Not sure if any of you have noticed (of course you have), but Wigan have only won one game this season, and with their run of defeats running to 8 so far, I think they could well be in trouble, they have not won a game since August, over two month ago, and they have got three games in November, Wolves, Sunderland, and Blackburn, that they really need to get points from, before they take on Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Man Utd, in December, It's not looking good for Bobbies boys, moral in the dressing room, must be at a low point, can any of you see them getting out of this one, I sure can't....................... please log in to view this image
Its a bit of a mystery why Martinez hasn't got his team playing like the Swans, since he's been there longer than when he got us playing good passing football. I also assume that his budget is bigger in Wigan? I don't think he's made as good signings as he did at Swansea; either - any more Spanish and Dutch bargains? Anyone know why? I could post the questions on the Wigan board but they might bite my head off as a WUM lol
I would say they are very deeply in the brown stuff, I am not sure where they were after 10 games last season but on their current form it looks like 20 points for them. On a purely swans survival perspective it's good news for us, the same can be said for blackburn and bolton
Here's the worry: there is still time for struggling teams to sack the manager and turn it around. Hopefully we'll be comfortably in the top half by then.
Wigan would be in huge trouble now if they sacked Martinez I think. Realistically, he's trying to do there what he did with the Swans, the problem being it's a lot harder to get a team playing good football from scratch in the Premiership, as, barring some exceptional luck, you'll lose a lot of games until the players learn the system. I think we were lucky in that we had a couple of players who suited the system, and we were in League One, so our new style of football came together quickly, confidence grew markedly and we've never looked back. Wigan, however, enjoyed a purple patch under Bruce, but since Martinez has been there, while they've won plaudits for trying to play the right way no-one can say results have been impressive. I genuinely think the Swans are a better team than Wigan at the moment. We had time to refine our game in a slightly less punishing environment, so while our players have learnt the same lessons as theirs, our boys have so much more self belief than they do. This only comes with winning, and a 13 match unbeaten home streak, for example, is something that drives players on. If Wigan don't get results soon, they'll be in big trouble, but even if they did go down they should stick with Bobby. We've shown you can easily live in the Championship on a meagre budget, and Dave Whelan is always happy to put his hand in his pocket, so they'll be alright. Sacking Bobby would just mean some new guy coming in, probably trying to change the footballing style, and while that could work I'd bet on it having an even more negative effect.
good points Scott, they have three questionably winable games coming up, need to get a few points in these matches
I would normally route for the 'small' team in the PL but Wigan are one of two exceptions! Bought their way through the leagues, get to the PL and still have less fans than QPR! An truly pathetic team with no football history, should have stuck to rugby league. Without the sugar daddy they would surely drop back to L2 like a stone and I would not shed a single tear if that happened I can promise you
Only one once, god who was that against, they must of been pretty sh..........................................oh!................ cough!! cough!!! God Just noticed my spelling of won f**kinell that's embarrassing
Perhaps you were 'finding your feet' in the Premier League. TBH they were unlucky not to beat us at the Liberty - that was when we were also 'finding our feet'.
If Wigan stay planted to the bottom of the table that is one less spot for us to have the misfortune to fill. There's a lot of football to be played yet and I'm all for Wigan being woeful. As for Martinez and his style of play, clearly a good part of it is down to the players, but also I think Martinez is not necessarily the saviour and genius that some believe. Like us for the longest time they have no end product in the final third. Also, over the last five seasons we have not been static, we have evolved quite dramatically. We are not the product of Martinez but the product of Jacket through Martinez/Jones (on the field coach) through Sousa to Rogers. Each management team imparted something, building skillfully on what came before and adding something more to the mix. Jacket provided the initial foundation. Martinez introduced the Barca / Spannish influence of posession-ball; added Rangel, Williams, Gower and Dyer, and introduced Allen, and reaped the benefit of Bodde and Scotland for two collosal seasons of scoring. Sousa, lost Scotland and Bodde, added defensively to our makeup, went some way to elliminating our achilles heal at the back from crosses (although we still get an outbreak from time to time). Sousa / Curtis added Neil Taylor. Rogers has given us a better transition game, more penetration on the break and added speed up front. Rogers has added Sinclair, Vorm and Graham. We are not the Swan's of Martinez and have not been for three seasons, three seasons of consolidation, fermentation and evolution. I don't think we would be where we are today if Martinez had been here the past three seasons.
"I don't think we would be where we are today if Martinez had been here the past three seasons. " Maybe. But we wouldn't be here now if he hadn't managed us at all.
I don't know about "here" But, the essence of what we are comes from his era. It is tough to see us being what we are, playing the way we are without his contribution. Could we have done it differently - we'll nevery know. And I don't want to know, I am very, very happy with our style and our brand. We all piss and moan from time to time (e.g. after the Wolves game), but I don't think there is one of us that comments frequently here that would seriously contemplate us in any other guise.
Buck had better tools to work with but Martinez was the better mechanic . If you look at what Martinez got in with what he was allowed to spend & what Buck was allowed to spend , Buck had the advantage . Rodgers basically spent money that the Martinez left by leaving . P.S. And then there's Sousa's transfers YIKES !!
i have no problem with Roberto or Wigan..its all ancient history and i know what happened and wont forget but he's not the first and he wont be the last, and we've poached a few players/managers over the years as well .... life's to short
They are deep in it. i cant see anything other than relegation for them. Martinez has got them playing nice football. But he has the same problem now at Wigan as he did when he was with us.THEY CAN'T DEFEND. Whilst we could get away with it a bit in league 1 and the Championship. There is now hiding in the PL. unless he sorts this out there is no chance of them doing anything to avoid the drop.
Wigan's 5 points have all came from their first 3 league matches of the season - against Norwich, ourselves & QPR. So nothing from "established" PL teams - only from the 3 newly promoted sides.
So the big question is ..... loyalty, how far will it go between Whelan and Martinez ... will Martinez be allowed to go down with the ship or will Whelan throw him overboard in an attempt to survive.
