The 12th Man Column...How can any Wigan Athletic fan be moaning now?

Paul Middleton:

Okay so Saturday was awful and there’s no denying it but, to hear some of our fans talk, you’d think we were bottom of the league and not top of it.

At least one person was shouting that “…things need to change”.

What things exactly?

A team that has been together less than six months and is still the best team in our division?

A team that not only has

one of the best defences,

but also one of the best attacks?

An owner who just gets it, and gets us.

We’re not easy people to get along with sometimes, but he’s come in and it feels like it’s always been this way.

So, no, nothing needs to change, lads.

It was an FA Cup game that didn’t go the way we thought it would.

It’s not the last days of Rome.

And one thing we definitely don’t need to change is the group of young lads who went out on Wednesday night, and showed a near full-strength Shrewsbury team what it’s like to suddenly come up against players who show no fear.

From the growing genius of Thelo Aasgaard to the world-class finish from Chris Sze, there didn’t seem to be a weakness from front to back. I will quite confidently state our future is secure, both on field and off.

We can be pretty sure the current owners won’t be giving such talent away for pennies like the administrators were.

It’s entirely possible we’ll see more of at least some of them in the replay at Solihull Moors.

I suppose it all depends on what kind of the priority Leam Richardson gives to the cup this year.

Judging by the team he put out on Saturday, we can probably assume it is still something we aspire to do well in.

But that might change with a league game three days later.

We’re still in three competitions, and that takes its toll.

Maybe not now, but certainly through the months after new year, when injuries suddenly start to happen more often, and the fairly shallow depth of the squad could be exposed.

Until then, and until as and when it all falls apart, let’s have no more theatrics every time we don’t win a game. It’s unnecessary and plainly ridiculous.

This year was all about consolidation.

All we’re consolidating at the moment is our position as the best team in League One, so pack in the moaning.

Statto:

Well a drab draw in the FA Cup and centre-backs going down quicker than skittles in a bowling alley, the international break couldn’t have come at a better time.

It’s an FA Cup replay we could have done without, but another game we have to deal with.

On to the Pizza Cup, and a great result with so many Academy players on the pitch.

In my view, I’d stick with that team and see how far they can progress in the competition.

Hopefully all the international lads comeback fit and well, and a few injuries clear up for the visit of Oxford.

Stay safe.

Matt Auffrey:

On 15 January 2013, Wigan Athletic made a five-hour trip to Bournemouth on a Tuesday night for a third-round FA Cup replay match.

Ten days prior, the two sides drew 1-1 at the DW during Wigan’s introduction to the competition.

Our League One opponents were in top form, having not lost in their last 18 matches. Latics’ starting XI featured several first-team regulars, such as Maynor Figueroa and Jordi Gomez, playing alongside little-used reserves like Fraser Fyvie and Roman Golobart.

It would’ve been very easy for Latics to write off the match for many reasons.

The team was making a long trip to the south coast midweek to play in a competition that held no value towards their status in the biggest league in football.

Roberto Martinez put out a side that contained a mixture of Premier League veterans and unproven youngsters. Few would fault them if they failed to mesh over 90 minutes given the circumstances.

A loss was not going to make or break the season with four months to go.

Anybody who calls themselves a fan should already know the outcome of that third-round replay - as well as the outcomes of the next five FA Cup fixtures that Latics would go on to play.

Mauro Boselli scored his fifth and final goal for the club on that Tuesday winter evening and we won 1-0 to advance in the competition.

This past week saw Latics feature in two separate cup competitions – the FA Cup and Papa John’s Trophy.

Both cup matches occurred at the DW, but produced two different results with two different groups of players.

Our goalless draw against Solihull Moors last Saturday did little to inspire our fanbase.

The match drew a below average crowd of less than 4,000, and the post-match response on social media indicated many of our fans could not be bothered with the upcoming replay in the West Midlands.

Those same sentiments carried over to Wednesday’s visit of Shrewsbury.

WIth several first teamers recently lost to injury, many fans feared how future fixture congestion could affect a depleted squad.

Advancing to the knockout stage of the competition was at the absolute bottom of many fans’ priority list.

It’s fair to say that after the full-time whistle had blown, and Latics had emerged victorious, the collective perspective of the competition had shifted dramatically.

Adam Long and Chris Sze scored phenomenal first senior goals for the club and several other young players put in exceptional performances.

It was a night that brought about a tremendous sense of pride for our Academy and the future of our club.

We now await the announcement of our next EFL Trophy opponents with visions of Wembley in mind.

We have passed the halfway point of our elongated 18-day hiatus from League One fixtures. With Tuesday’s FA Cup replay approaching soon, the match can now be viewed as a prime opportunity for our young talent to shine rather than another midweek inconvenience for our squad.

As we learned nearly nine years ago, one small win can snowball itself into something much more significant.

As great as it is to be top of the League One table, there are still other stages that will allow our club to radiate this season.

Let’s continue to back the lads in full force.

Tony Moon:

I’m done wi um

Tha’ll si me no moo-ore

I’m done wi um,

By the crin, that were poo-or

I’m done wi um

Fifteen quid for that

I’m done wi um

Solihull?! Where’s that?

I’m done wi um

They’re bloody non-league

I’m done wi um

You what? It were fatigue?

You’ve got to be kiddin’,

They’re meant to be fit

Two games in a week?

Can’t do it? Then quit.

Nar Shrewsbury,

They’re playin’ the kids

I’m done wi um

This club’s on the skids

I’m done wi um

Why not a strong side?

I’m done wi um

We’re gonna get fried

Hey up, buggle me,

We’ve gone and won t’ game

I wanted to moan

And to whinge and to blame

Top of t’ league, and in t cups

What do I moan abart nar?

Bloody rubbish Wiggin

I’m done wi yer … Ta-rar.

Sean Livesey:

Oh Wigan Athletic, you contrary football club.

How we’ve missed you.

After that glorious win over Fleetwood it was back to the focus of the cups this week and it’s fair to say Saturday didn’t exactly go to plan.

A strong side was named by Leam Richardson, in his own words treating the cup with the respect it deserves from former winners and semi-finalists like ourselves.

It should have been a comprehensive win for the highest-placed side in the competition against the National League challengers, but a well-drilled Solihull had different ideas.

We all should know by now that the FA Cup can throw up results like this, indeed a quick scan of the rest of the weekend’s results shows a large number of lower sides taking bigger clubs to replays or indeed knocking them out all together.

We weren’t alone at struggling to get past our non-league opponents, and I wonder how much the atmosphere at home contributed to that?

There’s been a bit of heat on social media about the lack of numbers in attendance on Saturday.

It was our lowest ever attendance for an FA Cup match and, although we’ve bigger fish to fry, I did harbour hopes of our crowds doing better this season.

So much was said last year of the town not taking the football club for granted again and, although every person has their own circumstances to worry about, as a collective I hoped we would do better.

It’s hard playing in the DW at the best of times, it’s a huge stadium and can be rocking when there’s 10k-plus in there.

When there’s barely 2k, though, sadly you’re going to struggle to gain any sort of atmosphere to help the lads across the line.

I can’t blame anyone who wasn’t there, we all have our own issues within life of course – as a regular shift worker, Saturday fell on one of my two weekends a month so it was a game I was never going to be able to get to.

I’ll be at the replay, though, because nothing is more attractive than a Tuesday night away in Solihull...

Added to the result, losing another two centre backs was clearly a massive blow, and it led to a lot questioning why the manager played such a strong side.

He was then criticised in some quarters for playing a perceived weakened team on Wednesday against Shrewsbury, showing once and for all you can’t please all of the people all of the time!

Our midweek hoodoo is seemingly gone for ever, especially after Wednesday night’s showing in the Pizza Cup.

Despite not scoring a goal in the competition and being out classed by Crewe last month, Latics still somehow had a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages heading into the last group game.

It’s sadly a much diminished competition, the old football league trophy – not because of the ever-changing list of sponsors, but because of the EFL’s decision to allow it to become a testing ground for the Premier League’s Under-21 sides.

A competition that offered a chance of a cup final at Wembley for those lower league clubs that would normally never dream of such things has been completely devalued by the introduction of what is nothing more than top-flight reserve sides.

Until that changes, I don’t imagine the competition will be given the respect it deserves.

Nonetheless, after last season, I try my best to look forward to any match, as for so long it felt like we may not get the chance too again. Shrewsbury named a near full-strength side, while the injury-hit Latics played a side made up of mainly Academy graduates with a smattering of first teamers including Gavin Massey, Tom Pearce, Gwion Edwards and Jamie Jones.

From minute one Latics looked well up for it and, despite losing James Carragher to injury early on, dominated proceedings throughout.

It was a really pleasing night, seeing how young lads such as Baba Adeeko, Scott Smith and Chris Sze seized their chance alongside more established lads such as Thelo Aasgaard, Luke Robinson and Adam Long.

Also, what a story for Divin Baningime, released by the club last year to free up money and a space in the squad.

Re-signed on a short-term contract this season and reaping the rewards with regular appearances in the Under23’s and now the first team.

After seeing how the lads conducted themselves last night I’d be more than happy to see that side at Solihull on Tuesday – which is probably a good thing considering the wait for the medical room.