Category Archives: Other

Blackpool 1 Wigan Athletic 0 – Maloney sadly missed

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

A Tom Ince penalty in the 24th minute was enough to win the points for Blackpool, as Wigan’s poor away form continued. The record now reads won one, lost four on the road. The inaccuracy of Latics’ finishing in the match was reflected in the stats revealing they had 20 shots on goal, with only one on target.

A well organized Blackpool, with a tight and rugged defence, proved strong opposition for Latics. Carson’s reckless intervention allowed Gosling to go to ground to give the Seasiders a lead that Wigan were unable to overcome. The big Latics goalkeeper was lucky not to receive a red card.

Latics made two changes from their lineup against Blackburn, bringing in Emmerson Boyce for Ryan Shotton and Callum McManaman for Jean Beausejour. Nick Powell was named ahead of Grant Holt and Marc Antoine Fortune at centre forward.

Apart from the penalty there were few clear cut goal opportunities for either side until the last 15 minutes when the action started.

Powell had an early chance for Wigan but headed wide at point blank range. Ben Watson and James McArthur were winning the midfield battle, but there was little penetration in Wigan’s play. Jordi Gomez was unable to put through incisive passes to unlock a strong defence and the wingers McManaman and McClean could not provide quality crosses into the penalty box.

Coyle decided a more direct approach was needed after 58 minutes when he brought on Holt and Fortune for Powell and Gomez. Given the two big central strikers’ recent injury problems it was a risky choice to bring them both on so early.  With two attacking wingers and two central strikers it was akin to an old 4-2-4 formation. Coyle added to the risk factor by bringing on Beausejour for McManaman just 7 minutes later.

In those hectic final 15 minutes the game could have gone either way. The changes meant that Latics had more attacking thrust, but the defence was vulnerable to counter-attacks. Big Jamaican forward Ricardo Fuller burst through for Blackpool but chipped over the bar. Leon Barnett and Grant Holt soon after had headers that hit the woodwork. Barnett had a powerful shot well saved by Gilkes and Boyce had an effort kicked off the line.

In the final minutes Wigan’s defence was repeatedly exposed, but poor finishing and good goalkeeping by Carson kept Blackpool out.

James McClean capped a frustrating display by getting a straight red card in the dying moments. The Irishman had been booked for bad tackle in the first half, berating the referee for his decision. This time he felt that the corpulent Blackpool central defender Gary MacKenzie had stamped on him. Then McClean lost his self control and it took a considerable effort from teammates to hold him back from confronting the opposition and referee. Why McClean actually got sent off remains a mystery – he certainly had not retaliated in any serious way against MacKenzie.

The Good

Latics played with spirit in the final period, even if the quality of their football was not top notch. If one of those chances had gone in they might well have gone on to win the game.

Ben Watson and James McArthur continue to play well together in central midfield, although in this game they did not get as far forward as one would have liked. Although Thomas Rogne could not keep up the high level of recent performances the defence continues to look more solid. Barnett is a dominant presence and James Perch has helped provide more defensive stability at left back, if limited in his attacking abilities.

Blackpool are one of the better sides in the division and Latics certainly matched them. A draw would way have been a fair result, although the Seasiders could have walked away with a wider victory had they taken their chances on the counter attack.

The Bad

Without Shaun Maloney Latics lack someone who can put through a defence-splitting pass. Gomez did not have the best of days, but his record on providing assists has always been found wanting. Maloney is also missed in the taking of free kicks. Latics had set piece opportunities in good positions for shots on goal, but never looked like converting them.

Coyle rode his luck in putting on all three substitutes with 25 minutes remaining. He was lucky there were no injuries. His risk of changing to 4-2-4 can be praised as bold or condemned as foolhardy. It helped Latics create more goalscoring opportunities, but left the defence badly exposed.

Player Ratings:

Scott Carson: 7 – despite the penalty he was once again one of the better performers.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – unlucky with his effort in the closing minutes. Worked hard, if not at his best.

Thomas Rogne: 5 – the young central defender had a bit of an off day. He made errors in his passing and did not look on top of his game.

Leon Barnett: 8 – a powerhouse in defence and dangerous in the opposition box. He made an amazing and brave goal line clearance to deny  Blackpool near the end.

James Perch: 6 – solid.

Ben Watson: 7 – continues to look a class act in this division. Good in tacking and intercepting, intelligent with his passing.

James McArthur: 8 – forms an excellent midfield duo with Watson. A complete midfield player who runs himself into the ground for his team.

Jordi Gomez: 5 – poor. Taken off after 58 minutes.

Callum McManaman: 5 – unable to trouble the Blackpool defence. Taken off after 65 minutes.

Nick Powell: 5 – ineffective. Taken off after 58 minutes.

James McClean: 5 – worked hard, but so often ran into blind alleys. Needs to control his temperament.

Substitutes:

Grant Holt:  – made a difference when he came on. Dangerous in the box.

Marc Antoine Fortune: – looked rusty. Ineffective.

Jean Beausejour: – could not impose himself on the game.

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Phasing out Martinez’s men?

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

Fraser Fyvie

“It’s not great. The manager’s just not given me any chance at all. Of course it’s demoralising. You go down there and a manager (Martinez) buys you and tries to mould you into the player that he wants you to be and then of course he went to Everton. The new manager (Owen Coyle) has come in and he’s got his own players, so there’s not much I can do apart from prove a point to him that I want to get in the Wigan side.”

The words of Fraser Fyvie quoted by the Scottish Herald, before he joined Yeovil Town on a three month loan deal today. The young  Scot had not even been made the bench, let alone started, in a league game this season.

Were Roger Espinoza  less tactful he too might say something similar.  A star in  an Honduras side that has secured qualification for Brazil, he has started in only two league matches for Latics this season.

Despite his international experience – 34 caps for his country at the age of 26 – Espinoza has not appeared in either of the Europa League games up to this point.  In the league matches where the Honduran made the starting line-up he was taken off after 65 minutes against Nottingham Forest and 55 minutes at Leicester.

The loan of Rob Kiernan to Southend was announced earlier this week. It is the central defender’s fourth loan  move since joining Latics in 2011.

Kiernan is 22 years old and does not yet have the right kind of experience to enable him to challenge for a first team place. He has made regular appearances for Latics’ under 21 team, but the lack of serious competition in the Central League would not have done much for his development. The under 21s  find themselves in a division of clubs from the third and fourth tier of English football. The gap between the level of football in the Central League and that of the Championship is huge.

Fyvie is only 20. Unlike Kiernan he has considerable  experience at a competitive level. He was signed as a 19 year old with more than 50 senior games prior experience under his belt for Aberdeen. Roberto Martinez used him sparingly last year, presumably giving him a year to adapt to English football. Fyvie has the potential to be a good player at Premier League level.

When Coyle signed Chris McCann, Fyvie probably saw the warning signs.  The squad was already overloaded with quality midfield players despite relegation from the Premier League. McCann himself has had few opportunities, despite his previous record of success in the division and might well prove to be a player of Premier League quality were the opportunity to arise.

Conspiracy theorists will say that Coyle is ridding himself of players he inherited.

Questions remain about the futures of long term injured players – Gary Caldwell, Ali Al Habsi and Ivan Ramis. Two of the three are ex-players of the year for Latics. The third – Ramis – might have received the same honour had his season not been curtailed by a cruciate knee ligament injury at Fulham in January.

One also wonders about Shaun Maloney.

A new manager typically brings in his own players. Coyle has done well in recruiting new players who can help Latics get back to the Premier League. That is quite distinct to preparing a squad that can get promotion and hold their own at that higher level.

Coyle runs the risk of losing players who have already proven themselves at Premier League level, let alone a potential talent like Fraser Fyvie.

One hopes that the conspiracy theorists are misguided.

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Progress Report: Owen Coyle

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

Coyle4Owen Coyle surely knows that the npower Championship is not an easy place for a football manager.

He has been there twice before. In the 2008-09 season he was successful, taking Burnley back to the top tier of English football for the first time since 1976. Just over three years later his inability to halt his team’s slide down that same division caused his release by Bolton.

If a manager is looking for longevity at a football club he should steer clear of the Championship, where the average length of stay is much lower than in the Premier League and Leagues 1 and 2. Statistics provided by the League Managers Association put the average length of stay for a Championship club manager at a mere 1.16 years.

The likelihood is that Coyle will spend no more than a year as manager of Wigan Athletic in the Championship. He was appointed on a one year contract with the brief of getting the club back into the Premier League. If he fails to do so it is unlikely that he will stay. If he were to win promotion Dave Whelan would then need to decide if he were the right man to lead the club in the Premier League.

Can Coyle succeed in reaching the goal of getting the club back into the top flight?

Let’s take a look at his progress so far. The grades go on a scale from A (excellent) to E (poor).

Success in the Transfer Market: – A

Coyle was faced with an uphill task when he arrived. The playing squad had been decimated over the summer through players leaving at the end of their contracts. Moreover three of the senior professionals he inherited were recuperating from treatment for long-term injuries.

Coyle has done a remarkable job in bringing in twelve new players, including two on loan. All the players he has brought in are suitable for a Championship promotion run. Some players came in at the ends of their contracts with previous clubs, others for bargain fees.

Moreover he has left the club in a good position financially. The funds he received for the transfers of Mauro Boselli, Arouna Kone and James McCarthy by far outweigh what he has spent on new signings.

Although the transfer window is now closed Coyle continues to scour the market for further loan signings.  When the window opens again in January he will be in a position to spend money were the right player to become available.

Public Relations: – B

Coyle might lack the charisma of his predecessor, but he is eloquent and comes over as a bubbly, positive person with the media. He has made a point of recognizing the importance of the fans. His warm briefing to fans on the aeroplane to Belgium was something special.

Results so far: – C

Latics are currently in 11th place in the Championship, but have a game in hand. At home their record is W2 D2 L0, with an away record of W1 D0 L2.

They got a good result in their first-ever Europa League match, drawing 0-0 against Zulte Waregem in Belgium.

They lost 5-0 at Manchester City in the League Cup.

Given the high proportion of new players in the squad it is not surprising that results up to this point have not reached most fans’ expectations.

Although Coyle’s primary goal is promotion to the Premier League he also has an obligation to fans to ensure that Wigan give a good account of themselves in the Europa League.  Few supporters will be upset with the club’s exit from the League Cup, given that it was Latics’ third game in six days.

Results over the next three months are likely to be unpredictable, with so many matches to play in a packed calendar. However, by January the three long-term injured players – Al Habsi, Caldwell and Ramis – should be back in action and the six matches in the group stage of the Europa League will have been completed. The transfer window will reopen and new players can be brought in to supplement the squad.

Latics need to be in at least a mid-table position in the Championship by the end of December if they are going to make a push towards promotion.

The Balance and Quality of the Playing Squad: – B

Coyle has done well in making sure that there are at least two players competing for every position.

The players he inherited are experienced Premier League players, capable of excelling in the Championship. Many of the players he has brought in had ample Premier League experience;  others had performed at good levels in the Championship.

The squad is particularly high on quality in the areas of goalkeeping and midfield. It is currently light in the area of strikers.

Coyle has recruited largely British or Irish players. Of the three from outside the British Isles two speak good English.  Many of the overseas players brought in by Martinez  left in summer. The benefit is that fewer players are going to come back jet-lagged and exhausted after international breaks, which was problematic in the Martinez era. The higher proportion of  British and Irish players is  going to change not only the languages spoken in the dressing room, but also the style of play.

Coyle has already been unlucky in having key attacking players ruled out by injury. Callum McManaman is still not fully fit and injuries to Grant Holt, Marc-Antoine Fortune and Shaun Maloney have made life difficult for the manager.

The challenge for Coyle is in uniting the new players with those he inherited. Let’s hope there is no truth in the rumours of rifts between the two camps.

Tactics and Team Selection: – D

When a new manager comes in he usually brings with him his own tactical stamp. None has been evident from Coyle up to this stage.

It is still early days but Latics lack a defined playing style. The one consistent feature has been playing with a flat back four. He has put in lineups without attacking width, other times using two wingers. The norm has been a lone centre forward, but he has also fielded twin Continue reading →

A Stoke fan’s view of Ryan Shotton

Posted by Ned in Other, Specials and tagged with

Ryan Shotton

Ryan Shotton has made a promising start to his career at Wigan Athletic. The big 24 year old defender arrived at Wigan only three weeks ago, on loan from Stoke City until January.

We reached out to a father and son team who are lifelong Stoke City fanatics for their views on the player. Our thanks go to Will Condliffe, and his dad Paul Condliffe, for this interesting article.

Local lad Ryan Shotton came through the ranks at Stoke City and was the first youngster to progress through the club’s new academy set-up

He signed professional terms in 2007 and went out on loan to Altrincham, Tranmere Rovers and Barnsley to gain first team experience before breaking into the Stoke squad towards the end of the 2010-11.

Under the leadership of then manager Tony Pulis, Stoke fans thought that another ‘Stokie’ would at long-last follow in the footsteps of the likes of Stanley Matthews, Gordon Banks, Denis Smith and Jimmy Greenhoff and go on to regularly wear the red and white stripes in the top flight of English football. Indeed he went on to make 50 appearances for The Potters, scoring in the UEFA League in 2011-12 against Hajduk Split and Maccabi Tel Aviv. .

However, although Shotton was developed through the youth set-up as a centre-back he was used by Pulis as a full-back, a wide midfielder and even as a stand-in forward on several occasions. Unable to break the partnership of the impressive Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross, Shotton never had an opportunity in his most natural position and perhaps this is where the route of his problems, and his demise, lie.

Towards the end of last season, as the Potters’ form slumped and the club was dragged into a relegation battle, many his own fans turned on him – jeering his name when the starting line-up was announced and cheering as his number went up on the substitute’s board. This was cruel and harsh and certainly impacted on his confidence, if not his enthusiasm. He certainly wasn’t the only player under-performing at the time. That said, he did look like a fish out of water, or perhaps more aptly, a centre-back out of position. He doesn’t quite posses the pace, skill and guile to be a ‘modern’ overlapping full-back (let alone a right midfielder) and all too often gets caught out defensively there too.

It can’t be denied that Ryan gives his all but sadly he lacks that special something that makes a top classplayer. Possessing a long throw not exactly as bullet-like as Rory Delap’s but effective nonetheless, Shotton is a worker and will give 100% to the cause and maybe in the Championship will find his level.

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Zulte Waregem 0 Wigan Athletic 0 – an historic point gained

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

A gritty display helped Wigan Athletic gain a valuable point away from home in their first Europa League match.

Owen Coyle made seven changes to the lineup that faced Leicester last weekend. Latics started the game without a recognized centre forward and with a couple of centre backs – James Perch and Ryan Shotton – who had never played together before.

Stephen Crainey returned at left back. In midfield James McArthur played in the holding role in front of the back four, with Jordi Gomez to the right and Chris McCann to the left. Nick Powell was thrust into the unfamiliar role of centre forward, with Callum McManaman and James McClean on the wings.

Latics had made a bright start, with a rasping drive from James McArthur hitting the post in the 3rd minute. For the first 20 minutes they had their fair share of the ball, but from then on the home side asserted themselves in midfield. The Wigan defence had to work hard as Zulte Waregem pressed in the remainder of the first half.

Latics had a scare on 35 minutes when McClean headed on to his own crossbar. Soon after McCann was dispossessed outside the penalty box and Carson had to make a fine save from Conte.

The home team dominated the second half with over 70% of the possession. However, Wigan kept their shape, with the midfield dropping back to make a solid line in front of the penalty area.

Latics finally announced their attacking intentions by bringing on Marc-Antoine Fortune after  66 minutes, together with Ben Watson. Gomez and McManaman went off. Fortune was to have few opportunities as the home side continued in the ascendancy.

There were several close calls around the Wigan goal before James Perch had a snap shot well saved by goalkeeper Sammy Bossut.  Zulte Waregem continued to press throwing everything they could at the Latics defence, which somehow kept them out.

Nouha Dicko replaced Nick Powell after 82 minutes, only to have a penalty claim against him not long after. The Polish referee, who had been excellent all night, ignored the home team claims.

In the 86th minute McCann threw his body in the way of a shot that had ‘goal’ written all over it – a remarkable block. Somehow Latics survived the 90 minutes plus 3 minutes of time added on.

Zulte Waregem were disappointed with the result, but Coyle was clearly delighted. His patched-up team had played with real endeavour and worked so hard to get this historic result.

The Good

Following the shambles of the Leicester match Coyle changed his tactical system, playing with two wingers. This time around every player knew his role and was 100% involved in the game.

The new look centre of defence held up well, no doubt helped by a midfield that dropped back to shield them as needed. The two starting  wingers worked hard and covered a lot of ground. Only once was one of them able to  get behind the opposition defence – Callum McManaman putting in a dangerous cross in the first half – but both did more than their fair share of defensive duties.

It is rumoured that Coyle is close to getting a third central striker on loan. It was not an easy debut for Nick Powell, having to play in the centre, then later being pushed wide on the right. His natural position is the same as that of Shaun Maloney, in the hole between the midfield and the central striker. We may well see them alternate in that position as the season progresses.

The Bad

Rubin Kazan announced themselves with a 5-2 win at Maribor. Two of the five goals were scored in time added on, but the Russian team remains favourite to win the group.

Player ratings

Scott Carson: 7 – once again an important player. Very solid defensively and his distribution was much better than in previous games.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – solid.

James Perch: 6 – restored to the centre back position and staked his claim.

Ryan Shotton: 6 – a solid debut.

Stephen Crainey: 6 – his distribution was much better. Still adjusting to the change from being at Blackpool.

James McArthur: 7 – fitted in well to the ‘McCarthy role’. Full of endeavour and unlucky with a superb shot early on.

Jordi Gomez: 6 – a few passes went astray but showed a lot of commitment and covered a lot of ground.

Chris McCann: 6 – gradually adjusting to Latics’ style of play. Some nice touches and solid in defence in the second half especially.

Callum McManaman: 6 – worked hard and played for the team. His more spectacular moments will come.

Nick Powell: 5 – played out of position and clearly not match fit. His best is yet to come.

James McClean: 6 – industrious and involved. With time his final pass should improve.

Substitutes:

Ben Watson: – pegged back into his own half most of the time. Worked hard.

Marc-Antoine Fortune:- isolated as Latics were pegged back in defence.

Nouha Dicko: – given a chance at last, albeit brief.

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