I think he's right, Sid. Lennon's not as good as Bale, but we just lack any sort of balance when he's not in the team. The 4-3-3 with Bale on the right that we finished the game with against City seemed to sort that out somewhat, but we've not seen whether it's effective for 90 minutes yet.
A major positive for us about this fixture is Wigan need to win, meaning they'll definitely come at us. We seem to thrive on an attacking game and I've mentioned before, I don't think there's a better counter attacking side in the League than us, with Bale & Lennon on the wings and the creativity of the likes of Holtby/ Hudd/ Sig + the drive of Dembele, the moment an opposition is left open at the back our lads usually make them pay.
I really want Wigan to stay up. Obviously not at the expense of a CL place for us, but there are a lot of teams I'd rather see relegated (well most of them actually).
Personally I don't like Wigan. Any club that can't fill its stadium doesn't deserve to play top flight football in my opinion.
That's a fair point! I don't like Wigan as such. I just like Roberto Martinez and Dave Whelan. seem like genuinely nice blokes.
I want them to stay up for a few reasons: 1) Like Roberto Martinez and the football he gets his team to play. 2) Never been Wigan and want to go there next season to try their famous pie. 3) My mate is a Wigan supporter through pure randomness - He was an Arsenal fan and got terribly bored and fed up of supporting them (can't blame him) so he decided to put all the Premier League team names at the time (this was 5/6 years ago) into a hat and whoever he drew, that's who he was going to support... And yep, it was Wigan. And on my life the very next day, he came into 6th form sporting a Wigan home shirt.
Can't stand Whelan...tried to push through his political beliefs on all of football when he wanted a minutes silence for Thatcher. A mate of mine work for JJB sports (which he owned) and they are so unbelievably anti union as a company. He seems very patient as a Chairman...not many would have supported a manager who had a couple of 6 goal beatings, an 8 goal beating and a 9 goal beating in just 1 year....so maybe he ain't a total tosspot. I got a lot of time for Martinez ... always sticks to his principles but I think he'd never get away with that at many other clubs who actually sell out most home games and who take more than a car load to away matches. Unfortunately this is the kind of game we always seem to blow...guess this may be an indicator as to whether we have changed in that regard.
Three points down with a game in hand, and w/ better goal difference than Aston Villa, a win will get Wigan out of the drop zone. Chances are (having carefully researched the matter) a draw won't help them.
Wigan can pass the ball about well, but let's remember that they are 18th for a reason- or two. They don't carry a threat in front of goal, as their recent failure to capitalise on chances v City showed and they concede too many (60 in 33 PL games; 4 v Liverpool, Chelsea, Utd (twice) and 3 v Liverpool, Sunderland & Newcastle, not to mention countless 2s). It won't be easy, but it should be a game Spurs win.
I don't like Wigan either, I don't like Whelan, I don't like that they're propped up by his money and I don't like their ground sharing with a rugby team ruins the pitch most winters. Maybe I'm just grumpy I do admire how they have stayed in the league for so long on a small budget though. I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't rate Martinez particularly highly, he knows a bit about tactics but you can't waste £6/7mill on dross like Boselli when you're down that end of the table.
I have always had some doubts about Whelan but have preferred to give him the benefit of the doubt because I always expect an ex-footballer to have some savvy about how football works. I think he generally comes across as a decent bloke, although I have to say I have been put off him in recent weeks because I don't want to see a chairman lead his side out at Wembley. As for Martinez, super guy, nice fella, gets his teams playing good stuff, but does spend 90% of every season in the relegation places, so there has to be questions asked about him.
Funnily enough, I actually quite liked Wigan under Bruce of all people. I thought he did really well at Birmingham and then Wigan and I'm still surprised he did so poorly at Sunderland. I've no problem with Martinez, I just think the media gush over him a bit much considering he hasn't actually made any progress with the club. Liverpool dodged a bullet not hiring him, it would've been a massive risk.
Yup, Martinez is massively over-rated in my opinion. Everyone talks about Wigan as if they are guaranteed to win their last 5/6 matches of the season. As far as I can tell their only match winner is Kone and he hasn't shown nearly enough this season. I dont predict another great escape for them...
I for one am a little nervous about tomorrow's game. Spurs simply have to get 3 points to stay in the hunt for a CL spot and even a draw would not be good enough, unless Arsenal and Chelsea lose...which on current form is unlikely, although Arsenal are due a loss or two!
Arsenal have United and Chelsea have Swansea, who they haven't beaten in 3 attempts this season. I'm not saying they won't win but there's a good chance at least one of them won't but as you say, we need to win.
