PART TWO: Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - 'The reason I highlight these two players is to point out the fickle, almost sadistic nature of some of our 'fans'...'

Alan Rogers:

Jumping straight in to start with Tuesday evening...do you think Shaun Maloney would be offended if we said he gambled with his team selection? Or maybe he would prefer calculated risk? James Bond - apparently he did a bit of football punditry when he wasn’t saving the world - famously said in 'Casino Royale': 'Gambling’s not about the money. Gambling’s about not facing reality, ignoring the odds.' Well, I think it may be fair to say Shaun didn’t face reality and definitely ignored the odds when he picked his starting XI against Charlton. I have to say I am a big Maloney fan, but you would be hard pressed to find anyone who didn’t scratch their head when that team was announced. But, as usual, the majority of people I spoke to seemed to think he’s starting to get it right, so let’s keep the faith. On the other hand, the very un-silent minority were practically salivating at the thought of failure. And for once, they were right. To be fair, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, so I suppose it had to happen eventually. In fairness to Shaun, he realised his error, made the changes, and immediately things began to improve. That didn’t impress some of his critics...'Why didn’t he make the changes after 20 minutes?' they snarled. Maybe a fair point, but this is where we enter the whole area of man-management and player welfare. Listening to Maloney after the game, he held his hands up but tried to explain his reasoning for everything that happened during the evening. His team selection came about mainly because he didn’t want to put too much pressure on some of the younger players who were facing yet another game in a very short period of time. Also, he wanted to reward other players for recent efforts. I suspect he may have been talking about Callum Lang, who had played very well in the last two games. However, Shaun’s gamble flopped, big style. From the first few minutes, it was obvious the whole team looked unbalanced, players looked unsure, everything was off. Players such as Lang and Thelo Aasgaard, who had begun to grow in confidence over recent weeks, began to shrink back into themselves and, sure enough, one or two 'experts' began to get on their backs. Within a very short space of time, it seemed the game was virtually over, in fact, it looked at one stage as if the Charlton No.11, Leaburn, could have played us by himself and they would still have won.

And so we get back to perhaps why they didn’t make any changes before half-time. Personally, I think Shaun knew if he made those three changes during the first half, then the impact on the players he was taking off could have been immense. Of course they weren’t playing well - no-one was playing well - but to single out three individuals for extra abuse would have been wrong. Shaun did the right thing. He got the team off the pitch, made the changes, and gave them the hairdryer treatment. The team in the second half was more like the team we have been watching over the last few games, and it almost paid off. But once again, it emphasised what I’ve said before about opinions and facts. Any idiot can have an opinion, but a fact is a fact. On Saturday, Baba Adeeko was immense, a pleasure to watch. During the first half on Tuesday, he was almost invisible, just like most of his team mates. In the second half, however, it was business as usual, covering every blade of grass, tackling and spraying the ball about. The same could be said of Aasgaard in the first half, where very little worked for him. But again, in the second half, he was a different player, moving into a more familiar role, scoring a goal and hitting the bar. The reason I highlight these two players is to point out the fickle, almost sadistic nature of some of our 'fans'. I heard no criticism of Adeeko in the first half, quite rightly, he was playing in an unfamiliar set-up and, although trying his hardest, very little worked. However, Aasgard was in the exact same situation but, for some reason, he was on the end of some ridiculous abuse. And the point I’m labouring towards...it seems Aasgaard and Lang have become the first targets of the blame culture this season. No one can say they have performed brilliantly in the first half of the season in a developing team, but no way have they deserved some of the abuse they have been getting. And over recent weeks - apart from in midweek - they have both more than played their parts in the team’s resurgence. But people develop 'opinions'. The more rational among us are prepared to alter their opinions, even back them up with facts. But a sad few make their minds about something and refuse to change. Hopefully the team can bounce back and make them eat their words. I’m sure Shaun won’t make the same mistake again, but who knows? He’s only human. And we forget he’s dealing with a mainly young squad who he needs to protect mentally as well as physically. My final word on the subject? Saturday would be the ideal day to make wholesale changes, and concentrate on getting it right for next Tuesday night. I was hoping I could wax lyrical about last Saturday’s performance, but of course it wouldn’t be the Latics if we stuck to the script! Onwards and upwards!

Red Ned:

Up and down results in the past week for the Latics. A solid win against Shrewsbury last Saturday, followed by a first-half horror show against Charlton in midweek. The manager to be fair has taken the blame for the Charlton defeat, and his team selection certainly raised eyebrows with Stephen Humphrys and Martial Godo on the bench and Josh Stones omitted from the squad. Three players who arguably had been our best performers in the past few weeks. Appreciate the manager is trying to keep the squad fresh, and keep the likes of Charlie Wyke, Callum Lang and Josh Magennis happy, but when players are in form, it's asking for trouble leaving them out, especially with an FA Cup tie this weekend, which would have been a more 'sensible' time to rest players. Regarding the Charlton game, obviously a midweek match on Halloween against the Addicks is never going to be a crowd-puller, but I'm not sure £25 on the day is going to draw many out of their armchair either. Obviously it's a fine balance between charging a price that can attract people, especially families, and making season tickets worthwhile, but it's an area the club and its marketing department need to explore. Looking ahead, the FA Cup is an opportunity for those players who haven't been straying regularly to make an impression, and put their names in the manager's thinking. Looking ahead to winter, the club will be looking at the transfer market and probably loan players to help the squad. But the most important business would be to sign Humphrys up on a long-term contract. He'll have his suitors and would be a huge loss to the club if he was to leave on a free next summer. Up the Latics.

Colin Garner:

Back down to earth with a bang. Yep, that first half against Charlton was appalling, wasn't it? I'm unsure as to why Shaun changed the line-up after the results we've been getting, but he's a football manager and I'm not. The second half was much better after the substitutions, and I honestly thought we were going to scrape a draw. Imagine the scenes if Sam Tickle had scored! Anyway, it's all ifs and buts, it's done now. Shaun took the blame, we move on, it's FA Cup time and a trip to Exeter again on Saturday. Here's hoping we get a result and we progress, God help us on Twitter if we don't, it'll be Armageddon! Rumours have been circulating such as players being late for training and players wanting to leave in January...all from one defeat...got to love the rumour mill, don't we? But IF they are true, they leave. Football is a business more than a sport nowadays, and Latics are no different, that's just how it is going forward. If you can't get to the game on Saturday and still want some cup action then why not watch the 'Yoof' Cup game on Friday? I'm signing off, call me a 'Happy Clapper', call me whatever, but I still maintain this season is about building, and I'll judge the team and manager next season.

Tony Moon:

We won some, then lost some, then won some, then lost one, yet some would have you believe that the wheels have come off. Well, they haven’t. The bus is still trundling along, even if the driver took an unnecessary detour on Tuesday. There’s no drawn out map for the journey we’re on…and what’s more, every other team has their own version of a map, and are all trying to navigate to the same destination. As for team selection, if he keeps the same team and they lose, then he’s scared of making changes. If he actually makes those changes - and especially if they’re ones some disagree with - and lose, then out comes the old (is it an adage or more likely a cliche?) 'never change a winning team'. On Saturday, folk were bemoaning Charlie Wyke’s absence from the squad. Now, in the space of 45 minutes, he’s a lumbering has-been! As the Piranhas sagely told us - after having picked it up from Elias and his Zig Zag Jive Flutes - 'you have to laugh, or else you’ll cry'. Personally, I reckon Steely Dan had it right...in Stuck in the Middle…

Sean Livesey:

No-one comes back down to earth like this club. A simple narrow defeat? No, not for us, for we can’t do normal. We either have to be the best in the world or the worst in the world (in the eyes of some of our support at least). Tuesday was a case in point. Latics, flying high after three straight victories, facing a Charlton side on a run of two defeats, you would have expected Shaun Maloney’s side to come out on top. But alas, football doesn’t work like that. Eyebrows were raised before kick-off as three changes (one enforced) were made by Maloney, including a return for Charlie Wyke that had been clamoured for by a lot of the fanbase. Starts for Callum Lang and Tom Pearce, who came in for Steven Sessegnon. To say the changes upset Latics rhythm would be a huge understatement. Gone was the swift attacking interplay of the last three games as well as the defending as a team, as Latics were completely overrun by a very impressive Charlton side. At the time I didn’t think Latics had played ‘that’ badly in that first half. It certainly didn’t feel like a 3-0 hammering, but a 3-0 hammering was what it was. Lang’s strike against the bar from a free-kick and a chance from Thelo Aasgaard could have meant a different outcome at the break, but if you don’t put your chances away you leave yourself open to what happened. The second half saw the introduction of Stephen Humphreys, Martial Godo and Scott Smith, which made a huge difference. Pulling it back to 3-2 on the stroke of 90 minutes made it feel like we were looking at a famous comeback. Sadly, Sam Tickle couldn’t become our Jimmy Glass, so our last chance of note sailed harmlessly over the bar. Maloney came out immediately and held his hands up for making a mistake with his selections, which was refreshing, but only told half the story. I suspect some complacency and an expectation only to turn up had crept in. That was also referenced by Maloney, in fact, and I imagine it won’t happen again. We’ve a young manager and a young side, they will make mistakes, but we will get better. And with more experience for the lads in the side and the lads in the dug-out, results like Tuesday will become the exception rather than the rule. For a team that is aspiring for mid-table mediocrity (after one of the most damaging and horrific periods in the club's history), you will win some games and you will lose some games. The days of us steamrolling League One on our way back to the Championship - for now - are at an end. If we are to finish in mid-table this season, with that points deduction and a side with an average age of 22, we’ll have done well. Currently we’re right on target for that. Speaking of our youngsters, considering the players we’ve signed from 'elite' Academies this summer, it’s actually our own home-grown talent of Sam Tickle, Baba Adeeko, Smith, Charlie Hughes, Josh Stones - you can even throw in Lang, Aasgaard and Callum McManaman - that are shining brightest. That’s great credit to Gregor Rioch and his work across the last decade.