PART ONE: Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - 'A major reason why we are where we are'

Alan Rogers:

Saturday started off fairly well. In the Supporters Club before the game, we were treated to a few words from Roberto Martinez, who shared his experiences of Christmas growing up in Spain and also looked back at his festive times at Wigan.

Speaking eloquently as usual, Roberto then urged the assembled fans not to lose faith in the current team. He stressed they needed the fans more than ever at the moment. Roberto always understood the 'Wigan way' - the ethos, the mindset. As usual, he was cheered to the rafters and after his motivational words we set off to watch the match with a bit more of hope and optimism than in recent weeks.

But these hopes were quickly dashed. A relegation-zone Blackpool team, managed by a traditionally inept manager, began with some purpose and started to bully our players. The Tangerines weren't far superior to Wigan, but they were organised and seemed to be playing to a plan. Then the inevitable happened. Two former Blues scored, and it was as simple as that, game over.

So how did our current manager handle the situation? Well, not very well, truth be told. He spent most of the game jumping up and down in the technical area, screaming at certain players who incurred his wrath. Between curses he would pull his snood up over his face - possibly in some strange attempt to hide his identity...who knows?

I've begun to think his behaviour has become more and more bizarre in recent weeks, and this was confirmed when he said after the game that he thought the Wigan performance was fantastic! Maybe he'd had too much Christmas spirit?

He also later added that 'didn't know what some fans were expecting...' Well, I guess what most fans were expecting - at the very least - was that after the great result and performance against Doncaster in September, we would win more than three of our next 17 competitive games, including two crushing defeats to local rivals.

Anyway, back to the game, and at least Lowe didn't wait until the 88th minute this week until he brought on Paul Mullin. But even that didn't help. A generally disjointed Wigan just couldn't get going, once again the players looked like strangers. It makes you wonder what they do on the training ground?

Lowe's final three changes brought howls of derision from the fans, and then he made a schoolboy error. He began arguing with the home supporters around the dug-out. Usually that's a sign of the beginning of the end. But it's also a sign of arrogance and ignorance. Everyone knows you can never win an argument with the fans - even if you are right!

The feeling of the majority on Saturday was that Lowe definitely wasn't right! In fact, at the moment he appears to be someone who's trying to defend the indefensible. Actually, we were all trying to work out what system he was trying to defend! But possibly the most annoying part of Saturday was how fast he scurried up the tunnel at the end...ignoring HIS players and the few fans that were left in the ground.

Now I've made no secret of the fact I don't think Shaun Maloney should have been sacked, but that's water a long time under the bridge now. I did, however, hope and pray the club brought in the correct replacement. Someone who, as well as having the correct footballing credentials, was also someone who understood our club. Someone who had studied our history, our triumphs and our failures.

I have to admit I was disappointed when Lowe was announced. I didn't have any real issues with his football CV, it was more the all-round package that worried me. I know you shouldn't pay too much attention to fans of former clubs, but there was a lot - and I mean a lot - of adverse criticism.

My personal opinion was that initially Lowe appeared slightly arrogant and aloof - with very firm footballing views. But none of this should really matter. We should judge a manager mainly by results - apparently that's what Maloney was judged upon!

But while the results in the league have been distinctly average, it's been generally painful to watch - and it's getting worse. Is it an improvement on Maloney's last season? The fans are beginning to vote with their feet and it's hard to blame them.

So what happens now? I would be very surprised if the board decided on a change of coach, but will they trust Lowe to spend money in January? Don't forget, this is the team that he mostly put together, so he can't complain about inheriting from previous regimes. But that's what Lowe seems to do. I may be wrong, but I don't think I've ever heard him take the blame or responsibility for anything!

I genuinely hope Lowe turns this around because, although he isn't exactly my cup of tea, we all only want what's best for the team. I feel I've been quite restrained and more than balanced with what I've written here...if I simply ranted then that would get us nowhere.

Equally, we can't keep pretending that everything is wonderful. We know from recent past experience that this is traditionally a poor league that doesn't take a great deal of winning. And we've triumphed in recent years with distinctly average squads. But they've been well-coached, close-knit squads...miles from where we are at the moment.

Perhaps Lowe will be visited by a few ghosts on Christmas Eve, who will show him the error of his ways. And also explain how to get the best from this team (maybe give him a few lessons in media training, and humility, at the same time)!

In the meantime, we also need to remind ourselves that no matter what Bill Shankly said...football is not the most important thing in the world. Especially at this time of year. On that note, Happy Christmas to everyone and a peaceful New Year (even to Bolton fans!)…

Matt Auffrey:

With all of the storylines that existed ahead of the Blackpool match - Ian Evatt, Dale Taylor, our unbeaten run, and Ryan Lowe’s record in big games - it didn’t seem likely that the afternoon would end in a drab 0-0 draw. The match events were destined to play out in a manner that would deliver one team an immaculately-wrapped, pristine gift under their Christmas tree and the other team a stocking full of coal.

The Latics fanbase can still leave out mince pie and sherry in hopes for a fruitful return come Christmas morning but, for the club itself, Saturday’s disappointing outcome will leave behind a stench that may not be extinguished until the next chance for redemption on Boxing Day.

The 2-0 home defeat was enough of a let down in itself, but the gaffer’s post-match comments left a large subsection of our fanbase in an even greater state of disarray. Lowe was quick to compliment the team’s overall efforts and used stats such as total shots and xG as evidence that we were the team in control for the overwhelming majority of the match. His remarks could easily be understood as him taking credit for putting the players in the right position to win and placing blame on the players - particularly our strikers - for their failure to score the goals necessary to win matches.

While there should be little argument that our strikers have underwhelmed up to this point in the season, it should not be forgotten that the likes of Dara Costelloe, Christian Saydee, and Paul Mullin were all brought in by the gaffer himself. We paid a fee for two of those players, and the third is on loan with only half of his wage being subsidised by Wrexham.

The fans have been told we have a top half, if not top 10, wage budget in the division this season. Yet, we have only won 30 per cent of our league matches so far. It feels like we have spent more time in the bottom half of the league table than the top half.

Lowe’s wing-back system has left much to be desired over the past few months, as performances of once in-form players, like Fraser Murray, have taken a dip and the players taking the other opposite side of the pitch from him have largely been inconsistent all season.

Even with captain Jason Kerr out due to injury, the spine of this team is still strong enough that we should expect to win much more than we have through the first five months of the campaign. Lowe has to do better with this group - point blank.

Barring an all-out catastrophe over the next few weeks, the gaffer should be given the chance to bring in January reinforcements. The inability to bring in impact signings last January – coupled with the massive loss of Thelo Aasgaard – played a major role in Shaun Maloney’s downfall. Let us hope that all contributors to our transfer business can learn from last winter’s shortcomings and secure the right players for our system who will fill major areas of need.

However, we have two more fixtures to complete before the new year arrives and the January window opens again. We’ll travel to high-flying Bradford City on Boxing Day to face off for the first time in nearly eight years. We’ll be greeted by a few very familiar faces – including Max Power and Stephen Humphrys - so hopefully, at the very least, we will have learned our lessons from Blackpool and not allow two ex-’Tics to score match-winning goals.

Nonetheless, I wish the traveling support a fantastic day out. 2025 has been far from our best year on record, but that doesn’t mean it still can’t end on a high note. Cheers!

Lowey:

The worst unbeaten run in recent times comes to an end despite a 'fantastic' performance against Blackpool. And Ryan Lowe's analysis certainly won’t have helped appease the growing frustration in the fanbase.

All the talk of xG (expected goals) is modern game nonsense. The naked eye told you we never were going to score. I’ve never seen a strike partnership less likely to score than ours.

Our most successful managers in recent times were popular ex-players (Paul Jewell, Roberto Martinez, Paul Cook and possibly Gary Caldwell). But Lowe is the polar opposite. I really don’t like the 'them and us' comments with the players, and his ongoing battles with the West Stand is not a good look. He’s now distancing himself from the owners around recruitment.

I don’t think he’s ever going to be a popular figure here but, when results go badly, he may be in trouble. Reading the Preston North End socials, it was the same there...he just cuts a divisive figure who appears to be capable of starting an argument in an empty room.

The frustration is that there are good players but, for whatever reason, just aren’t clicking. And as time has passed, they look less likely to. How do we fix it ? Don’t ask me. I’m just a fan...not a coach with his badges. Happy Christmas anyway!

Martin Lally:

Well the Ian Evatt-able has finally caught up with us after an extremely disappointing day down at the Brick Community Stadium.

I have to be honest, my patience is beginning to run thin with the current regime. And I find it hard to agree with Ryan Lowe’s comments post-match. I’ve been there a while though…

Blackpool are certainly not in a false position at the bottom, and there was enough in that game for us. But when it comes to it, we can’t take a chance, and they did. There is also no Plan B, and many of the substitutions we see don’t change the plan, they merely refresh the position.

It’s easy to play against if you stay solid. Walking out of the ground chatting away, my biggest feeling was we have seen better performances at Wigan and the manager has then lost his job! With a really tough Boxing Day encounter at Bradford City followed up quickly by a trip to Burton Albion, Lowe’s job could be on the line as we approach Barnsley at home on New Year's Day.

Let’s examine the evidence...some people may call me daft, but the unbeaten run has been a facade. We really should have lost our place in the FA Cup twice if we’re honest, and we have struggled with pretty much every team we have encountered in that run, including some seriously poor teams. I always feel with Latics that I can take it if we give everything...but I don’t think that’s the case at the minute! Perhaps in reflection, we also are a poor team?

I was never 'Shaun Maloney out', but I can see why many were. What I certainly was, was 'be careful what you wish for', and we are certainly up against it at the minute! Okay 'Grinch that stole Christmas', let’s hope the boys can turn it around, but I fear the worse as we hurtle towards 2026.

We need a Christmas miracle, or the first half of 2026 could be nerve-wracking considering we are as close to relegation as promotion. Up the not so festive, miserable Tics!

Sean Livesey:

So much for my assertion last week that things were improving. Because things took a huge - and somewhat worrying - step backwards on Saturday afternoon.

In seasons like this, where increasingly promotion looks beyond us, the minimum that you would hope for is to succeed in the local derbies, or at least put up a bit of fight. But in the two local derbies we’ve had this season, against Blackpool and our friends over the hill in Horwich, we’ve been utterly abysmal.

Saturday promised so much, we went into it on what some have described as ‘the worst unbeaten record in history’ but an unbeaten run it was. And one that, after a battling point at Huddersfield last time out, had the promise to become something more.

Sadly, Latics took ‘the season for giving’ far too literally. The first half followed a well-worn path for Latics at home this season – well, certainly the last few months. We dominated without really doing anything, a whole load of huff with none of the puff. Will Aimson’s inexplicable miss from a header the closest we got.

But Blackpool, a side who’ve struggled all season, did very little too in that first 45 minutes. The difference in the second half was the managers, or head coaches...whatever we’re calling them this week. Ian Evatt - no doubt desperate to get his first career win over us - reacted to the first half by making changes. Ryan Lowe didn’t. In fact, nothing changed until we conceded the second goal.

It was written in the stars that both Ashley Fletcher and Dale Taylor would come back to haunt us. Lots of people post-match pointed to the fees paid by Blackpool for Taylor, which is a valid point. Blackpool paid a cool million after he proved himself with us last year. And yes, we’re a very different club from what we were in previous seasons, where a million pounds would have been small change.

But it’s unfair to suggest we haven’t spent money. We certainly have spent money this season, but increasingly it’s looking like money poorly spent. Dara Costelloe and Christian Saydee looked as much as a goalscorer(s) as I did, and I sit watching the TV for a living.

The fact our first-choice forward line has just three goals between them is a major reason why we are where we are. Add in the fact any of our creative players seem to lose any semblance of creativity when they take to the field - be that through tactics or ability - and it’s no surprise to see us struggle.

Why a player like Paul Mullin - who consistently looks like our only goal threat (with five goals, two more than Saydee and Costelloe combined) - spends most of his time warming our bench is beyond me. If he isn’t fit or rather can’t last 90 minutes, surely starting him and taking him off when his race is run is a better idea than bringing him on whenever we’re chasing a game with too little time left to affect it.

All that said, it’s unfair to say the manager hasn’t been backed, as the board keeps telling us this is a top-10 budget. So we must only assume this side is performing vastly under where they should be. Lowe has essentially said he’s done all he can and, combined with arguing with supporters in the stands for the third time in as many matches, it wasn’t a very Merry Christmas at the Brick on Saturday.

The club said that one of the primary reasons why Shaun Maloney lost his job was the fact crowds were dropping off, and supporters wanted attacking football. Sadly, crowds are still dropping off, and the attacking football long promised hasn’t been present since September.

It’s going to be a very difficult Christmas if Latics and the head coach don’t find their way out of the current malaise very soon. January can’t come soon enough, and that’s a terrible indictment of a season that promised so much in August, but has fizzled out and is now in danger of collapsing completely. Still, Merry Christmas everyone!