Wigan Athletic - fan's review of 2008/09 Premier League season
Wigan Athletic - fan's review of 2008/09 Premier League season
Also In The News
Tuesday, 02, Jun 2009 05:17
Good, bad or just the same old, same old? What the fans made of the 2008/09 season.
Maybe surprisingly to some, this has been a very, very good year for Wigan Athletic.
Topping the bottom half of the table on 45, the Latics were just five points behind free-spending Manchester City on approximately a zillionth of the budget.
Although some fans have complained of long-ball football, the majority will be delighted with a campaign that saw them near enough safe by Christmas.
With Amr Zaki leading the charge early on Wigan found themselves comfortably out of reach of the dreaded drop-zone and instead within touching distance of the almost-as-dreaded Europa League at the turn of the year.
However, despite some smart acquisitions in January - namely Charles 'Insomnia' N'Zogbia from Newcastle and Hugo Rodallega from the relative obscurity of Necaxa - it was the outgoing names that seemed to really make the difference. The losses of Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey to bigger-budgeted rivals Spurs and Villa robbed the side of much of the steel and strength that had served them so well in the preceding months.
As a result, it was not long before the 'Curbishley effect' began to take hold.
With safety secured, Bruce's side duly tumbled into mid-table obscurity with the minimum of fuss. Fans and coaching staff were left only to ponder what might have been.
All that remains to be seen is what the summer will hold. With Bruce and star man Antonio Valencia seemingly set for the exit at the time of writing, and Dave Whelan reportedly keen to trim his wage budget, it could be a summer of rebuilding.
Grade: C
High Point
While the harsh winds of winter were hitting the north of England, the likes of Zaki, Valencia and Palacios were bringing some continental sunshine to what was then the JJB.
Six league wins out of seven between mid-November and early January lifted the side to the dizzying heights of seventh, with victories over Blackburn and Bolton giving the Latics Christmas bragging rights over their north-western rivals.
Low Point
2009.
While it was by no means a collapse of Hull City proportions, a record of four wins since the new year tells its own story. After the crushing losses of Heskey and Palacios, as well as the rapid deteriation of Amr Zaki's form and relationship with Steve Bruce, the wheels seemed to fall off for Wigan.
Consecutive pummellings at the hands of Everton and Arsenal in April were bad enough, but a toothless 2-0 defeat to Blackburn perhaps provided the best reflection of the fight that appeared to be lacking in the latter months of the season.
The manager
Bruce has used Wigan as a platform to re-establish his reputation, and a fine job he has done at it, too.
Producing an escape act second only to Roy Hodgson's, the previous season had seen the former United captain widely lauded for his magic touch. Much like his Fulham counterpart, this season has seen his tutelage bring further impressive progress.
While his style of football may be slightly more attuned to the Allardyce's and Pulis' of this world than the Wenger's and Hiddink's, there can be no doubting that Bruce has found a formula that works.
Fan's Player of the Year
- Titus Bramble -
Valencia may be the name on everybody's lips this summer, but it was big ol' Titus that won the fans' approval this year, scooping a remarkable five awards for his efforts in the heart of defence.
Latics followers are more than aware of his calamitous tendencies, but it seems they love him all the more for it.
Safety last year may have been a miracle, but breathing the life back into Bramble must surely go down as Bruce's crowning glory.
Needs for Next Season
A fair few really.
With star man Valencia reportedly close to a big money move, Wigan will have a busy summer ahead of them. Some established striking talent will be needed following the exits of Heskey and Zaki, and defence could well be an area up for revision as well.
That said, the side has performed well with a relatively limited squad this year. Indeed, it could well be that the biggest signing of the summer could be Bruce's replacement, if he does leave for Sunderland as expected.
Swansea boss and former Latic Roberto Martinez seems a popular choice among the fans, although a number of bigger names are likely to be in the frame for what is a far more attractive prospect than the unenviable task Bruce took on just a year and a half ago.
Stephen Jones