For 69 minutes of their encounter with the English champions, Manchester City, Wigan Athletic competed with their illustrious opponents very much on equal terms. Indeed, the Latics were playing the more expansive and free-flowing football while looking defensively comfortable. The midfield harrying of James McCarthy and Dave Jones was too oppressive for the underwhelming Javi Garcia and hindered the ability of City and their creative forces to settle into any rhythm.
On the debit side of Wigan’s ledger was that Mario Balotelli’s opening goal appeared to choke the life out of the hosts and, aided by a quick second strike, Roberto Mancini’s side were untroubled in the latter stages as they extended their unbeaten league start to 14 matches. City haven’t sparkled in anything approaching the manner they did in the early months of their title winning season but continue to display champions’ credentials.
The Citizens are relentlessly grinding out results regardless of performance. They manage to limit any damage to their own goal when they come under pressure and remain capable of producing passages of play – such as the game clinching three minutes at the DW Stadium – that befit a galactico laden squad.
Despite Wigan’s highly impressive showing for two-thirds of this tussle they are an enduringly frustrating outfit. Their run to safety at the back end of last term was as thrilling and compelling as anything that took place in a remarkable season. Having looked doomed early in March, sitting as they were, rooted to the foot of the table with 20 points – and with an ugly early season trot of eight straight defeats on their record – they sprung into life, winning seven and losing only two of their final eleven fixtures.
The Latics’ ‘fight’ for survival was entirely untypical of a team in the midst of a relegation dogfight. The football played in those final fixtures was as fluent and eye-catching as any exhibited elsewhere by their league counterparts during the same period. Victories away at Liverpool and Arsenal were won not by scrapping and defending frantically. Both of those more celebrated teams couldn’t match Wigan’s electrifying, superbly organised displays.
The same could be said of Manchester United in their 1-0 defeat at the DW and, most majestically, Champions League chasing Newcastle United who were blown away by a barrage of first-half goals in a 4-0 thumping that at its conclusion could have been considered a lucky escape for the visitors.
Viewed dispassionately, this small provincial club’s rise from playing non-league football as recently as 1978, to now enjoying their eighth successive campaign at the very top is quite remarkable. Regardless of this being one of the genuine fairytales of the modern game however, Wigan’s presence among the elite is often disparaged by other Premier League supporters, particularly those of the division’s giants who have no empathy with a team involved in a perennial battle for survival and playing home matches to the backdrop of cavernous spaces in the stands.
The Latics’ debut Premier League season culminated with a fine 10th place finish, but in the years since the side has been unable to match that achievement. Current manager, Roberto Martinez, who for all his fantastic work and the admirable backing he receives from the club’s owner Dave Whelan, has yet to lead his charges any higher than 15th has spoken of the desire to establish Wigan as a team competing away from the relegation zone. Mid-table security is the next target in the club’s staggering progression. Early this season the Spaniard said;
‘We don’t want to be a team that just fights against relegation, we want to be a team to do something else’.
The ability of Martinez to build a consistent squad is hampered by the inevitable departure of star performers each summer. This term was preceded with the sales of Victor Moses, Hugo Rodallega and Mohamed Diame.
Nevertheless, Martinez is one of the most astute managers in the country. He buys players with a clear picture of exactly how they will fit in with the way he sets his team up to play. The ex-Swansea manager employs a definitive style, with three defenders, a midfield four – with the wide-men doubling up as wing-backs – and a forward pairing who start out wide with a central striker roving behind the top two.
When Martinez paid in the region of £3m to Birmingham City in January to add Jean Beausejour to his ranks many eyebrows were raised. The winger spent an unremarkable 17 months in the Midlands and was part of a squad relegated to the Championship. The manager knew exactly the role he saw the Chilean playing in his side, seeing that left-wingback position as an ideal niche for the 28 year-old. Martinez’s instinct was proven correct as Beausejour was a vital cog in the fluid late season form of his team.
brilliant article. everything you said was bang on the money. other journos could learn alot from you paul. well done