Alcaraz injury blows away Latics

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

West ham

Injury forced Antolin Alcaraz to leave the field after 15 minutes. Up to that point Wigan Athletic had taken the game to the home team and looked confident and composed.  The psychology changed after the Paraguayan went off. Once again, playing the better football, Wigan were to come  home pointless.

Roberto Martinez had brought back Gary Caldwell in defence and Callum McManaman in attack. Maynor Figueroa was moved to left wing back and Franco Di Santo  was  left on the bench.

The result hinged on crucial moments, Alcaraz’ injury foremost.  Early in the first half Shaun Maloney had been put through with a one on one with Jussi Jaaskelainan, but the goalkeeper blocked his shot. West Ham were to score a scrappy goal after 30 minutes when Matt Jarvis put in a centre that eluded everybody, including Robles in the Wigan goal. It went in somehow.

Following Alcaraz’ exit Wigan’s defence were all at sea and West Ham could have scored more goals before the half time whistle blew. Jean Beausejour had come on for Alcaraz, with Maynor Figueroa reverting to central defence from wing back. Wigan supporters would have been glad to hear the half time whistle, with their team just one behind.

Wigan came out with resolve after the break, taking the game to the home team. The second  crucial moment of the match was to come  came after 70 minutes.  James McArthur’s shot was parried by Jaaskelainan but somehow eluding Arouna Kone at the far post.

No matter how much Wigan dominated the second half goals eluded them, with West Ham packed in defence.

West Ham were to seal the game with another “Bolton goal”  Somehow Andy Carroll’s speculative volley  found Kevin Nolan who deflected the ball in. Wigan attacked constantly but could not score. They had 63% of the possession in the match.

The Good

These matches are always set on a knife-edge. Latics had attacked the hosts from the start. They  were there to win the game. Had Maloney’s shot gone in it would have been a different ball game. Then if McArthur’s effort in the second half had been put away, who knows what might have happened?

In the second half West Ham had dropped deep, to protect their lead. Wigan’s effort could not be faulted. They tried hard but could not scale that brick-wall West Ham defence.

The Bad

Antolin Alcaraz has proved to be the cornerstone of Latics’ revival in recent weeks.  He has been superb since he came back, making a huge difference to the defence. When he went off today, Wigan visibly wilted. It was to be the turning point of the match.

One hopes Alcaraz will be back. Otherwise Wigan’s central defence will be lacking its best player. It could be the key factor that determines their status in the Premier League.

Player Ratings

Joel Robles: 7 – could be faulted with that scrappy opening goal, but so could the defence. Looks a very good young goalkeeper.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – cannot be faulted for effort and commitment.

Antolin Alcaraz: injured and substituted aftger 15 minutes.

Paul Scharner: 6 –could not stamp his mark on the game.

Gary Caldwell: 5 – a less than auspicious return for the captain.

Maynor Figueroa: 5 – his poor final pass or shooting killed a number of promising moves.

James McCarthy: 6 – not up to his usual level, but worked hard as always.

Jordi Gomez: 5 – ineffective. Should have been substituted at half time when McManaman went off.

Callum McManaman: 5 – peripheral. Taken off at half time.

Arouna Kone: 6 – hard to understand how he was not in place to slot McArthur’s effort home after Jaaskelainan’s parry. Worked hard, but found the Hammers defence tough.

Shaun Maloney: 7 – tried to get things moving in the second half. Lots of good touches, but with no end result.

Substitutes:

Jean Beausejour: 5 – came on for Alcaraz after 15 minutes, but not at his best.

James McArthur: 7– came on after half time. Helped Wigan gain the midfield.

Franco Di Santo: – brought on too late after 86 minutes.

Result needed

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

How many times during Roberto Martinez’ tenure at Wigan have his team played really well, but not got a result? Too many, Latics fans would reply.

It was that same old story at the Eastlands in midweek. Latics gave us a dose of that wonderful brand of champagne football that kept them afloat last year. In the process they made the Premier League champions look very ordinary. The problem was that they came home pointless.

The issue was highlighted in a recent quote from Martinez:  “We didn’t go to Manchester City for a point or damage limitation. We wanted to win and we deserved to win. But we have to learn. When we deserve to win, we have to win.”

There are 6 games left this season. Wigan need at  least 3 wins to stay up. Given their form over the season, there is as much chance  winning matches away as at home. Of the three teams to play away it is West Ham who have the weakest home record. So far this season their record at the Boleyn Ground has been 7 wins, 5 draws and 4 defeats.

Latics are therefore going to be looking for a win at West Ham tomorrow. The Hammers come in following a 2-2 draw with Manchester United, the upcoming champions equalising with a goal that Sam Allardyce considered offside. Despite only having 34% of the possession  the Hammers were still able to score two goals. They are that kind of team – their football is far from pretty and they don’t have a lot of quality players in their squad – but they are resilient and can get results.

Given the threat of aerial bombardment,  Martinez might well keep the backline of three central defenders that played at Manchester City. He has talked about rotating his squad, with so many games coming up in a short period.

On Wednesday he made two changes, bringing in Joel Robles and Franco Di Santo. It will be a challenge for him to make any more changes for Saturday, without disrupting the rhythm of a team that has been playing better lately.

Wigan beat West Ham 4-1 in a League Cup tie earlier in the season at the Boleyn Ground, but both clubs put out weakened lineups. They also beat them 2-1 at home in  the league. Providing they can maintain current form they can certainly get a good result at West Ham. The question for Wigan is whether recent matches have taken a physical and mental toll on key players. Their fans will not want to see the kind of jaded,  insipid performance they saw a couple of weeks ago against QPR.

No matter how they do it – by grinding the opposition down or by attacking them in style – Latics need to go all out for a win. It has been a funny old season and it is going to be hard for Wigan to stay afloat. They have done last minute escape acts before, but are we expecting too much in asking them to do it again?

Although accepting that this year’s relegation battle is the toughest for many years, Roberto Martinez believes Wigan can still make it. Given his past record Wigan remain a force to be reckoned with near the end of a season. Let’s see what they can do at West Ham tomorrow.

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Late heartbreak for classy Latics

Posted by Ned in Match Reports, Other and tagged with , , , , ,

2013-city

A very strong Wigan Athletic performance lacking only a goal ended in misery as a Carlos Tevez wonderstrike settled the affair with five minutes to go.

Wigan had been outstanding all over the pitch but more than once found themselves thwarted by excellent goalkeeping and defending at the crucial moment.

It is a cruel blow, but if ever a defeat could offer encouragement, this would be a good one to watch. For large periods of the match, Wigan out-passed and out-classed the defending champions on their own patch and deserved at least a point for their efforts.

Any concerns about the FA Cup being a distraction from league survival were put to bed in the first half, as Latics had earned two corners inside the first three minutes. Having reverted to the wingback formation with Franco Di Santo pairing Arouna Koné up front instead of a traditional right winger in Callum McManaman, Wigan enjoyed as much possession as their counterparts and without a doubt fashioned the best scoring opportunities. Di Santo was involved in two of them, first cutting his pass too far behind the on-rushing Koné, and then doing exceptionally well from a Shaun Maloney flick only to be sensationally stopped by Manchester City keeper Joe Hart.

Meanwhile, City were restricted to largely hopeful crossing although Paul Scharner’s struggles with Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez foreshadowed trouble. The midfield duo of James McCarthy and Jordi Gomez were neat and incisive and continued to fine tune their blossoming partnership. All in all, things were going very well indeed, though you got the feeling the missed opportunities would eventually prove costly.

The second half continued in much the same vein with a Maloney shot cleared off the line, followed by a sensational one-touch move involving Jordi Gomez, Maloney, Di Santo and Kone foiled by Vincent Kompany at the last second. City grew into the game as time went on, but Wigan threatened on the break and good running by McManaman — on for the injured Di Santo — could have done with a more assertive finish.

The Good:

This was a team performance reminiscent of the golden run-in last year, on the defending champions’ home patch. The midfield was outstanding, the forward play was strong and positive, and the defending, save for Scharner who struggled throughout, was top class.

The Bad:

An opportunity lost, given the level of performance and chances squandered. Di Santo generally looked sharp and hungry but was unable to take his chance. A difficult loss to swallow.

Player Ratings:

Joel Robles: 7 — Not much to do in first half, but made a couple very good saves in the second — one from Edin Dzeko in particular.

Paul Scharner: 5 — Had a hard time. Got beaten in one-on-ones, notably in the build-up to the goal, and gave away possession on several occasions.

Antolin Alcaraz: 8 — Commanding, with some intelligent and controlled slide tackling.

Maynor Figueroa: 7 — Good shift from the Honduran despite making a mess of a very promising breakaway in the second half with an overhit pass.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 — Worked very hard defensively and had to cover for Scharner more than once.

Jean Beausejour: 7 — Though his crosses were not finished off, he got forward frequently and played a number of them, some very tasty indeed. Also disciplined in defensive duties.

James McCarthy: 9 — Dominant in midfield, he grew as the match went on. Complete performance.

Jordi Gomez: 8 — Looking ever more comfortable in the holding role with some good positive passing and good break-up play. Showing more urgency and forward passing in recent weeks, which is great to see.

Shaun Maloney: 8 — Another excellent performer, denied on the line with a curling effort in the first half, and should have been on the assist sheet with a clever flick for Di Santo in the first. Was a pest all night darting, weaving and threading passes.

Franco Di Santo: 7 — What a shame he couldn’t tuck that one away. Did extremely well to shrug off his defenders but telegraphed it. Still, it was an excellent save by Hart and the Argentine had a good game. Lets hope the injury is minor.

Arouna Koné: 8 — Confident and strong target man play, he was in the right place at the right time more than once only for City’s excellent defenders to make last ditch tackles.

Subs:

McManaman: Looked confident when he came on and quickly created a good shooting opportunity, but failed to trouble Hart.

McArthur: Came on right after the goal and didn’t have enough time to affect the game.

Espinoza: A late sub.

Man City vs Wigan Athletic: Focus needed

Posted by Ned in Match Previews and tagged with , , , , , ,

Latics

It’s hard to remember a senior member of the current Wigan squad who has not publicly stated that league survival trumps cup success this year — but no one put it better than Roberto Martinez yesterday in comments to The Guardian, in reference to today’s clash with Manchester City.

“In many aspects the league game is bigger,” he said. “I don’t think there are games which are more important than others. They are all very significant. But if you are asking me what it represents for a club like Wigan winning the FA Cup final or staying in the Premier League, then staying in the Premier League would mean the next 10 years of the football club would be financially very stable. The new facilities that we have planned can happen and behind the scenes the club can go to a different level.

“But when you have the opportunity to win the FA Cup, you can’t disregard it and say that’s not important. They are both important. This is the sort of season we want. There’s only Manchester City, Chelsea and Wigan who are involved in two competitions at this moment. It requires a strong mentality and we’ve never had that before.”

To further assert the point, Martinez yesterday admitted that the season would be assessed as a failure internally should the team win the FA Cup but subsequently be relegated from the league. The money involved in another season in the league is what keeps the club developing behind the scenes, and a year without it would represent a huge setback to the excellent progress of recent years.

He also outlined the strength of his squad. This is a squad that was torn apart by injuries for the first half of the season but is finally approaching full strength. The lessons of Birmingham and Portsmouth — teams fighting on two fronts that eventually lost out in the league — are valuable, but neither team was peaking in form or fitness as Latics currently are, or had strength in numbers. Wigan’s bench, with Franco Di Santo, Gary Caldwell, James McArthur and until recently, Ali Al-Habsi, has never been stronger.

With a very important fixture at West Ham looming next Saturday, we may witness some changes to the starting eleven tonight. It will be interesting to see if Ali Al-Habsi retains his place, or if his role for the rest of the season will be that of Cup Goalkeeper, as was Joel Robles’ before the Everton performance changed things.

It’s hard to forsee any changes in the back four unless there is concern over the fitness levels of either Paul Scharner or Antolin Alcaraz, who played very few minutes in 2012. In midfield, it wouldn’t be surprising to see James McArthur included to add steel in midfield. And Franco Di Santo must be itching for a game. The Argentine has been the victim of Callum McManaman’s emergence and the change of shape to accomodate traditional wingers instead of wing-backs. But with a contract on the negotiation table, Martinez will want him to feel involved and important to the team.

While it is highly unlikely that Wigan should obtain two positive results against an in-form Manchester City side at away and neutral venues respectively, the pragmatist among us would happily settle for one. The impossible question, of course, is which of the two?

A loss today in the league would not crush Wigan’s hopes of staying up, considering there are more accessible fixtures remaining from which to gain the necessary 8-9 points such as West Ham and West Brom away, or Swansea, Spurs and Aston Villa at home. On the other hand, every point matters at this stage and the league table is tighter than ever.

The key today will be whether our players can retain their focus and energy levels after their Wembley adventure, against a wildly different opponent, and one they’ve struggled against. The odds are not favourable, but Manchester City was one of the few scalps Wigan did not claim in the amazing run last season — can they do it this time around?

Another FA Cup Final for Whelan

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

dave whelan espn

My first visit to a professional  football ground was in 1960, when my father took me to Springfield Park to watch a schoolboy game. My mother never really understood my dad’s obsession with football and why he would want to walk 40 minutes across town to that windy ground in Springfield, often in awful weather. Sometimes he would get a lift from Dick Smith, who ran the Darlington Street post office. Dick had a very upright stance and my Dad told me that it was from his time in the Royal Guards. That ride across town was a real treat for my father, but it was the matches against teams like Prescot Cables and Leyland Motors that kept him in awe of the ground and the club that played there.

During my childhood my father would reminisce of his first visit to that eccentric old home of Wigan football. The year was 1932 and times were tough for people in the depression. Despite the economic crisis a new football club had been launched in the town. It played its first competitive game at Springfield and a crowd of over 5,000 witnessed  that Cheshire League defeat to Port Vale’s reserve team. Seeing Latics playing in red in the FA Cup semi final yesterday brought back memories of my father telling me that this very first Wigan Athletic team had played in that red and white shirts.

My father developed a lifelong love of football – and Wigan Athletic in particular – following that first visit to Springfield Park. It was to be imparted to me and his grandson, Ned, whose life has been spent overseas but who has remained obsessed with Wigan Athletic. As a kid there was nothing he wanted more than a visit to Springfield Park.

1960 was to prove an eventful year for the future of the Latics. In those days you were starved of football on television. It was to be four years later that the BBC put out the iconic “Match of the Day” programme. However, there was one exception – the FA Cup final – which was broadcast live, albeit in black and white. It was in early May of that year that I was to see the sad sight of Wigan’s most successful home –produced player, Dave Whelan, being carried off the Wembley pitch with a broken leg. Ten man Blackburn went on to lose 3-0 to Wolves. Wigan had been very much a rugby town in Whelan’s youth. It was a significant achievement for him to make it in the First Division and play full back for Blackburn in that FA Cup final.

If Whelan had not broken his leg in that cup final, where would Latics be today? The broken leg that damaged  his football career, was to prove the catalyst for him to build up huge business empires, making him one of England’s richest men. Many wonderful stories have been written about Whelan’s rise from the ashes and his incredible achievement of establishing Wigan Athletic as a Premier League club. Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.

Wigan Athletic have always had to fight against the odds. For so many years they were shackled in their attempts to get into top league football. The archaic system of Football League clubs voting whether clubs should be promoted or relegated kept them out until 1978 when they got into the old Fourth Division by the skin of their teeth. It had taken them 46 years to get out of the semi-professional leagues, despite being consistently among the elite in that sphere.

With Whelan’s guidance and considerable financial support Wigan were able to make the jump between League 2 –the modern day equivalent of the old fourth division – and the Premier League in only 10 years. Crowds when he took over the club in 1995 had dipped below 2,000, basically on a par with what they would get as a non-league club.  Latics average attendances since joining the Premier League have averaged around 18,000, well above that of Wigan Warriors. Let it be no longer said that Wigan is a rugby town. No matter how die rolls this season, to stay in the Premier League for 8 years has been a remarkable achievement.

Springfield Park is now no more. Fans no longer wander up First or Second Avenue – what great names evocative of New York – to watch Latics play there. So many Wiganers will have fond memories of Latics  games at the old stadium during the eras  in the Lancashire Combination, Cheshire League and the lower divisions of the Football League. However, Whelan ensured another shining achievement for the club and the town with the construction of the excellent JJB Stadium, housing its first league game in 1999.

Since 1960 Dave Whelan and Wigan Athletic have come so far, against the odds. Let’s hope that Roberto Martinez will allow the chairman the chance to walk out again on the Wembley turf with the team on Cup Final day. Dave Whelan has had to wait 53 years to repeat history, but who could begrudge him that privilege, given what he has done for the club and the town?

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