Tag Archives: League 1

Looking for a Goalscoring Striker? Try Adam Moseley

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Player profiles and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,
Courtesy of therealefl.co.uk

It is Wigan Athletic’s worst start for 32 years. Latics lie at the bottom of League One after successive defeats in their first three games, and the alarm bells are already ringing. There is talk of relegation and, once again, the club is being criticised for not investing a significant sum to bring in a proven goalscorer over the summer. The question being asked by supporters is an obvious one: where are the goals going to come from?

The defeat at Wimbledon on Sunday was the most frustrating of the three. The losses at Cambridge and at home to Leyton Orient, goals were conceded through a combination of defensive errors and an inability to deal with pressure. Yet, despite conceding seven goals in three games, it is not the defence that seems to worry many supporters most. Latics would have won the Wimbledon game if they had not squandered so many scoring opportunities.

Up to this point there has been no settled defensive line-up. Individual mistakes in the back three have proved costly and, as a unit, they have not yet looked particularly comfortable. However, there is still a feeling that the defensive problems can be overcome as the new players settle in and the back three develop an understanding.

The arrival of centre-back Finley Burns from Manchester City has certainly been welcomed. At 23, he brings a sense of calm to the defence, is thoughtful in his passing and uses his 6ft 5in frame to good effect when dealing with the high balls that often rain into the penalty area in the third tier of English football. Having already made 69 League One appearances during spells with Stevenage and Reading, he looks, on paper at least, a very good signing at this level.

Despite his injury niggles, James Carragher remains a top defender at this level, while it appears that the experienced Morgan Fox could be moving on before the transfer window closes. Latics already have Llyton Chapman, who did well in the nine league games he played during the second half of last season, while Jeremiah Chilokoah-Mullen arrived as a free agent from Dunfermline after making 43 appearances for them last season. Jon Mellish has also returned following his year-long loan at Milton Keynes Dons, where he played 34 games. He has been used at left centre-back so far, although he is likely to become more of a utility player as the season progresses.

There are therefore reasons to believe that the defensive situation will improve. New players need time to settle, defenders need an understanding of each other’s game and, perhaps most importantly, there is plenty of the season still to play.

But where are the goals going to come from?

Gary Caldwell continues to insist that goals are not the sole responsibility of centre-forwards or central strikers and that everybody in the team needs to contribute. There is a rationale to that argument. Modern football is increasingly about goals coming from all areas of the pitch. But supporters will remember the dramatic turnaround last season when a player with a proven goalscoring record was brought in during January.

Ryan Lowe had brought in Dara Costelloe, Paul Mullin and Christian Saydee over the summer, while Maleace Asamoah was already at the club. Costelloe had scored regularly for Burnley’s academy before loan spells at Bradford City, St Johnstone and Dundee, although his record at those clubs was just one goal in 39 appearances. He then improved his return considerably at Accrington, scoring five in 17, and Mansfield, where he scored six in 15.

Unfortunately, his first season at Wigan produced only three goals from 25 starts and 16 substitute appearances. Asamoah, Mullin and Saydee contributed just seven goals between them. When Mullin’s loan from Wrexham was terminated in January, Wigan brought in Joe Taylor on loan, and his 11 goals helped lift Latics out of the relegation zone.

That is why the current situation is under some scrutiny.

Over the summer Caldwell signed Sonny Perkins, 22, for a small fee from Leyton Orient. Perkins had been a regular goalscorer for England’s junior teams during his time with Leyton Orient and West Ham, but those goals have become increasingly difficult to find as his senior career has progressed.

A look at the current forwards’ career EFL league records gives some cause for concern:

Player Appearances   Goals
Dara Costelloe      68     14
Sonny Perkins    48       5
Christian Saydee    161      14
Chris Sze    13       1

This is not to say they are bad players, and it is certainly not an argument for writing any of them off. Perkins, in particular, has a pedigree that suggests there could be considerably more to come. He came through the West Ham academy, moved to Leeds and represented England at U16, U18 and U19 level. You do not achieve that without having considerable ability.

But potential is one thing. At some point it has to translate into production, and for an attacking player the obvious currency is goals.

Which brings us to Adam Moseley.

Moseley came through at Runcorn Linnets, and football runs in the family. His father, Mike, was himself a striker who played for Runcorn AFC before going on to enjoy a productive spell at Witton Albion. Adam followed a similar route, coming through Runcorn’s youth system before progressing into senior football.

He had already developed a reputation for scoring goals before Latics came calling. During his time with the Education &  Semi Professional Football Academy he won the North Division Golden Boot twice, scoring 23 goals in his first season and 30 in his second, before progressing into Runcorn Linnets’ first team.

Wigan took notice when Moseley joined the U21s as a trialist early last season. He did not waste the opportunity, scoring 17 goals in his first 13 appearances. That was enough to persuade the club to sign him permanently in January.

The goals continued to come, and by the end of the season Moseley had scored 27 goals in 30 appearances for Latics’ U21s.

It would be wrong to suggest that 27 goals in 30 games automatically makes Moseley a future 20-goal League One striker. The step up is enormous. League One defenders are stronger, more experienced and far less likely to give a young striker the time and space he may have enjoyed at development level.

Moseley might not be ready. He might struggle with the physical demands. He might need another season to develop. All of those things are possible.But how are we going to know unless he is given the opportunity?

There was already an indication that Wigan saw something in him before Gary Caldwell took over. Ryan Lowe included Moseley in the first-team squad for the FA Cup third-round trip to Preston North End. Wearing the No. 46 shirt, he travelled with the senior side for the 1-0 victory at Deepdale.

He didn’t get on the pitch, but it was significant nonetheless. Lowe had decided that the young striker was worth bringing into the senior environment.

Then Caldwell took over.

Despite Moseley continuing to score heavily for the U21s, the first-team appearance never came. I am not suggesting Caldwell should have started him, nor that a young striker with no senior experience should suddenly have been expected to solve Wigan’s goalscoring problems. But surely there was an opportunity somewhere towards the end of last season to give him 15 or 20 minutes and see how he coped.

Moseley did get a start this season in the EFL Trophy against Aston Villa U21s, playing at centre-forward. It was not an especially eye-catching performance, although he was credited with a goal when a defender’s clearance rebounded off him. Interestingly, he made little attempt to celebrate the goal, which perhaps said more about the nature of it than anything else.

The important point is that Latics clearly see something in Moseley. They watched him as a trialist, saw him score 17 goals in 13 appearances, signed him permanently, watched him finish the season with 27 goals in 30 appearances and then decided he was worth keeping.

In June the club gave him a new contract, with the deal running until June 2027. Moseley was clearly pleased to stay and was quoted by the club as saying:

“I’m really pleased to have signed a new contract with the Club. It’s a place that I have enjoyed my football since joining last season, and now it’s time to develop further over the next year.

“Committing my future here was an easy decision for me – I’ve enjoyed every minute, and I’m grateful for the trust the Club has shown in me. I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

Maybe Caldwell thinks he isn’t ready. That is perfectly reasonable. The manager sees him every day in training and knows far more about his physical development, his strengths and weaknesses than we do. There may be very good reasons why Moseley hasn’t yet been considered ready for League One.

One obvious question is whether he has fully made the transition from part-time football to the demands of full-time professional football. That alone could explain why Caldwell has been cautious. But it doesn’t change the fundamental point: the one thing we still don’t know is whether Moseley can score goals against League One defenders.

The club’s financial situation means that Latics have a limited budget. If you do not have the money for the finished article, you have to be prepared to develop your own. That doesn’t mean automatically promoting every youngster who scores goals at academy level. It means recognising when somebody is producing numbers that are difficult to ignore and being prepared to take a calculated gamble.

Moseley’s numbers are certainly difficult to ignore. Seventeen goals in 13 appearances as a Wigan trialist and 27 in 30 for the U21s is a remarkable record. Meanwhile, the established forwards have the senior experience, but their career EFL goalscoring figures hardly suggest that goals are guaranteed.

Nobody knows whether the 21 year-old Adam Moseley could be the answer. Perhaps Costelloe will finally click. Perhaps Perkins will fulfil the potential that took him into the England youth set-up. Perhaps Sze will prove that the faith shown in him with a new contract was justified.

Despite his indifferent performances Caldwell has shown faith in Perkins up to this point, starting each game in the centre forward position. He scored a goal from a rebound at Cambridge, but other than that has been unconvincing. Having given the player a two-year contract Caldwell has to give him the backing to succeed. However, if there is no improvement over the coming weeks and the team has not climbed up the table. Caldwell will need to take action.

Caldwell has also kept faith in Costelloe, despite his woeful scoring ratio last season. The player has looked better playing wide with Perkins in the middle. He works hard and shows glimpses of skill and vision. However, his finishing is well short of the level it should be.

If the goals don’t come, there will be a need to make changes in the strike force. Sze continues to show glimpses of quality, but struggles to impose himself on the game.

Adam Moseley has spent the last year doing the one thing Latics desperately need somebody to do: scoring goals. He has done it at every stage of his development, and they have clearly seen enough to keep him at the club.

Maybe he isn’t ready. Maybe he isn’t the answer. But after 27 goals in 30 games, he has surely earned the right to show whether he can make the step up.Give him some minutes. Let him experience the physicality of League One. Let him find out what he needs to improve, and let us find out whether those U21 goals were a sign of something more.

Because when you don’t have the money to buy the finished article, sometimes you have to take a chance on the unfinished one. With Wigan’s current strikers struggling to find the net and the club once again working within financial constraints, surely it is getting close to the time to find out what Adam Moseley can do.

After all, if you’re looking for a goalscoring striker and you don’t have the money to buy one, perhaps the first place to look is the one you’ve already got.

Time to “Believe” Again? Wigan Athletic, loyalty and the road ahead.

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Reflections, Specials and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,
Photo courtesy of fansonline.net

“I’m not sure I’ll renew my season ticket this year.”

It’s a sentence quite a few Latics supporters have uttered over the past few weeks.

Some will have said it after another disappointing season. Others because the uncertainty surrounding the proposed sale of the club makes it difficult to know what the future holds.

For many, it’s simply the feeling that, after years of stability, progress has stalled. We’ve waited patiently for signs that the club is ready to move forward again, but the next step has proved frustratingly elusive.

Whether everyone who voices those doubts actually follows through is another matter.

Football supporters are emotional. The disappointment of May has a habit of giving way to the optimism of July. A couple of encouraging signings, a decent pre-season performance and suddenly the fixture list can’t arrive quickly enough.

But the debate itself matters.

Not simply because of the money.

Because of what it represents.

Whenever I hear those words, “I’m not sure I’ll renew,” I find myself thinking about someone who walked through the turnstiles for Latics’ very first league match in 1932.

Latics’ team for their debut match in 1932 against Port Vale Reserves,
Thanks to Ron Hunt and WiganWorld for photo.

I’ll come back to him later.

More Than a Season Ticket

A season ticket/card is far more than a guaranteed seat for twenty-three home league matches. It represents a commitment to the club and a belief that, despite the frustrations, the journey is still worth taking. For many supporters, renewing isn’t simply buying football. It’s saying,

“This is still my club.”

From the club’s perspective, season ticket holders remain its financial backbone. They provide guaranteed income before the season begins, create the atmosphere that makes the Brick Community Stadium feel like home and continue to support the club throughout the year by buying food, drink and merchandise.

Supporters living further afield, some overseas, continue to play their part too. Many still buy shirts, follow every development and renew their Latics TV subscriptions because distance has never diminished their affection for the club. Their loyalty is every bit as genuine, even if season tickets remain the club’s single biggest source of supporter income.

Unlike pay-on-the-day receipts, season ticket money arrives before a ball has been kicked. It gives the club certainty, improves cash flow and allows budgets to be planned with greater confidence. No manager signs a player because one extra season ticket has been sold, but a successful renewal campaign gives the club a stronger financial platform from which to operate.

The loss of a few hundred renewals would not threaten the club’s future.

The loss of confidence behind those renewals would be far more significant.

Every season ticket sends a message to the club, potential investors and prospective sponsors:

The supporters still believe.

A Loyalty Few Clubs Can Match

That belief is easy to overlook because, like so many things in football, we quickly start taking it for granted.

Think back over the last decade.

Administration, ownership crises, points deductions, relegations, a succession of managers and years spent in League One have tested the patience and loyalty of every supporter. Many clubs would have watched their crowds steadily decline under those circumstances.

Latics haven’t.

To continue attracting around 10,000 supporters after everything the club has endured is no small achievement. It says far more about the people in the stands than it does about league tables.

We often describe the academy, the training ground and the continued use of a 25,000 capacity = stadium as the club’s greatest assets.

Perhaps we’ve been overlooking another one.

The supporters themselves.

That loyalty deserves appreciation, but it also deserves progress.

Where It All Began

The supporter I mentioned earlier was my father.

Regular readers may remember an article I wrote some years ago about him.

His first Latics match wasn’t simply his first game; it was the club’s first ever league fixture in 1932.

From that afternoon onwards he followed Wigan Athletic for the rest of his life. Without ever intending to, he ensured that I would do exactly the same.

My own earliest memories are from Springfield Park in the early 1960s. They aren’t dominated by league tables or results. They are filled with the atmosphere that surrounded a Saturday afternoon. The smell of meat pies drifting across the ground. The marching band before kick-off. Standing in the paddock waiting for the familiar clip-clop of the players’ boots as they emerged from the tunnel. Even the unmistakable smell of oil of wintergreen as the players came out of the tunnel on to the pitch.

Those memories have stayed with me for more than sixty years.

I can still remember discussing the team with my dad before kick-off. Would Johnny Ball pick the experienced Peter Higham or the young Harry Lyon at centre forward? At the time it felt like the biggest decision in football. Looking back, the conversation itself mattered far more than who actually wore the number nine shirt.

The result of those matches has largely faded from memory.

Those afternoons never have.

Perhaps that’s what football really gives us. Not just results or league tables, but memories that become woven into our lives. Somewhere along the way the club stops being something we watch and becomes part of who we are.

Supporting Latics has never been the easy option.

Hope has always been part of the deal.

From Survival to Sustainability

When Mike Danson took control, the priority wasn’t promotion.

It was survival.

Without financial stability, nothing else mattered.

Since then, he has advanced around £30 million to keep Latics operating, funding the losses that are common throughout League One.

Crucially, that funding has come from the owner rather than banks or commercial lenders.

That distinction matters. Bank borrowing comes with interest, repayment schedules and pressure. Owner funding has provided breathing space while the club rebuilt and has allowed Latics to emerge from years of financial uncertainty.

Of course, those loans don’t simply disappear. Any future sale will inevitably involve discussions about how they are treated. Add to that the fact that Mike Danson also owns the Brick Community Stadium and it becomes clear why selling the club is more complicated than many supporters appreciate. Modern football increasingly relies on hospitality, conferencing and other non-matchday income, making the relationship between club and stadium an important part of any investment.

None of this makes Latics unattractive.

It simply makes them more complex.

The important point is that the conversation has changed. Not long ago supporters were wondering whether the club would survive.

Today we’re asking how it can grow.

That is progress

The Next Step

Growth, however, isn’t just about what happens between three o’clock and five o’clock on a Saturday afternoon.

Winning football matches will always be the biggest driver of attendances, commercial income and optimism. Nothing replaces success on the pitch.

But football has changed dramatically over the last two decades. Clubs are no longer judged solely by league position. They are media businesses, community organisations and brands. The most successful clubs build relationships with supporters every day of the week, not just on matchdays.

Commercial income has become increasingly important. Sponsorship, hospitality, conferencing, retail, digital advertising, partnerships with local businesses and community events all contribute to a club’s financial strength. Every additional pound earned commercially is another pound that can be invested in the football operation.

Success undoubtedly makes that easier.

But it’s not the whole story.

A club’s image matters too.

Potential sponsors want to be associated with organisations that are visible, ambitious and professionally presented. Supporters want to feel connected. Prospective investors look for evidence of momentum both on and off the pitch. In today’s football world, a strong digital presence has become almost as important as the experience inside the stadium.

This is one area where many supporters feel Latics still have room to improve.

That isn’t meant as criticism of the staff, many of whom may work incredibly hard with limited resources. Rather, it reflects how expectations have changed. Modern supporters expect behind-the-scenes content, academy features, player interviews, podcasts, videos and stories that keep them engaged throughout the week.

These things don’t replace winning football.

They reinforce it.

Every engaging video, every well-told story, every community initiative that is properly promoted strengthens the club’s reputation. It gives sponsors greater value, encourages businesses to become involved and reminds potential investors that this is a club moving forward.

Football clubs don’t just build financial capital.

They build reputational capital too.

That reputation takes years to create, but it can become one of a club’s greatest assets.

Reasons to Believe

It is easy, particularly after a disappointing season, to focus on what Latics lack.

Sometimes it’s worth reminding ourselves what the club already has.

  • The use of a modern stadium and a more than adequate training ground.
  • A productive academy.
  • An FA Cup-winning history and eight seasons in the Premier League
  • A loyal supporter base that many League One clubs would envy.

Those are solid foundations.

The challenge now is building upon them.

The Choice

Every supporter will make their own decision this summer.

Some won’t renew. Many who currently say they won’t probably will.

That’s football.

No one should feel guilty for making the decision that is right for them or their family. Football has become an expensive pastime, and supporters are entitled to expect value for their money.

But perhaps this year’s decision is about more than buying another season ticket.

Perhaps it’s about recognising that, after years spent securing the club’s future, the next chapter must be about fulfilling its potential.

Promotion will depend on the players, recruitment and good decisions in the boardroom. Commercial growth will depend on ambition, imagination and presenting Latics as the progressive football club we all know it can become.

But every successful chapter in the club’s history has begun with supporters who believed before everyone else did.

When my father walked through the turnstiles for Latics’ first ever Football League match in 1932, he couldn’t possibly have imagined where the journey would lead. Promotions and relegations. Springfield Park and the Brick Community Stadium. The Premier League. Wembley. The greatest day in the club’s history. Administration. Survival. Recovery.

Through all of it, I have never stopped believing there would be another season worth looking forward to.

Looking back, I realise that some of my happiest memories were never just about the football. They were about Saturday afternoons spent with my dad, sharing hopes, disappointments and conversations that have stayed with me for a lifetime.

The scorelines have blurred.

Those memories never have.

Perhaps that’s why supporting Latics has never been just about results.

It’s about belonging.

A season ticket doesn’t guarantee promotion.

It doesn’t even guarantee a good season.

What it represents is hope.

The future isn’t guaranteed.

It never has been.

But for the first time in a long while, there are genuine reasons to look forward.

Perhaps it’s time to “believe” again

Wigan Athletic Under Ryan Lowe: From Grit to Something Greater?

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

Wigan Athletic’s time under Ryan Lowe has really been one built on grit. In football, “grinding out results” basically means doing whatever you need to get points, even if it’s a slog. It’s about being organised, disciplined, and prepared to battle for everything. In a league as tight and physical as League One, that kind of mentality often matters more than pretty football. Managers want players who stay switched on, stick to the plan, and don’t fall apart under pressure. It’s not always thrilling to watch, but it turns bad days into draws and half-chances into big wins.

When Lowe arrived in March 2025, Wigan were in a lower mid-table position and seriously struggling for goals — bottom of the league in that department. They weren’t heading straight for relegation, but the season had drifted. Lowe’s arrival felt like a reset — new ideas, fresh energy, and a chance to stabilise things.

Before long, the team leaned fully into that scrappy, hard-working identity. They finished the season in 15th, mostly because they became tougher mentally and harder to beat. They clawed back deficits, held onto narrow leads, and looked like a side willing to dig in. Not glamorous, but effective.

Over the summer, Lowe shaped the squad to fit his preferred 3-1-4-2. That system relies heavily on wing-backs, and the opening game of the new season showed exactly why. Joe Hungbo and Fraser Murray were excellent in the 3-1 win over Northampton — a scoreline that honestly could’ve been bigger. The first 20 minutes were messy and disjointed, but Murray’s goal around the half-hour settled everyone down and suddenly the team looked much more like a unit.

Of course, settling into a new shape and integrating new signings takes time. The early weeks were a mix of positives and frustrations: solid performances, some good results, but also draws where Wigan should’ve taken more. Opposition managers quickly figured out how dangerous the wing-backs were, so Hungbo and Murray started getting much more attention defensively. That’s League One — once you show a threat, everyone finds a way to make life difficult.

After eight league games, Wigan were sitting at W3 D3 L2 with 13 goals scored and 9 conceded — decent, but clearly still a work in progress. Then came Bolton. Wigan had enjoyed a strong record against them recently, and fans saw it as a genuine benchmark of their progress.

But Bolton, led by Steven Schumacher, were flying. They went with two natural wingers and caused Wigan’s wing-backs all sorts of problems. Latics were second best throughout, losing 4-1, and the fans were furious. They felt the team didn’t show enough fight and that Lowe hadn’t treated the derby with the importance it deserved. They even pointed out the lack of cards — Wigan picked up one yellow, Bolton none — which raised questions about the passion and intensity on display.

It did feel like Lowe misjudged the moment. Derbies aren’t just about points; they’re about pride and emotion. If that wasn’t fully communicated to the players, it could explain the flat performance. And once fans start questioning desire, the pressure ramps right up.

The Bolton defeat hit confidence hard. The football tightened up, became more cautious, and the spark in the final third faded. Lowe leaned further into defence-first thinking, which made sense in the moment but dulled the attacking edge even more. The injury to Ryan Trevitt made things worse — without their most creative midfielder, Wigan lacked imagination. The wing-backs also had to focus more on defending, meaning they weren’t getting forward as freely.

All of this made Wigan more solid, but not exactly entertaining. The challenge now is finding the right balance — keeping that grit without switching off the creativity.

As it stands, Latics sit 11th with a record of W6 D7 L5. They’re definitely harder to beat, and while fans still daydream about a run toward the Championship, Lowe has sensibly played that down, treating promotion as a long-term aim rather than something immediate. His popularity has dipped during the rough spells — some fans have even called for him to be sacked, others are simply bored by the football. But given how many managers Wigan have chewed through over the past decade, stability is badly needed. Lowe deserves the time to build something properly.

His spell at Preston is a useful comparison. In his first full Championship season there, they started with a 0-0 at the DW — one of FIVE goalless draws in their first six games. They had one of the smallest budgets in the league, yet still finished 12th. Not spectacular, but quietly impressive.

This season, Wigan reportedly have a top-ten League One budget. So can Lowe get them punching above their weight and pushing into the play-off conversation? A lot will hinge on the January transfer window.

With his commitment to 3-1-4-2, he needs proper wing-backs. He couldn’t sign any specialists in the summer and ended up using Hungbo and Murray — talented players, but natural wingers. Two real wing-backs surely top the shopping list, unless K’Marni Miller returns ready to step up. He also needs more creativity in midfield and better service for the strikers, who simply haven’t scored enough.

And that’s the big question hanging over everything: if the supply improves, will the forwards finally deliver the goals Latics need?

What a difference a win makes

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

It had been doom and gloom among so many Wigan Athletic fans for too long. The team was lying below mid-table in League 1 and the last time Latics had last won an away game under Ryan Lowe was on Good Friday.

The game at Wimbledon looked like it was following on from what we had seen before. The home side were a goal up, despite Wigan having the better chances in a first half when they could have gone ahead. They had not played badly but just did not look like they were going to show killer instinct in front of goal.

Enter the 18-year-old Harrison Bettoni in the 77th minute. With his first touch of the ball, he scored from a sublime free kick curling in to the top corner. Ten minutes later he latched on to a clever flick from Paul Mullin to race through and slot home. The away support went wild with excitement.

After talking about avoiding relegation and sacking Lowe the less tolerant and less patient core among the fan base have started to perk up. One fan even suggested promotion was even a possibility with Latics just 8 points behind the leaders, Cardiff City, after 16 games played.

Although Bettoni’s league debut was spectacular some fans had not heard of him. However, he has been at Wigan since his early teens and was a key player in the youth team. Lowe trusted him with the free kick because he had been taking them in the junior ranks for some time. Bettoni had showed his mettle in a much-improved U21 team and it was to Lowe’s credit that he was given that chance.

Wigan’s U21 team had a tough start to the season, losing their first four games. Their transformation was helped on its way by the arrival of 20-year-old Adam Moseley on trial from Runcorn Linnets. Moseley’s record of 17 goals in 11 games for the U21 team speaks for itself. Although he had been appearing under the name of “Trialist”, posts on social media a week ago told us his name and that he had agreed to a two-and-a-half-year contract at Latics. Although this has now been revealed in the local press, nothing yet has appeared on the club website.

The main news on the U21 side recently has been in sending players away on loan. Tom Watson has gone to South Shields, Leo Graham to Bury, Jack Rogers to Macclesfield, Christy Edwards to Witton Albion and K’Marni Miller to Radcliffe FC. Kai Payne went to Oldham Athletic at the start of the season, but injury has limited his appearances to 10 games so far. Some fans have been critical that the club has not secured them loan spells at clubs in higher tiers of English football. However, the majority are short term loans which expire before January.

The U21 team’s last three results have been spectacular. A 9-0 win at Coventry was followed by a 2-1 home win over top of the table Sheffield United, then by a 7-2 win at Barnsley. In the absence of U21 match reports on the club’s website one has had to rely on picking up information from opposing clubs’ sites. In previous years there were pockets of information on players in both the U21 and U18 squads to go with their photographs but there is scant coverage now.

Bettoni’s spectacular debut and Moseley’s acquisition have certainly helped to lift the spirits of supporters. At the beginning of the season, it had looked like Lowe had lots of options with four strikers in his senior squad. However, optimism has faded over the past months as none of the four have convinced. Lowe’s preference, particularly in home games, has been to play with twin strikers. Dara Costelloe and Christian Saydee were his choice for the opening game against Northampton, but both have had three game suspensions after receiving red cards, disrupting their settling into their roles. Paul Mullin and Maleace Asamoah have been largely used as substitutes in League 1 games. Between the four of them they have scored 7 goals.

Moseley will only be available for EFL games from the start of the January transfer window. It will be interesting to see how Lowe handles Bettoni. Will he start against Stevenage on Saturday or be used as an impact sub in the latter stages?

Although Lowe clearly likes the twin striker approach he has also resorted to packing the midfield with two number 6s, two number 10s and a single central striker. The latter system looked viable while Ryan Trevitt was available to provide some goal threat as a #10, but the other midfielders who have played there have rarely looked incisive.

Callum Wright scored a well taken goal against Barnsley and has got into good positions, but lacks the composure of a midfield goalscorer. Lowe might have to continue to persevere with Wright in the hope that the composure will come, even if his career goalscoring record does not suggest that.

In a similar way he has been relying on Christian Saydee to score goals as a central striker. Saydee has scored 2 goals so far at Wigan and his career record is 14 goals in 137 appearances. Although he is unlikely to score many goals as a striker, he is nevertheless a useful player to have on the pitch. He is a powerful and skilful forward able to hold the ball, with an eye for a killer pass through a defence. Some would say his style is reminiscent of Emile Heskey. Others might cite Marc-Antoine Fortune who scored 5 goals in 71 appearances at Wigan, but was nevertheless a regular starter in the Championship.

Following the opening game against Northampton I commented here that “Looking at the current squad there is certainly enough quality to finish in the top half of the table, barring major injuries.”

Since then, Lowe lost Isaac Mabaya early on and Ryan Trevitt since the end of September. However, my comment still holds. If they can be in a mid-table position by the New Year, they will have something to build on and it is by no means impossible that they will reach a playoff position.

If Lowe had money to spend, he would invest in specialist wing backs and creative midfielders. Good, proven strikers don’t come cheap and it is unlikely that Latics will ever splash out the kind of money needed.

In the meantime, he will look at getting the best of the strikers he has at his disposal. Finding the right blend will be key.

Luton Town 1 Wigan Athletic 0 – Latics go down fighting

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

“For us to have held our own against a good team is really pleasing. I am proud of the boys – they gave us everything.  We threw everything at the game and made changes to try and get a result. I can’t fault the boys – I am really proud of them…… We’re not making excuses, but we had to field a team that we thought could compete, and have loads of energy. I felt like we did that – the goal we conceded is a scruffy one on our behalf. It’s not what we want, of course, but I can’t fault the lads. They stuck to the game plan. Luton were in the Premier League two years ago, and they’ve still got some Premiership and Championship players who shouldn’t be in this division.”

So commented Ryan Lowe after last night’s display at Luton.

It was certainly an improvement on the way Latics played at Leyton Orient. The players had rolled down their sleeves, showed energy and lots of commitment.

It was an odd game in many ways. Lowe had fielded a starting lineup that looked as defensively-minded as any that Wigan have put out since the days of Warren Joyce. However, despite playing with wing backs, Jensen Weir and Luke Robinson, who rarely pushed forward and a lone centre forward in Paul Mullin, they certainly matched the home team in the first half. After 9 minutes the home side had gone ahead when Liam Walsh too easily evaded the right side of Wigan’s defence to cross for George Saville to hit home. But it did not deter Latics and they played with energy and determination, launching balls down the channels to push Luton back and create chances that might have been converted.

Latics had started out with a 3-4-2-1 formation with Baba Adeeko and Tobias Brenan in defensive midfield, with central midfielders and Ryan Trevitt and Callum Wright pushed further forward. Three central strikers had been left on the bench.

Maleace Asamoah was brought on as a second striker for the second half, but it did not do the trick. The targeted long balls had turned into “hopeful” ones and the home team dominated. However, in the dying seconds Sam Tickle came up for a corner, but shot wide when he might have scored.

Lowe retains the backing of the majority of Latics fans. He has done well to build a squad that can compete with most teams in League 1 and there is a long way to go in the season. After suffering so many dull displays in home games last season prior to his arrival, the crowd at the Brick Community Stadium are now getting more entertainment. However, their away performances have been dour to watch.

Stats courtesy of WhoScored.com