Dack double sinks Latics – Gillingham 2 Wigan Athletic 0

Posted on August 23, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Latics on the attack

Wigan on the attack

After the optimism of Wednesday night Latics were brought back down to earth with a bump as they were outplayed by Gillingham at the Priestfield Stadium.

Two goals from Bradley Dack, one in each half, ensured the Gills secured all three points and moved to the top of the League One table on goal difference. Latics drop down to 13th place having won 1 drawn 1 and lost 2.

Wigan made one change from Wednesday night’s win against Scunthorpe with Kevin McNaughton replacing Jonjoe Kenny at right wingback.

The Gills started confidently with Dack bringing a save from Richard O’Donnell within the first minute. Gillingham pressed and Latics struggled to get their passing game going.

Latics did create an opportunity around the 20th minute mark when Michael Jacobs’ free kick was flicked on by Craig Davies but Chris McCann’s header flew just over the Gills crossbar.

Latics best opportunity came when Grigg shot from distance after good work by McCann, but Nelson saved comfortably.

A rare event for the English Football League took place after 33 minutes when the referee Trevor Kettle gave the players a drinks break due to the exceptional heat.

Unfortunately the break may have affected Latics concentration, as they failed to deal with Rory Donnelly’s run down the right and the ball fell to Dack on the edge of the box and his shot straight down the middle of the goal wrong footed O’Donnell.

McNaughton then suffered a muscle injury and had to be withdrawn and replaced by Kenny. An out of sorts Francisco Junior was replaced at half time by Sean Murray.

Gillingham nearly doubled their lead at the start of the second half but a superb last-ditch tackle by Craig Morgan denied Luke Norris after he looked odds on to score.

Latics might have drawn level soon afterwards when Murray’s deep cross found Grigg at the back post but the striker’s effort was well saved at close range by Nelson.

However, Gillingham were still the dominant team and Donnelly rattled the Wigan upright and then Norris fired just wide.

Caldwell made an attacking change on 75 minutes when Reece James was replaced by Billy McKay.

But the points were sealed on 84 minutes when Donervon Daniels conceded a penalty. The big defender allowed Dack to get on his wrong side and then made a clumsy challenge from behind as the striker moved towards goal.

Dack got up and comfortably converted the penalty sending the Gills to the top of the league table.

Apart from a brief spell in the second half, Latics had been unable to replicate the slick pass and move of the Scunthorpe victory.  Several players had been well off the pace on a very hot day in Kent.

The team is still in a period of transition but Gary Caldwell will have plenty of food for thought after such a disappointing display.

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12th Man: Scunthorpe show was reminiscent of Martinez

Posted on August 21, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Francisco Junior

Everton loanee Francisco Junior making a big impact at Latics

Gary Caldwell’s young team gave Scunthorpe United a lesson in pass and move on Wednesday night at the DW Stadium. The Iron had no answer to Wigan’s style of play, which was reminiscent of the dominant performances produced in the Roberto Martinez days.

The opposition may not have been top drawer but Latics demonstrated how to outplay their opponents with some top quality football. The 3-0 scoreline did not flatter Latics who could have won by considerably more on the night.

Latics are still a work in progress but they produced the kind of football that had the fans purring. It has been evident in the opening games what they have been trying to achieve, but this was the first time that the team had fully clicked together.

Latics newly assembled team were nearly always quicker to the ball and slicker in their passing than their lacklustre opponents.

It was a great team performance but there were also some outstanding individual performances from the diminutive duo David Perkins and Francisco Junior. Comparisons to Barcelona’s Xavi and Iniesta may be stretching a point, but the duo displayed the type of interplay characterized by the famous Spanish duo.

Captain Craig Morgan marshaled the Latics defence superbly, while Will Grigg and Craig Davies provided the cutting edge that had previously been missing. The team’s unity was evident throughout as the players linked up well and won their individual battles all over the pitch.

Caldwell identified that Wigan’s game plan is now coming to fruition. He said,

“We’ve spoken a lot about playing from the back with Richard O’Donnell and how we have to impose our style on other teams, and right away we did that tonight.”

“There was composure, intensity and authority that showed we were in control tonight. It was important that the level continued throughout the game, and the players certainly delivered.”

Caldwell has been working to establish a new style of play and it is now starting to pay dividends. However it is still very early in the season and the Latics manager, players and fans should not get carried away just yet.

There is still a lot of work to do and the next fixture is a difficult away game at second place Gillingham, but if they can recreate this type of performance they will soon be challenging at the top of League One.

This article was first published in the 12th Man column for the Wigan Evening Post on 21 August 2015.

Posted in David Perkins, Everton, Francisco Junior, Gary Caldwell, Gillingham, League One, Roberto Martinez, Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Latics are tiki-taka tormentors – Wigan Athletic 3 Scunthorpe United 0

Posted on August 19, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Will Grigg Wigan Athletic

Will Grigg opened the scoring for Latics. Photo courtesy of Wigan Athletic.

Wigan gave Scunthorpe a footballing lesson as they recorded their first win of the 2015/16 League One campaign. The 3-0 scoreline did not flatter Latics as they dominated proceedings throughout the 90 minutes.

Will Grigg gave Latics the lead from the penalty spot after only three minutes and Donervan Daniels doubled the lead on 27 minutes before Craig Davies completed the rout on 70 minutes.

In truth it could have been many more as Scunthorpe offered only limited resistance to a free-flowing home team.

Latics newly assembled team were nearly always quicker to the ball and slicker in their passing than their opponents. It was an excellent team performance but there were also some stand out performances from the combative David Perkins and Francisco Junior in midfield, Craig Morgan in defence and Will Grigg who led the line with aplomb.

Latics made two changes to the team which drew with Doncaster on Sunday, with Donervon Daniels and Craig Davies replacing Leon Barnett and Max Power.

Caldwell’s young team attacked from the kick off and won a penalty after only three minutes when Will Grigg was pulled back in the area by David Mirfin. Grigg stepped up and despatched the spot kick with ease.

The early goal gave the Latics players confidence and they continued to press the Scunthorpe goal with Michael Jacobs, Davies and Grigg all linking up well.

Latics doubled their lead just before the half hour mark through Donervon Daniels, after Jacobs’ cross had evaded the Scunthorpe defence the former West Bromwich defender fired home at the back post.

Gary Caldwell’s team were on top of their game and the Iron had no answer. Latics nearly added a third just before the interval when Davies shot was well saved by Joe Anyon, before Jacobs volleyed the rebound against the crossbar and away to safety.

It remained 2-0 at the interval, but it could so easily have been many more.

The second half continued like the first with Latics controlling possession and dominating their opponents. Scunthorpe rarely threatened but when they did they were repelled with relative ease.

The hard-working Perkins nearly got on the scoresheet in the 67th minute when he dribbled into the area past several Iron defenders but unfortunately he stroked the ball just wide of the far post.

But Latics sealed the victory on 70 minutes when Davies latched onto Grigg’s superb through ball and fired past the helpless Anyon.

Grigg might have added a fourth soon afterwards when he rounded Anyon and slotted home, but the goal was ruled out for a foul on the defender.

No matter Latics had won convincingly and produced a delightful display of tiki-taka football which had the home crowd in raptures. Long may it continue.

Posted in Craig Davies, Donervon Daniels, League One, Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Will Grigg | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Latics still looking for lift off – Wigan Athletic 0 Doncaster Rovers 0

Posted on August 16, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Michael Jacobs

Michael Jacobs hit the crossbar for Latics

Latics are still looking for their first win of the season after an uninspiring goalless draw at home to Doncaster on Sunday.

Wigan might have taken a first half lead when Michael Jacobs’ 25 yard free-kick hit the crossbar. However, Doncaster had plenty of chances throughout and were denied by some top drawer stops from Latics keeper Richard O’Donnell and some last-ditch defending.

Gary Caldwell made three changes to the side which lost in the league cup on Tuesday night, with Jonjoe Kenny, Francisco Junior and Chris McCann replacing Donervon Daniels, Jordan Flores and Sanmi Odelusi.

Latics made a bright start early on with loanee Francisco Junior making an opportunity for himself on the left hand side before shooting wide.

Latics best chance of the game came after 17 minutes, when Jacobs dipping free-kick hit the crossbar before bouncing away to safety.

Rovers hit back and they could have gone in front on the half hour mark but O’Donnell produced an excellent save to deny Richie Wellens. The keeper was faced with a one-on-one in the box but he got down well to save when the striker looked odds on to score.

Latics then produced the best move of the match when Reece James was played in down the left hand side and he cut the ball back for Max Power but unfortunately the midfielder’s effort was straight at Rovers keeper Stuckmann.

The teams went into the interval level but Rovers started on the front foot at the beginning of the second period.

James Coppinger looked to have been brought down in the area but the referee waved away appeals. Then Harry Forrester forced another excellent low save from O’Donnell two minutes later from a free-kick.

To stem the flow of Doncaster pressure Caldwell introduced loanees Sean Murray and Shaquile Coulthirst for McCann and Francisco Junior.

Rovers were unlucky not to score in the 58th minute, when Mackenzie rose well to meet a corner, and saw his effort cleared off the line by James.

Coulthirst was looking lively and he found Jacobs out wide and the winger’s cross was nearly met by the lunging Will Grigg in the six yard box.

As the match moved towards full-time Power looked to have won his side a penalty when he was brought down in the area but the referee waved away the Latics players appeals.

Rovers had a couple of attacking free kicks in the dying stages but the match ended in stalemate. It was probably a fair result, as neither team had done enough to deserve all three points.

Wigan’s new team showed promise with some neat passing moves but they also demonstrated their significant defensive frailties. They will need to tighten up defensively and also pose more of an attacking threat against Scunthorpe on Wednesday night if they are to stand a chance of securing the three points.

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12th Man: Still early days for our work in progress

Posted on August 14, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Jason Pearce

Jason Pearce may return from injury

It’s been an inauspicious start to the season for Latics with defeats at Coventry City in the league and at home to Bury in the League Cup. The performance at the Ricoh Arena was disappointing but they were a little unlucky to lose to a late Leon Clarke penalty against the Shakers.

But it is still very early days for what is an almost completely new team and it will inevitably take some time for the players to become a cohesive and effective unit.

Some of the other promotion favourites such as Sheffield United and Bradford City have also struggled in their opening league games and they have not had to go through the same amount of upheaval as Latics.

The level of change at Wigan has been truly exceptional. 15 new players have joined the club in the close season and very few remain at the club from last season.

It is unlikely that any other League 1 clubs can have gone through such a massive turnover in players in such a short space of time.

Gary Caldwell admitted to reporters this week “I knew it wouldn’t happen overnight, there are a lot of new faces and a lot of people still getting to grips with a new club.”

He went on to say “It will happen – I think you can see signs of improvement and we’ll keep working hard on the training pitch to make sure it does.”

The manager must meld together a disparate group and educate them about the style of football he wants to play. It will not be an overnight process and the fans will need to be patient during the changeover period.

Let’s not forget that Caldwell is learning the ropes in his first role as a manager. He will inevitably make some mistakes, but hopefully he can learn from them and the club can profit from his development in the long run.

He is still on the look out for new players and he will also hope to be boosted by the return of some of his injured players Jason Pearce, Emyr Huws and Tim Chow.

Latics have two home games in quick succession against Doncaster Rovers and Scunthorpe United. A first three points of the season would certainly aid the team’s development and give the players, manager and fans a much needed boost in confidence.

This article was first published in the 12th Man column for the Wigan Evening Post on 14 August 2015.

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100 points still to go – Coventry City 2 Wigan Athletic 0

Posted on August 9, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Blue Sky over the Ricoh Arena

Blue sky over Coventry

Match report by Jamie Aspinall.

On a blue-sky day the Sky Blues were in total control. A goal in each half by Adam Armstrong made Coventry the opening day victors. Even though Wigan dominated possession in the first half the home side always looked well organised and disciplined with a clear game plan that paid off.

The plan was simple but effective, using the strengths of the ex-Newcastle striker Armstrong’s pace and well-timed runs to get behind the rigid Wigan defence. His movement was rewarded when O’Brien dissected three defenders with a beautifully weighted diagonal ball into his path and the striker calmly slotted past O’Donnell into the corner of the net.

The second goal was a cross in from the left from Fleck finding Armstrong’s untracked run, once again outsmarting the Wigan defence and he applied a controlled touch to the right corner of the goal.

Tony Mowbray admitted that his team had been working on getting the ball behind the defence in training and it clearly helped. Football can be a simple game if you understand your strengths and play to them rather than trying to over complicate things.

Caldwell on the other hand has stated that he is trying to re-create the passing style that Martinez brought to Wigan. Personally I think this is not the approach he should be taking in League One due to the battling style of football and with the squad he has available.

To get results in this league Caldwell would be better suited trying to emulate the Paul Jewell era, as we are no strangers to this level of football and this brought us success when climbing through the leagues.

Jewell achieved 100 points in the old Second Division but his was not done with a lone striker for a start. You have to attack in numbers and put constant pressure on the opposition.

Yesterday, Wigan controlled the majority of possession but spent too much time in the build up stages, something we are all too familiar with and this hasn’t brought us enough goals in recent years.

Our equivalent of Coventry’s Armstrong is Will Grigg. At his previous clubs he has shown with the right supply he can be a neat finisher. With nobody around him he is likely to become another Wigan striker that is starved of opportunities to score goals for the team.

In the lower leagues we were successful playing attacking 4-3-3 line ups with the likes of Andy Liddell bolstering the forward line from deep, and in the days of McCulloch he would come in from the left and act like a battering ram threatening the goal.

There were some positive attacking performances in the first half from the likes of Jacobs and in the second McNaughton did his best to make positive runs, however there was too much sitting back and waiting for the perfect opportunity, we need to force the ball forward and intimidate the opposition to make things happen.

If we are to realistically challenge for promotion then we need to wipe the slate clean and go back to basics.

We no longer have the International players that we have been accustomed to, and you could feel the Wigan fans’ frustration during yesterday’s game because the previous level of football and success we have reached has spoilt us. It is now time to face reality, buckle down and fight our way up this league.

It has been branded a ‘New Era’ by Wigan, but it is old territory so let’s learn from our history.

Posted in Adam Armstrong, Coventry City, Gary Caldwell, League One, Tony Mowbray, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

12th Man: The Prediction League

Posted on August 7, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Wigan manager Gary Caldwell

Gary Caldwell has a big task ahead

It’s been an illuminating week reading all the guides to the new football season. Every newspaper, magazine and website has given their opinion on the forthcoming campaign and many have predicted that Latics will be in the promotion mix at the end of the League 1 season.

But what is this view based upon? Wigan may have been in the Premier League for eight years and won the FA cup in 2013 but their recent demise has been catastrophic and the trend is currently downward. It will require a major seachange to arrest this fall.

Wigan go into the 2015/16 campaign with a new, untried manager, the youngest chairman in the football league and an almost completely new squad of players.

The Chairman has unfortunately made some naive comments saying: “I don’t just want to win this league. I want to smash it and get 100 points”. But the winning habit does not come easy and League 1 will be a tougher nut to crack than he and many people think.

Gary Caldwell has said he wants to return to the style of play so effective under Roberto Martinez, but this takes time to develop and requires a technically skilful type of player.

League 1 can be physically demanding and Latics will probably need to ‘mix it up’ if they are to be successful at this level.

When Latics kick off their season at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday they are entering into the unknown. Wigan may have a big budget for League 1, but do they have the nouse to use those resources to good effect?

The form in the pre-season friendlies has been poor and the mass exodus of established players means they are rebuilding from an almost scratch position.

Losing talented individuals such as James McClean, Ali Al Habsi, Emmerson Boyce and James Perch could prove costly. Injuries to potential opening day starters Jason Pearce, Emyr Huws and Tim Chow have not helped matters.

Some of Latics’ transfer arrivals have been underwhelming, although Caldwell is probably on the right lines with Richard O’Donnell, Craig Morgan, Will Grigg and Michael Jacobs.

But who can say whether this new squad will be able to gel together into a cohesive and effective unit. It is a big task to turn Latics into a winning team again, but this hasn’t stopped the pundits from predicting Wigan for promotion.

This article was first published in the 12th Man column for the Wigan Evening Post on 7 August 2015

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When Saturday Comes Latics Season Preview 2015/16

Posted on July 25, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Wigan's Chairman David Sharpe and manager Gary Caldwell

Wigan’s Chairman David Sharpe and manager Gary Caldwell. Photograph courtesy of Wigan Athletic.

WSC pre-season preview 2015/16 – Wigan Athletic

1. Realistically, how will you do?

Very difficult to predict as there’s been a huge turnover in playing staff and we have a new untried manager in Gary Caldwell and the youngest Chairman in the Football League. Our naïve Chairman David Sharpe has made a rod for his own back by saying: “I don’t just want to win this league. I want to smash it and get 100 points.” I’ll be pleasantly surprised if we make the play-offs.

2. Which teams did you like and dislike most last season?

Liked Bournemouth and Middlesbrough for the football they played and disliked Millwall for their horrible fans.

3. What was the best moment of last season?

Did we have any? The fans atmosphere at Brentford despite already being relegated.

4. What was the worst moment of last season?

In a season of worst moments: Malky Mackay’s appointment; Dave Whelan trying to defend Mackay but only making matters worse; being relegated for the second time in two seasons capped it all.

5.Which company / organisation would be the most appropriate sponsor for your club? (e.g. could also mean shirt sponsors, perimeter advertising etc)

Dreams – it’s like we’ve just been slapped awake after a long magical one.

6. We’d like your prediction for next season’s League table.

Predicted Final League One Table

1. Sheffield United

2. Bradford City

3. Millwall

4. Peterborough United

5. Wigan Athletic

6. Swindon Town

7. Barnsley

8. Rochdale

9. Fleetwood Town

10. Chesterfield

11. Bury

12. Scunthorpe United

13. Shrewsbury Town

14. Coventry City

15. Burton Albion

16. Gillingham

17. Oldham Athletic

18. Doncaster Rovers

19. Southend United

20. Walsall

21. Blackpool

22. Port Vale

23. Colchester United

24. Crewe Alexandra

The full WSC pre-season guide for the 2015/16 season is available now in all good newsagents.

Posted in David Sharpe, Gary Caldwell, League One, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Early doors – Latics preview

Posted on July 16, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Will Grigg Wigan Athletic

Will Grigg could be the goalscorer Latics have been crying out for. Photograph courtesy of Wigan Athletic.

With less than two weeks to go before the start of the 2015/16 League One campaign Latics are very much a work in progress. Manager Gary Caldwell is in the process of revamping the playing staff but there is still much work to be done before the season kicks off.

Many players have already left the club and eleven new players have been brought in, but I expect more comings and goings in the next few weeks.

Several players have been the subject of interest from other clubs including James Perch QPR, Billy Mckay Dundee United, and Emyr Huws Burnley.

It is possible that they and some others could leave before the transfer deadline on September 1st.

Caldwell and Chairman David Sharpe have talked about a ‘New Era’ but this should only be regarded as marketing speak until Latics get back to being a winning team.

My personal view is that some of Latics recent signings have been less than inspiring and may struggle to make an impact. Midfielders David Perkins and Max Power signed from Blackpool and Tranmere after both suffered relegations from their respective leagues last season.

Winger Sanmi Odelusi has only made 25 Football League appearances in three seasons at Bolton, MK Dons and Coventry City.

Defender Donervon Daniels never made it into the first team at West Bromwich Albion and made only 44 appearances in three seasons of loans at Tranmere, Gillingham, Blackpool and Aberdeen.

Striker Craig Davies was signed from Bolton after being released. The well-travelled striker has been troubled by hamstring injuries and could prove to be a less than reliable addition to the squad.

Caldwell has made some promising additions in Manchester United’s Reece James and Everton loanees Francisco Junior and Johnjoe Kenny.

The manager does seem to be on the right lines with the signings of striker Will Grigg, goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell and defender Craig Morgan.

Grigg could be the goalscorer Latics have been crying out for. The Northern Ireland international has the pedigree to be a hit in League One. He bagged 20 goals in 31 starts for MK Dons last season, as well as netting two against Manchester United in the Capital One Cup.

O’Donnell has an impressive track record and played in 54 matches for Walsall last season and kept 21 clean sheets. Not surprisingly after such a good season he was named Player of the Season by Walsall supporters, and Players’ Player of the Season.

Morgan was a consistent performer as Rotherham captain and could have stayed in the Championship with local rivals Bolton but decided to join Latics in League One.

From the evidence at the friendly matches Caldwell has yet to establish a clear style of play. He has alluded to the fact that he would like to get back to the style of football adopted under Roberto Martinez but if that is the case then there is still a lot of work to do.

Following the high turnover in players it will inevitably take some time for the players to settle, but it is imperative that they make a good start to the new campaign if they are to have any chance of promotion.

As one of the promotion favourites and recent FA Cup winners the expectations are high. The pressure is on Caldwell to put together a team that can hit the ground running. Anything less and the critics will be out in force.

Posted in Craig Davies, Craig Morgan, David Perkins, David Sharpe, Donervon Daniels, Francisco Junior, Gary Caldwell, Johnjoe Kenny, League One, Max Power, Reece James, Richard O'Donnell, Sanmi Odelusi, Wigan Athletic, Will Grigg | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Latics 2015/16 fixtures announced – Coventry City first up

Posted on June 17, 2015 by ianhaspinall
Coventry City's Ricoh Arena. Photograph by Jez Sutton

Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena. Photograph by Jez Sutton

Wigan Athletic travel to Coventry City in the opening fixture of their 2015/16 League One campaign.

This is followed up by home fixtures against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday 15th August and Scunthorpe United on Tuesday 18th August, before the long away trip to Kent to face Gillingham on Saturday 22nd August.

Latics round off August with a home fixture against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday 29th August.

Stand out fixtures include promotion favourites Sheffield United at home on Boxing Day and at Bramall Lane on Saturday 6th February and a trip to the seaside to face Blackpool on Saturday 30th April.

Latics will be hopeful that they will have clinched promotion by the final game of the season when they entertain Barnsley at the DW Stadium on Sunday 8th May.

The full list of fixtures can be found on the official website here.

Posted in Barnsley, Blackpool, Coventry City, Doncaster Rovers, Gillingham, League One, Scunthorpe United, Sheffield United, Wigan Athletic | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment