Wigan Post Match Thread 2 - 2

[Mark_from_USA]

Tonight was a test, not in the sense that we rested players, more so that Wigan's style and shape is the closest I have seen all season to a Premier League side, and one we will have to get used to playing against regularly next season.

We struggled against their 3-5-2 in the first half. When Wigan came forward, Dyer and Knockaert didn't know whether to mark their extra CM or the attacking wing back, and too many times they stood between the two forcing DeLaet and Konchesky to pick up the pieces. They needed defend with more conviction to stop the wing backs getting past them so easily.

I thought Hammond and King did well defensively against 3 very skilful and attack minded Wigan midfielders.

We conceded 2 from set pieces and they could have had more. Jordi Gomez played in some killer corners and free kicks and I was relieved when he was substituted. Defending set pieces is something we will really need to focus on next season as most PL teams have a set piece specialist who can hurt us.

Overall - really pleased with the performance and result. The lads that came in to the side all performed well againt a very strong and confident Wigan side.

 

We need some defensive wingers!  Is that a specialty we can find?  Not sure why City struggle on set pieces but I agree, some of the set-piece deliveries in the next level will be a real problem.

[yorkie1999]

i thought it was a great result. Away from home, came from behind twice to earn a point against an inform team shows great character in the squad. Plus it sounded like the fans had a good time.

[Manwell Pablo]

That was before our unbeaten run and only one out of a total of five defeats this season.

 

If we have learnt something from the defeats at Brighton and Wednesday, it's that we cannot enter matches with a complacent attitude.

 

In the past, we'd have paid a hefty price for this mindset.

But with this team on this run, Pearson will make sure they don't take the Wednesday lightly. It is also evident that the players are enjoying themselves and that positive outlook will see us through convincingly.

 

Well that's not what I'd be getting from my manager tonight, given he entered into tonights game with a complacent "we'll get the job done on Friday" attitude. Whilst the result was far from a bad one it wasn't one we deserved. I'd of been all for a few changes tonight but that many? It smacks of last season with ill timed adjustments to the team resulting in us hitting a good awful run, thankfully it's too late this time. I have very few hang ups with his management but his timing in wheeling out the b team at times leaves me bemused.

[foxes_rule1978]

We got a draw against a form team away from home, and in my opinion would be very close to us had they not gone through a poor spell at the start of the season. The facts state Pearson made a good call tonight

[Manwell Pablo]

24!!!

I thought they edged the chances but 24 is mental. Would've been daylight robbery if we'd nicked it at the end after they had all those efforts.

I wonder how many of those 24 were from set pieces.

 

They should of won. Had Hammond not got that equalizer this forum is a very different place.

[Corky]

Pearson took a massive gamble resting so many players. Call it bravery, call it stupidity but it took a man with bollocks to rest in form, top players against, for me, the play-off winners. He got a point, he might've got more with a stronger team but we've seen in recent matches that isn't guaranteed against much weaker oppostion. Pearson can turn around with 4 points from the two toughest away games in the run-in and claim positives.

 

Now he can pick a refreshed, confident team for the next match. Maybe he got away with it, but he produced this never say die attitude that is taking us over the line at great speed.

[Dickov22]

I also thought Moore was excellent. His positioning and strength are fantastic.

Not sure about De Laet though, he played a lot of nothing long balls and lost possession. Although that probably leads to your other point of saying the front two were static and offered little in behind. Jamie Vardy would usually be all over the defender for those kinds of passes.

Schmeichel was also terrific tonight, did what was needed of him. Couldn't really blame him for the two goals I don't think.

Still a great team performance to come back from behind twice.

Agree about Kasper, he made some top saves

[Fox Ulike]

They had 24 efforts at our goal, so you weren't watching very carefully.

 

I'd love to see how many times that's happened this season, a handful at best. If at all

Well at least i Was watching rather than basing my opinion on bbc stats! Were you watching it on Ceefax?

We had53% possession. They had more shots. So what?

[Raj]

Its not like we got a 2nd rate bench.

Why have them if your not going to use them.

no matter what some thought its worked out ok.

King,Hammond,Wood,dyer,would all most probably start in other teams.

Why NOT rest players?

Look at the midfield  V yeovil and people were slagging them off cos they  looked knackered.

NP rests a few and he still gets mullered.

[Brooksy]

Anyone got the goals?

[fuchsntf]

Aren't you the guy who thought QPR could catch us?

 

Yeh, STFU then.

No I just seen too many presuming QPR were finished, and underrating their run in. Plus it was posted tongue in cheek,

because even then, I believed our points in the bag were enough, but Burnley could be under threat if they had injuries.

Which at the moment is still open for debate.

I hope Burnley have no worries, I hope QPR draw at least 2 games, but if Burnley do slip, they are the 1 team who could

Finish strongly. WIGAN finished, DERBY not consistent enough, they will not win all their games.

Just had a carvery, so STFU very apt.

[Captain...]

There's two choices here:

A) Let your best XI, already showing signs of fatigue, blow out their arses and probably draw/lose to Wigan, and then struggle against Wednesday

B) Send your second best team out, knick a draw and have your best XI fresh for Wednesday.

As for being a 'smartarse in hindsight', most said that they had a chance from the start.

Or c) manage the squad throughout the season so that half the first team aren't knackered at the same time.

We got away with it tonight, but I stand by my comments pre match, it was an unnecessary risk, NP knew the fixture list and knows the capabilities of the players and their fitness, to choose to play the same team for weeks, then make 6 changes is a big risk, and could have cost us the game tonight, now the alternative is rotation and keeping the best 11 fresh, but that also comes with risks.

But it is not as simple as the 2 options you proposed. It is not that King and Hammond aren't good enough, individually or together, it is that they hadn't started a game for months, they haven't played together very often.

When we did this over Christmas we did it for Millwall and a cup game, not away at one of the best teams in the league.

I thought before the match and still think now, that it was a big risk and one that could have been avoided regardless of the result.

[Guest Col city fan]

Pearson took a massive gamble resting so many players. Call it bravery, call it stupidity but it took a man with bollocks to rest in form, top players against, for me, the play-off winners. He got a point, he might've got more with a stronger team but we've seen in recent matches that isn't guaranteed against much weaker oppostion. Pearson can turn around with 4 points from the two toughest away games in the run-in and claim positives.

Now he can pick a refreshed, confident team for the next match. Maybe he got away with it, but he produced this never say die attitude that is taking us over the line at great speed.

This is exactly what I mean.. its OTT.

Why was it a 'massive gamble'? If we would have lost tonight, so what? We are miles ahead and will win on Friday.

I think Pearson did EXACTLY the right thing tonight. And its worked very well.

Regarding 'play off winners'... they've won it have they? I wont bother watching the games then.

[MC Prussian]

Well that's not what I'd be getting from my manager tonight, given he entered into tonights game with a complacent "we'll get the job done on Friday" attitude. Whilst the result was far from a bad one it wasn't one we deserved. I'd of been all for a few changes tonight but that many? It smacks of last season with ill timed adjustments to the team resulting in us hitting a good awful run, thankfully it's too late this time. I have very few hang ups with his management but his timing in wheeling out the b team at times leaves me bemused.

How do you know?

You can't field the same squad three times in seven days. Sometimes, you need to rest some players.

 

You also fail to give Wigan the credit that they deserve, instead focusing almost solely on what you consider to be complacency.

To go out and still get a result with a "B Team" as you call it (even though it wasn't really a second-string squad tonight), shows incredible mental strength.

 

Last season is past - we know how it ended. The management and the players have learnt their lesson, don't you think? You look at where we are now and where we were a year ago and we're flying.

[Manwell Pablo]

And we could have played full strength tonight, got turned over and got turned over again on Friday with a weaker team. We just don't know. I just wish after the season we have had, people would have faith int the management to do what's best over the last 8 and not just one or two games.

 

That's another reason I'm a bit pissed off to be honest with a slightly stronger squad we could well of easily of beaten them tonight, they weren't that good and we let them get away with too much, our stiffs got a (admittedly undeserved) draw I think Saturdays team would of controlled the game and we'd of won, well Saturdays midfield at least.

 

Who hasn't got faith? We're going up as Champions, and he's been a revelation, it's just that tonight was rather annoying and for one of the few times this season he's got it horribly wrong for me, we were lucky to get that result, and the manager is not above criticism.

No I just seen too many presuming QPR were finished, and underrating their run in. Plus it was posted tongue in cheek,

because even then, I believed our points in the bag were enough, but Burnley could be under threat if they had injuries.

Which at the moment is still open for debate.

I hope Burnley have no worries, I hope QPR draw at least 2 games, but if Burnley do slip, they are the 1 team who could

Finish strongly. WIGAN finished, DERBY not consistent enough, they will not win all their games.

Just had a carvery, so STFU very apt.

 

And they were right, QPR are and were finished.

[biggs]

20 games undefeated draws and wins but not all are going to be pretty......I'd take that in a heartbeat if offered

 

It's a fantastic run and regardless of what some will say, athletes do need rest and it's not always about physical rest. NP has got it right and a point away is not the end of the world.

[Fox Ulike]

This is exactly what I mean.. its OTT.

Why was it a 'massive gamble'? If we would have lost tonight, so what? We are miles ahead and will win on Friday.

I think Pearson did EXACTLY the right thing tonight. And its worked very well.

Regarding 'play off winners'... they've won it have they? I wont bother watching the games then.

Exactly. just how can playing four of our most reliable players (king konch dyer moore) be a gamble?

[foxes_rule1978]

This is exactly what I mean.. its OTT.

Why was it a 'massive gamble'? If we would have lost tonight, so what? We are miles ahead and will win on Friday.

I think Pearson did EXACTLY the right thing tonight. And its worked very well.

Regarding 'play off winners'... they've won it have they? I wont bother watching the games then.

You are right, at the end of the day Wigan are a side capable of beating us even with a full strength side, we did a good job tonight and now have rested players at an important time of the season.

[FoxyPV]

Good result with a different team than that of Saturday.

Excellent belief to come from behind twice.

It's a point in the bag and we're still unbeaten.

Onwards to a win against Wednesday!

[MC Prussian]

That's another reason I'm a bit pissed off to be honest with a slightly stronger squad we could well of easily of beaten them tonight, they weren't that good and we let them get away with too much, our stiffs got a (admittedly undeserved) draw I think Saturdays team would of controlled the game and we'd of won, well Saturdays midfield at least.

 

Who hasn't got faith? We're going up as Champions, and he's been a revelation, it's just that tonight was rather annoying and for one of the few times this season he's got it horribly wrong for me, we were lucky to get that result, and the manager is not above criticism.

From what I've seen, at least going forward, they're just as good as Burnley, if not better. Their weak spot is their defense and we failed to exploit this further tonight.

Still, they're a bloody well-run side and are my current favourites to win the playoffs.

[Manwell Pablo]

Its not like we got a 2nd rate bench.

Why have them if your not going to use them.

no matter what some thought its worked out ok.

King,Hammond,Wood,dyer,would all most probably start in other teams.

Why NOT rest players?

Look at the midfield  V yeovil and people were slagging them off cos they  looked knackered.

NP rests a few and he still gets mullered.

 

And this is exactly the point Raj, why wasn't this team rolled out a week ago when it was needed?

[PAULCFC]

Well that's not what I'd be getting from my manager tonight, given he entered into tonights game with a complacent "we'll get the job done on Friday" attitude. Whilst the result was far from a bad one it wasn't one we deserved. I'd of been all for a few changes tonight but that many? It smacks of last season with ill timed adjustments to the team resulting in us hitting a good awful run, thankfully it's too late this time. I have very few hang ups with his management but his timing in wheeling out the b team at times leaves me bemused.

yes,but this is this season,stop living in the past.

[Happy Fox]

If they didn't have their Europa league exploits and Rosler was in charge from the start of the season they would be in the top 2 no doubt about that they have a fine team and squad.

[Manwell Pablo]

From what I've seen, at least going forward, they're just as good as Burnley, if not better. Their weak spot is their defense and we failed to exploit this further tonight.

Still, they're a bloody well-run side and are my current favourites to win the playoffs.

 

No we made them look better than Burnley. I agree they've got their strengths but their far from the best side I've seen this season. Got a decent chance in the play offs.

[Corky]

This is exactly what I mean.. its OTT.

Why was it a 'massive gamble'? If we would have lost tonight, so what? We are miles ahead and will win on Friday.

I think Pearson did EXACTLY the right thing tonight. And its worked very well.

Regarding 'play off winners'... they've won it have they? I wont bother watching the games then.

 

You don't think leaving out your two best midfielders, possibly the best pairing in the league, for an away game at a very in-form, cup semi-final bound team was a gamble? I actually admire Pearson for having so much faith in his squad, I was praising the bloke for his belief.

 

I think they'll win it, that's why I said "for me". You may think differently (you obviously do). You can watch the game if you want, that's entirely up to you Colin.