Brentford travel to Wigan in search of 3 points .. after the shenighans of Rosler leaving West London for Wigan and Adam Forshaw following him, it would be fair to say this match may have a bit of an extra edge about it …
Billy theBee Grant @billythebee99 of the Beesotted fanzine got around the virtual table with the Mudhutter fanzine from Wigan to chat Forshaw .. Grant Holt .. Rosler .. corner tactics … and losing to Norwich ….. plus lots lots more ….
Starring:
Sean Livesey – Mudhutter
Billy theBee Grant – Beesotted
Martin ‘Jimmy’ Tarbuck – Mudhutter
Matt Allard – Beesotted
Dave Lane – Beesotted
Chris Marsh – Mudhutter
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Shaun Maloney has had a pretty miserable time over the past twelve months, but he can still hit the headlines. He was already being quoted about the resurgence of Gordon Strachan’s Scotland side before his deflected shot sealed a 1-0 victory for them over Georgia in midweek. Now he is in the limelight once more, quote after quote from him appearing in the media.
Through his ten years of service at Celtic and an international career that started in October 2005, Maloney is well known to Scottish journalists. Moreover in a sport where its professionals are hardly known for their eloquence, he comes over as intelligent and thoughtful in his comments.
Just a couple of years ago Latics had three players regularly making appearances for Scotland. Gary Caldwell was captain for both club and country, Maloney featured regularly and James McArthur was staking a case for a midfield holding position. Since then McArthur has left for Crystal Palace and both Caldwell and Maloney have had major injury problems. Given that Maloney had started in only two matches for Wigan Athletic this season, Strachan clearly has belief in the player to pitch him into a European Championship qualifier.
Injury has been a constant companion to Maloney throughout his football career. For Celtic from 2008-2011 he made only 38 starts in three seasons. He arrived at Wigan from the Glasgow club in August 2011 for a fee of £850,000. He struggled for fitness in the first half of the 2011-12 season, making just three substitute appearances. In early March 2012 he made his Premier League debut for Latics, setting up an equaliser for Victor Moses at Norwich and making a very positive impression.
He was to go on to become a regular starter and a key player in Latics’ miraculous escape from relegation. Maloney’s first goal for Wigan was a penalty in the memorable 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield. His great goal against Manchester United in early April secured a 1-0 win and moved Latics out of the relegation zone for the first time since October. He went on to score another beauty in the 4-0 demolition of Newcastle just over two weeks later.
Maloney was to steer clear of injury in the 2012-13 season when he scored 6 goals in 34 starts and 2 substitute appearances in the Premier League. He scored a memorable opening goal in the FA Cup semi final against Millwall, but Maloney will probably be remember best of all by Latics fans for the corner kick that he launched on to Ben Watson’s head for the Cup Final winner.
However, injury was to strike Maloney again only a few months later. After scoring three goals in 6 early appearances in the Championship under Owen Coyle, Maloney was out of action for five months after requiring hip surgery. His last match had been in the 2-0 defeat at Leicester City, where he was substituted after 63 minutes on September 14th. He returned on April 1st in the 2-2 home draw against the same opponents. Maloney was to go on to make ten more appearances, including the FA Cup semi final against Arsenal and the two playoff games against Queens Park Rangers.
Maloney’s return had given fans the hope that he could produce some of his magic to help Latics secure promotion, but it was not to be. He just could not hit his best form after so long a layoff though injury.
Sadly injury has continued to dog Maloney. He was unable to take part in the pre-season warmup games, but has since started in two league games, coming off the bench in five.
A fully fit Shaun Maloney could help kick start Wigan Athletic’s stuttering season. Playiing on the right of midfield for Scotland against Georgia on Saturday, he looked much more like the player who was key during the more halcyon days of Roberto Martinez at Wigan.
The question is whether Maloney can maintain his fitness, steering clear of injury. Latics supporters will be praying that this will be the case.
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I think I have options but players have to realise that I can only give them so many chances because we’re a top club in the Championship and, with the personnel we have, it can’t take you ten games to find your form.”
Quotes from football managers can be misinterpreted or taken out of context. Uwe Rosler has come out with some gems in recent weeks that have had people thinking. What is he really trying to say? How does it fit in with how the team has been playing? What goes on in his head when he is picking a team?
Latics fans learned that Rosler’s team selections can be perplexing during his early days at the club. Having a reputation as a serial rotator the German continued in the same vein last season. From his first game in charge in December to the end of season playoffs he used 29 players. Faced with extreme fixture congestion a degree of team rotation was certainly necessary. In fact his predecessor, Owen Coyle, also felt the necessity to rotate his squad. But with Rosler it was not so much the rotation that fans questioned, but the way in which it was being done. Sometimes there would be wholesale changes resulting in lineups lacking in cohesion.
At times it might be easier to predict the winner of the Grand National than guess a Rosler starting lineup. Are his choices linked to a tactical approach or are they influenced by the players’ attitudes and their levels of commitment in training?
So far this season Rosler has used nineteen players in eleven league games. However, nine players have started in almost 90% of those matches. Put simply Rosler has stuck by a basic core of players, with others used sparingly as starters or substitutes. Is Rosler sending a warning to that nuclear core of players that if they don’t perform they will be replaced? Or is he referring to the new players who have taken time to settle in? Has he shown favouritism towards them at the expense of those recruited by previous managers?
The critics will say that Rosler has his favourites and his management style involves a “My way or the highway approach”. Grant Holt has clearly never met the manager’s approval and has now been sent away on another loan spell. Moreover Roger Espinoza, Fraser Fyvie, Lee Nicholls and Thomas Rogne have disappeared off the radar. Not so long ago Rosler was talking about sending players out on loan, with the inference that it could include those who had played in a recent development team fixture. They were Espinoza, Fyvie and Marc-Antoine Fortune. Since all three are in the final year of their contracts his remarks seemed to signal to those players that their time at the club was coming to an end. However, Fortune now finds himself back in favour with the manager.
Fortune is a player who has his critics, rightly so given his woeful goalscoring record. However, even they would acknowledge his ability to be effective in the target man role. Fortune is strong and hard to knock off the ball. Apart from his goalscoring he has fitted well into the Rosler machine. The big French Guianian would have surely realized his place would be threatened with the arrival of Oriel Riera and Andy Delort. In fact Rosler recently stated: “Marc-Antoine Fortune was told by me at the beginning of the season that the new strikers would be preferred at the beginning to get their chance.”
Fortune was on the bench for the season opener against Reading, with Riera leading the attack. He started in the next game, the League Cup debacle at Burton Albion. Riera was to go on to start in four consecutive league games. His form was hardly electrifying, but he scored a well taken winner against Blackpool and played reasonably well in the 4-0 home defeat of Birmingham. However, the arrival of Andy Delort meant that he was surprisingly relegated to the bench. Delort was to start in three consecutive games without really impressing. However, the names of neither Delort nor Riera appeared in the starting lineup at Bournemouth. Fans were flabbergasted when Fortune was named ahead of them both. Delort returned in the next match at home to Ipswich, only for Fortune to come back for the 2-2 draw at Wolves last Saturday.
Rosler has been full of praise for Fortune, following his fine performance at Molineux, which included a well taken goal. “Marco has been an exceptional pro. He’s never let himself down or us down. He’s continued to work hard and kept himself in good shape mentally and physically. In the situation we’re in we need more Championship experience and Marco gives us that, he knows the Championship in and out. He has the physicality to cope with that and he takes the pressure off our new players because they need to adapt a little bit more.”
Rosler’s supporters will say that he is wise to bring in Fortune to allow Delort and Riera more time to adapt. Moving to a new country is a challenge in its own right, let alone being thrust into the physicality of Championship football.
However, critics would say that Rosler left Riera out of the lineup at exactly the wrong time, after he had started to show that he was adjusting to the pace of English football. Moreover Delort was immediately thrust into the deep end, rather than having a settling in period and a gradual introduction into the team. Both Delort and Riera came to the club following successful seasons with their clubs as central strikers who scored more than their fair share of goals. However, the poor service from midfield up to this point would have made it difficult for any Latics striker to get goals. Neither player could be accused of wasting valuable opportunities – the necessary level of service just has not been there.
Midfield was a strong point for Latics last season. However, the departures of Jordi Gomez and James McArthur and the long term injuries to Chris McCann and Ben Watson have hit Latics hard. Rosler clearly had to build a new midfield. In Latics’ three games of the season McArthur made up the midfield trio together with Don Cowie and Emyr Huws.
When McArthur left for Crystal Palace, Rosler had the option of bringing in Espinoza, Fyvie or youngster Tim Chow who had impressed in pre-season. However, it was William Kvist, newly signed just before the transfer window closed who was to claim McArthur’s spot in the next match at Blackburn. Fitness levels of Latics’ squad at the time were low and once again they caved in during the second half. However, having recently played a couple of games for Denmark, Kvist’s fitness level was possibly better than some. Moreover Kvist played for Fulham in the second part of last season, so his adaption was not as difficult as that of Delort and Riera.
Allegations that Rosler has shown favouritism to players he has recruited are hard to substantiate. He had little choice than to bring in new central strikers, midfield players and left backs. In fact, Rosler has signed ten players in his tenure at the club, but only four made the starting lineup for the Wolves match. Don Cowie has played in every league game so far, and Emyr Huws and Andrew Taylor in all but one. The experienced Kvist has already staked a claim to a regular place. Of the remainder Martyn Waghorn has started in only two games, as has Adam Forshaw. James Tavernier has been limited to appearances off the bench and Aaron Taylor-Sinclair has not featured at all.
Rosler has brought in a mixture of youth and experience. Delort, Forshaw, Huws, Tavernier, Taylor-Sinclair and Waghorn are in their early twenties and all are excellent prospects for the future. In Cowie, Kvist, Riera and Taylor he has players with proven experience. However, as new players come in others can be expected to depart. Espinoza and Fyvie may well be sent out on loan. Latics could well be open to bids for Ali Al-Habsi in the January transfer window. In the meantime Nicholls could be sent out on short term loan.
Having a new midfield has hampered Latics’ possibilities of getting off to a good start this season. However, the overriding factor that has contributed to only two wins in eleven league games has been a lack of fitness. Latics have so often wilted in the second half, losing the initiative against teams that could not be able to compete with them in terms of quality. The run of bad results has led to a crisis of confidence among the squad that has affected all players, new and old.
On top of that Rosler’s team selections have been surprising to say the least. However. the overdue return of Leon Barnett will help provide more defensive solidity. Fitness levels have improved and both Adam Forshaw and Shaun Maloney will be available to provide the kind of service that Delort and Riera have so desperately lacked.
As fans we do not know what is going on behind the scenes at a football club. If we did maybe we could better understand the reasons for some of Uwe Rosler’s more puzzling decisions.
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The season has been like an uncomfortable rollercoaster ride for Wigan Athletic, with some ups but too many downs. The downs have been quite depressing, characterized by low tempo football with little creativity and defensive weaknesses. In terms of performances there have been two “ups”, with a resounding first half display in a 4-0 defeat of Birmingham City and remarkably a 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest.
A few weeks ago when the season started Latics fans would have had higher expectations of the clash with Forest. Last year Owen Coyle’s team beat them 2-1 at the DW to be followed up by a 4-1 win at the City Ground by Uwe Rosler’s side. Was this performance against Forest really an ‘up’ or was it really a higher ‘down’ than Latics have had in recent weeks?
It has been a rollercoaster ride for the fans above all. The disappointment of a draw and three losses in the first four games was tempered by two successive victories and promising activity in the transfer market. There was genuine optimism before the visit to Blackburn, but that dissipated following three losses and a draw in the next four games. The level of frustration of the fans was high and it led to hyperactivity on the fans forums and social media from the new darksiders, the keyboard warriors who wanted Rosler’s head on a platter.
Rumours were rife that Rosler was on his way out, but a show of support from Dave Whelan provided the German and his squad with the tonic they needed. The display against Forest was laden with the kind of physical endeavour that propelled Latics into the playoffs and cup semifinal some six months ago. It had been sadly lacking in recent weeks. Rumours about a divided dressing room and unprofessional behaviour from certain players were blown away by the chanting of “Uwe, Uwe” by the crowd at the end of the game.
Rosler will certainly be buoyed by the commitment showed by his team on Tuesday and by the backing of both chairman and fans. But then again, a football manager is above all judged on results. Latics will clearly have to start climbing the table or the manager’s future will be finite. Whelan has shown himself to be ruthless if he believes a manager cannot hack it. Rosler will surely know that.
An away game at Molineux is never going to be easy. Moreover Wolves are smarting from a surprise 3-1 defeat that broke an unbeaten home record in the calendar year. That it should be lowly Huddersfield Town who inflicted the defeat was a bit of a shock. But that Huddersfield’s star man was Grant Holt was even more so.
James McClean took the limelight against Forest with an all action display, but there were other players who also raised their games. The midfield was particularly improved, but the centre of defence looked more solid than it has done for weeks. In the absence of the injured Rob Kiernan, Rosler opted for the experience of Emmerson Boyce and Ivan Ramis, who teamed up well before Boyce had to go off injured at the end of the first half. However, the introduction of Leon Barnett in the second half made it look even stronger.
Barnett is a player who is tailor-made for the Championship division. He is rugged and competitive and is more than a match physically for any opposition forward. He is a superb header of a ball. His absence this season has made the defence more vulnerable to the aerial bombardments employed by so many Championship teams. Moreover Barnett is also dangerous in the opposing penalty box, as evidenced by his five goals last season. Latics have not looked so threatening this year from set pieces, partly through mediocre delivery, but also through lack of aggression of the big men thrust forward. Barnett has his weaknesses, his passing in particular, but after playing for two clubs that got promoted out of the Championship he knows the league and what is expected.
On his day Ramis is probably the best central defender in the division. Since his return to fitness he has become an ever-present in Rosler’s starting lineup, although never hitting his top form until an excellent display against Forest. He is a totally different type of central defender to Barnett, often preferring to bide his time before making vital interceptions and tackles. Few defenders in the Premier League can match the quality of his distribution of the ball.
Barnett and Ramis have the complementary strengths that can make them an awesome pairing at Championship level. They can provide the backbone that Latics need to gain that defensive solidity they have so far lacked.
For tomorrow’s game Boyce is out of the reckoning, but Kiernan may well be available. Putting a young central defender in the team when the team is playing well is one thing, but putting him into a struggling team has probably not helped Kiernan’s confidence.
With Don Cowie likely to be ruled out through injury, Rosler is likely to bring the more attack-minded Adam Forshaw into midfield. However, away from home he will be looking for defensive solidity first and foremost.
Ex-Latics striker Nouha Dicko will be keen to give Wigan’s central defence a hard time. It remains to be seen who will make up the central defensive partnership for Latics and whether there will be two of them or three. Following a promising performance with a regular back four, Rosler might well want to stick with that same formula. He will also have to decide whether to continue with his two natural wingers, Callum McManaman and James McClean, away from home. He has the option of playing Martyn Waghorn wide. Andy Delort and Oriel Riera will compete for the centre forward spot.
So what is next for Latics in this rollercoaster season? Wolves have come up from League 1 full of confidence and will provide tough opposition. An adverse result would most likely put Latics into the drop zone.
No matter what the result tomorrow the season still has a long way to go. With a central defensive partnership of Leon Barnett and Ivan Ramis long term prospects would look brighter. They can help provide control for that rollercoaster.
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Dave Whelan’s backing of his manager can help Latics turn the corner.
“I was looking for a response and a reaction and I think the players delivered that. I am also happy with the response from the supporters and the chairman. He came into the dressing room before the game and was very positive and reassuring to me and the players.” The words of Uwe Rosler following last night’s game.
The German was right – Latics looked a different team than they have been of late. Although the result places them 20th in the Championship table, the fighting spirit has returned which, in time, will propel them back up.
The match programme notes included a comment from Rosler “Wigan Athletic is a club that thrives in moments of adversity – we have shown it for years – so let’s all go and put a real Wigan Athletic performance in tonight, on and off the pitch. “ The performance showed that kind of spirit.
Rosler made four changes from the team that played at Bournemouth, switching to a 4-3-3 formation. William Kvist came into midfield to join Don Cowie and Emyr Huws, with Adam Forshaw on the bench. Callum McManaman, Andy Delort and James McClean were brought in upfront. Emmerson Boyce and Ivan Ramis played at centre back with Rob Kiernan omitted.
McManaman looked dangerous early on, giving Eric Lichaj a hard time. However, in the 11th minute a wild shot from the American found Michail Antonio in front of the goal, some four yards out, but somehow he blazed his shot high over the bar. However, Latics were to settle into their rhythm, their midfield dominating possession and there were some promising passing movements. However, the nearest Wigan came to scoring was a spectacular volley from James McClean which went over the bar.
Boyce went off injured during the half time break and was replaced by Leon Barnett. The second half continued in the same vein. Shaun Maloney replaced McManaman after 58 minutes. McClean’s energy and drive had added life to Wigan’s play and on the hour mark through his hard running and persistence he found a way through Forest’s well organised defence. However, the ball fell to his weaker right foot and he kicked the ball wide. It was to turn out to be the only clear-cut chance for Latics.
Rosler made an attacking move after 73 minutes, bringing on forward Oriel Riera for midfielder Cowie. Forest had started to look threatening. Britt Assombalonga forced Scott Carson to a good save and Henri Lansbury drove just wide in the final quarter of an hour.
Despite being a goalless draw, punctuated by 38 fouls (19 from each side), it had been an entertaining game. Either team could have won it. Both teams had two shots on target, Forest from 9 goal attempts. Latics from 13. Wigan had 56% of the possession.
The Good
The tale of Dave Whelan’s eventful visit to the dressing room in the early days of Paul Jewell’s reign is etched in the minds of Latics supporters. Jewell was going through a hard time as a young manager, dealing with too many players who were not supporting him. The story goes that Whelan let the players know in no uncertain terms that the manager was staying and that they could leave if they were not happy with that. It was to ultimately lead to Jewell taking Latics to the Premier League and the League Cup final.
Whelan’s intervention this time around might well have sent a similar message. The result was clear to see – a team putting in a real Wigan Athletic performance. Rosler will be buoyed by not only the chairman’s support, but by that of the crowd. The fans present last night gave the team great support and the chanting of Rosler’s name at the end will surely have lifted the manager’s spirits.
The midfield was a revelation in comparison with previous matches. Kvist was a rock in front of the back four and the unsung Cowie had his best game so far, with an all action display. Huws continues to impress. They provided the link between defence and attack that had been too often absent in recent games.
The protection from midfield surely helped the defence which looked solid. Boyce and Ramis were a solid pairing in the first half and Barnett’s forceful play added another dimension in the second. He surely deserves a regular place. The full backs looked comfortable.
McClean was a livewire throughout, bristling with commitment. His unique blend of raw energy and willingness to run at the opposition defence added an extra dimension to Wigan’s play. McManaman faded after a bright start. Delort battled hard and put in some nice touches, although he was once again starved of goal scoring opportunities.
The Bad
Despite their effort and good approach play Latics rarely troubled the Forest keeper. In the long run they will surely be depending on the likes of Forshaw and Maloney to provide the type of incisive passing that can unlock opposing defences.
Forshaw has still not reached peak fitness and stayed on the bench for this game. Sadly Maloney looked a shadow of his former self.
Latics continue to pose little threat from set pieces. It seems to be a lottery who takes the free kicks and corners.
Player Ratings
Scott Carson: 7 – solid and reliable. With more players forward his long kicks were more effective.
James Perch: 7 – solid and hard working.
Emmerson Boyce: 7 – solid until he went off injured after 45 minutes.
Ivan Ramis: 7.5 – excellent throughout.
Andrew Taylor: 7 – solid and hard working.
William Kvist: 7.5 – strong in the tackle and rarely wasted the ball. Conceded five fouls but drew three.
Don Cowie: 7.5 – his best game for Latics so far. Full of commitment and running.
Emyr Huws: 7 – faded at times, but at 19 years of age looks an outstanding prospect. Tough in the tackle with good distribution.
Callum McManaman: 6.5 – faded after a lively start. Went off after 58 minutes.
Andy Delort: 6.5 – full of effort and showed flashes of skill. Frustrating when committing unnecessary fouls. Gave away six in total with just one in his favour.
James McClean: 8 – surely his best performance in a Wigan shirt.
Substitutes:
Leon Barnett: 7 – full of power and authority in defence.
Shaun Maloney: – tried hard, but could not impose his mark on the game.
Oriel Riera: – came on after 73 minutes.
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LOS THREE AMIGOS 