Tag Archives: Emmerson Boyce

An entertaining goodbye

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

Boycegoal

Wigan Athletic said goodbye to the Premier League through an entertaining 2-2 draw with Aston Villa. Latics’ display had the hallmarks of what we have seen so often this season – bouts of champagne football interspersed with mediocre defending.

The £24 miliion Darren Bent had opened the scoring in the 5th minute, breezing past Paul Scharner before shooting in off the post. Wigan equalized in the 20th minute through a superb header from Emmerson Boyce from an excellent cross by Roger Espinoza. They went in leading at half time following an unlucky own goal by Nathan Baker.

Wigan had recalled Ali Al Habsi in goal. Roman Golobart replaced Antolin Alcaraz, with Ben Watson starting in place of Callum McManaman. The big Paraguayan was missed in a central defence that did not convince. Tactically Wigan played a mélange of what we have seen in recent weeks, with Watson flitting between midfield and centre of defence  and James McArthur playing on the right of midfield.

Aston Villa were unrecognisable from the shaky team we had seen at Villa Park in December when Latics had beaten them 3-0. This team played an attacking game with three forwards and showed no mean level of skill in the process. It did not come as a complete surprise when Ron Vlaar’s hooked shot somehow found its way past Ali Al Habsi after 60 minutes.

Driven on by Shaun Maloney’s creativity, Wigan came close on several occasions in the second half, including a superb volley from James McArthur that hit the crossbar in the 79th minute. But in the end a draw was a fair result.

The Good

Wigan played some excellent football and were unlucky not to have scored more goals. One hopes that they will continue to play this brand of football against rugged Championship teams next year.

It was heartening to see Ali Al Habsi much more dominant in his area. The  Omani has had a difficult season and it is going to take him a while to regain his confidence fully. This was a step in the right direction.

At last Fraser Fyvie was given his Premier League debut, coming on after 69 minutes for Ben Watson. The 20 year old Scot could prove to be a key player next year. The exciting young wing back Eduard Campabadal also made a debut, substituting for Emmerson Boyce in the closing minutes.

It was surprising to see Angelo Henriquez brought on as a subsititute in preference to the more senior Franco Di Santo. One wonders if Wigan are looking at a permanent deal for the young Chilean, currently on loan from Manchester United.

Jordan Mustoe and Daniel Redmond were also on a youthful-looking bench,

The Bad

Once again injuries forced Martinez into fielding  a new central defensive partnership – this time it was Paul Scharner and Roman Golobart. Not surprisingly there was a lack of cohesion between the two.

The centre of defence has been a real problem for Latics this season. The long term hip problem of  Gary Caldwell has had a major impact. Brave as he is – he recently stated that he had not been able to train properly for 6 months  – Caldwell still started in 25 games, but was a shadow of that dominant captain who would marshall the defence. The loss of the excellent Ivan Ramis in January, on top of the long term injury at the time of Antolin Alcaraz, was another blow to Latics’ defensive cohesion.

Injuries apart, it is the centre of defence that has been the weak point of all Roberto Martinez’ teams at Wigan. Ideally there would be an established duo – or trio depending on tactical preferences – in central defence that would develop a mutual understanding through playing together on a regular basis. There is a need for both height and pace in the middle. Is there also a need for a defensive coach?

Player Ratings

Ali Al Habsi: 6 – returning back to form.

Emmerson Boyce: 8 – excellent throughout. Took his goal superbly and almost scored another in the second half.

Roman Golobart: 6 – a  work in progress.

Paul Scharner: 6 – had some good moments, but some bad ones too.

Roger Espinoza: 7 – starting to look comfortable in the Beausejour role. As always, full of energy and put in some great crosses.

Ben Watson: 7 – growing in that midfield anchor/central defence shielding role. Substituted after 69 minutes.

James McArthur: 7 – worked hard. Never ceases to surprise with the quality of his efforts on goal. He has scored some crackers for Latics in the past and his sublime volley 10 minutes from the end could have won the game for his team.

James McCarthy: 7.5 – played a little further forward. He is a class act and will almost certainly be snapped up by a big club this summer. A transfer fee in excess of £15 million would not be unreasonable for  a player with  all round ability and a good temperament.

Shaun Maloney: 8 – a typical performance,  full of running and guile. Deservedly voted ‘Player of the Season’.

Jordi Gomez: 6 – ineffective playing wide on the right. Substituted after 69 minutes.

Arouna Kone: 6 – finishing not sharp enough.

Substitutes

Fraser Fyvie: – came on for Watson after 69 minutes. Has the ability to become a top player.

Angelo Henriquez: on for Gomez after 69 minutes for a rare appearance.

Eduard Campabadal – made his debut after 88 minutes. Could make a major impact next year.

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Who will play?

Posted by Ned in Match Previews, Other, Reflections and tagged with , , , , , ,

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On such an historic occasion for Wigan Athletic it seemed in a strange way inappropriate to focus on lineups, tactics and the XI that turned out to represent the club in its first ever FA Cup final.

But it is the biggest game in the club’s history, so we decided to write this up as an add-on. If you haven’t already, please do give our preview a read. In the meantime, here is the traditional match preview.

While defending champions Manchester City were busy resting their eight of their starting XI during their 1-0 victory over West Brom — a team Wigan had spectacularly, but only just, beaten three days prior – Wigan suffered yet another season-ending injury. Ronnie Stam had only been on the pitch for a matter of seconds, before apparently breaking his leg.

The list of defenders unavailable to Roberto Martinez is now five strong: Ivan Ramis, Antolin Alcaraz, Maynor Figueroa, Jean Beausejour, Ronnie Stam. If Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Matija Nastajic, Gael Glichy and Alexander Kolarov were injured and missing, it is arguable that Manchester City would be a bit worried too.

But for a club of Wigan’s resources, the situation is disastrous — thus the defensive errors of the last two matches.

The good news is that the attack has been magnificent. Without creating that many chances, Wigan have managed seven top quality strikes in the past three matches, with scorers in each of the defensive, midfield and attacking lines.

The biggest question ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup final must surely be who will play? Should Roberto field his strongest team, whatever that currently is given the injury crisis? Or should he reserve players for the crucial survival fixtures three and seven days later against Arsenal and Aston Villa?

One player whose presence will please most Latics supporters is Ali Al-Habsi. Given Martinez’s pattern of playing the current league reserve goalkeeper in cup fixtures it looks like the big Omani will return. The twist here is that it will be intriguing to see if Al-Habsi — something of a talisman to Wigan supporters — can perform well enough to keep his place for the final two league fixtures. Joel Robles is a really exciting prospect and talented young keeper, despite for his horrendous mistake against Tottenham.

It will be interesting to see if Martinez continues with Ben Watson in that hybrid role of part holding midfield player, part central defender. Martinez has done much for Latics in the realm of tactical innovation, but  the stats show that in the last three matches, using that new system,  they have let in seven goals. However, given the lack of defenders available to him, Martinez might have to use it again.

Wigan fans will pray that Antolin Alcaraz will return from injury in time for Saturday, although it appears unlikely. Gary Caldwell was vulnerable  against Swansea and is likely to struggle against City’s speedy forwards. Roger Espinoza was used on the left of defence against the Welsh team and looked like a fish out of water. If he is to play on the left he will need the support of a strong central defence.

It therefore appears that Martinez has two choices for his defensive lineup – persevere with his recent tactical plan or revert to a system with a back three and wing backs.

One thing he can be sure of is that, if he plays, Gary Caldwell’s commitment will be second to none. Last year’s player of the season has been fighting against a chronic hip injury, with tremendous courage,  having to take injections to even play. It would be a wonderful tribute to the skipper if he makes the starting lineup. Without him Latics would not have been in the Premier League this season.

The back three will most likely be Roman Golobart, Gary Caldwell and Paul Scharner, with Emmerson Boyce and Roger Espinoza at wing back. Alternatively he could play Caldwell at right wing back, putting the more pacy Boyce in the middle. City do not normally play with a left winger, although Caldwell would have to cope with an overlapping full back,  Clichy or Kolarov.

Maybe Martinez will surprise us with another new tactical innovation. But no matter who is playing where, Wigan will need to keep things tight, keeping possession, not giving away suicidal goals.

Just over three weeks ago Wigan Athletic gave an excellent account of themselves at Eastlands, being pipped by a spectacular late goal from Carlos Tevez. If they can play like that tomorrow and get a little bit of luck, then an upset remains on the cards.

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A point gained or two lost?

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

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A thrilling encounter at the DW Stadium ended two goals apiece as Tottenham and Wigan put a dent in each other’s contrasting ambitions. Spurs, chasing a Champions League spot after being cruelly denied one last season, started strongly but found themselves 2-1 down for the bulk of the second half. Wigan’s committed and organized defending looked likely to secure three points of gold in the relegation battle until an intelligent Tom Huddlestone free-kick caused panic and Emmerson Boyce — scorer of Wigan’s first goal with an excellent header — scored an unfortunate own goal.

While there was much to applaud from Wigan, the nature of the goals conceded will torment Roberto Martinez. Eighty minutes before Boyce’s heartbreaking own goal, Maynor Figueroa and Joel Robles had conspired to bizarrely gift Spurs the lead. A series of uncertain passes between them resulted in a casual clearance by the young Spanish keeper that bounced powerfully off Bale’s outstretched leg and into the back of the net. That Wigan managed to stop Tottenham’s dangerous attacking game but conceded two goals as sloppy as those is cruel on Martinez, who got his tactics right on the day.

Wigan’s goals on the other hand, were fantastic. A curling Shaun Maloney corner was wonderfully headed home by Boyce to equalize early in the affair, before a truly inspired passing sequence involving five players was finished with a thumping left footed volley by Callum McManaman to give the team the lead.

Despite uncharacteristically struggling for possession throughout the match, Wigan played with desire and commitment and were ultimately unfortunate not to emerge with three points.

The Good:

Despite the absence of key defender Antolin Alcaraz and the injury to Maynor Figueroa, there were signs that Wigan could defend well with a makeshift defence. The midfield tackling was superb with James McCarthy and James McArthur at their very best. Ronnie Stam, on for Figueroa, had a good game and may well keep his place at right-back with Emmerson Boyce covering for the injured trio of Ivan Ramis, Antolin Alcaraz and Maynor Figueroa.

Callum McManaman’s goal was superbly taken and he has shown enough in the last ten or so matches to suggest he will be a big contributor of goals in seasons to come. He is fearless and direct, and takes it on when others would pass the ball to someone else. He fades in and out of games and is being eased into Premier League football with about an hour of football per match, but he has become an important player for Martinez.

The Bad:

There was a huge element of fortune in Spurs’ equalizing goal, but the first one was simply unforgivable. You can’t expect to beat a team of such quality when you give them a free 1-0 start.

The injury to Maynor Figueroa is another serious blow in a season that has denied Latics of a fit and healthy backline. How different things might have been if Ramis, Alcaraz and Figueroa had been able to line up together. The question now is whether Gary Caldwell will return to the centre of defence against less speedy opposition at West Brom, or if Boyce will partner Scharner with Stam continuing on the right side of defence.

The League Table

It is a two-horse race between Wigan and Aston Villa. The teams have now played the same number of matches, with the latter two points ahead. All eyes will be on their unpredictable fixture against Sunderland on Monday. As long as they do not win, Wigan’s fortunes remain in their hands.

Player Ratings:

Joel Robles: 5 — Awful mistake early in the match to give away the first goal. Arguably might have done better with the second. In his defence, he made some excellent saves and probably saved a goal when Jermain Defoe was through on goal late in the first half — but looked jittery.

Emmerson Boyce: 7.5 — Unlucky to give away the own goal. He had been excellent before that, scoring a brilliant header and defending responsibly after being drafted into the centre of defence.

Paul Scharner: 8– Very good game against difficult strikers, despite moving across to the unfamiliar left side of centre in a make-shift defence.

Maynor Figueroa: 5 — Was not enjoying his day before injuring himself while making an excellent clearance. His injury is a huge blow and will be missed.

Jean Beausejour: 6 — Given the circumstances, and being asked to play at left-back for big chunks of the game against some of the fastest players in the league, he coped admirably. Unfortunately, his professional foul against Kyle Walker led to the free-kick from which Tottenham equalised.

James McCarthy: 8 — Asked to play a deeper role shielding the back four, McCarthy covered every blade of grass today breaking up play and driving forward when able.

James McArthur: 8 — An exhibition in one-on-one defending. He won the ball back in midfield frequently and tracked back when necessary to help out his defence.

Jordi Gomez: 7 — Caught in possession a few times and not his best first half, but played well in the second before making way for Roger Espinoza.

Shaun Maloney: 7 — A typical Maloney performance with neat feet, darting runs and positive movement. Unable to exert strong influence on the game from the wing, however, as the team struggled for possession.

Callum McManaman: 8 — Excellent defensive contribution, he ran his socks off. In attack, he drifted in and out of the game but scored a cracker and looked dangerous when on the ball.

Arouna Kone: 7 — Threatened but couldn’t deliver this time.

Subs:

Ronnie Stam: 7 — Put in a very good shift despite having been in the fringes for a while now.

Franco Di Santo: One fantastic curled cross for Kone after a strong run down the right side.

Roger Espinoza: Immediately involved, a couple decent tackles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wigan Athletic 0 Liverpool 4 – A Throwback to the Bad Old Days

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

A throwback to the bad old days. A first goal after two minutes and both Wigan’s tactical plan and their self confidence fell apart.

Roberto Martinez had decided to stick with his tactical switch of reverting to a back four, with Jean Beausejour pushed forward on the left wing. It had been successful at Reading, but Liverpool reveled in the space it gave them to attack.The result was an exposed defence.

Liverpool went into half time 3-0 up. Countinho had too easily beaten Boyce to put in a centre for Downing’s second minute goal. The Wigan defence was out of its depth when the same player put the electric Suarez through for Liverpool’s second. A lucky deflection gave Suarez his second from a free kick.

Early in the second half Glen Johnson was able to waltz past Wigan tackers to put Suarez through to finish with a shot through Al Habsi’s legs.

The Good

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina made three excellent saves in the first half, and one early in the second, when Wigan were unlucky not to score.

The Bad

Luis Suarez was given the freedom of the park. Wigan just did not seem to have a plan to deal with him. One thing Wigan have had this season has been a viable tactical plan, even if results have not often gone their way. The tactics in this match were woefully lacking. The team looked disorganized and demoralized.

The first half spat between Emmerson Boyce and James McArthur led to them both being spoken to by the referee,  a really sad thing for Wigan supporters to see.

Player Ratings

Ali Al-Habsi: 4- There was talk some months ago about him going to Liverpool to replace Pepe Reina. One doubts that the Reds would be interested after his run of indifferent form since then.

Emmerson Boyce: 3 – Poor.

Paul Scharner: 4 – Once again showed good technique, but too often went forward, leaving the defence exposed.

Gary Caldwell: 4 – Poor. Substituted after 52 minutes.

Maynor Figueroa: 4 – Looked isolated and cut off.

Jean Beausejour: 3 – More effective in the more withdrawn role of wing back. Substituted after 61 minutes.

James McCarthy: 3 – Poor.

James McArthur: 3 – Poor.

Shaun Maloney: 4 – Systematically fouled by Lucas, particularly in the first half.

Arouna Kone: 4 – What would have happened if he could have converted the chance he had in the first minute of the match?

Franco Di Santo: 4 – At last he has  produced a header of note, with a fine effort early in the second half saved by Reina. Substituted after 52 minutes.

Substitutes:

Roger Espinoza: 5 – Added more energy to midfield after coming onafter 52 minutes.

Antolin Alcaraz: 4 -Came after 52 minutes when the defence looked really exposed.

Callum McManaman: 5 – Looked useful when he had the ball. Came in for Beausejour with around 30 minutes to go.

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A Need for Height?

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

In the early 1990s Arsenal had a couple of central  defenders – Tony Adams and Steve Bould – who my father used to call ‘gaspipes’. I never really asked my dad to explain what he meant by that term, but always assumed it had something to do with their height and shape: tall and slim. Adams was 6′ 3″ , Bould an inch taller. Not surprisingly these two central defenders were key to Arsenal’s successes in that era, when the long ball was in vogue. If a high centre were to be launched into the Arsenal box you could bet your bottom dollar that one of the two would be on to it.

Let’s get back to modern day. Brede Hangeland of Fulham is 6′ 61/2″ tall – and that, together with his lean shape  –  would certainly place him in  the ‘gaspipe’ category. Not surprisingly he dominates the air in the penalty boxes at each end of the field, very solid in defence, dangerous from corner kicks. His regular defensive partner, Aaron Hughes,  is a mere 6’0″ tall. Per Mertesacker of Arsenal is the second tallest Premier League defender at 6′ 6″. Both of Stoke City’s uncompromising central defenders, Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross are 6′ 3 “. The same stats apply to the Liverpool pairing of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel. By and large Premier League teams typically have two central defenders well above 6 ft tall.

Latics have no gaspipes in their senior squad. According to the club website,  of the central defenders who have played for Wigan this season:  Antolin Alcaraz and Ivan Ramis are the tallest at 6’2”. Maynor Figueroa and Adrian Lopez are 6′ 0 “, Gary Caldwell and Emmerson Boyce  are 5’11”.  The two tallest players, Alcaraz and Ramis,  have played together only twice, in the opening two games of the season.

When Roberto Martinez installed a trio of central defenders midway through last season he bolstered Latics’ aerial defences. All too often over these past years Wigan have been undone with a ‘soft’ headed goal from the opposition at a crucial time in the game. Phil Jagielka’s recent  goal for Everton and Ryan Nelsen’s for QPR are two that most Premier League defences would have prevented. You can add to that Hoolahan’s goal for Norwich, although that was more down to the positioning of defenders than their ability to leap. Latics have lacked that type of tall, rugged centre back who can dominate the aerial defences.

One of the pioneers of recruiting big players in the old Football League was Jimmy Sirrel, a canny Scot who was a successful manager at Notts County for over a decade around the 70s. When asked on television why he recruited so many big players he said “If I have the choice between a good big ‘un and a good little ‘un,  I go for the good big ‘un.” Larry Lloyd’s promotion winning side of 1981-82 was probably the physically biggest team Wigan had ever had. Both Lloyd and Colin Methven in central defence were around the 6’3″ mark. Add to them the 6’5″ centre forward Les Bradd (previously with Sirrel at Notts County), 6’2″ Graham Barrow and the other 6 footers – Joe Hinnegan, Kevin Langley, Peter Houghton – and you can see why they were well prepared to cope with the aerial and physical challenges of the old Division 4.

Roberto Martinez’ style of football is far from that of the old Notts County and Larry Lloyd’s Wigan team. The current Latics team is typified by its elegance of passing from defensive positions, more than by  its physical and aerial power. The top tier of football in England has moved on from the times of the long-ball game, but there is still a need for strong aerial defence. This season injuries have prevented Wigan from fielding their first choice back three, the result being a lack of cohesion as players have had to be shuffled around. Although the lack of a towering central defender puts Wigan at some disadvantage, it is the lack of  cohesion and defensive discipline that has cost them dearly. Too many penalties and soft goals have been given away. Having an established back three, who play well as a unit, is the key to success in the second half of the season.

Hopefully Antolin Alcaraz will soon return to fortify the centre of defence. Wigan’s best defensive performances have tended to  coincide with his consistent presence in the starting lineup. One for the future is the young Catalan, Roman Golobart, who is 6’4″ and has strong physical presence. Providing he has the necessary pace to match he could become that towering central defender that the defence has been lacking.