The season for giving

So much for my assertion last week that things were improving, things took a huge and somewhat worrying step backwards on Saturday afternoon.

In seasons like this – where increasingly promotion looks beyond us the minimum that you would hope for is to succeed in the local derbies or at least put up a bit of fight.

Where in the two local derbies we’ve had this season against Blackpool and our friends over the hill in Horwich we’ve been utterly abysmal.

Saturday promised so much, we went into it on what some have described as ‘the worst un-beaten record in history’ but an un-beaten run it was and one that after a battling point at Huddersfield last time out had the promise to become something more.

Sadly, Latics took ‘the season for giving’ far too literally.

The first half followed a well-worn path for Latics at home this season – well certainly the last few months. Latics dominated without really doing anything, a whole load of huff with none of the puff.

Will Aimson’s inexplicable miss from a header the closest we got. But Blackpool, a side who’ve struggled all season did very little too in that first 45 minutes.

The difference in the second half was the managers or head coaches, whatever we’re calling them this week.

Ian Evatt no doubt desperate to get his first career win over Wigan Athletic reacted to the first half by making changes.

Ryan Lowe didn’t, in fact nothing changed until we conceded the second goal.

It was written in the stars that both Ashley Fletcher and Dale Taylor would come back to haunt us.

Lots of people post-match pointed to the fees paid by Blackpool for Dale Taylor which is a valid point. Blackpool paid a cool million for Taylor after he proved himself with us last year and yes we’re a very different Wigan Athletic from what we were in previous seasons where a million for Taylor would have been small change but it’s unfair to suggest that we haven’t spent money.

We certainly have spent money this season but increasingly it’s looking like money poorly spent. Costelloe and Saydee looked as much as a goalscorer(s) as I did, and I sit watching the TV for a living.

The fact that our first-choice forward line has just three goals between two of them is a major reason of why we are where we are.

Add in to the fact any of our creative players seem to lose any semblance of creativity when they take to the field, be that through tactics or ability and it’s no surprise to see us struggle.

Why a player like Paul Mullin who consistently looks our only goal threat (with five goals, two more than Saydee and Costelloe combined) spends most of his time warming our bench is beyond me.

If he isn’t fit or rather can’t last ninety minutes surely starting him and taking him off when his battle is spent is a better idea than bringing him on whenever we’re chasing a game with too little time left to affect it.

The worst thing about Saturday wasn’t the defeat but Ian Evatt lording it over our players and no doubt our fans, considering that both Leam Richardson and Shaun Maloney had the beating of him and his Bolton sides it’s depressing to see how easily we’ve rolled over against both Bolton and Ian Evatt’s new side this season.

If the coach can’t get the players up for Lancashire derbies like that what matches can he get us up for?

All being said it’s unfair to say the manager hasn’t been backed, as the board keep telling us this is a top ten budget – apparently. So we must only assume that this side are performing vastly under where they should be.

The manager (sorry head coach) has essentially said he’s done all he can, combine that with arguing with supporters in the stands for the third time in as many matches and it wasn’t a very Merry Christmas at the Brick on Saturday.

Latics, in fact Gregor Rioch no less said that one of the primary reasons why Shaun Maloney lost his job was the fact that crowds were dropping off and supporters wanted attacking football.

Sadly crowds are still dropping off and the attacking football long promised hasn’t been present since September.

It’s going to be a very difficult Christmas if Latics and the head coach don’t find their way out of the current malaise very soon.

January can’t come soon enough and that’s a terrible indictment of a season that promised so much in August but has fizzled out and is now in danger of collapsing completely.

Still Merry Christmas everyone.

Sean Livesey

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