Wigan Athletic: The 12th Man - 'Is that simply a sign of where we are?'

Matt Auffrey:

Blowing a two-goal second half lead at home to the worst team in the division is typically not a good sign for a club under any circumstances.

Yet, for this Latics side, the disappointing result was very much ‘par for the course’ based on how our first 20 league matches have gone this season.

Saturday’s draw ensured that we entered Christmas with an even record of three wins, three draws, and four defeats across our 10 home fixtures and 10 away fixtures up to this point.

The glass-half-full analyst would note that we’ve battled for our traveling fans to the tune of non-losing results 60 per cent of the time away from home.

The glass-half-empty pundit would cite our 30 per cent win rate at home as unacceptable, and far off the mark we set for ourselves at the beginning of this campaign.

The Shrewsbury match was, in many ways, a microcosm of our season so far.

Our play over the first 60 minutes was encouraging, and we deservingly scored two well-taken goals.

Yet, the second-half substitutions failed to make a positive impact and two crucial mistakes saw our lead disappear by the 87th minute.

The Grinch found his way into the Brick that afternoon and did his part to help the visitors steal a point.

The overall synopsis for the day was that we played well for large spells that afternoon, but not well enough to secure victory.

For a team that sits 17th in the league table and has failed to win 70 per cent of their league fixtures, the Shrewsbury match told a tale that has been all too familiar over the first five months of the season.

The rest of the festive programme brings a chance for redemption.

No matter which results you predict are ahead, our performances have covered such a wide spectrum that you could make a valid argument for nearly any possible outcome.

All results seem quite probable when you consider how dramatic our form has been over the past month.

If you’ve been reading this column long enough, you should know I’ll back the lads to win even when a multitude of factors say otherwise.

With the calendar year winding down, I want to take a few words to thank all of the fans who made time to join our small but mighty group of Latics fanatics in Brooklyn, New York for a match and a pint in 2024.

Here’s to hoping that more fans can make the trip across the pond in 2025 as there are many more memories to create.

I wish everyone a happy festive season ahead. Cheers!

Tony Moon:

The first 'oh hell', came back in August, oh yes. When Charlton did beat us, 1-0 you might guess.

Then we lost a couple more, around a sneaky reverse. The 'Maloney out' calls started (and often worse).

'Oh hell, oh hell, he’s made more changes, oh hell. And five substitutions every game bl**dy hell'.

Then down in t’ South East, there came a star shining bright. Joe Hugill scored two of the four goals that night.

But alas, it turned out to be the first of t’ false dawns, as we drew the next three games in drab goalless yawns.

'Oh hell, oh hell, it’s tippy tappy, oh hell. And no centre forward, oh bl**dy hell'.

But October did come, and with it, a win. But it turned out to be th’ only one (by the crin!).

And then November arrived, bringing FA Cup success. And a couple o’ wins in t’ league things were looking up, oh yes.

'Oh hell, oh hell, he’ll not keep it up, oh hell. He doesn’t even know his best team, bl**dy hell'.

Then December brought the Tics, with a bang down to earth. Three losses on the bounce made some question the worth (of going …not part of the rhyme!).

But then Christmas turned up early, with a win over th’ hill. As we beat United’s rivals with a comfortable two-nil.

'Oh hell, oh hell, Evatt’s lost it oh hell. But why did we sit back in t’ second half? Bl**dy hell'.

And so here we are, the halfway point is near. With some hopeful expectations, going through into t’ new year.

But of course, there’s always those, with an absence of doubt, who will be yelling at the first loss 'Danson, get Maloney out'.

'Oh hell, oh hell, we’re not in t’ top six, oh hell. And we’re going to lose Aasgard and Tickle as well!'

Cheers everyone!

Sean Livesey:

Oh Latics!

If you looked at the score on Saturday afternoon and hadn't seen the match you wouldn't have believed how much Latics were coasting.

As comfortable a match we had yet to see this season.

As ever Latics should have been far more ahead than they were, but even that being said you wouldn't have expected Shrewsbury to score.

Indeed if the two crosses that had led to the goal landed at the foot of a Shrewsbury player the chances are they wouldn't have scored.

Latics' two (three, if we count Jason Kerr) most dependable players made uncharacteristic mistakes that led to Shrewsbury getting back into a match they had no business in doing.

We should have been looking at a comfortable win, and another three points to help our march up the table.

But instead, a 15-minute implosion saw us snatching a draw from the jaws of victory.

It had all the similarities of the Blackpool match, especially some of the most dependable players making mistakes that you would never expect.

But is that simply a sign of where we are?

In so many matches this season we've been the better side, we've dominated, we've even gone ahead but we've struggled to either capitalise or stay in front.

There are honourable exceptions obviously...Bristol Rovers, Peterborough and Bolton.

But for those matches, there are as many examples where we've struggled.

We're a young side, we're a side without much senior experience, and that shows in games like Saturday.

For every Bolton there's a Shrewsbury and that's something that we need to work on in the New Year.

Speaking of the new year, where are we as 2024 ends?

I think it's safe to say there's room for improvement.

We have made great strides from the near-extinction event of 2023, but there's so much more to do.

Latics need some experienced heads to come in, in January to help these talented young lads.

Shaun Maloney can be proud of his young charges, they've achieved so much. But there's so much more to work on.

It's going to be a difficult festive period, there's four matches against some big sides, but we've reserved our better football this season for those kinds of games.

It should have been three points against Shrewsbury, we have to make sure it's three for as many of these festive games as possible.