It’s a rare occasion when two Premier League managers can walk away from a game happy but both Paul Jewell and Glen Roeder can take enough positives away from this game to give either side a sunny outlook for the rest of the season. The result aside indications are that both sides have moved on […]

  As of this morning Pascal Chimbonda is in the squad for the Newcastle game and indications are that he’s prepared for continuing his time in a Latics shirt, at least for the time being. He’s stopped short of withdrawing his transfer request but a chat with Paul Jewell earlier this week has settled his […]

With one day to go until the start of the 2006/07 Premier League season there’s little certainty about how things will pan out for either Latics or tomorrow’s opponents, Newcastle. For Latics the question is whether Paul Jewell’s summer signings are enough to solve the deficiencies so well masked by the success of last season […]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I learnt a lot from the final pre-season game. Okay so none of it had anything to do with the squad, or where Latics are likely to finish come May, but what I learnt should keep me in good stead for at least a year or so. Really, […]

If I was talking about right sided midfielders from la Liga, you’d have previously been excused for turning your thoughts to the perfectly groomed image of metrosexuality that used to captain the national side. From today,  you’ll be thinking about Louis Antonio Valencia who has today signed for Latics on a one year loan deal. […]

Two ex-Latics moved closer to “home” this weekend as they embarked on the next stage of their careers. Roberto Martinez has joined Graham Barrow at Chester whilst Magno Silva Vieira returns to English football by signing for Brentford. Both players have signed as free agents, Bobby having been released by Swansea and Vieira seemingly returning […]

Looking at things in the cold (stiflingly hot to be strictly factual) light of summer puts a different spin on this type of plaudit. It gives you time to reflect on the real achievements and makes you think about whether the actions of players since the end of the season have affected your choices. In […]

Twelve months ago, I thought that last season would be punctuated by a series of ‘nearly’ moments, you know the sort of thing, “It would have all have been so different if they’d given that penalty against West Brom those three points would have set us up nicely to get the draw we deserved at […]

It seems churlish to pick the bones out of last season. Each and every game was special in its own way. Losing 4-0 at Cardiff might have been a downer, but it was a real cup final, the one all draw against Boro at the JJB was far from enthralling but it was the point […]

If we’re talking about goals of the season then it would be an injustice not to mention the one that finished the domestic season off. As we know from Latics’ own experiences this year, there’s nothing sweeter than a last minute goal, and when it’s as special as the one Gerrard scored you can understand […]