Roberto to hold dinner discussions in Boston with USA-based Wigan Amigos?

Posted by Ned in Other

Dear Roberto,

I’d like to open this letter with an invitation for dinner with your Latics family during your stay in Boston. I am a lifelong Latics supporter, who in his childhood would fly over from Colombia — my family’s home at the time — to watch you, Isidro, and Jesus at Springfield Park. We’d stay with my grandad, who attended the very first Wigan Athletic match in 1932. He used to send my father and I a parcel full of newspaper clippings with match reports, league tables, and footnotes on the awful refereeing that cost us important points. Grandad passed away the January before our promotion to the Premier League but was immensely proud of what the club was achieving. He loved the new stadium. His deep love of the club was passed along to my father, known on our site <threeamigoswigan.com> as Jakarta Jack, the truest Latics supporter I know.

But the family connection does not stop there. In 2008, amid torrential rain and a lively dance floor, I married your now biggest fan — Kathleen — and in doing so, inherited my American family. Her mother, Chris, watched Latics’ first Carling Cup final against Manchester United in a bar in Tanzania. Her father jumped up and down with us like monkeys as David Unsworth’s penalty kept us up against Sheffield United. Her older brother John runs the Latics supporters club in Washington, DC. I introduced them to the DW for the 3-3 draw with Blackburn back in November. Our nephew Sammy, 4, currently supports a mysterious team called “Digham” but his baby sister Anna is frequently pictured in the royal blue and we are confident he will come around. Your American Latics family welcomes you stateside!

I think I speak for the majority of Wigan supporters when I say we are immensely proud of your personal achievements and those you have choreographed at our football club. We are proud that a club of Liverpool’s size and history is interested in hiring you for what must be an incredibly tempting prospect. But what we have witnessed in the last quarter of the season was your vision realized. The defensive solidity, midfield dominance, attacking penetration — it was a joy to watch. Stylish, brave football. Sin miedo.

Your decision to omit Mo Diame and Hugo Rodallega from the starting lineup in that final stretch has meant that — as it stands — we only face losing one key player in Victor Moses, and even that is not a done deal. This presents an opportunity to really kick on next season, rather than spend the first half of it rebuilding and reshaping the team as in the past. With few of our players involved in the Euros or Olympics, we might even start the season with a fit squad. What we just witnessed in April and May was truly spectacular, but it shouldn’t mask how fragile we still are. We are asking you to give us one more year (or two). Guide us to a season of mid-table safety, maybe even an outside chance at Europe, and then make your move.

I encourage my fellow Latics supporters to leave you a message in the comments section of this post. We all have our unique history with the club, our support and love for it, but we are united in our wish for you to stay on. It is rare to be so proud not only of the sporting achievements, but the integrity and human decency of the club’s manager.

And if you have time to meet with a Latics family during your stay in Boston, we would love to have you —

Ned & Kathleen

PS- if in fact, you are on a beach in Barbados with your wife, have fun and consider a stop on the way back!


CONTEMPLATING LIFE WITHOUT BOB

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

After the joy and euphoria of recent weeks we are now rocked  by Liverpool’s approach to Roberto Martinez. How can we  contemplate a Wigan Athletic without Bob? What is going to happen if he leaves us for  Liverpool in the next 7 days?

Roberto Martinez came back as club manager in 2008, having been an old favourite of those fans who saw him play 188 matches for Latics from 1995-2001. His assistant was to be  Graeme Jones, who scored 44 goals in 96 appearances for Latics from 1996-1999. Another ex-Latics icon – Graham Barrow – was brought in as  coach. Barrow scored 35 goals in 179 appearances for Wigan Athletic from 1981-1986, not bad for a defensive midfield player. He later came back as manager in 1994-95, saving Latics from relegation to the Football Conference.  If you look at the backroom staff at the club you will find the names of other familiar names from yesteryear. Alex Cribley –  club physiotherapist – made 268 appearances for us in the 1980s and has been at the club for 30 years . We even have an executive manager, Jonathan Jackson, whose father was a great servant for the club at board level.

That all these people with strong previous associations  with the club are on the payroll is no coincidence. It is part of a concerted effort to recruit people who love the club. Roberto Martinez has been the orchestrator, melding together his staff to provide an infrastructure for the future. The model is not unlike that of Liverpool in the 1980’s when Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan moved up from the “bootroom” staff to take over the club after the departure of Bill Shankly. It was an incredibly successful model. Paisley won 6 league titles and 3 European Cups during his 9 years as manager.

Roberto Martinez might be offered the Liverpool job this week. If he does he might well take it. No Latics fan would begrudge him such an opportunity. Liverpool FC is not the club it was in the 1980s but its fans still often have unrealistically high expectations. Not an easy place to work, especially if John W. Henry wants instant success. Henry took over as principal owner of the Boston Red Sox baseball team in 2002. They won the coveted World Series in 2004. It is unlikely that Roberto Martinez – or any other manager – could perform a parallel feat at Liverpool FC in two years, given the squad of players currently at the club. What Martinez would do is build for the future and have the team play aesthetically pleasing football, something Liverpool have not been able to do for some time.

If the Liverpool thing does not work out – and we Latics fans have to admit we hope it doesn’t – we will probably have Martinez for another year. The problem is that the more success Wigan Athletic have under his direction, the more likely it is that he will be poached away by another club. We therefore need to think ahead. Are there people on the “bootroom” staff who are capable of replacing him? The obvious candidate is Graeme Jones, but we seldom get a glimpse of him through the media. Does he lack eloquence or is it that Martinez is a control freak and likes to deal with the media? Eric Black was a very well-spoken assistant to Steve Bruce and we saw more of him. If Martinez did move would he take Jones with him? Graham Barrow remains a capable force within the club and might even be a candidate. After the Heysel disaster in 1985 Kenny Dalglish took over as Liverpool player-manager, going on to win three league titles. Would it be within the realms of possibility that Gary Caldwell could perform that same dual role for Latics?

So let’s think ahead. Roberto Martinez will leave sometime, whether it be during the next week or the next year. He has built an infrastructure that we need to keep. If he were to leave he should not be allowed to take away key members of our coaching and backroom staff. The players he has recruited now know how to play the kind of champagne football we could not have dreamed about three years ago when he took over. We also have a tactical formation that really suits the players we have. We do not want a new manager to come in and put us back to square one. Let’s not revert to the physical, long-ball stuff that characterized Steve Bruce’s teams. Very few managers in England could step into this situation and build on what we already have. Only Swansea and Brighton come to mind as teams that play our style of football. Brendan Rodgers has done a great job at Swansea because he has built on the structure that Martinez provided during his time in Wales. Like Martinez he is now in the shop window, with the big clubs admiring the kind of football his team are playing. Gus Poyet has done a fantastic job in bringing Brighton to midway up the Championship playing our kind of football. He might well be a possibility for Latics.

Let’s hope that Roberto Martinez does not go to Liverpool and stays with us at least one more year. It is an exciting prospect! If he does go then we need to make the right appointment. Let’s not bring in somebody who tears apart the coaching and backroom staff to bring in his own men. We don’t need upheaval, we need continuity. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to keep it rolling. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

WIGAN ATHLETIC 3 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 2 – CHAMPAGNE FOOTBALL IN A PARTY ATMOSPHERE

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

What a pleasant way to end a season – champagne football played by Latics, with an appreciative home crowd lapping it up. How strange that after 8 minutes with the home crowd celebrating an upcoming 8th year in the Premier League, Matt Jarvis should dampen the party atmosphere by scoring a peach of a goal. Receiving a ball from Steven Ward he cut in from the left and put a peach of a shot beyond Ali Al Habsi’s reach.

Latics came back in the 12th minute with an opportunist goal from Franco Di Santo, kicking the ball between the legs of a Wolves defender into the left hand corner, after James McCarthy had dispossessed Stephen Hunt in midfield. The Jimmy Macs and Shaun Maloney were running the midfield and it came as no surprise when Emmerson Boyce scored two minutes later with a towering header from a Jean Beausejour corner. Latics dominated the remainder of the first half with their excellent movement and silky skills, but could not further add to their tally.

Wolves came out with more resolve in the second half and the Wigan defence had to be on its toes. Al Habsi produced an excellent save from Kevin Doyle, but Gary Caldwell was ruling the roost at the back. Wigan continued to produce waves of classy football, with Shaun Maloney orchestrating the play, giving the Wolves defence a torrid time. The lively Albert Crusat came on for Victor Moses after 58 minutes and Hugo Rodallega for Franco Di Santo after 79 minutes. Within the first minute of coming on it was Rodallega who headed the ball for Boyce to hit a screamer of a half volley into the net. Jordi Gomez came on for Shaun Maloney after 82 minutes.  In the 84th minute Boyce went through the Wolves defence with the chance of a hat trick. However, he unselfishly tried to square the ball to Rodallaga and the chance was lost. Steven Fletcher got a consolation goal for Wolves on 86 minutes, after Adrian Lopez – in for the injured Antolin Alcaraz – got caught in possession on the edge of his penalty area. In another sweeping move Rodallaga was unlucky to see his shot hit the post in the final minute of added time. The final whistle signaled a pitch invasion by delighted fans.

The Good

The scoreline did not truly reflect the gulf between the two teams. This was champagne football from Latics, with Shaun Maloney being at the core of practically all of our best attacking moves. The Latics fans have been fantastic over the past few months, in sharp contrast to the doom and gloom that pervaded the earlier part of the season. The belief shown by the fans has galvanised a team previously lacking self confidence.

 It is not only the prospect of an 8th season in the Premier League that makes me look forward to the resumption in August. More than that it is the prospect of Latics playing this brand of football and not being afraid of the rich and bloated clubs who dominate the league. We have to shed the image of “Little Wigan” and move up a notch in our own estimation. If Bob and Dave both stay for a few years longer we will not be perennially looking to avoid relegation, but towards being in the top half of the table, seeking a Europa league place.

The Bad

After being outstanding in recent games Antolin Alcaraz suffered a thigh injury in training. Estimated time of recovery is 6 weeks so let’s hope all will be well for him at the start of next season. He was missed in defence.

Player Ratings


Ali Al Habsi: 8 – Did all he could to keep Wolves out.  A top class ‘keeper.

Emmerson Boyce: 9 – This defensively minded player has become a real attacking option in the right wing back position. Has scored three cracking goals in recent matches.

Adrian Lopez: 6 – Tried hard to impose himself physically, but looked nervy. His lack of match fitness and practice probably contributed to him losing the ball for Wolves’ second goal.

Gary Caldwell: 9 – Superb at the back once again.

Maynor Figueroa: 8 – Excellent yet again.

Jean Beausejour: 8 – Played more of an attacking role than usual. Put in some lovely crosses that might have led to more goals.

James McCarthy: 8 – Excellent yet again.

James McArthur: 8 – Probably our most under rated player. Excellent performance.

Shaun Maloney: 9 – A brilliant performance from the Little Magician.

Victor Moses: 6 – Ineffective, taken off after 58 minutes. Maybe unsettled by transfer talk?

Franco Di Santo: 8 – Must be one of the best in the Premier League in his skilful hold-up play. Scored an opportunist goal.

Substitutes

Albert Crusat: 8 – Made a major impact as a substitute, coming close to scoring on at least three occasions. Promises well for the future.

Hugo Rodallega – Has been a great servant for Wigan Athletic. What shame he was unlucky in the last minute, hitting the post as his Latics career was coming to a close.

Jordi Gomez – Worked hard and put through some nice passes. This has been his best season at the club and he has managed to silence many of his critics.

WIGAN ATHLETIC-WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS PREVIEW: LET’S KEEP BOB AND DAVE!

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

What an emotional time it has been this season for Wigan Athletic supporters. It has been a roller coaster ride and there was a period when even the most positive of our supporters were moving towards the dark side, touting for Roberto Martinez’s resignation. What a change there has been in recent weeks. The post match interviews with Roberto Martinez and Dave Whelan at Blackburn revealed a mutual love for the club on behalf of manager and chairman. Moreover they showed that strong professional bond between two men who have the utmost respect for each other. That Wigan Athletic are moving on to an eighth season in the Premier League is testimony to the belief of the two men that Latics can compete with the best. The interviews reduced me to tears.

Emotion is one thing but how can we measure a successful season in the Premier League for Wigan Athletic? The cynics in the national media tip our club for relegation each year, but somehow we continue to maintain our status. Let’s look at the statistics to compare this season with those previous in the Premier League.

Our most successful season was our first in the Premier League in 2005-06 under Paul Jewell, finishing in 10th place with 51 points and reaching the League Cup final. The next most successful seasons were under Steve Bruce – 11th with 45 points in 2008-09 – and 14th with 42 points in 2007-08, when he rescued us following a disastrous start to the year under Chris Hutchings. Roberto Martinez’s teams have twice finished in 16th place, last season with 42 points and with 36 points in 2009-10. Paul Jewell’s 2006-07 team finished 17th with 38 points, winning at Sheffield United on the last day of the season to avoid relegation. We are currently 15th with 40 points. A win against Wolves would seal this position, but would not take us  any higher since the teams above us have 44 points. However, it would place us above Aston Villa, who tried to convince our manager to join them last summer.

Wolves have succumbed to relegation after teetering on the edge for the previous two years. Their decision to sack Mick McCarthy in February and replace him with his assistant Terry Connor was hard to fathom. They have just appointed ex-Cologne manager Stale Sollbaken, a Norwegian whose most successful time was in winning five consecutive Danish league titles with FC Copenhagen. He played a handful of games for Wimbledon in the 1990’s. He will have a difficult task revitalizing a demoralized squad. Nevertheless Wolves have fine players in strikers Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher. The previously excellent winger Matthew Jarvis has had a mediocre season, but remains a threat. Any of these three players would be a welcome addition to the Wigan Athletic squad next year, although their transfer fees and wage demands might be beyond our current parameters. Wolves fought out a goalless draw with Everton last weekend, despite having only 9 shots on goal (0 on target) compared with Everton’s 21.

Form predicts a win for Wigan Athletic on Sunday. Latics’ lineup is likely to be the same as that at Blackburn. A  bumper crowd will be at the DW Stadium to celebrate the recent achievements of the Latics team. This is likely to boost our average attendance statistic which currently stands at 18,447, already well up on last season’s 16,812 and the 18,006 figure in Roberto Martinez’s first season. Latics’ league performance over this season does not  statistically  reach the level of the Bruce era and Jewell’s first year. However, the quality of football we have seen over the past couple of months far outshines that shown at any time during the club’s history. Moreover there are grounds for genuine optimism for the future, with a good squad and young players continuing to come through.

The Wolves game provides an opportunity to not only congratulate the players on their mind blowing recent performances, but also to let Bob and Dave know how much we appreciate what they have done for our club. Were either of them to leave we would be back to square one. They are an amazing double act and we need to do all we can to persuade them both to stay. Let’s congratulate them both on being true believers who keep the faith!

Calling all USA-based Wigan Athletic supporters!

Posted by Ned in Other

Dear Latics supporters and friends of the Amigos,

The support given us by ESPN Soccernet this season has generously extended our readership. One of the fantastic benefits has been connecting with Wigan supporters from all corners of the world. As many of you know, one of the writers of this website lives in Boston, the other in Indonesia.

While the internet and improved television coverage of the BPL has made it a lot easier to follow Wigan Athletic from abroad than it was 10 years ago, it takes special – to use a Roberto descriptor — breed of supporter to do so. Most of our overseas fans are lucky to attend one or two matches at the DW each year, and spend hundreds of pounds in airfares and accommodation to do so. Back home, we arrive at work at the crack of dawn or stay on late in order to sneak out for the 10am or 3pm kickoffs. (Or 3am if you are Jakarta Jack!) Once at the pub, we have to fight the much larger crowds of United or Liverpool — or Boston Red Sox — supporters for a TV. The cable and internet packages that most of us pay for are comparable to the cost of a season ticket. If you can afford the new shirt in the first place, you then have to pay an extra 30 quid for shipping!

But we do it happily, because we love it.

As we prepare for a proper Wigan Athletic party this Sunday in celebration of an eighth consecutive adventure in the Premier League, we wanted to take the opportunity to
create a US-based network of Latics supporters. My brother-in-law gathers a crowd weekly at Lucky Bar in Washington, DC. My wife might as well be a club employee at the rate she converts neutral, knowledgeable American football enthusiasts into Latics supporters. My father, before moving to Indonesia, would frequently run into knowledgeable Latics supporters in New York City. We interact on Twitter and receive comments under our posts from people all over the country. As my friend Dave puts it, people in the USA are ready to jump on the Wigan Wagon!

The hope is to use our Twitter feed, Facebook page, and comment section beneath this post to bring Latics supporters together in cities around the United States for the
Sunday celebration against Wolves. Even if it’s only two or three people in the room this year, those will be one or two friends you didn’t have before. And for obvious reasons, they are likely to be blessed with distinguished taste!

How?

1. Propose a venue to watch the Wolves match for Latics fans in your city on our Facebook Wall.

2. Direct message on Twitter @los3amigoswigan with a venue and time in your city for the Wolves match. Something like “Boston-based Latics supporters: lets meet at PJ Ryans at    9am” We will re-tweet you.

3. Post a comment beneath this post (if you are reading on Soccernet, please go to threeamigoswigan.com and find this post on our original site)

Enjoy!