LIVERPOOL-WIGAN ATHLETIC PREVIEW

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

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                        Wigan Athletic travel to Anfield this afternoon to face a Liverpool team in transition. The statistics tell us that Liverpool have won only 3 of their last 15  matches at home in 2012, a far cry from the days when Anfield was a fortress where teams feared to go. Latics 2-1 win there in April was one of their most notable performances, catalytic in helping maintain their Premier League status. Moreover Wigan have not lost to the Reds in their last five meetings.

The optimistic Liverpool supporter would rightly say that the club comes into this fixture on an unbeaten run of 6 league games, including a 1-1 draw at Chelsea last week. Under Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool are playing better football and have some exciting young talent coming through. The controversial Luis Suarez has been playing really well, scoring 8 league goals so far. Liverpool are clearly on the ascendancy and this is a game they dearly want to win.

Much has been said in the press this week of the confrontation between the two young managers – Rodgers and Martinez – both being lauded for their teams’ style of football. The cynic might say that Rodgers takes undue credit from his success as manager of Swansea, following unimpressive stats in his previous posts at Reading and Watford, where his teams were not renowned for playing good football. Martinez supporters would suggest that it was he, more than Rodgers, who recrafted the brand of football during his era at the Welsh club.

Rodgers still has a lot to do to prove himself on Merseyside, but his insistence on Liverpool playing quality football is to be commended. He has also had the courage to throw a handful of young players in at the deep end. Liverpool still retain players of proven quality to complement their youthful component. Steven Gerrard may be past his best but still has a lot to offer. They might well come into this match with a backline of three central defenders – Skrtel, Agger and Carragher – a rugged and experienced barrier to penetrate.

Wigan Athletic’s season so far has been disappointing, but these days one never knows what they will do next. When they first got into the Premier League a confrontation with Liverpool was one to be feared. Since then Liverpool’s strength has waned and Wigan have shown themselves capable of beating any one of those big clubs on their day. Wigan will go into the match anxious not to concede an early goal. So far this season they have not been able to get a result in a match where they have conceded the first goal.

Latics still have Alcaraz , McArthur and Crusat ruled out by injury. However, Ryo Miyaichi might be fit enough to take a place on the bench. It remains to be seen whether Shaun Maloney will make it after a recent injury. Jordi Gomez would be the most likely replacement. Ben Watson is likely to continue in midfield following his much improved performance against West Bromwich last weekend. Other than the doubt about Maloney the starting lineup is likely to remain unchanged from last week.

With fair refereeing and a little bit of luck Wigan Athletic can get a good result today. They need to avoid giving away any soft goals – particularly penalties – and Gary Caldwell and his defensive unit need to neutralize the threat of Luis Suarez. It seems like Latics play best when Caldwell is at his best. Let’s hope that today is one of his better days.

Roberto Martinez and substitutions

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Other

While some managers have gained reputations for making inspired substitutions, it is up for debate what exactly makes them good at it. Is it the manager’s tactical nous, or does he simply have quality players at his disposal on the bench who  may even be better than those who started. While the role of the impact sub is in the limelight after Chicarito’s hat-trick for United, it was hardly rocket science to put him on when trailing 2-0. Hernandez may well have scored for Latics if he had some on for the second half against West Brom. Can you remember Roberto Martinez making substitutions that made such a difference?

Let’s look back to early March of last season, with Wigan Athletic desperate for points. They are trailing 1-0 to a 10th minute Wes Hoolahan goal at Norwich. Roberto Martinez makes a substitution after only 56 minutes. Just over 10 minutes later his tactical change — Shaun Maloney for Jordi Gomez — comes to fruition as the Scot slots through a lovely ball for Victor Moses to score. This was to prove the beginning of a glorious run for Maloney and a miraculous escape from relegation.

Scroll back a little further to December 31st, 2011. Ten-man Latics trail 2-1 at Stoke with 5 minutes to go. Hugo Rodallega goes down in the penalty box. Ben Watson is brought off the bench to score the equalizer. Latics gain a vital point from a match they looked like losing. It must have taken some courage from Martinez because Watson had missed the last two penalties he had taken. Another inspired substitution.

Last weekend the situation was ripe for an inspired substitution. Latics were losing 2-1 at home to West Bromwich, looking well organized, but predictable in their approach. The situation was crying out for something different. Martinez did make a bold substitution after 65 minutes, taking off captain Gary Caldwell and bringing on Ronnie Stam. Stam made a difference – it was pleasing to see the attacking wing back being brought back in from the cold. Together with the other wing back, Jean Beausejour, they put over an array of crosses for the two central strikers. Granted some of the crosses were better than others, but there were chances that could have been put away. Di Santo is a fine footballer, but is woefully lacking when the ball is in the air in the box. Boselli is probably the best header of a ball at the club, but once again he was brought on in the last five minutes, far too late. No wonder there is newspaper talk about Boselli wanting to go back to Italy in the January transfer window. Despite rattling in goals in the League Cup and Under 21 teams he has been brought off the bench only twice in the past six league matches in the 83rd and 86th minutes.

A year ago at this stage Wigan Athletic were woeful. They had 6 points from 12 matches and were propping up the division. There were players who just were not performing well and the team looked disorganized and vulnerable. At this stage they are doing much better. Players in the starting lineup have been performing pretty well and the team has shape and purpose. The problem comes as other teams get to know Wigan’s tactics and devise ways to upset them. Any manager worth his salt is going to figure out how to disrupt that slow Latics build up from defence. We can expect that kind of “pressing” particularly from opponents in the relegation zone.

Moreover without Victor Moses there is more reliability, but less spontaneity. There needs to be another player who will run at opponents and upset defences. This columnist has several times advocated for the inclusion of Callum McManaman, who does not have the pace of Moses, but is nevertheless able to dribble past defenders. Ryo Miyaichi has been injured recently, but his electrifying pace would be an asset, particularly at the end of a game when opponents are tiring. Sadly Albert Crusat’s time at Wigan continues to be dogged by injury, but the diminutive winger definitely has something to offer when fit.

If you are the manager of a top three club,  making an inspired substitution is not so difficult. Manchester City can choose any two forwards out of Aguero, Balotelli, Dzeko and Tevez. Roberto Martinez does not have such luxuries on the bench and needs to manage his substitutions the best he can. At times he will change the shape of the team, reverting to a conventional back four. If he is to be criticized, I would say it is the lateness of too many substitutions when things are not going to plan. Being well organized is one thing, but being predictable is another. I’d love to see a bolder approach to substitutions from Roberto.

1/4 Season Report Card: Al-Habsi, McCarthy & Maloney the top performers

Posted by Ned in News, Specials and tagged with , , , , , ,

With eleven matches played, we’ve entered the second quarter of the season. This post takes a look at the performances that have earned us a point a game — on track for safety — but left us rueing missed opportunities for more.

The numbers below were calculated by averaging the performance scores we dole out after every match. They are obviously subjective, but provide some insight on the areas of the team that are — at least in the eyes of the writers on this site — performing to, below or beyond expectation. Ali Al-Habsi is perhaps unsurprisingly our stand-out performer, followed by James McCarthy and Shaun Maloney. The strongest area of the pitch was the centre of midfield partnership of James McCarthy and James McArthur, while the weakest was the centre of defence. Only players who have started more than five matches were included.

By Player

Ali Al Habsi: 7.4 — Mostly 7s and 8s, with a 5 on an off-day and a 9 on a particularly excellent afternoon.

Gary Caldwell: 6.45 — Like Ali, has had one standout 9-worthy performance against Spurs, but a few more off-days.

Ivan Ramis: 6.65 — Nightmare debut, but steady improvement since then.

Maynor Figueroa: 6.55 — One of the more consistent performers. Had a bad day at Swansea post-international break, and a good one at Sunderland. Otherwise 6s and 7s.

Emmerson Boyce: 6.45 — Mr. Reliable, with nothing higher than a 7.5 but rarely letting his team down.

Jean Beausejour: 6.78 — Good performances without reaching his best.

James McCarthy: 7.2 — Very good season so far, has been dominant in midfield. Imagine if he adds goals to his game.

James McArthur: 6.78 — Stop-start campaign with injuries, but has been good when available.

Shaun Maloney: 7.05 — Some high numbers, but lack of finishing is probably losing him points. He makes this team tick, but is starting to be identified as the man to mark.

Arouna Kone: 6.75 — Very good average given these have been his first 11 matches in Premier League football, with a new team and surroundings, and no adaptation period.

Franco Di Santo: 7 — A big number for Franco, who has scored some well-taken goals, continued to put in the hard work, and been rewarded with an Argentina call-up.

By Area

Defence (including Al-Habsi): 6.76

Centre of Defence (without Al-Habsi): 6.55 — weakest

Centre of Midfield: 6.99 — strongest

Wingbacks: 6.61

Attack: 6.93

Is par for the course still good enough?

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

Last November, Wigan Athletic were bottom of the Premier League with just 5 points from 11 matches. At present, they lie in 14th place with 11 points, averaging a point per match? If they were to maintain that point rate  through the season, they would end on 38 points, usually enough to stay up. But is staying up sufficient for Wigan Athletic supporters and its management anymore?

Lets look back on the season so far. The team has won 3 league matches out of 11. With the exception of Ivan Ramis and Arouna Kone, this is the same nucleus that won 7 out of their last 9 games last season against stronger opposition. So why have they not done better?

It cannot be put down to Ramis and Kone. Apart from his difficult Premier League baptism against Chelsea, Ramis has been solid, getting better game by game. Despite speaking almost no English he has become the de facto captain in the absence of Caldwell. Given that he was previously captain of RCD Mallorca for several years, it is no surprise. Kone has made an excellent adaptation to English football. Strong, speedy, skilful and unselfish he has already 4 league goals – Moses only scored 6 in the whole of last season. Both are excellent signings. Moreover Martinez has moved on with his tactical formation without the maverick Moses (exciting,  but frustrating) to be able to play with two big strikers and a mobile playmaker.

Over these past years one has seen Wigan Athletic teams that have been either disorganised or short of a real game plan. That cannot be said of the current team, who play within a well-created tactical system that can pose problems for even the finest of Premier League teams. Moreover, the players know their roles and show a high degree of commitment. Roberto Martinez talks about this being the best squad he has had – and given the budget he has to work under, he has done a marvelous job at recruiting the players at his disposal.

So why are Wigan Athletic not at least in mid-table position at this stage? You could blame referees or say they have had some bad luck and there is validity in such arguments. However, so could many other clubs stuck in the lower reaches of the table. Losing at home to Chelsea with their wealth of talent is not going to be a surprise, but home losses to potentially mid-table teams like Fulham and West Bromwich is hard to take. Both matches were characterized by giving away soft goals and a lack of finishing. The old failings continue to haunt. Player-for-player, neither Fulham nor West Brom is superior to what Latics have, except maybe Berbatov for the Londoners. However, what both those teams have is a deep-rooted self confidence, which Wigan Athletic just don’t seem to have.

Roberto Martinez has put together a team that could beat any team in the division on their day – a remarkable achievement. His players are largely international journeymen or players who have come in from weaker leagues. Nevertheless they have the skills to compete with the best. Whether he can instill that kind of self-belief in his players, like those in the higher-placed teams continues to be his challenge. He has done everything else really well – a superb tactical system, motivated players – but is it within his powers to convince his players that they can be as good as those earning two or three times their salaries in the Premier League? Without that, Wigan Athletic are going to be involved in yet another relegation dog fight.

Moses missed as Latics run out of ideas

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

The Wigan Athletic revival party was put on hold by an exceptionally well organized and opportunistic West Brom side on Saturday. While Roberto Martinez’s choice of “frustrating” was more than apt, the biggest takeaway appears to be that with Shaun Maloney’s impact reduced by a niggling ankle injury (that has forced him out of the Scotland squad this week), Latics sorely missed a player with the ability to unlock a defence — something Victor Moses used to do with some regularity last season.

In fact, the only memorable moment of dribbling skill resulted in Latics’ best chance of an equaliser, when Franco Di Santo skinned his man down the left hand side before Maloney blazed over. Neither Jean Beausejour nor Ronnie Stam, whose return was pleasing, possess the pace to beat their man for speed. West Brom’s centre halves had a field day clearing hopeful crosses from the box. Ben Watson’s long range strikes were the only other real threat Wigan could muster.

The Good: 

Before West Brom scored, Latics had looked dominant and fluid, if not incisive. Ben Watson was playing some beautiful stuff and was unlucky with his long range strikes. The goal was a good response. Ali Al-Habsi was fantastic. Ronnie Stam was an immediate improvement in the attacking third when he came on, although his crosses were not sharp.

The Bad: 

A lack of imagination on this display. West Brom defended in numbers and Latics could not find a way through. It would have been nice to see Di Santo on the ball more frequently, but he didn’t seem to drop deep enough to get on it. With the amount of possession around the box and Shaun Maloney struggling, Jordi Gomez might have been an option earlier in the game. It also appeared to be an ideal opportunity to give Mauro Boselli a runout, as the attacks appeared to be based on hopeful crosses into the box. He came on very late. Also a shame Ryo Miyaichi and his pace were unavailable through injury.

Conclusions: 

No cause for panic, but this match was crying out for a player willing to run at the WBA defence and force errors. It will go down as a missed opportunity. Players like Jean Beausejour and Shaun Maloney, usually excellent, have failed to convert scoring opportunities in recent matches. Ronnie Stam’s introduction suggested Emmerson Boyce’s attacking play has been acknowledged as sub-standard in recent outings.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 9 — Despite hurting his shoulder in the warm-up, he was at his very best. One save from Romelu Lukaku in the second half stands out. Top class.

Ivan Ramis: 6 — No errors, but a bit of a wobbly performance after several excellent ones.

Gary Caldwell: 5 — Unlucky with his own goal, but was run ragged by Shane Long and eventually substituted.

Maynor Figueroa: 6 – Almost gave away a goal in the first half with some casual defending. Otherwise, not a bad match.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 — Offered little in attack. Better when dropped to the back three.

Jean Beausejour: 6 — Nice ball for Koné’s goal. Had a good first half, but his worst second half since joining the club with misplaced passes and a spurned opportunity.

James McCarthy: 7 — Strong in midfield, wish he had been able to get forward more often.

Ben Watson: 8 — Probably the best outfield performance, he was the most positive attempting through balls and shots. Gave the ball away frustratingly a few times, but if anyone deserved a goal it was him.

Shaun Maloney: 6 — Quietest performance in a while. West Brom identified him as the main man and marked him heavily, but he was also apparently carrying an injury.

Franco Di Santo: 6 — Also quiet. Only really got on the ball to good effect once or twice. No shots or goal attempts.

Arouna Koné: 6.5 — Did well to stay onside for his goal. Held the ball up well but had little space to operate in, and not much service either.

Subs:

Ronnie Stam: Saw a lot of the ball and put several crosses in, all well defended. A welcome return.

Jordi Gomez: Not enough time to make an impact.

Mauro Boselli: Came on for the last 8 or so minutes, by which point Latics had lost the bulk of possession and were restricted to hopeful crosses — none of which reached him.