Wigan Athletic 0 v 2 Portsmouth
Saturday 20th October 2007
Wigan Athletic manager, Chris Hutchings, is at this moment in time playing too many players out of position and this has resulted in Latics picking up just two points out of a possible twenty one over the last seven games, a run that has seen the Blues plummet somewhat spectacularly into 'relegation mode' again.
Playing a left sided midfielder at left back, with a player on the bench (Salomon Olembe) who plays in that position is puzzling to say the least. Playing Paul Scharner wide on the right also results in the midfield becoming unbalanced due to his forte being in the centre of either the defence, or in more recent months, the centre of the midfield. Persisting with an injury prone Antoine Sibierski up front is beginning to look rather pitiful, but considering his only other options are a loanee Championship striker and another 'hit man' unproven at this level, it has to be admitted his options up front are rather limited given Emile Heskey's long term injury.
However, today's showing against a very decent Portsmouth outfit left the fans feeling that the team is now getting used to being beaten and it doesn't look like things are going to improve any time soon. And you get the feeling that the absence of the England striker is becoming a rather lame excuse for the lack of firepower. Perhaps it is even becoming something of a rather depressing psychological battle that the player have got to learn to come to terms with, quickly.
Only two players, Michael Brown and Titus Bramble seemed to put in maximum effort with most of the rest appearing to just go through the motions. If it wasn't for a Scharner effort on goal in the first half the home contingent of a crowd of almost 18,000 would have had absolutely nothing to cheer.
Then again in defence of the home team, it was the magnificent away support that was doing most of the cheering and the visiting Pompey team certainly rewarded their efforts with two of the simplest goals that Latics are ever likely to concede this season. To add insult to injury the goals came courtesy of Portsmouth's only two clear cut chances of the game.
In the 81st minute the hosts defence went missing as Muntari floated a ball into the Latics penalty and Benjani joyfully banged the ball home from just 12 yards. The second goal came just five minutes later and Glen Johnson was left in acres of space by a bemused blue and white shirted defence to rattled a 20 yard effort past a static Chris Kirkland.
The Pompey chimes went wild and the hordes of Latics fans leaving the JJB Stadium in disgust must have still heard the ecstatic travelling supporters as they walked over the canal bridge, back to Springfield or the Wigan Town centre seven minutes later!
Latics now find themselves fifth from bottom of the Premiership, just one point clear of the final relegation placed team, Tottenham Hotspur who have a game in hand. Next up are Birmingham City at St Andrews, and Latics now need the maximum points haul in England's second city next Saturday.
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Emmerson Boyce, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Paul Scharner, Michael Brown, Denny Landzaat, Jason Koumas, Antoine Sibierski, (Julius Aghahowa 52), Marcus Bent.
Subs not used, Michael Pollitt, Salomom Olembe, Fitz Hall, Josip Skoko.
Booked, Julius Aghahowa 53 mins, Titus Bramble 88 mins
PORTSMOUTH, David James, Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin, Heidar Hreidarsson, Glen Johnson Nico Kranjcar, Pape Bouba Diop, Jihn Utaka, Sulley Muntari, Sean Davis, (Pedro Mendes 77), Benjani.
Subs not used, Jamie Ashdown, Noe Pamarot, Matt Taylor, David Nugent.
Goal scorers, Benjani 81 mins, Glen Johnson 86 mins
Booked, Sol Campbell 39 mins, Sean Davis 59 mins, Sulley Muntari 79 mins
Referee, Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)
Attendance, 17,695
Wigan Athletic manager, Chris Hutchings, is at this moment in time playing too many players out of position and this has resulted in Latics picking up just two points out of a possible twenty one over the last seven games, a run that has seen the Blues plummet somewhat spectacularly into 'relegation mode' again.
Playing a left sided midfielder at left back, with a player on the bench (Salomon Olembe) who plays in that position is puzzling to say the least. Playing Paul Scharner wide on the right also results in the midfield becoming unbalanced due to his forte being in the centre of either the defence, or in more recent months, the centre of the midfield. Persisting with an injury prone Antoine Sibierski up front is beginning to look rather pitiful, but considering his only other options are a loanee Championship striker and another 'hit man' unproven at this level, it has to be admitted his options up front are rather limited given Emile Heskey's long term injury.
However, today's showing against a very decent Portsmouth outfit left the fans feeling that the team is now getting used to being beaten and it doesn't look like things are going to improve any time soon. And you get the feeling that the absence of the England striker is becoming a rather lame excuse for the lack of firepower. Perhaps it is even becoming something of a rather depressing psychological battle that the player have got to learn to come to terms with, quickly.
Only two players, Michael Brown and Titus Bramble seemed to put in maximum effort with most of the rest appearing to just go through the motions. If it wasn't for a Scharner effort on goal in the first half the home contingent of a crowd of almost 18,000 would have had absolutely nothing to cheer.
Then again in defence of the home team, it was the magnificent away support that was doing most of the cheering and the visiting Pompey team certainly rewarded their efforts with two of the simplest goals that Latics are ever likely to concede this season. To add insult to injury the goals came courtesy of Portsmouth's only two clear cut chances of the game.
In the 81st minute the hosts defence went missing as Muntari floated a ball into the Latics penalty and Benjani joyfully banged the ball home from just 12 yards. The second goal came just five minutes later and Glen Johnson was left in acres of space by a bemused blue and white shirted defence to rattled a 20 yard effort past a static Chris Kirkland.
The Pompey chimes went wild and the hordes of Latics fans leaving the JJB Stadium in disgust must have still heard the ecstatic travelling supporters as they walked over the canal bridge, back to Springfield or the Wigan Town centre seven minutes later!
Latics now find themselves fifth from bottom of the Premiership, just one point clear of the final relegation placed team, Tottenham Hotspur who have a game in hand. Next up are Birmingham City at St Andrews, and Latics now need the maximum points haul in England's second city next Saturday.
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Emmerson Boyce, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Paul Scharner, Michael Brown, Denny Landzaat, Jason Koumas, Antoine Sibierski, (Julius Aghahowa 52), Marcus Bent.
Subs not used, Michael Pollitt, Salomom Olembe, Fitz Hall, Josip Skoko.
Booked, Julius Aghahowa 53 mins, Titus Bramble 88 mins
PORTSMOUTH, David James, Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin, Heidar Hreidarsson, Glen Johnson Nico Kranjcar, Pape Bouba Diop, Jihn Utaka, Sulley Muntari, Sean Davis, (Pedro Mendes 77), Benjani.
Subs not used, Jamie Ashdown, Noe Pamarot, Matt Taylor, David Nugent.
Goal scorers, Benjani 81 mins, Glen Johnson 86 mins
Booked, Sol Campbell 39 mins, Sean Davis 59 mins, Sulley Muntari 79 mins
Referee, Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)
Attendance, 17,695
Labels: Wigan vrs Portsmouth
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