In the spotlight once again: Roberto Martinez

Last time on Jesus Was a Wiganer: this viewer was left in fear of Roberto Martinez’s future at Wigan Athletic following a ninth straight defeat in all competitions. Rumours had started to spread about the Spanish supremo, who was supposedly ‘set to walk out’ based on highly cryptic, Enigma-style clues tucked away in interviews with Dave Whelan.

It was all codswallop, of course. Expert crossword compilers and Mensa quiz book writers have confirmed there was no solid evidence beyond the recent extended run of bad results –which I take no delight in reminding you is now nearing three solid months in length– and the collective will of many a pessimistic Wigan Athletic fan.

You can, however, feel the seam beginning to come apart. I’m not sure if there’ll be as much confidence in Bob’s Latics prospects come Saturday evening, but we shall leave such speculation for, well, tomorrow evening. Continuing with the (tenuous) cricket analogy, we’ll be hoping to put off that mandatory ‘ball change’ for some time, but it all depends on how many wickets we take against Blackburn.

Moving on to strictly footballing matters, I won’t try to second guess Roberto’s choice of starting lineup, merely suggest a potential XI which could help facilitate an end to this results drought. But hey, I ain’t the big boss with authority to make such assumptions reality, so take it all with a pinch of salt; my recent pre-match predictions for how Roberto will configure the Wigan starting XI have been less than accurate, sometimes to the point of being potentially libellous.

Read the rest of this entry »

These previews are starting to follow an all too familiar formula of late: Latics need points to try and snap out of an extended losing run before the season escalates into a full-on disaster before we even hit December. Continuing in the positive vein I’ve resolved to take (mostly in the interests of preventing the onset of hair loss), such trivialities shall be skirted over in favour of a more forward-thinking attitude. On that note, let’s take a quick look at how Latics might lineup come 1.30pm on Sunday.

Wolves v Wigan Latics possible lineup

Given the absence of Gary Caldwell, one would suggest the exact formation of Wigan’s back four is subject to much speculation. However, I would be inclined to have Boyce ‘do a job’ in the centre of defence, which would not necessarily be all that problematic for the sometime centre back. There are alternatives, of course – Maynor Figueroa, who has occupied such a role for a couple of games this campaign, could also be switched to the centre. I wouldn’t favour this, however, as I’d rather have him (or perhaps Van Aanholt) at left wing back. Ben Watson may be forced to play a slightly more defensive role to cover any holes left by a more unfamiliar backline.

Read the rest of this entry »

Not exactly Vegas: The 'relatively unglamorous' DW Stadium

Given Wigan’s horrific recent run of losses, a Pools player would mark this game as a sure-fire away win. But, as I have often discovered to my disappointment, games never transpire precisely as you expect them – there are always two or three games that spoil your chances of winning the £10,000 jackpot. From a distinctly Blue point of view, let’s hope Wigan’s contest with the Cottagers turns out to be one of those matches, a game that bucks the trend and puts a long-awaited end to our two-month wait for Premier League points.

All seems fine on the injury front for Latics, as though there are minor doubts over the hamstrung Franco Di Santo and James McCarthy, both should be fit for selection. Hugo Rodallega has also recovered from a small knock sustained during the match with Bolton to take his place in the starting XI once again.

The visitors will be without Phillipe Senderos, Simon Davies and Aaron Hughes, while Bryan Ruiz returns from a knee injury for the Europa League challengers. The ‘relatively unglamorous‘ (Match of the Day’s words, not mine) surroundings of Robin Park await Fulham’s travelling faithful, who make the long trip north to a rainy Wigan hopeful of a first win in three games.

Indeed, the Cottagers are experiencing something of a blip in form having lost their last three games over a period of eight days. Latics fans will know how tough such congested periods can be, even if our most recent ‘nightmare week‘ did not contain the cream of the European footballing crop (no offence to Crystal Palace, of course). Whereas a rested Fulham are expected to turn things around sooner rather than later, Wigan’s bad week snowballed into a grim month and eventually a horrific two months, which is somewhat apt considering Halloween (no puns this year, I promise) is just around the corner. Of course, there’s always the opportunity for a drastic change in fortunes, and a fully-fit (fingers crossed) Latics squad will be hungry for success.

Read the rest of this entry »

Omani shot-stopper and former Bolton 'mon' Ali Al-Habsi will face his previous employers for the first time

Welcome back, Latic fanatics, to the weekly grind of domestic football. I sincerely hope you’ve had a good two weeks’ recuperation because you’re gonna need all your energy for this weekend’s absolutely massive north west derby.

No, I’m not talking about that Liverpool-Man United TV programme thingy Sky seem to be promoting incessantly, because an even bigger Lancashire rivalry is back for another instalment of biting, spitting and general loutish behaviour, at least if historical encounters are anything to go by. Not that I would condone such actions, of course. Well, at least not when the referee’s looking.

In terms of recent meetings between Latics and the Trotters, things have been fairly even:

Wigan v Bolton in the 2010-11 Season

• Feb 2011: Wigan 0-1 Bolton (FA Cup)
• Jan 2011: Wigan 0-0 Bolton (FA Cup)
• Jan 2011: Bolton 1-1 Wigan (Prem)
• Oct 2010: Wigan 1-1 Bolton (Prem)

Wigan and Bolton will probably be sick of the sight of each other after a whopping four meetings last season, despite the luxury(?) of an eight-month break. Though a similar outcome this weekend would not be hugely surprising,  a Latics hammering is always a possibility. This was borne out in Bolton’s 4-0 thrashing of Latics back in March 2010, a day I’m sure we’d all rather forget.

In terms of more recent form, both sides have been toiling at the bottom of the table with just one win apiece. Wanderers in particular have suffered – six straight losses just about trumps Wigan’s four while our 11 goals conceded pales in comparison to poor old Bolton’s 21. And we thought we had it bad. It must be noted, however, that four of the Trotters’ first seven Prem clashes have been against Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Chelsea, whereas Latics have only faced Man City and Tottenham in the same period. Quite obviously, this clash represents the ideal opportunity for both sides to kick-start their ailing season with three more than useful Premier League points.

Read the rest of this entry »