As for Hugo Rodallega, he was present to partake in the odd kickabout. One can only speculate as to whether his absence from the first team against Villarreal is a clue to his fate, with clubs such as Arsenal reportedly ready to table a bit. I’d take those stories with a pinch of salt for the time being, however, and venture that he was simply rested for more important forthcoming fixtures.

Victor Moses was on the scoresheet as Latics rounded off a successful pre-season with a 1-0 win over Villarreal. The Nigerian, who’s been tipped by many –including myself– to fill a Charles N’Zogbia-sized hole, was set up wonderfully for an almost unmissable chance by Franco Di Santo seconds prior to the half time whistle.

But the path was not all smooth for Wigan, who had initially struggled to cope with their Champions League opponents. In particular, Nilmar da Silva caused many problems, and on more than one occasion, he worked his way through the home defence to draw a solid save from Ali Al Habsi. The Villarreal forwards hunted down the Latics back line and forced them into a few sloppy passes, most notably from Ben Watson, who was spared too many blushes as Al Habsi palmed away the subsequent strike.

Wigan would recover to carve out some opportunities as the half progressed. Jordi Gomez hit the crossbar from a free-kick just outside the area, and James McCarthy fired just wide from eleven yards out. Di Santo found himself with only the goalie to beat, but could not get enough power into his volley to trouble Cesar Sanchez in the Submariners’ goal.

All the while, however, Villarreal continued to pressure Latics, hitting them on the break to some effect. Nilmar went close once more, and Jordi Pablo sent in a powerful strike which Al Habsi punched over the crossbar. It was a truly open affair right up until the 45-minute mark when Diame and Di Santo teamed up to provide Victor Moses with a glorious opportunity. He didn’t miss, and Wigan went into half time one goal to the good.

Will David Jones make his Latics competitive debut later this week?

The game was rather diluted in the second half by a string of substitutions, which saw pretty much all the Latics first team (bar Hugo Rodallega) get a run out. The visitors, too, switched things about with regularity, but nothing seemed to work for them. Chris Kirkland, who entered the fray at half time, had only two simple saves to make in the whole second period, and the central pairing of Caldwell and Adrian Lopez really weren’t given much to think about.

Latics emerged the brighter, and as time passed the opposition threat merely fizzled out. Conor Sammon replaced Di Santo during the break, and looked rather lively, causing Villarreal as many problems as Nilmar had done for the visitors in the first half. He could and perhaps should have had a goal to his credit when he found himself through on goal with only the keeper to beat. Sammon could not find the net, and the score remained 1-0.

Thomas, Stam and new signing David Jones were all drafted into the action at some point, and each saw their fair share of action. Jones in particular looked decent in the centre-park general role, almost as though he’d been at the heart of the Latics midfield for years. I suspect he would slot in there fantastically should Martinez decide to give him a run out on Saturday.

James McArthur replaced James McCarthy, who sustained a knock

Wigan continued to cause problems down the left wing, Victor Moses now outrunning the Villarreal defence with relative ease. From one of his trademark forays into the area (who else have we seen do that in recent seasons?), he sent in a cross which, after a ricochet or two, could so easily have rebounded into the goal via the boot of an unsuspecting Sammon.

The visitors had one last trick up their sleeves. Giuseppe Rossi fired a strike past the right hand of Chris Kirkland only to turn and see the linesman’s flag raised – he was offside. With their last real chance gone, that was pretty much it for action in the Wigan half. To be fair, Villarreal deserved a goal on the basis of their first-half performance, but just could not find a finish. Apart from that strike, of course.

With only a minute to go, a trialist whose name nobody could fathom from the stadium tannoy (sorry mate) made a bustling run down the right wing only to be upended. This gave David Jones his first real set-piece opportunity, but the ball did not have enough elevation and just failed to make it past the first man. I think we’ll give him a few more chances on this front…

In all, it was a promising afternoon for Wigan. They were relatively lucky not to have conceded, but on the other hand may well have grabbed another, maybe even two. A reasonable crowd –populating both the East and West stands– witnessed a rather fractured game, especially in the latter stanza, but the first half saw some lively and sometimes end-to-end action which warranted the admission money alone. Most of the Latics squad were given a chance, including the absolutely massive Roman Golobart, an imposing figure in the centre of defence if ever I saw one. His contribution was limited to one misplaced pass, however, so the jury’s still out on the 19-year old Spaniard.

Jordi Gomez models Latics' new home strip

Ben Watson saw 75 minutes of action, and found himself with plenty to do in the first 30. As things eased off he was able to push forward a bit more, and settled into his usual role as the going became slightly more comfortable. Emmerson Boyce, who also got in a good 75, was energetic on the right, and certainly looks up for the challenge of another Premier League season. He’ll be integral to Latics, and will hopefully carry his good form into the season proper.

In the battle of the strikers, it’s still a close-run thing between Di Santo and Sammon. I know who I’d plump for personally, but you can’t deny the Argentine got himself into some decent positions and could easily have had a goal this afternoon. However, his scoring record hasn’t been the greatest and Conor looks the more natural goal-getter. This argument may ultimately be rendered pointless by the fact Hugo Rodallega will most likely occupy that sole striker role come 3pm Saturday, but we’ll see what happens. Who knows, maybe Martinez will surprise us all and go two up front?

And am I still apprehensive? Well, yes. But then I’ll remain so until Latics secure yet another season in the Premier League, such is the life of a Premier League football fan. We’re never satisfied, you know.

"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.

James McCarthy battles with Guillermo Molins (Credit: Bernard Platt)

They may have a gap in their competitive calendar for a couple of weeks, but Latics have been keeping busy with a training camp in La Manga and a low key friendly with Swedish champions Malmo FF back home in Wigan this weekend. Though Latics dominated the first half, the visitors ran out 3-1 victors with goals from Wilton Figueiredo, Jimmy Durmaz and Daniel Larsson. Wigan’s goal came via Guillermo Molins, who inadvertently turned the ball into his own net late on, but the damage was already done by the 67th minute.

In the second half Wigan changed from their more regular line-up and lost command. Malmo ruled the game and the result was written to 1-3 after a magnificent Molins own goal. – Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet

Roberto Martinez used this opportunity to experiment with a few different lineups, including a rather intriguing 4-3-3 formation which, according to Malmo-based newspaper Sydsvenskan, resulted in some ‘tough English football’. Although that very same media outlet reported Wigan as fielding “all their regular players”, we can only ascertain from the limited Internet coverage available –the game was played behind closed doors without the knowledge of local media or supporters– that Victor Moses, James McCarthy, Conor Sammon, Steven Caldwell, James McArthur and Jordi Gomez figured for certain. Hugo Rodallega, our main source of goals this season, did not feature at all, leading one to think that our attacking line would most likely have comprised of Conor Sammon and/or Franco Di Santo as Martinez looked to give the majority of his first team a run out.

The first half saw Wigan dominate possession and earn four corners as they looked to launch their attacks down the wings –not really much of a difference there then– but did not trouble the Malmo goalmouth. Again, sounds all too familiar. Wilton Figueiredo struck with his left boot from just outside the area minutes before half time, and from then onwards the Sky Blues took over as Wigan made five changes, but with experimentation the name of the game this was always likely to be the case. Jimmy Durmaz made it 2-0 on the hour mark and Daniel Larsson put the result beyond doubt, following up a strike that rebounded off the Latics keeper (Pollitt? Kirkland?) just seven minutes later.

Though it is never nice to lose, I don’t think we ought to read too much into this contest, which presumably saw Latics tinkering with different lineups and formations in preparation for the tough string of fixtures to come in the next couple of months. It would be silly to write off our Premier League survival chances on the evidence of one friendly with not a great deal riding on it save for a place on the bench against Birmingham.

Nevertheless, the Swedish media is taking this opportunity to big up their domestic league no end. Malmo’s Ghanaian-born midfielder Jeffrey Aubynn reckons the gap between the Swedish and English leagues to be ‘not as big as many believe’, but when asked how Malmo would fare in the high rolling, fast paced Premier League, he stated that he dared not answer.

Of course, we had it rough, for it requires wider squad and thicker wallet [To play in the Premier League]. But over two games, we will be able to be involved in the war against teams like Wigan. — Jeffrey Aubynn, via Aftonbladet

Update 15 March: Official Latics site briefly talks about the match

The best of these pics will be available on the Illarterate Flickr channel soon, so check that out if you get the chance.

The La Liga outfit were certainly well drilled

Ins and outs, friendly bouts, international call-ups and dressing room bust ups. Well, maybe not so much of the last one (yet), but football is certainly back in Wigan with a vengeance for 2010.

Yesterday’s friendly at the DW Stadium kicked operations back into full swing for the no doubt gut-wrenching season of ecstasy and agony (hopefully less of the latter) to come, with a decent Wednesday night crowd of 3,500 out in force to sample the continental talent on offer.

This predicted test of Latics’ strongly European-flavoured lineup proved to be just that, a real trial for regulars and new boys alike. Though a bit rusty in parts, particularly the passing department in the first 45, Zaragoza’s finishing was clinical — at least, more clinical than Wigan’s — and once things had settled down they exhibited some of the confidence and assuredness Martinez aspires to.

But they weren’t that good. In fact, had the result of this game actually mattered, many will have walked away from the DW decidedly disappointed that Wigan just couldn’t create the shots on target or exorcise their defensive demons.

The East Stand 'warmed' to ex-Liverpool man Jermaine Pennant

Speaking of which, there was definitely an experimental feel about the Latics back line. In the absence of Caldwell, Martinez went first with Gohouri, Alcaraz, Figueroa and Boyce at the back – not exactly the strongest of line ups, but it would have to do for now. It would become even more experimental later on, with Ronnie Stam, Roman Golobart and triallist Sekou ‘Onion’ Baradji all seeing action at some point in the ninety minutes.

Of the backs, Alcaraz looked the most assured, but certainly not yet at the level we’ve seen at this year’s World Cup. Of course, this is to be expected in a friendly, but you’d think things would have to pick up for the start of the Premier League campaign. Same goes for Gohouri, who, while not outstanding, did an average job defending the Latics goalmouth.

By and large, the new guys struggled to cope and have some developing in the reserve team for a month or two before they are quite ready to take on the Premier League’s finest. This was somewhat expected, however, and once Caldwell returns you’d think some stability will be achieved in the centre of defence.

As for the midfield area, Diame was definitely the stand-out man over the two halves, enjoying plenty of possession and filling the boots of Scharner with some success. He might have to work a bit on his crossing though, as will one or two of the other guys with aspirations of a first team place. Surprisingly, Jordi Gomez, whilst having a so-so game, put in Latics’ best two balls of the latter half. Following the second of these, Boselli could so easily have headed past Leo Franco in the Zaragoza goal, but only managed to find the Argentine’s welcoming arms.

Kirkland made one good save, but didn't have much else to do

James McArthur showed the most promise, making a couple of decent runs and neat touches that may hand him a place in the starting XI for Wigan’s final pre-season game with Dundee on Sunday. His countryman and virtual namesake James McCarthy also featured for the full 90 minutes and exhibited solid stuff as usual, but didn’t make any real impact to speak of.

Charles N’Zogbia, who was today called up to the French national squad, threatened in the forty five minutes he appeared, but it seemed the Zaragoza left back had the measure of him on most occasions.

You get the feeling Charlie could have made more progress had he played in the second half, and once he’s up and running he’ll be an important element of this Latics side for 2010. After a good passing move with Watson, he found himself in the right place at the right time to score last night. As long as he does that enough in the forthcoming season, we’ll have half a chance of some success.

Hugo Rodallega had an almost equally golden opportunity some ten minutes earlier, but only succeeded in slipping the ball narrowly past Leo Franco’s left post to complete silence from the North Stand.

The Zaragoza players enjoyed their English holiday

Then again, though, it wasn’t even open. Zaragoza’s die hard fans, who numbered upwards of twenty,  positioned themselves just to the left hand side of Martinez and co. on the Wigan bench in the Springfield Stand.

The Blanquillo faithful were quite vociferous in leading the celebrations when their side had the ball in the net, and weren’t afraid to offer the odd word of encouragement. I wish I knew what they were saying, though. I think at one point they attempted to get the attention of manager Jose Aurelio Gay, who completely ignored them and went about directing his side in a typically cool Spanish fashion.

On your marks: Ronnie Stam made a surprise appearance

If you had asked a Latics fan who they would most like to see on the evening, I’m pretty sure they would have cited Mauro Boselli, or the Ten Million Dollar Man as I like to call him. He didn’t quite live up to that billing yesterday, but looked smart and, at times, skilful. Bos only had a couple of chances, both of which he spurned, but looked busy and got another 90 minutes of football on English soil under his belt at the very least.

It was Zaragoza’s Gabriel Fernandez who stole the show, however, with his fantastic 84th minute long range strike that left Chris Kirkland with absolutely no chance and put the game’s result beyond doubt. Earlier, Jorge Lopez had converted a penalty to put the visitors ahead on 35 minutes, and Braulio slotted it past Kirkland on 75 to make it 2–1 just when it seemed Latics were heading for yet another pre-season draw.

The result will not be too much to worry about, but one or two tactical decisions may well be. Latics’ insistence on putting eleven men in the penalty area for each defensive corner doesn’t exactly fill a side with attacking confidence, and this rigid 4-5-1 formation seems to be a throwback to the bad old days. I think you know what I’m talking about.

And, as previously alluded to, that defence isn’t exactly as watertight as we would like it to be. Still, much to consider, and I don’t know about you, but I’m itching for the new campaign to get underway.

Spanish flu: Roberto will be breaking out the paella

Good day fellow Latic fanatics and esteemed guests. I report to you from a rainy Hindley on the day of Wigan’s first and only home friendly (well, that’s if you don’t count the game at the Robin Park Arena) in preparation for the 2010/2011 campaign, which is now but ten days away.

A report on the Real Zaragoza match, which I am looking forward to, shall appear in due course, providing I make it back from the DW in one piece.

Now, readers, I am faced with a dilemma. Due to having a job that involves working Saturday afternoons, I am unlikely to make each home game as I did the previous season. In fact, I’m not sure how many I will actually be able to attend. Thus, it would be a bit of a gamble to get a season ticket… yet I probably will end up doing.

Can’t resist the temptation, you see. Even though there were some incredible downers in 2009/2010, nothing ever seems to discourage you from coming back for more. Am I sucker for punishment? Well, I wouldn’t say so – the victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea more than made up for the bad times, at least in my opinion.

Work commitments (boo) mean I’m still unsure at this stage exactly what level of coverage JWAW will provide, or even what kind of direction we may take for the new season. In some ways that’s quite exciting because you never really know what’s around the corner, a bit like our team under Martinez. It’s a mini adventure.

One thing’s for sure, though. I shall attempt to keep JWAW Towers up and running for as long as the budget cuts and internet censors will allow. You see, I need this place to vent my spleen on matchdays almost as much as Pompey need a spare tenner. Well, I suppose that comment was uncalled for but I’ve typed it now so I can’t take it back.

Who knows what’s gonna happen? As ever, we hope for a season of success, progression and at the very worst a place in the Prem for 2011/12. It’s perhaps a bit too early to be thinking about that just yet, but you can’t help but look at the bigger picture. Will the Whelan-Martinez coalition go balls-up, or will Boselli finish the season’s top scorer and move to Chelsea for 25 million?

Will Liverpool’s new owners lend us a bunch of players on loan contracts because they simply can’t resist the lure of Big Dave’s offer of free Pooles pies for all concerned?

(The actual match preview bit starts here, if you want to skip the above. Whoops, should have said that at the beginning, shouldn’t I?)

Expect absolutely none of those questions to be answered tonight at the DW, open for business once again in eager anticipation of the world’s greatest footballers: Rooney, Torres, Fabregas, Drogba, Tevez and… erm, Jordi Gomez. Hmm.

Hoping to grace the hallowed turf for the first time this evening, however, will be Latics new boys Mauro Boselli, James McArthur and World Cup superstar Antolin Alcaraz.  Hopes are high that Bob’s summer signings will live up to the hype that’s been building since he first put pen to paper as Latics’ head honcho. Well, I say ‘hype’, but that’s more in my own head than anywhere else.

Hailing from Martinez’ homeland of Aragon, Real Zaragoza are certainly not here in Wigan just to sample the local cuisine. They finished 14th in last season’s La Liga and boast international talent such as Uruguay keeper Carlos Diogo, Edmilson and ex-Liverpool ‘bad boy’ Jermaine Pennant.

Expect a tough time for the Latics as Martinez puts his continental style to the European test. I guess you could say this Latics team is ‘meeting its maker’, of a fashion.

• Wigan v Real Zaragoza, pre season friendly, tonight @ 7:45PM. Pay on the door, East and West Stands open only. Tickets: £10, £5 for concessions.

• Illarterate Flickr account
• St Mirren photos @ Illarterate Flickr account