Tag Archives: wigan

Grant Holt – where do we go from here?

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

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He was lauded as the best of Owen Coyle’s new signings. But if you were ask a room of Latics supporters which of the twelve new players brought in by Coyle has been the most disappointing – the name of Grant Holt would be the one which comes up most.

What has happened to Holt? Is he past his best? Does his style of play suit Latics? Can he still make a major impact on the promotion push for Latics?

Up to this point Holt has made seven starts, with two appearances as a substitute. He has scored two goals, one being a penalty. He was injured in the Middlesbrough match in late August, coming back as a substitute against Blackburn in early October.

In the last two matches, against Rubin Kazan and Charlton, Holt has looked slow and cumbersome.

One cannot say that Holt is past his best. He has not played enough games to tell. But what is noticeable is that when he does play there are more long balls played by Latics. His mere presence causes the midfield to be by-passed.

Two years ago, in Norwich’s first season back in the Premier League, it was a surprise to their supporters to see their icon often being used as an impact player. Before that  Holt had been the first name to be written on the team sheet as his 45 league goals helped the Canaries ascend two divisions in consecutive seasons.

However, Paul Lambert used Holt to good effect as a super-sub. By the end of November Holt had scored four Premier League goals,  three of them being when he had come on as a substitute. At the end of the season Holt’s record in the Premier League was 15 goals from 24 starts and 12 appearances as a substitute.

Holt can clearly be very effective as an impact player, but the broader question remains – is he the right type of player for Wigan Athletic?

Despite it being the end of October  Latics still do not have a defined style of play. The manager continues to tinker on the tactical side and it does not help a squad with so many new players to gel together.

However, in general Latics try to play the ball through their highly capable midfield for the first 60 minutes. After that the defenders start to loft the ball over their heads, adopting a ‘more direct’ approach.

In the last two matches Holt has been substituted in the 63rd and 76th minute, leaving Marc-Antoine Fortune the task of beating big central defenders to high balls. That is not Fortune’s forte. He is big and powerful certainly, but is much more effective with the ball to his feet. If Latics are to continue to play ‘direct’ in the final third of the game it would make more sense for Holt to be the player coming on, not going off.

Grant Holt has a great reputation  as a top professional and a real team player. He will run himself into the ground for Wigan Athletic. He has a superb goalscoring record over the course of his career and is likely to get them out of  the Championship, given the right service.

The more cogent question is not so much whether Holt is the right type of player for Latics, but how to get the best out if him.

Holt is as good as anyone in the division in the role as a target man for long balls out of defence. He has the physical strength and technique to hold off two or three defenders, keeping the ball until teammates advance. In fact his enthusiasm is such that you see him actually courting the long pass.

However, Holt’s primary purpose is to score goals. He gets a lot of his goals through headers and deflections and needs the ball coming into the box from the flanks. Up to this point only Jean Beausejour of Latics’ wide players has been able to put quality crosses into the box. Callum McManaman and James McClean have not produced up to this point, but the season is still young.

Maybe we have expected too much from Holt. Given the physical exercion of holding off big opposition defenders he is expected to be sharp and lively in the box. All at 32 years of age.

Coyle needs to be realistic about how to get the best from the big Cumbrian. Give him the right service and don’t allow defenders to take the easy way out with long balls up to him when they are under pressure. Let him receive the ball facing the goal rather than with his back to it.

There will be matches where Fortune or Powell’s mobility will be required rather than Holt’s combativeness. Holt has proved how effective he can be as a super-sub.

Whether Grant Holt has a successful season and gets the goals to take Wigan back up depends on Coyle’s tactical approach.

In the match at Charlton there were signs that Latics were willing to play the ball through midfield when under pressure. Instead of taking the easy route of a long ball to an isolated central striker they sought the counterattack.

Give Holt good service from the flanks, minimize those speculative long balls and we will see the big Cumbrian get a lot of goals.

It is the tactics that have to be right for Holt to succeed.

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Charlton Athletic 0 Wigan Athletic 0 – losing run away from home halted

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Reports and tagged with , , , , ,
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Chris McCann’s header on its way to rebounding off the crossbar in front of the visiting supporters.

A tired-looking Wigan Athletic rode the waves of Charlton pressure in the first half to come back with a better performance after the interval. Although it was a goalless draw both sides had opportunities to win the game. In the end a draw was a fair result.

Owen Coyle lost Scott Carson injured  in the warmup, with Lee Nicholls stepping up. Latics took the field without a substitute goalkeeper on the bench.

As expected Thomas Rogne, James Perch and James McArthur returned to the starting lineup. Ben Watson and Chris McCann occupied the central midfield positions with McArthur pushed across to the right. Nick Powell and Grant Holt made up the strike force, with James McClean on the left.

Charlton were the better team in the first half. That Latics went into the dressing room at the interval without conceding a goal was largely down to a confident performance by Nicholls. He had shown his confidence and technique with his handling early on. His reaction save just before half time to defy big defender Richard Wood’s point blank header was top-drawer. Latics produced little of note in the first half and it looked like another away defeat was on its way.

With no wide player on the right Latics’ play had been skewed and the link up play between Perch and McClean had been poor. Neither seemed to have the close control or passing ability to deal with a crowded zone on Latics’ left.

Ben Watson made some uncharacteristic passing errors in midfield and McArthur’s influence was marginalized in that wider position. There was little ‘running off the ball’ so that when a defender was ready to pass the ball forward there were options open. The passing in general was poor.

Latics came back after half time showing more resolve. They clawed their way back into the game and made Charlton look vulnerable in a way that did not seem possible in the first half. A rocket shot from Dale Stephens went narrowly wide, but soon after McCann’s header from a corner crashed against the crossbar.

McCann was the focal point of most of Latics’ better football, before they reverted to the ‘Bolton mode’ in the final third of the game. Wigan put on the pressure but Charlton were dangerous through their pace on the wings. Latics defence had to be on their toes to keep them out.

Coyle had taken off an ineffective McClean for Callum McManaman after 66 minutes, then at last relieved the jaded Watson after 72 minutes. The substitute was Roger Espinoza, who provided a lift to the game with his energetic approach, although being played out of position in left midfield. Marc-Antoine Fortune replaced Holt after 76 minutes.

Latics spurned  the chances they had in the second half and in the end Charlton were probably grateful for a point.

The Good

The run of four consecutive away defeats has been halted although the goalless streak on the road now stretches to five matches.

The second half display was full of effort and endeavour and Latics pushed forward creating opportunities.

Thomas Rogne and Leon Barnett controlled the aerial side of Charlton’s game and they continue to look like a strong partnership at the heart of the defence.  They dealt well with the danger coming in from the wings.

Chris McCann followed on from his fine performance against Rubin with another good display, tireless in defence and creative in attack.

Around the 70th minute Coyle had both Espinoza and Fortune warming up on the sidelines, close to where we were sitting.

Coyle  was soon to point the finger to beckon at least one of them on. Espinoza’s body language  said “Who me?”, probably assuming it was the big forward who was to go on. The Honduran did go on, with Fortune following four minutes later.

Espinoza was given a chance at last, if not in his best position.

The Bad

Once more we had a tactical change from Coyle. This time he chose to play with one wide player, McClean.  Key central midfielder McArthur was pushed out to the right, like a fish out of water. A  better option would have been to rest the jaded Watson and play the Scot in his normal role, with the deserving McCann alongside.

The left  flank play between Perch and McClean in the first half was inept. The full back’s passing was dire and the winger’s control poor.

In the final third  of the match it once again it looked like we were watching a Bolton game. A waste of the talent in midfield and in Nick Powell who received poor service. It is becoming a depressing trend.

Coyle deserves to be commended for the spirit he has imbibed in his players.

However, question marks remain about his tactical approach.

Player Ratings

Lee Nicholls: 7 – a composed performance from the rookie. Has a bright future ahead.

Emmerson Boyce: 7 – played a captain’s role. Solid in defence and provided good support for the attack.

Leon Barnett: 8 – a powerhouse performance. Plays well with Rogne.

Thomas Rogne: 8 – negated the home team’s aerial approach. Totally dominant in the air and calm and calculating in his covering.

James Perch: 4 – woeful in  his passing and found wanting in defence.

Chris McCann: 7 – another good  performance from the cultured Irishman.

Ben Watson: 5 – not up to his usual level.

James McArthur: 5 – clearly did not enjoy being played out of position.

Grant Holt: 5 – ineffective, although to be fair he received not one decent cross during the whole game.

Nick Powell: 7 – cannot be faulted for effort. Spent too much time jumping for high balls. What a waste of such a talented player.

James McClean: 4 – poor. Taken off after 66 minutes.

Substitutes

Marc-Antoine Fortune: – showed a better touch when coming on for Holt. Should he be the starter and Holt the impact substitute?

Callum McManaman: – unable to breach the opposition defence.

Roger Espinoza: – not at his best in left midfield, but at least provided some much needed energy into the play. Had a lot of support from Latics’ traveling fans.

Two Amigos at Charlton. Photo courtesy of Nathan Peters.

Two Amigos at Charlton.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Peters.

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Charlton Preview

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

Wigan Athletic go to Charlton tomorrow following four successive league defeats away from home, not having scored a goal in any of them.

However, Latics come into the game following a fine performance, drawing 1-1 at home against  a strong Rubin Kazan side in  the Europa League. Charlton occupy 19th place but are unbeaten in their last three league games, with two home draws being followed by a 1-0 win at Blackburn.

Why have Latics had such poor away results this season? One could say they have been unlucky, with shots almost going in and some crucial refereeing decisions going against them.

However, the recipe for being a successful away team is based on a sound defence, with a capability for a goal on counterattack. Latics have not met these criteria in the last four away matches.

The defence has given away soft goals, albeit involving some dubious refereeing decisions. There have been few effective counterattacks. Too often a Wigan defence under pressure has hoofed the ball away rather than looking to pass the ball out of defence to launch a counterattack.

Latics have the quality to be a very good counterattacking team away from home. Tomorrow Owen Coyle might well field his pacy wingers Callum McManaman and James McClean. With decent service either one is capable of outpacing the Charlton defence. But much will depend on the ability to play the ball out of defence under pressure.

This is a game Latics can win, or at least get a draw. Charlton have won only one home game so far.  Much will depend on Coyle’s initial lineup and his tactical nous.

Regular league starters Thomas Rogne, James Perch and James McArthur are likely to return.  Leon Barnett has played a lot of games recently, but is likely to continue in the centre of defence, where he has been building up a good understanding with the excellent young Norwegian, Thomas Rogne.  The alternative would be to move Perch across for Barnett and play Stephen Crainey at left back, following his improved performance on Thursday.

In midfield Ben Watson is likely to start, but could well give way to Roger Espinoza at some stage. It would be a revelation if the Honduran/American were given a chance to start. Chris McCann played really well against Rubin, but will probably find himself rested.

McManaman and McClean are likely to play on the wings. At centre forward Coyle will have to choose between the combative Grant Holt or the more mobile Marc-Antoine Fortune. The former is more dangerous from crosses and set pieces, the latter more pacy and more suited to the counterattacking game.

What tactical formation Coyle is going to put forward remains to be seen. One never knows what is coming next. However, playing away from home it is likely to be more conservative and he has the option of playing Nick Powell or Jordi Gomez in the advanced midfield role behind the central striker. Alternatives remain of playing a more defensive-minded midfielder – such as Espinoza – in that role or playing two central strikers with one less wide player.

Let’s hope Latics can get an early goal to calm their nerves. They have been unlucky so far in the first half away from home, with a number of close calls.   If they do fall behind one hopes that they do not revert to the ‘Bolton style’, as they have too often as late.

Wigan Athletic have a superior squad to Charlton and are capable of beating the south London team tomorrow. Despite playing a game on Thursday Latics have sufficient strength in depth to be good enough to beat the Addicks.

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Wigan Athletic 1 Rubin Kazan 1 – a point gained

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

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Wigan Athletic were denied a memorable victory against a strong Rubin Kazan side in the dying seconds of the match.  Marc-Antoine Fortune’s close range shot had ‘goal’ written all over it but Russian goalkeeper Sergei Ryzhikov made an outstanding save to keep the scores level.

Rubin would have counted themselves unlucky had Fortune’s shot gone in as they were the more accomplished side, with players of superior technical ability. It was through sheer determination that Latics managed to claw their way back into the game and almost win it at the end.

Owen Coyle left regular league starters Thomas Rogne, James Perch and James McArthur on the bench, bringing in Ryan Shotton, Stephen Crainey and Chris McCann. Jordi Gomez was pushed into a right sided midfield forward role, with Jean Beausejour on the left. Grant Holt and Nick Powell played as a striking duo.

The opening minutes saw Latics controlling midfield but creating little danger. They received a wake-up call after 15 minutes when Alexander Prudnikov evaded Leon Barnett’s attempt to play him offside and slotted the ball past Scott Carson with aplomb.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of Wigan and the crowd were getting frustrated and were on their backs. Prudnikov seemed to have the freedom of the park at times, roaming around without anyone picking him up. However, a flowing move from Latics saw Holt square the ball across the box but Gomez fired high and wide from a great opportunity.

The equaliser in the 39th minute when Ben Watson’s backheel gave Powell the chance to rifle in a fine opportunist low shot from the edge of the penalty area. The goal lifted Latics and they began to more than hold their own through a mixture of skill and resilience.

The second half saw neither side dominant as Wigan started to adopt a more direct approach the their play. Ryan Shotton was fortunate to receive only a yellow card in the 49th minute after a scything tackle on the edge of the box.

Holt was replaced by Fortune who did well to get past three defenders but could not get enough power behind his shot after 70 minutes. A couple of minutes before Latics had breathed a sigh of relief as Roman Eremenko’s sliding shot was blocked on its way to the net.

James McClean had replaced Beausejour after 68 minutes, but the pattern of the game continued. Callum McManaman replaced Gomez in the 75th minute and had a near post shot blocked near the end.

Latics continued their aerial bombardment, but Rubin’s big Spanish defenders, Ivan Marcano and the 6’4″  Cesar Navas who was brought on after 67 minutes, were able to repel most of the long balls.

In the end it was a point well won by Latics, against the team that will surely win the group.

Maribor’s shock 3-1 victory against Zulte Waregem in Belgium has opened up the group and Latics will need at least one  good result in the  games in Russia and Slovenia and at home to Zulte Waregem to continue to hol second place.

The Good

Latics could not be faulted for effort. The midfield holding players – Watson and McCann – put in a hard shift, helping to protect their defence, building up attacks.

This Latics side does not give up easily and they still stand a good chance of qualifying for the next round.

The Bad

Once more we had a tactical change from Coyle. This time the wide players were more withdrawn towards midfield and Powell was paired with Holt as a central striker, albeit playing a little deeper.

Powell is best employed running at the defence from midfield, in the kind of role Shaun Maloney used to play. He is not suited to the long ball game that Latics played too often in the second half. Given Maloney’s absence, possibly for the rest of the season, Powell is going to be a key player at such a young age.

Once again we saw Coyle put Gomez in a midfield attacking role on the right. The Spaniard had a nightmare game, slowing down attacks and passing the ball backwards far too often. His lack of defensive cover on the right hand side, put Emmerson Boyce under pressure, especially in the second half when Rubin brought on the speedy Ghanaian Mubarak Wakaso on the left wing.

Playing Gomez in that position is not doing him any favours. He can play a useful role in the centre of midfield, either in a holding role or playing in the hole behind the central striker.

Once again Latics adopted a long ball game in the latter part of the match. One hopes that Coyle can develop another ‘Plan B’ as the season continues. At times it looked like we were watching a Bolton game.

Player Ratings

Scott Carson: 6 – only had a couple of saves to make.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – once again played with great heart. His pace is not what it was and he was troubled by Wakaso in the second half.

Leon Barnett: 6 – together with Ryan Shotton he forms a physically intimidating centre of defence. However, at times he looked disorientated with the movement of opposition forwards and midfield players.

Ryan Shotton: 6 – ditto

Stephen Crainey: 6 – made a cautious, steady return. Looked solid enough in defence and is clearly working on improving his distribution.

Chris McCann: 8 – an excellent performance from the cultured Irishman. Provided good cover for hs defence and put in some nice passes with his educated left foot.

Ben Watson: 7.5 – was involved in Wigan’s two best moves of the first half and worked very hard to hold Rubin back. His set piece deliveries were not up to his usual high standard.

Jordi Gomez: 3 – poor.

Nick Powell: 7 – took his goal really well. A quality player who needs the ball to his feet, rather  than in the air.

Grant Holt: 5 – looked clumsy and short of pace. Not long back from injury he probably needs more time to get in top shape.

Jean Beausejour: 5 – starved of possession and could not get in the game.

Substitutes

Marc-Antoine Fortune: – looked more mobile than Holt, but was too often outnumbered by opposition defenders. A pity his last gasp effort did not go in.

Callum McManaman: – showed a little more than in recent games when coming on for the last 15 minutes. Let’s hope he can rekindle last season’s form over the coming weeks.

James McClean: – worked hard and put in a good defensive stint.

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Blackpool 1 Wigan Athletic 0 – Maloney sadly missed

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

A Tom Ince penalty in the 24th minute was enough to win the points for Blackpool, as Wigan’s poor away form continued. The record now reads won one, lost four on the road. The inaccuracy of Latics’ finishing in the match was reflected in the stats revealing they had 20 shots on goal, with only one on target.

A well organized Blackpool, with a tight and rugged defence, proved strong opposition for Latics. Carson’s reckless intervention allowed Gosling to go to ground to give the Seasiders a lead that Wigan were unable to overcome. The big Latics goalkeeper was lucky not to receive a red card.

Latics made two changes from their lineup against Blackburn, bringing in Emmerson Boyce for Ryan Shotton and Callum McManaman for Jean Beausejour. Nick Powell was named ahead of Grant Holt and Marc Antoine Fortune at centre forward.

Apart from the penalty there were few clear cut goal opportunities for either side until the last 15 minutes when the action started.

Powell had an early chance for Wigan but headed wide at point blank range. Ben Watson and James McArthur were winning the midfield battle, but there was little penetration in Wigan’s play. Jordi Gomez was unable to put through incisive passes to unlock a strong defence and the wingers McManaman and McClean could not provide quality crosses into the penalty box.

Coyle decided a more direct approach was needed after 58 minutes when he brought on Holt and Fortune for Powell and Gomez. Given the two big central strikers’ recent injury problems it was a risky choice to bring them both on so early.  With two attacking wingers and two central strikers it was akin to an old 4-2-4 formation. Coyle added to the risk factor by bringing on Beausejour for McManaman just 7 minutes later.

In those hectic final 15 minutes the game could have gone either way. The changes meant that Latics had more attacking thrust, but the defence was vulnerable to counter-attacks. Big Jamaican forward Ricardo Fuller burst through for Blackpool but chipped over the bar. Leon Barnett and Grant Holt soon after had headers that hit the woodwork. Barnett had a powerful shot well saved by Gilkes and Boyce had an effort kicked off the line.

In the final minutes Wigan’s defence was repeatedly exposed, but poor finishing and good goalkeeping by Carson kept Blackpool out.

James McClean capped a frustrating display by getting a straight red card in the dying moments. The Irishman had been booked for bad tackle in the first half, berating the referee for his decision. This time he felt that the corpulent Blackpool central defender Gary MacKenzie had stamped on him. Then McClean lost his self control and it took a considerable effort from teammates to hold him back from confronting the opposition and referee. Why McClean actually got sent off remains a mystery – he certainly had not retaliated in any serious way against MacKenzie.

The Good

Latics played with spirit in the final period, even if the quality of their football was not top notch. If one of those chances had gone in they might well have gone on to win the game.

Ben Watson and James McArthur continue to play well together in central midfield, although in this game they did not get as far forward as one would have liked. Although Thomas Rogne could not keep up the high level of recent performances the defence continues to look more solid. Barnett is a dominant presence and James Perch has helped provide more defensive stability at left back, if limited in his attacking abilities.

Blackpool are one of the better sides in the division and Latics certainly matched them. A draw would way have been a fair result, although the Seasiders could have walked away with a wider victory had they taken their chances on the counter attack.

The Bad

Without Shaun Maloney Latics lack someone who can put through a defence-splitting pass. Gomez did not have the best of days, but his record on providing assists has always been found wanting. Maloney is also missed in the taking of free kicks. Latics had set piece opportunities in good positions for shots on goal, but never looked like converting them.

Coyle rode his luck in putting on all three substitutes with 25 minutes remaining. He was lucky there were no injuries. His risk of changing to 4-2-4 can be praised as bold or condemned as foolhardy. It helped Latics create more goalscoring opportunities, but left the defence badly exposed.

Player Ratings:

Scott Carson: 7 – despite the penalty he was once again one of the better performers.

Emmerson Boyce: 6 – unlucky with his effort in the closing minutes. Worked hard, if not at his best.

Thomas Rogne: 5 – the young central defender had a bit of an off day. He made errors in his passing and did not look on top of his game.

Leon Barnett: 8 – a powerhouse in defence and dangerous in the opposition box. He made an amazing and brave goal line clearance to deny  Blackpool near the end.

James Perch: 6 – solid.

Ben Watson: 7 – continues to look a class act in this division. Good in tacking and intercepting, intelligent with his passing.

James McArthur: 8 – forms an excellent midfield duo with Watson. A complete midfield player who runs himself into the ground for his team.

Jordi Gomez: 5 – poor. Taken off after 58 minutes.

Callum McManaman: 5 – unable to trouble the Blackpool defence. Taken off after 65 minutes.

Nick Powell: 5 – ineffective. Taken off after 58 minutes.

James McClean: 5 – worked hard, but so often ran into blind alleys. Needs to control his temperament.

Substitutes:

Grant Holt:  – made a difference when he came on. Dangerous in the box.

Marc Antoine Fortune: – looked rusty. Ineffective.

Jean Beausejour: – could not impose himself on the game.

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