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Bob happy with what he’s got
Roberto Martinez
ROBERTO Martinez believes Latics have enough strength in their squad to drag themselves clear of relegation danger after deciding not to draft in reinforcements on transfer deadline day.
Latics managed to hang on to Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega after Tuesday’s frantic activity across the league.
But the club pulled the plug on a possible move for Watford defender Adrian Mariappa, leaving Chilean international Jean Beausejour – who debuted against Spurs in the 3-1 loss at White Hart Lane following a move from Birmingham City– as the only new addition.
Martinez made no secret of his desire to bring in “one or two” new faces, even if on loan.
But he refused to panic buy as the deadline approached, and retaining Rodallega is a considerable boost as Wigan aim to climb off the bottom spot during the next 15 matches – starting with Saturday’s visit of Everton.
The Spaniard said: “I’m quite happy to go with the squad we have got.
“Through the last two or more seasons the whole squad know what it takes to be competitive until the last day of the season and to survive in this league.
“It’s not about bringing players in for the sake of it.”
Now that the speculation surrounding Rodallega’s future has ended, Martinez will have to decide whether to recall him to the starting line-up for Saturday’s visit of Everton.
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 21 comments to this article
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razzle76
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 10:11 AMLyndon we dont have strength in depth and the loss of players like Alcaraz for weeks can affect the team choices. A 3 match ban and an injury in the premiership and thats a much bigger setback than in the championship. In the premiership if your new striker doesnt score straight away there's a panic and much more pressure on him for the same reason. i agree with Mona. A good cup run would have helped by giving his best team more chance to play together. But he has chosen to play a weakened team. However if we had lost the cup and gone on to win the league games RM would be proved right. It wont be the end of the world if we get relegated in my opinion. As long as we keep our squad together.
elven
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 01:10 PMLatics are heading down to RM's level, is that Champ or C1? The certainty is that the club will be Champ next season with no chance of improvement until DW puts his hand into his deep pocket and buys a decent manager and gives him the funds to rebuild.
jerseyman
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:45 AM40 points is the benchmark We are 25 points short of that so we need 8 wins and a draw in our last 15 matches Anyone predict where they are coming from lets start with the match against Everton today If we lose this one will the dumbo again feel very proud of our committment and hard work even if we do get thrashed We need to get rid of him he will take us into division one in 2014
thepieshavegone
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 09:29 PMComments 14,15,16,17. Couldn't agree more.
coccium
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 08:27 PMWell said Brazilian Tic. I now live in the US and try to watch as much PL as I can on the telly. I remember making a trip over at Christmas a few years ago and watch us beat Man C 4 3 I think on Boxing Day with my family. What a treat it was for my son watching a live game for the first time. Packed stadium, Jewel at the helm and some decent talent on the field. What a contrast to just two or even three years ago. When was the last time we had a full or near full house? It is hard to pass judgment from 3000 miles away, but I cringe whenever I read RM's comments. Same old tune same old story same old BS same old verbal nonsence. It doesn't matter what one says here as nothing will change unless there is a change at the top for starters. The only change will be that we will be one league down next season and if something doesn't change the championship trap door will be waiting for us. I cannot stand BBC's Mark Lawrenson comments but I am afraid he is right..
BrazilianTic
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:50 PMi been watching and supporting the boys in blue for 25 years and i got to say this is the worst team, manger and performances i have ever seen. I dont get to see the games live anymore cause i now live in brazil but i do get some live games here when they play Man U , liverpool ect ect and i watch them online. Martinez has destroyed everything wigan stood for, we was never gonna compete for top 6 place but we had a go at every team we played, we was ENTERTAINING to watch. Now we have fans from SWINDON laughing at us saying how are we classed as a premier league team. We a laughing stock of all the leagues in the country. We have 2 potentially premier league players in ali and moses and the rest would struggle in the championship. U bought the rubbish we have martinez and play everyone out of postion and try and play a passing game when we dont have the talent on the pitch to do it and u come out after every game with the same old rubbish about the team learning this and that. In just 2 years you and the board have ripped the heart,soul and hard work of gettin into the top flight and as long as you are in the hot seat we will end up in the conference. Stadium empty every game...... i wonder why with one game won, boring style of play and no goals. Whelan wake the H3LL up and sack him.
The Black Pearl
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 06:42 PMI think he's doing a great job!
Jack's dad
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 05:24 PMI've got to the point where I think it doesn't matter over much what permutation of players Martinez uses for the Everton game or any other. A bit of sideways and backwards possession, slow build-up, defensive howlers, shot-shy forwards, players out of position and some heroics from Ali to keep the score down. The defeat is then followed by some 'positives' and the sort of spin in this article. None of this is Premiership quality and the only re-grouping we're likely to do in the Championship is avoiding relegation to Division 1.
thepieshavegone
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:20 PMagree with comments 6,7,8,9,11,12. Can't take notice of comment 10. Defeatist! Happy with your lot in the Championship. Like the team. No desire. No hopes.No ambition. Is this Dave Whelan?
mona
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:16 PMAnybody who believes that Whelan and Martinez have a master plan are as deluded as they are. The sad fact of life is that we have very little talent at the club. It's even sadder that nobody.has the ability or desire to develop it. A good run in either cup competition would have helped and a couple of experienced pros who they could leatn from. Whelan is playing lip service to the development of good players. Baines would have been conference fodder with this lot.
Lyndon36
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 03:38 PMrazzle76, you have lost the plot, we are in this position because Martinez is CR4P, alwas has been and always will be. How you can say there hasnt been the numbe rof game for RM to find his team is crazy, this guy is meant to be a Premiership manager, so on that basis he should know about his players and pick a squad acording to the next game, with (despite this never happening) the ability to win. Dont forget RM is responsible for all the dead wood we now have in the team. THe bloke is a Clown and should never be allowed to manage a team again. He has completely DESTROYED this club. If you remember when he first came the coments were we would be challenging for places in europe within 4 years, I think he misunderstood "Champions League" for "ChampionShip" based on this he go there in 2 and a half years!!! Well done Bobby!!!!!!
razzle76
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 03:10 PMEven Arsenal cannot keep changing personal and maintaining standards. There is a chance (slim) that Wigan can stay up this season but if we do get relegated then I believe that it may just help us build stability in the long run. We may just get to keep most of out players if we get relegated? That will give the young players that are left the chance to learn their craft and more opportunity (plenty more games) to learn to play together. This season in the prem there just haven't been the number of games of RM to find his best team or his best formation. If this is a work in progress which I believe it is, a lot of the meaningful work will be done next season one league down!
Tizwaz25
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 02:55 PMWell said "a voice of reason" ! Bulls**t Bob needs a reality check. We have 15 games left, take out the Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool games as no-hopers leaves 11 games to get to , say, 38 points. We need 23 points from a maximum 33 !! How are we going to do that ?? We're boll***d already and after each game the picture will be worse. Because there is no direction from the Board, no tactical know-how from the manager and staff, the players seem to have given up, and other players won't come near the place. Well Done Bulls**t Bob !! You're a star !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rob Neville
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 02:48 PMROBERTO, PLEASE, IN THE NAME OF GOD GO... Can you not see that your killing this club?.
a voice of reason
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 02:31 PMI have held my tongue for as long as I can on this, but now, after this kind of deluded nonsense, completely contradicting what he said last week, I am past the point of tolerance with Roberto Martinez. I held him in the highest regard as a player, and admired him from afar as the Manager of Swansea. However since coming back here as our Manager, he has systematically ruined the journey of our Premier League adventure. We all know we are never going to be in a position to be contenders for anything, but then again neither are Aston Villa, Stoke, Sunderland et al, but they give it a right good go and their approach to games has purpose and drive, and is entertaining to watch. If I wanted to watch a display of how to pass a ball between each other without going anywhere, I would go and watch a training ground session. We are in a results business, and from the perspective of being in a position of staring relegation dead on in the eye, how we achieve that result is of secondary importance. ROBERTO HAS TO GO if we are going to have any chance of achieving anything at all - immediately that would be Premier League survival, but if we do go down, that will then become Championship survival, and with him in charge, I fear for us long term . . . . My club is bigger than this man's stubborn insistence on playing pretty football to massage his own ego.
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