We’ve had better weeks

Can two defeats in a week be described as a crisis?

No of course they can’t.

Can two defeats in a week be considered the end of Ryan Lowe’s honeymoon period?

With the manner of the defeats, quite possibly.

It’s been a long time since I came away from the Reebok, Unibol, Macron, Tough Sh*t or whatever else they’re calling it this month feeling like I did on Saturday.

The manager played down the defeat, as would anyone to protect his players and staff but let’s not under-estimate just how poor we were on Saturday afternoon.

A Bolton side who hadn’t really pulled up any trees so far this season completely dismantled us and handed us our proverbial backsides on a plate.

In a way that defeat had been coming, our record over Bolton couldn’t last forever and with the home record given up earlier this year so it would pass that the away would end as well.

The disappointing part was the manner in which it happened.

We couldn’t get a handle on Bolton’s wingers and all over the pitch had a lack of energy which is concerning so early in the season.

Throw in to the mix four individual mistakes and barely a glove laid on the opposition and it’s no wonder we so meekly surrendered.

Bolton fans who will never tire of telling us that ‘it’s not a derby’ wouldn’t agree but it’s a match that matters to Wiganer’s and to see us so meekly surrender it reminded me of the worst days of Malky Mackay and Uwe Rosler (interestingly enough the last time we lost there was under Mackay) the manager would do well to remind the players just how much it means to us.

Ian Evatt spent five years playing it down as just another game, and each time they were roundly outclassed by a Wigan Athletic side often not considered at the same level as Bolton.

So with that atmosphere roundly ringing in our ears it was important that we bounced back against a Wycombe side who (checks notes) made eleven changes from their league match on Saturday.

Yeah – well that didn’t happen.

What many would expect to be a first team line-up for Latics, or at least a line-up that featured numerous first teamers put in a performance so devoid of anything that it was a welcome respite when the referee blew for full time.

Callum McManaman aside there was very few on that pitch who deserved any credit on Tuesday night.

Latics looked even worse than they did on Saturday and passed up a great opportunity to reach the last sixteen of a competition that could have earned the club some serious money in the next round.

Regular readers will know I very rarely criticise individual players in this column, indeed many would put the words happy and clapper next to my usual contributions but I’ll make an exception for one Maleace Asamoah JR.

Shaun Maloney was called not fit to burn by elements of the fan base for not using him after he put in a half decent 45 minutes against Wrexham last season.

That’s all we’ve had in over 12 months of Asamoah wearing the Tree and Crown.

45 minutes.

He played in the tepid defeat to Salford in the EFL trophy earlier this month but could be forgiven due to being surrounded by academy lads who also struggled but he showed exactly what he was about last night.

Given an opportunity to make a name for himself or some sort of impression and instead he walked around sulking for 45 minutes showing less effort than I would wandering around Sainsbury’s.

It was no surprise to see Callum McManaman replace him and actually show some fight and heart for the badge.

If we’re looking to off-load players in the New Year I suspect Junior will be first out of the door.

Speaking of McManaman it’s such a shame that his return came in the winter of his career because he really is a class above, he was one of the very few bright sparks in a night to forget.

All, being said it must be soul destroying for the lads to come out to a Stadium so empty and devoid of atmosphere as Tuesday night was.

2077 hardy souls bothered last night, for a game which potentially would have seen us earn a glamour tie in the next round.

What more can the club do to get people through the door?

A debate for another day.

Sean Livesey

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