Phil Neville took a break from his comm box duties to score from the bench for Latics

Latics missed out on a chance to snatch three potentially profitable points in a largely even contest at a bleak DW Stadium. After Tim Howard’s howler resulted in a Philip Neville own goal, Latics went too defensive for their own good and soon conceded, super sub Victor Anichebe doing the business for the Toffees once again. A frantic final ten minutes saw no more goals and both teams will be disappointed not to have come away from this clash with anything more than a point.

Wigan looked to pick up from where they left off against Tottenham, and experienced at least some success with James McArthur at the heart of midfield. They certainly had their share of attacking play, resulting in one or two clear-cut chances for Franco Di Santo. His first was borne out of a superb ball from Figueroa, which found its way to the Argentine’s feet at the edge of the area via Sylvain Distin’s shoulder. Tim Howard was equal to Di Santo’s scuffed shot, pulling off a great reaction save at short range to preserve his clean sheet. Di Santo’s second chance came later in the half from a challenging Stam cross, but he was adjudged to have fouled Distin as he scrambled to get a shot on target just feet from goal.

At the other end, Darron Gibson could have given the visitors a useful lead on 40 minutes as gold shirts poured forward, but only succeeded in firing the ball yards over Al Habsi’s crossbar, much to the relief of a shivering home crowd. It wasn’t the best of halves for the Irishman, who had earlier miscued a strike so badly that it went out for a throw in some 20 yards from the corner flag. The Toffees looked threatening on the break, and managed to trouble the keeper more times than their opponents.

Wigan enjoyed slightly more possession and were keen on getting the ball to an energetic Jean Beausejour on the left wing. The Chilean was responsible for two or three wonderful runs into the penalty area which could easily have yielded success, but neither side did enough to take a lead into the half time break.

Read the rest of this entry »

Franco Di Santo did his best to win some away points

All in all, it hasn’t been that great a week for Latics. Though on balance 3-0 represented a decent return against an in-form Man City steamrollering everything in their path, Tuesday’s abject Carling Cup performance away to Crystal Palace was a horrible reminder that Martinez’s Plan B mightn’t be fit for public consumption just yet. Nevertheless, the Wigan Athletic First XI had a chance to put all of that out of their minds with a Premier League contest at Goodison Park this afternoon.

There was one positive to take away from Selhurst Park, and that was the fact no new injuries were sustained. Aside from Alcaraz and Gohouri –who will both be out for a while yet–, only Emmerson Boyce, who picked up a minor hamstring niggle against City, remained a doubt. Though depleted, the Latics back line looked a bit stronger than the highly experimental van Aanholt/Figueroa/Lopez/McArthur configuration we saw in midweek, with Gary Caldwell reclaiming his position in the centre of defence. That said, it was still a case of make do and mend with Lopez filling in at right back, a position it’s fair to say he didn’t exactly revel in.

James McCarthy was handed a start, and filled in for the absent Diame in the centre of midfield. Rodallega and di Santo both returned to their regular(ish) positions at the head of attack while Ben Watson, who made something of an impact from the bench on Tuesday, was back in his usual defensive midfield holding role. Boy, did we miss him. Chelsea loanee Van Aanholt, who’d put in a decent performance against Palace, was rewarded with a starting berth in place of Boyce, who couldn’t even make the bench.

All things considered, one felt a bit more confident about this Latics starting lineup, at least on the face of it. As we all know, however, confidence isn’t everything and performance is. Actually wait, let me rephrase that: “it’s great to have confidence and performance, but results are everything.” There we go – let’s hope Martinez is using that mantra when geeing up his men this season. Just to make sure, I ought to plaster it all over the walls of the DW Stadium and Christopher Park this week, regardless of the illegality of such activities. Hmm, I think I’d better write to Whelan for official permission first – not entirely sure if they have the facilities to remove spray cheese from wallpaper. Meh, it’d take far too much effort; I’ll go and rant on a forum instead.

Enough procrastination and false promises, for we’ve had enough of that down the years.

Read the rest of this entry »

Latics line up against a rather pink Everton side

Roberto Martinez reckons that, to stay in the Premier League this season, Wigan require 40 points. It’s a target figure that has been lowering week upon week as the bottom five continue to squabble between themselves, each struggling equally to pull themselves clear of the proverbial snake pit. This weekend’s round of matches may well prove a great opportunity for one or more of Latics, Blackpool, Blackburn, Wolves and West Ham to stake a great claim for survival with three crucial points. Two shall survive, three will fall.

For Latics’ own part, they faced Everton, a team languishing in the bottom third until not too long ago. Since then, though, they’ve managed to climb their way to the top ten thanks to a string of good results and have sealed their participation in next year’s Premier League with wins over teams in the bottom half of the table. Before kickoff this afternoon, they lay fourteen points and eleven places ahead of Latics, still with a mathematical chance of making the European places. It wasn’t as if they had nothing to play for, especially with age-old rivals Liverpool sitting just one win away. Form would suggest a comfortable Everton win, but you’re forgetting one thing: Latics are fighting for their lives.

Before the Blackpool game two weeks ago, goalscoring was the real problem, Latics struggling to score against a succession of top-6 teams. Things changed quickly, however, as things clicked into place against the Seasiders, yielding three goals whilst the following week saw a further two away from home against Sunderland. Wigan would go on to lose the game, however, and now it seemed defending was the problem, with Latics conceding as many goals as they scored in the previous two games. Martinez would have to find a balance and quick, before the season quickly transformed into a lost cause.

Read the rest of this entry »

So close: Ronnie Stam could have stolen it in the dying embers

Wigan came away from Liverpool this afternoon with a point, something I doubt even the most optimistic of Latics fans could fail to be happy with. Forget Miracle on 34th Street, this was a case of Miracle on Goodison Road. Well, perhaps that’s a bit extreme but the gods were undeniably in the visitors’ favour on this surprisingly mild afternoon. Which actually makes some sense, considering Jesus was a Wiganer (groan).

For the first portion of the game, Latics were sprightly and, whilst not creating any real chances, posed a real threat in the opposition third. N’Zogbia and Cleverley in particular –the latter of which put in his share of hard yards at both ends of the field all afternoon until his substitution at half time– had the better of numerous opposition players in those first twenty minutes or so.

From then until the interval it was all Everton as Latics’ passing game began to fall apart and descend into hit and hope football with Charlie and Rodders the target men. Nothing wrong with that, you might say; certain managers, some even in the Prem, make quite a good living from it. It wasn’t working for Latics, though, as even when Hugo managed to gain some control he didn’t really have anyone to lay the ball off to.

Things were becoming increasingly ominous, and half time couldn’t come quickly enough for Wigan. Fellaini had just whizzed the ball across the face of the goal, less than a foot away from an advancing Cahill at the back post. On top of that, the home side were firing at Wigan like a constantly reloaded gun – each and every clearance failed to find a fellow Latic as we found ourselves well and truly pinned in.

The half time whistle came with Everton well on top but Wigan still on level terms and, though a bit shaky, yet to concede more than one shot on target. Going into the break, the stats showed just the one for each team, though this was somewhat surprising. Perhaps it’s fallout from last week’s relative goal fest at the DW.

Read the rest of this entry »