Macclesfield Town 0 Wigan Athletic 1 – Professional display sees off non-leaguers

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Reports, Other and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Jordi Gomez puts Wigan 1-0 up.

Jordi Gomez puts Wigan 1-0 up.

Wigan Athletic’s second string put them into the  5th round of the FA Cup for only the second time since the club was formed in 1932. A professional performance saw them grind out a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Jordi Gomez penalty after Callum McManaman had been clumsily scythed down in the box.

The crowd of 5,849 packed Macclesfield’s small Moss Rose ground to the rafters, reminiscent of a bygone era when the clubs were adversaries in the Cheshire League. How times have changed since those epic tussles between those two well-matched clubs in the 1960s. Curiously the football played by the non-league side yesterday more than matched that of Premier League opponents, ranked 82 places above them. Wigan had to hang in there with resolute defending as the Silkmen launched their second half assault.

The second string have been fascinating to watch in cup matches this season. On previous occasions they have been reinforced with a smattering of first choice players, but only Maynor Figueroa was in the starting lineup this time around. The  pragmatic approach of the second string has contrasted sharply with that of the Premier League XI. In this match there was an absence of the flowing football that characterises the senior team. Although it made for a drab spectacle Wigan looked defensively strong and resolutely defended their lead for 83 minutes after the penalty had put them in front.

This time they did not have Mauro Boselli to score goals for them, the Argentinian seemingly going on another loan move to Italy. He was replaced by Nouha Dicko who almost scored in the second half, after being put through by an incisive pass by Gomez, the goalkeeper making a good save.

A word of mention for Maynor Figueroa. The admirable Honduran has not had a rest from football for some 18 months. He played with his national  team in the Olympics over the summer and has started in all but one of Wigan’s Premier League games this season. It was no surprise that he was the senior professional who stepped forward to lend a hand in this match.  Captain for the night, he looked a class above anyone else on the pitch.

The Good

A win is a win, albeit against non-league opponents. This match was a potential banana skin, but the players worked hard to make sure the unthinkable did not happen.

Roberto Martinez views cup matches as an opportunity for players to stake a claim in the senior squad. Once again Callum McManaman looked the part. Although he rarely plays more than a few minutes as a substitute in the Premier League he has recently signed a new three year contract. One wonders when Martinez will jump in at the deep end and start the young forward in a league match. Roman Golobart teamed up well with Maynor Figueroa in the centre of defence and looks a powerful presence. If Martinez does not get an experienced central defender in what remains of the transfer window then Golobart will push for a first team spot, together with Adrian Lopez who made a welcome return from injury.

Fraser Fyvie is gradually making his mark, after being given a settling in period. The 19 year old is not without experience, having played 58 games  in the SPL for Aberdeen prior to joining Wigan in summer.  It was a pity an injury caused him to go off after 53 minutes. Roger Espinoza made a promising Premier League debut against Sunderland last weekend, but was unable to really stamp his mark on this match. It was good to take a first look at the big Spanish goalkeeper, Joel Robles, on-loan from Atletico Madrid.

 The Bad

More injuries for Wigan with Fraser Fyvie and Nouha Dicko going off in the second half.

 Player Ratings 

Joel Robles: 6 – looked comfortable, though Macc’s poor finishing rarely tested him.

Ronnie Stam: 6 – clearly worked hard on the defensive side of his game, following recent criticism.

Roman Golobart: 7 – teamed up well with Figueroa in the centre of defence.

Maynor Figueroa: 8 – a captain’s display.

Jordan Mustoe: 5 – a rare start for the young defender. Was kept busy by attackers on his side of the pitch, but hung in there.

Fraser Fyvie: 6 – starting to look like the player who had so much hype in Scotland. Clearly one for the future.

Roger Espinoza: 5 – disappointing after his exciting first team debut last week.

Jordi Gomez: 6 – put through the pass that led to the early penalty that he converted. Nicely set up Dicko at the beginning of the second half.

Nouha Dicko: 6 – looked lively. A pity he had to go off injured when he was establishing himself in the game.

Angelo Henriquez: 6 – showed some nice touches, but must have learned how hard it can be being the lone centre forward in the Martinez system.

Callum McManaman: 7 – looked dangerous in the first half.

Substitutes:

David Jones – a capable replacement for Fyvie after 53 minutes.

Adrian Lopez – made a welcome from injury, coming on for  Dicko after 66 minutes.

Like us on Facebook, or follow us on twitter here.

Macclesfield vs. Wigan Athletic: Morale boost needed from young guns

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

2013-henriquez

While it is likely the XI to face Macclesfield will be comprised largely by fringe players, the need for an injection of belief and positivity is as great as it has been since this time last year.

Many supporters were rightly optimistic going into the season, but a myriad of circumstances has conspired to see Latics slump into the all-too familiar bottom three this January. The common thread has been poor defending — no surprise given the unprecedented number of injuries to senior defenders in recent times. If any of the senior players start tomorrow, they are likely to be defenders, and a clean sheet should be a big priority.

Elsewhere, Angelo Henriquez will likely feature following his debut league goal against Sunderland last weekend. Mauro Boselli has a very good cup record and should partner him, although Callum McManaman will be pushing them for a starting berth. David Jones, Fraser Fyvie and Roger Espinoza will be favourites in midfield — the latter, so energetic against Sunderland, will benefit from the minutes as he adapts to Roberto Martinez’s tactical setup.

New loan signing Joel Robles is also likely to make an appearance. Of the club’s loan signings, he looks the most likely to potentially sign on full-time if his time loan stint is a success. The Spaniard immediately endeared himself to the Wigan faithful with a video in which he expressed his delight at the move. Latics’ supporters responded in kind with a barrage of welcoming tweets and a Welcome to Wigan YouTube video that you can see here. Big potential, by the looks of it.

The optimists among us will be hoping for the reappearance of Antolin Alcaraz — whose importance can only be measured by the defensive struggles his teammates have endured without him. His injury in the previous season also coincided with the team’s long losing run, while his return to form alongside Gary Caldwell and Maynor Figueroa was the foundation of their resurgence. Ryo Miyaichi, also injured for several months, would be a welcome sight as well.

Meanwhile, the transfer window rumours continue. Sources are rarely reliable at this time of year, but the most exciting possibility is certainly Aidan McGeady of Spartak Moscow. The Russian club has apparently rejected a loan, instead asking for something in the region of 5 million pounds. He would certainly add that little bit of pace and trickery that has been lacking. As excellent as he has been, Shaun Maloney can’t do it all.

More pressing is the need for a defender, with Craig Dawson, Danny Simpson, John Stones, Sebastian Coates and Ronald Zubar getting mentions in the papers. While none of them are established, experienced centre-backs, they all sound useful in their own ways — if a right back like Simpson, Stones or Zubar were to come in, it would allow Emmerson Boyce to drop into that centre-back role more permanently. It would also signal the end of the road for Ronnie Stam, whose defending continues to let him, and Emmerson Boyce who has to cover for him, down.

It is no coincidence that Latics have been historically poor in January. Not only does the congested festive period drain the thinner squads in the league, the transfer window is a huge distraction for players at a selling club. Ironically, the team’s poor results of late have helped keep the spotlight away from their major talents, so no one is likely to leave. Shaun Maloney, the team’s best performer, just signed a new contract and Martinez will be hoping others follow suit.

That sinking feeling — how can Wigan defy relegation?

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

logo_premier_league_1241BadgeLatics
That sinking feeling is back again. After the resolute rearguard performance at Fulham came the 25 minutes of defensive shambles which gifted Sunderland three points. An exposed defence lacking cohesion, leaking like a sieve. Players looking short on confidence, with nobody willing to take a risk and do something special.

Once again Wigan Athletic find themselves in the bottom three in the month of January. The team that promised so much at the end of last season has failed to live up to expectations. Key players have had dips in their form at various times since the season’s opener in August, even Wigan’s top player, goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi. So many times the team has played well enough to merit a positive result, but it has not happened because of individual errors or a collective lack of understanding among the back line. Put simply, there is no reward for playing good football if you give away goals by not getting your fundamentals right.

Are Latics capable of staying up? How are they going to be able to stop hemorrhaging goals, having conceded 43 in 23 league matches up to this point? The good news is that they are still 4 points ahead of bottom placed QPR and only 4 points behind Southampton, currently in 15th place. A couple of back-to-back wins would be sufficient to get them out of the bottom three.

So what can Wigan do to defy the threat of relegation?

1. Stick with the 3-4-3 formation, but have a plan B if things go awry. The current squad has been built around the 3-4-3 formation. It is not the system that has been the determining factor in the more disappointing performances witnessed this season, but individual and collective errors. Wigan are the only team in the Premier League to regularly play 3-4-3 and other teams have had difficulty dealing with it. However, tactically wiser opposition managers have learned to find ways of neutralizing the wing backs, who play a crucial role in the system. If the shape becomes neutralized then it needs to be adapted. Being behind at Fulham, Roberto Martinez reverted to a flat back four in the second half, pushing the balance back into Wigan’s favour.

2. Avoid losing to other teams in the danger zone. The home encounter with the Southampton on February 2nd is going to be a crucial one for Wigan, as are all of those against teams in the danger zone. In the first half of the season Wigan had largely positive results against teams currently in the bottom 6. The one they lost was 3-0 at Newcastle, but they beat Aston Villa, Reading and Southampton and drew with QPR.

3.Sign a dominant and experienced central defender in the January transfer window. The loss of Ivan Ramis for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury was a hammer blow. Add to that the hamstring injury suffered by Adrian Lopez and the slow recuperation of Antolin Alcaraz. Injuries have meant that Wigan have had to constantly chop and change their back three, resulting in a lack of mutual understanding between the players selected. Last season’s grand finale was based on a back three of Alcaraz, Caldwell and Figueroa, each player knowing the other ones’ game, gelling together as a unit. The trio have not once played together in a back three unit this season. Moreover in recent matches Emmerson Boyce has had to be moved across from wingback to the centre of defence. Having Boyce at wing back gives Wigan more height in defence, a key factor in the aerial battles.

4.Crowd support. Latics great escape last season was underpinned by the wonderful “I’m a Believer” support they got. Being a Wigan Athletic supporter in the Premier League can be exasperating, but that intensity of support is going to be needed if Wigan are to defy their critics in the media and stay in there.

5. Stay calm when other teams are panicking. Latics have been in this position before and have kept their cool and survived. Any 3 of the teams currently in the bottom 6 could go down, but there is always the possibility of a club in a higher position going into freefall. Teams  like Fulham, Norwich and Sunderland could yet be dragged into the relegation mire, with panic setting in.

6.Have luck smile upon Wigan Athletic. Seldom does a team suffer the number of injuries that have hit Wigan Athletic this season. The injuries have had a severe disruptive effect on team performance and morale. Some say that refereeing decisions even themselves out over the course of the season. However, teams near the bottom seem to consistently suffer, more so than those at the other end of the table. In Wigan’s case it has been severe, with so many marginal penalty decisions given against them, let alone good goals being disallowed for non-existent offsides and dubious red cards changing the course of a game. They say that you make your own luck. Let’s hope Wigan can do that!

Like us on Facebook, or follow us on twitter here.

Dire defending puts Latics in trouble

Posted by Ned in Other

Three neatly finished but gift-wrapped Sunderland goals in the space of 20 minutes settled this one before it had even really started. A second half siege which at one point saw Wigan control 90% of posession, hit the bar, the crossbar, and produce an amazing low save from Simon Mignolet, failed to materialize in points. Make no mistake, this was a costly loss and Roberto Martinez has some serious thinking to do to patch up an injury-and-morale hit defence.

The Good:

Encouraging debuts from Roger Espinoza and Angelo Henriquez, who both look like they will be contibutors. The team’s second half response was good. But only the excellent Shaun Maloney showed the bravery and skill to create real opportunities and must be wondering what else he has to do to score. Otherwise, a lot of tippy-tappy and not much punch.

The Bad:

The defending that allowed Sunderland three goals was very poor. You can’t concede three goals at home to a relegation rival and expect to win a match.

Roberto’s tactics did not inspire confidence. Jordi Gomez offered little in his centre-right midfield position. Franco Di Santo was far too isolated and wasted in a lone centre-forward role. In the second half, it was hard to tell what shape the team was playing in, although they did dominate and created enough chances to merit at least a point.

This was a very damaging result, particularly in light of Reading’s recent wins and QPR’s revival under Harry Redknapp and their millions. Wigan are very much embroiled in another relegation battle.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 6 — Not at fault for the goals, but no longer inspiring confidence in his defence either.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 — On several occasions had to cover for Ronnie Stam’s mistakes ahead of him, earning a yellow card in the process early in the match that made him more hesitant in his tackling.

Gary Caldwell: 6 — Hard to tell if he made a mess of the buildup to Fletcher’s second goal, or if it was just bad luck. Had a very good second half despite the all out attack approach that gave him little cover. Prevented further damage by holding up Sessegnon on a dangerous breakaway.

Maynor Figueroa: 6 — Not assertive enough for Fletcher’s second goal. Tried hard though, and urged the team forward at times. Brilliant shot in second half went just wide but could easily have been the equaliser.

Ronnie Stam: 5 — Frustrating. Some nice shimmies in attacking play, but very poor defensively. His unfortunate slip let in Johnson in the build-up to the first goal.

Jean Beausejour: 5 — What has happened to the Chilean? So instrumental in Latics’ excellent form last season, his passing was slack and influence limited.

James McArthur: 5 — Lost the midfield battle in the first half, emphatically won it in the second. Ended up as right back. Gets in decent shooting positions but needs to improve his final product.

James McCarthy: 5 — Similar to McArthur, lost the battle in those key opening 30 minutes but improved. The team needs more from a player of his ability.

Jordi Gomez: 5 — Poor. Hit the crossbar via a deflected free-kick but his finishing was generally substandard.

Shaun Maloney: 9 — Deserved at least a goal for his tireless invention, positivity and all-round excellent play. On his own though. Hit the post and kept out by an inspired Mignolet save. Provided a wonderful cross for the second goal.

Franco Di Santo: 5 — Anonymous.

Subs:

Roger Espinoza: 7 — An encouraging debut. A few dodgy touches but grew as the match went on, and put in a couple lovely crosses/passes. Looks a useful player.

Angelo Henriquez: Took his goal very well and showed no lack of effort, but spent part of his time on the field in an unfamiliar right-wing position.

Mauro Boselli: Thrown on late in the game, didn’t have any real chances.

Wigan Athletic vs. Sunderland: Big opportunity

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

Despite Sunderland’s recent and rather convincing hammering of West Ham, Wigan must be looking at this fixture as a golden opportunity to put some space between themselves and the relegation zone.

The morning’s news that former Latics keeper Nigel Adkins has been inexplicably sacked down at Southampton has added an extra layer of intrigue to a tight-as-ever survival race. The Saints’ comeback against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge just the other day was simply stunning, but the owners have chosen another path. Adkins’ replacement will be the relatively inexperienced Mauricio Pochettino. The February 2nd fixture against Wigan will be his third in charge, following the visit of Everton and trip to Manchester United. Baptism of fire, then. On the surface, it appears Southampton have committed suicide.

Meanwhile, Sunderland are probably this season’s biggest under-achievers, expected to kick on under the guidance of Martin O’Neill and boosted by the attacking signings of Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson. Instead, they’ve been poor, with apparent dips in form from important players such as Seb Larsson, Stephane Sessignon and James McLean in the first half of the season. All three looked sharp against West Ham, mind.

The reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light was cruelly decided by the extremely harsh sending off of Jordi Gomez. Prior to that, Latics had enjoyed the better chances with James McCarthy and Arouna Kone going particularly close. One would expect Martinez to plan for this match with attacking intentions.

The big question — once again — is whether Mauro Boselli will be given another chance following his stunning cup strike against Bouremouth with a league start. A repeat lineup featuring a packed midfield and Maloney as a second striker would be extremely conservative. Franco Di Santo showed again that while his poaching leaves a little to be desired, his ability to break from a deeper position is a good natural fit. To pair the Argentineans together would result in each playing in their natural position.

Of course, their success will depend heavily on service. Jean Beausejour will start, but there is a question mark over whether Emmerson Boyce will be allowed to continue his fine run of form in the right wingback position, or will be used as a centre-half to cover for the injured Ivan Ramis. If so, Ronnie Stam will get another opportunity.

Always a tricky fixture to predict, this is a massive opportunity for Wigan. Three points would not only put some distance between themselves and those in the relegation zone — it would bring Latics level with Southampton, heaping pressure on new manager Pochettino in the process. Sunderland are no mugs, however — last season’s corresponding fixture showed that a game can turn on a moment of brilliance, and they have several individuals capable of mustering just that.