Category Archives: Other

Dreaming of the Europa League

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

uefa-europa-league-logo-vector-01

Jordi Gomez gets the ball on the edge of the box and puts through an exquisite pass for Callum McManaman. The young winger dribbles past the Millwall goalkeeper and slides the ball into the net. It is the middle of April and Wigan Athletic supporters are already starting to dream of their club playing in European competition.

Tomorrow that dream will come true as Latics play their first Europa League match against Zulte Waregem in Bruges.

It would have happened earlier if Latics had not gone on to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup Final. Had they lost they would have had to go through the qualifying rounds in order to reach the group stage.

If Latics had figured in the qualifying rounds they would have received €100,000 per round from UEFA . However, being in a qualifying round offers a minimum of two matches – but the group stage offers at least six.

The group stage also brings more financial incentives from UEFA. Through simply being there Latics will receive around €1.3m. Moreover they will receive €200,000 for every win and €100,000 for every draw. Winning the group would bring in a further €400,000, and being runners-up €200,000.

So if  Latics were to finish in the top two in their group they would receive well over €2 m in prize money, let alone their share of gate receipts.

Is it likely that a club now in the second tier of English football can finish in the top two of a Europa League group? Moreover what kinds of attendances can they expect compared for the group stage games compared with those of the Championship?

The past experience of Birmingham City provides food for thought.

In the 2011-12 season Birmingham competed in the Europa League after being relegated from the Premier League.

In February 2011 Birmingham qualified for the Europa League by winning the League Cup, beating Arsenal 2-1 at Wembley. Three months later they were to lose their final Premier League fixture at Tottenham, condemning them to relegation.

Despite their descent into the second tier of English football Birmingham were to perform well in the Europa League. After beating Nacional of Portugal in the play-off round they faced strong opposition in the group stage. The group was won by Club Brugge, on goal difference ahead of Braga, who qualified in second place. Birmingham were unlucky to finish a point behind in third place, after winning 3, drawing 1 and losing  2 matches. Maribor were the disappointing team in the group with only one point from their six games played.

Birmingham’s gates averaged 24,431 in the four Europa League games played at St Andrews, compared with 16,451 in the Championship division (where they were to finish in fourth place).

Birmingham’s experience suggests that Latics have a pretty decent chance of going beyond the group stage, into the round of 32. Moreover the attendances for the home matches should significantly exceed their average in the Championship, which currently stands at 14,969.

Some fans say that Wigan Athletic should focus on promotion from the Championship, that the Europa League should take a back seat. However, most cannot wait to see the games.

The Europa League offers Latics not only prestige, but also significant financial rewards.

It is another challenge for a club that has come so far. Who would bet against them going a stage further?

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Europa or Championship for Latics?

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

When Ben Watson scored that wonderful last minute header at Wembley he changed the face of Wigan Athletic FC, as we had known it.

Latics had announced themselves on the global map.

For so many years Latics had to put up with the “little club” tag, seemingly doomed to the lower reaches of the Football League. Outsiders viewed Wigan as a rugby town, a view more than supported by Maurice Lindsay in an infamous television interview in the 1980’s. His stance was symptomatic of the condescending attitude of rugby league followers of the time. It made Latics supporters’  blood boil. Was the club ever going to rid itself of that image?

How times have changed. After eight years in the Premier League and winning the FA Cup, the name of Wigan Athletic is now known worldwide. Although the rugby club remain a big fish in a small pond their football counterpart has moved on.

Latics now have an opportunity to gain further prestige through their participation in the Europa League.

In the days prior to the FA Cup final so many Latics fans were saying that, if they had the choice of staying in the Premier League or winning the FA Cup, they would choose the former. One wonders how many were to think differently when the Cup came to Wigan.

So what would be the priority this time around – promotion out of the Championship or progression in the Europa League?

It could be argued that Latics’ FA Cup run had an adverse effect on their league position in the last campaign. The end of season fixture congestion that resulted in them having to play a make-or-break match at Highbury only three days after the Cup Final victory was cruel and merciless.

However, if anything put Latics out of the Premier League last season it was injuries. The result was a lack of continuity in team selection and a cruel decimation of playing resources at the end of the season when all those fixtures came raining in.

Owen Coyle has worked wonders in the transfer market by bringing in 12 new players since he started in July. It leaves him with a squad of 30 players – marginally bigger than that of Roberto Martinez last season – but containing  Ali Al-Habsi, Gary Caldwell and Ivan Ramis who are still out of action due to long term injuries.

Much will depend on his deployment of the young professionals contained therein. Last year Callum McManaman and Roman Golobart were the ones who made the starting lineup in the league. We will have to wait to see if Coyle will include the other young pros – Adam Buxton, Nouha Dicko, Rob Kiernan, Jordan Mustoe, Lee Nicholls and Danny Redmond – in the rotations.

If Coyle’s squad has a weakness then it is in the area of attack, with only two central strikers available. With Grant Holt already out until October Latics fans will pray that Marc-Antoine Fortune avoids injury.  Coyle continues to look for forwards through the loan market. Speculation suggests that he wants to bring Jordan Rhodes from Blackburn initially on loan with a view to a £9 m permanent move in January. But, however cash-strapped Blackburn might be, they are unlikely to want to lose their most prized asset to local rivals. Moreover Dave Whelan is going to think twice about spending so much on a player who has never played at the highest level of English football.

It will be interesting to see what kind of lineup Coyle chooses for the Zulte Waregem tie on Thursday. It will be an indication of how important he sees the Europa League compared with the Championship.

Latics fans will hope they give a good account of themselves in both.

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Give Roger a Chance

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Other

espinoza

Mexico had an amazing record in World Cup qualifying matches until a week ago. Invariably playing their home matches in front of 100,000 fans at the magnificent Aztec Stadium in Mexico City they had lost only one out of 77 such matches.

The ‘Catrachos’ of Honduras were to pull off the shock result of the CONCACAF qualifiers with a 2-1 away win. A  large part of their victory came from excellent  performances from a couple of midfield players well known in Wigan – Wilson Palacios and Roger Espinoza.

A familiar name in central defence – Maynor Figueroa – had helped repel the waves of Mexican attacks. New Latics signing Juan Carlos Garcia was on the bench, the experienced Emilio Izaguirre of Celtic being preferred.

Roger Espinoza played the full 90 minutes in Mexico and did the same in the next match when Honduras drew 2-2 at home with Panama, the visitors equalizing in stoppage time. As always, his performances were full of effort and determination, with no mean level of skill.

Espinoza is clearly a key player for his national team. However, he has been low down in the pecking order at Wigan since Owen Coyle’s arrival.  Given the injury problems that Latics had at the end of last  season Espinoza was played out of position at left wing back. Although he originally struggled in that role he was to play with distinction in the team that won the FA Cup Final. Coyle used him in  the left back position in pre-season.

Roger Espinoza is a dynamic midfield player who makes things happen. He is tenacious in the tackle, covers a huge amount of ground during a game and has good technique.  His spectacular goal for Honduras against Brazil in the Olympics put him on the global football map.

Owen Coyle has surrounded himself with largely British Isles players since his arrival at Wigan. However, he revealed that he was interested in signing Espinoza while at Bolton. Having moved from Honduras to the United States when he was 14, Espinoza speaks like an American.

Espinoza is not yet the finished article. His enthusiasm is his strength, but he can be reckless in his tacking. He has a great left foot and has shown his ability to put in crosses that have led to goals. He has successfully made a major adjustment from playing for Kansas City in the MLS.

In order to get out of the Championship division Wigan Athletic need players who are not easily deterred. The opposition can be very physical and referees can let things go in a way that they would not in the Premier League.

Roger Espinoza is not easily deterred. He is exactly the kind of player to move Latics ahead.

Following James McCarthy’s departure to Everton, Coyle has been talking about finding a replacement for the Irish international.  He should first look in-house. The Honduran/American deserves strong consideration.

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Watch out for Callum

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

Manchester City v Wigan Athletic - FA Cup Final

Callum McManaman  deservedly won the  ‘Man of the Match’ award at the FA Cup Final, after a scintillating display.  He had run the expensively-assembled Manchester City defence ragged and in doing so he won over many of the armchair critics who had condemned him following the “Horror Tackle” episode.

When McManaman walked onto the Wembley turf he had only started seven times for Wigan in a Premier League match. Seeing what he could do and that Latics were staring relegation in the face, even neutrals were asking why he had not been given more opportunities much earlier in the season. Wigan Athletic fans still ponder on what might have happened if Roberto Martinez had put him before it got too late.

McManaman was 22 years old when he helped his team win the FA Cup. He had joined Latics as a 16 year old after Everton had released him. Steve Bruce gave him his Premier League debut as an 18 year old, as a substitute for the final 12 minutes of the last match of the 2008-09 season at home to Portsmouth.

After that he did not make a Premier League start for three seasons. In 2011-12 he made four appearances for the England under-20 team and went on a successful loan spell at Blackpool. However,  the winger could still not break through into the Premier League team, making just two appearances as a substitute.

Starved of Premier League action – other than late appearances as a substitute –  his first team appearances were typically in cup ties, where he did well. After scoring a cracker in the stunning 3-0 FA Cup win at Everton in March, McManaman was given his first Premier League start of the season at home to Newcastle. What followed was his controversial tackle on Newcastle’s Massadio Haidara that got huge media coverage.

It is to McManaman’s credit that he continued to be focused on his football despite the media hype. His well taken goal in the FA Cup semi final against Millwall once again showed what a match winner he could be. Given a run of consecutive games in the first team his game was coming on and his performance in the Cup Final was a revelation.

So why was Callum McManaman not brought into the starting lineup earlier in the season, when Latics’ play was looking predictable and short of a cutting edge? Did Martinez leave it too long?

Martinez fans would say that he nurtured the young player, weaning him into a more major role. There was a huge gulf between the level of play in the under 21 competition and the Premier League. Martinez had been waiting for the right time to bring McManaman in and his timing was just right

Critics would say that Martinez did not want to risk young players in the Premier League, given the pressure the team was under.  McManaman’s contemporaries Lee Nicholls, Daniel Redmond and Jordan Mustoe still have not made the starting lineup for the first team in a competitive match. Nicholls has at least made it to the bench this season as backup goalkeeper, but Redmond and Mustoe have to compete in the Central League with the likes of the Morecambe under 21 side.  Like McManaman they too will have to bide their time, but at 21-22 years of age they are not so young any more.

The recently concluded transfer window was kind to Wigan Athletic in more ways than one. The culmination was that they sold James McCarthy for a decent fee and got Nick Powell and Ryan Shotton on loan. The skilful Powell and the combative Shotton will have important roles to play.

However, it is not so much who came in, but who did not leave, that gives Wigan Athletic hope for promotion back to the Premier League. Shaun Maloney is a class above most players in the Championship. If Latics can keep the ball on the ground and feed him the ball he can cut open Championship defences.

When McManaman picked up an ankle injury at the end of last season it looked like a blow for Latics at the start of the current season. However, had he been fully fit and starring in Championship matches, the elite of the Premier League might well have moved in and taken him away. The red card he received at Bournemouth was ridiculous, but Latics wisely resisted appealing the three match suspension. To do so would have put the player back in the media spotlight. Moreover it gave him more time to get fully fit.

If Wigan Athletic are to gain promotion this year, you can bet that Callum McManaman will play a leading role, together with Shaun Maloney. They are the two who can best unlock opposition defences, making and scoring goals.

Callum McManaman remains a relatively inexperienced footballer. Some days are going to be better than others for him as he continues to mature professionally.

However, exciting times lie ahead for Latics with this talented player remaining on board.

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A look at Latics’ Europa League opposition – Part 3: Rubin Kazan

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

Wigan Athletic’s third match in the Europa League will be at home to Rubin Kazan on October 24th.  The return match is scheduled for November 7th .

Rubin are currently in 7th place in the Russian Premier League, but are unbeaten. They have won two and drawn five matches, conceding only three goals. Last season Rubin finished 6th, becoming one of four Russian teams qualifying for the Europa League.

Rubin performed well in the Europa League last year, winning their group, being unbeaten in the six matches. In doing so they beat Inter Milan 3-0 at home after drawing 2-2 at the San Siro. They stunned holders Atletico Madrid in the last 32 with a 2-0 win at the Vicente Calderon Stadium after losing 1-0 in the home leg.

Then followed a 2-0  home victory in extra time over another Spanish team, Levante, after drawing 0-0 in the first leg. The quarter final first leg at Stamford Bridge saw Chelsea beat them 3-1. Rubin fought hard in the return match played  in Moscow but a valiant 3-2 win was not enough and saw them eliminated.

Rubin Kazan was founded in 1958 under the name of Iskra. The club never played in the old Soviet Top League and languished in the lower regional leagues until they won promotion to the Russian First Division (the second tier) in 1992. They won the First Division eleven years later, being promoted to the Russian Premier League for the first time in 2003.

Since then they have performed well, winning the championship in 2008 and 2009 and the Russian Cup in 2011-12. They took four points off Barcelona in the group stage of the Champions League in 2009-10, including a 2-1 win at the Nou Camp.

Rubin – which means ruby – are based in Kazan, a city of over 1 million people in the Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan is around 460 miles south east of Moscow. It is the eastern-most city with a team competing in this year’s  Europa League group stage. Average daily high temperatures drop from 8º C in October to -1º C in November.

2129__rubin_kazan-home-kitRubin currently play at the Central Stadium, which is municipally owned, accommodating 30,133 spectators . They are shortly due to move the new Kazan Arena – capacity 45,105 – which will host the 2018 World Cup. Rubin’s home kit is ruby red. Around one half of their senior squad are Russians, the remainder foreign players from diverse backgrounds.

In order to reach the group stage of this season’s Europa League, Rubin had to go through three qualifying round. They not only knocked out Jagodina (Serbia), Randers (Denmark) and Molde (Norway), but won all six ties they played.

Rubin have substantial experience over the past ten years in both the Champions League and the Europa League, gaining notable results. They have a tight defence and a dangerous forward in the Venezuelan Salomón Rondón – signed in summer 2012 from Malaga for €10 million – who scored three goals in the games against Inter Milan last year.

Central stadium, Kazan

The Central Stadium, Kazan

Before the draw for the group stage was made Latics were hoping to avoid a trip to Russia. They are going to have to come to terms with the length of the journey and the visit to Tatarstan will be at the onset of winter, when low temperatures are a strong possibility.More than that they are going to meet a side that is going to be difficult to beat.

Group D of the Europa League – with Wigan, Zulte Waregem, NK Maribor and Rubin Kazan – might not have the glamour clubs of some of the other groups.

However, it is going to be very competitive with any one of the four teams having a decent chance of progressing to the next round. There are going to be no easy games.The top two teams in each of the 12 groups, together with 8 third placed teams from the Champions League, will compete in the Round of 32 which starts in February.

The Europa League is a big competition. Last year 193 clubs from 53 countries were involved.  In order to reach the final from the group stage Wigan would need to play 14 matches. When Fulham got there in 2009-10 season from the qualifying rounds they had to play 19  extra games. However, there are significant financial rewards for progressing through the various  stages of the competition.

It will be interesting to see how Owen Coyle approaches the Europa League matches, where the football is going to be a different style than in the fast and furious Championship. He has some players who have already played in the competition for their previous clubs, but for the majority of his squad it will be a learning experience.

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