Given that we now have a wider readership than in our earlier days we plan to occasionally republish articles from our archives, that many may not have seen. We ask our long-established readers will bear with us on this. We will continue to put out our stream of current articles.
Our site stats have shown that our readership has been particularly interested in perspectives of Latics players from fans of their previous clubs. Thanks to contributions made by bloggers on the fan sites of those clubs for these articles from our archives.
Click here for our previous fan views on Roger Espinoza and James McClean.
Click here for our previous fan views on Martyn Waghorn and Thomas Rogne.
A Brentford fan’s view of Uwe Rösler
Billy and Uwe at Brentford
Written by: BillytheBee (@billythebee99) who writes for Beesotted fanzine www.beesotted.co.uk (@beesotted)
Published: December 31, 2013.
I remember exactly where I was when Wigan made an approach for Uwe Rosler. I was setting up the equipment at Hounslow Civic Centre for Beesotted fanzine’s first ever live YouTube video broadcast.
’I was a little surprised that he dropped down a division into the Championship – although a two-year contract was more than Albion were offering.
Fortune was a good player at Albion – although the more I think, I struggle to remember any real outstanding performances or memorable moments from him. He was always a hard working individual and a team player. But, If I’m honest, he probably lacked that extra bit of quality you need to excel at the highest level.
When he originally joined the club under Tony Mowbray we were desperate for a striker. He joined in January and did well. He scored 5 times in 17 appearances. I remember his debut against Middlesbrough and he ran himself into the ground. He trundled off to a standing ovation with his socks around his ankles. Fortune’s link-up play has always been good. However, he never really offered a goal threat. I wouldn’t say he’s a natural goalscorer – despite his goals from January to May. He was unable to prevent the club from being relegated.
When Fortune came back to the club after a spell in Celtic, he never really reached the level of performance he had when he was at the club the first time around. In fact, he struggled to get in to the side first under Roberto Di Matteo and then Roy Hodgson. His time at The Hawthorns seemed up. He went on loan to Doncaster Rovers in order to get some game time and he came back with renewed vigour and purpose. By this time, Hodgson had moved Fortune away from the centre to the right-hand side.
Marco was intelligent enough to adapt his game and did well as a right-sided forward. He always tracked back and put the required effort in. In fact, he earned himself an extra year at the club. But once Hodgson had moved on he found it difficult to get in the side under Steve Clarke. The arrival of Shane Long, Romelu Lukaku and Markus Rosenberg meant that Fortune wasn’t even considered in a central option any longer.
Fortune didn’t really feature in the first half of last season as Peter Odemwingie and Zoltan Gera kept him out of the side. But, as both either dropped out of favour or were injured, he got his chance to earn himself another deal. He performed well and scored the odd goal. Albion earned him a one-year contract, but he chose more stability at Wigan.
I don’t think you’ll find any Albion fan which would have a bad word to say against Fortune. He maybe lacked the quality to perform regularly at the highest level, but he always tried his best and was liked by the fans. Hopefully we’ll see him at The Hawthorns again soon.
Fortune favours the brave!
Rosler planning route back to Wembley
Uwe Rosler got the result he needed last night when Latics ground out a 1-0 win at Birmingham. He can now focus on the route back to Wembley for the playoff final on May 24th.
Next week Latics are due to play the first leg of the first phase of the playoffs at the DW Stadium. They will entertain either Derby County on Thursday or Queens Park Rangers on Friday, depending on whether they eventually finish 5th or 6th.
Although Latics have limped to secure that playoff spot Uwe Rosler deserves great credit for getting them there. When he took over in mid-December they were in 15th place and had lost their preceding five matches. Moreover he took them to an FA Cup semi -final too.
Latics have looked jaded over recent matches, particularly the key players who played too many matches game over these weeks. Rosler has to rest them for Saturday’s final league match away at Blackburn. A draw or win at Blackburn will guarantee Latics 5th place and a confrontation with QPR. Whether they can get a result with a weakened team remains to be seen.
Both Derby and QPR are fine footballing sides with experienced and capable managers in Steve McClaren and Harry Redknapp. Rosler will have to get his tactics right, no matter which of the two Latics meet.
Last night Rosler played with a backline of three central defenders, with Gary Caldwell returning triumphantly. Both he and Rob Kiernan were preferred to the out of sorts Leon Barnett. That central defensive trio of Boyce, Caldwell and Kiernan could well line up in the first playoff game next week. Ivan Ramis is getting close to resuming training, but it might be a gamble to put him in, probably in place of Kiernan. Jean Beausejour is clearly at his best at left wing back, with James Perch operating on the other side.
None of Josh McEachran, James McClean and Nick Powell appeared in the nominated eighteen last night and one wonders if they will be in Rosler’s plans for what remains of the season. Lots of rumours have been flying around the social media, but there has been nothing from the club.
Rosler’s Latics team have shown the kind of determination to grind out results that will serve them well in the playoffs. From mid-February towards the end of March they went on an unbeaten run of 10 matches, where the football was not always pretty but it was certainly effective. High pressing was a key feature of that run.
Neither McClaren nor Redknapp will be keen to face Latics in the playoffs. They are likely to meet a Wigan team founded on a solid and experienced defence, but with potential match winners in Callum McManaman and Shaun Maloney further forward.
Another trip to Wembley is a distinct possibility.
Latics can win their next penalty shootout
Can one single incident define a club’s season?
Blackpool fans might well cite Matt Gilks’ superb save from Martyn Waghorn’s penalty on Saturday as the event that saved them from relegation. Latics had been well on top in that first 20 minutes and if they had scored the Tangerines might well have fallen apart. Waghorn did not hit his penalty badly, but the goalkeeper guessed right and made a spectacular save.
Latics have been awarded 7 penalties in the Championship this season, of which they have scored 4, each taken by a different player. Grant Holt, Shaun Maloney, Ben Watson and Jordi Gomez were the successful scorers. Gomez has had two penalties saved, against Yeovil and Bolton. The opposition have converted 5 out of the 8 penalties they have received.
It was a surprise to many of us when Waghorn took the penalty against Blackpool. Despite his 1 in 3 conversion rate in the league this season, Gomez has a 100% record in cup competitions. He scored one in the Europa League and two famous ones – at the Etihad and Wembley – in the FA Cup. Having scored Latics’ last penalty in the pressure cauldron of an FA Cup semi-final it was expected that Gomez would take the spot kick against Blackpool. Moreover they also had Shaun Maloney who had previously been successful in converting penalties. Waghorn did have previous success as a penalty taker, scoring 2 out of 2 for Leicester City, but it was in the 2009-10 season. He had not taken penalties in competitive football since then.
The fateful penalty shoot-out in that Wembley semi-final continues to haunt Latics fans. If the likes of Holt, Maloney, Watson and even Waghorn had been at hand to join Gomez at the time, maybe Latics would have had a chance of beating Arsenal. But looking at the available players on the pitch at the time there was not much hope for optimism even before the kicks had started.
Should Latics reach a stage in the playoffs where penalties are going to decide the result are they going to be competitive? Uwe Rosler will surely bear this in mind with the players he has on the pitch in a game going into extra time. He will surely find time for his players to get ample penalty kick practice before the event.
Since the formation of the Premier League in 1992 the average conversion rate for penalties has been 85%. Less than 4% were missed, just over 11% saved.
During their eight seasons there Wigan Athletic received 28 penalties, of which they scored 22, a conversion rate of 79%. Ben Watson and Amr Zaki were Latics’ leading goalscorers through penalties, each scoring four. However, Watson also missed two, unlike the Egyptian who missed none and remains Latics most successful penalty taker in top flight competition. There were only two seasons when Latics received more penalties than they conceded, those being in the Steve Bruce era 2007-09. For the full stats see myfootballfacts.com
Of the current squad, in league and cup games, Maloney has converted 2 out of 2. Gomez has scored 7 out of 10, Watson 6 out of 9.
Gary Caldwell was the first to have a penalty saved at Wembley, but later stated that he had taken penalties before, even in the Champions League. The second taker was Jack Collison, whose shot was also saved. However, Collison had been successful earlier on in the season, scoring for West Ham in the 94th minute in a League Cup tie at Burnley.
Collison would not usually have a chance to take a penalty for the Hammers, as Mark Noble would usually take them. Noble has scored every penalty he has taken since 2009. Leighton Baines shares a similar record. However, Rickie Lambert has gone even better by scoring every single one of his 31 penalties in competitive matches for Southampton. Matt Le Tissier remains the most outstanding penalty taker in top flight English football in recent years, having missed only one of his 49 penalties.
Research into penalty shootouts in the World Cups, European Championship and Copa America reveals a success rate of around 87% for the first kick, 82% for the second, 79% for the third, 73% for the fourth and 80% for the fifth. See penaltyshootouts.co.uk for more details.
Clubs typically get an average of around four penalties in regular play per season and they are often taken by the same player. That is certainly the case for QPR, who have had exactly four, all converted by Charlie Austin.
However, the cases of other playoff contenders, Derby and Reading, differ. Referees have awarded Derby 11 penalties, of which they converted 7, but they have conceded only 2. They have used three penalty takers in Bryson, Martin and Russell. Reading have converted 7 of their 9 penalties, whereas the opposition have scored all 6 conceded. The Royals have used four penalty takers in Blackman, Le Fondre, Pogrebnyak and the unfortunate Sharp who missed his penalty against Latics.
Should Wigan Athletic get into a penalty shootout over the coming weeks it could well define their season. If Latics confirm their place in the playoffs then Rosler will surely give his players lots of practice at taking penalty kicks.
Garcia ready to step in for Latics
Juan Carlos Garcia (left) ready to step in for Latics.
When Juan Carlos Garcia was signed last summer it looked like he was going to be the natural successor for Maynor Figueroa.
Like ‘Figgy’ he was an experienced Honduran international, in his mid-twenties, who had come from Honduras’ top club – Olimpia of Tegucigalpa – with the ambition of being successful in England. He was to be another in the line of Honduran footballers at Wigan following in the steps of Wilson Palacios, Hendry Thomas, Figueroa and Roger Espinoza. Garcia got himself known on a world stage in February 2013 through a spectacular goal for his country in a World Cup qualifier against the USA, assisted by Figueroa.
Like Figueroa, Garcia is a left back who can also play in the centre of defence. The left back position has been problematic for Latics this season. Stephen Crainey played there at the beginning of the season, to be replaced by James Perch. That gave Latics more defensive solidity, but Perch was limited in attacking skills, playing on his ‘wrong side’. At times Owen Coyle would draft in Jean Beausejour at left back. The arrival of Uwe Rosler saw the Chilean being used more in that position, with Crainey rotated in as a wing back when Latics played with a line of three central defenders.
After six years at Blackpool, Crainey struggled to adapt to his new playing environment in the first half of the season. Being played at wing back relieved some of the defensive pressure on him and he started to grow in confidence.
Beausejour’s preferred position is wing back. Ironically when Latics have played with three central defenders it has been, more often than not, Crainey who has been played at left wing back. Apart from the occasional game on the left wing Beausejour has been played largely at left back, not his best position.
In the last two games the left hand side of Latics defence has looked vulnerable. At Burnley it was Crainey partnering Leon Barnett on the left, then it was Beausejour against Blackpool.
Rosler might well choose to revert to a 3-5-2 formation for the remaining two league games, bringing in Rob Kiernan as an extra centre back. However, if he opts to go for a flat back four he could do worse than put in Garcia at left back.
Figueroa made 148 appearances over five seasons for Latics and has been badly missed this season at left back. However, when he first arrived in January 2008 he had to wait months before making his debut as a substitute three months later. His first start was in the last match of the 2007-08 season facing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Garcia did not have to wait quite so long, making his debut in Latics’ 5-0 League Cup debacle at Manchester City in late September. Coyle played him in a wide position in left midfield. Since then he has had some injury problems, but has overcome them, making regular appearances for the development squad.
Will Garcia get his second chance before the season ends?
Wigan Athletic 0 Blackpool 2 – missed penalty changes history
Wigan Athletic went into this match the clear favourites against relegation-haunted Blackpool, but a missed penalty after 20 minutes was the turning point. It was a surprise to us all when Martyn Waghorn strode up to take the penalty ahead of Shaun Maloney and Jordi Gomez. Sadly for Latics, Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks guessed right and made a superb save from a firmly hit shot that was going into the corner.
Following the penalty miss, Blackpool came more and more into the game scored two opportunist goals and in the end left Latics on their knees.
Uwe Rosler put forward what looked like his strongest lineup, given the players at his disposal. The same group of players who had outclassed promotion challengers Reading, eight days ago.
Latics made a solid start and it looked like Blackpool were there to play for a draw. Wigan were matching them physically and looking dangerous down their left with Shaun Maloney pulling the strings. The Tangerines left only one player up front, Andy Keogh, and it looked easy for Emmerson Boyce and Leon Barnett in the early stages. Waghorn had a chance from 12 yards but could not deliver.
On the 20 minute mark Maloney went down in the box following a tackle by right back Tony McMahon. It looked like Maloney fell over the ball and McMahon was not happy with the Scot’s fall. Referee Any D’Urso gave a penalty that Waghorn spurned. Soon after Waghorn completely fluffed it in front of goal after a good move led to Roger Espinoza putting in a great cross to his feet.
Latics were to become either ponderous in their build up, allowing the visitors’ defence too much time, or they were launching long balls from defence that Waghorn had no chance of getting, being a lone centre forward against big defenders, without support. They had a wake-up call just before half time when Neal Bishop went close in the six yard box.
At half time Rosler took off the unfortunate Waghorn and put Nick Powell at centre forward. Latics continued to play in the same way, but Blackpool started to throw more men forward . They scored in the 60th minute when Andy Keogh beat Boyce to a cross from the right from Isiah Osborne, his header putting Blackpool ahead.
Latics pressed but Powell put a header wide and Maloney put a free kick over the crossbar.
Roger Espinoza was replaced by Marc-Antoine Fortune after 69 minutes. A minute later Keogh was to rub salt in Latics’ wounds later when he once again evaded Latics’ centre of defence, pulling the ball back from the by-line for the unmarked Stephen Dobbie to fire into the net. Barnett and Beausejour had looked exposed with no midfield cover in sight.
The second goal sank Latics psychologically. James McClean came on for Maloney after 79 minutes, but Wigan’s fight had gone out of them.
It was a sad sight to see so many of the season’s best home crowd of 19,137 leaving well before the end.
Blackpool were well deserved winners in the end and the result might well keep them in the Championship next season.
The Good
Results in matches like this can be balanced on a knife edge. If Waghorn had managed to put way the penalty Latics could well have gone on to win by 3 or 4 goals. It was not to be.
Latics had done so well to get to this stage of the season in such a strong position, despite the lack of a regular goalscorer. It hurt them once more today. They could have put Blackpool away in the first half hour if their finishing had been clinical.
Key players continue to do what they can, but are clearly jaded. Even the energetic and demanding Rosler had no way he could pull the strings of a side that looked desperately jaded in the second half.
This result is a set-back, but it would be a mistake to write Latics off. They are still in with a good chance of qualifying for the play-offs and it will do them no harm going in there as out of form underdogs.
All credit to Blackpool for a hard earned victory.
The Bad
The performance of Jordi Gomez today opened the floodgates for his critics. They would say he back to his previous self – taking too much time on the ball and passing it sideways. However, his fans would say that there was so little movement around him that he had few options.
On paper Latics should have dispatched a mediocre Blackpool team. But the lack of movement following the penalty miss was plain to see. Put simply, Latics looked desperately jaded.
When behind on previous occasions in the last quarter of the game under Rosler they have gone aggressively at the opposition. More often than not, Rosler’s substitutions helped. This time the substitutes gave no uplift.
Why was Waghorn taking the penalty ahead of Maloney and Gomez?
In reality Blackpool got three good crosses into the box and scored from two of them.
A match best forgotten. Let’s move on to the next.
Player Ratings
Al Al-Habsi: 6 – had little to do, except pick the ball out of net twice.
James Perch: 6 – solid.
Emmerson Boyce: 6 –looking tired. Not at his best.
Leon Barnett: 6 – good in the air, but exposed for pace again.
Jean Beausejour: 5.5 – faded in the second half.
James McArthur: 5 – way below his customary level. Needs a rest.
Roger Espinoza: 6 – always involved.
Jordi Gomez: 6.5 – it is hard to criticize a player who covered so much ground. He was not his at his best and frustrating at times, but still gave his all for the cause.
Callum McManaman: 5.5 – largely neutralized by Blackpool full back Halliday, probably their best player.
Martyn Waghorn: 5 – out of touch.
Shaun Maloney: 6 – good early on, but struggled before being substituted after 79 minutes.
Substitutes:
Nick Powell: – poor.
Marc-Antoine Fortune: – poor.
James McClean: – poor.
LOS THREE AMIGOS 