Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - ‘Armageddon isn't just over the horizon. However, we need what every team wants...’

Alan Rogers:

It's hard to know exactly how to react to Saturday's defeat to Wycombe. After about 10 minutes, I honestly thought we would be on the wrong end of an overwhelming, embarrassing rout. Inevitably, Wycombe quickly scored, but inexplicably they seemed to take their foot off the pedal and our hopes began to rise. And of course...it's the hope that kills you. The second half belonged to Wigan, but several great saves and some bad misses meant the three points went back down the M6. And so,,,back to the reactions. Obviously, it's always hard to take a defeat at home, but maybe we should take a look at the cold, hard facts? Firstly, we were playing the league leaders, although they hardly looked it. Maybe we should take a closer look at the table to perhaps illustrate a few points. After Saturday's results, we had conceded 12 goals this season, the same number as Birmingham, who sit second. There are only two teams with a better record - Wrexham, who have let in 10 - along with Exeter on the same as us. Also, it's worth noting Bolton have already conceded 24 goals this season...double our total. So whatever else may be wrong with the team, the defence is proving to be one of the best in the league.

I've highlighted this obvious fact in an attempt to point out that, contrary to what some doom merchants are claiming, Armageddon isn't just over the horizon. However, what the vast majority of us seem to agree on is we urgently need a goalscorer. But more than that, we need to start getting the ball to whoever happens to be playing up front. Maybe we have been spoiled in recent years, when we have had the likes of Will Keane - on the face of it, an average player - scoring goals for fun. Basically, we need what every team wants - someone who can put the ball in the net. And if we manage to get the right person, we then need to make sure we can move the ball quickly and accurately, to give him a chance. If we don't manage to get one or more players in the January window, then something miraculous will have to happen in order for us to start scoring goals.

Once again, this proved glaringly obvious during the turgid display on Tuesday evening against Nottingham Forest Under-21s. The best - possibly the only - chance of the night fell to Joe Hugil,l who tamely tapped the ball in the general direction of the net. Video evidence from the recent past saw the same player lashing the ball home when presented with similar opportunities for his parent club. So what's gone wrong? Is it a general lack of confidence within the team? A spate of injuries? Or perhaps simply the wrong tactics? It's probably a mixture of several things, but of course Elon Musk's barmy army were quick to point the blame firmly at the manager. We can all see there are problems, but it's exhausting to keep pointing out the current off-field situation and the restrictions Shaun Maloney is working under. Perhaps they would prefer to bring back someone like Warren Joyce? After watching Tuesday night's display, the best we can say about his current team is they were as good as Wigan on Tuesday evening. Hardly a resounding endorsement.

Matt Auffrey:

It’s fascinating to see how much a club’s prognosis can change in between two international breaks just one month apart. Heading into October’s break period, we had put together an impressive unbeaten run, developed an impenetrable defence, and sat firmly in the league’s mid-table as we keenly eyed the teams in the play-off positions who were just a few points above us. One month later, we’ve won just one out of our last nine league matches, and have failed to score in six of those matches. As a result, we find ourselves in 19th position and just two points above the relegation zone. We’ve advanced in two cup competitions, but only by the skin of our teeth against two opponents of a considerably lesser pedigree. What’s particularly concerning is that over our past three matches (Carlisle away, Wycombe at home, and Nottingham Forest Under-21s at home), our first-half performances have been nothing short of dire. Different line-ups, different formations, different competitions - yet all have produced the same underwhelming results.

We have a large enough sample size at this point in the season to know very well the areas where we are falling short. We hold a lot of the ball but fail to create many scoring chances. On the odd occasion we do produce a clear-cut opportunity in front of goal, we have squandered far more opportunities than we have converted. The symptoms of a struggling side are obvious. The remedy for our problems remains to be seen. One item Shaun Maloney emphasised during his post-match comments on Tuesday was his continued commitment to developing our young players. It was a convenient time to make such a statement, after 20-year-old back-up goalkeeper Tom Watson saved three penalty kicks to preserve our status in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy. Maloney noted how Charlie Hughes, Thelo Aasgaard, and Sam Tickle were all given extended opportunities with the first team as unproven young players over the past two years, and how they flourished in response. As we work to establish an identity on the pitch, it’s just as important to remember we are also a club whose financial livelihood is rooted in developing young talent and selling players for a profit to balance the books.

We’ve significantly cut the wage bill this season, and the combination of our playing style coupled with our recruitment model has produced numerous growing pains for this current team. The recent addition of veteran left-back Paul Dummett will hopefully help steady the ship on and off the pitch. It may take several similar additions in January to truly stabilise the group and help us get over the hump - especially on the attacking front. As frustrating as this past stretch of games has been to endure, we have still shown glimpses of a side on the verge of a breakthrough. The second-half effort against top-of-the-table Wycombe last Saturday was very encouraging. There is still plenty of time for a turnaround as we have only played a third of our league fixtures so far. The good news is our return to action next weekend will have us travel to an in-form Barnsley side, who are currently fourth in the league table. It’ll be a fixture that will force us to raise our game from the very first kick. I do believe there is a group of 11 players in the squad right now who can band together to win us a string of matches. The sooner that group of players hits the pitch and finds their stride, the better for all of us. Enjoy the rest of the break, everyone!

Stephen Unsworth:

Sweet Baby Jesus and the Orphans. No centre forward. A left-sided centre-back at right-back. What’s going on? We’re 19th and couldn’t hit a cow's bottom with a banjo. You've probably heard the old football cliche 'the league table never lies'. There's one literal way to read this statement: all that matters is the final league table, and it doesn't matter whether you deserved what you got or not. At this rate, we’ll get relegated, which was avoided even in administration. How can that logically chime? A number of commentators on here have reasonably said 'let’s see where we are at Christmas'. But right now, with Guy Fawkes haunting the streets, we sit sixth from bottom and staring at the trap door. All the bluster from Shaun Maloney has a hollow sound: 'We were awful, changed it and were unlucky to lose. Their manager told me I’m ace and that we looked like Brazil'. The phrase ‘when you get to 40, you get the face you deserve’ is a phrase that rings true. Not an insult, an observation. Have a bit more fun guys. Maloney needs to install some humour and warm strokes into this club of ours. It’s a bit like living in the Ice Hotel. I’m more excited about going to the garden centre later for some twinkly outside lights and mulled wine than watching our mob. Yon mon has done that to me. On Ben Goodburn’s interview...can someone please tell us what 'getting to the other side' means? I’m guessing that from a financial loss-making position to a club that washes its face before starting again. Hitting the bottom before bouncing back with a squeaky clean balance sheet. Well, let’s be honest, if that’s it and there’s no investment, just prudent budget management, then it truly will be like watching Beech Hill for a couple of years.

Tony Moon:

Folk like to have their cake and eat it, don’t they? Not bothered about a 'Tinpot Cup'…but losing their rag cos it took penalties to beat a Nottingham Forest Under-21 team…or rather, for our team of (largely) Under-21s to beat a Forest Under-21 team. Frustrated at the team playing poorly, then scattering toys when the manager changes things…heads they win, tails you lose. Yes, we know, the recruitment of the new forward line in the summer could have (with hindsight) gone better. Maybe, even without the hindsight, the absence of experience stood out like a sore thumb. But given the number of volunteer taxi drivers willing to take Josh Magennis anywhere outside the boundaries of Wigan borough, it’s maybe understandable the manager trusted in youth…even though it’s a decision he’s probably regretting right now.

The clamour for a manager to go is always only a few games away. Poor results, poor performances and, God forbid, poor results coupled with poor performances, they’re always certain to trigger the 'gerrim out' brigade. There’s no doubt some things need fixing, especially as the once-solid defence has developed a few leaks of late. However, given our track record of replacing managers mid-season, I’d far rather give the lad some time - and backing - to get us back on track. Will he? I reckon so. After all, I’m fairly sure the calls for Leam Richardson to come back are being made by some of the beggars who wanted him gone in the first place! Fickle doesn’t come close…

Lowey:

'Maloney doesn’t know what he’s doing, he's way out of his depth!'...'Danson isn’t interested, he's dropped Maloney in it!'

Both statements have been swirling around the joys of social media in recent times. Of course both are over the top, but there’s no smoke without fire! Mike Danson isn’t actually doing anything different to what he said he would do when he bought us but, because we now are struggling, the rugby jibes are being slung back at him. I don’t actually believe the cards dealt to Shaun Maloney are as bad as those being portrayed by his backers. They're admittedly not perfect, by any means, but he really should be producing better results. The players continue to rotate half to half never mind game to game, but the tactics and style of play remains the same. No risk, possession-based football which produces very little in the attacking third. We are just not set up to produce plentiful chances, and have very few goals in the team. We can accept losing, but a bit of excitement wouldn’t go amiss. The games are becoming a chore, and the sight of us passing it to death at the back to finally get a winger one-on-one with the full-back...only for the ball to end up back with Sam Tickle...is soul destroying.

The facts bear this out - we have scored 12 goals in 14 league games (only Stevenage have scored fewer). We have failed to score in eight of our 14 matches, and seven of the dozen goals we have scored came in the space of two games. We've also drawn a blank against the second worst team in the EFL and an Under-21 team! We have used seven different full-backs, seven wingers and seven central midfielders. What sort of continuity and partnerships can you possibly build when they constantly rotate? Ironically the one static in the team is the goalkeeper and the two centre halves, who are by far our best performing players. Coincidence? I think not! Four wins from 19 games would see the end of most managers, but I don’t think that will happen due to his long links with the club, and the fact he was massively involved in persuading Danson to save us. It certainly warrants the extended goodwill...but how long can that last?

Sean Livesey:

The Cambridge dictionary defines 'struggling' thus: ‘To experience difficulty and make a very great effort in order to do something’. I think that definition sums up Wigan Athletic currently. Another league loss on Saturday, meaning a return of one point from a possible 12 since the last international break. However you dress it up, it’s been a really disappointing loss of form since the October internationals. There have been big injuries to key members of the team - Jensen Weir, Callum McManaman and Luke Chambers among other notables have been missing for the bulk of the last month. But the biggest issue that’s once again coming to the surface is our glaring lack of form in front of goal. Let’s take Wycombe, for example. The side flying at the top end of the table were always going to be favourites at the weekend, but they were essentially gifted three points by Latics' complete inability to capitalise in front of goal. Glaring misses galore in the second half followed on from Jonny Smith unfortunately hitting the bar. It was a game Latics should never have lost and, with some of last year’s firepower – Stephen Humphreys, Josh Magennis, Callum Lang and Charlie Wyke - the chances are we wouldn’t have, and instead would have been looking at another three points.

The same could be said of Blackpool, where our profligate nature in front of goal meant we left Bloomfield Road with a 2-2 draw when, on any other day, it should have been a 3-1 win. Latics laboured to an EFL Trophy win over Nottingham Forest’s Under-21’s on Tuesday night in a match which was a microcosm of this season. Latics had early opportunities to go ahead, which could have changed the direction of the match. But having wasted those chances, Forest (managed by one Warren Joyce) closed up shop to prevent us getting a foothold in the game. Joe Hugill spoke recently of his dream about becoming Manchester United’s No.9. Well, if he fulfils that dream, he’s going to have to do a lot better than he did in a one-on-one against Forest, where I witnessed one of the weakest efforts on goal I’ve seen in over 30 years of watching football. Endless chances followed that miss, but Latics were indebted to Tom Watson for reaching the last 32 of the competition.

There’s no denying the EFL Trophy has been sadly diminished by the introduction of the Under-21 sides, in an apparent concession to the Premier League. But defeat against Forest would have been unthinkable. The fact that only Aston Villa’s Under-21’s have progressed to the group stages suggests not that many Premier League sides are taking the competition that seriously, or perhaps those academies just aren’t as strong as we’re led to believe. We’ve plenty of top-flight Under-21 players in our side this season, but have many been better than those youngsters who have come through our own Academy? I’m not convinced.

So we’ve another weekend off due to the third international break this season. Following the first international break, Latics came back like a different side, with zero goals conceded in seven matches, and three wins and nine goals accrued. The return following the second international break has been a lot less successful. We’ve missed so many chances over the last three games that, by the law of averages, one or more must go in at some point, so I’m expecting a deluge of goals when we head over the Pennines to Barnsley on Saturday week. Blind faith? You bet! It’s not far from January, and it’s an increasingly open secret that Latics' summer transfer window didn’t go as planned. That being the case, I hope a striker (or even plural) has been identified that can come in and hit the ground running, as that lack of firepower is absolutely killing us at the moment and, as a result, disregarding everything else good we are doing.