Tag Archives: Stephen Humphrys

Wigan Athletic 2 Oxford United 0: Maloney gets it right

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

Shaun Maloney got his tactics right against a strong Oxford side

It was an uplifting night for a young Wigan Athletic side who showed sufficient skill, discipline and composure to suggest that they will more than overcome the severe 8 point penalty imposed upon them.

Oxford had come in as clear favourites, lying in second place, ready to impose Liam Manning’s approach upon the home side. For the first quarter of an hour Latics were under pressure with Oxford dominating the ball and playing the kind of intricate football that we had seen before during Manning’s time with MK Dons. Latics could not get the ball, but to their great credit they kept their composure and shape, restricting the visitors to shooting from outside the penalty box.

But after 17 minutes Latics launched a counterattack, Thelo Aasgaard turned to launch a perfect through ball for Stephen Humphrys who hit a left footed shot that beat Oxford keeper, Beadle. The goal certainly helped the home side feel more confident. Although they continued to be pressed back in defence they used the pace of their speedy forwards to worry the visitors’ defence when they did get possession.

Latics came out for the second half in a more confident mood and continued to be unfazed by Oxford’s lion’s share of possession, launching speedy counterattacks which troubled the visiting defence. As time moved on the home team continued to grow in confidence, playing some sparkling football when in possession. After weeks of disappointing performances we saw the quality of build-up that delighted us in the early part of the season. The icing on the cake came in the 81st minute with the previously hapless substitute Callum Lang curling home a sublime free kick.

Shaun Maloney certainly got his tactics right. Despite having 65% possession Oxford were restricted to shots outside the box, which were capably dealt with my the excellent Sam Tickle. The goalkeeper also played a key role in his quality distribution, which helped launch counterattacks. As the second half had progressed it looked increasingly unlikely that Oxford could claw their way back into the game.

Maloney had stuck with the 3-4-3 formation that he used in the win at Exeter, but brought in Jordan Jones to play an unfamilar role at left wing back, which he performed with aplomb, helping out the defence and making pacy runs down the touchline. Aasgaard was brought back to play in the front three and although he hardly sparkled it was his killer pass that broke the deadlock. We had waited so long for Liam Shaw to make his first league start and he certainly looked the part with his strength in the tackle and intelligent passing.

Josh Stones had been left on the bench following his debut at Exeter, but came on after 82 minutes in prefence to Josh Magennis. He almost added a third in added time with a rocket shot that Beadle parried on to the crossbar. The resulting corner saw his downward header saved by the Oxford keeper.

Following the game Maloney commented:

“I’m really pleased. I thought the performance had a bit of everything. We played against a good opponent and limited them to not too many chances. At the moment, we are clinical at the moment. It’s a big thing we’ve been working on, and for large parts of the season, we’ve been very good attacking.

We’ve been less so defensively and the last two games have been a big improvement. Let’s not take our foot off the gas and go again this weekend. Once we got a grip of what they wanted to do with the ball, it gave us a platform to go and play, and I want even more.”

Stats courtesy of WhoScored.com

Exeter City 0 Wigan Athletic 2: three vital points for Latics

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

“.. it was worth it to have those celebrations at the end, and even more so because it meant the three points. I’ve been to some dark places in the last couple of years. I just tried to keep going, keep working hard. It’s probably the most emotional I’ve ever been on a football field, to be honest. Stuff like that, it’s really not like me, but what a feeling.“

So said Jordan Jones after the match.

The Wigan squad’s celebrations at the end of this game were reminiscent of a team winning a major trophy. Four consecutive defeats had sapped their confidence and dropped them down to the relegation zone. They remain there, but within striking distance of the teams above them. With three consecutive home games coming up there is a strong chance of Latics climbing out of danger.

Shaun Maloney made three changes to his starting lineup, adopting a 3-4-3 formation. Steven Sessegnon and Tom Pearce were the wing backs. Liam Morrison partnered Charlie Hughes and Sean Clare in the back 3, with Baba Adeeko and Scott Smith in central midfield. 19- year-old Josh Stones made his league debut replacing the ineffective Josh Magennis, up front with Martial Godo and Stephen Humphries.

The changes seemed to instantly galvanise Latics and they started the game playing with purpose and drive. Each player knew his role and the football was so much better than we had seen recently. Humphrys has been the brightest spark since the start of the season and he showed his determination skill with a great run and pass to Godo who slotted the ball home with panache after 8 minutes. Although the home team started to apply some pressure the Wigan defence looked solid and in control with Latics going in to half time with a 1-0 lead.

They did not look so much in control in the second half which saw Exeter dominating play. It seemed like it was only a matter of time when the home team would score. Latics had dropped so far back in defence, with only sporadic attacking. Somehow, with a mixture of good defending and last ditch clearances, it was still 1-0 going into the 8 minutes of time added on. Jordan Jones’ brave run at the defence in the 97th minute was rewarded by a deflection to seal Wigan’s victory.

The stats showed Exeter having 30 shots to Wigan’s 5, but gutsy defence mixed with a little bit of luck had held the home team at bay. Sam Tickle had made a fine save from a cross that was heading into the top left hand corner of his net and old Latics favourite Yanic Wildschut had used his pace to glide past his marker on the by line to go on to hit the post. Many players other than the Dutchman might have gone down to seek a penalty following contact in the box as he made that run.

On a positive note the manager’s changes had proved effective. Morrison was Latics’ man of the match on the left side of the back three. Stones showed great willingness and his pace and physicality made him a handful for the home defence until he was taken off after 61 minutes.

Maloney will now need to set his side up for a difficult task on Tuesday when Latics host an Oxford United side that is in second place, having lost only 2 out of 12 games. He will most likely stick with the 3-4-3 formation which seems to be his best bet at the moment.

Stats courtesy of WhoScored.com

Wigan Athletic 0 Everton 1: Maloney brings good football back to Latics

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

Pre-season friendlies can be notoriously unreliable in indicating how a club will do in the season proper. They are largely training exercises where the scorelines are so much less important than they will be when the fiercely competitive stuff begins.

However, I cannot remember enjoying a pre-season Latics game as much as I did this one.  Facing Premier League opposition, they started the game with two centre backs aged 19 and 20 and a goalkeeper with just one prior senior appearance under his belt. Moreover, a central striker who was unwanted by previous management was placed on the right wing. It was bold team selection from Shaun Maloney which led to a display that helped lift the gloom the had enveloped us for so long.

Maloney rejoined the club under circumstances which were difficult at the time and became increasingly so. It got to the stage where one worried about the continued existence of Wigan Athletic football club. The situation was on a knife edge with Latics having been served a winding-up order from the HMRC with scant assets to sell to stay afloat. Due to a short-sighted recruitment policy the club had been left with an aged, bloated squad with too many players on inflated salaries, but with minimal sell-on value. The club was in a poor position to woo new owners.

Mike Danson’s takeover in mid-June saved the club from possible liquidation. Despite the turmoil Maloney had stayed at the club, helping to hold things together. It was no surprise that Danson entrusted him in rebuilding the footballing side of the club and setting it on track to sustainability.

We have since seen thirteen senior squad players depart, significantly reducing costs. It was reported that the wage bill for the coming season would be just a third of what it was in 2022-23. Seven new players have been recruited, with four on free transfers and three on loan. The pattern has been markedly different than it was previously, with all but one of the new players aged 26 or below.

It was a fine performance from Latics yesterday, their football being a delight to watch. The much- maligned Kolo Toure had encouraged the players to be “brave on the ball” but it was too much for those who were used to an antiquated physical, long-ball approach to adapt. When Toure’s brief stay was terminated Maloney came in with a more pragmatic approach, trying to get the best out of the players at his disposal, within their means.

With so many of last season’s squad already gone Maloney and his staff have been able to impart a more modern footballing philosophy on the players. Yesterday we saw players unafraid to play the ball out from the back, their teammates creating space to receive the ball. We have not seen such fluidity and movement for so many years.

Maloney’s starting lineup certainly indicated his priorities. The 21-year-old Sam Tickle had a fine game in goal, being brave and dominant in his box, comfortable with playing out from the back. In 2018-19 he played five times for England Schoolboys, conceding only one goal. The manager chose to leave the experienced Ben Amos on the bench, opting for a goalkeeper who is more comfortable with playing out from the back.

Thelo Aasgaard was paired with Matt Smith in central midfield in the first half. It is a long time since we have seen two players in that holding role who show so much skill on the ball. Smith, 22, was excellent throughout. Aasgaard, 21, was less effective in the second half when he was moved further forward. Aasgaard has made 79 senior appearances, but has never been an automatic starter. Maloney and the club clearly have great belief in him and he remains the most prized asset, as evidenced by him signing a new contract until 2028. Like so many others he has a poor season in 2022-23. Will 2023-24 be his best yet?

Stephen Humphrys was largely employed as a central striker under Leam Richardson, who sent him out on a season-long loan to Hearts last summer. It was a surprise to see him on the wing yesterday, although he had played there during his stay in Edinburgh. Humphrys showed pace and trickery, with thunderous shooting. He is 6ft 1in tall and physically powerful. Still only 25 he has all the attributes to be a top-class footballer.  Can he establish himself as a regular starter and score the number of goals that his talent indicates?

We can expect more staffing changes in the coming weeks with players on higher salaries being released if they can find suitable clubs to accommodate them. This season’s squad will certainly have a different profile than that of last summer, being younger and recruited to fit into a more modern possession-based style of play.

With an eight-point penalty on their backs, Latics have a difficult season ahead. There will be occasions when the opposition adopt a strong physical approach to nullify the smooth, skilful football that Maloney seeks. A mid-table position would be an achievement, given the circumstances.

Wigan Athletic: ready to bounce back against West Bromwich

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

Following a promising start to the season Wigan Athletic’s 5-1 defeat to Burnley provided them with a real wake-up call. Although the visitors lost key players over the summer they recruited well and looked a fine side on the day. The 5-1 scoreline was flattering to the visitors, the stats showing that Wigan had 18 shots (with 4 on target) compared with Burnley’s 8 (4 on target).

Leam Richardson chose to pack the midfield in a 3-5-2 formation, without a central target man. The tactic backfired and a clinical Burnley side proved too much to handle.

Will the manager persist with that 3-5-2 tomorrow when West Bromwich Albion are the visitors? Or will it be the more attacking 3-4-3 that has been the norm on previous occasions when playing with three central defenders? Another alternative is the 4-2-3-1 formation that is Richardson’s most favoured.

West Bromwich have had a disappointing start to the season by their standards. They have 7 points from 6 matches with a record not dissimilar to that of Latics:  W1D4L1. Last season they finished in 10th position.

A remarkable trait of Richardson’s team last season was in being able to bounce back after an adverse result. They lost eight league games in total but won seven and drew once in the games immediately following those reverses. The most traumatic of defeats was a 3-0 home drubbing by Sunderland, but Latics went the next nine games undefeated.

There was a train of thought that Wigan showed too much respect to Burnley on the field of play. Moreover, they left three central strikers and two attacking midfielders on the bench. Richardson will most likely approach this match in a different fashion, bringing back a target man, most likely Josh Magennis, and pushing Will Keane back to his best position behind the central striker. The manager has consistently showed loyalty to the players who have been his mainstays in the past. He will be forced to bring in a right back to replace the injured Tendayi Darikwa. The defensively solid, but less attack-minded, Ryan Nyambe would be an obvious choice in a 4-2-3-1. Should it be 3-4-3 he might employ Max Power as an attacking full back.

Steve Bruce’s teams are typically physically strong and well organised and Latics will have to work hard to beat them. It promises to be a tough encounter.

The transfer window closes at 11 pm on Thursday, September 1. We can expect activity from Latics, particularly in the acquisition of loan players. To make room for new players we can expect some departures from the current squad.

Leam Richardson was quoted today as saying:

“I always say as a manager of a football club, if you get enough transfer windows right, to make those steps you want to make, to mould what you want to mould, you’ll do all right. I still think we’re two or three of them off, partly because of where we’ve come from, and having to work a hundred miles an hour last year, to make that happen. We’re still very much a progress.“

The transfer window closes at 11 pm on Thursday, September 1. We can expect particular activity from Latics in the acquisition of loan players. To make room for new players there may be some departures from the current squad.

Tom Pearce signed a new contract over summer but has made only one league appearance this season, as an 89th minute substitute against Preston. Stephen Humphrys was used as a late substitute in the first two league games but has not appeared since. There have been rumours about Graeme Shinnie leaving the club, possibly back to Scotland. But with Jordan Cousins out with a long-term injury the club are unlikely to release Shinnie unless they can find a couple of new holding midfielders.

There has been lots of speculation about Latics signing players from Egypt, with a bid for goalkeeper Mahmoud Gad having been made. If Gad were to be signed, he would initially be sent out on loan to another country to get the experience needed for a working visa in the UK. Ahmed Sayed, commonly known as “Zizo”, of Zamalek, is the leading scorer in the Egyptian league this season, although a winger. Were Latics to be serious about signing him they could expect to pay a fee of around £3m. With 23 appearances under his belt for Egypt a working visa would not be a problem.

Thinking of Steve Bruce coming to Wigan tomorrow and the possibility of an Egyptian joining Latics brings memories of Amr Zaki. Most of us had never heard of him when Latics signed him on loan from Zamalek in 2008 for a fee of £1.5m. He made a sensational start, scoring 5 goals in his first six games, before falling foul of Bruce in January. Sadly Zaki could never live up to his early promise and returned to Egypt at the end of the season.

Burton Albion 0 Wigan Athletic 0: Some Talking Points

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

A stunning last-ditch clearance by Kell Watts in the dying moments denied the home side of a win that they probably merited. Despite not playing well Latics held on for a valuable point that edges them closer to automatic promotion, buoyed by Rotherham’s 3-0 pasting at Portsmouth.

After the game Leam Richardson commented:

“It was always going to be challenging and you have to meet them for the fight, and hope then your bit of quality comes through. Fair credit to Burton, I thought they defended resolutely, as we did for large parts. We’ll take our point and move on.”

Latics had started in a lively manner, the wing backs pushing forward, the midfield winning the second balls. After looking in control in the first 25 minutes they gradually moved to that familiar default mode of hopeful long balls as the first half progressed. That continued for the rest of the match. Burton’s “give and go” football gave them the edge and they went close on several occasions, with Latics looking short of creativity further forward.

It was a difficult night on a narrow pitch and difficult conditions. A point was a good result for an error-strewn Wigan team unable or unwilling to string passes together. During the second half the midfield was struggling, with the wing backs reluctant to push forward. The situation was crying out for a substitution that would strengthen that midfield, but it never came.

Richardson made a substitution on 73 minutes with Stephen Humphrys replacing a tiring Joe Bennett. That involved putting Callum Lang to right wing back with Tendayi Darikwa switching flanks. Bennett had done well to play the full 90 in the previous two games after such a long recuperation period from an ACL injury. He is a conservative option at left wing back compared with Tom Pearce or James McClean who will assertively attack an opposition defence.

The substitution did not improve things and may of us were left wondering why Pearce had not been introduced or why the midfield had not been bolstered by the introduction of Jordan Cousins or Graeme Shinnie.

Richardson tends to be very cautious with substitutions, preferring to stick with his starting XI unless injury or tiredness force his hand. However, he deserves praise for temporarily deserting his favoured 4-2-3-1 to playing with three centre backs, a change that has produced results.  Jason Kerr has gone from strength to strength through his regular selection to the starting XI. He was probably Wigan’s best performer in this game.

Latics are now unbeaten in their last nine league games. The manager has done well in getting his team to where they currently are. His next immediate challenge is to prepare his players for the visit of Cambridge United on Easter Saturday. Cambridge’s away record this season reads W6 D5 L10.

The point gained in this game could well prove important to Latics as they, MK Dons and Rotherham come under pressure as the season nears its close.

Stats courtesy of WhoScored.com