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I'm not watching any football but for Wigan to be 3-0 up at Stoke after an hour or so leads me to believe they will pull us apart on Saturday. Hope I'm wrong obviously.
My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.
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Wigan On Saturday on 21:26 - Aug 22 with 2531 views
There have been various phases of all the matches we've played where the two centre backs have dominated aerially. Whenever a long ball was put down their throat, the likes of Toni Leistner, Joel Lynch and Alex Bapstite have done okay in those scenarios.
In fact, this aspect was reasonably impressive against West Brom before it turned sour. At 1-1, I was happy with how well we competed in those duals. But, we need to keep it that way because that's where our strengths lie and find a way to repeat this as much as possible throughout a game.
If a team has to put it up in the air against us, then we have a chance at the back, but we'll also need to ensure the defensive midfield players understand the ball can drop and fight for second balls, and the harder part of this is, we need to do a better job ensuring teams can't play it around easily on the deck against us.
As soon as West Brom made that change, we were at sea and in all sorts of trouble. Part of that is a lack of quality at the back, and part of that is the system and approach to transitions, which didn't help matters and left too many exposed or overloaded in key areas of the pitch. If it does happen, we have to thicken, someone or more bodies have to temporarily drop and close the space, passing angles and corridors that others can operate in.
If we work on these things, we can start to become more solid and attempt to grind out any kind of result, but if we don't, and stay as we are, or don't focus enough on these elements, then we're going to be in for a tough time.
Right now, it's just about getting at least a scrappy point. A turgid 0-0 will do, and then try and block build and gain some confidence from there.
So, here's what I'd do...
I'd play with five across the middle, or thicken it up somehow with an attacking player having to drop deep for the majority of the time. I'd ensure the shape was solid and rigid, with nobody breaking out of their lines when out of possession and encourage whoever is weakest in the opposition backline to be on the ball.
They have to pay attention to a couple of things; one is which player is the weakest, e.g. a centre back or a full back, and shape themselves so that player is the more likely one to play the key pass forwards, one that hopefully plays to the strengths of our backline. They have to assess and be subtle, to ensure that player remains on the ball but is under just enough pressure to have to launch it more aimlessly.
But I'd pay attention to what happens where the ball goes from anybody from their backline, and see what the phase of play looks like and ensure the players understand their defensive role and responsibilities in those moments. If the weakest player gives the ball away - we need to ensure we can mop up second balls and understand where it's fired to if we need to get it away or break quickly on the counter. I'd pick and choose just one or two areas and ensure the attacking player(s) know and understand where it's going to go so they can anticipate and get there, either holding the ball up as much as possible, or making something out of nothing if they can on the break.
In addition, on the night, in terms of game management, the defensive line needs to get a feel of what it can handle in these moments. There will be nights where balls straight down the pipe are easier to deal with than from wider or full back positions. They've got to be the judge and sort it out on the pitch and adjust as needed.
In the midfield areas, we'd also need to pick and choose the counter attacking transitions. The launched ball is the most obvious - play it here and there, but also have the midfield players surprise occasionally and drive forwards with it on occasion, just to mix it up and carry the team forward in another way.
I'm astonished he's still in the job to be honest. To follow up the 7-1 with no reaction and a home loss doesn't suggest he's going to get it right. Worst case against Wigan is a draw. A loss and he must surely go. A win and he might still turn it around.
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Wigan On Saturday on 22:10 - Aug 22 with 2379 views
I'm astonished he's still in the job to be honest. To follow up the 7-1 with no reaction and a home loss doesn't suggest he's going to get it right. Worst case against Wigan is a draw. A loss and he must surely go. A win and he might still turn it around.
We can't afford to buy out his contract. We'll have to hope he does the decent thing and falls on his sword.
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Wigan On Saturday on 22:28 - Aug 22 with 2338 views
You can turn the alarm bells off now, Bluce............ we are going to get torn a f*cking new one on Saturday. Can't see anyway around that. I had hope on Tuesday and then my hope died.
It's going to be bad. And I reckon McClaren will be entirely bald by kick-off.
‘morbid curiosity about where this is all going’
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Wigan On Saturday on 23:54 - Aug 22 with 2250 views
To remove the manager now would be a disgraceful farce.
That said, a defeat in the next match and you'd have to say it'd take a miracle for McClaren to turn it around before it's too late. So if they want us to have any chance of staying up, they need to flush him now really.
But if they seriously think somebody else will stroll in and turn Matt Smith and Connor into good players and sort our defendce out without bringing in new additions and spending time on it, they'd be living in cuckoo land.
I fear we're fcuked either way and should start planning for life in the division below barring a very surprising turn of events.
All self inflicted. We only needed Nedum and we'd have been fine.
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Wigan On Saturday on 01:43 - Aug 23 with 2166 views
To remove the manager now would be a disgraceful farce.
That said, a defeat in the next match and you'd have to say it'd take a miracle for McClaren to turn it around before it's too late. So if they want us to have any chance of staying up, they need to flush him now really.
But if they seriously think somebody else will stroll in and turn Matt Smith and Connor into good players and sort our defendce out without bringing in new additions and spending time on it, they'd be living in cuckoo land.
I fear we're fcuked either way and should start planning for life in the division below barring a very surprising turn of events.
All self inflicted. We only needed Nedum and we'd have been fine.
"But if they seriously think somebody else will stroll in and turn Matt Smith and Connor into good players and sort our defendce out without bringing in new additions and spending time on it, they'd be living in cuckoo land. "
sorry to leave cloud cuckoo land for a minute , but there was a man who could do these things and funny enough we had him last season his name is Ian Holloway
And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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Wigan On Saturday on 08:56 - Aug 23 with 2031 views
"But if they seriously think somebody else will stroll in and turn Matt Smith and Connor into good players and sort our defendce out without bringing in new additions and spending time on it, they'd be living in cuckoo land. "
sorry to leave cloud cuckoo land for a minute , but there was a man who could do these things and funny enough we had him last season his name is Ian Holloway
Holloway had the advantage of a proper keeper and centre backs all proven at this level. And still went on long losing runs with some very poor results.
Not saying that McClaren is the answer but let’s at least be fair in looking at the current circumstances and what actually happened under Holloway.
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Wigan On Saturday on 09:15 - Aug 23 with 1994 views
Wigan On Saturday on 08:56 - Aug 23 by traininvain
Holloway had the advantage of a proper keeper and centre backs all proven at this level. And still went on long losing runs with some very poor results.
Not saying that McClaren is the answer but let’s at least be fair in looking at the current circumstances and what actually happened under Holloway.
It was Holloway who converted Robinson to a CB before that he was a pondering slow left back , we had a defensive crisis last year a lot of games had Robinson and Baptiste as Centre backs , so im not buying this argument as for Smithies yes he was top notch but Ingram isn't some young under 16 keeper he has around 200 games under his belt, the problem is we have killed his confidence
And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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Wigan On Saturday on 09:26 - Aug 23 with 1971 views
It was Holloway who converted Robinson to a CB before that he was a pondering slow left back , we had a defensive crisis last year a lot of games had Robinson and Baptiste as Centre backs , so im not buying this argument as for Smithies yes he was top notch but Ingram isn't some young under 16 keeper he has around 200 games under his belt, the problem is we have killed his confidence
Holllway did plenty of good things (given time) but let’s not forget the long runs without a win, the constant tinkering etc.
Fair point re Robinson but that doesn’t change the fact that he was a player at Holloway’s disposal last season but not available to McClaren.
And Ingram might turn into a good keeper but right now he’s a million miles away from Smithies.
For the record, I thought it was wrong to sack Holloway. But I also remember that his record was poor at the start and various time during his reign.
So let’s not rewrite history to have a pop at a manager who already has a very tough (impossible?) job on his hands to turn things around.
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Wigan On Saturday on 16:56 - Aug 25 with 1755 views
I don't know why but I've got a sneaky feeling that we'll be giving Wigan a portion of hooped dick. Right in the gob.
I know that makes me clinically insane and my IQ has just dropped to two digits but I think we'll show some fight on Saturday and will win convincingly.
I'm basing this on ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Stefan Moore, Stefan Moore running down the wing. Stefan Moore, Stefan Moore running down the wing. He runs like a cheetah, his crosses couldn't be sweeter. Stefan Moore. Stefan Moore. Stefan Moore.
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Wigan On Saturday on 17:03 - Aug 25 with 1737 views
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