Category Archives: Other

Huddersfield Town 1 Wigan Athletic 4 – A Difference in Class

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

McManaman

A mixed Wigan Athletic team was far too strong for a mediocre home side and the scoreline reflected the difference in class between the two sides.

Despite the importance of next week’s game at Reading, Roberto Martinez decided to risk putting in a handful of his first choice players. Latics started with a flat back four, with Arouna Kone in the lone centre forward role and Callum McManaman on the left wing. The  central midfield players – Fyvie, McArthur, Espinoza and Gomez – were the key to dominating possession and putting Huddersfield under pressure from the get-go.

Despite a pitch churned up by a rugby match between teams from the same towns the previous day, Wigan were still able to display their usual brand of possession football. The directness and pace of Callum McManaman provided a cutting edge and he took his chance brilliantly when put through by James McArthur in the 31st minute. The young winger tormented the Terriers defence, particularly in the first hour.  It was no surprise when Kone added a second after 40 minutes, after McManaman had put in a low cross for Gomez’s blocked shot. In the 56th minute he was to combine with James McArthur, for the Scot to hit the target with a screamer from the edge of the box.

Huddersfield’s main form of attack was to pump high balls into the box, but Wigan’s two tallest central defenders – Roman Golobart and Paul Scharner – held firm. However, the ploy worked when substitute Lee Novak managed to outjump Maynor Figueroa to put the home team back in the game after 62 minutes.

Arouna Kone’s opportunist goal in the closing minutes, following a defensive mix up from the home side, put extra gloss on the scoreline for Wigan.

The Good

This result means that Wigan Athletic have made the last eight of the FA Cup for the second time in their history. However, an away trip in the next round to Everton or Oldham, is not going to be easy, particularly if it is to Merseyside.

Roberto Martinez made a brave move by putting in a higher proportion of first team regulars than expected. He had to make a conscious decision whether to risk his mainline players with a key relegation match looming. However, the positive scoreline from this match will surely help boost morale at a key time within the club. The  tactic of packing the midfield worked in this match.

The Bad

Huddersfield’s churned-up pitch – a reminder of what can happen when you share a ground with the local rugby team.

Interestingly the attendance for the Giants-Warriors rugby encounter was 8,023 and that for the FA Cup match was 12,117.

Player Ratings

Joel Robles: 6 – looked comfortable. Although he was rarely called into action,  he made a good save early in the second half  as Huddersfield threatened.

Ronnie Stam: 6 – one of his better games in an orthodox right back position. Has clearly been working hard on the defensive side of his game.

Roman Golobart: 7 – teamed up well with Scharner in the centre of defence.

Paul Scharner: 7 – calm and composed in the centre of defence.

Maynor Figueroa: 6 – captain for the day. Still clearly enjoys the left back position, which allows him the chance to go forward. Needs to work on challenging for aerial balls in the penalty box – it is not the first time this season he has been outjumped for a goal.

Fraser Fyvie: 7 – looked the part. Hardworking and did not waste the ball.

James McArthur: 8 – looked a class above his Huddersfield counterparts. His rocket shot for the third goal is one to be remembered.

Roger Espinoza: 6 –worked as hard as always, until taken off after 57 minutes.

Jordi Gomez: 6 – put in a useful stint, proving a link between midfield and attack.

Arouna Kone: 6 – worked hard as usual. His first goal was scored from an offside position, but he took his second goal well, blasting the ball past the keeper from just inside the box.

Callum McManaman: 8 – dangerous throughout. Took his goal really well and looked the part on the left wing. How much longer can he fail to make the starting lineup in the Premier League?

Substitutes:

Shaun Maloney – a capable replacement for Espinoza early in the second half.  Was his usual effervescent self, working hard, putting through nice passes.

Jean Beausejour – came on for Gomez after 74 minutes. Solid.

James McCarthy – came on in the last minute.

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FA Cup Fifth Round: Huddersfield Town v Wigan Athletic

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Previews, Other and tagged with , ,
John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield

John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield

Wigan Athletic have reached the  6th round of the FA Cup only once before. That was in the 1986-1987 season, when they were unluckily beaten by Leeds United on a bitterly cold and blustery afternoon at  Springfield Park. On Sunday they will be hoping to get there again when they travel to meet a Huddersfield Town team that pulled off a surprise 2-1 victory at high flying Championship rivals Leicester on Tuesday.

The last time Wigan played Huddersfield in the FA Cup was in 1973, when Latics were a non-league side and the Terriers were in Division 3. The result at the old Leeds Road stadium was a 2-0 win for the home team. Huddersfield moved to their new ground, now known as the John Smiths Stadium, in 1994. Not surprisingly there have been some concerns about the state of the pitch, since Town share the ground with the local rugby league club.  There has been  debate among Town supporters as to what has caused the  recent  problems. Some say it has been churned up by having rugby matches played on it;  others say it is been because of the bad weather and the need for undersoil heating.  A familiar debate well known to Wigan fans. Let’s hope the issue does not rear its ugly head again in the matches remaining this season at the DW Stadium.

Given their current predicament  in the relegation zone of the Premier League,  Wigan will be reluctant to risk first choice players for this game. However, a few are likely to be drafted in to provide balance. There appears to be an outside chance that Emmerson Boyce will make  a return, following his recent hamstring injury. However, Martinez will probably play safe and play Ronnie Stam at right wing back, saving the senior professional for the Reading game.

The big Spanish goalkeeper Joel Robles will have the opportunity to stake a claim for a  first team place. He is likely to see much more action against a Championship side than he did against Conference side Macclesfield in the last round. Roman Golobart is likely to step into central defence, with Adrian Lopez alongside him, if fit. The third central defensive position would go to a senior player, although the return of Antolin Alcaraz is still in doubt. Jordan Mustoe staked a claim at left wing back in the Macclesfield game in the previous round, but it could also be taken by Maynor Figueroa or Jean Beausejour.

David Jones  will surely start in the centre of midfield, but Fraser Fyvie is injured, so Roger Espinoza will probably step in. Jordi Gomez will surely start in the front three, together with two of Callum McManaman,  Angelo Henriquez and Nouha Dicko. Given that he has not had much football in recent weeks we can expect Arouna Kone to feature at some time during the game.

This will be a stern test for the second string. Huddersfield currently lie 18th in the Championship table, but they have only lost 4 matches out of 16 at home. All teams in the Championship are competitive and this Huddersfield side is likely to stretch a Wigan lineup that only plays together in cup matches. However, the second string has already shown this season that it can take its chances clinically and grind out results. A good result at the John Smith’s Stadium would lift the spirits of all at the club.

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A Return to Alcaraz and a Settled Defence?

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

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Wigan Athletic v Chelsea - DW Stadium

Wigan Athletic’s injury woes continue to hit their chances of Premier League survival.  The hamstring injury suffered by Emmerson Boyce in the recent away game at Stoke was another hammer blow to a defensive line already short of Ivan Ramis and Antolin Alcaraz. Add to that Gary Caldwell continuing to take the field despite a hip injury. Injuries have also taken away midfielder Ben Watson and the speedy wingers, Albert Crusat and Ryo Miyaichi. But it is in the defence where the injuries have been most disruptive, with Roberto Martinez constantly having to change his back line over the course of the season. The end result has been a lack of cohesion, with too many soft goals being given away.

The last time Roberto Martinez was able to field together his most cohesive line of central defenders – Antolin Alcaraz, Gary Caldwell and Maynor Figueroa – was at Blackburn in May of 2012. It was that trio that provided the defensive strength and backbone for Wigan to have an outstanding end to the 2011-2012 season.  Alcaraz has only started two games this season.  It has been a long and slow recuperation from his groin injury. There has been speculation among some fans that it is not the injury that has been keeping the big Paraguayan out, but that his contract runs out at the end of the season. Given Wigan’s predicament one hopes that it is not the latter case, although Alcaraz has had long spells out due to injury in each of his three seasons at the club, making it less likely that his contract would be renewed. For the moment Alcaraz is needed to help Wigan stay clear of relegation.

There is a possibility that Alcaraz will make his return in Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Huddersfield. Were he to come through unscathed he would then be available for the crunch game at Reading the following weekend. Certainly Alcaraz’s return would give Martinez the possibility of putting together that back line which gelled so well at a crucial time last season. However, it would also open up options of releasing Paul Scharner and Maynor Figueroa as wing backs.

Wigan fans will hope that Emmerson Boyce will be fit for the Reading game. The improvement in the 33 year old’s passing since the arrival of Martinez has been huge. Boyce has become an excellent wing back, solid in defence, tireless in approach and even scoring spectacular goals in attack. In his seventh season at the club,  Boyce too has been susceptible to injury in recent years.  He completed 26 games last season and 22 the previous year. A fully fit Emmerson Boyce is another key factor in Wigan’s bid to avoid relegation.

It has been fascinating to watch Paul Scharner settle back so quickly into the Latics team. He looks a natural in that right centre back position, although he still has to work on his alignment with his fellow central defenders. Scharner has always been a useful central defender, if he himself has preferred to play in midfield.  One hopes he can maintain his discipline and resist the urge to commit himself too far forward, putting the defence at risk.

A settled back line is of paramount importance to Wigan Athletic’s chances of staying in the Premier League this season. Let’s hope that the injury jinx will no longer rear its ugly head. Even though Ivan Ramis is out for the reminder of the season, it would help Roberto Martinez greatly if all the other experienced defenders in his squad were to be available.

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Chelsea 4 Wigan Athletic 1 – Scoreline Flatters Benitez’ Team

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

soc_g_maloney11_576

The scoreline suggests a thumping win by Chelsea, but the home side were flattered by late goals. A brave fight by Wigan was undone by the experience and technique of Frank Lampard in the last five minutes. Up until then, Wigan had kept a nervy Chelsea hanging on to a 2-1 scoreline. Lampard’s goal was later matched by an opportunistic goal from Marko Marin in stoppage time following Ali Al Habsi’s parry of a shot from Cesar Azpilicueta.

Wigan had kept Chelsea largely at bay during the first half, but had been undone by a well taken goal from Ramires following Fernando Torres’ pass. Wigan had prevented Chelsea from firing on all cylinders and were assisted by good last-gasp defending. At times they threatened the Chelsea goal, but another goal from the home side had seemed more likely. The difference in class between the players in the two teams was showing, not surprisingly.

Roberto Martinez had chosen to use his conservative lineup, with five players in midfield and Arouna Kone on the bench. The second half was to bring a goal to the hosts in the 56th minute from the unmarked Eden Hazard. However, following a beautifully taken goal from Shaun Maloney two minutes later, Martinez brought on Kone for Roger Espinoza. Wigan rallied and had a good call for a penalty as Ronnie Stam’s shot hit Ashley Cole’s arm. The game remained open and was by no means over until those final minutes.

The Good

An encouraging performance from Al Habsi. His best game in quite some time. The talismanic goalkeeper has had a difficult season and Wigan will need him to be at his peak in the games that remain.

Wigan played with organization and spirit and hung in there until the last five minutes when the game swung away from them.

They deserved more than the final scoreline suggested.

The Bad

The midfield was mysteriously absent in the home side’s first two goals.

Player Ratings

Ali Al-Habsi: 8 — An excellent performance, making some spectacular saves.

Ronnie Stam: 5 — Worked hard, but struggled against Hazard.

Paul Scharner: 7 — Solid, showed good technique. A valuable addition to the squad.

Gary Caldwell: 6 — Seemed to be struggling with his hip injury. Nevertheless, he hung in there, showing his usual tenacity.

Maynor Figueroa: 6 — Tried hard to stem opposition attacks.

Jean Beausejour: 5 — Worked hard, but his touch was disappointing.

James McCarthy: 6 — Worked hard, but unable to make the telling pass.

James McArthur: 6 — Worked hard as always.

Roger Espinoza: 5 — Tried hard, but looked short of Premier League experience.

Shaun Maloney: 8 — Wigan’s most energetic and creative player. Took his goal beautifully.

Franco Di Santo: 6 — Worked hard as a very lone centre forward until Kone came on to give him support.

Substitutes:

Arouna Kone — Came on after 59 minutes for Roger Espinoza. Looked useful.

David Jones — Brought on seven minutes from the end for Ronnie Stam.

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Chelsea v Wigan Athletic Preview – Embattled Spanish Managers Meet

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

BenitezMartinez

Two embattled Spanish managers meet head-to-head  tomorrow, as relegation-troubled Wigan Athletic travel to Stamford Bridge to meet a Chelsea side whose recent results are not meeting  the expectations of  their owner nor their fans. Both managers have good track records, albeit in under very different circumstances.

Nobody can deny that the Madrid-born Rafael Benitez has been involved in major successes during his career.  With Valencia he challenged the Madrid-Barcelona hegemony achieving  two Spanish League titles,  also winning  the UEFA Cup.  Few in England will forget his Liverpool team’s miraculous comeback in winning the Champions League final against AC Milan. Although still only 52 years old he has the kind of wealth of experience that places Roberto Martinez in the category of  ‘promising young manager’  in comparison. The 39 year old Martinez‘ career clearly has much further to go, but his accomplishments up to this point should not be underrated. Martinez not only established Swansea in the Championship division, but also provided them with a footballing legacy that has seen them prosper ever since. On a tighter budget than his predecessors at Wigan he has kept the club in the Premier League for the past three years, insisting that they play attractive football.

Benitez comes into this match desperate for a good result, his team having gone four games without a win. Martinez’ team are third  from bottom and have only won one of their last 12 league matches.  Moreover Wigan tend to play particularly bad following international breaks. No wonder the bookmakers’ odds firmly point to  Chelsea victory. However, let’s cast our minds back to April of last season when Wigan were so unlucky to lose 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, beaten by two offside goals, the second being in added-on time at the end of the game. When the teams met at the DW Stadium in August a couple of defensive errors let in the visitors for a 2-0 win, although the overall Wigan team performance that day was by no means bad.

Wigan Athletic are actually two points ahead of where they were at this same point last season. However, they remain in serious danger of relegation.  They will be buoyed by the return of leading scorer, Arouna Kone, from African Nations Cup duty with Ivory Coast.  Not only is Kone leading scorer, but his hold-up play is important for his team. Despite the physical challenges he has faced from ruthless  Premier League central defenders he has shown such self-discipline that he has not  received a single yellow card this season.  Moreover he has made 5 assists, in line with team mates Jean Beausejour and Shaun Maloney. Martinez will have to decide whether to stick to his recent formation with five in midfield, or whether to employ Kone and Franco Di Santo as twin strikers.

Gary Caldwell is a doubt for tomorrow, having picked up a hip injury.  Sadly his potential replacement, Antolin Alcaraz,  is still not fully fit, although he might well make his overdue reappearance in next week’s FA Cup tie.  Last week against Southampton, Paul Scharner started at right centre back, later moving to right full back when the shape was changed to a flat back four. He will probably revert to the former role tomorrow, with young Roman Golobart or Adrian Lopez being brought back if Caldwell does not make it. If Caldwell were to play there would be a possibility of employing Scharner as a right wing back, depending on the fitness of Emmerson Boyce and whether Martinez has the confidence in Ronnie Stam’s defensive qualities. Were Scharner to move to wing back Martinez would bring Golobart or Lopez  into central defence.

Latics go into this match with nothing to lose. Interestingly Chelsea have received more penalties than any other team this season, 8, and Wigan have conceded the most, 7. Nobody expects them to get a result at Chelsea, especially after an international break.  No less than 8 of last week’s starting lineup played for their countries on Wednesday.  The odds are stacked against Wigan, but with a little luck and some fair refereeing, one never knows what might happen.

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