Wigan Athletic 2 Oxford United 0: Maloney gets it right

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

Shaun Maloney got his tactics right against a strong Oxford side

It was an uplifting night for a young Wigan Athletic side who showed sufficient skill, discipline and composure to suggest that they will more than overcome the severe 8 point penalty imposed upon them.

Oxford had come in as clear favourites, lying in second place, ready to impose Liam Manning’s approach upon the home side. For the first quarter of an hour Latics were under pressure with Oxford dominating the ball and playing the kind of intricate football that we had seen before during Manning’s time with MK Dons. Latics could not get the ball, but to their great credit they kept their composure and shape, restricting the visitors to shooting from outside the penalty box.

But after 17 minutes Latics launched a counterattack, Thelo Aasgaard turned to launch a perfect through ball for Stephen Humphrys who hit a left footed shot that beat Oxford keeper, Beadle. The goal certainly helped the home side feel more confident. Although they continued to be pressed back in defence they used the pace of their speedy forwards to worry the visitors’ defence when they did get possession.

Latics came out for the second half in a more confident mood and continued to be unfazed by Oxford’s lion’s share of possession, launching speedy counterattacks which troubled the visiting defence. As time moved on the home team continued to grow in confidence, playing some sparkling football when in possession. After weeks of disappointing performances we saw the quality of build-up that delighted us in the early part of the season. The icing on the cake came in the 81st minute with the previously hapless substitute Callum Lang curling home a sublime free kick.

Shaun Maloney certainly got his tactics right. Despite having 65% possession Oxford were restricted to shots outside the box, which were capably dealt with my the excellent Sam Tickle. The goalkeeper also played a key role in his quality distribution, which helped launch counterattacks. As the second half had progressed it looked increasingly unlikely that Oxford could claw their way back into the game.

Maloney had stuck with the 3-4-3 formation that he used in the win at Exeter, but brought in Jordan Jones to play an unfamilar role at left wing back, which he performed with aplomb, helping out the defence and making pacy runs down the touchline. Aasgaard was brought back to play in the front three and although he hardly sparkled it was his killer pass that broke the deadlock. We had waited so long for Liam Shaw to make his first league start and he certainly looked the part with his strength in the tackle and intelligent passing.

Josh Stones had been left on the bench following his debut at Exeter, but came on after 82 minutes in prefence to Josh Magennis. He almost added a third in added time with a rocket shot that Beadle parried on to the crossbar. The resulting corner saw his downward header saved by the Oxford keeper.

Following the game Maloney commented:

“I’m really pleased. I thought the performance had a bit of everything. We played against a good opponent and limited them to not too many chances. At the moment, we are clinical at the moment. It’s a big thing we’ve been working on, and for large parts of the season, we’ve been very good attacking.

We’ve been less so defensively and the last two games have been a big improvement. Let’s not take our foot off the gas and go again this weekend. Once we got a grip of what they wanted to do with the ball, it gave us a platform to go and play, and I want even more.”

Stats courtesy of WhoScored.com

Exeter City 0 Wigan Athletic 2: three vital points for Latics

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

“.. it was worth it to have those celebrations at the end, and even more so because it meant the three points. I’ve been to some dark places in the last couple of years. I just tried to keep going, keep working hard. It’s probably the most emotional I’ve ever been on a football field, to be honest. Stuff like that, it’s really not like me, but what a feeling.“

So said Jordan Jones after the match.

The Wigan squad’s celebrations at the end of this game were reminiscent of a team winning a major trophy. Four consecutive defeats had sapped their confidence and dropped them down to the relegation zone. They remain there, but within striking distance of the teams above them. With three consecutive home games coming up there is a strong chance of Latics climbing out of danger.

Shaun Maloney made three changes to his starting lineup, adopting a 3-4-3 formation. Steven Sessegnon and Tom Pearce were the wing backs. Liam Morrison partnered Charlie Hughes and Sean Clare in the back 3, with Baba Adeeko and Scott Smith in central midfield. 19- year-old Josh Stones made his league debut replacing the ineffective Josh Magennis, up front with Martial Godo and Stephen Humphries.

The changes seemed to instantly galvanise Latics and they started the game playing with purpose and drive. Each player knew his role and the football was so much better than we had seen recently. Humphrys has been the brightest spark since the start of the season and he showed his determination skill with a great run and pass to Godo who slotted the ball home with panache after 8 minutes. Although the home team started to apply some pressure the Wigan defence looked solid and in control with Latics going in to half time with a 1-0 lead.

They did not look so much in control in the second half which saw Exeter dominating play. It seemed like it was only a matter of time when the home team would score. Latics had dropped so far back in defence, with only sporadic attacking. Somehow, with a mixture of good defending and last ditch clearances, it was still 1-0 going into the 8 minutes of time added on. Jordan Jones’ brave run at the defence in the 97th minute was rewarded by a deflection to seal Wigan’s victory.

The stats showed Exeter having 30 shots to Wigan’s 5, but gutsy defence mixed with a little bit of luck had held the home team at bay. Sam Tickle had made a fine save from a cross that was heading into the top left hand corner of his net and old Latics favourite Yanic Wildschut had used his pace to glide past his marker on the by line to go on to hit the post. Many players other than the Dutchman might have gone down to seek a penalty following contact in the box as he made that run.

On a positive note the manager’s changes had proved effective. Morrison was Latics’ man of the match on the left side of the back three. Stones showed great willingness and his pace and physicality made him a handful for the home defence until he was taken off after 61 minutes.

Maloney will now need to set his side up for a difficult task on Tuesday when Latics host an Oxford United side that is in second place, having lost only 2 out of 12 games. He will most likely stick with the 3-4-3 formation which seems to be his best bet at the moment.

Stats courtesy of WhoScored.com

Where will Wigan Athletic be in the table when Matt Smith returns to action?

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Player profiles, Specials and tagged with , , ,
Matt Smith: a key player in “Maloneyball” (photo courtesy of Wigan Athtletic)

“We’ve pushed really hard to get him and he’s very important to how we are looking to play this year”

It was Shaun Maloney commenting on signing Matt Smith on a free transfer from Arsenal. 

The 23-year-old Smith was hardly a “marquee signing”, having spent the past three seasons on loan at Swindon, Charlton and Doncaster. But he had been at Arsenal since he was seven and was steeped in the footballing style of the north London club. Why is Smith so important to the way Maloney wants his team to play this season?

Wigan Athletic’s early season form was a revelation. It was characterised by a possession-based style of football diametrically opposed to the long-ball approach that had been the norm over the past five years at the club. In true “Maloneyball” players get lots of touches of the ball, being required to create space for themselves in order to receive it. It is a purposeful style of football, based upon opening up the opposition, rather than merely retaining possession for possession’s sake.

Matt Smith played a pivotal role in excellent team performances in August. He constantly made himself available in tight situations, to receive the ball from defenders, rarely wasting a pass. Latics gained 10 points from their first four games in League 1, including wins at Bolton and Derby, both among the bookmakers’ favourites for promotion. 

After a series of outstanding performances in August, Smith’s form dwindled. He was not able to stamp the same kind of authority on the play. In the first week of October Maloney revealed that Smith had been playing through pain caused by a hernia injury. He would receive surgery and would be out of action for up to six weeks.

The manager added:” I don’t know how these injuries happened; he was wrestling with his stomach. He was the ideal type of No. 6 or No. 8 I needed this summer, as seen by his performances against Derby, Carlisle, and Bolton.” Maloney also stated his expectation that other players would step up to cover Smith’s absence.

Sadly, Latics’ performances and results have taken a dive since August. They have lost their last four league games and the 8-point deduction means that they are in 23rd place with 5 points. Dire refereeing has played its part in the decline: controversial red cards and penalty decisions have hit Latics hard. The low point of the season was a 4-1 defeat at Bristol Rovers, followed by narrow defeats to Portsmouth, Burton Albion and Stevenage.

The praise that Maloney was receiving from fans in August has now veered towards heavy criticism as the results have nosedived. Among the many complaints are those that there seems little method in the way the team has been playing, a far cry from early in the season where the style of play was well-defined and the players clearly knew their roles. Team selection has also come under fire, some saying there has been too much squad rotation. The midfield, which was excellent in early season, has not provided sufficient protection for the defence, nor has it linked up well with the attack. It needs a hard man in the style of Sam Morsy in midfield. There have been too many changes in defence in particular. The inverted full back system has limited the attacking scope of the full backs. Maloney has been too loyal to some players over others. The cynics say that Maloney does not know his best starting X1.

At the start of the season Maloney named Josh Magennis as club captain and Callum Lang as vice-captain. Charlie Wyke has established himself as the first-choice centre forward, with Magennis as back up. Lang had an awful time last season in the Championship and his nightmare has continued in League 1, where the player had excelled a couple of seasons ago. Despite his woeful form Lang has featured in all 11 league games, in the majority of which he was a starter. The manager has continued to believe in the player, but with capable backups in the squad his preference for Lang has been questionable. Magennis has neither the goal scoring talent of Wyke, nor his ability to play as the target man role. With Wyke suspended, Maloney started the game at Burton with with a front three of Lang (one goal in his last 46 league games), Magennis (one goal in 44 league games) and Callum McManaman who scored a great goal against Northampton, but was never a prolific goal scorer.

With the international break Maloney has been afforded time to ponder over his options. Team selections and tactics have to be right. With Wyke suspended he has the option of playing Steven Humphrys at centre forward or to give the 19-year-old Josh Stones a league debut. Without Matt Smith we can expect less inter-passing between defence and midfield, unless Liam Shaw can play such a role. It is important to have a consistency in the centre of defence. Charlie Hughes will start, but who will play alongside him? Liam Morrison was excellent in early season, but has fallen out of favour. Omar Rekik and Kell Watts have been disappointing, although the former has had to play at full back at times. Lang has been mainly playing in the number 10 role, putting in lots of energy, but with close to zero end-product. Thelo Aasgaard is a natural number 10 but has been very disappointing so far. Humphrys might also be tried there.

Ideally Maloney would have Latics play that brand of football we saw in August, but Latics are in a relegation dog fight. Perhaps when Matt Smith returns to action, they will be in a healthier position to revert to that silky football we saw at the start of the season. Smith’s injury certainly had an effect on performances but it is not the sole reason that Latics have fallen down the table.  

Maloney is still a relatively inexperienced football manager, but he is bright and talented and has shown real commitment towards the club. He has a young squad, operating on a quarter of the budget of last season. There is sufficient talent in the squad for Latics to avoid relegation and establish themselves in the division. Such is the youth of this squad that we can expect ups and downs along the road. It could be a bumpy ride until the season ends.

Where will Wigan Athletic be in the table when Matt Smith returns to action?

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Player profiles, Specials and tagged with , , ,
Matt Smith: a key player in “Maloneyball” (photo courtesy of Wigan Athtletic)

“We’ve pushed really hard to get him and he’s very important to how we are looking to play this year”

It was Shaun Maloney commenting on signing Matt Smith on a free transfer from Arsenal. 

The 23-year-old Smith was hardly a “marquee signing”, having spent the past three seasons on loan at Swindon, Charlton and Doncaster. But he had been at Arsenal since he was seven and was steeped in the footballing style of the north London club. Why is Smith so important to the way Maloney wants his team to play this season?

Wigan Athletic’s early season form was a revelation. It was characterised by a possession-based style of football diametrically opposed to the long-ball approach that had been the norm over the past five years at the club. In true “Maloneyball” players get lots of touches of the ball, being required to create space for themselves in order to receive it. It is a purposeful style of football, based upon opening up the opposition, rather than merely retaining possession for possession’s sake.

Matt Smith played a pivotal role in excellent team performances in August. He constantly made himself available in tight situations, to receive the ball from defenders, rarely wasting a pass. Latics gained 10 points from their first four games in League 1, including wins at Bolton and Derby, both among the bookmakers’ favourites for promotion. 

After a series of outstanding performances in August, Smith’s form dwindled. He was not able to stamp the same kind of authority on the play. In the first week of October Maloney revealed that Smith had been playing through pain caused by a hernia injury. He would receive surgery and would be out of action for up to six weeks.

The manager added:” I don’t know how these injuries happened; he was wrestling with his stomach. He was the ideal type of No. 6 or No. 8 I needed this summer, as seen by his performances against Derby, Carlisle, and Bolton.” Maloney also stated his expectation that other players would step up to cover Smith’s absence.

Sadly, Latics’ performances and results have taken a dive since August. They have lost their last four league games and the 8-point deduction means that they are in 23rd place with 5 points. Dire refereeing has played its part in the decline: controversial red cards and penalty decisions have hit Latics hard. The low point of the season was a 4-1 defeat at Bristol Rovers, followed by narrow defeats to Portsmouth, Burton Albion and Stevenage.

The praise that Maloney was receiving from fans in August has now veered towards heavy criticism as the results have nosedived. Among the many complaints are those that there seems little method in the way the team has been playing, a far cry from early in the season where the style of play was well-defined and the players clearly knew their roles. Team selection has also come under fire, some saying there has been too much squad rotation. The midfield, which was excellent in early season, has not provided sufficient protection for the defence, nor has it linked up well with the attack. It needs a hard man in the style of Sam Morsy in midfield. There have been too many changes in defence in particular. The inverted full back system has limited the attacking scope of the full backs. Maloney has been too loyal to some players over others. The cynics say that Maloney does not know his best starting X1.

At the start of the season Maloney named Josh Magennis as club captain and Callum Lang as vice-captain. Charlie Wyke has established himself as the first-choice centre forward, with Magennis as back up. Lang had an awful time last season in the Championship and his nightmare has continued in League 1, where the player had excelled a couple of seasons ago. Despite his woeful form Lang has featured in all 11 league games, in the majority of which he was a starter. The manager has continued to believe in the player, but with capable backups in the squad his preference for Lang has been questionable. Magennis has neither the goal scoring talent of Wyke, nor his ability to play as the target man role. With Wyke suspended, Maloney started the game at Burton with with a front three of Lang (one goal in his last 46 league games), Magennis (one goal in 44 league games) and Callum McManaman who scored a great goal against Northampton, but was never a prolific goal scorer.

With the international break Maloney has been afforded time to ponder over his options. Team selections and tactics have to be right. With Wyke suspended he has the option of playing Steven Humphrys at centre forward or to give the 19-year-old Josh Stones a league debut. Without Matt Smith we can expect less inter-passing between defence and midfield, unless Liam Shaw can play such a role. It is important to have a consistency in the centre of defence. Charlie Hughes will start, but who will play alongside him? Liam Morrison was excellent in early season, but has fallen out of favour. Omar Rekik and Kell Watts have been disappointing, although the former has had to play at full back at times. Lang has been mainly playing in the number 10 role, putting in lots of energy, but with close to zero end-product. Thelo Aasgaard is a natural number 10 but has been very disappointing so far. Humphrys might also be tried there.

Ideally Maloney would have Latics play that brand of football we saw in August, but Latics are in a relegation dog fight. Perhaps when Matt Smith returns to action, they will be in a healthier position to revert to that silky football we saw at the start of the season. Smith’s injury certainly had an effect on performances but it is not the sole reason that Latics have fallen down the table.  

Maloney is still a relatively inexperienced football manager, but he is bright and talented and has shown real commitment towards the club. He has a young squad, operating on a quarter of the budget of last season. There is sufficient talent in the squad for Latics to avoid relegation and establish themselves in the division. Such is the youth of this squad that we can expect ups and downs along the road. It could be a bumpy ride until the season ends.

Maloney’s summer recruitment nears completion- but what can we expect?

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

I’m really happy with what people in the background have done, we’ve all worked extremely hard to get the squad to where it is now. I don’t see too many more coming in, maybe one or two.”

It has been a difficult summer recruitment exercise for Shaun Maloney and his staff. The previous recruitment team were shed in the upheavals over the previous months. Moreover, the Guardian newspaper reported that the EFL had decreed that the club would not be allowed to pay transfer fees until the summer of 2024.

Having rescued Latics from impending liquidation Mike Danson has kept faith in the manager, but has made it clear that he expects the club to be run in a more sustainable manner. That presents a considerable challenge to Maloney and will induce a major shift in expectations from the fan base.

Since Dave Whelan bought the club in 1995 it has never been run in a sustainable manner.

Whelan invested a large sum of money to help the club climb up to the Premier League in 2005. The first season was a great success, but Latics came so close to relegation in the second, an away win at Sheffield United on the last day of the season saving them. Steve Bruce took over from Paul Jewell in 2007 and stabilised things, albeit at a financial cost. Roberto Martinez was presented with a reduced budget when he took charge in 2009 and did incredibly well to keep the club in the division for four more years, winning the FA Cup in the relegation year of 2013.

Despite the huge increase in revenues Latics had continued to struggle financially in the top tier, with Whelan subsidising considerable losses. With large sums coming into the club from parachute payments and some £20m incoming transfer fees the return to the Championship could have been profitable. However, poor decisions were made in the hiring and firing of managers and recruitment of players. David Sharpe had replaced his grandfather as chairman in March 2015, but the net result was the frittering away of two years of parachute payments and relegation to League 1 The following season saw Latics winning League 1 but the heavy wage bill to do so largely wiped away the parachute payments coming in.

After more years of financial losses, the Whelan family sold the club to IEC in November 2018. The mysterious happenings under IEC saw the club go into administration in July 2020, before being bought by Phoenix 2021 in March 2021. Like IEC, the Bahraini ownership had poured funds into the club, but their overspending in the 2021-22 season was to become a millstone around their necks. Somewhere between £40-50m had been put into the club over those years by IEC and the Bahrainis.

Football clubs below the elite levels of the Premier League are rarely going to be good investments, as IEC and Phoenix 2021 discovered. Dave Whelan was a massive benefactor to Wigan Athletic, allowing the club to live beyond it means. He never required it to be run in a sustainable manner, constantly bankrolling it: some would say it was a series “gifts” from the local-born millionaire.

However, Mike Danson, another local-born owner, is not prepared to support the club in the Whelan way.

Most fans realise that without Danson the club could have ceased to exist. They are both relieved and appreciative, currently accepting his plans on running the club sustainably. However, with the billionaire due to take over full control of Wigan Warriors in November there are concerns of what will happen with the same person owning both the football club and the rugby league club. There are questions about whether the DW Stadium, currently under football club ownership, will be regarded as a separate entity, owned by neither club, but by Danson himself.

Given the number of players remaining at the club on bloated salaries given them by Phoenix 2021 it is unlikely that Latics will break-even financially this season. Reports suggested the budget will be set at around a third of that of least season, bringing to a figure around £6m, well over the average for the division.

Given the situation Maloney has been facing, with little wiggle room in the budget and a transfer embargo from the EFL, he has had to look for free agents add loan players. His main squad currently comprises:

Goalkeepers: Ben Amos (32), Sam Tickle (20).

Full backs/wing backs: Sean Clare (26), James McClean (34), Tom Pearce (25), Luke Robinson (21).

Central defenders: Charlie Hughes (19), Jason Kerr (26), Sean Morrison (20), Jack Whatmough (26).

Midfielders: Thelo Aasgaard (21), James Balagizi (19), Jamie McGrath (26), Liam Shaw (22), Matt Smith (22), Scott Smith (22),

Wide players: Jordan Jones (28), Callum Lang (24), Callum McManaman (32), Jonny Smith (25).

Strikers: Stephen Humphrys (25), Josh Magennis (32), Josh Stones (19), Charlie Wyke (30)

Several of those players can play in various positions in addition to the ascribed above. I have included Josh Stones in the senior squad because he appears there on the club website. The situation regarding Jamie McGrath remains uncertain, with him not having taken part in pre-season games. Reports suggest the return of central defender Kell Watts on loan, with rumours suggesting that Jack Whatmough will soon be leaving for a fee. With only one specialist right back/wing back in the squad, Sean Clare, Maloney will be looking for backup. Rumours link Latics with the experienced Josh Emmanuel (25) a free agent, ex-Grimsby Town.

Against Everton Latics played a fluid 4-4-2 system, with Callum Lang and Charlie Wyke up front and Stephen Humphrys and Callum McManaman playing wide. One expects that Maloney’s preferred formation will be 3-4-3 with Clare and McClean as wing backs and a mobile, interchanging front line of three. However, he will switch to the likes of 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 when a tactical change is needed.

Maloney’s squad is close to being complete. On paper it is not a strong as previous squads that have won the division. However, the manager will continue to work on a style of play that will help his players develop professionally. The latter is so important for the long-term survival of the club with Latics grooming young players to have significant sell-on value, unlike so many in last season’s squad.  

Morale among the fan base is fairly high at the moment, but we need to expect some hiccups along the way. The Whelan years spoilt us to a large degree, but now we are getting closer to what the economics of the club will be like without him. Some fans, weaned on that era, have particularly high expectations, but will need to temper those with the reality of the present.