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Wigan Athletic 1 Bolton Wanderers 3: Defensive disaster

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

Match Report: Wigan Athletic 1 Bolton Wanderers 3

If you’ve watched Latics at all in the past few years, you’ll be familiar with our two most basic failings — individual defensive mistakes, and a lack of killer instinct up front. When we lose matches, it’s generally the former, when we draw them, the latter. You might as well insert your joke here, as I’m basically saying we can’t defend or attack. But it’s not quite that simple. The amazing conclusion to last season proved that when concentration levels are high, and individual mistakes are cut out, there is enough talent up front to get the necessary points. But it is games like this one — a local derby no less — that just makes you scratch your head in disbelief.

How is it possible that these are the same players who battled so hard to keep us up last year — did they not learn anything at all from that experience? Each of the three defensive lapses was a direct result of being too casual, taking too much time on the ball, as though it were a kickabout at the park.

The key sentence in our match preview was “Whether Latics go on to beat Bolton resoundingly, or to even beat them at all, is going to depend on their approach to the game.” It’s hard to assign all blame to the coach when your defenders do silly things to give away goals, but Roberto’s lineup — and approach — was just too conservative. Packing the midfield is acceptable when you’re playing the big boys, but at home to Bolton, who were bottom of the table at kickoff? Come on. It sends the wrong message to the players, and affords too much respect to the opposition. Victor Moses was the only creative player on the pitch. Shaun Maloney could have started. We’ve seen all too little of Conor Sammon, who might’ve started as centre-forward, pushing Franco Di Santo out wide. We must assume Albert Crusat is injured, another shame, as his pace is much needed. What about Callum McManaman, Nouha Dicko, both of whom have been outstanding for the reserves?

All that said, I still thought we had enough to win it, in large part due to the return of Antolin Alcaraz. My optimism was short-lived, as it was a rusty Alcaraz who gave the ball away in the move that led to the first goal, and then later in the game for the third. Steve Gohouri, given the nod ahead of Maynor Figueroa at left-back — a strange move given Patrick Van Aanholt’s availability — had his worst match in a Wigan shirt. If he hadn’t cheaply given away possession right before half-time, Latics’ momentum probably would have carried them to victory in the second half.

The Good:

We should be pleased with Rodallega’s return, and that of Alcaraz, despite his mistakes. Ali Al-Habsi saved a penalty and remains someone we can rely on. Mo Diame scored again, and is emerging as our best midfielder. Victor Moses was dangerous as always, though he once again couldn’t score.

The Bad:

Lack of concentration. Individual mistakes. The manager’s defensive approach and tactical rigidity. The league table.

Credit Where it’s Due

Chris Eagles was a handful all afternoon and deserved his goal. David N’Gog’s goal was well taken, although all three goals exposed Gary Caldwell’s lack of pace in one way or another. If Latics players had even a percentage of the desire that Kevin Davis shows, in every single game, we’d be pushing for European places.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 7 — Saved a penalty and wasn’t to blame for any of the goals.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 — Wasn’t involved in the poor defending that led to Bolton’s goals, but we didn’t see too much of him either.

Gary Caldwell: 5 — Beaten to the header by the less-than-lightning Nigel Reo-Coker for the first goal, gave the penalty away (though it was very soft indeed), and had his lack of pace exposed by David N’Gog for the second, and Chris Eagles for the third. A bad afternoon.

Antolin Alcaraz: 5 — Too casual, particularly given the fact it was his first match back from injury and he was bound to be a little rusty. Got caught in possession a few times, two of them led to goals. A shame, because he is our best centre-back.

Steve Gohouri: 5 — One to forget. Looked a bit confused at times at left-back, struggling with the impressive Chris Eagles. Caught trying to dribble his way out of trouble in the buildup to the second goal. Substituted at half-time. Not a left-back.

Ben Watson: 6 — I actually thought he was one of the better performers in the first half, but was sacrificed in order to bring on Hugo Rodallega at half-time.

Mo Diame: 7 — Took his goal very well, and the only Latics midfielder that consistently gets himself in scoring positions.

Dave Jones: 6 — Didn’t show his best, although his left foot set piece deliveries were useful (when he was allowed near the ball. What on earth was Di Santo doing taking direct free-kicks in the second half?!)

James McCarthy: 5 — For me, the biggest disappointment this season. Always works hard, but his class and attacking ability have been absent. So much potential, but if anything he has regressed. Still young, but we need him find his form.

Victor Moses: 7 — Same as every week. Dangerous, fast, powerful, a headache for the opposition, but needs someone to poke home the chances he creates. And a cooler head when he goes to finish them himself.

Franco Di Santo: 6 — Worked hard, a decent and skilful target man who has everything except the goalscoring instincts. He is rarely in the right place at the right time, when a cross comes into the box.

Subs:

Hugo Rodallega: 6.5 — Latics did look better with him on the pitch, but he ballooned a dangerously positioned free-kick and had most of his shots blocked.

Maynor Figueroa: 6 — Better than Steve Gohouri.

Shaun Maloney:  N/A — Not on the pitch long enough to make an impact. Wish he had been in the starting lineup.

Wigan Athletic – Bolton Wanderers Preview: Time For a Drubbing!

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

There has never been a better time for Wigan Athletic to give Bolton Wanderers a drubbing. The ‘auld enemy’ lies bottom of the table after seven matches with 21 goals conceded. They have lost 11 of their last 12 Premier League matches.

Whether Latics go on to beat Bolton resoundingly, or to even beat them at all, is going to depend on their approach to the game. To play the ‘cat and mouse’ stuff  that Wigan supporters  have seen too often in the past couple of years would surely play into Bolton’s hands. Despite the propaganda  that comes from Coyle, Cahill and company their confidence has to be at a low point and we cannot afford to show them too much respect. Let’s have an attack-minded lineup and get at them from the start!

Wigan Athletic’s season really needs a kick-start. As has happened so often in the past two years, the team has promised but not delivered. A dynamic performance in this game could prove to be a turning point for the season. Wigan Athletic  have the talent. It is the belief that they  need.

On the injury front it appears that neither  Antolin Alcaraz nor Hugo Rodallega will make this game, despite rumblings about the latter having a chance. There are doubts about the fitness of new signing Albert Crusat. It has been disappointing not to have seen more of the diminutive winger who can give many more  options to  the attack.  It looks like Steve Gohouri will come back into the centre of the Wigan  defence following his suspension. This will allow  Maynor Figueroa to return to his better position of left back. Although Figueroa has played most of his 70 plus games for Honduras in the centre of defence he has not looked the part in that position against the powerful forwards that grace the Premier League. So it would be Boyce and Figueroa at full back and Gohouri and Caldwell in the centre of defence.  The central midfield trio is likely to consist of Watson, McCarthy and Diame, but one cannot rule out the possibility of one of Jordi Gomez, James McArthur or David Jones stepping in there. Let’s hope that Martinez puts on an attacking front three. Moses and Di Santo are obvious choices, with either Shaun Maloney  or Albert Crusat (if fit) providing the best offensive options.  There is the  alternative of playing the more defensive minded Ronnie Stam, or even Jordi Gomez,  wide on the right.  A bold move would be to play three attack-minded forwards, with Shaun Maloney in the “hole” as the third central midfield player.

Bolton are going to have several players out with injury. This could include their excellent goalkeeper, Jussi  Jaaskelainen. Whatever lineup they put forward one can expect the usual Bolton level of  effort and commitment, together with their threat at set pieces.

Prediction: a good win for the Latics, hopefully a thumping. There has never been a better time to play Bolton in the Premier League. Victor Moses is due to get on the scoresheet and a goal from a defender is long overdue.

Aston Villa 2 Wigan Athletic 0: Punchless Latics suffer fifth consecutive defeat

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

Several weeks ago, I used a match preview to illustrate the comical gulf in financial resources between Latics and the rival of the day, Manchester City. I labeled that game a no-hoper, and the match obliged. As supporters, we were unhappy with the performance, but very few of us expected any other result. There are a growing number of teams like Manchester City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, that we just can’t compete with.

But if you polled most Wigan Athletic supporters, few would list Aston Villa in that category. Sure, they are a big club with good support and some financial backing. But they’ve been, over the years, the type of team we can beat, and indeed try to.

The daft thing about all of this is that Aston Villa are, albeit to a lesser extent, still light years ahead of Wigan in terms of spending and wages. This summer, they bought our best player, Charles N’Zogbia, and proceeded to leave him on the bench, where another of our former best players, Emile Heskey, would keep him company. Key players for us are not key players for them. (Although I do think N’Zogbia will probably go on to become a key player there eventually).

Are we expecting too much from — to put it bluntly — a poor team in the world’s richest league? At risk of sounding bonkers after the elaborate preface I’ve just given, I don’t think we are.

Because Wigan Athletic has always punched above its weight. We expect our boys to upset the odds, and they do year after year. It’s the club ethos. The fact that Latics had not lost away at Villa before Saturday was an astounding statistic given the above realities. So as I launch into this match analysis, keep in mind two things. First, as a supporter I’m very proud of what the club has achieved and continues to achieve against clubs with greater resources. But second, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing better than we are.

Match Highlights

Latics actually started this one brightly, with plenty of possession and some attacking intent, without actually creating any clear chances. Roberto opted for a similar lineup to that of the second half against Tottenham, with Emmerson Boyce returning at right-back, Figueroa partnering Caldwell in the middle, and Van Aanholt out left. Ronnie Stam lined up as what can only be described as a defensive winger on the right, with Victor Moses on the left and Franco Di Santo up top. The usual suspects played in midfield: Watson, McCarthy and Diame.

Against Spurs, the Ronnie Stam experiment was designed to provide extra defensive cover on the left flank where Gareth Bale was causing problems. It worked to some degree before Gohouri’s red card, and seemed a reasonable approach to keep Villa’s most dangerous player, Gabby Agbonlahor, in check. But as Latics grew more comfortable in possession, they got caught out of position, and when Agbonlahor cut in from the wing in a one-on-one situation with Gary Caldwell, we knew what the outcome would be. Caldwell had been given a yellow card for next to nothing minutes prior, which probably discouraged a professional foul, but credit where it’s due, Agbonlahor produced an absolute rocket of a finish past Caldwell and Al-Habsi.

Latics only created one chance in the first half, and it fell to Franco Di Santo after Victor Moses had broken from midfield, panicked and almost scuffed his pass to the Argentine, who shot low and just wide. With his strength and speed, Moses probably could have gone on his own, but the man’s confidence is low and you can tell.

The second half began with another good effort from Agbonlahor, who again cut in from the left to curl an effort past Al-Habsi, skimming the post in the process. Emmerson Boyce, back from injury, was visibly tiring and would continue to struggle with the Villa striker As the match went on. Barry Bannan had a good long range effort tipped over the bar, before Franco Di Santo, against the run of play, took matters into his own hands. On a mazy run, he slipped in between several Villa defenders and found himself one on one against the keeper when he was clearly clattered by Alan Hutton. Mark Clattenberg and his haircut, both poor all match, the former favouring the home side, ignored it, and minutes later the game would be over.

Bizarrely, Martinez introduced James McArthur as a right-wingback in place of Ronnie Stam. If he was looking for pace to help Boyce deal with Agbonlahor, McArthur was clearly not the man for the job. The Scot was caught in possession and found himself chasing Agbonlahor, who is about seventeen times faster than he is, and also breezed past Boyce to deliver an excellent cross for Darren Bent’s goal.

Then Shaun Maloney was introduced at the tip of the diamond in attacking midfield, and chances started to come. First, Victor Moses slipped in a cheeky through ball which Maloney just failed to make good contact with. Ben Watson fizzed a corner straight through the entire Villa defense, with Gary Caldwell a whisker away. James McArthur whipped a delicious low cross just begging to be tapped in, but no one was on the end of it. Hugo might have, or Sammon. Even Boselli.

But it wasn’t to be.

A Neutral Would Say

Wigan pass it around a lot but don’t have anyone who can stick it in the back of the net. Villa have the opposite, but do look tough to beat under McLeish.

Player Ratings

Al Al-Habsi: 8 —  Slightly out of position for first goal, probably a result of watching Agbonlahor’s highlight reel in which he curls most of his effort far post. But he kept Latics in the game with a series of outstanding saves, to Darren Bent in the first half, then Bannan and Petrov later on.

Emmerson Boyce: 5 — Tough match for him. Got caught far up the pitch on the first goal, and was then outpaced for the second. Agbonlahor was excellent and Boycey was his main victim. But it was good to have him back, he’ll be important in the next few games.

Gary Caldwell: 5.5 — Hard to grade the captain. He’s been playing in makeshift defenses. It wasn’t his best game, but not his worst either. Most of the danger came from the flank.

Maynor Figueroa: 5 — Not a long term solution at centre-back. Sometimes looks very good, other times completely out of position. Darren Bent was unlucky not to have scored in the first half.

Ben Watson: 6.5 — Latics did enjoy some excellent possession, much of which was down to Ben. Rushed a pass on a breakaway that might have led to a real chance. Finally delivered one excellent corner, though the rest of his efforts were poor (and Latics had a lot of corners, at least ten).

James McCarthy: 6.5 — His energy levels were great, covering a lot of grass and working very hard defensively. We finally saw a glimpse of the old James when he delicately chipped a ball to Franco Di Santo in the second half. More of that please.

Mo Diame: 6 — Quiet one for Diame, ineffective in attack, but contributed toward good possession.

Ronnie Stam: 6 — Did fairly well in the first half down the right flank although he was nowhere to be seen in the buildup to the goal. Substituted in second half.

Victor Moses: 6.5 — What a shame one of those crossbars or posts had not been a goal earlier in the season. Looks low on confidence but still a threat. Sadly, his finishing was poor once again. Played one excellent through ball for Maloney that could have been a goal.

Franco Di Santo: 7.5 — Worked tirelessly and almost created something out of nothing for the penalty that wasn’t. All he lacks is poacher’s instinct and finishing to poke away those crosses.

Subs:

James McArthur: 5.5 — Every now and again he shows his quality, but his lack of pace is a problem. Roberto seems very loyal to him, but there are better options on the bench.

Shaun Maloney: 7.5 — Looked bright and inventive. Finally, someone who is looking for that incisive pass, a one-two, making runs into the box. Would be great to see him in the starting lineup, eventually with Rodallega in it as well.

Conor Sammon: 6 — Didn’t have much time. Would like to see Di Santo out wide, with Conor as centre-forward.

Everton 3 Wigan 1: Missed opportunity as Latics lose to uninspiring Everton, and lose Rodallega to injury

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

Everton 3 Wigan Athletic 1

As expected, Everton were largely unimpressive, a side full of battle but completely devoid of imagination or flair. But they still managed to emerge with all three points, largely thanks to their aerial prowess and Latics’ reluctance to push forward in search of three points when they were there for the taking. It was a frustrating afternoon for the Latics faithful. Having watched their team contain Everton despite a makeshift defense with Maynor Figueroa in the centre, Adrian Lopez at right-back, and Patrick Van Aanholt making his Premier League debut at left-back, Latics had started the second period with genuine promise. You could feel the tension mounting at Goodison, and as Wigan created chances, it looked decreasingly likely that Moyes’ men would make a breakthrough. Victor Moses and the outstanding Patrick Van Aanholt both went very close but a deep cross from Tony Hibbert was met powerfully by big Greek centre-forward Vellios for Everton’s winner, late in the game. The crossbar then denied substitute Dave Jones an exquisite chipped equaliser, but as Latics desperately pushed forward, they left too much space for new Everton signing Royston Drenthe to put things beyond doubt.

Probably as important as losing the match, Hugo Rodallega was stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. It has been reported that he has suffered ligament damage and may be out until Christmas, a devastating blow. The positive news is that Shaun Maloney was signed to play in the position Hugo has been occupying, while Franco Di Santo’s current form as lone centre-forward offers promise.

The Good

Despite defensive injuries to the three important defenders in Alcaraz, Boyce and Gohouri, the defense put in a valiant shift. While Maynor Figueroa was eventually beaten in the air for the winning goal, he had performed well at centre-back. Van Aanholt was a revelation, solid in his defensive work and very clearly a talented attacking threat as well. His crossing, dribbling, and shooting deserved greater reward in the second half.

Franco Di Santo has now scored three in four. His latest was another rocket, also slightly deflected, but his confidence and overall performance gives plenty of hope.

The Bad

Rodallega’s injury. As frustrating as he can sometimes be, he is the club’s best forward and draws markers away from other attackers even when he’s not scoring. Victor Moses will need to start scoring in his absence, while opportunity beckons for Shaun Maloney and Albert Crusat. A report on a Colombian website quotes Hugo as saying the team doctor believes the injury not to be as bad as originally thought. It is believed the problem is with his meniscus rather than the ligaments. Lets hope so.

Roberto’s approach in the second half felt too cautious. Latics were creating chances and could have won this match with a little more adventure in the minutes leading up to Everton’s goal. A point wouldn’t have been bad — and Martinez’s mentality is understandable with a relegation battle so fresh in the mind — but these missed opportunities are starting to add up.

A Neutral Would Say

Save glimpses from Moses and Van Aanholt, not much quality in this borefest.

Player Ratings:

Ali Al-Habsi: 7 — Can’t blame him for any of the goals. Made a couple decent saves early in the game.

Adrian Lopez: 5 — Uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, his passing is not very good. He did alright defensively but  the return of Gohouri, Alcaraz and Boyce can’t come soon enough.

Gary Caldwell: 6 — The usual from the captain, who has already played with four different partners in the heart of defense this season.

Maynor Figueroa: 7 — Got beat in the air for Everton’s second goal, but at times looked a quality centre-back and played some very good passes that either did or should have resulted in dangerous breakaways.

Patrick Van Anholt: 8 — Excellent. Solid at left-back, dangerous when he got forward. He can cross, dribble and shoot by the looks of it. Unlucky not to score after a dazzling run that culminated in a right-footed shot just over the bar.

Ben Watson: 6 — Some neat passing at times, but would love to see him get forward more often, he has an eye for goal when he’s around the box.

James McCarthy: 6 — Remains this season’s biggest under-performer, although he deserves credit for the amount of running and tackling he did in midfield. Latics will need him to regain his attacking form soon though.

Jordi Gomez: 6.5 — Drew a lot of fouls as usual. Should be allowed to take all direct free-kicks as he is the only player with proven success from them.

Hugo Rodallega: 5 — Kept very quiet by Everton’s defense. Injured just before the 90th minute.

Victor Moses: 7 — Dangerous, but yet again guilty of a little hesitation at the crucial moment. He has been very, very close in every match this season, surely the goals will come soon.

Franco Di Santo: 7.5 — Worked very hard for the team and was confident enough to beat his man and shoot from a tight angle for the goal. Decent performance.

Subs:

Dave Jones: 7 — So unlucky not to score with an improvised chip immediately after Everton’s second goal. Clearly a cultured player with a lovely left foot.

Shaun Maloney: N/A — Hardly touched the ball in his 7 minutes on the pitch.

Everton vs Wigan Preview: A good time to play the Toffees?

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

Match Preview:  Everton vs. Wigan Athletic

Everton is one of those strange clubs that always seems to start the season poorly, grow as it goes along, and end with a flourish, often pushing for a spot in Europe. This season has been no different, losing to QPR and failing to beat Aston Villa at home, and scraping a 1-0 victory away at Blackburn. They’ve lost a couple strikers in Yakubu and Beckford. The Nigerian wasn’t contributing very much and shouldn’t be missed but Beckford appeared to be settling in last season and it does seem a strange decision to let him go. One would guess that promise of first-team football, a non-promotion clause and a big paycheck at Leicester probably did the trick.

The real dagger though, has been the loss of Mikel Arteta. While his form at Everton in the last season or two has been a little inconsistent, largely due to injuries, he was always the creative heartbeat, one of the few players in their squad capable of a little magic. And an excellent set-piece delivery, although former Wiganer Leighton Baines has taken over those duties rather excellently. In fact, it’s Bainesy’s free-kicks, direct and indirect, that Latics will probably be most wary of in tomorrow’s clash.

All in all, you get the sense that the traditional Everton bounce-back may be less of a sure thing this year. They still have too much quality and resilience to get sucked into a relegation battle, but they look a decidedly mid-table team — particularly if their poor home form continues — and as such, are a team Latics should be looking to snatch a point or three against.

While always tough matches, Latics don’t seem to fear the trip to Goodison, and got a valuable point there last year. The year before that, they might have emerged with all three had a Jordi Gomez shot gone in rather than striking the post, and a Scott Sinclair breakaway ended up in the back of the net as it should have. Instead, Everton got a last minute penalty, and took all three points. Point is, this game will be a battle, but is up for grabs.

Meanwhile, Latics will arrive at Goodison on the back of two losses in a week. The 3-0 result at City could have been much worse — although we did fail to report in our match report that there were some decent passages of attacking play, particularly through the legs of Victor Moses — while the League Cup loss at Crystal Palace (albeit with 7 reserves in the starting lineup) was disappointing. Martinez spoke highly once again of new signing Shaun Maloney yesterday, so we can expect to see him on the bench, at least. Otherwise, the only change should be in midfield, where McArthur will probably make way for Jordi Gomez or McCarthy. Probable starting XI:  Al-Habsi; Boyce, Lopez, Caldwell, Figueroa; Watson, Diame, Jordi/McCarthy/McArthur; Rodallega, Moses, Di Santo.

Prediction:  as always, hard to tell. My main concern is Lopez’s ability to cope with the aerial threat Everton always pose. But I’m think Latics, particularly with their new signings coming off the bench, have goals in them. Moses for one, is due a bit of luck. I’m saying 1-1.