Category Archives: Other

Down to the last match again?

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

Leaguetable

‘Remember that our last game is against Aston Villa at home. It could easily go to the last day of the season.’  These were the words of Roberto Martinez in a recent interview.

Wigan Athletic are not strangers to the concept of surviving on the last day of the season. They have done it twice before.

Goals from Paul Scharner and David Unsworth helped Wigan keep afloat in 2006-2007, when they won their last game at Sheffield United. The win put them level on points with the Blades, but Wigan prevailed by a margin of just one in goal difference. In 2010-2011 it was Hugo Rodallega’s header that gave them a win in their last game at Stoke, although a draw would have sufficed, given the eventual results of other teams at the bottom.

Is it again going to come down to that last match? Or will it be all over before then?

Monday night’s 3-0 defeat for Aston Villa at Old Trafford opens up that possibility. Wigan Athletic – with a  match in hand – have 31 points to Villa’s 34. Reading and QPR remain anchored at the bottom with 24 points. If either club were to win all of its remaining four games – most unlikely, but not impossible –  it could reach 36 points.

The probability is therefore that Reading and QPR will get relegated, together with either Latics or Aston Villa. However, there  remains a possibility  that one of those clubs currently on 37 points – Sunderland, Stoke and Newcastle – could also go down if their last four matches were to produce no yield. Very unlikely, given the squads at their disposal, but stranger things have happened.

Aston Villa’s next game is scheduled for Monday at Sunderland, when they will play knowing the result of Latics’ game with Tottenham on Saturday. If Wigan could manage a positive result against Tottenham it would put a lot of psychological pressure on Villa prior to the Sunderland game. Conversely a defeat on Saturday, followed by a win for Villa,  would open up a 6 point gap, which would be hard to surmount.

Martinez  has talked about the need for Wigan to win three out of their last five matches, not an easy matter when two of those are against teams in the top five. But not impossible.  If Wigan and Villa were to eventually finish level on points it would get down to goal difference. Latics currently hold the advantage at -23, compared with Villa’s -27.

For the moment Wigan are waiting anxiously to get an assessment of the damage done to Antolin Alcaraz’ hamstring, which caused him to limp off at West Ham after only 15 minutes. The return of the big Paraguayan after a long-term groin injury has really helped shore up a leaky defence. A prompt return from Alcaraz could make a big difference to Latics’ chances of survival.

The pressure is on for all the teams in the relegation zone, but especially so for Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa. It is the time of the season where you are looking for a little luck to go your way. Just one lucky goal or one bad refereeing decision could tip the balance.

Given the horrendous injuries Latics have had this season they are due some luck. It’s never too late for a bit of luck to come your way.

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Relegation takes centre stage as United clinch title

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

2013-villa

As Manchester United players confirmed the club’s 20th league title with a 3-0 triumph over Aston Villa on Monday night and five games still to play, the race at the other end of the table was thrust into the limelight.

For United followers, who were 3-0 up after a mere half an hour, another goal or two might have been icing on the cake. For Wigan supporters, each of Robin Van Persie’s strikes was celebrated as though Emmerson Boyce had donned a red shirt and scored it himself.

If the result mathematically confirmed the title race, then it also brought clarity to its relegation equivalent. While Champions League places are still up for grabs, the battle of the underdogs has always been a fantastic spectacle at the end of each Premier League season — as of today, surely the biggest question left is “will it be Wigan or will it be Villa?”

The triple whammy of a crushing defeat at West Ham and victories for Sunderland and Stoke in tricky fixtures meant Wigan needed things to go to script today if they were to keep themselves within a win of leapfrogging Villa into safety. While it is possible that Stoke, Newcastle, or Sunderland could be hauled back into the fight, their six point advantage plus superior goal difference means it would take a major collapse. In all likelihood, they each need just one more win.

The fixture list has drawn up a remarkable finale. As things stand, Villa are three points ahead, but Wigan have a game in hand and a four-goal advantage. If theoretically, this gap were to remain the same until the last match of the season, a win for Wigan against Villa at the DW would secure safety for the club. Of course, there are five and four league matches for each club respectively between now and that epic scenario. Here’s a quick look at the run-in:

April 27: Wigan vs. Spurs

April 29: Aston Villa vs. Sunderland

May 4: Norwich vs. Aston Villa, West Brom vs. Wigan

May 7: Wigan vs. Swansea

[May 11: Wigan vs. Man City — Cup Final]

May 12: Aston Villa vs. Chelsea

May 14: Arsenal vs. Wigan

May 19: Wigan vs. Aston Villa

On first glance, survival certainly looks achievable. Villa face a resurgent Sunderland side that has kept clean sheets in its last two matches against tricky opposition. They then travel to Norwich, where few teams win but plenty draw, and face Chelsea at home before the showdown with Latics. While they would have been licking their lips at the prospect of Sunderland at home two weeks ago, that outcome is anyone’s guess now. Likewise Norwich, who will be eager to end their involvement in that bottom pack. Meanwhile, Chelsea are fighting to remain in the top four and the riches of the Champions League, a year after winning it.

Wigan, meanwhile, may struggle with fixture congestion and the injuries it brings. Tottenham arrive at a tough time with their confidence high after a remarkable win against Manchester City and key players returning to fitness such as Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon. But at least Roberto Martinez’s charges will have enjoyed a full week of rest by the time they play, after three games last week. Then come the two key fixtures, fast and furious ahead of the FA Cup final. West Brom away is by no means an easy fixture, but with Steve Clarke’s side safe in mid-table it presents an opportunity. Same with Swansea, at home. The trip to Arsenal is unlikely to yield points, particularly if the Champions League qualification battle remains tight.

Neither club is in an enviable position, but in a league whose victor has been known for some time, the contest between Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa at the other end is as tight as they come.

Alcaraz injury blows away Latics

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

West ham

Injury forced Antolin Alcaraz to leave the field after 15 minutes. Up to that point Wigan Athletic had taken the game to the home team and looked confident and composed.  The psychology changed after the Paraguayan went off. Once again, playing the better football, Wigan were to come  home pointless.

Roberto Martinez had brought back Gary Caldwell in defence and Callum McManaman in attack. Maynor Figueroa was moved to left wing back and Franco Di Santo  was  left on the bench.

The result hinged on crucial moments, Alcaraz’ injury foremost.  Early in the first half Shaun Maloney had been put through with a one on one with Jussi Jaaskelainan, but the goalkeeper blocked his shot. West Ham were to score a scrappy goal after 30 minutes when Matt Jarvis put in a centre that eluded everybody, including Robles in the Wigan goal. It went in somehow.

Following Alcaraz’ exit Wigan’s defence were all at sea and West Ham could have scored more goals before the half time whistle blew. Jean Beausejour had come on for Alcaraz, with Maynor Figueroa reverting to central defence from wing back. Wigan supporters would have been glad to hear the half time whistle, with their team just one behind.

Wigan came out with resolve after the break, taking the game to the home team. The second  crucial moment of the match was to come  came after 70 minutes.  James McArthur’s shot was parried by Jaaskelainan but somehow eluding Arouna Kone at the far post.

No matter how much Wigan dominated the second half goals eluded them, with West Ham packed in defence.

West Ham were to seal the game with another “Bolton goal”  Somehow Andy Carroll’s speculative volley  found Kevin Nolan who deflected the ball in. Wigan attacked constantly but could not score. They had 63% of the possession in the match.

The Good

These matches are always set on a knife-edge. Latics had attacked the hosts from the start. They  were there to win the game. Had Maloney’s shot gone in it would have been a different ball game. Then if McArthur’s effort in the second half had been put away, who knows what might have happened?

In the second half West Ham had dropped deep, to protect their lead. Wigan’s effort could not be faulted. They tried hard but could not scale that brick-wall West Ham defence.

The Bad

Antolin Alcaraz has proved to be the cornerstone of Latics’ revival in recent weeks.  He has been superb since he came back, making a huge difference to the defence. When he went off today, Wigan visibly wilted. It was to be the turning point of the match.

One hopes Alcaraz will be back. Otherwise Wigan’s central defence will be lacking its best player. It could be the key factor that determines their status in the Premier League.

Player Ratings

Joel Robles: 7 – could be faulted with that scrappy opening goal, but so could the defence. Looks a very good young goalkeeper.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – cannot be faulted for effort and commitment.

Antolin Alcaraz: injured and substituted aftger 15 minutes.

Paul Scharner: 6 –could not stamp his mark on the game.

Gary Caldwell: 5 – a less than auspicious return for the captain.

Maynor Figueroa: 5 – his poor final pass or shooting killed a number of promising moves.

James McCarthy: 6 – not up to his usual level, but worked hard as always.

Jordi Gomez: 5 – ineffective. Should have been substituted at half time when McManaman went off.

Callum McManaman: 5 – peripheral. Taken off at half time.

Arouna Kone: 6 – hard to understand how he was not in place to slot McArthur’s effort home after Jaaskelainan’s parry. Worked hard, but found the Hammers defence tough.

Shaun Maloney: 7 – tried to get things moving in the second half. Lots of good touches, but with no end result.

Substitutes:

Jean Beausejour: 5 – came on for Alcaraz after 15 minutes, but not at his best.

James McArthur: 7– came on after half time. Helped Wigan gain the midfield.

Franco Di Santo: – brought on too late after 86 minutes.

Result needed

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

How many times during Roberto Martinez’ tenure at Wigan have his team played really well, but not got a result? Too many, Latics fans would reply.

It was that same old story at the Eastlands in midweek. Latics gave us a dose of that wonderful brand of champagne football that kept them afloat last year. In the process they made the Premier League champions look very ordinary. The problem was that they came home pointless.

The issue was highlighted in a recent quote from Martinez:  “We didn’t go to Manchester City for a point or damage limitation. We wanted to win and we deserved to win. But we have to learn. When we deserve to win, we have to win.”

There are 6 games left this season. Wigan need at  least 3 wins to stay up. Given their form over the season, there is as much chance  winning matches away as at home. Of the three teams to play away it is West Ham who have the weakest home record. So far this season their record at the Boleyn Ground has been 7 wins, 5 draws and 4 defeats.

Latics are therefore going to be looking for a win at West Ham tomorrow. The Hammers come in following a 2-2 draw with Manchester United, the upcoming champions equalising with a goal that Sam Allardyce considered offside. Despite only having 34% of the possession  the Hammers were still able to score two goals. They are that kind of team – their football is far from pretty and they don’t have a lot of quality players in their squad – but they are resilient and can get results.

Given the threat of aerial bombardment,  Martinez might well keep the backline of three central defenders that played at Manchester City. He has talked about rotating his squad, with so many games coming up in a short period.

On Wednesday he made two changes, bringing in Joel Robles and Franco Di Santo. It will be a challenge for him to make any more changes for Saturday, without disrupting the rhythm of a team that has been playing better lately.

Wigan beat West Ham 4-1 in a League Cup tie earlier in the season at the Boleyn Ground, but both clubs put out weakened lineups. They also beat them 2-1 at home in  the league. Providing they can maintain current form they can certainly get a good result at West Ham. The question for Wigan is whether recent matches have taken a physical and mental toll on key players. Their fans will not want to see the kind of jaded,  insipid performance they saw a couple of weeks ago against QPR.

No matter how they do it – by grinding the opposition down or by attacking them in style – Latics need to go all out for a win. It has been a funny old season and it is going to be hard for Wigan to stay afloat. They have done last minute escape acts before, but are we expecting too much in asking them to do it again?

Although accepting that this year’s relegation battle is the toughest for many years, Roberto Martinez believes Wigan can still make it. Given his past record Wigan remain a force to be reckoned with near the end of a season. Let’s see what they can do at West Ham tomorrow.

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Late heartbreak for classy Latics

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, Other and tagged with , , , , ,

2013-city

A very strong Wigan Athletic performance lacking only a goal ended in misery as a Carlos Tevez wonderstrike settled the affair with five minutes to go.

Wigan had been outstanding all over the pitch but more than once found themselves thwarted by excellent goalkeeping and defending at the crucial moment.

It is a cruel blow, but if ever a defeat could offer encouragement, this would be a good one to watch. For large periods of the match, Wigan out-passed and out-classed the defending champions on their own patch and deserved at least a point for their efforts.

Any concerns about the FA Cup being a distraction from league survival were put to bed in the first half, as Latics had earned two corners inside the first three minutes. Having reverted to the wingback formation with Franco Di Santo pairing Arouna Koné up front instead of a traditional right winger in Callum McManaman, Wigan enjoyed as much possession as their counterparts and without a doubt fashioned the best scoring opportunities. Di Santo was involved in two of them, first cutting his pass too far behind the on-rushing Koné, and then doing exceptionally well from a Shaun Maloney flick only to be sensationally stopped by Manchester City keeper Joe Hart.

Meanwhile, City were restricted to largely hopeful crossing although Paul Scharner’s struggles with Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez foreshadowed trouble. The midfield duo of James McCarthy and Jordi Gomez were neat and incisive and continued to fine tune their blossoming partnership. All in all, things were going very well indeed, though you got the feeling the missed opportunities would eventually prove costly.

The second half continued in much the same vein with a Maloney shot cleared off the line, followed by a sensational one-touch move involving Jordi Gomez, Maloney, Di Santo and Kone foiled by Vincent Kompany at the last second. City grew into the game as time went on, but Wigan threatened on the break and good running by McManaman — on for the injured Di Santo — could have done with a more assertive finish.

The Good:

This was a team performance reminiscent of the golden run-in last year, on the defending champions’ home patch. The midfield was outstanding, the forward play was strong and positive, and the defending, save for Scharner who struggled throughout, was top class.

The Bad:

An opportunity lost, given the level of performance and chances squandered. Di Santo generally looked sharp and hungry but was unable to take his chance. A difficult loss to swallow.

Player Ratings:

Joel Robles: 7 — Not much to do in first half, but made a couple very good saves in the second — one from Edin Dzeko in particular.

Paul Scharner: 5 — Had a hard time. Got beaten in one-on-ones, notably in the build-up to the goal, and gave away possession on several occasions.

Antolin Alcaraz: 8 — Commanding, with some intelligent and controlled slide tackling.

Maynor Figueroa: 7 — Good shift from the Honduran despite making a mess of a very promising breakaway in the second half with an overhit pass.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 — Worked very hard defensively and had to cover for Scharner more than once.

Jean Beausejour: 7 — Though his crosses were not finished off, he got forward frequently and played a number of them, some very tasty indeed. Also disciplined in defensive duties.

James McCarthy: 9 — Dominant in midfield, he grew as the match went on. Complete performance.

Jordi Gomez: 8 — Looking ever more comfortable in the holding role with some good positive passing and good break-up play. Showing more urgency and forward passing in recent weeks, which is great to see.

Shaun Maloney: 8 — Another excellent performer, denied on the line with a curling effort in the first half, and should have been on the assist sheet with a clever flick for Di Santo in the first. Was a pest all night darting, weaving and threading passes.

Franco Di Santo: 7 — What a shame he couldn’t tuck that one away. Did extremely well to shrug off his defenders but telegraphed it. Still, it was an excellent save by Hart and the Argentine had a good game. Lets hope the injury is minor.

Arouna Koné: 8 — Confident and strong target man play, he was in the right place at the right time more than once only for City’s excellent defenders to make last ditch tackles.

Subs:

McManaman: Looked confident when he came on and quickly created a good shooting opportunity, but failed to trouble Hart.

McArthur: Came on right after the goal and didn’t have enough time to affect the game.

Espinoza: A late sub.