http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/ en Copyright 2012 Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:06:31 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Los Three Amigos of Wigan. My sense of foreboding was to be temporarily lifted in the first few minutes with Latics going close to scoring on a couple of occasions. However, this was to be only a temporary respite. Wigan were playing without any attacking player on the right. Gomez would track back to help Boyce when the opposition attacked on their left, then move back to a central midfield position to receive the ball. As the half progressed a nervy QPR started to get on top. Their nerves were calmed after 32 minutes when James McCarthy idiotically palmed the ball away from a Barton corner. Helguson scored the resulting penalty with ease. The situation was exacerbated in the 45th minute when Gohouri ‘s trip on Campbell gave Buzsaky the chance to curl a wonderful free kick in off the post.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/qpr_3_wigan_athletic_1_a_sense.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/qpr_3_wigan_athletic_1_a_sense.php Match Reports 3-1 latics qpr relegation battle wigan Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:06:31 +0000 contributed by Jakarta Jack, whose writing regularly graces Los Three Amigos of Wigan. Wigan Athletic have enjoyed some unforgettable moments in the FA Cup. My fondest memory remains a trip to Maine Road to play European Cup Winners Cup holders Manchester City, in January 1971. A fine Man City footballing team full of household names like Bell, Summerbee, and Young, playing against non-league Wigan. There were more than 45,000 people there that day, estimates of 20,000 of them traveling from Wigan. Those were the days of Geoff Davies as Latics’ centre forward. Signed from Northwich for £800, Geoff scored five hat tricks in his first three months, ending up with 42 goals for the season. Latics were unlucky to be losing 1-0 to a Colin Bell goal after 83 minutes following a bad goal kick from their admirable goalkeeper, Dennis Reeves. He had split his boot but apparently did not want to lose his concentration by stopping the play. You can see it here. In the last minute, Geoff Davies had a superb header pawed onto the post by the excellent Joe Corrigan. An unlucky ending for Gordon Milne’s Latics team whose performance brought great pride to its supporters. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/what_happened_to_the_fa_cup_a.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/what_happened_to_the_fa_cup_a.php Features demise fa cup history swindon wigan Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:18:26 +0000 Callum McManaman: the 20-year-old is fresh from a successful loan spell at Blackpool, who judging by fan forums were sad to lose him. He scored a couple goals and looked quite confident. Scored for Latics almost exactly a year ago in last season’s FA Cup 3rd round, so he’ll be hoping to repeat the feat. It was cracker (40 secs in). ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/keep_an_eye_out_for_a_look_at.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/keep_an_eye_out_for_a_look_at.php Match Previews dicko fa cup mcmanaman preview swindon wigan Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:49:34 +0000 The first half was all Wigan - almost. Roberto turned a few heads with his stating lineup, resting the key duo of Victor Moses and Mohammed Diame; Albert Crusat and Ben Watson starting in their stead. The 3-4-2-1 formation that has yielded Latics best results this season was left intact. Steve Gohouri took Gary Caldwell's position at the centre of the back three, while Dave Jones and Ronnie Stam continued as advanced wing-backs, protected by the mostly defensive central midfield pairing of James McCarthy and Ben Watson. Ahead of them, Crusat started inside left, Jordi inside right, and Rodallega up top - though such is the fluidity of this system that Jordi's was more of a free-role, popping up left, right and center, with Ronnie Stam constantly overlapping him on the right wing.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/wigan_athletic_1_sunderland_4.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/wigan_athletic_1_sunderland_4.php Match Reports 1-4 black cats latics martinez o'neill opinion report sunderland wigan Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:17:58 +0000 ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/oneills_black_cats_on_a_high_w.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/oneills_black_cats_on_a_high_w.php Match Previews boyce caldwell dw latics o'neill preview rodallega stam sunderland wigan Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:45:08 +0000 Wigan Athletic 1 Chelsea 1 The home side were more than a match for Chelsea, who had strung several wins together before this fixture. Daniel Sturridge scored a beautifully taken goal early in the second half against the run of play, but Latics persistence paid off when Petr Cech fumbled Rodallega’s shot straight to Jordi Gomez for the equalizer. The Good: The entire performance, but special mention to the tackling in midfield, defensive solidity, and Jordi for being in the right place at the right time at the end of a very tiring match. The Bad: Shame it couldn’t have been three points. Player Ratings: Ali Al-Habsi: 7; Antolin Alcaraz: 8.5; Gary Caldwell: 8; Maynor Figueroa: 8; Ronnie Stam: 7; Dave Jones: 7; James McCarthy: 8.8; Mo Diame: 7; Jordi Gomez: 7; Victor Moses: 8; Conor Sammon: 6 ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/better_late_than_never_a_look.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/better_late_than_never_a_look.php Match Reports chelsea latics liverpool manchester united manyoo phil dowd wigan athletic Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:12:01 +0000 Los Three Amigos Wigan Ben Watson made a welcome reappearance off the bench to salvage a well deserved point for Latics. A 10 man Latics team were trailing 2-1 when Hugo Rodallega was pulled down in the penalty box. The usual penalty taker, Jordi Gomez, had already been substituted so Martinez had a tough decision to make. It turned out to be an inspired decision, Watson hitting home the penalty with aplomb after being pulled off the bench to take it. As expected Latics had to withstand the usual aerial bombardment from Stoke with multiple long throws form Rory Delap, although the wing backs did well in keeping in check the dangerous wingers, Pennant and Etherington. The stats tell us that Stoke only had two shots on target the whole game, whereas Wigan had six. Moreover Ali Al Habsi did not have a direct shot to save whereas Stoke’s Sorensen had four, although Wigan had a slice of luck in the 60th minute when a header from Huth hit the post and fell into Al Habsi’s welcoming arms. In between the aerial bombardment we saw the usual ruthless tackling from Stoke, with Latics getting minimal protection from the referee. Victor Moses in particularly was heavily marked. ]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/stoke_2_wigan_athletic_2_a_har.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2012/01/stoke_2_wigan_athletic_2_a_har.php Match Reports 2-2 analysis blog epl latics match report stoke wigan Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:48:41 +0000 On any other day, West Brom might've scored three or four, amassing 13 corners and 23 goal attempts over the course of 90 minutes. The pressure began early, with Chris Brunt, Shane Long and Jerome Thomas all going close, and Ali Al-Habsi back to his best with an instinctive reflex save. If you haven't read The Guardian's excellent profile on Ali, please do so here. Having survived the early onslaught, however, Wigan grew in confidence, gaining possession and making occasional forays into West Brom territory. Victor Moses created some space only to drag a tame shot wide, while David Jones willed his way through two or three defenders but failed to get a shot away. The match was turning, and Latics were the more comfortable side when Gary Caldwell was adjudged to have pulled Peter Odemwingie down outside the box. While most of us watched Chris Brunt and his hammer of a left boot, Steven Reid planted a stunning right-footed curler past Al-Habsi and into the upper left corner.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/west_brom_1_wigan_athletic_2_m.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/west_brom_1_wigan_athletic_2_m.php Match Reports 1-2 defensive epl jordi gomez victor moses west brom wigan Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:46:27 +0000 Let's start with an admission. I don't have the faintest clue what is going to happen at the Hawthorns tomorrow. Since Roberto's tactical switch three matches ago, we've seen all shades of Wigan. The best attacking performance of the season came in the Blackburn draw, which would have been a win but for Andre bloody Mariner. The best defensive performance came in the away win at Sunderland. The worst performance full-stop, began the second Mikel Arteta scored Arsenal's first. Football has way of clouding one's judgement. Having most recently watched 65 minutes of capitulation against an Arsenal team at their imperious best, co-starring ourselves at our demoralized worst, it's hard to view this next fixture with any real optimism. And yet, in the first 25 minutes of the game against that same Arsenal side, we played some of our best football all season. How would I feel if Arsenal had gone 4-0 up and Latics had finished with those excellent 25 minutes of football. Ok, still probably not great, but certainly a bit more optimistic. http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/west_brom_wigan_preview_living.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/west_brom_wigan_preview_living.php 2010 2010-2011 epl latics preview relegation wba west brom wigan Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:17:28 +0000 contributed by Jakarta Jack, whose work appears regularly on Los Three Amigos of Wigan. Do you ever get irritated by the “expert commentator” when you watch a televised football match? A particularly annoying tone of voice or an absurd level of incredulity and disbelief when a striker misses a chance. He will typically try to tell you that those things did not happen in his day. Some favour the top teams, others haven’t done their research or are just plain ignorant towards smaller sides like Wigan Athletic. Others still favour the clubs they used to play for. The theory is that they are good people to provide expert analyses, due to their experiences on the pitch during their playing careers. Their counterparts — the match narrators — are there because of their communication skills, their ability to reach out to mass audiences. They can grate on one too, particularly when glorifying the top teams and their players over all others — but I personally find them less irritating.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/irritating_expert_commentators_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/irritating_expert_commentators_1.php Features arsenal commentary commentators fox soccer garry birtles latics sky sports wigan Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:22:17 +0000 From the moment the team for Arsenal’s midweek Carling Cup match against league leaders Manchester City was announced, things looked grim for Wigan in this fixture. Wenger rested just about all of his key players against the billionaire Sky Blues only to unleash them fresh against second-from-bottom Wigan. It was a statement of intent from Wenger, whose focus is clearly on the Premier League this season. DW Stadium has after all, proven a tricky place for the Gunners. Latics twice came from behind in spectacular fashion to deny Arsenal in the previous two fixtures, drawing 2-2 last year and winning thrillingly 3-2 the year before. Further back, Latics fans will fondly remember Paul Scharner giving the team their first win over a “big four” team in the Carling Cup. width="430" height="268" /> Despite all this, Latics started very, very well, moving the ball quickly, pressuring high, with a spring in their step after a couple of back-to-back non-defeats. It all could have been so different if Jordi Gomez had found the net when, after excellent build-up play, a David Jones cross was tipped into his path. But it wasn’t to be, and moments later a completely unmarked Mikel Arteta swerved a shot past Ali Al-Habsi, only for Thomas Vermaelen to make it two within a minute, heading from a corner. And that was basically it. http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/wigan_athletic_0_arsenal_4_def.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/wigan_athletic_0_arsenal_4_def.php Match Reports 0-4 2011 4-0 arsenal december epl gunners latics report wigan Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:58:35 +0000 Those times have gone. Let’s be fair: Harry’s career at the club could well have been waning, but in those days the reserve team was a different beast. They played on the same day as the first team. If you couldn’t make it to your first team’s away game you could go and watch the reserves. You could see the young players playing with some seasoned pros. Both benefited: the first team players could regain confidence, reap havoc against less experienced opposition. The younger players in the reserve team could learn exponentially through playing with the seasoned pros. A bygone era!]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/the_reserve_team_an_anachronis_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/12/the_reserve_team_an_anachronis_1.php Features development dicko latics mcmanaman redmond reserves squad wigan Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:47:16 +0000 Quite how you can play as well as Latics did away at Newcastle and lose, and then beat Sunderland as we did on Sunday, I'm not sure. Roberto tends to praise his team's performance when results go the wrong way. This was the opposite, a decidedly average if resolute performance, but an excellent result. Latics started like wounded dogs - after the morale crushing finale against Blackburn a week prior - and it was no surprise when Sebastian Larsson put Sunderland ahead after eight minutes. Ali Al-Habsi made a rare mistake, spilling from Nicklas Bendtner's optimistic shot. The Omani keeper's subsequent block fell to the Swede, a bright light in Sunderland's poor campaign, and he made no mistake.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/11/luck_turns_as_latics_finally_g_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/11/luck_turns_as_latics_finally_g_1.php Match Reports 1-2 bruce di santo epl jordi gomez latics report sunderland wigan Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:05:13 +0000 Steve Bruce is a name that most Wiganers will regard with respect. He kept Wigan Athletic afloat during difficult times in the Premier League on his return to the club. In his previous spell he got his team into the playoffs, where they were unluckily defeated. He left Wigan to join a club willing and able to spend much more cash, hungry for improvement. Sunderland got major cash windfalls through the sales of Kenwyne Jones and Jordan Henderson, but Bruce has also spent a lot of money, has a high wage bill and has to deal with high expectations from the fans. Poor results are putting him under increasing pressure. Bruce won 32% of his Premier League games at Wigan. At Sunderland he has won only 28% so far, despite major capital outlays. Sunderland stand 15th, two points above the drop zone. Bruce’s job is under threat: a bad result this weekend could be the final straw. Sunderland, like the Wigan team in Bruce’s time, will not be pretty to watch. It will be fight-ball, rather than football, with the ball in the air, looking for knock-ons and deflections. Strong tacking will be the order of the day. It was a successful formula at Wigan and probably will be at Sunderland , if he is given the time to persevere. Latics have gone nine games without a win; Sunderland have won one in their last seven. Sunderland have won only two of their Premier League games against Wigan, whereas Latics have won five. Latics have taken seven points out of fifteen at Sunderland over the past five years. http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/11/steve_bruces_teams_deserve_res.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/11/steve_bruces_teams_deserve_res.php Match Previews bruce epl martinez preview sunderland wigan Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:36:03 +0000
In order to survive relegation, a team needs to average around a point per game over the course of the season, although fourth-from-bottom Wolves needed 40 to stay up last year — an exceptional year. Wigan currently sit on 5 points, while Blackburn have one more, from 11 fixture. Two consecutive wins for either team would bring them within striking distance of the point per match relegation barometer. So what to expect on Saturday?]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/11/a_share_of_the_morsels_or_anot_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/wiganathletic/archives/2011/11/a_share_of_the_morsels_or_anot_1.php Match Previews 2011 blackburn epl latics premier league preview relegation battle wigan Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:38:17 +0000