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.

Wigan v Blackburn possible Latics lineup

Notice how Ali Al-Habsi finally makes an appearance in these possible lineups? I guess his consistent presence in goal is one positive in this season of relative negativity, and that’s contributory to the fact I forgot to put him in there up until now. Stupid really, because he’s been one of the better performers for the club since his arrival two seasons ago.

Speaking of decent performances, an alternative attacking lineup might feature Argentine Franco Di Santo, but for all his improvements this campaign, you still don’t see him as a goalscorer. Don’t get me wrong – he’s been one of the more impressive performers this campaign, and it’s somewhat unfair to rely on him as a primary source of regular goals, but he isn’t quite of the Nathan Ellington or (cough) Graeme Jones mould.

What we need to do is score, and this is a task that should ideally be delegated to your most experienced attacker. In our case, it’s left winger (insert tongue in cheek smiley here) Hugo Rodallega, who’s been struggling with injury and form this season. One would hope that a single goal would cure this, and that the bandwagon will get rolling again with Victor Moses and Momo Diame et al getting in on the act as well.

Once again, it will be a case of make do and mend at the back – Bob will have to make do with a less experienced centre back as he tries to mend the leaky pipe that is Latics back four. I would have suggested Boyce, but seeing as Gohouri played there last week it seems Roberto prefers Emmerson on the right.

Owing to misdemeanours, we won’t see Antolin Alacaraz for a while so Martinez might as well order him to have dip in the River Douglas: “yeah, Ant, I forgot to mention they’ve forecast snow for tomorrow, so bring your parka.” We shouldn’t laugh because spitting is a serious, unnecessary offence that has no place in the modern game (as opposed to racism which is, apparently, tolerated). Maybe that Diouf bloke, who’s reported to have been training with Latics this season, has been a bad influence.

Blackburn's ex-Latic Jason Roberts on the FIFA racism row: "There are ways that humour is used to bring certain things up but I certainly don't think that race is something to be spoken about in that manner"

Alcaraz is, surprisingly, Latics’ only real absence. By contrast, Blackburn have more than their fair share injury problems, with defenders Ryan Nelson, Scott Dann and Michel Salgado set to miss this weekend’s action. By this token, expect chances to come at both ends (yes, even for Wigan) as the league’s bottom two fight to climb out of the snake pit that is the relegation zone.

• Latics v Blackburn preview – Goal.com

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.

Ronnie Stam: In the running for a start

I predict a starting berth for James McArthur in the heart of the midfield, assuming Mohamed Diame fails to pass the fitness test. A wild card might also be James McCarthy, but a lot of this would depend on how well he and McArthur have comparatively been performing in training. Other than that, the forward line will probably remain unchanged, unless Roberto decides to try something new. For example, Sammon or Di Santo may join Rodders up front in a more unusual 4-1-3-2. A lot depends on how much he thinks must be altered in order to get Latics scoring again.

Obvious talismen are the wingers, Crusat and Moses, who, we hope, shall be seeing a lot of attacking possession. Martinez also hopes Hugo Rodallega will be back to his old self and have a bigger impact on proceedings than of late, possibly leading to some long-awaited goals. The Colombian has been plagued with fitness problems this season, which has undoubtedly contributed to the lack of attacking firepower these past few months.

Wolves have been on a similarly disappointing run of late, grabbing just one point in their last seven games, which just about trumps Wigan’s zero in the equivalent time period. They have injury doubts in Fletcher, Zubar and Foley, but will be just as eager as the visitors to turn things around and get the fans back on their side. All of which makes for another intriguing encounter, a true nine-pointer of monster proportions.

Fun fact (via ITVFootball): Victor Moses has had the most shots in the Premier League this season without finding the net. 32 shots without scoring.

• Sky Sports Match Preview

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.

Wigan Athletic v Fulham possible Latics lineup 1

“Good players can play anywhere, and Hugo is a great example of that” — Roberto Martinez, via Wigan Today

Though the above diagram shows how Latics may line up tomorrow afternoon, this prediction is subject to wild variation, especially where the attacking midfield area is concerned. I think Albert Crusat showed enough promise on the left to warrant another starting berth, allowing Rodallega to take a more goalscoring position at centre forward. I also assume Martinez won’t want to risk a returning Franco Di Santo for the full 90 minutes –regardless of his being match fit– and bring him on at some point during the second half. Read on for how that might pan out.

It’s less likely, but Roberto may opt for a slightly more attacking lineup in a bid to squeeze out some vital points. A second half rejig might result in something similar to the following:

Wigan Athletic v Fulham possible Latics lineup 2

To wrap up on an optimistic note, I saw enough encouragement against Newcastle to suggest a more positive result on Saturday. The main task will be scoring goals, but with Rodallega back and the pacey Moses and Crusat settling on the wings, this should be less of a problem than previously. An early goal would get the home crowd behind us and restore some confidence in our ability to score.

Fulham’s game is important because our rank is not far away from them.. Achieving 3 points tomorrow is crucial and needed !! — Ali Al Habsi, via Twitter

Ah, who am I kidding? It’ll be a draw. Again. Put your ten quid on that.

• JWAW archive for Fulham

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.

Franco Di Santo will likely occupy the lone striker role once again

Ref Mike Dean has been having a slightly above average season, at least according to Rate Your Ref. If the conjecture and extreme bias of such a site are too much for one to handle, may I point you in the direction of Statbunker, which claims Mr Dean has the fourth-lowest yellow cards-to-game record. Expect leniency, but only if the game doesn’t get out of hand early on, which I don’t anticipate happening. Oh, and guess who tops that particular table? Yep, it’s Howard Webb! I don’t quite know what I’m trying to say by citing that statistic, as it’s somewhat irrelevant…

On the injuries front, Latics will once again be without Hugo Rodallega whilst Antolin Alcaraz is set to be sidelined for at least another month. Boy, could we do with him now. Bolton may welcome Jussi Jaaskelainen back to the first team, but it isn’t a certainty and Adam Bogdan is on standby to retain his place in front of goal for Wanderers. Since Coyle has vowed not to rush Chung Yong Lee, Stuart Holden and Sam Ricketts back to the side following injuries, we can assume this will be the case for the goalkeeping situation also.

More changes may well be afoot –the international week could well have taken its toll on certain individuals–, but we will only know of them come 2.30pm on Saturday. By 5.00, we’ll know whether Latics will be celebrating a win or drowning in their sorrows – either way it’ll be pub time, after which the usual heavily biased, error-strewn JWAW report will appear online. Maybe.

Roberto Martinez will not be concerned with off-the-pitch matters

Tomorrow afternoon, Roberto Martinez will return to the Liberty Stadium for the first time since departing some 28 months ago. He and fellow ex-Swan Jordi Gomez were met with a frosty reception when a good 3,000-strong troupe of Swansea fans travelled to the DW for a Carling Cup Fourth Round tie last October, so I shudder to think how bad it will be for them this weekend. I feel certain, however, that Martinez will keep his composure and exude much the same calm collectedness as he usually does, regardless of the occasion.

As expected, the tabloids carted out the tired old ‘first-day relegation six pointer’ following Latics’ 1-1 draw with Norwich. Variously described as ‘tepid’, ‘grating’ and ‘indicative of where the two teams will be come May 2012′, it’s fair to say the contest did not spark the interest of many mainstream journos. Who gives a monkey’s about them, though? To a man, they unanimously tipped Latics for the drop last season, and look how (in)correct that turned out to be. Forget the fact our fight went down to the very last day and one goal would potentially have doomed us, the fact remains that Wigan finished higher in the table than Wolves, who’ve been largely immune to the oft-demoralising relegation chatter this summer. Well, not entirely, but it seems Latics have once again been instated as favourites for the drop. Not that that means much to anyone with half a brain, mind.

It is true that our first home game of the 2011-12 Premier League campaign wasn’t the prettiest, but you can’t deny it was engaging and even exciting. But for some iffy finishing from Di Santo and Sammon and a referee seemingly oblivious to the existence of the penalty kick (it must be noted that the linesman gave the first, and that the referee flat out refused the second appeal despite being mere yards from the incident), Latics would have had a comfortable opening day win. You can definitely chalk it up as two points lost, but hey, things are still much rosier than this time last year. Heck, even Chelsea and Arsenal have struggled off the mark of late, so I think you can forgive little Wigan the odd slip-up.

Besides, three points on Swansea’s home patch would represent a very good afternoon’s work and put the Latics season well and truly back on track. It probably won’t silence the newspaper hacks, who rely largely on Sky Sports live matches for information on any team lower than fifth place in the table, but as I said, who cares about them anyway? I’ll shut up about them now, for this post is in danger of becoming a long rant.

Ex-Wiganer Scott Sinclair will have a role to play for the hosts

The good news for Wigan is that, all being well, they will be back to full strength with Rodallega and Alcaraz returning to the starting line-up. Perhaps significantly, the former will resume his role as sole striker in the centre of the park, where he has more chance of scoring. At this moment in time, Hugo is the most likely of all our attackers to hit the back of the net, despite a little rustiness that prevented him from making the starting XI last week. He’s not a natural crosser, so I’d rather go without another left-winger and have Rodders waiting in the box for a Figueroa or Moses short pass. I’m not sure Martinez would agree entirely, but will again go with the loosely 4-5-1 midfield-heavy formation to which we’ve become so accustomed.

Swansea, too, will look to retain the ball, and in Leon Britton and ex-Latic Scott Sinclair have players that will pose a similar threat to James McCarthy and Victor Moses. It has been noted many times that both teams share the continental ethic pioneered by the likes of Arsene Wenger and, of course, Martinez himself while at Swansea. If this transpires to be the case tomorrow afternoon and we see two Arsenal-esque lineups take to the field, it could be an engrossing contest. All three results are possible –and let’s be honest, they always are where Wigan are concerned–, but I feel Latics can scrape a win.

"That time of the year already?"

After such a heart-stopping spring, we’ll all have been grateful of three months’ rest and relaxation. I know I certainly was, but the new season is almost here and it’s time to dig out the old scarf and Thermos for another hard-fought campaign. At the moment, I’m slightly apprehensive, but I’m sure this Sunday’s contest with La Liga’s Villarreal will blow out the cobwebs with the force of an Alex Ferguson hairdryer. It isn’t likely to be easy – the Yellow Submarine (not to be confused with Swindon Supermarine) completed the 2010-11 season in 4th ahead of Athletico Madrid, Espanyol and our conquerors of last pre-season, Zaragoza.

Roberto has once again been working his European contacts to attract a high-profile Spanish side to the DW for Wigan’s final pre-season friendly, but when you delve a bit deeper, the two teams are more closely related than one may initially think. Not in terms of success, mind, for Latics could only dream of a place in the Champions League play-offs, but in terms of size. Villarreal has never been the most fashionable of clubs, at least not with the Spanish national press, and as such has slipped under the radar to a certain extent. What’s more, the 25,000-capacity Estadio El Madrigal, where the Valencian team play their home games, may draw comparison with a certain multi-purpose sports stadium in south Lancashire. And I’m not talking about the Reebok. Or Prenton Park. But you got the idea, and now I’m being picky.

Thus, you could argue it is fitting for the two teams to share a football field, even if only for a friendly. Villarreal will, however, provide a stern test for a still-rusty Latics, whose squad members will be squabbling for a starting berth against Norwich a week on Saturday. Of course, we mustn’t forget the overriding goal here – a win on Sunday would be fantastic, but getting our Premier League season off to a winning start would be even better.

There is, as ever, great hope that further progress will be made as Martinez looks, in his own words, to build upon the base he has created. With the dismal start to last season still fresh in everyone’s minds, however, Latics’ feet will be firmly planted upon planet Earth while such superstars as Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres and Wayne Rooney continue to ply their trade on a playing field in Wigan. I know, it still seems a bit strange, but the DW Stadium shall once again play host to a selection of Europe’s finest as Latics bid to improve on their highest Premier League finish of 10th, achieved in 2005-06. Will this happen? Well, the realist in me bellows a firm ‘no’, but not even the Wigan public would have predicted a top-10 finish in our first Premier League season.

Off the back of a momentous First Division campaign, Paul Jewell’s Wigan almost held Chelsea to a highly admirable draw as their top-flight adventure began in earnest six years ago. A full house of 25,000 contributed to an atmosphere never before seen at the JJB Stadium, and continued vociferous support propelled Latics to unimaginable heights, including a Carling Cup final.

From our own achievements we can learn two lessons. Firstly, the full backing of the town of Wigan can and will spur the side on to greater things, and with a reported 11,000 season tickets already sold, the ‘missing’ fans seem to be trickling back. Secondly, however, one will do well to beware the newly-promoted Canaries and Swans (I swear there’s a joke in there somewhere), whose confidence will be majorly inflated by successful Championship seasons. It shall be almost as tough a test as Arsenal or Manchester United, so we should set out to play as if we were facing Champions League opposition. This, my friends, is why I believe Villarreal is an excellent choice of friendly, one which will stand us in great stead for the challenges ahead.

Things could have been so much better had results gone our way on Saturday, which meant from then onwards we truly would be battling for our top-flight lives, but of course we can do nothing about other teams’ performances. Besides, the tide may well turn, with Latics arguably having slightly the easier task in terms of their opposition this coming Sunday. Here’s the skinny.

Premier League table

Bottom 6 as of 18 May 2011

*West Ham already relegated

Source: Premier League

Final day fixtures

(Sunday 22 May 2011, all 4.00pm kickoff)

• Stoke (LDWDWL) v Wigan (LWLDDW) [Live on Sky Sports Red Button]
  
• Man United (WDWLWD) v Blackpool (LLDDDW) [Live on Sky Sports 1]
• Tottenham (DDLDLW) v Birmingham (WLLDLL) [Live on Sky Sports 2]
• Wolves (LDLDWW) v Blackburn (DLLWDD)

Source: Football Association/BBC

I’ve included form guide information, but that doesn’t count for very much in a one-game all or nothing situation.

It’s no surprise that few have outlined all the permutations that surround these oh-so-critical fixtures. Whilst we aren’t going to attempt to explain everything that might happen, we shall focus on Latics and their potential for survival, at least where mathematics are concerned. We shall save pure footballing matters for another post, for this article shall serve to outline the (potentially gut-wrenching) technicalities of this final round of games.

Permutations

If Latics win, they would only be relegated given victories from Blackpool, Birmingham and either Wolves or Blackburn (who, remember, play each other). Should the Wolves-Blackburn game finish a draw we would be assured safety. Basically we’d be rather unlucky to go down in this situation.

If Latics draw, they would need Tottenham and Man United to beat Birmingham and Blackpool respectively to stay up. Less realistically, if Wolves lost by four or more goals we would only require one of Birmingham or Blackpool to lose.

If Latics lose, it will firstly require Birmingham and Blackpool to lose, at which point it will go down to goal difference. Wigan would want Brum and the Seasiders to both lose by two more goals than they lost against Stoke. For example, if we lost 1-0, we would need the others to each lose 3-0. This would see us jump ahead of Blackpool on goal difference and Birmingham on goals scored (barring three goals from Birmingham).

In a nutshell: Wigan would be unlucky not to stay up with a win. A draw offers some hope, whilst a loss leaves us clutching at straws. There, it would have been easier for me to start this post with that sentence, wouldn’t it?

Carlo Ancelotti: not exactly quaking in his boots

Take one team that’s struggling to find their feet after a demoralising defeat at the hands of a newly-promoted side (who many are tipping to finish rock bottom of the league, no less) and pit them against the champions on the crest of a wave following a six-goal tonking of West Brom.

You would think that’s a recipe for disaster, especially considering the supposed backroom problems simmering at the DW Stadium, and sure enough, everyone’s predicting an absolute hammering for poor old Roberto.

I would say, however, that it’s a bit too dangerous to make such predictions at this stage, no matter how nailed-on they may seem. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fully expecting an absolutely rotten afternoon, one of those one-sided encounters that sickens you to the pit of your stomach. But while there’s life, there’s always hope, and by golly that really does seem to be all we have to cling to at the moment.

It may seem the side we are set to field this evening is far worse than the guys that managed to pull one out of the bag in the corresponding fixture last season, and that’s most likely a justified assumption. We can, however, console ourselves in the fact that, after last week, it can only get better… can’t it?

Well, I’d hope Chris Kirkland has exorcised those early-season jitters (no Marlon Harewood to contend with this afternoon, heheh) and Boselli’s got past those first game nerves. A hat-trick against Chelsea could be the making of Mauro and, with a bit of luck, Wigan’s season. Forgive me for living in Dreamland, but there’s always the hope our whole side will lift their game against higher quality opposition.

Chris Kirkland: Bit of a pants game against Blackpool

Once again you can rightly accuse me of clutching at straws, but you have to think of the positives, as the alternative isn’t worth considering. After all, we’re most likely to be subject to that sort of torture as it becomes a reality later today.

In a more realistic world, a good turnout would suffice. With a tough batch of fixtures to come, there’s the possibility things aren’t likely to pick up until October. A series of steadily improving performances, while not exactly picking up so many points, will stand us in good stead for the games we’re more likely to win.

And hey, if we treat these games as possible point-gaining opportunities rather than training exercises, who knows what might happen? Rodallega playing centre forward alongside Boselli, perhaps? Well, now I’m just being silly.