Brighter days are surely ahead at the DW Stadium

In this article, one shall refrain from dwelling too long on the negative aspects of this weekend’s demoralising defeat at the hands of Fulham (or, as that old football game used to call them, ‘Emptypig’). Instead, it is the purpose of today’s post to convince the Latics fan that it isn’t all as bad as you think. I am aware this is an almost impossible task, but shall nevertheless attempt to alleviate the reader’s anxieties regarding our favourite(?) football club as we look to the future and, with a bit of luck, happier times.

Much has been made of Roberto’s supposed ‘stubbornness’ with regard to tactics, in particular his formations. He has drawn criticism, especially in the previous three months, for his “inflexibility” and seemingly unwavering advocacy of 4-5-1. It is indeed true that this is his favoured configuration, but it must be noted that we witnessed elements of 4-3-3, most notably when Latics were attacking, and 4-4-2, when Franco Di Santo was drafted into the fray. The latter failed for the lack of an Albert Crusat who, ironically, was withdrawn in favour of the Argentine. On the evidence of this, I’d be happy to stick to 4-5-1 (or, to be more positive, 4-3-3), thanks.

Besides, I’m becoming increasingly convinced the starting XI that donned the Latics shirts at 3pm on Saturday is our strongest. One might claim it’s a sad state of affairs when your so-called best lineup is struggling at both ends of the pitch, but the fact remains that we’re lumbered with them for at least a couple of months. It is imperative for Roberto, and the club’s fans, to show some faith in our search for consistency. Whilst I’m sure Bob and indeed the vast majority of Latic fanatics are more than aware of our failings, it can’t be denied we’re also going through a bad run of form, at least collectively.

Victor Moses: The man to spark a return to form?

The good news is that I’m sure Latics will come out of the back of this sooner rather than later and probably score seven games’ worth of goals in one glorious ninety minutes. This ‘karma rebalancing’ happens in football – look at that extended run of unbeaten matches we experienced earlier this year. It must be noted that we fielded almost precisely the same defence we have right now, and bar the odd Jones and Crusat, a similar midfield. The main difference is, arguably, Charles N’Zogbia. In the Frenchman we had a real player to build our attacks around, a man to fearlessly take on defences and, most importantly, score goals.

Of course, that isn’t the only difference. We seemed to be finally ‘clicking’ as a unit and creating our own luck, most memorably that last minute winner against Birmingham and of course the classic clashes with West Ham and Stoke. Charlie had a rather ordinary game in the final of those contests, but we saw through it and clung on to Premier League status against all the odds. Again. Is Roberto a lucky manager? It would seem not at the moment, but I’m certain he doesn’t believe in fate.

Though we haven’t seen much evidence of this current lineup being able to keep us up for yet another year, recent improved performances offer hope. As a football fan, that’s all you need, and a win this weekend might just be the start of a second (first?) wind we so desperately crave.

Victor Moses was in imperious form against Fulham, the best player on the pitch by some margin. Defences at any level don’t like it when you run at them, and both he and Albert Crusat have exploited this. No doubt Mohamed Diame, who hobbled off early on Saturday, would have done the same and probably got a goal or two. As I type, it’s not certain if he will be back for the weekend but should he return to fitness our attack line will be all the better for it.

An early goal of any sort for Wigan may just be the extra bit of confidence we need to go out there and turn things around. I think we’re going the right way about it, which is certainly a step in the right direction towards results. I guess I’m saying all you need is a bit of blind faith.

Living in the North West of England, something you’re never surprised to see is inclement weather. Wigan artist Lawrence Isherwood painted street scenes to an almost exclusively dull, smoggy backdrop, whilst Winstanley band The Verve seemed to be obsessed with rain – see ‘Grey Skies’, ‘Stormy Clouds’ and ‘Valium Skies‘ for a small taste. One problem – there is precisely one person of northern descent in the Latics squad, and that’s our sub keeper, Mike Pollitt. Well, you could count Caldwell and McArthur in this grouping, but I guess as Scots they’re more used to snow.

Nevertheless, the club’s ‘foreign legion’ of honorary Wiganers ought to be acclimatised to a bit of autumnal weather by now, despite the rather lengthy summer we seem to have experienced this year. The need for points has become pressing of late, so will this change in the weather bring about an upturn in fortunes in the coming months? We can only hope, but for now, minds are fully concentrated on this afternoon’s game; what went right and, more importantly, what went wrong.

If last week’s improved performance was heartening, then this afternoon’s was totally the opposite. Not in terms of commitment, for it would be unfair to ask for anything more – the full-time boos were somewhat unjustified, as paradoxically Wigan’s best football of the season was to be seen in what was ultimately a dismal defeat.

Latics totally dominated the first half in terms of possession and created far more chances than the visitors. Indeed, it was a wonder that Wigan hadn’t scored by the half time break with Moses, Rodallega and Crusat causing Fulham’s backline all sorts of problems. There were long periods in which the Cottagers couldn’t even get a foot on the ball, such was the home side’s grip on proceedings.

Victor Moses was absolutely on fire for periods, but could not score

Despite having perhaps their best half for months, perhaps even the whole season, it’s just so flippin’ typical that Wigan weren’t leading at half time. It’s even more typical that they were actually losing 1-0. Dempsey’s goal was one of those moments that makes you wonder why you even bother with football at all – it never rains but it absolutely teems it down, soaks you to the bone and leaves you wondering whether you should go to the doctor to ensure you haven’t contracted Legionnaires’ disease. Well, maybe it wasn’t that bad because it was only the single goal.

There was, of course, plenty to be positive about. Wigan’s attacking presence was far better than we have witnessed of late, and Watson, Moses and Caldwell could easily, on another day, have had a goal apiece – and even the most ardent of Fulham fans wouldn’t have begrudged the hosts at least one. The midfield gradually settled into what can only be described as dominance, the visitors allowing Latics plenty of time on the ball and sitting as far back as they could humanly manage before breaking. Luckily for Latics, it wasn’t that effective and too many misplaced passes meant each and every attack was patted back with some comfort. Except for the goal, of course.

Never mind, for there was still plenty of time to turn this game –and the season– around with a whole half to go, and boy did Wigan go for it. The men in blue threw absolutely everything into their attacks and continued to create some half chances which they sadly could not take. At the risk of sounding like a broken (Travis) record, once again there simply was no finishing touch to make the difference. Victor Moses, Hugo Rodallega and even Gary Caldwell had a go but as the minutes ticked away, no goal was forthcoming. More midfield dominance offered promise, and Fulham were well and truly being outpassed. But they were still a goal to the good, and only had to soak up any pressure Wigan applied. Oh, how Latics pushed.

Roberto Martinez felt the need to change things which, though predictable, is slightly questionable. After such a wonderful 65 minutes in which Wigan controlled the game, Albert Crusat was removed in favour of Franco Di Santo, which sparked the beginning of the end. Latics were never quite the same afterwards, letting the visitors back into things and inadvertently slowing things to a relative crawl. Whether it was a strategical error or another case of ‘running out of juice‘ (probably a bit of both), the Latics juggernaut dropped to well below the speed limit and looked thoroughly drained.

Gary Caldwell resorted to joining the midfield on occasion

By now the defence was attempting to get forward at every opportunity and increasingly vacating its post to leave Latics open at the back. Bobby Zamora could easily have scored to completely fell the hosts, but grazed the top of the crossbar. Ali Al Habsi was also forced to make a last ditch tackle as the backline pushed further and further forward to take advantage of the visitors’ increasingly deep-lying defence.

It was all beginning to look rather desperate, a far cry from just 20 minutes ago when it seemed as though Wigan would score every time they advanced into opposition territory. Their sprightliness and physical presence began to fade and the game settled into a more open contest, Latics still just about on top. Late sub Ronnie Stam saw to that, but it just was not enough to make any impact – i.e. scoring goals. Both Moses and Figueroa had hit the post, leaving many to wonder whether somebody up above was a Fulham fan.

By the time Dembele doubled Fulham’s lead on 86 minutes, the game was already won. In fact, Latics had pretty much deflated by the 70th minute.

In the end, it didn’t rain. In fact, the final minutes of the game were played out in partial sunshine, but there seems to be a permanent dark cloud looming over the DW Stadium at the moment. Wigan’s losing run stretches to… who knows how many games, and we’re fast gaining a (just) reputation as the league’s whipping boys.

To be brief (and goodness knows this is too painful to be reiterating over and over), this was a game that Wigan should really have won, but due to their own inability to score, fell into a predictable groove. Like a firework, Latics crackled violently but soon fizzled out. It would have been enjoyable, but when you have to do your Bonfire Night shopping at Poundland one has to expect disappointment.

On the plus side, if there is one, 2-0 was certainly not a fair reflection of the game as a whole, which Latics could have won. The hosts were the architects of their own downfall at both ends: firstly up front, where no real firepower was forthcoming, but also in defence, especially during that desperate second half scramble for goals. There is no doubting, however, that there are serious problems when you turn out the best 70 minutes you have played all year and still get beaten 2-0. You can bemoan bad luck all you like, but the sad fact is that we beat ourselves, and that really hurts. It’s only been ten games, but the Championship is starting to loom large for even the most optimistic of Ticsmen.

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

Hugo Rodallega had four clear cut chances for the hosts

It may have been a draw, but it certainly wasn’t a bore. Much like last season’s equivalent clash, neither team could claim to be at their best, but this bottom-of-the-table clash produced a relatively open game, at least in the second half.

Though tentative early on, things began to pick up around 20 minutes in as both Latics and Fulham ground out one decent chance each. For a long time, play plodded along at a low-key pace as both sides took their time feeling their way into the game. Things would spark into life, though, as Hugo Rodallega headed against the post and Damien Duff, one-on-one with Al Habsi, only succeeded in firing the ball against the Omani’s legs. I do Ali a disservice, actually, as he closed his man down well – in fact he did pretty much everything asked of him all afternoon and was something of an unsung hero, taking crosses with ease and very rarely spilling the ball.

It was in the second stanza, when Latics went 4-4-2(!), that the quality began to seep through. I’d go so far to say it was entertaining, certainly more so than the first, an open affair which could have seen either side steal the spoils.

For a long time, it looked as though Latics would win out. Another Wigan long ball from the back(!!) bounced quite nicely for Rodallega, who expertly chipped Stockdale from ten yards. It was true route one football, and for once it had actually worked for Martinez’s side. I’m not sure if he stuck to this tactic for the remainder of the game as at times Charles N’Zogbia seemed to be returning to the left wing role he struggled with in first 45.

For the most part, however, Charlie Boy prospered at the head of Latics’ attack line, effecting some fantastic breakaway chances that oh so nearly led to goals. Hugo could easily have had four, though a bumper home contingent would have to make do with just the one big cheer. That’s a lie, actually, as things got quite vociferous as Fulham had a goal disallowed, much to the chagrin of their travelling contingent. To be fair, it looked a handball from where I was sitting, and that was right at the back of the East Stand some ten miles away.

Andrew Johnson grabbed Fulham's late equaliser

Clint Dempsey’s ruled-out strike was indicative of a Fulham wave of pressure which saw the visitors lay siege to the Wigan goal in the final ten. As Rodallega and co. scrambled to cover in defence, N’Zogbia was left on his own up front, neutralised by Pantsil and Hangeland. Heh, sounds like a northern music hall act.

Anyway, we were now camped squarely in our own half and eventually the pressure was bound to tell. Fulham supersub Andrew Johnson, who caused Latics problems from the moment he set foot on the field only ten minutes previous, managed to squeeze his strike over the keeper via the leg of a defender with just four minutes of regular time to play.

There was still time for either side to snatch the victory, but it was the visitors who looked more likely. Wigan were not helped by referee Taylor, who visibly began to infuriate them by producing some non-existent fouls against Di Santo and N’Zogbia from the deepest depths of his backside. In truth, he’d been doing this all game, but Latics’ situation made his actions all the more prominent. The upshot of it all was that Rodallega and Di Santo talked their way into the referee’s book alongside Figueroa, Alcaraz, Panstil and Hangeland. “Join the club,” they might have quipped.

Full time came at just the right point for Wigan, who were now under some serious pressure. Thankfully, no more chances were to follow, so the game finished with the visitors on top and Latics relieved to have survived for a point. It was a fair result, with neither side outclassing the other and each having their own equally decent spells of attacking pressure that could well have led to goals.

Stuck in the bottom three before kickoff, Wigan would have benefited more from the three points, and it was a bit of a pity we couldn’t hold on for them. But a single point at least lifts us out of the bottom three with favourable results elsewhere, and in this relegation catfight (a bit like a dogfight, only slightly more girly and whiny), who knows what might happen between now and May 2011. With the return of McCarthy and Moses imminent, things may start to look up sooner rather than later.

Not at the races: Ronnie Stam, just like his side, struggled off the mark

In the interests of keeping you awake long enough to even make it as far as the second paragraph, I’m going to start off by ‘doing a Bob’ and attempting to stick to the positives that came out of today’s game.

Nnnngh… well, I think that would actually be nigh on impossible, because this really was a totally forgettable game from Wigan’s point of view. In fact, many of those that made the arduous trip to London would struggle to remember if there even was a Latics match this afternoon, we were so ineffective. I suppose things have picked up a bit from our drubbing at the hands of Portsmouth this time last year, and on the whole I’d say we’re performing a bit better than we were at that point, but it isn’t much consolation.

Maybe the midweek cup tie against Swansea took its toll on Latics’ squad, whereas Fulham had a nice week of rest and relaxation, but that doesn’t account for our non-appearance at Craven Cottage. Yes, there was the odd sniff of an opportunity, but the long-distance shooting we favoured in the first 45 minutes was never really going to challenge Mark Schwarzer.

If Wigan struggled in the first half, they simply weren’t even present for the second. I suppose the majority of our troubles stemmed from lack of possession, which limited the potency of our attackers and put Alcaraz and Caldwell under too much pressure. In this sense, Fulham must be credited for their tight, man-to-man football (doing their homework well, then) which Wigan never adapted to at any stage, really. Roberto actually made a change or two to try and combat this, but it wasn’t much use when the midfield couldn’t string more than a couple of passes together, relegating Rodallega to a mere spectator in the second stanza.

It’s been a bad day in more ways than one, as just a few hours before kicking off at Fulham, Latics were drawn away to Arsenal in the Carling Cup. It was a toss-up as to whether the Gunners or Man United would be the more difficult, but we’ll have to see how that goes. I can tell you right now, though, we’ll have to be infinitely better than we were today if anyone at the club harbours ambitions of making it to the semis. Either that or Arsenal agree to play the game with ten men, and even then we would struggle.

Forgive me if I’m totally unenthusiastic today, but I’ll bet you can guess why. I also note that Tomasz Cywka, who left on a free during the summer, continued his fine scoring spree by grabbing two for Derby County this afternoon. I can’t help but think he’s the kind of player we might miss this season, and it’s a bit of a shame we had to let the two Polish lads leave.

Still, I guess today’s scoreline could have been a lot more damaging had Fulham not effectively settled on their lead. Doesn’t change the fact we now have the worst goal difference in the league, though, and let’s not hope it doesn’t come back to haunt us to that in May 2011. Haunt, get it? Cos it’s Halloween? Hmm, I guess that ‘joke’ fell as flat on its face as Latics did today.

Scotland finally breaks his league duck

Things were looking so rosy at half time; Latics had just about edged proceedings thanks to a strike from Jason Scotland, his first in the league for Wigan and hopefully one of many — though the jury’s still out on that. I’m sure Wigan fans would have been much happier had the goal actually counted for something other than goal difference in the grand scheme of things, but still, nice to see a signing come good…

Scotland’s 34th minute strike came immediately after a good spell of possession for the visitors, who’d just gone close through Maynor Figueroa, this afternoon playing in a forward-thinking left wing role. Minutes later, the Trinidadian was set up by Moreno, who controlled an N’Zogbia pass nicely into his path.

There was an element of good fortune about the goal as keeper Mark Schwarzer seemed unsighted, and maybe should have done better. But still, we shan’t begrudge Jason this much sought-after strike – hopefully, now the floodgates will open and he’ll grab a hat trick against Portsmouth next week. Wishful thinking? Perhaps not.

You see, Martinez was somewhat forced into making changes to his regular playing style, resolving to pander to criticism — or perhaps necessity — and go 4-4-2 with Hugo Rodallega joining Scotland and Moreno up front from time to time. You know the drill: control the ball in the midfield area and look for the killer pass up to the front men. Scotland looks to have settled into his role well and, despite the fact it’s painfully evident he isn’t quite of the same calibre as Emile Heskey, did his job for the first 45 yesterday. Actually, I’m sure some Villa fans would beg to differ on that Heskey comment. Best to just leave it there.

The absence of Gary Caldwell, serving a suspension after being sent off against Man City on Monday, meant Paul Scharner would once again have to fill in at centre back, a position he didn’t exactly relish. In fact, he must have thought he was still playing in the centre of midfield when, instead of hoofing the ball clear, he attempted to dribble past Zoltan Gera on his own goal line. Care to guess what happened next? Yep, just two minutes into the second half, and it was 1-1.

I can just hear the calls from the crowd now: “You aren’t playing in a luxury position today, Paul.” To be fair, the Austrian dealt with pretty much everything else, except…

11 minutes later, Fulham were ahead on the scoresheet courtesy of Brede Hangeland, who leapt highest to nod a Damien Duff corner past Chris Kirkland. Another “defensive lapse”, as Roberto likes to call it, and Latics were really up against it. From then onwards, Wigan struggled to create anything of note, save maybe a volley 25 feet over the bar from Moreno.

Ben Watson made a brief appearance to take two free kicks - one was alright, the other less so

Latics simply could not replicate the pressure they exerted upon the Fulham backline in the first half, only managing to grab hold of the ball every now and then. When they did enjoy some sort of possession and the passes started coming back to them — albeit in a piecemeal fashion — it was far too late, and anyway Schwarzer was never challenged.

You get the feeling that, had this contest been at the DW, Wigan may have just had that extra impetus in the form of a home crowd to gee their side to a much-needed draw.

On the bright side, all our main contenders failed to make any real progress this weekend. Well, all except for West Ham, who did well to secure an away point at Everton, something Latics couldn’t quite manage. Oh, who am I kidding – the second half was one of the most frustrating and, dare I say it, poor displays I’ve seen us put up in recent times. I thought all the defensive problems and lack of cutting edge were all behind us and we’d be safe by next week.

There was a chance for a point here, but irritatingly Latics couldn’t pull one out of the bag when it mattered. Whether we deserved it or not is another matter, but I do have to say my expectations were a little bit higher than the lacklustre performance of the second 45.

No matter, the contests against Portsmouth, West Ham and perhaps most crucially Hull will decide the fate of Wigan Athletic in 2009/10. Sure, a point yesterday would have been nice, but those three clashes — two of which are at home, by the way — were always going to be the most important. I’d say a win and two draws would be enough, but a couple of wins would seal it, even if things go right down to the wire as I think they will. It’s still in our own hands, which is far more than can be said for Burnley or Hull.

• BBC Match Report