Wigan vs. Everton: Three points needed

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

Never has a Premier League table so early in the season so closely resembled the way most of us expect it to finish in May. Yes, Liverpool will climb and West Ham will slip, and Arsenal have had a difficult fixture list. The mid-table teams will shuffle around according to form. But by and large, the top and bottom five include four of those you would expect to be in there. There is no Hull (or Norwich, or Wigan for that matter) flying in 2nd place on enthusiasm and adrenalin — in fact, this year’s candidates for such a feat, Southampton and Reading, are already languishing in the relegation zone.

The team that does occupy 2nd place is Everton. Are they the Newcastle of last season? You certainly don’t get the sense that they’re just keeping the spot warm for a bigger club.

It was clear they meant business in the opening fixture against Manchester United. Players and fans alike were fired up with energy levels high and atmosphere both electric and intimidating at Goodison. After that win, they deflated Michael Laudrup’s high flying (at the time) Swans with a 3-0 away victory, were extremely unfortunate not to beat Newcastle, and took all three points from Villa. They disposed of Southampton quite easily last weekend, and only stumbled away at West Brom. It is fair to say they are a team in form.

Latics meanwhile, have had a topsy turvy start to the season. The thumping 4-1 League Cup wins over Nottingham Forest and West Ham have cushioned the disappointment of missed opportunities in the Premier League. If the kind of finishing we saw in the confident and stylish win at Southampton had been on show against Stoke, Fulham and Sunderland, Latics may well have picked up 9 points and be in that top five. Instead, poor finishing from Wigan has left the side in the bottom five.

Jakarta Jack called for a shake-up in his article earlier this week. Not necessarily wholesale, but a few fresh faces to liven things up. I suspect we might see one or two. For one, I think Mauro Boselli will be involved. His form and finishing in the League Cup and reserves has been sensational. Arouna Koné has been unlucky but really should have scored one or two more than he has, while Di Santo’s form interrupted by injury.

Jordi Gomez’s suspension has been repealed, but Di Santo’s return to fitness should in turn signal a return to the bench for the Spaniard. Ryo Miyaichi and Callum McManaman have been used as impact subs in the last two matches but must be in contention. Antolin Alcaraz can’t return soon enough in defence.

Everton are looking scary. Leighton Baines is practically a playmaker at left back, and an excellent one at that. His partnership with Steven Pienaar down the left is extremely dangerous and Emmerson Boyce and Ivan Ramis will have to be alert. Kevin Mirallas looks a quality player. Nikica Jelavic has continued last season’s form with three goals in five league matches. Marouane Fellaini is attracting interest from bigger clubs. Their defence is one of the most established in the league having played together for a number of seasons. And with Victor Anichebe, Seamus Coleman and Steven Naismith on the bench, they have depth.

But Latics need three points to arrest this slump of late — I suspect there will be a real urgency around the DW tomorrow. If they take their chances, they can get them.

Is it time to break up a winning team?

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

With just four points from the opening six matches, this is Wigan Athletic’s worst start to a Premier League season. There was a win at Southampton, a home draw with Stoke, losses at home to Chelsea and Fulham and losses away at Manchester United and Sunderland. Despite our pre-season optimism, Latics are back in the dog fight zone, needing to scrap it out yet again. Where do we go from here? Is it time for the team that beat Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United within the space of a few weeks to be dismantled and rebuilt?

We started the season with optimism largely because of the fantastic achievements of the “great escape team”, but also because it looked like we had more strength in depth than ever before. Two excellent performances in the League Cup attest to that, with the “fringe” players staking their claims, although they have not yet come into fruition. Interesting to note how Liverpool have been bold enough to bring in exciting, if unproven, youngsters to arrest the lack of performance by too many of their senior professionals. Their 5-2 win at Norwich this weekend attests to the virtue of trying something new if the formula  is not working.

So is it time for fresh blood to be brought in or should Martinez stick with those players who performed miracles in keeping us up last season? So far Martinez has shown loyalty to those players, following the maxim of “Don’t break up a winning team”.

Callum McManaman first made an appearance in the Premier League under Steve Bruce in May 2009, as a substitute against Portsmouth. Since then he has been started in cup ties but has been limited to a handful of substitute appearances in the Premier League. Throughout his time at Wigan he has been the outstanding performer for the reserve team and did well on loan at Blackpool in first part of last season. He has been capped four times for England at under 20 level. He showed us his excellent technique with a beautifully taken goal in the recent League Cup game at Nottingham Forest. It was the kind of finishing rarely seen from a Wigan Athletic player in recent years. Mauro Boselli has scored three opportunist goals in the League Cup, his second against West Ham showing a touch of class and arrogance. Eager to keep himself sharp he asked the manager to give him a couple games for the under 21 team, first scoring a late equalizer and then a winner. Ryo Miyaichi is an exciting young player, with electrifying pace. All three have been limited to substitute appearances so far. Ronnie Stam is an excellent attacking wing back, if not as strong defensively as Emmerson Boyce. He has not even been appearing on the bench. All these players merit strong consideration for a place in the starting lineup.

So is it time for a real shake-up – to bring in fresh blood who can energise the team? Martinez’ approach over these years has tended to be cautious, packing the midfield when the team is not doing well. On Saturday Wigan Athletic played with a lone centre forward: a conservative line-up. Jordi Gomez was once again chosen to play in the nominal right wing position. Far too often Gomez is played in a wide role that does not suit his game. He usually ends up either turning inside or passing the ball backwards. More on that here. To be frank, I think it is unfair on Gomez to have him play wide on the right. A couple of years ago we would regularly see Hugo Rodallega being played wide on the left, a position for which he was unsuited. Rodallega was a central striker, never a winger. The end result was a loss of form by the player.

To be fair on Martinez there have been injury problems that have disrupted the rhythm of his first choice lineup. Antolin Alcaraz has only played twice, while Jean Beausejour and James McArthur have struggled to reach full fitness. Alcaraz’s absence was crucial in last season’s poor start as well. The Paraguayan is not only a good defender, but his understanding with the other centre backs is not to be under estimated. Add to that the absence of Franco Di Santo, a bright light at the beginning of the season, missing the Fulham and West Ham matches, coming on as a substitute on Saturday. Moreover there has been a dip in form by senior professionals, Gary Caldwell and Emmerson Boyce. Neither has performed anywhere near the levels they displayed near the end of last season. Arouna Kone has come in and showed his willingness to make a success of that difficult lone centre forward position. He has scored two goals so far and got into good positions on other occasions, if some of his finishing has been disappointing. Ivan Ramis is gradually settling in to the centre of defence after a nightmare start in the opening game against Chelsea. His terrific goal at West Ham last week will surely boost his confidence.

Martinez has a dilemma. He has players knocking on the door who merit an opportunity. On the other hand he does not want to tamper with what had been a winning formula. Having Alcaraz, Beausejour and McArthur fully fit again would certainly help matters. However, underperforming players need to get the message that they are not automatically selected. A shake-up, even if it is a little one, might benefit the team.

Missed chances rued as Webb steals the show

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

When I was younger my father used to say the benchmark of a good referee is how little you notice them, and yet whenever the World Cup Final referee Howard Webb is on the pitch, he appears to seek the exact opposite. You get the sense he enjoys the jeers from the terraces because they acknowledge his role as a protagonist. Indeed Sunderland fans spent much of the first half booing him after he correctly awarded a series of non-consequential professional fouls Wigan’s way. And he repaid them, true to form, by harshly dismissing Jordi Gomez and then ignoring worse tackles the other way.

Saturday’s 1-0 loss was a familiar story for Wigan Athletic, left to rue their excellent early chances after Webb’s decision-making effectively killed off the match. Roberto Martinez, a diplomat and gentleman not noted for vocal dissent, has now raised his voice twice in the last three league fixtures. In this instance, it was the sending off of Jordi Gomez — the least likely player on the pitch to deliberately injure another — that swung the game. It was a clumsy challenge, albeit studs up and therefore a defendable dismissal by the letter of the law. The chief complaint is not about the red card itself, but the double-standard when Seb Larsson and James McLean tried their hardest to join Gomez later in the match — with a nastier tackle and string of yellow card infractions respectively.

The Good:

Latics deserved to be up at half-time. James McCarthy’s early burst into the box resulted in a one-on-one that Mignolet somehow kept out. Jean Beausejour’s sensational skill and cross for Arouna Koné should have made it two. McCarthy was again unlucky with a viscious drive later in the half. Meanwhile, Sunderland were limited to set pieces and couldn’t find a way to break the defence down.

McCarthy’s performance was exceptional. He has been given license to venture forward in the last couple fixtures, and has the fitness to do so without neglecting his defensive duties. His technique is wonderful, and if he gets in shooting positions two or three times per match, the goals will come.

Maynor Figueroa’s first half passing stands out, despite the windy conditions. Despite being reduced to 10 men for half the match, Latics had the same number of shots, an equal amount of possession as their opponents, and the most clear-cut chances. The first half overall, was very heartening.

The Bad: 

This is the second game in a row where excellent chances have been created not been converted. Koné is getting in decent positions, but failing with his final shot. You do get the sense he is a confident finisher and will come good. But Mauro Boselli must have been frustrated to see those early chances go to waste after his brace at West Ham earlier in the week.

The substitutions came too late. It had been clear for much of the second half that Latics were not getting anywhere with 10 men, even after Di Santo came on. When McManaman and Miyaichi were finally introduced, there was an immediate injection of energy and urgency, if not any actual clear cut chances.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 7 — A little wobbly on a windy day and Seb Larsson’s dangerous crossing. But kept the ball out and can’t be faulted for the goal.

Ivan Ramis: 6 — Gets better every match, although he did get beaten for pace on a couple occasions.

Gary Caldwell: 6 — Resorted to hoofing the ball in the second half, which is unlike him and suggests desperation.

Maynor Figueroa: 6.5 — Some fantastic passing in the first half, but the cross for the goal came down his side.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 — Solid but not as much attacking thrust as Jean Beausejour on the other side. Having said that, more goals against seem to originate on the left, which is testament to the defensive solidity Boyce adds on the right.

Jean Beausejour: 7 — If Koné had managed to beat Mignolet with the far post tap in, Beausejour’s piece of skill that provided the chance would have gone down as the assist of the season. Faded as the game went on though.

James McArthur: 6 — Solid if unspectacular, occasionally rusty.

James McCarthy: 8 — Imposing performance by a player who is coming into his own. Has been unlucky not to score in the last couple matches. If he adds goals to his game he will be complete, and unfortunately probably gone to a top four club not too long after.

Shaun Maloney: 6 — A few useful touches in the first half, but unable to impact the match as he has in the past. Substituted after Jordi’s red card.

Jordi Gomez: 5 — Of the two playmakers, he was actually having the better day, drifting in and out of dangerous positions and playing a lovely dinked through ball for Koné in the first half. But his lunge was unnecessary and the red card that ensued essentially lost us the match.

Arouna Koné: 5 — Didn’t have a tremendous amount of service, but fluffed his lines with the chances he had. Credit to Mignolet for an astonishing save, but we need our strikers to bury those chances. His opposite number, Steven Fletcher, only got on chance, a difficult one at that, but won them the match.

Subs:

Franco Di Santo: Unable to get on the ball and influence the match.

Callum McManaman: Energetic and positive.

Ryo Miyaichi: When he comes on, he sees a lot of the ball. Which means he wants it and is asking for it, but also that his teammates believe he can make something happen.

Sunderland vs. Wigan: Time for a shake-up?

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

While Latics were missing three important players in the home loss to Fulham, the Capital One squad’s performance will surely weigh on Roberto’s mind as he selects his XI for the tricky trip to the Stadium of Light.

Mauro Boselli is now the club’s leading scorer with three and must be pushing for contention, particularly if Franco Di Santo fails to recover from the calf injury sustained against Manchester United. All three of his goals have been well-taken, but the chip for Latics’ third against West Ham was sublime. David Jones was another strong performer in London hoping to force his way into the starting XI after a rusty Ben Watson performance last weekend, though this too will depend on whether James McArthur is fit enough to reclaim his spot in midfield.

What is certain is that options abound. Young attackers Ryo Miyaichi and Callum McManaman have had an impact on the last two matches and have left Albert Crusat in the shadows. Emmerson Boyce has done nothing wrong, but surely Ronnie Stam will get a chance to impress in the league at some point. And will Roberto drop Ivan Ramis after his impressive mid-week goal, if Antolin Alcaraz is fit to return from injury?

The hope is that such healthy competition will translate into intensity and focus on the pitch. Sunderland away is always a tricky fixture, but particularly so on this occasion as they seek their first win of the season. They missed out narrowly at West Ham last weekend and were held at home to Liverpool the week before. Steven Fletcher has hit the ground running in his new stripes with four goals in three games and will be a threat, while James McLean and Stephane Sessegnon will provide the pace behind him. Seb Larsson’s free-kicks are always dangerous, and Adam Johnson is on the books these days. As their 0-0 draw away at Arsenal will attest, their defense is well-versed and midfield organized in the Martin O’Neill tradition.

 

Predicition:  Sunderland are a tough side, but with the exception of the second half at Old Trafford, our away form has been sensational. 1-1.

Related: if you haven’t already, please check out my interview on Salut! Sunderland, as part of their pre-match coverage.

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Gomez and Maloney: wingers or playmakers?

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

How did Wigan Athletic stay up last season? Was that incredible late run due to a tactical transformation? Or was it due to new players coming in and changing things? The acquisition of a specialist left wing back – Jean Beausejour in January – certainly helped the system flow more effectively. However, if you were to ask a room full of Latics supporters which player made the biggest difference the answer would surely be Shaun Maloney.

Maloney’s season had not really started until he came on as a substitute against Norwich in March 2012. He put through a fantastic pass to Victor Moses to get the goal that earned an invaluable point at Carrow Road. Following that match, his ex-Celtic colleague , Gary Caldwell, dubbed Maloney as “Our Secret Weapon” quoting that “He picks up the ball in the final third and he can either beat his man and he can pick out that killer ball – like you saw with the goal.” Caldwell was proved to be right.

Maloney was later to score the Latics’ goal of the season to defeat Manchester United. His ice cool penalty in the victory over Liverpool at Anfield sticks in the memory, as does his cutting in from the left and putting a brilliant narrow angled finish in the 4-0 drubbing of Newcastle. But more than the goals he scored it was that role as a “playmaker”, linking between defence and attack that helped transform the quality of football Latics were able to play.

Maloney had come to Wigan following  a difficult final period at Celtic. His career had been blighted with injury. Moreover he had been struck by homesickness during his previous spell in the Premier League — at Aston Villa in 2007-2008. These factors made it unlikely that a Premier League team would come for him, until Roberto Martinez knocked on his door. During his two spells at Parkhead he had won five SPL Championships, Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups. His acquisition by Wigan Athletic is summer of 2011 was therefore a calculated gamble. For the first half of the season, he made four appearances as a substitute and played in two awful team performances in the FA and League Cups. Fitness remained the issue. It was through sheer hard work and dedication that Maloney got back to a level of fitness that would help him be able to showpiece his skills in the Premier League.

Wigan Athletic’s starting lineup last Saturday included both Jordi Gomez and Shaun Maloney. Normally, only one of them makes the starting lineup, with the other coming on as a substitute. Both are playmakers, who need to receive a lot of the ball to be effective. However, each has learned during his time at the club that defensive duties are also required. Neither is a natural tackler but they both do their share in trying to win the ball back. Both cover huge amounts of ground during a match. Both are cool penalty takers. Both score goals which are not from the penalty spot.

Jordi Gomez is a player who divides Latics fans. He is derided by those “Darksiders” who prefer more the more traditional English approach of “up and at ‘em” . The fans who appreciate him will say he is a skilful player who can bring order to a game through his cultured technique, keeping the ball while under pressure and drawing fouls. I have heard it said that we will never see how good Gomez can be until Latics are playing the level of skilful football that Roberto Martinez seeks. We have seen some really magic moments from Gomez during his time at Wigan. At Arsenal in April he put through the pass that sent Di Santo through to score then got an opportunist goal himself. He has been unlucky so many times with fine efforts that have hit the woodwork – last Saturday against Fulham was another example.

How do the playmakers – Gomez and Maloney – fit into the current tactical system? Are they wingers or central midfielders? Can they play together?

Maloney still finds it difficult to complete 90 minutes. Gomez is the natural replacement. Their styles differ greatly. Maloney will dribble with the ball more than Gomez who will seek the wall pass more frequently. Gomez does not have the pace or dribbling capacity to be a winger. When played wide on the right he inevitably turns towards the middle where he is going to be more comfortable and effective. However, he is not afraid to shoot – he has a good technique and can hit the target. Maloney was used mainly as a left winger by Aston Villa. Although right-footed he can cross the ball with his left foot. He can dribble past defenders and cause danger. However, it is when they move into the “hole” in midfield – behind the central striker- that both Gomez and Maloney are most effective.

Playing Gomez and Maloney together is unlikely to be effective because their basic function is too similar. They are players who make themselves available to receive the ball, providing the link between defence and attack. Both are good players. Let’s not forget that David Jones can also play in that position and is a capable and creative player. He added the incision in the Capital One victory at West Ham last night.

Let’s play the playmakers in their natural position in central midfield, ahead of the holding midfielders, but behind the forwards. Martinez has done well to adjust the tactical system following the loss of Victor Moses. The presence of two big central and pacy strikers is a real plus. There remains the possibility of playing without the central playmaker and having two wide players supporting the central striker. Well done, Roberto, in being open-minded towards further tactical innovation. But please – let’s not see Gomez and Maloney playing wide, flanking a single centre forward.