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Barry Horne, Jordi Gomez and Wigan’s Plan B

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

It is 10:00 o’clock in the evening in Jakarta and I am about to watch Wigan Athletic’s home match against Reading. I am hoping to enjoy the commentary on the game. When I hear the monotone voice of Barry Horne, I wince. He announces that this is the third consecutive Wigan game he has been allocated — it sounds like a punishment.

With Wigan Athletic losing to a headed goal in the first half I felt a certain degree of frustration. Latics were not taking their chances, they gave away a poor goal to an unchallenged header. A sense of déjà vu? On top of that I had to listen to Horne’s dreary voice and his “expert commentary”. His main issue with Martinez and his teams is that they do not have a “Plan B”. When things don’t go according to plan and Latics fall behind, Horne suggests that there is no immediate tactical response.

On the face of it, Horne has a valid point. When Wigan fall behind there is no increase in tempo, as one would expect from most teams in English football. This was evident on Saturday, when Latics seemed languid after giving away a soft opening goal. The Englishman in me got frustrated, but then I know Martinez’s teams do not follow the usual national pattern. Watch Barcelona fall behind and you see no change in their brand of football: they will eventually grind you down and beat you. The Barcelona style is clearly an inspiration for the Latics’ Catalan manager, but he is savvy enough to know that Latics don’t have the wherewithal to go with it fully.

Watching Wigan Athletic from afar has its ups and downs. There is nothing I love more than being at the DW Stadium, listening to the buzz of the crowd. Wiganers are resilient people and keep up their hopes in times of adversity. The “I’m A Believer” support in the latter part of last season was absolutely superb and helped inspire the team stay up. However, the buzz can dissipate when things are not going so well. When I am there, I seem to get locked into debates with Darksiders who want an English manager who will have his team ‘get stuck in’ and show real commitment. Although in a minority there are still those who would like to oust Roberto Martinez. Jordi Gomez is identified as a player in whom the manager has had faith beyond the norm. It is not only the Darksiders who have had their fill of Gomez. Normal, rational lovers of good football also tend to be polarized when the name of Gomez is mentioned.

The anti-Gomez lobby has been strong. After the Chelsea match, sheltering from the pouring rain outside, I was privy to a conversation where a group of Latics supporters came to the consensus that having Gomez in the team was like playing with ten men. Given his past performances, their comments had some justification, but the consensus was going a little too far. Yes, Gomez as a midfield player was not providing defence-splitting passes, nor was he scoring the goals he could from the good positions he got into. On Saturday Gomez sent a message to his detractors, with not just a fabulous hat trick, but also some fine midfield play. In one fell swoop he vindicated his manager’s trust in him.

As a midfield player Barry Horne was well known for his abrasive tackling, rather than an elegant passing style. He played for 10 clubs in his professional career and 59 times for Wales. Like many football analysts who we listen to on television he can be put in the position of “expert” for the duration of the match. Although I do not enjoy his commentaries very much, maybe he has a point about ‘Plan B’? Are Wigan Athletic capable of taking their game up a gear when going behind? Or is it a case of “Don’t panic, we’ll get there in the end”? One wonders if Jordi Gomez is his type of player? He is now in his fourth year at Wigan and his manager clearly thinks he is the right kind of player for the club. After that stunning second half display against Reading, Gomez deserves a fresh start in the eyes of Wigan Athletic supporters. Let’s get behind him.

Wigan Athletic 3 Reading 2 — Gomez to the rescue

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

Who would have thought that Jordi Gomez would come to Wigan Athletic’s rescue, winning this game for the Latics with a brilliant hat trick? Even the most fair and open-minded of Latics supporters had been getting to the point where they would wince to see Gomez’ name on the team sheet. The same happened yesterday when Franco Di Santo was relegated to the bench, Gomez taking his place in the starting lineup.

The first half went true to recent form as Wigan conceded another headed goal from a long cross to the far post, to put them in a losing situation at half time. Gomez was booed early on following misplaced passes and poor finishing. In contrast Jean Beausejour was having an excellent game and in the 26th minute he put in a brilliant cross that had “goal” written all over it. However, Arouna Kone somehow managed to head it wide. A few minutes later Gomez slipped an incisive short pass through to Kone, who was blocked by the goalkeeper but managed to keep his footing sufficiently to jab the ball towards goal. The end result was the ball being blocked by a defender, rather than Kone going down for the penalty he would surely have got. Gomez was back to showing us his frustrating side just before half time, showing considerable skill in manoevering past defenders before shooting wide. Wigan went into half time trailing to the giant Morrison’s free header, their own profligacy in front of goal preventing them from drawing even.

The second half saw Franco Di Santo come on to replace Shaun Maloney and this turned out to be an inspired substitution. Jordi Gomez brought Wigan back in the game with two well taken goals, the second being a diving header. In between Gomez’ goals, Di Santo had scored a well taken goal from another fantastic Beausejour cross, but referee Howard Webb disallowed it for offside, which it clearly was not. Wigan were leading 2-1 with just over 10 minutes left when Reading equalized with the kind of own goal from Ali Al Habsi that will give him nightmares for weeks to come. It was a familiar situation for Wigan supporters, seeing all that good work ruined by an individual defensive lapse. It had only been a few minutes earlier that Al Habsi himself had singlehandedly kept Wigan ahead with fabulous fingertip save from a Reading header.

When the 90th minute expired it went into three minutes of added time. It looked like a case of sharing the points with a side who had been inferior for most of the game. Most of the danger from Reading had come from high balls and crosses. Wigan were playing the better football. After a minute of added time Gomez surged through from the centre of midfield, putting through a lovely pass for Kone to run on to. Intelligent player that he is, Kone kept his composure and squared the ball to Gomez who had continued his run. Gomez swept the ball home with panache.

In the minds of many Wigan Athletic supporters Jordi Gomez had never quite proved that he could handle the transition from the Championship to the Premier League. Too often he would get himself into great scoring positions, but not have the composure to put the ball in the net. Yesterday’s encounter will be remembered as the day that Gomez showed the Wigan fans that his manager’s faith in his abilities was justified. In the second half of this match Gomez looked a class act, threading through good passes and taking his chances with great aplomb.

The Good

At times Latics played champagne football. They were technically superior to Reading, even if the visitors were physically impressive. Gomez is the obvious candidate for ‘Man of the Match’, but Jean Beausejour gave a brilliant display as a wing back. He has been a little short of his best in most games this season, but yesterday he defended well and his crossing was superb.

Latics’ injury woes continued, Shaun Maloney coming off at half time and captain Ivan Ramis five minutes later. However, Franco Di Santo proved to be an excellent substitution for Maloney, causing headaches for the visitors defence with his movement and intelligent passing. Adrian Lopez came on for Ramis and played his best game so far for the club – he looked decisive in his tackling and comfortable on the ball.

The Bad

Giving away another goal to a free header provides further cause for concern. Granted Sean Morrison is 6 ft 5 in tall, but nevertheless nobody in the Wigan defence competed with him for the ball. The best header of the ball at the club – Antolin Alcaraz – remains out injured. In the meantime the defensive unit needs to work on attacking the high balls that come in.

Player Ratings

Ali Al Habsi: 5 – all goalkeepers make mistakes. Made one outstanding save, but was lucky with a first half shot that nearly bobbled past him.

Ronnie Stam: 6 – not so strong in defence as in attack, but as lively as ever.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – solid and dependable at the back.

Ivan Ramis: 6 – excellent distribution. Went off after 49 minutes.

Maynor Figueroa: 5.5 – solid, but lucky not to get another penalty decision against him in the second half.

Jean Beausejour: 9 – his best game ever for Latics. Always available on the wide left, worked really hard in attack and defence. Put in some sublime crosses.

James McCarthy: 7 – worked hard, totally committed as always. Solid in defence and supportive in attack. The ultimate team player.

David Jones: 7 – worked really hard, put nice passes through with his cultured left foot.

Shaun Maloney: 6 – buzzed around as usual, putting in nice short passes. Went off at half time.

Jordi Gomez: 9 – silenced his critics, his brilliant finishing won the game for Wigan. Also put in incisive passes. His best ever game for his club.

Arouna Kone: 6 – had two first half chances that he should have scored. However, as selfless as ever, putting in another afternon of hard toil. The vision he showed in making the pass for Gomez’ winner showed what a class performer he is.

Substitutes

Franco Di Santo: 7 – showed what a class act he can be after coming on after half time. Creative, skilled, intelligent – a high class player in the making.

Adrian Lopez: 7– took over the Gary Caldwell role in the centre of the back three. Handled it with aplomb.

James McArthur: – came on for David Jones after 79 minutes.

WIGAN ATHLETIC-READING PREVIEW

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

  • Injury-hit Wigan Athletic face newly promoted Reading at the DW Stadium this afternoon. Wigan are currently in 16th place with 11 points from 12 games. Although they have won only one league game all season – last week at home to Everton – Reading are in 17th place, with just two points less than Wigan. A win for the visitors would allow Reading to leapfrog over Wigan, plunging Latics into the relegation zone. The phrase “must-win game” tends to be overstated in the media, but in this case it comes pretty close to describing the importance of three points to Wigan Athletic.

    Ben Watson’s broken leg must have impacted on Wigan’s performance and morale last week at Liverpool. It was so unfortunate after he had waited so long for his chance to get back into the team and had regained his form. James McArthur remains injured, so David Jones will partner James McCarthy in the centre of midfield. The injury to Gary Caldwell is a blow since it is not only his playing ability that will be missed, but his organizational skills in the centre of the back three. The most obvious option is to move Emmerson Boyce across to the central three and bring in the attacking Ronnie Stam. However, reports in the media have suggested Martinez might change the shape, which would likely mean playing with a conventional back four. This would allow him to bring in a winger, such as Ryo Miyaichi – if fit. There is some doubt over the fitness of Franco Di Santo. If he does not play the obvious replacement would be Mauro Boselli, but Jordi Gomez might jump ahead of him in the pecking order.

    In contrast, Reading have better news regarding injuries, with forward Jimmy Kebe fit again after missing the Everton game. Old Wigan favourite, Jason Roberts, now 34, will probably start for the visitors. Reading’s win last week will certainly boost them although rumours regarding manager Brian McDermott’s position are not going to help. A failure to get a result at Wigan might well push him closer to the edge. Reading play an energetic, physical type of football and Wigan can expect the crosses to be teeming in. Ex-Watford midfield player, Jobi McAnuff, made 11 assists last season when Reading won the Championship and he has already made 4 more assists this season. Their leading goalscorer is Adam Le Fondre with 3 goals.

    Critics would say that there has been a need for a shake up in the Latics lineup for some weeks. Martinez has kept stubborn faith in his first choice players, many of whom have disappointed up to this point. This time he is going to be forced into making changes because of injuries. Too many times in key relegation tussles in the past Wigan have gone into the match with a cautious team selection. Let’s hope Martinez puts on a positive lineup from the start in this match.

    Reading have not won an away game this season, drawing 2 out of their 5. Wigan have won 1 out of 6 games at home. The logical prediction would therefore be a draw. However, football does not always work like that and it could be that a soft goal, penalty decision or red card could make the difference in this encounter. Wigan are due for a little bit of luck – maybe it will come today?

    • JORDI GÓMEZ – A LOOK AT WIGAN ATHLETIC’S ENIGMA

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

    Just over  a year ago I wrote an article on this site about how Wigan Athletic’s new tactical system had helped get better performances from the players. In particular I focused on the improvements in performance of Jordi Gómez and Ronnie Stam.  

    Both Stam and Gómez had previously struggled in the Premier League. But then Gómez had scored four goals in five games and Stam was clearly relishing playing in his more natural position of wing back. Latics had come through an horrendous set of fixtures in December with pride intact. It looked like they were going to be moving onward and upward. That proved not to be the case for the next three months until the miraculous recovery started in late March. During that time Stam hardly played and has since become almost a forgotten man as supporters are concerned. Gómez lost his place to Shaun Maloney during the revival run and has since been limited to the odd starting appearance, largely being used as a substitute.

    If you were in a room full of Wigan Athletic supporters and asked them to speak up if they thought if Jordi Gómez merited a place in the first choice lineup then you would hear a deadly silence. However, Roberto Martinez continues to have faith in the enigmatic player, Gómez having signed a further extension on his contract at the end of last season. So what is it that Martinez sees in his fellow Catalan? Gómez had revealed his best-ever Latics form in those difficult games last December against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester  United. It looked like he had finally been able to make the transition to the Premier League. Since then his form has been patchy to say the least.

    How does Jordi Gómez fit into the current tactical lineup? Martinez likes to play with a front three, with the two big strikers – Di Santo and Kone – combining with the playmaking Shaun Maloney. Nominally Maloney is the third striker, but he tends to be more effective playing behind the big men, threading through the passes. However, Maloney tends to be more based on the left. Having played as a winger he has the ability to beat his man and cross from the by-line. The Latics website categorizes Maloney as a midfielder, but his current role is a bit of a hybrid. If Gómez is to be brought in is it to be as a striker or in that hybrid role?

    Jordi Gómez has scored 7 goals in the Premier League in 46 starts and 25 appearances as a substitute. He has had 128 shots on goal, of which around 30% (38 to be precise) have been on target. He has made no assists. As Championship Player of the Year in the 2008-09 season for Swansea he scored 12 goals in 38 starts and 6 substitute appearances. He made 5 assists. Interestingly more than 50% of his 119 shots on goal were on target. The stats reveal the difficulties Gómez has had since making the transition to the Premier League from the Championship. As a creative midfielder he should be providing at least some assists. As a forward he should be scoring more goals.

    In the disappointing performance against Bradford last week in the League Cup, Gómez got himself into clear scoring positions on at least four occasions without success.  Rarely for him he also missed a penalty. He has the rare ability to drift in, seemingly unnoticed by the defence. There have been so many times over the last three years when Gómez has done everything right until his final touch has let him down, whether it will be a header, a shot or a defence-splitting pass. He just does not seem to have had the self belief to deliver. This must be as frustrating for the player himself as much as for the supporters. Maybe a spell in the under-21 team would be benefical in helping Gómez find his goalscoring boots?

    At times one cannot help but feel sorry for Gómez. He has often been played out of his best position in central midfield. He is the butt of the crowd’s frustrations. Not only is he a poor tackler, but too often he passes the ball backwards when a forward pass is possible. This was particularly evident when he came on as substitute at Swansea a couple of weeks ago. There was a need for urgency and the substitution proved to be ill-judged. However, when he came on as substitute against Tottenham last Saturday, with Latics leading, he looked much more comfortable. Martinez will often use Gómez in such situations. When his defence is under pressure he can hold on to the ball in midfield, often drawing fouls from an opposition desperate to score.

    However, whatever shortcomings he might have, there can be no doubting his determination and commitment to the club. Gómez has learned to hassle and harry the opposition, and to cover a large number of yards of the pitch in each game he plays. At Swansea he played in a newly promoted team that was on the up. His role was to orchestrate the midfield and to score goals. When he arrived at Wigan he moved into a stuggling team that was too often unable to get the lion’s share of the possession. Apart from his recent miss against Bradford, Gómez has been an effective taker of penalties. He has an aura of calm that few players have. Gómez is also capable of scoring from free kicks on the edge of the box.

    Roberto Martinez clearly has faith that Jordi Gómez can reach his full potential. One hopes that his best is yet to come. He is now close to his peak at 27 years of age. Only time will tell if Martinez is right.

    Nottingham Forest 1 Wigan Athletic 4 – Boselli leads the rout

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

    One of the criticisms often leveled at Roberto Martinez’s Wigan Athletic teams is that they cannot finish. Four brilliantly executed goals destroyed their Championship opponents in this match.

    Forest had dominated the early proceedings. However, in the 25th minute Ronnie Stam went on one of his foraging runs down the right and whipped in a trademark cross. It cut out the goalkeeper and defenders but not Mauro Boselli, who nipped in to score an opportunist header. How often last season Stam had played similar balls in that nobody capitalized on. The goal shocked Forest and more were to follow. Suddenly there were acres of space in midfield and classy Latics took full advantage. Watson and Jones started to dominate the centre of midfield, with their silky skills and high workrate, linking up well with the forwards and the wing backs.

    Roberto Martinez had kept only four players from the team that had started at Southampton, and all at the back: Al Habsi, Ramis, Figueroa and Alcaraz, who was captain for the night in the absence of Caldwell. Ramis was to move to the centre of the back line of three, with Figueroa taking up his now more familiar position left of centre. There were two specialist wing backs in Stam and Beausejour, Watson and Jones in central midfield and Gomez, Crusat and Boselli further forward.

    Latics were to add to their tally on the 35th minute mark when Maynor Figueroa hit an absolute screamer from 30 yards, the ball flying across goalkeeper Camp into the far corner of the net. This followed nice approach play by Crusat and Watson. Forest defender Halford could be faulted for not making sufficient effort to block Figeroa’s shot, but it was a truly stunning strike. Latics made it three a minute before half time when Jordi Gomez hit a right-footed rocket past Camp, after receiving from Crusat 20 yards out. Even before then Gomez had gone close a couple of times and Boselli had two clear penalties not given. One was a handball in the area, the second when he was pushed when in a goalscoring position. The Argentine was also unlucky with a clever flick that would have put Crusat clear, but for a deflection.

    The second half started and Forest were starting to recover from the shellshock of the last 20 minutes of the first half . After only two minutes had passed Simon Cox got them back in the game with a spectacular 30 yard shot. They started to press, pushing Wigan on the back foot. Latics seemed content to defend and hold their lead. Callum McManaman came on for Jordi Gomez after 72 minutes. Antolin Alcaraz carelessly got himself a second yellow card with a trip on Moussi in the 78th minute, but the defence held resolute. A couple of minutes later Ryo Miyaichi came on to make his debut in place of Albert Crusat. Fraser Fyvie was also make his competitive bow three minutes later for Mauro Boselli.

    As the match was winding down Miyaichi revealed his blistering pace, passing inside the box the Callum McManaman who made finishing look easy, side stepping his marker and coolly placing the ball past Camp.

    The Good

    Wigan Athletic’s performances in cup competitions in the Martinez era have been poor in the past. It had seemed like the players had not been interested. This was not the case here. Martinez smartly chose a team with a strong backbone in defence, with a good balance in midfield and upfront. The players showed commitment and at times they looked almost as classy as the first choice lineup at Southampton last weekend. Latics clearly have strength in depth and their now well-established style of play makes it easy for players to step in. Everybody knows their role and there are at least two players seriously challenging for selection in all eleven positions.

    Up front Latics look in really good shape. There are three central strikers of varying styles, but each one a quality player. In this match Mauro Boselli led the line with skill and effort, getting into good positions and meriting his opportunist goal. The arrival of Ivan Ramis has given Latics another quality central defender, so necessary when one of the three regulars gets injured or is suspended.

    The Bad

    What a shame Alcaraz made a reckless challenge to get his second yellow card and get sent off. He has a great technique and is physically strong. His career at Latics has been dogged by injuries and sometimes reckless decision making. At his best he is one of the classier central defenders in the division.

    Player ratings

    Ali Al Habsi: 7 – solid and did what he needed to.

    Antolin Alcaraz : 7 – played well until his sending off.

    Ivan Ramis: 7 – looked a natural in Gary Caldwell’s role. Quickly getting accustomed to the pace of the English game.

    Maynor Figueroa: 9 – notwithstanding his spectacular goal he has developed into an excellent central defender. His positional sense and power make him a fine player. Outstanding performance.

    Ronnie Stam: 8 – as always attacked with verve, his crosses being menacing for the opposition defence. Worked hard in defence.

    Jean Beausejour: 7 – a class act as a wing back. Performed his dual role in defence and attack with his usual diligence.

    Ben Watson: 6 – worked hard and showed his class. At times seemed to be trying too hard, hitting ambitious passes that did not quite come off. More to come from him, given the chance.

    David Jones: 7 – that cultured left foot together with a high workrate helped him make a good contribution.

    Jordi Gomez: 8 – excellent passing and posed an attacking threat. His right footed rocket shot for his goal was a surprise to us all. Let’s see more of that Jordi!

    Mauro Boselli: 8 – led the line with skill and panache. Looked dangerous and linked up well with teammates.

    Albert Crusat: 6 – not his best match but he put in some nice touches. The best is yet to come from the diminutive winger.

    Substitutes:

    Callum McManaman – took his goal with such coolness and self confidence. Has been unlucky not to be given more opportunities in the past.

    Ryo Miyaichi – impressive in his brief time on the pitch. This speed merchant could have a key role this season, especially in the closing stages when the opposition tires.

    Fraser Fyvie – not on for long, so hard to judge. Clearly one for the future.