EPL: Things to look out for at the weekend - Part 2
The second manager under the microscope is Roberto Martinez. Wigan Athletic have now achieved six consecutive seasons in English football’s top division, the English Premier League. In their history of 73 years in 2004-2005, Wigan qualified for promotion after performing impressively in the Championship alongside teams like Ipswich and Sunderland.
Upon their arrival to the big league, Wigan almost pulled off a surprise draw with Chelsea on the opening day of the 2005-2006 season but the Latics were denied a point by Hernan Crespo’s injury time winner for the blues. Wigan have been content with a place in the middle of the league table in their time in the English Premier League. With their manager, Dave Whelan they have got minimal investment in the team as they try to remain self sufficient and achieve a good balance between revenue and wages but now things are getting tough for them in the English Premier League.
Last season, Wigan were part of a tough relegation fight amongst other clubs like Portsmouth and West Ham. At the end of the season, the Latics just barely survived in the top division of English football as they finished sixteenth i.e. two places above the relegation zone. When this present season’s fixture list might be come to Wigan’s manager Roberto Martinez, the Spanish national might have thought that the opening two games are relatively easy. As the first one was against new boys Blackpool which they would be expected to win and the second one is against Chelsea, a game that they are not expected to do well in by any stretch of imagination.
However it looks like that is not the case. In the first match against Blackpool, Wigan suffered a right old beating by a scoreline of four goals to nil. Now their second game is against Chelsea. Anything but a ridiculous cricket scoreline might suffice for Wigan at this moment in time, considering the dire state of the squad that they have right now. Roberto Martinez really has got his hands full. Firstly, his most talented midfielder, Charles N’Zogbia has suddenly decided to throw a Paris Hilton like fit and request a transfer away from the club. Secondly, Charles has influenced Hugo Rodallega to consider his future at the Lancashire club as well.
If these two players do move away from Wigan before the 1st of September, 2010 then they can very well prepare themselves for the drop considering they got beaten by a margin of four by Blackpool. However, one should not doubt Wigan’s powers of recovery for it seems that whenever the club is in trouble, players pull together and achieve the improbable. Last season, Wigan looked destined for the drop after losing games to Wolves, Hull and Portsmouth but then extraordinarily they defeated Chelsea at home along with Liverpool and Arsenal. Something, which not only surprised Martinez himself but every Wigan fan too.
Such mental form can make Wigan a very tough team to predict. On their day they can compete with the top boys of the league but when they are low on their form, the Latics can capitulate to the likes of Hull or Portsmouth. The question that should be asked is that whether defeat against Chelsea will be the final nail in Roberto Martinez’s managerial coffin at the DW Stadium?
One would expect that, such is not the case as Wigan are not already expected to do well against Chelsea regardless of whether N’Zogbia or Rodallega play for them in the match. However, if the margin of defeat is like anything above two or three goals, Dave Whelan might be forced to relieving Martinez of his duties as the club manager.
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