Category Archives: Reflections

Wigan Athletic Under Ryan Lowe: From Grit to Something Greater?

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

Wigan Athletic’s time under Ryan Lowe has really been one built on grit. In football, “grinding out results” basically means doing whatever you need to get points, even if it’s a slog. It’s about being organised, disciplined, and prepared to battle for everything. In a league as tight and physical as League One, that kind of mentality often matters more than pretty football. Managers want players who stay switched on, stick to the plan, and don’t fall apart under pressure. It’s not always thrilling to watch, but it turns bad days into draws and half-chances into big wins.

When Lowe arrived in March 2025, Wigan were in a lower mid-table position and seriously struggling for goals — bottom of the league in that department. They weren’t heading straight for relegation, but the season had drifted. Lowe’s arrival felt like a reset — new ideas, fresh energy, and a chance to stabilise things.

Before long, the team leaned fully into that scrappy, hard-working identity. They finished the season in 15th, mostly because they became tougher mentally and harder to beat. They clawed back deficits, held onto narrow leads, and looked like a side willing to dig in. Not glamorous, but effective.

Over the summer, Lowe shaped the squad to fit his preferred 3-1-4-2. That system relies heavily on wing-backs, and the opening game of the new season showed exactly why. Joe Hungbo and Fraser Murray were excellent in the 3-1 win over Northampton — a scoreline that honestly could’ve been bigger. The first 20 minutes were messy and disjointed, but Murray’s goal around the half-hour settled everyone down and suddenly the team looked much more like a unit.

Of course, settling into a new shape and integrating new signings takes time. The early weeks were a mix of positives and frustrations: solid performances, some good results, but also draws where Wigan should’ve taken more. Opposition managers quickly figured out how dangerous the wing-backs were, so Hungbo and Murray started getting much more attention defensively. That’s League One — once you show a threat, everyone finds a way to make life difficult.

After eight league games, Wigan were sitting at W3 D3 L2 with 13 goals scored and 9 conceded — decent, but clearly still a work in progress. Then came Bolton. Wigan had enjoyed a strong record against them recently, and fans saw it as a genuine benchmark of their progress.

But Bolton, led by Steven Schumacher, were flying. They went with two natural wingers and caused Wigan’s wing-backs all sorts of problems. Latics were second best throughout, losing 4-1, and the fans were furious. They felt the team didn’t show enough fight and that Lowe hadn’t treated the derby with the importance it deserved. They even pointed out the lack of cards — Wigan picked up one yellow, Bolton none — which raised questions about the passion and intensity on display.

It did feel like Lowe misjudged the moment. Derbies aren’t just about points; they’re about pride and emotion. If that wasn’t fully communicated to the players, it could explain the flat performance. And once fans start questioning desire, the pressure ramps right up.

The Bolton defeat hit confidence hard. The football tightened up, became more cautious, and the spark in the final third faded. Lowe leaned further into defence-first thinking, which made sense in the moment but dulled the attacking edge even more. The injury to Ryan Trevitt made things worse — without their most creative midfielder, Wigan lacked imagination. The wing-backs also had to focus more on defending, meaning they weren’t getting forward as freely.

All of this made Wigan more solid, but not exactly entertaining. The challenge now is finding the right balance — keeping that grit without switching off the creativity.

As it stands, Latics sit 11th with a record of W6 D7 L5. They’re definitely harder to beat, and while fans still daydream about a run toward the Championship, Lowe has sensibly played that down, treating promotion as a long-term aim rather than something immediate. His popularity has dipped during the rough spells — some fans have even called for him to be sacked, others are simply bored by the football. But given how many managers Wigan have chewed through over the past decade, stability is badly needed. Lowe deserves the time to build something properly.

His spell at Preston is a useful comparison. In his first full Championship season there, they started with a 0-0 at the DW — one of FIVE goalless draws in their first six games. They had one of the smallest budgets in the league, yet still finished 12th. Not spectacular, but quietly impressive.

This season, Wigan reportedly have a top-ten League One budget. So can Lowe get them punching above their weight and pushing into the play-off conversation? A lot will hinge on the January transfer window.

With his commitment to 3-1-4-2, he needs proper wing-backs. He couldn’t sign any specialists in the summer and ended up using Hungbo and Murray — talented players, but natural wingers. Two real wing-backs surely top the shopping list, unless K’Marni Miller returns ready to step up. He also needs more creativity in midfield and better service for the strikers, who simply haven’t scored enough.

And that’s the big question hanging over everything: if the supply improves, will the forwards finally deliver the goals Latics need?

What a difference a win makes

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

It had been doom and gloom among so many Wigan Athletic fans for too long. The team was lying below mid-table in League 1 and the last time Latics had last won an away game under Ryan Lowe was on Good Friday.

The game at Wimbledon looked like it was following on from what we had seen before. The home side were a goal up, despite Wigan having the better chances in a first half when they could have gone ahead. They had not played badly but just did not look like they were going to show killer instinct in front of goal.

Enter the 18-year-old Harrison Bettoni in the 77th minute. With his first touch of the ball, he scored from a sublime free kick curling in to the top corner. Ten minutes later he latched on to a clever flick from Paul Mullin to race through and slot home. The away support went wild with excitement.

After talking about avoiding relegation and sacking Lowe the less tolerant and less patient core among the fan base have started to perk up. One fan even suggested promotion was even a possibility with Latics just 8 points behind the leaders, Cardiff City, after 16 games played.

Although Bettoni’s league debut was spectacular some fans had not heard of him. However, he has been at Wigan since his early teens and was a key player in the youth team. Lowe trusted him with the free kick because he had been taking them in the junior ranks for some time. Bettoni had showed his mettle in a much-improved U21 team and it was to Lowe’s credit that he was given that chance.

Wigan’s U21 team had a tough start to the season, losing their first four games. Their transformation was helped on its way by the arrival of 20-year-old Adam Moseley on trial from Runcorn Linnets. Moseley’s record of 17 goals in 11 games for the U21 team speaks for itself. Although he had been appearing under the name of “Trialist”, posts on social media a week ago told us his name and that he had agreed to a two-and-a-half-year contract at Latics. Although this has now been revealed in the local press, nothing yet has appeared on the club website.

The main news on the U21 side recently has been in sending players away on loan. Tom Watson has gone to South Shields, Leo Graham to Bury, Jack Rogers to Macclesfield, Christy Edwards to Witton Albion and K’Marni Miller to Radcliffe FC. Kai Payne went to Oldham Athletic at the start of the season, but injury has limited his appearances to 10 games so far. Some fans have been critical that the club has not secured them loan spells at clubs in higher tiers of English football. However, the majority are short term loans which expire before January.

The U21 team’s last three results have been spectacular. A 9-0 win at Coventry was followed by a 2-1 home win over top of the table Sheffield United, then by a 7-2 win at Barnsley. In the absence of U21 match reports on the club’s website one has had to rely on picking up information from opposing clubs’ sites. In previous years there were pockets of information on players in both the U21 and U18 squads to go with their photographs but there is scant coverage now.

Bettoni’s spectacular debut and Moseley’s acquisition have certainly helped to lift the spirits of supporters. At the beginning of the season, it had looked like Lowe had lots of options with four strikers in his senior squad. However, optimism has faded over the past months as none of the four have convinced. Lowe’s preference, particularly in home games, has been to play with twin strikers. Dara Costelloe and Christian Saydee were his choice for the opening game against Northampton, but both have had three game suspensions after receiving red cards, disrupting their settling into their roles. Paul Mullin and Maleace Asamoah have been largely used as substitutes in League 1 games. Between the four of them they have scored 7 goals.

Moseley will only be available for EFL games from the start of the January transfer window. It will be interesting to see how Lowe handles Bettoni. Will he start against Stevenage on Saturday or be used as an impact sub in the latter stages?

Although Lowe clearly likes the twin striker approach he has also resorted to packing the midfield with two number 6s, two number 10s and a single central striker. The latter system looked viable while Ryan Trevitt was available to provide some goal threat as a #10, but the other midfielders who have played there have rarely looked incisive.

Callum Wright scored a well taken goal against Barnsley and has got into good positions, but lacks the composure of a midfield goalscorer. Lowe might have to continue to persevere with Wright in the hope that the composure will come, even if his career goalscoring record does not suggest that.

In a similar way he has been relying on Christian Saydee to score goals as a central striker. Saydee has scored 2 goals so far at Wigan and his career record is 14 goals in 137 appearances. Although he is unlikely to score many goals as a striker, he is nevertheless a useful player to have on the pitch. He is a powerful and skilful forward able to hold the ball, with an eye for a killer pass through a defence. Some would say his style is reminiscent of Emile Heskey. Others might cite Marc-Antoine Fortune who scored 5 goals in 71 appearances at Wigan, but was nevertheless a regular starter in the Championship.

Following the opening game against Northampton I commented here that “Looking at the current squad there is certainly enough quality to finish in the top half of the table, barring major injuries.”

Since then, Lowe lost Isaac Mabaya early on and Ryan Trevitt since the end of September. However, my comment still holds. If they can be in a mid-table position by the New Year, they will have something to build on and it is by no means impossible that they will reach a playoff position.

If Lowe had money to spend, he would invest in specialist wing backs and creative midfielders. Good, proven strikers don’t come cheap and it is unlikely that Latics will ever splash out the kind of money needed.

In the meantime, he will look at getting the best of the strikers he has at his disposal. Finding the right blend will be key.

Is Ryan Lowe’s squad good enough to challenge for promotion?

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Reflections, Specials and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Courtesy of TheMastermindsite.com

It is a long time since Wigan Athletic fans enjoyed the first game of the season so much. Latics beat Northampton 3-1, but the margin could easily have been greater. In a lacklustre first quarter, with Wigan lacking cohesion, it looked like it would take the players some time to gel, to effectively function as a unit. However, Fraser Murray’s brilliantly taken 29th minute goal was to rapidly accelerate the process. As the game proceeded the players seemed to thrive in their well-defined roles, providing a synergy that had been absent early on. They thoroughly deserved the warm applause they received from the home fans at the final whistle.

 Lowe has based his summer recruitment on adapting the squad he inherited into one that can operate effectively in his preferred 3-1-4-2 system. It is a system where wing backs play a key role and it was highlighted by the fine performances of Murray and Joe Hungbo. Lowe had made it clear that he needed wing backs, rather than full backs. It looked like Steven Sessegnon, a specialist full back, was on his way out, but he was impressive in a new position on the left of the back three. He will be staying after all. However, Lowe considers Josh Robinson a full back and therefore unwanted. The player signed by Shaun Maloney from Arsenal in January has been practically invisible to us fans. Isaac Mabaya (20), signed on loan from Liverpool, certainly looked confident in the wing back position when he came on in the second half, for his debut in senior football. However, he was beaten to the ball for Northampton’s goal and he will need time to adjust to the demands of first team football.

Having wing backs means that natural wingers will have few opportunities unless the manager changes the shape. Dion Rankin appears to be on his way to Leyton Orient. Jonny Smith remains, although he was less than impressive as a wing back following Lowe’s arrival. Smith’s previous role as an inverted winger has no place in the manager’s style of play. Callum McManaman’s re-signing was a surprise as he too is a winger. However, both players have the capability of changing the course of a match through moments of individual brilliance. K’Marni Miller (19) was unavailable through injury on Saturday. He is an exciting prospect as a left wing back and Lowe recently gave him a new two- year contract. He will challenge Hungbo for that position.

With twin strikers being part of Lowe’s system, it was crucial that he brought in reinforcements. The exciting, talented, but raw, Maleace Asamoah (22) remains. The manager has done well to provide a wide range of attacking options by bringing in Dara Costelloe (23), Paul Mullin (31) and Christian Saydee (23). Costello looked comfortable in the orthodox centre forward role on Saturday, with Saydee behind or to the side of him receiving long balls and feeding his teammates in a manner reminiscent of Emile Heskey. Given feedback from Portsmouth supporters it was no surprise to see the powerfully-built forward have such a good game in that role. The downside is that Saydee’s career goalscoring record is akin to of another excellent target man for Latics, Marc-Antoine Fortune. Paul Mullin has a superb goalscoring record, although has not been convincing at League 1 level. But Mullin could be a key signing if he can get into gear.  All four strikers have different attributes and Lowe can mix-and-match them as he pleases. It gives so many different options. Chris Sze (23) has had a career dogged by injury and a has yet to make his mark at senior level, but the player that Maloney said had as much technical ability as any in the squad remains at the club Lowe is certainly not short of midfield options. Tyrese Francois played in the defensive midfield role in front of the back three on Saturday and looked comfortable in the role. Baba Adeeko is excellent defensively in that position. Matt Smith played superbly there for Maloney, so capably helping the back three with the high press. At times, Smith’s incisive passing could have been more effectively employed further up field. Despite some injury problems over the past couple of seasons he does not have a career record of injuries. He played 45 games for Doncaster the season before joining Wigan. Lowe insists that Smith has a role to play.

On Saturday, Lowe played Jensen Weir (23) and Tobias Brenan (19) in the central midfield positions. Weir underperformed has last season, but Lowe has kept faith in him. He had his best game for the club on Saturday, scoring an opportunist goal with a bullet header. Brenan made a very positive debut, showing composure, despite nervousness. Lowe has sent Ronan Darcy on loan to Chesterfield after declaring that a #10 does not fit in his system. Harry McHugh (22) was surprisingly offered a new contract: Lowe surely sees him as a late developer. New loan signings Callum Wright (25) and Ryan Trevitt (22) will compete for places.

Last season’s defensive record last season was excellent. Sam Tickle showed himself as a shot-stopper of a quality way above League 1 and the back three were excellent in front of him. The trio of Carragher-Kerr-Aimson were formidable. However, Maloney’s style of football was based on a solid defence, but with forwards and midfielders also playing an important defensive role. Lowe has intimated that there will be an attacking approach in home matches, as it was on Saturday. However, away from home he will more cautious His record at Preston last season showed 35 goals scored at home and 21 away.

The signing of Morgan Fox (31) on a two-year contract is a positive statement from Lowe and the club. Fox has over 300 EFL appearances in his career, largely in the Championship. He is a left centre back. Will Aimson was mainly playing there since Lowe’s arrival, although he can play in any of the three centre back positions. With Steven Sessegnon, Jon Mellish and Luke Robinson also able to play in the left centre back position there will be stiff competition for the defensive positions, providing all those players stay at the club. Will there will be some departures (along with Josh Robinson) in order to balance the books?

There was speculation through recent weeks regarding the possible sale of Sam Tickle. However, Latics fans breathed a sigh of relief when Lowe stated categorically that the goalkeeper will not be leaving. Tickle is an outstanding young keeper in all areas except his distribution. Were it not for this weakness he would surely have been snapped up by a bigger club over the summer. Together with James Carragher he is the club’s most prized asset.

Up to this stage Lowe has done a fine job in rebalancing the squad to fit his preferred playing formation. His work is not yet finished and he will need to make more adjustments to ensure that staffing costs do not exceed the budget set by Mike Danson. Looking at the current squad there is certainly enough quality to finish in the top half of the table, barring major injuries. Injuries proved a major obstacle to Shaun Maloney in his tenure at Wigan. Lowe will be hoping he can keep them at a minimum as he seeks a top eight position, which would be by no means unlikely.

Wigan Athletic: the case of the misfiring wingers

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

Dion Rankine had probably his best game so far for Latics against Mansfield. Photo courtesy of Wigan Athletic.

Wide players played an important role in Shaun Maloney’s Wigan Athletic team last season. Martial Godo, Steven Humphrys, Jordan Jones, Callum McManaman and Jonny Smith made a total of 162 league appearances (starting + off the bench) between them, scoring 21 goals.

Over the summer Godo went back to his parent club, Fulham. Humphrys and Jones were offered new contracts but terms could not be agreed. Despite budget restrictions Maloney was able to sign four new wingers over the summer: Maleace Asamoah and Dion Rankine on permanent contracts for relatively small fees, with Michael Olakigbe and Silko Thomas coming in on loan. The average age of the four of them was less than 20.8 years.

After 12 games played in League 1 this season Latics have scored a paltry 10 goals, only Stevenage having scored less (9). However, their defensive record of only 9 conceded is bettered only by Stockport and Wrexham (both 8). Maloney and his coaches have worked hard with the players on their performances “off the ball”. The wingers have certainly played their part in defending, but they have looked muted in attack.

Both Olakigbe and Smith missed several weeks in early season due to injury. Ironically it is the least experienced Thomas, without a previous first team appearance for any club, who has played the most minutes.

 AgeAppearancesStartsTotal minutes
Silko Thomas (on loan)201010726
Dion Rankine22119705
Michael Olakigbe (on loan)2062259
Callum McManaman3392253
Jonny Smith273084
Maleace Asamoah211019

Thomas was signed on loan from Leicester. A product of the Chelsea Academy he joined the Foxes in the summer of 2023 and played in their U21 side. An inverted winger he has been a regular starter on the left.  

Dion Rankine is also a product of the Chelsea Academy.  After making 33 appearances on loan at Exeter in League 1 last season, he signed for Latics for a fee reported to be around £300,000. Rankine has been a regular starter as a “natural” right winger.

Michael Olakigbe, born in Nigeria, is a former England youth international who passed through the Fulham and Queens Park Rangers academies. He signed for Brentford in July 2022. Olakigbe made 8 Premier League substitute appearances for the Bees last season before being loaned out to Peterborough in January. He made only two league starts with 8 appearances off the bench for The Posh, his opportunities being hampered by injuries and suspension.

Callum McManaman was a key player last season in his ability to stretch opposition defences in the second half of a game. So often he was able to energise a style of play that was flat, lacking in energy and incisive play. However, he had less impact on matches when he was in the starting lineup. He has only started in two league matches this season, being largely employed as a “impact sub”.  

Jonny Smith was dogged by injury last year and has made only three appearances this season. Still only 27, he had played at 7 different clubs before establishing himself at Burton Albion where he played for two and a half seasons, making 77 appearances, scoring 9 goals. At his best he shows lightning pace and can provide a goal threat cutting inside from the right to use his left foot.

Maleace Asamoah was signed from Fleetwood for a small fee. He is the son of former Ghana international Derek Asamoah. A product of the Reading Academy he was at Cheshunt before making a handful of appearances for Kalamata, Olimpiacos Velos and New Salamis in Greece. On his return to England last season, he made two League 1 appearances for Fleetwood before going to Waterford in the League of Ireland where he established himself as a regular starter. Asamoah was clearly signed on potential and has only made one league appearance for Latics this season as a substitute.                        

Apart from McManaman the other wingers have had less than auspicious starts to the season. In so many games they have seemed static and lacking in dynamism and the willingness to take on opposition defences. What has been the underlying reasons for that?

Maloney’s critics would say that his constant rotation of players between and during games has meant that only Sam Tickle and the two centre backs, Will Aimson and Jason Kerr, have played the regular 90+ minutes. Partnerships between individuals have not developed as they might have. The net result has been a conservative, static way of play where the ball is constantly played to feet rather than into space.

Silko Thomas is a young player who plays with enthusiasm and works hard for the team. In the Mansfield game he once again received the ball with a defender tightly marking him. The net result was Thomas making a 30-yard pass back to the defence which indirectly led to a Mansfield goal. Dion Rankine too has struggled to breach opposition defences. However, Rankine has his best game this season because the ball was more frequently placed into space for him to run on to. In previous games the norm was for him to receive the ball to feet or even behind him.

Of the six wingers in the senior squad only Jonny Smith is a natural left footer and he is employed as an inverted role. Over the course of the season so far it would not be ridiculous to suggest that Wigan’s most effective wide attacker has been the left full back, Luke Chambers. The injury to Chambers is a hammer blow for Maloney, having not only so often been the only left-footer on the pitch but in his all-round play.

The understanding between full backs and wingers is crucial in developing plays along the flanks. The interplay between the two can help unlock tight defences. Unlike Chambers, James Carragher does not have the range of attacking skills possessed by a specialist full back like Chambers. Playing Carragher at right back has certainly helped the defence. He is good in the air and reads the game well. Carragher has done so well overcoming injury and establishing himself as a senior squad player.  However, playing a natural central defender at full back is not helping the attack, the right winger in particular.

The bottom line is that Latics’ passing this season has so often been predictable with players making the easy pass to feet rather than playing “sin miedo” by putting it into space for a teammate to run on to. The ability to receive the ball in tight situations is a key part of the game, but in Wigan’s case it so infrequently has led to the ball moving forward, the necessary support play being lacking.  

Players have suffered from the lack of imagination and vision in the team’s passing. The wingers have been particularly hard done by. If they are to be more effective, they need to work in tandem with the full backs, both offensively and defensively. Up to this point they have been more successful in the latter area.

Stoke performance reveals strength in depth

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match reactions, Reflections, Specials and tagged with , ,
Wigan Athletic’s Gavin Massey (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)

On paper the Wigan Athletic starting lineup at Stoke City looked good enough to compete with the Championship team on an even keel. This was despite the fact that only two players who had started the previous League 1 game against Oxford United were included, those being Gavin Massey and Max Power.

In reality Leam Richardson had used his squad to put together a team that looked well- balanced. But being so hastily cobbled together it was always going to struggle to show the cohesion needed to seriously threaten the home team. Jason Kerr’s slip was unfortunate, but it gave the home team an early lead that was going to be hard for Latics to pull back. Wigan held their own until a very well taken goal by Jacob Brown after 62 minutes was to seal Stoke’s victory.

Newcomers Ben Rea and Jamie McGrath made good starts to their Wigan careers. Rea worked hard in central midfield and certainly let Nick Powell know he was around. Since Sam Morsy’s departure Laics have not had a player of his ilk in their line-ups. McGrath slotted in comfortably and could well compete with Will Keane for the number 10 role, although he can also play in the wide positions.

Tom Bayliss has had a hard time since his arrival in Wigan but had one of his better games yesterday. Josh Magennis toiled with little end-result until being replaced by Stephen Humphrys after Stoke’s second goal.

Gavin Massey was excellent throughout, working hard, rarely wasting the ball and, most notably, showing the bursts of acceleration that were the hallmark of his game before he was dogged by a series of hamstring injuries. Richardson has faced criticism for his loyalty towards Massey, so often playing him ahead of others who were knocking on the door for selection. However, if Massey can display this kind of form, staying fit, he can play a key role in the bid for promotion.

Joe Bennett completed a full 90 minutes plus for the first time since playing for Cardiff City against Middlesbrough in late February last year. It has been a long recuperation for Bennett following the ACL injury that threatened his career. Yesterday he showed us glimpses of the player who made over 300 appearances in the two highest tiers of English football. However, it is going to take time before we see the player approach anything like his best.

The current squad is certainly well blessed with central defenders. Curtis Tilt and Jack Whatmough are the current first choice pairing. Jason Kerr (24) and Kell Watts (22) were a young centre back duo yesterday. With the full backs so often pushing forwards the centre backs can be stretched when the opposition counterattacks. That was the case for Stoke’s first goal, but both players have shown that they can be fine players in League 1 level and possibly at a level above. Given the quality of the centre backs he has at his disposal it is to be hoped that Richardson will more frequently go for a line-up of three central defenders with wing backs.

Latics have another 20 league games to play before the season ends on April 30. It is a tough and demanding schedule, but much will depend on how the manager utilises his full resources and adjust his tactics according to the situation. Richardson is not a manager known for his squad rotation, but if he does not rotate players, he runs the risk of injuries that will prove costly in the long run.

Richardson’s decision to reshape his team’s formation during the first half of the Oxford game was a welcome surprise. The changes he made had an immediate effect.

Promotion is in the air at Wigan, but much will depend on the manager’s ability to choose the right players at the right times, adjusting his tactical approach when needed. He has a very strong squad at his disposal.