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Stay Positive, We’re Not Down Yet! — Notes for Wigan
Tuesday, 4th Apr 2017 09:00 by HarryFromBath

HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday night’s game at Portman Road by delving into their forums.

“What does the future hold now?”, “League One looks nailed on for next season”, “I can’t believe we managed to screw up a season as much as we have just done”, “Paul Jewell, please come back and sort this garbage out. Paul, we are begging you as our greatest ever manager to come help us out.”

“We won’t go down with a whimper, will we?” Most Latics now accept that relegation this season is a foregone conclusion. Saturday’s defeat at Newcastle was preceded before the break by losses at home to Villa and Bristol City. They languish seven points from safety with seven games to play.

“It’s all over bar the shouting. I know we are all hoping a miracle will happen but we have been poor all season. The third relegation in five seasons beckons”, “It has been the worst season following the Latics for over 15 years but I have had enough good times in the last few years to last me a lifetime.”

“The fact is that we can’t score goals and if you don’t score you don’t win games. If you don’t win games you get relegated, simple”, “The thing that gets to me is that this was all so avoidable. Some of the decisions that have been made since we won the FA Cup are beyond my comprehension.”

“Nick a win at Ipswich, beat Rotherham on Saturday and we should be right back in the mix.” Wigan have played brightly in their last two games under caretaker-manager Graham Barrow who replaced Warren Joyce after the Bristol City loss. A minority of Latics are now plotting a possible great escape.

Graham Barrow

“Graham Barrow has been in charge for a couple of games and both have been far better that we had seen for months under Joyce. We have been more positive and at least had a go”, “We played with grit and determination”, “He has worked wonders with the meagre quality at his disposal.”

“Graham is a top club man and clearly has the respect of the players.” The 62-year-old has been first team coach or assistant manager at the club since 2009 and took over for a third spell as caretaker after Joyce’s sacking last month. “He has a thankless task on his hands trying to keep us up.”

“Good luck Graham.” Fans have been happy with the more adventurous football they have watched under him in his two games in charge so far. “Graham knows the squad. We have rushed the last few appointments and look how those turned out in the end. We need to take our time to get it right.”

“By giving the job to Barrow for the rest of the season, the club have conceded that relegation is inevitable”, “I would rather have him in charge and for the club to take their time to get the next appointment right”, “The chances are we will have many better options at the end of the season.”

The Warren Joyce Legacy

“Joyce probably had to go. Well, no probably about it”, “He didn’t have a clue what he was doing. He appeared like a rabbit in the headlights. His footballing philosophy was stuck in a time warp and it was soul-destroying watching the football he was serving up”, “Sacking Joyce was a necessity.”

Warren Joyce imageFormer manager Warren Joyce

“Players were being coached as if they were 17-year-olds and it was showing on the pitch.” The 52-year-old was appointed last November having previously managed Manchester United’s reserves. “He had no experience of managing at this level. Our approach in relegation six-pointers was impotent.”

Two Important January Departures

“I still have not calmed down from getting rid of Yanic Wildschut [to Norwich] and Jordi Gomez [to Rayo Vallecano] on January deadline day. It was basically waving the white flag”, “The imbalance in the squad is remarkable and we have been peeing in the wind ever since, it is an utter disgrace.”

Yanic Wildschut imageYanic Wildschut scoring for Wigan

Fans left betrayed by Joyce and the club’s owners allowing two vital creative players to depart. “The management need to hang their heads in shame. We were down when we flogged Yanic on deadline day. We didn’t address our attacking deficiencies, leaving us with a woefully threadbare attack.”

Formation

“A number of fans have said that if we are going down at least have a go. Isn’t that what Barrow is doing?”, “We had a very honest bunch of players out there at Newcastle battling from first to last and a game plan that gave us a chance. Keep it tight, don’t concede and be positive when we can.”

“Under Barrow, we have been trying to keep the ball and actually play a little”, “We are tactically different. The team has miraculously learned how to string three passes together without hoofing it forward. They win second and third balls and there aren’t 10 men always anchored behind the ball.”

GilksConnollyBuxtonBurnWarnockMacDonaldHansonMorsyPowerJacobsBogle

“Our positive approach is such a refreshing change.” Wigan have preferred a three-man midfield this season, but Latics welcomed the shift to using two creative midfielders against Newcastle (above) and Aston Villa under Barrow instead of the cautious two holding midfielders used by Joyce.

“Our defending is decent. Our problems are at the other end of the field.” Despite their lack of a natural right-back, Latics are happy with a solid and experienced backline anchored by Jake Buxton, Dan Burn and Stephen Warnock. Matt Gilks is also seen as a reliable and dependable goalkeeper.

“The only area of the team that is functioning as it should be is at centre-half”, “Thank God we have some sort of defence. Both our strikers are injured and our midfield is placid.” Many fans blame the side’s biggest problem, their lack of goals in this campaign, on their poor creative midfield balance.

“We have no creativity in midfield”, “Our main problem under Joyce was that if we were hoofing the ball to the centre forward then your midfield had to run past these forwards to give them someone to lay the ball off to. Our midfield never ran through the front line so the ball was lost every time.”

“We must get those men in the box when we attack down the flanks.” Barrow has used Derby loan signing Jamie Hanson to anchor the midfield. The remaining central and wide midfield players have tried to play a more pass-and-move game, aiming to get into the final third “with attacking intent”.

“One constant is the one striker up top.” Wigan have only two frontline strikers. Will Grigg is absent with a knee injury while Omar Bogle has played while carrying a leg injury. Winger Ryan Colclough performed well up front in the second half at Newcastle and may similarly feature at Portman Road.

The lack of top quality strikers in the squad has angered many. “It is disgraceful how we placed no emphasis on strikers and concentrated on midfielders. We had 10 midfielders and just one striker in the squad at Newcastle. One striker on the field baffles me, one in the entire squad is unforgivable.”

GilksConnollyBuxtonBurnWarnockHansonPerkinsJacobsGilbeyObertanBogle

Warren Joyce’s starting line-up (above) for their home defeat to Bristol City had the same back five as Barrow’s for the Newcastle game. Latics criticised the midfield selection for being too defensively balanced for a vital home game. “We were negative and dire apart from one 10-minute period.”

Newcastle 2 — 1 Wigan

“We stood toe to toe with Newcastle”, “Keep playing with that grit and determination and it will see us go close to getting out of the bottom three. It’s a tough ask but achievable”, “Ryan Colclough and Alex Gilbey made a big impact coming on in the second half”, “I left feeling very proud of the team.”

Dwight Gayle put the Magpies ahead on 36 minutes with a far-post finish but Michael Jacobs levelled for Wigan five minutes after the restart. Dan Burn missed a great chance to head the Latics in front before Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie headed a rebound from the post home on 57 to secure the victory.


“We played well at Newcastle and deserved something out of the game”, “I was there and we didn’t lump the ball forward. We played more passing football. We pressed more and were in Newcastle’s final third more often. I rated it as our best game of the season and that’s good enough for me.”

Wigan 0 — 2 Aston Villa

“That was a better performance today but ultimately the lack of quality players in our team was the difference”, “We had a go, isn’t that what we asked for? If we go down, which it looks like, at least we go down fighting”, “Villa weren’t great but they had more pace and touches of class at times.”

“A game against Villa was never going to define our season.” After a bright first half from Wigan in which they failed to finish a number of good chances, Villa went ahead when James Chester headed home after 73 minutes and added a second when Scott Hogan nodded in six minutes from time.

“I had no issue with the team, set-up or tactics. I wouldn’t say the players let Barrow down but we lost because we can’t score. We were given three gifts today but couldn’t capitalise on any”, “I left feeling utterly despondent, no goals once again and an all too predictable finish to the game.”

GilksMorganBuxtonBurnKellettMacDonaldHansonMorsyJacobsObertanBogle

“Is that an attacking team or what?” Latics were instantly encouraged on seeing Graham Barrow’s first starting XI (above). “We had more men breaking forward during the game and had some good chances”, “This game showed we will have a more attacking mentality to the end of the season.”

Wigan 0 — 1 Bristol City

“Another 90 minutes of total torture”, “Today was dire. It was calling out for our midfielders to run with the ball at the opposition as a balance to the long ball play. Instead when we did get the ball, we couldn’t get rid of it quickly enough”, “That was another disgrace, a woeful pathetic display.”

“You know we have played terribly when there is no uproar about an offside goal from a corner that should not have been given.” Aden Flint prodded home an 88th minute winner for Bristol after the hosts failed to clear a corner which was awarded in error. “We lost to a better team, simple as that.”

“A must-win game against poor, out-of-form opposition. Not only did we fail to get the points, we didn’t even look like winning at any point”, “Those tactics, the game plan and the performance were utterly perplexing and completely soul-destroying. Enough is enough”, “Joyce has been a disaster.”

Goalkeepers and Defenders

“Matt Gilks has done more right than wrong since he has been here. He is every bit as good as Jussi Jääskeläinen was last year in terms of being a leader, commanding his area and telling the defence what to do.” The 34-year-old one-time Blackpool man “is one of the few leaders we currently have”.

Matt Gilks imageMatt Gilks playing for former club Blackpool

“Gilks commands his area well”, “He’s a keeper with bags of experience and has played at a decent level”, “Blackpool fans said that he used to struggle with low shots and crosses but he has been solid for us this season on the whole”, “In Gilks, we have a very good goalkeeper at the moment.”

“Craig Morgan had a solid game against Villa, tussling fairly and unfairly all afternoon.” The 31-year-old former Miller was recalled to the starting line-up by Barrow. “Morgan is Championship quality in the heart of a back four but is exposed for pace playing as a full-back or on the right of a back three.”

“Morgan had an iffy start to the season, but I love his diagonal passes and he is comfortable playing out from the back”, “A good defender who stood out in League One last year and I am glad we will be keeping him for next season”, “A top professional and a brilliant player to have for next season.”

“Although Callum Connolly plays in defence, he has the ability to get in the opposition box and score goals.” The 19-year-old arrived on loan from Everton in January. “He mostly plays at left-back but he can play at right-back. Being two-footed is a great attribute and he fizzes in really good crosses.”

“Connolly has the great ability to do the right thing at the right time, appearing in the right position in and around the opposition box, so he bags himself a fair number of goals”, “He creates his own space”, “His movement is superb and his crosses and passes are hit with precision and power.”

“Stephen Warnock continues to be excellent.” The 35-year-old former Derby, Aston Villa and Leeds left-back “is so reliable and does so well that we sometimes take him for granted”, “He is in the right place at the right time and gives us a settled feel from his tracking and tackling to his eye for a pass.”

Stephen Warnock imageStephen Warnock challenges QPR's Matt Smith

“Warnock has bags of experience and plenty of ability to go with it”, “He urges players on, praising them and even clapping tackles”, “Some of his long passes are straight out of the Premier League”, “An outstanding player who never lets us down and utterly fearless putting his body on the line.”

“Jake Buxton is a wholehearted defender and gets stuck in.” The 32-year-old former Ram “gave his usual 8/10 performance against Villa. He’s not afraid to put his head in where others wouldn’t”, “A solid defender but not technical enough to fanny about with the ball, something which has cost us.”

“It’s not just what Buxton does himself in a game, it’s the belief and strength his example gives to his team-mates”, “He gives his all and is a great character in the team”, “If he defends well and realises when to get rid of the ball he will be fine”, “We look solid and organised with Buxton and Burn.”

Dan Burn

“Burn never hides and gives 100 per cent.” The 24-year-old ex-Fulham centre-half “looks awkward because of his huge frame but is better than he looks”, “He’s very calm, not much gets past him in the air and those long legs shoot out and win the ball when you think his forward has beaten him.”

Dan Burn imageDan Burn applauds fans at the end of the game

“Good centre-backs are worth their weight in gold”, “It’s not unusual for a tall defender to play up front in a game to salvage something”, “Burn is a real set-piece threat even though he is clearly not that comfortable on the ball”, “A very composed defender who wins his headers and tackles well.”

Central Midfielders

“Shaun MacDonald is a grafter with a decent touch and an eye for goal. He rarely loses the ball.” The 28-year-old former Bournemouth man “is strong and quick and he can do a job but he needs to think more assertively on the ball”, “He makes very few mistakes, has good technique and he can score.”

“I have not been that impressed with Alex Gilbey since he has come back from his ankle injury but he made a good impact coming off the bench at half-time at Newcastle.” The 22-year-old ex-Colchester man “is a box-to-box player who does score goals although his passing could improve at times.”

“Gilbey is a level-headed player who gives 100 per cent. He has a record of scoring high quality goals from outside the box”, “A powerful player who seems to have a few extra seconds on the ball”, “He is an attacking threat in midfield and can cover well as a centre-half and at right-back too.”

“It is not the job of David Perkins to be creative.” The 34-year-old one-time Barnsley man “breaks up play but there is no substance either defending or supporting the attack”, “He is not one of the most technically gifted players but is an unsung hero with energy and enthusiasm second to none.”

“Perkins is a busy little midfielder and a thorn in opponents’ sides. Teams struggle to deal with his tenacity”, “He spends a lot of time and energy chasing around which is to be commended but always looks to play backwards and sideways “, “He can’t pass or shoot but will always give 100 per cent.”

“Max Power has looked completely out of his depth at this level.” The 23-year-old former Tranmere player “rarely tracks midfield runners, he sits too deep to get involved in attacks or too advanced to shield the defence”, “A lot of the frustration around him is because people can see he has potential.”

Max Power imageMax Power

“Power makes few tackles and doesn’t protect the defenders when sitting deep. When he has more licence to push forward he doesn’t get into many goal scoring positions and creates little”, “His best position is more advanced with his passing and shooting. He finds good pockets of attacking space.”

“Jamie Hanson probably had his best game for us sitting as a long holding midfielder against Villa. He is not much of a threat going forward though and is not great out wide.” The 21-year-old Derby loan signing “is a player who can actually tackle and out-head opponents bigger and taller than himself”.

“Hanson is a defensive midfielder but can play across the back four”, “He plays in most midfield and defensive positions which has hindered his career”, “He can really whip in his freekicks and get really good zip on his passes. He just needs to improve his decision making and positional intelligence.”

Sam Morsy

“Good box-to-box players are hard to find, so if you find one you certainly don’t try to convert them into a holding player.” The 25-year-old former Spireite was recalled in January from a successful loan spell at Barnsley and fans were frustrated with Warren Joyce for playing him in too defensive a role.

Sam Morsy imageSam Morsy

“Morsy’s ability to play accurate forward passes and maintain the momentum of our play is a joy at times. We have nobody else who can play like that”, “He is a solid midfield player who adds balance to our team linking play between front and backlines”, “He looks a different player further forward.”

Wingers

“I hate to ask, but what was the point of signing Gabriel Obertan?”. “He’s on borrowed time.” The 28-year-old ex-Newcastle and Manchester United man arrived from Anzhi Makhachkala on January deadline day. “The quickest he ran against Aston Villa was when he was running into the tunnel.”

“For a former Premier League player, I really hoped Obertan would be head and shoulders above our other players but he isn’t”, “Fleetingly promising”, “The season ends in May. I hope he is fit enough by then for his yacht in the Mediterranean. It would be terrible if he couldn’t make his holidays.”

“Under Joyce, Michael Jacobs would bomb forward to the halfway line and stop like a mime artist hitting invisible glass. He was excellent all afternoon against Villa.” The 25-year-old ex-Wolves man “is playing more like his usual self under Barrow, getting involved in more attacks from midfield”.

“I love Jacobs’s attitude. He works his backside off and has improved over the season but his end product is letting him down badly”, “He misses wide open attackers and crosses instead into empty space”, “It’s absolutely infuriating and one of the reasons Will Grigg has had hardly any chances.”

Ryan Colclough

“Ryan was superb when he came on at Newcastle. Hopefully he will have a part to play in the next seven games.” The 22-year-old former Crewe player was recalled in January from a loan spell at Milton Keynes. “He made a real difference up top and is an actual source of width and real pace.”

Ryan Colclough imageSadio Mane challenges Ryan Colclough in a pre-season friendly against Liverpool

“In a team which has been lacking pace and dribbling ability, it’s crazy it has taken so long for Ryan to be given his chance when we have had players out of position so often”, “He’s the only naturally two-footed attacking player we have in the team and he injects much-needed pace and trickery.”

Strikers

“I have a feeling that Will Grigg will start scoring again”, “It will be a miracle if he does as he is out for the season according to the papers.” The 25-year-old former Brentford frontman has been sidelined with a knee injury. “It’s a shame our only attacking option under Joyce was to launch the ball up to him.”

Omar Bogle

“Something isn’t quite right with Bogle. When the ball is passed to him he makes no effort to move and receive it. He stands still, allowing a Newcastle player further away to intercept it.” The 24-year-old former Grimsby striker “looks a lot slower and less mobile than when he first arrived here”.

Omar Bogle imageFormer Grimsby striker Omar Bogle

“Barrow confirmed that Bogle was injured against Newcastle. Since he arrived he has had his thigh or hamstring heavily strapped. He walks with a limp and seems to wince in pain during breaks in the play”, “He is constantly caught offside but it wouldn’t surprise me if injuries are hindering him.”

“Bogle was hopelessly outnumbered on his own under Joyce and had no service at all”, “He is good enough when he doesn’t have to keep running the length of the pitch to get to where he should be. Tracking back is one thing but spending most of the time defending is another thing altogether.”

Latics’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“We need to get something from Ipswich and beat Rotherham, a big seven days coming up”, “If we can nick a last-minute winner at Ipswich and then beat Rotherham, well the panic will set in at Bristol City, Forest, Burton etc”, “One of them could lose their nerve and lose six out of seven or worse.”

“See you at Ipswich.” Wigan forums don’t run prediction leagues, but Latics are more interested in contemplating smash-and-grab raids than predicting scores. “Three points are eminently achievable and must be targeted”, “They have nothing to play for and the crowd are on McCarthy's back.”

“Paying £32.50 for Ipswich on a Tuesday night, who are a mid-table club that hasn't been near the top league in years is absolutely disgraceful and shame on them”, “An absolute joke of a price, a five-hour journey then a price like that”, “It’s about time we made ticket prices reciprocal.”

One feature which I never usually highlight is the regular anger felt by opposition fans at our ticket prices for visitors and the Latics are no exception in expressing their feelings. “It's a disgusting price for any away team, let alone a team with their fans five to six hours away on a Tuesday night.”

“I had been clinging to a glimmer of hope Ipswich might sack McCarthy and we would end up with him. I just want someone who's going to keep us up”, “He has been given no money to work with whatsoever, taking them over in a relegation scrap and turned them into play-off contenders.”

“McCarthy is a very good Championship manager. He knows the league very well and has won promotions to the Premier League without the ability to spend vast amounts of money. He has had so little money at Ipswich but prior to this season had them often just outside the play-offs.”

“This season might not see them challenge in the play-offs, but despite them being lower mid-table there is not a chance they will ever go down under him. His football is a tad stubbornly defensive but there are not many safer pair of hands in the Championship.”

“His problem at Ipswich at the moment is his miracle of getting them to the play-offs a couple season ago has unrealistically raised expectations disproportionately in relation to the complete lack of investment Marcus Evans makes each summer.”

Websites

The busiest Latics’ message board is Vital Wigan and additional discussion can also be found at Cockney Latic.


Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



Steve_M added 11:07 - Apr 3
When Paul Jewell is a club's greatest ever manager.... It's not really a surprise to see Wigan struggling without the munificience of Dave Whelan.

Mainly solid but uninspiring going forwards? Hmmm, another classic in store tomorrow night then. The sooner we scrape enough points together to stay up, the sooner we can try to move on as a club.
2

Umros added 11:16 - Apr 3
Totally agree with the comment on the pricing. Disgusting enough said. As for wanting Mick........no problem again with that.......save a space on the bus and he's yours......
2

Oldsmoker added 11:16 - Apr 3
Thanks Harry - a must-read post every time.
As an aside I live in Bristol.
The comments section of the local papers have the Bristol City fans "bricking it".
BCFC season recap.
They sold Kodja - last seasons top scorer - to Aston Villa and didn't reinvest with a new striker.
They got a loanee in from Chelsea - Tammy Abraham - who is this seasons top scorer.
After a run of 9 defeats during Dec/Jan they have been calling for the managers sack.
The similarities with Town are obvious.
They would swap our position and manager just like that.
Footballs a funny old game innit.
5

KiwiTractor added 11:41 - Apr 3
We have nothing to play for??? We lose this one and I can see us sliding out of this league....
1

LankHenners added 11:54 - Apr 3
Thanks Harry - well then, sounds like it's going to be an exciting end-to-end thriller tomorrow night...

We really should be looking to win this one to distance ourselves from the rest of the pack and calm some tensed up nerves that have led to some silly behaviour among a (small) section of our support. Hopefully we'll have Huws back to add some bite in the midfield but Skuse's absence is a blow as no-one else has really played well enough in that position to demand a starting place.
1

BanksterDebtSlave added 12:13 - Apr 3
"It has been the worst season following the Latics for over 15 years but I have had enough good times in the last few years to last me a lifetime.” ........if only we could say the same !
Service above and beyond as always Harry. Cheers
3

ipswich4life added 12:28 - Apr 3
Bogle's going to score the winner on Tuesday ain't he.
1

StuartBrett8 added 12:45 - Apr 3
This!!!

“His problem at Ipswich at the moment is his miracle of getting them to the play-offs a couple season ago has unrealistically raised expectations disproportionately in relation to the complete lack of investment Marcus Evans makes each summer.”

Cheers Harry :)
4

BlueSmith94 added 12:53 - Apr 3
Need to win, I honestly think if we win against Wigan and get something at Fulham, we will stay up! Its interesting them talking about Mick Mccarthy, no doubt he is a good championship manager, but he is arrogant and stubborn with his team selection and tactics. So whenever I hear other teams around us saying we would have Mick as manager, I just think good you can have him. But with where we are I dont think we could get a better manager to keep us up!

Lets get enough points to stay up, play some youth players and get ready for next season! Change Manager, change ticket prices, change of tactics and lets get challenging for the play-off's again!!
0

Bluebell added 15:11 - Apr 3
Thanks Harry!

How many teams have we seen have a winning run right at the end to save their lives? Let's hope Wigan don't do it. We will be able to see what we lost out on with Bogle. By all accounts he is playing really well.

Hopefully we can get something out of this game and it really needs to be all 3 points.
2

PortmanTerrorist added 15:39 - Apr 3
They know so little. Lose tomorrow night and the smart money is on League one next season. Maybe Mick will leave then as he wouldn't want that on his CV when teams like Wigan still think he can 'do a job' for them.
2

Superblue95 added 16:18 - Apr 3
Win this game and we shouldn't have any real problems surviving relegation. Problem is I don't have confidence in us winning this game or any of the 6 after that which means this could go to the wire
2

therein61 added 16:48 - Apr 3
Another good informative read as usual well done Harry
3

jas0999 added 19:46 - Apr 3
Absolutely agree with them on ticket prices. A disgrace. Evans charging premium prices for below average product isn't unusual sadly.
2

Skip73 added 14:42 - Apr 4
"If you dont win football matches you get relegated" Are you reading this Mick?
0

cat added 17:25 - Apr 4
Quality as always 'H'

Funny how they are wishing PJ or MM were there managers. Mmmmmm......😂😂
0


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