Category Archives: Reflections

Robinson for Latics?

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

Karl Robinson

What a frustrating time it is for Wigan Athletic and their supporters – stuck in limbo.

Roberto Martinez has not gone yet, but it looks like he is going whether it be to Everton or somewhere else. But until he does go his replacement cannot be named and the process of rebuilding cannot commence.

Whoever the new manager is he is going to have a busy summer.

According to transfermarkt Latics have 10 players leaving at the end of their contracts . They are – in order of deemed “market value” – Maynor Figueroa  (£4 million), Antolin Alcaraz (£2.2 m), Ronnie Stam (£1.8), Joel Robles (£1.8 m, on loan from Atletico Madrid), Paul Scharner (£1.3 m, on loan from Hamburg), David Jones (£1.3 m), Albert Crusat (£1.3m), Emmerson Boyce (£875,000), Adrian Lopez (£475,000), Mike Pollitt (£200,000). They do not include Ryo Miyaichi who has been on loan from Arsenal.

One continues to hope that Dave Whelan will avoid a fire sale of  star players remaining under contract. However, the sale of James McCarthy seems inevitable and Arouna Kone’s name is already being linked to various clubs.

When Martinez left Swansea he brought with him assistant manager Graeme Jones , chief scout Kevin Reeves, coach Dennis Lawrence, and goalkeeping coach Inaki Bergara. It would be no surprise if they followed him to his next move too.

Given the situation Dave Whelan will be hoping for a resolution of Martinez’s future as soon as possible. In the meantime he tells us that over fifty people have expressed interest in the position, including “some very high profile names”. Included in those will be ex-England manager, Steve McClaren, who is a front runner together with Rene Meulensteen. There have even been rumours of  an ex- Manchester United tandem of Meulensteen and Mike Phelan taking over.

Every time I look at the Oddschecker site I find the odds for Latics’ new manager have changed. The latest up and coming name is that of Karl Robinson. The 32 year old MK Dons manager played non-league football for teams that would be familiar to the more  senior of Latics fans, including  Oswestry, Rhyl and Prescot Cables.  He was a bustling centre forward. However, at the age of 29 he was the youngest ever to get the UEFA Pro coaching licence. His Dons teams are known for their good football.

In the past Dave Whelan has made inspired recruitments in managers who have taken Latics so far. Paul Jewell did an amazing job in getting them in to the Premier League and the League Cup final, Steve Bruce saved a sinking situation and kept them afloat, Roberto Martinez did a great job against the odds.

The short-lived appointment of the unfortunate Chris Hutchings, assistant to Paul Jewell, might well have put Whelan off promoting from within. Graeme Jones certainly deserves due consideration and one hopes that previous history will not count against him.

There are experienced managers up for the job – Steve McClaren and Owen Coyle topping the list. But then again Whelan took a gamble with the young Roberto Martinez and it significantly extended the club’s time in the Premier League and won them the FA Cup.

Tony Pulis is also a candidate according to the bookmakers. There are Darksiders among the Wigan Athletic faithful who would not be averse to his appointment. However, the majority of Wigan fans are unlikely to want to see his kind of football at the DW. Wigan have built up a reputation for good football and it is something that people would want to continue.

The next manager will have a hard act to follow. Let’s see if Whelan will play the wild card again and appoint somebody like Meulensteen or Robinson. However, it is still early days and the likes of Roberto Di Matteo and Gus Poyet still remain possibilities.

One thing for sure is that Wigan Athletic have never before had such a strong field of managerial candidates.  We might all have our preferences, but Dave Whelan will make the final decision. Let’s hope he can keep us his record of good appointments and put in someone who can lead the club to even greater glories.

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Jordi to Everton?

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

Jordi to Everton?

I read an article the other day that said Roberto Martinez will take no less than five Wigan Athletic players to Everton if he gets the job there. But then again you have to take these speculative articles with a pinch of salt. Everton are a well-run club, not known to pour big money into transfers.

But looking at the players  mentioned – Antolin  Alcaraz, Arouna  Kone, James McCarthy, Callum McManaman and Shaun  Maloney – an obvious name was missing – that of Jordi Gómez.

Mention the name Jordi Gómez in a room full of Latics supporters and you will get an earful. Has a Latics player ever been so derided by the fans, but so supported by the manager? Not that I can recall. Surely Martinez would want to take him to Everton too, given the faith he has shown in the player?

In his four years at the club, Gómez’s Premier League record shows him making 61 starts and 35 appearances as a substitute. He has scored a total of 10 goals and made one solitary assist.

However, we have seen a different Jordi in cup competitions. His superbly taken goal from the edge of the box at Everton and his perfectly timed, measured pass to put in Callum McManaman for the second goal against Millwall in the FA Cup semi final at Wembley stick in the mind. In 9 starts and one substitute appearance in the League Cup and FA Cup this season he has scored 5 goals and made 4 assists.

Gómez’s critics would say that he never had the pace or quickness of movement to be a success in the Premier League:  he tends to shine against teams from lower divisions. One thing is for sure – Gómez did as much as anybody to help Latics win the FA Cup with his 3 goals and 4 assists. If Gómez stays at Wigan can he provide the kind of cutting edge in midfield that they will need to challenge for promotion?

Four years ago Jordi Gómez was voted into the Championship Team of the Year for his outstanding performances for Swansea. He scored 12 goals and made 5 assists from 38 starts and 6 appearances  as a substitute. He was the playmaker for a newly promoted Swansea side.

The Championship is a different environment to the Premier League. It is a long and difficult season that can wear teams out. Jordi Gómez has proved that he can be successful in that setting. Maybe Latics supporters will see the best of that enigmatic player next season – providing Martinez  does not poach him in the meantime.

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No need for a fire sale, Dave

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

firesale

Just over four years ago a Wigan Athletic team that was to finish in 11th place in the Premier League was gradually dismantled. The books were not being balanced, so the prized assets were cashed in and the wage bill slashed.

In the January transfer window Wilson Palacios left for Tottenham and Emile Heskey for Aston Villa for good money.  At the end of the season Antonio Valencia was sold to Manchester United for serious cash, but then Lee Cattermole followed Steve Bruce to Sunderland at a discount fee. Michael Brown was to start a couple of league games under the new manager before being released to join Portsmouth.

Roberto Martinez started his reign at Wigan under a blanket of austerity. It was to continue for his four year tenure at the club.

Will the same happen again? Are we going to see another fire sale and the selling of prized assets?

We are told that the club is in a good state financially and does not need to sell off its assets. Players had it written in their contracts that were the club to be relegated their salaries would be adjusted accordingly. Given the considerable  parachute payments due to be received would it be possible for Latics to keep all their players who remain under contract and challenge for an immediate  return to the Premier League?

Dave Whelan has consistently said that he will not stand in the way of a player who wants to go to a big club, providing the price is right. The joint sales of Palacios and Valencia in 2009 realised somewhere in the region of £30 million. Do Latics have assets of that kind of stature in the current squad?

James McCarthy stands out as Wigan’s most prized asset. Although only 22 years old he has made over 100 Premier League appearances and is a complete player, with a good temperament. There is already a lot of big club interest in him and Latics might well benefit from a bidding war between them. A fee in excess of £15 million is realistic.

Callum McManaman caught the eyes of the big clubs near the end of the season with some dynamic displays. However, he remains unproven over a Premier League season and has suffered a serious injury. Latics would be wise to hang on to him for the moment. He will be a handful for Championship defenders and could develop into a top player over the coming season. If he continues to progress he is going to be worth big money a year from now. However, if a ridiculous offer were to come in over the next couple of months he might well be released.

Arouna Kone is an excellent centre forward who scored 11 goals and made 5 assists in his first Premier League season. It is rumoured that Swansea are willing to pay £5 million for him. It is not big money for a player of his quality, but he is 29 years old and that is a factor. Kone has a release clause in his contract that sets a £6.5 million maximum fee. Kone could terrorise teams in the Championship and one hopes that Latics will be loath to let him go for a relatively small financial gain.

The press continues to buzz about Latics players who want to stay in the Premier League, with its inflated salaries. However, those same players signed contracts with the relegation clause included.

This columnist urges Dave Whelan to send an unequivocal message to those players that they are expected to stay and get the club back into the Premier League. Only if a ridiculously high offer comes in should it be considered.

Players like Ali Al Habsi, Shaun Maloney, Ben Watson and James McArthur will not fetch the same level of transfer fee of those players aforementioned. To let them go for a few million would be a backwards step. They are the kinds of players who could form the backbone of a promotion-winning team.

Let’s have no fire sale at Wigan!

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Evolution and Rene Meulensteen

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

Melen

The writing was on the wall following that FA Cup victory. How much further could an ambitious young manager go at Wigan? Four years working on a shoestring budget, developing players keen to leave at the ends of their contracts. It was an uphill task for Roberto Martinez.

One thing is for sure – if Martinez goes to Everton we will see the Toffees playing better quality football next season. They will not be as dogged and hard to beat, but they will be more admired for their style. But there is an outside chance that Martinez will not leave Wigan. For the purposes of this article I am assuming he is going.

Despite being relegated, Wigan Athletic now have a reputation for playing good football. Martinez has built a club culture around his methods and philosophy. It has taken four years to produce and will serve the club for years to come, providing Dave Whelan can find the right man to continue build on this strong base.

Every manager has his own ideas on how his team should play, but the danger is that someone could come in with a diametrically opposed philosophy, ripping everything apart in the rebuilding process.

Latics need evolution rather than revolution. Swansea provide the prime example of how that can be done.

Roberto Martinez built up a culture of good football at the Welsh  club, taking them from League 1 to 8th  place in the Championship. Martinez was replaced by the Portuguese, Paolo Sousa, who imparted  a similar footballing style, even  if the ex-Juventus player was more defensively minded than his predecessor.

After a year Brendan Rodgers came in and built on what was already there, taking his team into the Premier League playing good football. When Rodgers went to Liverpool, Michael Laudrup brought in exciting talents such as Michu to boost the squad. The result was a mid table league finish and a League Cup final victory, achieved playing that same brand of skillful football.

So who is the man going to be who can continue the evolutionary process at the club?

The Oddschecker site shows Rene Meulensteen to be the favourite, followed by Graeme Jones, Owen Coyle, Gus Poyet and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

I must admit I had never heard of Rene Meulensteen since yesterday. It appears he is leaving his current position as first team coach at Manchester United and is keen to get back into management.  He is a 49 year old Dutchman  who spent 18 years managing teams  in Qatar. He went to Old Trafford as “skills development coach” in 2001, then moved up to reserve team coach, being first team coach since 2008. In between he had a brief spell at Brondby In Denmark in 2006-07.

Wigan Athletic have a huge commitment towards improving their youth system. Meulensteen is impeccably qualified to oversee the transition needed. His coaching skills cannot be doubted. However, there are going to be question marks as to his ability to manage a club desperate to get back into the Premier League.

Meulensteen is clearly a wild card and Dave Whelan could be taking a big gamble if he recruits the Dutchman

He could also represent  another exciting chapter in the continuing evolution of Wigan Athletic.

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Has Roberto really gone this time?

Posted by Ned in News, Reflections

2013-bob

Just as the dust had settled on another unforgettable and emotional season of highs and lows, an official statement went up on the Wigan Athletic website confirming Roberto Martinez has been given permission to talk to another club, believed to be Everton.

While most sources have taken the statement — in conjunction with some Dave Whelan quotes elsewhere — to confirm beyond doubt that Martinez will definitely leave Wigan, the carefully worded statement actually suggests that he remains the club’s manager despite opening talks over a move.

In terms of what has actually been confirmed by either club, circumstances are pretty similar to those at this time last year, when Martinez carefully considered an offer from Liverpool before using the offer to negotiate greater investment in youth and training facilities back at Wigan.

Reports last Friday suggested that discussion during the first meeting between Whelan and Martinez had focused on the Spaniard’s continued demands for investment in said facilities — and probably in a larger squad to cope with Championship and Europa League football next season — rather than his desire to work elsewhere. Four days, ago, Whelan was confident his manager would stay.

It is therefore not unfeasible that Martinez could return from his talks with Everton, or Malaga for that matter, and push Whelan once again to give him the financial support he believes necessary for an immediate return to the Premier League and continued long-term strengthening. The fact that we have not heard a peep from Martinez himself, confirms that he has not yet left the club.

Realistically, however, it is hard to ignore how appealing the Everton job must look to Wigan’s former midfield maestro, on various levels. Though a much larger club that the Latics, Everton has been run in the same close-knit manner as Latics, by a chairman-and-manager combo built on trust and loyalty similar to that of Whelan and Martinez at Wigan. He would have more money, better players, some stability, and the attractive challenge of taking Everton to the next level following Dave Moyes’ departure. He could do a fantastic job there — particularly given the defensive strength that already exists there.

Then there are Dave Whelan’s comments, confirming that his manager has asked to leave, and most recently claiming he is tailor-made for Everton — a dramatic u-turn from his recent statements about Goodison not being a big enough club for him. They all seemingly point to a vacancy at the DW, but we’ve learned over the years how shrewd a businessman Whelan can be. It cannot be discounted that he is playing the media as he has been known to do. Martinez may, after all, not get the Everton job. If he then were to come back to Wigan, Whelan would be able to welcome him back without giving in to all the demands Martinez made of him.

Early rumours for the potential Wigan vacancy include Brighton manager Gus Poyet, who is also apparently a candidate at both Everton and Stoke, and Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen. Both fit the continental, good-football mould, though the former has had issues with his chairman at Brighton over transfer funds, while the latter has very little managerial experience despite top pedigree as a coach. Plenty of other names have been and will be mentioned, but the issue is probably best left untouched for now — as Martinez has not yet, per the club, resigned.