Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - 'I'm as frustrated as the next man that we still have several positions to fill within the club, but we started with literally nothing'

Alan Rogers:

Well, that's 2023 done and dusted and, in the current economic climate, I'm guessing most people will be glad to see the back of it. And they will be hoping for a big improvement in 2024. As far as Wigan Athletic is concerned...well, it was yet another strange year. We thought Covid and then going into administration was bad. But just when we thought we were beginning to move forward, the club was hit with another hammer blow. We've debated this many times, but the various potential problems experienced by professional football clubs remains a mystery to a surprisingly large number of people. They can't understand how people can get emotionally invested in a group of men kicking a ball around a pitch. Fair enough, I don't understand anglers, trainspotting or ballroom dancers. But they don't do me any harm, so live and let live. But a lot of people really struggle when their football team is in trouble, which equates to a lot of unhappy Latics fans this year. Anyway, as I said, we've kicked about the ins and outs of the last fire sale about as hard as Stephen Humpreys leathers the ball, so let's try to look very quickly at our current situation and the future. The last few games have been, er, interesting. I’m trying to start off the year in a positive manner, so I'm not going to talk about Boxing Day. In fact, for the first time in many, many years, I genuinely thought about staying at home and watching the racing. But I didn't. Pity, really. However, in comparison, the Carlisle game was like a breath of fresh air. Obviously the away team are languishing at the bottom of the league, but you can only play the team in front of you, and it generally was an entertaining night from start to finish - especially listening to Roberto Martinez before the game. We moved (fairly) confidently on to the Barnsley game, which proved to be a bit of a strange one. First of all, who decided letting ‘Yon Mon’ be the referee was a good idea? The only red card he has given all year was against us in the reverse fixture in August, so what could possibly go wrong? Inevitably, we seemed to score a perfectly good goal from a corner, but of course it was ruled out! Anyway, one of the goals of the season raised our spirits, and sent us into 2024 with a bit of hope in our hearts.

But perhaps some would disagree. I've said it many, many times before, it wouldn't do for us all to be the same, but it would be nice occasionally if we could be broadly in agreement on perhaps just a few things. I would just like a bit of respect between our fanbase this year, no matter what your point of view. And my biggest hope is that, finally, it begins to dawn on a few fans just how desperate our situation was, and it would be nice for them to properly understand our current situation. I'm as frustrated as the next man that we still have several positions to fill within the club, but we started with literally nothing. We had - still have - a small restricted squad of mainly young players, and off the field the situation is just as bad. This is not due to inefficiency on the part of our new owners. Normally, a new regime would take months putting together their management team - and their prospective playing staff - before they attempted a takeover. The Dansons didn't have this luxury. They had to act quickly in order to save the club, and that's why some things are happening in the wrong order. But they need to be given time - this won't happen overnight. I would love to revisit this subject when all financial restrictions have been removed, and a new off-field structure has been put in place. Until then, they all need our support. This doesn't mean not calling them out if necessary on serious issues – the FA Cup tickets perhaps being an example - but it does mean patience, understanding and tolerance. Things that are not necessarily in abundance with some of our supporters. But by and large we aren’t a bad lot...in fact, some Latics fans are almost likeable! I’m not going to write a big, long list of things we would like to see in 2024, I’d just like to repeat what I said earlier...a bit more tolerance and respect would be great among us all. Good luck to all of us – on and off the pitch - and Happy New Year! Onwards and upwards!

Matt Auffrey:

New Year’s Day brought about a satisfying start to 2024 as we secured our first away point in the league in over a month. Our 1-1 draw at Barnsley produced our best comprehensive away performance since Bolton last August. We were much more deliberate with the ball from the very first kick and, as a result, created the brunt of the game’s best attacking chances. Barnsley opened the scoring against the run of play at the end of the first half, but that didn’t stop us from quickly re-finding our footing early in the second half. After failing to convert several big chances in front of goal, and having a goal ridiculously disallowed from a corner kick, it took an 87th-minute goal-of-the-season candidate from Jonny Smith for us to finally equalise. There couldn’t have been a better first goal of 2024 to reinvigorate our fanbase. While we played well enough to deserve three points at full time, another point on the board is a big step in the right direction for a team that has struggled with its away form for the better part of this season. The reintegration of players who missed a large chunk of December with injuries has allowed us to end 2023 on a winning note, and start the New Year unbeaten against a league rival with promotion aspirations. Our squad was more shorthanded than preferred for much of December, so to have Martial Godo, Thelo Aasgaard, Steven Sessegnon and Charlie Wyke all back in action at Barnsley was a huge boost.

No matter who we put on the pitch next Monday against Manchester United, we should expect a very spirited performance in front of a sold-out crowd at the DW. Despite the visitors' poor recent form, they are still the biggest opponents to visit Wigan in six years by a very wide margin. United will be facing a world of pressure to ‘not lose’, and the match will be as much of a free hit for Latics as one could imagine. With dreams of 'giant slaying' coming to the forefront of our sleep cycle over the coming days, it’s only natural to reflect on some of our most triumphant victories since Shaun Maloney first joined the club as a player in 2011. Liverpool away, United at home, and Newcastle at home were all matches Maloney scored in himself during his first season with the club. His delivery to assist Ben Watson’s winning goal in the FA Cup final speaks for itself. With the exception of Roberto Martinez, there likely isn’t a better man on earth right now who can lead our lads to victory. Our 2018 FA Cup triumph over Manchester City marks the most recent occasion where we slayed Goliath. While most fans remember that special squad for dominating League One with 98 points en route to a title, many will forget they lost to two mid-table sides (Southend away and Blackpool at home) by two goals apiece leading up to that fifth round FA Cup tie. If that team could summon the confidence and the ability to defeat a much more elite and in-form City squad, there should be no doubts this group of lads can achieve a similar feat. I know I’m not the only one who was inspired by the recording of Roberto Martinez speaking in the Supporters Club prior to the Carlisle match last Friday. If there’s anything from Roberto’s time at the club that still resonates profoundly with me, it is the mantra of ‘Sin Miedo’, which is Spanish for ‘without fear’. Maloney doesn’t need to know a lick of Español to effectively communicate how important these words are ahead of a match of this magnitude. Our season won’t be defined by Monday’s result, but a win could certainly serve as a springboard towards sustained success in the year ahead. We’ve got little to lose and everything to gain. There’ll be no better place in the world for a club to defy the odds, again, than in Wigan early next week. Let’s inject a bit of belief into the lads. This moment is ours to seize.

George Chilvers:

So, another year ticks in (ticks, see what I did there?) and, by the time you read this, most of your New Year Resolutions will have disappeared faster than Wayne Rooney's managerial career. Christmas brought the usual mixed stocking of goodies, the equivalent of Xbox, and a new jumper from Auntie Ann. Reading away was perhaps a low point, where the team just didn't really seem to get going. Derby at home on Boxing Day was truly a game of two halves. It has been much rehearsed and accepted by Shaun Maloney that starting out with seven Academy graduates against one of the better teams in the division was not a great idea. The fact we only went in 1-0 down at the break spoke volumes for how good a keeper Sam Tickle is. Changes in the second half, bringing in more experienced heads, changed the flow of the game. And although Derby held on for the win, there were signs of optimism for us. The visit of struggling Carlisle would give us an indication of how we stand, and the win was comfortable. Yes, I know one was from the penalty spot and yes, I know we only scored two both in the first half. But it could have been more, and three points were gratefully accepted. I have to say that, unless things dramatically change, Carlisle look due for a quick return to League Two. And finally, on to our good old chums from Barnsley. It is hard not to feel a bit disappointed in only picking up one point, when three were there for the taking, if it hadn't been for stupidly shipping a late first half goal. But a worldy by Jonny Smith keeps us clocking the points, and into 17th place - even despite the eight-point deduction. We obviously need to keep the clock ticking over, but I'm not going into meltdown. Not just yet anyway. But over at Old Trafford, meltdowns seem to be happening daily on their social media followers' accounts, and it may be this is the best time to play them. It's a bit of a free hit for us though, isn't it? If we lose, no-one will even remember it. If we draw, we get a lucrative trip to the Theatre of Dreams. And if we win...well, we'll cross that bridge if it comes along. The best advice I can give for Monday is just go and enjoy it. Never mind you're not in your normal seat. Never mind there are about a hundred people sitting around you, all pointing at and taking pictures of the United players. Just cheer the lads on, and relax for once. Mind you, if we win, will Barnsley appeal...?

Charlie Keegan:

2023 felt like the longest 12 months supporting Wigan Athletic Football Club. The past year felt like we have had a little bit of everything you don’t want to see your club go through, but we made it, and the future looks brighter. Or does it? Well, the short answer - I believe - is yes. Wages are being paid, the squad are performing at a decent level with so many players - especially the Academy graduates - punching above their weight and looking good doing so, and I don’t feel we are in any real jeopardy of being relegated into the depths of League Two. I do have some concerns, however. While we don’t know the ins and outs of what our exact situation is, in regards to finances and strict guidance from the EFL, I do wish we could see some movement on the CEO hiring, and some more communication from those at the top, as to current updates that can settle us fans down from our anxieties. We don’t need to know everything, but we also don’t want to feel disconnected from a club we have stood alongside through a hell of a lot. Now, moving onto our squad. I have said it before - and I will say it again - the work Shaun Maloney and Gregor Rioch did, along with everybody else involved, to get our squad to the level it is at now, is nothing short of a sensational effort. Our Academy graduates should never have been asked to play so much senior football so early on in their careers, but they have done, and they have looked so capable in what they are doing. Sure, they have made some individual errors at times, but so have our seasoned pros, and so have seasoned pros we have played against this season. That’s football and, as long as our graduates continue to put in the effort and dedication to their careers, they will all one day be stand-out professionals in whatever league they decide to play in.

I can’t imagine any of our activity in the January transfer window is going to set the world alight, but I do feel this window will be key to strengthening our foundation for the next window and beyond. We have plenty of young players who deserve contract extensions, some key experienced players who we should pull out all the stops to get their contracts extended, and some players I believe are entering their final six months at the club. While we are under some constraints of what we can do in this window, I do hope we are looking to bring in one or two experienced players - those who have been there and completed a league season on many occasions - just to help coach our younger players through a difficult period, and allow for some rest and rotation. Jason Kerr coming back into the frame does boost our back line, but our midfield does lack an experienced head. This is the kind of squad I believe you would want a Max Power or a Tom Naylor to fill a much-needed role. If we make big mistakes during this window, like allowing key players to leave or not offering contract extensions to those who deserve it, then not only will it make the second half of our season much tougher, but it will make our lives much more difficult in the summer. And we need to avoid that scenario at all costs. Next up, we have Manchester United in town. Anything can happen in the FA Cup - that is the magic of it - but we will only get something from it if our players give 100 per cent effort and take our chances. We know they can give 100 per cent effort, as we have seen that many times over this season. But as for taking our chances, that is something we need to work on - even if we do have the best shot on target-to-goal conversion rate in League One with 50 per cent...70 shots on target, 35 goals. But that is not sustainable when you really dive into the details of it, as we have one of the lowest shot tallies in the league, and the lowest shot-on-target tally in the league. We are just overachieving slightly when it comes to finishing those chances off...not that I am complaining about that! The success of our season doesn’t hang on this FA Cup tie, but it would be an incredible boost to the club to progress to the next round. No matter what the result will be, let’s just enjoy it as much as United will on their big day out! Up the Tics.

Ed Bazeley:

Firstly, I hope everyone reading this had a nice Christmas, and I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year. As for Wigan Athletic’s festive fixtures, well, they didn’t go too badly in the end did they? Realistically, Latics were likely to lose at least one of those two tough tests against Derby, who look likely to gain automatic promotion, and Barnsley, who seem on course for a play-off spot. The one match which could have been dubbed as a ‘six pointer’ was Carlisle on December 29, and Latics won that comfortably 2-0. Carlisle rarely threatened, and nor did we allow them to. But the major positive was the performance of Josh Magennis, who probably put on the best performance in the league I’ve seen from him. His link-up play was very good, which really added that traditional striker presence we have been missing when using the 'false nine' system, and he took the penalty well. Perhaps there will now be healthy competition between him and Charlie Wyke for the No.9 spot, which could reap its rewards in the goalscoring department. It was great to see Latics boss that Carlisle game, just three days after being totally outclassed by Derby for at least 60 minutes on Boxing Day. As for Barnsley on New Year’s Day, that’s a really good point, and what a way to get it by the way! The rocket by Jonny Smith to rescue the ‘Tics a point late on was possibly the best goal scored in the EFL on Monday. All eyes on the Manchester United game now and, despite 'East Stand gate', which readers may recall I was not pleased about (and I’m still not), I am excited for some FA Cup action! Ever since Latics’ triumph in 2013, the FA Cup has been my favourite competition in domestic football, and there are some tasty ties this weekend! It would be such a Wigan Athletic thing to do if we defeated Manchester United, and became the team who stopped them in their tracks as they attempt to win the only trophy still available to them this season. That would be a fairly similar event to that of 2018, when Latics were the side who prevented Manchester City winning the domestic treble. Of course, the most likely outcome is actually a defeat to an opponent many levels above us. However, you just never know. After all, the FA Cup is magic…

Tony Moon:

We lost three on the bounce, some were starting to flounce, cos they like to like to chuck toys out o’ t’ cot. So each little laddy went on a big paddy, and some even went and lost t’ plot. ‘The manager and players’ said all the doomsayers ‘are showing they’re not good enough. We ought to be able to be t’ top o’ t’ table, not struggling and finding it tough’. Cos memories are short and some nerves soon get fraught when confronted by t’ real world position. We can’t go out and buy, a wage can’t be too high and we’ve even lost our physician. But things have picked up, and next up is the Cup, but sadly, we’ve not got our mates, City. Instead it’s Yernited about to be blighted and none of us have any pity. So half way in t’ season, there’s really no reason to think any thoughts that aren’t good. But of course some ‘ll think that we’re starting to stink if the players aren’t seen to sweat blood. Cos there’s targets galore maybe six maybe more, when it comes to apportioning blame, as the latest to float as the ‘Jordi scapegoat’, ah well, it has always been t’ same...

Sean Livesey:

Four points from nine over the Christmas period doesn't really tell the full story. It's a decent return that stopped what was a bad run turning into a really bad run. But with players returning from injury and others stepping up to be counted, it was a lot more positive than just the results would have you believe. There's no doubt about it, we were poor against Derby. Certainly in the first half. We never got to grips with the match and deserved to be behind. But following the substitutions at half-time and the return of one Thelo Aasgaard, we were markedly improved. The positives of that second half were carried over into Carlisle on Friday night, and I don't think it would have been a shock if we had gone in three or four goals to the good at half time. As opposed to the two we did have. New Year's Day was totally different once again. We dominated the match like we hadn't managed to for a month or so, and should once again have gone in ahead. If not for poor misses from Jordan Jones and Josh Magennis, not to mention an uncharacteristic mistake from Steven Sessegnon to let Barnsley get a foothold. Our second-half display was fantastic, and a point was the least we deserved. The fact Jonny Smith had already put the ball in the net that was ruled out for a non-existent foul on the keeper made his virtuoso goal all the more sweet. Smith has been excellent the last few games, and has had a hand in most of our goals over the festive period. He's had to bide his time since he arrived, but he could be a really positive option for us over the next few weeks. The same can be said for the surprise return of Martial Godo and his 90 minutes at Barnsley. Having him back is a huge plus.Things are looking up once again, ideal timing ahead of Monday night and the visit of you know who.