Lack of attacking ambition proves costly – Wigan Athletic 0 Sheffield Wednesday 1

Posted on February 4, 2017 by ianhaspinall
callum-connolly

Callum Connolly had a goal disallowed for a debatable offside.

Latics remain rooted in the bottom three of the Championship as they lacked a cutting edge in the home defeat to play-off contenders Sheffield Wednesday.

In a dour Friday night game in front of the Sky TV cameras the Owls went ahead with a Ross Wallace deflected goal just before half-time.

Latics created the best chances overall with Sam Morsy and James Weir going close and Callum Connolly having a goal disallowed for a debatable offside decision.

The Owls were far from convincing but the narrow win was enough to seal the three points and move them into sixth place in the table.

Warren Joyce surprisingly named an unchanged starting eleven with four new signings, Omar Bogle, James Weir, Jamie Hanson and Matt Gilks on the substitutes bench.

With the departure of winger Yanic Wildschut to Norwich City on deadline day it was hoped that new strikers Bogle or Mikael Mandron might get a start alongside Will Grigg, but Joyce preferred to pack his team with midfielders and rely on lone-striker Grigg.

In a scrappy first half neither team created many chances and just when it looked like the teams would go into the interval level the Owls went ahead somewhat fortuitously.

Wallace picked up a flick from £10m striker Jordan Rhodes following a long ball from Vincent Sasso, and his shot was deflected off Jake Buxton’s outstretched leg and spun over the head of keeper Jakob Haugaard.

Latics started the second half briskly and Man of the Match Sam Morsy went close in the 49th minute. The Eqyptian midfielder drove forward into the box evading several challenges before firing from close range but Westwood saved bravely.

The increasingly isolated Grigg should have done better when he received the ball in the box in the 57th minute, but his touch let him down.

Soon afterwards Dan Burn had a good opportunity when he met Max Power’s cross but his header failed to trouble Westwood.

Bogle and Weir made their debuts with 25 minutes remaining in place of Grigg and David Perkins. Weir in particular having a positive effect on the midfield.

Latics were then unlucky to have a goal chalked off for a debatable offside decision.

Connolly was played through by Max Power and rounded Westwood to finish, but the linesman flagged for offside although the young full-back appeared to be level with a defender.

Weir then had a great opportunity when he met an enticing cross from Michael Jacobs but his header from inside the box flew just over the crossbar.

The Owls were offering little going forward and Latics were looking the most likely to score but time was running out.

In six minutes of added time, keeper Haugaard came up for a corner which resulted in a goalmouth scramble but the Owls managed to clear and then in the dying seconds Jacobs fired across the six-yard box and Burn was unable to stretch to make the vital contact.

Post-match Warren Joyce blamed Latics’ ‘composure in both boxes’, but the manger should also take some responsibility for his team selection.

Joyce had gone for just one lone striker in a line-up packed with midfielders. Will Grigg had a thankless task running the line and also tracking back under his manager’s instruction.

New striker Omar Bogle got a late debut but this was to replace Grigg and not to play alongside him.

Latics are the lowest scorers in the Championship and the manager must surely adopt a more attacking line-up, particularly in home games, if they are to escape the drop.

Posted in Callum Connolly, Championship, Ross Wallace, Sheffield Wednesday, Warren Joyce, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

12th Man – Will hectic transfer window deliver results?

Posted on February 3, 2017 by ianhaspinall
omar-bogle2

Highly-rated striker Omar Bogle. Photograph courtesy of Wigan Athletic.

The January transfer window proved to be even more hectic than usual. It was always expected that the new manager Warren Joyce would want to bring in his own signings but the turnover this time has been unprecedented.

Latics brought in an improbable eight players on deadline day and fourteen in the window overall.

Joyce and his recruitment team have generally gone for young players with a high work rate and who are capable of improving.

The Manchester United connection is a strong one with many of the signings having played under Joyce before.

The manager has perhaps gone a little over board on the recruitment of midfielders, so the fight for a starting place in the centre of the team should provide fascinating viewing.

Fitness could be a problem for some of the deadline day recruits.

Loanee Alex Bruce signed from Hull City has not played all season due to an Achilles problem and he along with former Manchester United and Newcastle winger Gabriel Obertan may not be ready for first team action.

Some of the other young players may not yet be ready to make the step up to the high-pressure atmosphere of the Championship.

Midfielder Josh Laurent, 21, who joined from Hartlepool United, striker Mikael Mandron, 22, signed from Non-league Eastleigh, Midfielder James Weir, 21, who signed on loan from Hull City and midfielder Jack Byrne, 20, from Manchester City, may all have to wait for first team opportunities.

However, I expect highly-rated striker Omar Bogle, 23, signed from Grimsby Town to be thrust into the first team squad for tonight’s fixture against play-off contenders Sheffield Wednesday.

Latics will need more goals if they are to survive the drop and they will be hoping that Bogle can continue the form he showed at Grimsby, where he scored 19 goals in 30 games.

Experienced keeper Matt Gilks, 34, signed from Glasgow Rangers on deadline day could also come into the squad for tonight’s game.

As far as deadline day outgoings were concerned, the most controversial transfer business was Yanic Wildschut’s last minute departure to Norwich City for a reported £7.5m.

The Dutch winger had been very much part of Warren Joyce’s plans but the player couldn’t resist the opportunity of an improved salary at Carrow Road.

However, the club at least made a significant profit on the deal having signed Wildschut from Middlesbrough for around £1m only 12 months ago.

It was sad to see fans favourite and FA Cup winner Jordi Gomez move back to Spain to join Rayo Vallecano, but it seemed that Gomez just didn’t fit into Joyce’s plans for the club.

Overall it was a positive transfer window with some marquee signings, some promising young recruits and a few experienced older heads arriving.

The big challenge now is for Joyce and his coaching team to blend the new players into an effective unit that can escape relegation.

This article was first published in the 12th Man column for the Wigan Evening Post on Friday 3rd February 2017.

Posted in Alex Bruce, Championship, Gabriel Obertan, Jack Byrne, James Weir, Josh Laurent, Matt Gilks, Mikael Mandron, Omar Bogle, Sheffield Wednesday, Transfers, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Red Devils strength in depth too much for Latics – Manchester United 4 Wigan Athletic 0

Posted on January 30, 2017 by ianhaspinall
old-trafford

The teams line-up at Old Trafford

Manchester United progressed to the last 16 of the FA Cup with a dominant second half performance against Wigan Athletic.

Latics produced a brave battling first half display but were ultimately undone by United’s greater quality in depth.

The underdogs were edging the first half until Marouane Fellaini’s back post header broke the deadlock just before the interval.

Latics proved to be vulnerable in the air and Chris Smalling added a second header after 57 minutes.

Anthony Martial then set up Henrikh Mkhitaryan to add a third on 74 minutes, before Bastian Schweinsteiger completed the scoring with an overhead kick on 81 minutes after Latics failed to clear a cross.

Latics’ 3,000 strong away following had sung their hearts out throughout and had backed the team magnificently but it was just not to be their day.

Wigan were unchanged from the line-up which defeated Brentford although the returning Yanic Wildschut was named amongst the substitutes.

United’s strength in depth was demonstrated by their ability to make nine changes from their League Cup semi-final victory over Hull City and still field a high calibre and very experienced line-up.

The Championship team acquitted themselves very well in the opening half and probably had the better chances to take the lead.

Callum Connolly forced a good save from Sergio Romero after Dan Burn set him up from Max Power’s free-kick on 11 minutes.

Latics’ best chance came on 54 minutes when Romero spilled Connolly’s right wing cross to David Perkins on the edge of the area and the midfielder’s low drive was well saved by the United keeper.

Just when it looked as though the teams would be heading into the interval level, United struck.

Schweinsteiger’s cross found Marouane Fellaini at the back post and the big Belgium midfielder headed past keeper Jakob Haugaard.

Latics resilience had been broken and United doubled their lead on 57 minutes with another header, Chris Smalling this time on the end of Anthony Martial cross.

The visitors introduced Yanic Wildschut after the goal in place of Perkins but the winger was unable to make much impact on United’s back line.

A swift United counter attack resulted in a third goal. Mkhitaryan produced an enticing cross into the six yard box and Martial bundled home from close range.

It was comfortable for United now and they scored a fourth on 81 minutes when Wayne Rooney’s corner was knocked on by Ander Herrera and Schweinsteiger’s overhead kick beat Haugaard from close range.

The scoreline was a little harsh on Latics who had matched their opponents for long periods but they just couldn’t sustain the level of performance against United’s quality.

Latics must now focus on Championship survival and bounce back to winning ways against play-off chasing Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night.

 

Posted in Bastian Schweinsteiger, Chris Smalling, FA Cup, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Manchester United, Marouane Fellaini, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

12th Man – Up for the Cup

Posted on January 27, 2017 by ianhaspinall
Will Grigg Wigan Athletic

Can Will Grigg get on the score sheet at Old Trafford?

Latics face the daunting task of trying to eliminate the current FA Cup holders Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United are in resurgent form in the Premier League under Jose Mourinho, have qualified for the League Cup final and are expected to progress in the Europa League.

They have a team stacked with superstars and have not lost at Old Trafford since the 2-1 defeat by Manchester City on the 10th September 2016.

Most people will be predicting a comfortable win for United against a team who are near the bottom of the Championship table.

But United are not invincible and this season Stoke City, Burnley, Arsenal, West Ham and Liverpool have held them at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils struggled against Sheffield United last season in the FA Cup and only a last-minute Wayne Rooney penalty saved their blushes.

It will be the first time Latics and United have met in the FA Cup but United’s local rivals Manchester City know all about Latics’ proud recent history in the competition.

Latics, of course, achieved a remarkable double over City winning the trophy in 2013 and defeating them at the Etihad Stadium in the quarter-final in 2014.

Latics do have insider information on United as Warren Joyce was in charge of United’s reserves for eight years between 2008 and 2016 before becoming manager at the DW Stadium.

Joyce oversaw the development of top players such as Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard and the insights he can provide about United’s players could be invaluable as they seek to create an upset.

Latics are now in a good vein of form and will be relishing the prospect of competing against some of the top players in the country in front of 70,000 supporters.

If United underestimate Latics and are in any way complacent then there are players who can cause a surprise at Old Trafford.

Yanic Wildschut is a product of the famous Ajax Academy and is very capable of producing some special magic on the day.

Will Grigg grabbed a brace for MK Dons when United were knocked out of the League Cup in 2014 and I’m sure Latics’ leading goal scorer would love to hear a chorus of ‘Will Grigg’s on Fire’ ring out around Old Trafford.

Egyptian international Sam Morsy has been rejuvenated since returning from Barnsley and the combative midfielder will want to make a big impression against some of the highest paid players in the world.

United may be favourites to go through to the 5th Round but Latics have pulled off some miraculous FA Cup results in recent times and they might just do it again.

This article was first published in the 12th Man column for the Wigan Evening Post on Friday 27th January 2017.

Posted in FA Cup, Manchester United, Sam Morsy, Warren Joyce, Wigan Athletic, Will Grigg, Yanic Wildschut | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Battling Wigan move out of the drop zone – Wigan Athletic 2 Brentford 1

Posted on January 23, 2017 by ianhaspinall
sammorsy1

Man of the match Sam Morsy. Photograph courtesy of Wigan Athletic.

Latics moved out of the bottom three after a dominating display against mid-table Brentford at the DW Stadium.

Man of the match Sam Morsy fired Latics ahead after 28 minutes and soon afterwards the Eqyptian international added a second when Harlee Dean diverted his cross shot into his own net.

Brentford managed a consolation goal with four minutes of normal time remaining when substitute Jota pounced after keeper Jakob Haugaard had spilled Philip Hoffman’s shot.

Latics secured a third straight win in a row and they now go into their FA Cup tie at Manchester United in buoyant mood.

Both teams were without key players, for Latics winger Yanic Wilschut and for the Bees prolific striker Scott Hogan who is attracting interest from West Ham, but it was one way traffic as the home team were in control from the kick off.

The return of David Perkins alongside Shaun MacDonald, Sam Morsy and Max Power made it a very combative Latics midfield and the Bees found it difficult to build any momentum.

Morsy has made a huge impact since his return from Barnsley and he burst through the Bees midfield on 27 minutes and struck a great shot which beat keeper Dan Bentley but came back off the post, just out of the reach of the advancing Will Grigg.

But a minute later Morsy produced an even better piece of skill to open the scoring for Latics. The midfielder once again broke through the Bees defence before hitting a superb curling shot from the edge of the box and past the despairing Bentley.

Latics continued to push forward and they were soon two up. Will Grigg’s shot from inside the box was pushed away by Bentley but the ball found Jacobs, who was able to feed Morsy, and his cross shot struck Dean and rolled into the Brentford net.

Grigg might have increased the lead three minutes later, but he couldn’t quite reach Warnock’s cross from the left and Jacobs had another shot saved by Bentley.

Brentford surprisingly offered little going forward but Latics had been excellent in the first half and they could easily have gone into the break more than two goals ahead.

The visitors improved at the beginning of the second half and Tom Field went close when he met Maxime Colin’s pull-back and John Egan fired wide from inside the box.

Latics always looked likely to add to their tally and Dan Burn headed over, Grigg just failed to reach another Warnock cross and Andreas Bjelland headed away Morsy’s dangerous cross.

The Bees best chance of the game came when Bjelland’s header was superbly tipped over the crossbar by Haugaard.

Jacobs should have made it three on 80 minutes when he cut in from the left curled his shot a foot wide of the far post.

Brentford did manage a consolation goal on 86 minutes when substitute Jota pounced on the ball after Haugaard spilled Philipp Hofmann’s shot, but it was too late for the away team and Latics ran out deserved winners.

Posted in Brentford, Championship, Jota, Sam Morsy, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

12th Man – Building blocks for survival

Posted on January 20, 2017 by ianhaspinall
callum-connolly

Dream debut for Callum Connolly. Photograph courtesy of Wigan Athletic

What an incredible debut for Callum Connolly at Burton last Saturday, the 19-year-old Everton loanee had only signed for Latics just prior to kick off and he made a dream start scoring two headed goals to clinch a vital win.

It’s hard to remember a better Latics debut and in such an important game. If they had lost to Burton the gap between the two clubs would have been nine points.

But the victory keeps Latics within touching distance of the clubs above them and a home win against Brentford tomorrow could move them out of the bottom three.

The mood around the club this week has been much more upbeat because of the win but also because Warren Joyce has made some very good new signings.

The building blocks are now being put in place to help Latics pull away from the bottom of the table.

The addition of the England U20 international Connolly has hopefully resolved the problematic right-back position and should give the team a more balanced look.

The club has also brought in Danish keeper Jakob Haugaard on loan for the remainder of the season from Stoke City.

Like Connolly, Haugaard made an impact in his first game at the club by saving a penalty in the FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest and he followed this up with an assured performance against Burton.

The 6ft 6½in stopper is an imposing figure and he has added a new weapon to the Latics armoury, the very long kick. Haugaard was launching some massive kicks deep into the Burton half and with a little more luck Latics might have taken advantage.

It is looking likely that Latics will sign Turkish midfielder Jem Karacan from Galatasaray. The 27 year-old former Reading player, who has also had loan spells at Bournemouth and Millwall, should provide more competition in the centre of midfield.

Karacan was on the bench for the Turkish national team in 2014 but his career has been blighted by a series of serious injuries and Joyce is taking a chance that Karacan can get his career back on track with Latics.

But perhaps the biggest bonus this week was the permanent return of Sam Morsy to the club. Morsy’s career looked to be heading away from Wigan after Barnsley triggered a transfer fee but Joyce’s determination to keep the player at Latics has given everyone a boost.

The fans’ favourite has made a positive impact in the last two games and it is now up to the player to justify the manager’s faith in him.

I suspect Latics’ transfer business is not yet over and the manager will have other targets in mind before the window closes at the end of January.

Joyce has brought new blood into a squad, which has always been competitive, but just hadn’t been getting the results. The signs are now looking more promising, but Latics must continue to improve if they are to escape the drop.

This article was first published in the 12th Man column for the Wigan Evening Post on Friday 20th January 2017.

Posted in Brentford, Callum Connolly, Championship, Jakob Haugaard, Jem Karacan, Sam Morsy, Warren Joyce, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book review: Tangerines and Pies – The story of the 2015/16 football season for Blackpool and Wigan

Posted on January 19, 2017 by ianhaspinall

tangerines-pies

This quietly published book chronicles Wigan Athletic’s successful League One title winning campaign and contrasts it with the travails of local rivals Blackpool during the 2015/16 season.

Both clubs have enjoyed the limelight of the Premier League but during 2015 they were both relegated from the Championship to League One after some disastrous performances both on and off the pitch.

The chairmen of both clubs received FA bans for their racist remarks and defamatory texts, whilst managers came and went at a rapid rate.

The book’s general premise in following the differing fortunes of the two Lancashire clubs is a good one. There are many similarities between the two clubs but also some striking differences.

Both of the clubs are owned by wealthy local businessmen with Dave Whelan at Wigan and Owen Oyston at Blackpool. Whelan is generally well regarded by the Latics supporters, despite his misjudgments when Malky Mackay was the manager.

The Oyston family, however, are loathed by many Tangerines supporters, who accuse them of putting their business interests before those of the club and allowing it to fall into a decline.

In March 2015, Dave Whelan handed over the chairmanship of the club to his 23-year-old grandson David Sharpe. Owen Oyston’s son Karl became chairman in 1999 but his 82-year-old father remains on the board.

It is accurate to say that both Dave Whelan and Owen Oyston are still very influential at their respective clubs.

Both clubs had new managers for the 2015/16 season, with Gary Caldwell at Wigan and Neil McDonald at Blackpool and both clubs had retained relatively few of the previous season’s playing staff.

The prospects for both teams were predicted to be at the opposite ends of the League One table, with the Tangerines struggling near the bottom and Latics amongst those challenging at the top of the table.

The book includes coverage of the two clubs’ 46 league matches (plus Cup games) and it seeks to explore the relationship between the history of each club; their current circumstances and aspirations; and the relationship between the towns themselves and the clubs, which are so important a part of their cultural heritage.

The author provides useful portraits of the two towns with reference to what diverse authors such as George Orwell, J.B.Priestley, Bill Bryson and Stuart Maconie have said about them.

There are short histories of each club and interviews with those closely involved with each club. For Blackpool Christine Seddon from the Blackpool Supporters Trust and William Watt from the Blackpool Gazette give their views and from Wigan chief executive Jonathan Jackson and Martin Tarbuck from The Mudhutter fanzine were interviewed.

The author provides a fairly accurate commentary on the events both on and off the pitch although he does sometimes stray into ‘Better in my day’ and ‘Grumpy old man’ territory at times, with his aversion to choreographed goal celebrations; the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy; being put off going to matches when it’s raining and getting lost in the metropolis that is Wigan!

This true story reaches a dramatic finale on the 30th April 2016 at Bloomfield Road when the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs are put into sharp relief as Wigan clinch the League One title and Blackpool are all but mathematically relegated to League Two.

Overall the book is a worthwhile reminder of Wigan’s enjoyable title winning season for their fans, but perhaps less so for Blackpool fans that might not want to be reminded of their relegation and their continuing boardroom problems.

Tangerines and Pies – The story of the 2015/16 football season for Blackpool and Wigan by Steve Leach, Published by Bennion Kearny, Price £9.99.

This review was published in the March/April 2017 edition of Late Tackle magazine.

Posted in Blackpool, Book Reviews, Championship, Dave Whelan, David Sharpe, Karl Oyston, League One, Owen Oyston, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dream debut helps Latics close the gap – Burton Albion 0 Wigan Athletic 2

Posted on January 14, 2017 by ianhaspinall
burton-v-latics

Burton defend a Wigan corner

Defender Callum Connolly scored two headed goals on his debut to give Wigan Athletic an important victory in their quest for Championship survival.

The 19-year-old Everton loanee had only signed for Latics prior to kick off and had a dream start at his new club when he headed home just on the stroke of half time. He then repeated the act on 64 minutes to ensure Latics came away with a vital three points.

Latics now only trail Burton by three points although they remain in 23rd place in the table. Burton remain in 21st place with Blackburn Rovers in 22nd spot.

Connolly made his debut in place of the injured Nick Powell and was the only change from the team which defeated Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

In a closely fought encounter both teams created good goalscoring opportunities in the opening half.

Luke Murphy, Chris O’Grady and Jamie Ward all threatened for the Brewers in the opening exchanges before Michael Jacobs forced a save from Burton keeper Jon Mclaughlin on 18 minutes.

Soon afterwards Max Power nearly made a breakthrough when he latched onto a long ball from Latics’ keeper Jakob Haugaard.

Warren Joyce’s team were adopting a route one approach and the midfielder pulled the ball down in the box before volleying narrowly wide of the post with Mclaughlin beaten.

The Brewers responded and Chris O’Grady’s goalbound shot from inside the box beat Haugaard but was cleared off the line by Stephen Warnock.

Yanic Wildschut set up Will Grigg on the edge of the area on 38 minutes but the striker’s effort curled narrowly wide of the post.

Just when it looked as though the teams would go in level at the interval Latics went ahead through an unlikely source.

Warnock looped a deep cross from the left to the far post and Connolly rose above his marker to head firmly into the Brewers net much to the delight of Latics’ travelling support.

Stephen Bywater replaced McLaughlin at half time after the keeper was injured in collision with former Burton player Jake Buxton.

The Brewers pressed forward in an attempt to draw level but the Latics defence held firm with Warnock, Burn and Buxton all outstanding.

On 64 minutes Latics increased their lead when Jacobs’ right wing corner found Connolly in the box and the young defender angled his header past Bywater for a dream double.

Burton tried to get back into the game but Latics were resolute. The home team resorted to shots from distance, although Burn did have to make a goal-line clearance and Haugaard saved well from O’Grady.

Jordan Flores replaced Wildschut and Craig Morgan replaced Power in the closing stages and Latics were able to see out the game with relative ease.

It was a memorable debut for Callum Connolly and a much needed Championship victory for Latics. Warren Joyce should be praised for his decision to bring Connolly to the club and to play him in such an important game. It is imperative that the team now build on the victory and put together a winning sequence to move them away from the bottom three.

Posted in Burton Albion, Callum Connolly, Championship, Warren Joyce, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

12th Man – It is getting serious now

Posted on January 13, 2017 by ianhaspinall
pirelli-burton

Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium

Latics reaped the reward of a first home victory in seven games against Nottingham Forest with a high profile fourth round draw at FA Cup holders Manchester United.

Former United reserve team manager Warren Joyce will be relishing the prospect of pitting his wits against Jose Mourinho and Latics’ players will be looking forward to competing against some of the top players in the country in front of 70,000 supporters at Old Trafford.

The club will certainly benefit financially from the trip, but Latics have a proud recent history in the FA Cup, winners in 2013 and semi-finalists in 2014, so don’t rule out the possibility of another shock result.

Before that game however, Latics have some huge games in the Championship and tomorrow they come up against Burton Albion in what could be a season defining relegation six-pointer.

Going into the game both teams have selection dilemmas with injuries and transfer speculation affecting them.

Burton have been hit by a sickness bug this week and they are definitely without their new signing Luke Varney who was unluckily injured in last week’s cup defeat to Watford. The striker will be out for some time after suffering a punctured lung and broken rib.

Top scorer Jackson Irvine, striker Chris O’Grady, defender Ben Miller and midfielder Will Miller are all doubtful for the game.

Latics are still without several key players and the injury list lengthened when Nick Powell hobbled off against Nottingham Forest with a reoccurrence of the hamstring strain that has plagued his career so far.

It seems that the 22-year-old could be out for the rest of the season, which would be a huge blow to the club that gambled on him making such a big impact.

Speculation continues about Saturday’s Man of the Match Sam Morsy’s possible transfer to Barnsley.

The two clubs have an agreement about the transfer fee but the player has yet to agree personal terms. I expect Morsy to play at Burton, if no agreement is reached with the Tykes.

Warren Joyce will want the FA Cup win to be the catalyst for Latics to put a winning run together in the Championship. With Latics six points from safety, there cannot be a repeat of the disastrous result at Rotherham on Boxing Day.

The manager will be aware that the players didn’t turn up in the first half at the New York Stadium and a similar performance against Burton would be catastrophic for the club’s survival chances.

This article was first published in the 12th Man column for the Wigan Evening Post on Friday 13th January 2017.

Posted in Burton Albion, Championship, FA Cup, Manchester United, Warren Joyce, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Will FA Cup victory ignite Latics’ season? Wigan Athletic 2 Nottingham Forest 0

Posted on January 8, 2017 by ianhaspinall
Sam Morsy

Man of the Match Sam Morsy may be on his way to Barnsley

Wigan Athletic progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a comfortable victory over Nottingham Forest at the DW Stadium.

Forest are three places above Latics in the Championship table but it was the lower placed team who dominated throughout.

Latics went ahead through Will Grigg just before half time and consolidated their lead through Yanic Wildschut on 57 minutes.

Forest were given a way back into the game on 81 minutes when Latics conceded a sloppy penalty but debutant keeper Jakob Haugaard saved Eric Lichaj’s spot kick and any hopes of a comeback were thwarted.

The home team made two changes to the starting line up from the recent defeat to Huddersfield with new loan signing Haugaard making his debut in goal and Sam Morsy returning from his Barnsley loan in midfield.

Latics started on the front foot and pressed their opponents from the kick-off. Their first opportunity came on seven minutes when they won a free kick on the edge of the Forest area.

Nick Powell blasted the resultant free-kick narrowly wide of Stephen Henderson’s right hand post.

Minutes later Powell had to be withdrawn after suffering a reoccurrence of his hamstring injury and was replaced by Jordi Gomez.

Morsy was in the thick of the action and involved in most of Latics best moves.

It had been something of a surprise to see Morsy in the starting line up given that Latics had agreed a transfer fee with Barnsley and the player was in the process of agreeing personal terms with the Tykes.

The Eqyptian midfielder might have found the net on 10 minutes when in space just inside the box, but he somehow failed to make contact with Wildschut’s low cross, the ball then fell to Michael Jacobs whose subsequent shot was wide of the target.

Forest had an opportunity on 13 minutes from Hildeberto Pereira’s free-kick, but Jacobs managed to deflect the shot for a corner.

Morsy then had two great chances to open the scoring, firstly firing wide from Wildschut’s pull-back and secondly, when he chested the ball down and his shot was deflected wide for a corner.

Latics were in almost complete control with some neat passing football.

Grigg started a great move when he controlled the ball and turned on the halfway line before feeding Jacobs down the right. The midfielder beat his marker and crossed to the near post and although the ball was initially cleared it fell straight to Gomez, but his shot spun over the crossbar.

Just when it was looking like Forest would hold out until the interval Latics went ahead.

Stephen Warnock broke free down the left hand side and crossed for Grigg at the near post and the striker made no mistake for his seventh goal of the season.

Latics continued to be in control at the beginning of the second half as Forest offered only limited resistance.

Grigg might have doubled the lead almost from the kick-off as he got on the end of Dan Burn’s pass but his effort was just wide.

Jacobs fired wide of Henderson’s goal on 51 minutes and was then denied by a superb last ditch tackle from Michael Mancienne soon afterwards.

But on 57 minutes Latics went two up through Wildschut. The powerful Dutchman played a neat one-two with Warnock down the left and cut into the box before firing a low drive past Henderson. It was no more than Latics good play had deserved.

Forest were gifted an opportunity to get back into the game on 81 minutes when an unnecessary foul by Gomez on Lica gave Forest a penalty.

However, they failed to take their opportunity as keeper Haugaard saved Eric Lichaj’s driven penalty with his legs.

Local boy Jordan Flores replaced Grigg late on and nearly made a name for himself when his curling shot went narrowly wide of Henderson’s post.

It was a much improved performance by Latics as they recorded their first win in seven home games. But they will also be aware that Forest put in a poor display and have now gone seven games without a win in all competitions.

Latics will be hoping that manager Warren Joyce’s first home victory can kickstart their progress towards Championship survival starting with the crunch game at Burton Albion next Saturday.

Posted in FA Cup, Nottingham Forest, Warren Joyce, Wigan Athletic, Will Grigg, Yanic Wildschut | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment