigan. He provides competition in the centre of defense, but could also free up Maynor Figueroa to play a more attacking wing-back role should Jean Beausejour ever get injured or need a rest. He spent his entire career at Mallorca and appears to be a loyal professional. Last season, Mallorca’s defense kept 10 clean sheet and finished 8th in the Spanish first division. His style is physical, but we can expect his distribution to be good. And he apparently rejected West Ham in order to join us, which is icing on the cake. Although I’ve not seen this last nugget confirmed by a reliable source.