No Excitement, No Atmosphere And No Hope — Notes For Wigan Friday, 16th Dec 2016 11:00 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at the DW Stadium by delving into their forums. “The natives are getting restless”, “If this is left to carry on, then by the end of January we will be in all sorts of bother. I’m not saying the way forward is another change of manager but something is clearly amiss”, “Last-minute Christmas shopping is looming on Saturday, thank goodness.” Wigan come into Saturday’s game one place off the bottom of the table and four points from safety. Latics felt that their team played well in Wednesday’s 2-0 home loss to Newcastle, but this was both a fifth consecutive home game and a fifth league game in six in which they failed to find the net. “I didn’t enjoy League One so much so I’m not looking forward to trips to Swindon and Oxford again. It is vital we get something out of the next stretch of games”, “We are the worst team in the league for me. League One is beckoning and we won’t find promotion as easy next time around.” Warren Joyce“It’s far too early to call for Joyce’s head”, “Let’s hope he changes his philosophy, gets it right and we start to look like a proper football team again. The fact is he has made a shocking start, the football is dreadful, his selections beggar belief and he has eroded confidence”, “This one has stumped me.” The 52-year-old one-time Hull City player-manager quit the job of managing Manchester United’s reserves at the beginning of November to replace Gary Caldwell at the DW Stadium. His cautious line-ups and his early record of just one win and two goals in six games have done little to calm Latics’ anxieties. “It’s a massive risk employing a reserve team manager to take charge of a relegation-threatened team. There is no comparison managing a team of talented youngsters in a meaningless league where results don’t count”. “The man is a crazy appointment, a cyclist in charge of a juggernaut.” “Although some of Joyce’s decisions have been baffling, both tactically and selection-wise, he should be given more time”, “You have to give a manager more than five games with no window or pre-season”, “He deserves a chance whatever his mad ideas are and however they make us groan.” A Lack of Entertainment“This negative attacking bilge is boring the tits off us”, “This tepid, scared rubbish we are playing is doing my head in”, “We are playing to avoid defeat rather than going for it”, “People say it’s damage limitation. How much are we preventing by losing with a style of play that is god-awful to watch?” “If you don’t play to win you are asking for trouble.” Frustration among fans reached a tipping point after last Saturday’s defeat to a late Jack Grealish goal at Villa Park. The team played a defensive 4-5-1 formation with no strikers in the starting XI. Many felt that they dug in for a point from the start. “I am not spending good money to have my day ruined. When will Joyce realise people come to be entertained? You wouldn’t pay to go and watch your favourite band only for them to mime the whole show, would you?”, “I just want to see some fight and something to get excited about.” A Glimmer of Light After the Fort Knox Formation“I was one of the first to rightly slate Joyce for the last few matches. After watching the Newcastle match I feel there is a glimmer of hope he may turn it around”, “It was far more than a glimmer. We finally set up the way he should have and he let the team play”, “Positives were there for all to see.” JääskeläinenGarbuttMorganBuxtonWarnockMacDonaldJacobsPerkinsPowerWildschutGrigg
Latics felt their manager finally got the balance right with his starting XI (above) against the Magpies on Wednesday. Although the 4-5-1 shape was familiar, more of the side were in strongest positions and they took the game to their visitors, squeezing them high up the pitch and disrupting their play. “The progress I picked up was the shape and our pressing much higher. One big improvement was reducing the time Newcastle had on the ball and we also tried to nullify Jonjo Shelvey”, “I want us to go down fighting to score like we did against Newcastle and not fighting to draw like at Aston Villa.” JääskeläinenBurkeMorganBuxtonWarnockMacDonaldGarbuttPerkinsPowerJacobsWildschut
“Today it’s five defenders and five midfielders against a not-to-be-feared Aston Villa.” The mood was angrier when last Saturday’s XI (above) was announced. Winger Yanic Wildschut was the lone striker with full-back Luke Garbutt playing on the wing. “We dug in like we were San Marino against Spain.” “The one up front argument will rage on but at least that one striker should actually be a striker”, “To have no recognised striker on the pitch and three on the bench is a new one on me”, “Our midfielders didn’t get themselves in the box to pose any serious threat to the opposing defence.” There is wide agreement that the team needs an urgent January rebuild. Veteran goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen was a back-up to the now-injured Adam Bogdan who has since returned to parent club Liverpool. The defence would welcome a solid right-back while Will Grigg is the only threat in attack. “We have scored just 16 goals this season and we have Grigg on the bench, a striker that got nearly double that last season on his own.” Wigan are the division’s lowest scorers and have netted just six goals at home. The need for more quality up front is comfortably their most pressing concern. Some think the goal drought has been caused as much by a midfield in which summer additions Nick Powell and the returning Jordi Gomez have underperformed. Shaun MacDonald, David Perkins and Max Power have been efficient without the ball but not lent enough support to their attacking play. “The big issue we have had all season is how ineffective our three midfielders are. They aren’t taking responsibility to drive us forward. They can’t make themselves available for a pass and when they get the ball they waste it or take a soft option, passing back even when they have time and space.” “Half of our starting XI doesn’t belong in this division, simple as that.” There is also now a consensus that the club failed to adequately strengthen the squad this summer. “We will struggle without new blood. Some players that won us promotion are simply not good enough for the Championship.” Wigan 0 — 2 Newcastle“I felt a lot better coming away from that 2-0 defeat than I felt coming away from Villa Park on Saturday”, “We forced them to make three mistakes from pressing but couldn’t make it count. They forced one from us and they made it count. Against a lesser team, we would have made them pay.” Mo Diame opened the scoring against his former club on 26 minutes when he combined with Isaac Hayden after a long run and slotted the ball home. Substitute Christian Atsu added a second for the Magpies when finishing from a Yoann Gouffran cross after a bright second half spell from the hosts. “Nobody can grumble after that performance tonight”, “The lads gave a brave account”, “Not one Wigan player would get in that Newcastle team but we put in a great shift and rattled them”, “We will pick up points if we can play like that against teams that are not among the best in the division.” Aston Villa 1 — 0 Wigan“We left three strikers on the bench and played for a nil-all draw at Villa while languishing second bottom in the league. We didn’t have one shot on goal in 90 minutes”, “There is counter-attacking football, but we did not commit to having men in support when we did have spells of pressure.” Grealish’s 88th minute winner found the top right-hand corner of Wigan’s goal from outside the area, a rare moment of quality in a forgettable game. “We will never know if an attacking side would have won but I can see why the manager set us up as he did, and why the late goal was so frustrating.” “Joyce said that he went to Villa Park looking for a result. Those at the game will know that the only possible result we played for was a goalless draw. We invited too much pressure”, “Look at us when we got the ball in the opposition half. They all looked lost”, “We must at least try to win games.” Wigan 0 — 1 Derby“The determination and fight were definitely there but we just need a bit more quality”, “Two attempts on target against what looked like a clueless Derby side and a soft, soft goal at that”, “The first half was awful. I have seen more movement on a chess board that we got from our players.” Bradley Johnson’s headed goal from a Tom Ince freekick on 16 minutes gave a resurgent Rams side the points at the DW Stadium last Saturday week. Fans were frustrated by a toothless performance in which players seemed to be trying to familiarise themselves with new ideas and patterns of play. “I couldn’t fathom out what we were trying to do. Never have I seen so many players seeming to not know what they were supposed to be doing. Judging by the silence akin to a library in the ground, I am guessing that neither could anyone else”, “A decent side would have buried us properly.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“Jussi Jääskeläinen has been very well protected by his defence and always saves those shots which are straight at him. Corners are a major issue and he cannot deliver any more when you need a great save.” The 41-year-old ex-Bolton stalwart “does well for his age but we need better at this level”.  “Derby’s winner was a Monty Python sketch goal and was saveable if we had a more agile keeper with sharper reflexes”, “Jääskeläinen is still a big improvement on the awful liability that was Adam Bogdan since he got back in. He distributes the ball correctly rather than looking like a timid child.” “Stephen Warnock is a classic hero. The guy has that knack of being in the right place at the right time to make those goal-line clearances or interceptions.” The 34-year-old former Villa, Leeds and Derby left-back “has made some outstanding tackles but has often been caught out of position”.  “From Warnock’s tackling to his tracking back to his eye for a pass, he definitely gives the defence a more settled feel”, “He is vocal, urging players on, praising them and clapping tackles”, “He is short of a yard of pace these days, but his long passes can put us from defence straight on to the attack.” West Ham loan signing Reece Burke returned to his parent club for a medical assessment after a hip injury flared up during the Aston Villa defeat. The 20-year-old is seen by Latics as a better centre-half than a right-back. “Several good left wingers have slaughtered him on a few occasions this season.” “Luke Garbutt is obviously a makeshift right-back due to injuries but is nowhere near good enough. He hasn’t looked good in his natural left-back position either.” The 23-year-old, on loan from Everton until January, started against the Magpies at right-back. “Definitely a weak link with poor passing.”  Garbutt played on loan at Fulham last season. “My impression is that he’s never a defender but may actually be a better midfielder with his crossing”, “He has a very good cross but he has little else”, “He looked all at sea against Villa. I wouldn’t be surprised if he can’t wait to get back to Everton.” Garbutt is a doubt for Saturday with a back injury, but Latics are more concerned about 31-year-old former Miller Craig Morgan who was substituted against the Magpies with a groin problem. “I hope Morgan is OK for Ipswich. We cannot afford to be without him as he has been really impressive.” “We all know that Morgan is not the quickest centre-half but he reads the game pretty well”, “I love his serene demeanour. He reads the game so well and is calm under pressure. The trick with him is not to leave him in a position where he needs to rely on pace”, “He has the brain but not the pace.” “Dan Burn needs a ball-playing centre-half alongside him”, “He isn’t very comfortable when asked to bring the ball out from the back.” The 24-year-old former Fulham man “stops goals with last-minute tackles but is capable of lackadaisical longer passes”, “Time will tell if he can cut out his errors.” “Remember the old saying Dan, ‘if in doubt put it out’”, “Burn reminds me of Titus Bramble in that he has his strengths but always looks capable of making a mistake. We have to hope he improves on the ball”, “I just wish he would use his 8ft 6in frame to get on the end of a few more of our crosses.” Jake Buxton “Buxton is an old-school big stopper who naturally isn’t that good with the ball at his feet. Most of his issues don’t come from getting beaten by a better player but more from him having to play the ball out of defence under pressure.” The 31-year-old former Ram “has got passion but limited skill.”  “Buxton is a solid defender but not technically good enough to fanny about with the ball”, “He’s not perfect but wins headers time after time and puts his body on the line”, “A popular wholehearted player who gets stuck in”, “He can read the game well and is improving but he lacks a little pace.” Central Midfielders“The title for our worst performer goes to the massively disappointing Nick Powell. His woeful effort and lack of commitment allied to his poor attitude led to Latics showing their disgust in no uncertain terms. Powell can either stop up and put a shift in or get out of our club as soon as possible.” “Powell’s unpredictability and quick feet make him a handful.” The 22-year-old former Manchester United man “is not cut out to play any defensive position which requires any tracking, pressing or discipline. He’s all flair and not a battler or grafter”, “He could be the spark to get us going in attack.” “I’m sorry to say that Jordi Gomez isn’t up to it any more.” The 31-year-old ex-Sunderland attacking midfielder returned to the DW Stadium this summer. “He scored the winner at Cardiff but for most of the match he was anonymous last month, bypassed by the midfield and making suicidal passes.” “If Gomez had not scored his performance would have rated a ‘what was he doing on the pitch at all’ question”, “He slows the pace down which is very risky in this division. We have only seen his ability in patches”, “Our only creative outlet but he is showing his age, his mind is quick but he is too slow.” “Shaun MacDonald has been our only great midfield signing this summer.” The 28-year-old arrived from Bournemouth in August and is “an unspectacular player to do the dirty work”, “He rarely loses the ball, he’s a deep-lying midfielder who can relieve some pressure by holding on to possession.” MacDonald did not play in Joyce’s first game in charge, a poor 3-0 home loss to Reading. “Shaun’s absence in front of the back four exposed the game and handed it to Reading on a plate”, “Always gives 100 per cent and is a decent player who was left behind by Bournemouth’s meteoric rise.” “How the hell is Max Power on the team sheet every week?” The 23-year-old ex-Tranmere man “still does a couple of superb passes every game in amongst his hiding and his dross”, “He is struggling to produce the form required at this level”, “He looks devoid of ideas at times and out of his depth.”  “Power’s yellow card count is staggeringly high for a player who doesn’t really get stuck in or make many crunching tackles. His tackles are all soft and clumsy because he is so often off the pace”, “A plodder exposed for his slowness. He can pass and is good going forward but defensively he is poor.” David Perkins“A busy little midfielder, a hard worker and a thorn in the opposition’s side, Perkins is the nearest thing we have to a player that is nasty on the pitch.” The 34-year-old ex-Barnsley and Blackpool midfielder “is the turn-to guy when things get tough, harrying the opposition into mistakes and mopping up.” “Perkins spends a lot of time and energy chasing around but gets caught in possession too often and often looks to play sideways or backwards”, “He puts us under pressure when he loses the ball”, “His passing is not great but that is not his job. He wins it and gives it to someone who can pick a pass.” Wide Midfielders“Nathan Byrne is a cracking player and very fast.” The 24-year-old summer arrival from Wolves has featured occasionally from the bench. “He tracks back and covers fairly well so could make a decent attacking full-back, although opponents would target him in the air”, “I think he could be a gem.” “Michael Jacobs will get a ball and run directly at an opposition defence.” The 25-year-old former Wolves winger “works hard, has clever movement and is good with the ball at his feet”, “A resilient player who can handle the physical battles with little drama. His shooting and finishing can be poor.” “Jacobs’s technique is deft and fabulous to watch”, “The ball sticks to his feet when he dribbles and he moves effortlessly with it”, “He has really struggled this season but worked his socks off against Newcastle”, “His finishing and decision-making in the final third need working on but he has flair.” Yanic Wildschut“Joyce thinks that Yanic can be a successful centre forward in a team trying to avoid relegation when there is no time for experiments. Well, 10,000 fans could tell him that Yanic is not up to the task. He is an occasional threat out wide but he has never scored a goal from a cross or been a target man.”  Most believe that the experiment of playing the 25-year-old ex-Middlesbrough wideman up front has not worked. “We may have gone from a manager who played Yanic as a full-back to influence a game as an attacker to one who won’t play him as a winger for fear of being exposed. Talk about extremes.” “One of the commonest complaints is the lack of pace in the team. Surely putting Yanic up front to hit teams on the break makes sense”, “He isn’t sharp enough to play up front. He lacks composure and conviction despite getting into very good striking positions”, “Our one out-and-out winger.” Strikers“Craig Davies? Seriously?” The 30-year-old ex-Trotter “did his usual thing at Barnsley recently. He didn’t win the headers or hold the ball us as most of us had hoped. He mostly fouled people, he’s pretty hopeless”, “All I have ever seen him do is foul or fall over. I’m not sure he’s the one we need.” “It’s an old-fashioned thing but I like at least one of my strikers on the pitch to be someone who does the goalscoring thing”, “Davies is another big lad who puts himself about without a great record of goals”, “He runs around desperately like a headless chicken but he produces nothing.” “Adam Le Fondre has been nothing to write home about.” The 30-year-old former Reading striker is on season-long loan from Cardiff. “He seems to know where the net is and has a good track record off the bench”, “He relies on super-quick reactions and will always put a shift in, but he isn’t sharp.”  “You have to get the team to play to Le Fondre’s strengths. He’s not right for our defensive tactics. He needs a physical colleague to play off or a playmaker to provide some incisive passing. Using him as a sole striker is a waste of time”, “He won’t fashion chances for himself or hold the ball up well.” Will Grigg“When Grigg came on against Derby we looked a much-improved and different side and we almost got a point from the game”, “How can you not play your top scorer? It beggars belief”, “He scored six Championship goals in a struggling Caldwell side but this clown Joyce hasn’t given him a chance.”  “Grigg is the best we have”, “He doesn’t do enough when the team don’t have the ball and he lacks aggression”, “He will not bust a gut to get the ball if it doesn’t go straight to him.” Some believe that the 25-year-old ex-Brentford man’s “sharpness has been blunted by Caldwell’s poor fitness regime”. “Grigg scores if given service, but we aren’t giving him any at the moment”, “Nearly every season he hardly scores before Christmas and then goes on fire and bangs in between 15 and 20 in the second half of the season. It wouldn’t shock me if this bizarre pattern continued if we start him regularly.” Latics’ Thoughts on ITFC and the Game“How we play against clubs like Ipswich who haven’t got multi-million-pound summer signings will give us a much better idea of how we will play moving forward this season.” After a run of games against highly-placed or high-spending teams, Saturday’s game is seen by many as a winnable one. “Ipswich is a must-win match now I feel”, “The release of the shackles will finally enable the team to wallop someone. It could be Saturday, I'm going 3-0 for Wigan”, “It will be 2-0 to Wigan. We are more than capable.” Prediction threads have an optimistic 68 per cent forecasting a home victory. Many reckon it will be a goalless stalemate given Wigan’s six home goals and our five on the road, both the lowest respectively in the division. “A nailed-on 0-0”, “I don’t get how some people are confident in us scoring. We haven’t scored at home for nearly three months. Wigan 0 — 0 Ipswich.” WebsitesThe busiest Wigan forum is Vital Wigan and additional comment can be found on Cockney Latic.
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