Tag Archives: coyle

Post Match Reaction: Barnsley 0 Wigan Athletic 4 – Coyle’s revolution takes a firm step forward

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

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 Owen Coyle’s revolution at Wigan Athletic took a firm step forward on Saturday with a rousing win at Barnsley. Not only was the result impressive, but Latics did it in such a style that it will send shockwaves to all teams in the Championship who consider themselves promotion contenders.

In a short amount of time Coyle has built on the style of play that was developed over a period of four years by his predecessor, Roberto Martinez. That silky approach is still very visible, but this Latics side can also mix its possession football  with a directness that adds an extra dimension to their play.

Latics lineup was a mixture of the old and the new, with five new signings starting. In contrast to the Martinez era only one of them was a player without links with the British Isles, that being Chilean winger Jean Beausejour.

The switch from Martinez’s tactical system based on a central defensive trio and wingbacks into a fluid 4-3-3 system has been smoothly implemented. Ben Watson played in front of the back four, giving James McArthur and James McCarthy the licence to push further forward.

Jean Beausejour – used as a wingback by Martinez – was able to play  a more attacking role on the left wing, not having to worry so much losing the ball and his defence being stretched as a result. Grant Holt is going to get a lot of goals from his sublime crosses this season.

Although best employed in a creative central midfield role, in the  hole behind the centre forward, Shaun Maloney can also operate wide on the right or left.

Latics latest signing, Leon Barnett, came out with flying colours after only joining the club in midweek and not having had a real pre-season under his belt. Barnett is another shrewd signing by Coyle, not only having Premier League experience, but having played the three Championship winning sides at West Bromwich, Norwich and Cardiff. To put the icing on the cake he was to score the third goal.

With quality target men like Grant Holt and Marc-Antoine Fortune to aim at, Latics are able to play the long ball forward when needed.  However, given the large number of matches ahead Coyle will surely continue to look towards acquiring a third central striker for his squad.

Looking at the starting lineups and the players on the bench for each team it was clear that Latics were going to be technically way ahead of Barnsley, who have struggled against relegation for the past couple of seasons.  The question was whether Wigan were able to put in the hard graft to withstand a physical Barnsley barrage.

One of the major criticisms of Martinez’s Latics teams over the years was that they were not always up for the physical side of the game. This game showed that Coyle has put together a squad that can battle and “get stuck in” when the going gets tough.

Both  James Perch and Leon Barnett in the centre of defence are strong tacklers, capable of ‘mixing it’ with opposing forwards. The starting midfield trio of Watson, McArthur and McCarthy are formidable at this level , not to mention Chris McCann, Roger Espinoza and Jordi Gomez who were on the bench. The highly promising Fraser Fyvie also awaits his opportunity in midfield.

Barnsley have another difficult season ahead. There will be much stronger opposition for Wigan to face, with a plethora of games to play over the course of the season.

However, it is not just the emphatic scoreline that will give Latics fans optimism for what is to come. More importantly, new players have already started to gel with those from last year’s squad . Moreover Wigan showed in this match that they have the necessary tenacity to blend with their technical ability. It is a mixture of the two that is needed to get out of a tough Championship division.

Owen Coyle’s revolution still has a long way to go, but it has already taken one further step forward.

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Barnsley v Wigan Athletic Preview – the Coyle revolution put to the test

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

How times have changed.

Less than a year ago Wigan Athletic were entertaining Chelsea in the opening match of last season’s Premier League campaign. On Saturday they travel to Barnsley to open their Championship season.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since that encounter with the London giants. Wigan’s eighth Premier League season was constantly punctuated by injuries to key players and the impact was a very tospy-turvy season. The finale came in a bizarre last week of the season with them  winning the FA Cup, but getting relegated just three days later.

Maybe winning the FA Cup was the defining factor in Roberto Martinez’s decision to seek new pastures. It was the highest of highs in Wigan Athletic’s  history and has left an indelible mark on the club. But the reality is that now Latics face the challenge of getting back into the Premier League.

The visit to Oakwell is the first of many challenges that Owen Coyle’s new side will face this year. Coyle has done a wonderful job in bringing in nine new players to complement the strong backbone of a squad left behind by Martinez. His challenge will be to keep what was good from Martinez’s legacy, but to motivate a competitive squad of players to combine flair with the ability to slug it out over a really long season.

Barnsley finished one point above the relegation zone last year, having stayed up the previous year due to Portsmouth being docked points through having to go into administration. However, they will be keen to start the new season on a positive note and Latics can expect a stern physical tussle at Oakwell, which has been Barnsley’s home since 1888.

Wigan’s lineup is likely to be close to that which started the Dundee United game last weekend.  The main questions will be who will line up next to James Perch in the centre of defence and whether Callum McManaman will be fit enough to start.

If Thomas Royne  recovers from the back injury sustained in the match with the Tangerines he will most likely partner Perch. If not then Coyle has the option of throwing his brand-new signing Leon Barnett into the fray.

McManaman  did not feature prominently in the pre-season and there are doubts as to whether he has fully overcome the ankle injury received at the end of last season. If he is unavailable then Coyle has the option of bringing in Jean Beausejour on the left or fielding twin strikers in Grant Holt and Marc-Antoine Fortune.

Latics will be hoping for a good start to the season. Providing they can match Barnsley physically,  their technical superiority should be sufficient to get a result. Owen Coyle’s revolution is in progress and we will see its fruits over these coming months.

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From Wigan with Style

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

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The spectacular fireworks that followed Latics 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds provided a fitting finale for the first phase of Owen Coyle’s  revolution  at Wigan. It is only around five weeks since the effervescent Scotsman took over at the club, but a lot has happened in that time.

To be honest, Coyle’s appointment to the Wigan Athletic job did not initially go down well with the majority of supporters. It seemed that Dave Whelan was doing things on the cheap, bringing in a manager whose team had got relegated from the Premier League. To make things worse he had worked with the auld enemy up the road at the Reebok Stadium.

It is remarkable what Coyle has already done in such a short space of time. He must have been working 24/7.  His dealings in the transfer market up to this point have been very astute.

Coyle paid  a reputed £700,000 to Bursaspor for an ex-England goalkeeper –  who is only 27 –  in Scott Carson.  James Perch – 26, who promises to be a key central defender – was acquired from Newcastle for only £750,000. The biggest sum went to Norwich for 32 year old  Grant Holt – £2m  – but the big centre forward has a fantastic goalscoring record throughout his career and it could prove to be money very well spent.

Coyle has also picked up a swath of good quality players on free transfers – Stephen Crainey, Thomas Rogne, Chris McCann, Marc-Antoine Fortune.

Pre-season tours don’t usually end in fireworks and in reality only one of the three teams that Latics faced was capable of challenging them. Both the Riverhounds  and the Dayton Dutch Lions play in the newly formed USL Professional Division – the third tier of American football – and the gulf between them and Latics was clear to see.

The more difficult game was at Columbus. The Columbus Crew have competed in the MLS since it started in 1996 and their Crew Stadium was the first “soccer specific” ground built by an MLS club. Crew typically average around 14,500 for MLS matches and the greater metropolitan area of Columbus has a population of over 2 million. The team are currently in midtable in the Eastern Conference of the MLS. Latics’ performance to come away with a win against a team of that level in the full swing of their season was gratifying.

There is still a long road ahead for the Coyle revolution. The trip to the USA was little more than  a training exercise, although it did provide good PR for a club that now has a global branding. Wigan had arrived in the US as not only the team that won the FA Cup, but the one that won it in style. Although playing at half pace in the three matches one could see that the general pattern of Latics’ play has stayed intact. From time to time we saw a few hoofs upfield from new additions to the squad, but by and large we saw that silky approach that was the hallmark of the Martinez era.

Coyle is wise not to make major changes to the team’s playing style at this stage. As the season progresses Coyle will adapt it, in the same way that Michael Laudrup did at Swansea last season. The Swans stuck to their fundamentals of possession football, but became more flexible and pragmatic.

The next phase of Coyle’s revolution will be to bring in more quality players to boost the defence and attack.  The sooner he can do that, the better. The newcomers will not have had the same opportunity to bond with the squad as did those who went to the USA. However, the starting lineup for that first league game at Barnsley is probably already in Coyle’s head, give or take a right back or central defender.

The video coverage of the matches in the US made good viewing. Wiganers will get the chance to see the new squad with their own eyes tomorrow night when Latics play Atromitos at Leigh Sports Village. Last year the team from Athens faced Newcastle in the Europa League, drawing 1-1 at home and losing 1-0 away. The match will help provide an indication of what to expect in the Europa League this season.

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Owen Coyle has already won over many doubters by his astute moves in the transfer market, his positive approach and his commitment to his work. He has made a really good start to his Wigan Athletic career.

Latics to go straight back up?

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

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“This year gives us our best opportunity to get back into the Premier League. Financially we have an advantage over the other clubs because it is a significant amount of money. We want to get back first time for a number of reasons. But financially it makes sense.”

Chief Executive Jonathan Jackson has got the media communicating by speaking good common sense.

He is correct. No better time to get back up than when Latics have an advantage over the majority of the teams in the division through parachute payments that are reported to be worth £16 million.

Up to this point Owen Coyle has made financially shrewd movements in the transfer market, signing seven players for no more than the price of Arouna Kone’s transfer fee to Everton. Moreover James McCarthy is 99% certain to leave and Latics will be hoping for a bidding war for a complete midfield player who will make it at the highest level. It could be good business.

The likelihood therefore is that Latics will make a healthy profit on their transfer dealings. Together with the parachute payment it should leave them in good financial shape over the next year.

Over the past eight years the revenue gained through gate money was dwarfed by the income received through television rights. The loss of that huge amount of television money from the Premier League is going to leave a hole in the finances. However, the total spent on players’ salaries will be reduced compared with last year, despite needing to have a bigger squad.

Through winning the FA Cup,  Latics qualified for the group stage of the Europa League, from which they can expect to receive well over £1 million from UEFA , even if they do not go further.

Having won the FA Cup and spent eight years in the Premier League has unquestionably changed the way outsiders look at Wigan Athletic. As we have seen over the last couple of weeks players are now much more likely to come to come to Wigan. Playing in the Europa League is going to be another giant step forward. The FA Cup success put Latics on the world map and Europa League participation is going to take things further.

Coyle’s activity in the transfer market is likely to be curtailed by the pre-season trip to the United States. Reports have suggested he has been trying to sign Ghana winger Albert Adomah from Bristol City as well as Zambian striker Jacob Mulenga from FC Utrecht. He will also be looking for players on loan, but such business is likely to be done after the big clubs make their overseas tours.

The centre of defence is an area in which Coyle is likely to seek an important new signing. Gary Caldwell and Ivan Ramis would make an excellent partnership if both were fit, but it is doubtful both will be ready for the start of the season. Thomas Rogne is promising, but short of experience. Coyle has the option of switching Emmerson Boyce to centre back, but he will almost certainly be looking for an experienced central defender to supplement what he already has.

Coyle has already put together the nucleus of a squad ready to challenge for promotion. He has done it without spending a lot of money so far. Having at least 6 games to play in the Europa League plus 46 to play in the Championship – compared with 38 in the Premier League – means that he is going to need a big squad. A few more players will be coming in before the transfer window closes.

Jonathan Jackson is right in saying that the coming season represents the best opportunity for Latics to get back into the Premier League. However, with so many new players and the Europa League on top of that, it is a tall order. Tough, but not impossible.

Whatever happens, Wigan Athletic will be in good financial shape. If they don’t make it this year there will be enough of a fiscal base to ensure that they will continue to have the advantage over most clubs in the following year.

Despite relegation, the future is looking bright for Wigan Athletic.

Perchinho arrival heralds in a new style

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Player profiles and tagged with , , , , ,

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Yesterday, a player known in some circles as Perchinho became the latest of  Wigan Athletic’s new signings. He could well become a key piece in the jigsaw puzzle that Owen Coyle is putting together to get Latics back into the Premier League.

Despite the nickname, Perchinho is not a flamboyant Brazilian who will help Latics maintain the style of champagne football that Roberto Martinez’s teams could produce on big occasions. Quite the opposite. He is James Perch, a fairly ordinary-looking footballer, given the nickname affectionately, though ultimately ironically, by Newcastle fans. His critics would say he cannot accurately pass the ball more than 10 yards.  So how  can such a player  play a key role  in a promotion-challenging team?

Born in Mansfield, Perch came up through the youth ranks at Nottingham Forest, making his league debut against Wigan in 2004 and amassing 190 appearances in six years before earning a move to Newcastle United. During this time, he had been used as a utility player, appearing in the right, left and centre of defence and as  a ball winner in midfield, and was eventually trusted with the captain’s armband.perchinho

Perch was to create an unenviable Premier League record on joining Newcastle after receiving consecutive yellow cards in his first five games at that level. Despite the rocky start, the ex-Forest captain went on to make 65 appearances for the north east club over the past three years, including promotion from the Championship and a Europa League campaign.

The signing of a player like Perch is something that Roberto Martinez would have been unlikely to contemplate. He just would not have fitted into the style of flowing football the Spaniard sought. But then again, this is a new era. Owen Coyle has a more pragmatic approach and we are not going to be seeing that mixture of champagne football, interspersed between periods of innefectiveness and defensive mediocrity, that we witnessed  in the Martinez era. So what kind of football will we see during Coyle’s tenure at the club? perch1

James Perch may not be the most skillful player around, but he is a great tackler and a consummate team player and professional. A recent posting on Squawka News offers an interesting insight into Perch’s capabilities, describing him as a “Toon cult hero”, with stats to back up their argument. Another interesting article on Newcastle fan site  Blog on the Tyne lauds Perch’s professionalism.

Wiganers have always appreciated players who are willing to battle for the club and Perch looks destined to become a fan favourite, as he was at Forest and Newcastle. Perch’s career has probably been held back by his ability to slot into different positions. Coyle might get the best out of the player by using him in one specific role.

With so many new players coming into the squad it is important that Latics begin the season with a backbone of last year’s players in the starting lineup. The mutual  understanding between players who have played together for a period of time should not be undervalued. The newcomers can be gradually weaned into the team. However, I would not be surprised to see James Perch’s name on the teamsheet for the season opener at Barnsley.

Owen Coyle’s team will not provide the silky approach we have got used to, but we can expect them to be attacking and entertaining. Professionals  like James Perch can be a really positive force in the club, as well as on the pitch. It will be the hard work of players like him that will enable team mates to get the ball and challenge the opposition.

The Martinez era is over , but Coyle’s squad is quickly taking shape and we can continue to look forward to watching good football, albeit in a different style.

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