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Demolished by kids: time to invest in youth?

There are currently no home grown players anywhere near the Wigan Athletic first team and at present only one or two who could be said to stand a chance. Following on from the 3-0 defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday evening, it must be asked, is the Wigan Athletic youth set up good enough?

The present squad is made up of players brought in from outside the club and of recent years, Leighton Baines is the only player of note to establish himself through the youth set up at the club.

Baines would also appear to be more of a fluke than the result of a well run and well funded youth set up.

Without taking away the hard work that the current staff put in, the present system is clearly not up the scratch and a full overhaul is long overdue.

The squad is present made up solely of players brought into the club. A mixture of 30-something free transfers, players cast off from other clubs and the odd Egyptian superstar.

This is not a sustainable way to maintain Premiership status.

The wages paid to such 30-something players will be high and it seems that the short term cost of survival at all costs is being put ahead of sustainable growth for the future.

As well as players breaking through and complimenting the present first team squad, there will also be players who break through and can be sold. A prime example would be Lee Cattermole. The England under 21 international midfielder cost over £3 million from Middlesbrough.

Cattermole started his career with 'Boro and worked his way through the youth ranks before making the club a tidy profit on his departure.

Middlesbrough are a club of similar stature to the Latics and have a far better youth set up.

Of the present squad, a good number of players have come through their ranks. Stewart Downing, Andrew Taylor, Adam Johnson, Ross Turnbull, David Wheater and Johnathon Grounds have all come through the youth set up at the Riverside.

Manchester City have also had a good conveyor belt of talent come through in recent years. Noticably, Michael Johnson of the present squad, whilst Shaun Wright-Phillips is another recent name of note.

Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha, Stephen Ireland, Kasper Schmeichel and Ched Evans are further players to break through at City.

On the other side of the coin, it may be fair to say that working in the back yard of clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton, it may be somewhat difficult to attract the cream of the crop.

A journey to Crewe would disprove this theory. A club that often punches above its weight, Crewe could well be in the top flight had they not needed to sell off their star players.

For the club to have a sustainable status in the top flight it is not enough to continue picking up decent 30 year old free transfers and the odd Egyptian superstar.

It must go further than that. The wages paid to the afore mentioned 30 year old free transfers could well be put to better use building up a solid foundation for the future.

There is also the prospect of unearthing a Stewart Downing or a Shaun Wright-Phillips and the club could make a tidy profit on such a player.

Further still is the potential future rule changes that may require home grown players in a squad. A fact that would hinder the Latics more than most.

To continue to acquire players on short term deals and hoping that we manage to un-earth an Egyptian superstar each season to see us through is not going to last forever.

How long will the Latics survive on the current system? There seems to be a rotating door of players in and out at the club since promotion to the top flight.

The core of the squad is ripped out nearly every close season and replaced at high cost with new so called superstars. It is going to happen again this summer, it may even happen in January if both Emile Heskey and Amr Zaki leave.

Latics should look at club's such as Middlesbrough, Manchester City and even Crewe and learn from how their youth systems operate.

Take advantage of our Premiership status to attract players who would surely have a better chance of making our first team than that of Liverpool or Manchester United.

Give these players the facilities they need and allow them to play in a suitable youth league set up. They can be loaned out or even given the chance in the first team.

At present, the Latics will continue to lurch from transfer to transfer each close season in a desperate scramble for players of former glories to help us survive.

Is it worth looking to the future a little more by investing in the youth set up at the club. I certainly think so.

Paul
WIGANER.net

Gone Dutch

Wither the prospects of Tottenham winning the UEFA Cup ?

Well, losing a home leg is not good news and PSV are a fine side, but maybe, there is still a chance that Spurs might go through.

Jewell Rejects Us

Since becoming odds on favourite with most bookmakers to replace Chris Hutchings at Wigan Athletic, it was the general assumption that it was a done deal. However, Jewell has admitted turning down an "absolutely fantastic offer" from the Latics.

The former Wigan boss was described by chairman Dave Whelan as his number one choice but Jewell conceded that his time at Wigan was over and it was time to move on, "He made me an absolutely fantastic offer, an unbelievable offer, but I've had my time there," he told BBC Radio 5 Live, "I'm ready to come back to work but I'm not for Wigan." Jewell left the JJB outfit in May, the day after he saved the club from relegation saying he needed a break from football. His replacement and former assistant Chris Hutchings was dismissed from his post last Monday.

Jewell has dismissed rumours that he had received death threats from the Wigan fans against his appointment but has admitted that reading on internet forums how against his appointment some fans were, was a big disappointment: "At no point did I say my family or I had been threatened; I stated that (on internet message boards and radio phone-ins) a number of fans had given me "stick" and "abuse" about my record as manager and I stated that I found this baffling and disappointing given what was achieved at the club during my time in charge."

As a Wigan fan, I was chuffed to bits when Jewell didn't return but I wouldn't say no to our other former manager Steve Bruce. Although Jewell is a Latics legend, his time was up at Wigan and walking away was a really big thing to do. Coming back was the wrong way to go and he knew it. It isn't ungrateful saying we don't want him back, it's common sense.

Jewell had a great record here but looked slightly out of his depth last year. He took us from the third tier to the Premier League and that will never be forgotten. I was worried that if he came back, he would ruin his reputation. I've heard he turned down an offer of 50 grand a week with a 3 million pound signing on fee. This is fantastic. It shows his integrity and belief. Paul Jewell is always welcome at Wigan and he is our greatest ever manager. Someone would have to win the league with us to even come close to what he's achieved. Good Luck Paul, the whole of Wigan will be keeping an eye on wherever you go!

Meantime, a host of other names have been thrown in the hat with Steve Bruce now emerging as favourite. Bruce, another of Wigan's former managers, became odds on yesterday as Birmingham admitted they had received an approach from the Latics to speak to their manager.

Bruce's future in the midlands is in doubt with new owner Carson Yeung being rumoured to want a new manager. The former Manchester United defender had a brief spell at Wigan in 2001 before Paul Jewell took over, taking them to the Play-off semi final where they lost to Reading. Bruce eventually opted to join Crystal Palace and walked away from Wigan.

Greg Farrimond
WIGANER.net

No Graeme, this isn't the Titanic!

Chris Hutchings has been sacked as manager of Wigan Athletic and the search for a new manager has started. Was now the right time to remove Hutchings or would waiting have proved smarter?

Clearly Hutchings was the victim of inheriting a poor squad and not being given the chance to improve it further.

Of the summer signings made by Hutchings none stand out as being bad and most are the stronger members of our current squad. It seems to be the later Paul Jewell purchases that are causing trouble for the squad.

Julius Aghahowa, Fitz Hall and David Cotterill are the first three to spring to mind. Many more left in the summer who were well beyond their sell by date and Hutch was seemingly given few funds to replace them.

It has been stated before on this site that Hutchings wasn't given sufficient backing from the club's hierachy and left to see what he could do on the cheap. Our net spend in the summer was little more than £500,000.

The only man to blame for such a shortfall of cash has to be our chairman, Dave (rent-a-quote) Whelan. As a result of Whelan's tight-fistedness and, injuries to key players, most notably, Emile Heskey and Antonio Valencia we have been struggling for results.

Six defeats on the bounce and Mr Whelan has chosen to lay the blame at Hutchings door, clearly opinions are divided as to whether this was right and only time will tell.

At this point that it is worth saying thank you to Chris for his years service to Wigan Athletic and all he has done for the club during his time here.

The club were languising in what is now League One when he and Paul Jewell joined the club. Two promotions later and we are living the dream in the top flight.

Without doubt there is a managerial role for Chris out there although he will more than likely become number two at another Premiership side sooner rather than later when a certain Mr Jewell takes over.

For the time being, and Wigan Athletic, the search is now for a new manager. Names being linked are those of Graeme Souness, Peter Reid and Glenn Hoddle. Managers who have not got the best of track records.

Personally, I'd like to see Latics legend and current Swansea boss Roberto Martinez given a go, or Paul Ince from MK Dons. What they are lacking in experience they make up for in enthusiam, after all, Graeme Souness is experienced in the art of relegation and little else. He couldn't buy his way into Wolves.

Whoever comes in, he must be given the support of the board and that includes the cheque book. Wigan Athletic are in trouble on the pitch and a messiah is needed.

Paul Farrington
WIGANER.net

Tight fisted Whelan paying the price

After a string of poor Wigan Athletic displays, topped with the performance against Portsmouth in the 2-0 defeat has seen Latics fans searching for answers. Personally I want to know where the "war chest" is.

It was back in August that the supporters were protesting for a new striker to be added before the deadline. It was hoped that a Premiership quality striker would be brought in to support the influential Emile Heskey.

Instead we got Bambi (Marcus Bent) on loan from Charlton in another cheap summer signing.

Further analysis of the summer transfer moves smack of chairman reluctant to give his manager funding to improve the team, and instead with one eye on his replacement.

The £5.5 million outlay on Jason Koumas was as good as recouped with the departure of Leighton Baines and the other additions (bar Michael Brown) were free transfers or loan moves.

Of course the additions of Titus Bramble, Mario Melchiot and Andreas Granqvist appear to be shrewd moves, but players like Antoine Sibierski (his impressive start aside) and Marcus Bent are just not what the club needs.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the help that Dave Whelan has given to this club but he needs to show some backing or perhaps let in a group of foreign investors he hates so much. At least they would take pride in what we put out onto the pitch each week.

At the start of each summer our outspoken chairman spouts off about his backing for the manager and promises a £20 million war chest and each summer we get a few free transfers and one big signing.

So next time you are tempted by the Hutchings out idea, just remember that a workman is only as good as his tools. I dare say the display against Pompey would have been very different if we had Benjani and Utaka as our forward line instead of Bambi and Braindead.

Time to get the cheque book out Mr Whelan and spend some of that money the Icelandic men gave you for JJB. Ah I forget, the transfer window doesn't open until January and it could be too late by then.

Paul Farrington
WIGANER.net

Referee plays well!

Referee Keith Stroud deserves much praise for his performance on Saturday after he showed great character and judgement in key decisions of our game with Reading.

So often supporters are left frustrated by a referee's display, but Stroud put his head on the block with some big decisions, and was vindicated by television replays on all of them.

In particular, Stroud changed his mind over a penalty decsion after a foul on Jason Koumas. Consultation with his linesman revealed that Koumas was outside the box, and only a free-kick was awarded.

If only some of his counterparts could adopt the same strategy of refereeing we would have a much better Premier League. Instead they boss games with their egos and enjoy being the centre of attention.

On playing side of the game, the Latics were unlucky not to come away with a point but without Heskey, Chris Hutchings' front line offers little support to the rest of the side.

There is a tough run of Liverpool, United and Portsmouth coming up for the Latics that will test what this new bunch of players is made of and in short, the sooner Emile is back the better, for both Wigan and England.

Paul Farrington
The Wiganer

Pink Hutch loses points

Omens are funny things. Some are crazy, yet some have more weight behind them. When it comes to Wigan, we are a very suspicious bunch. Last season, whenever a player was awaiting his first goal for the club, nine times out of ten he would get it against us.

This season is no different. Just four games in, an ardent Latics supporter from America (yes we have fans outside a five mile radius of Wigan!) pointed out the first of many omens. And it's down to our managers dress code.

Yes, whenever Chris Hutchings has worn his pink shirt, we have dropped points. Okay, the points were dropped away from home, but the fact is whenever he leaves it at home we have won.

Going into Saturdays game against Newcastle -at Newcastle- we don't need any bad omens haunting us. As Wigan fans will know, we have yet to beat the Geordies on their own turf, losing twice and conceding five goals.

Yet with two former Toon players in our side, the hope is that they will raise their game to prove a point. Sibierski has already proven to be a great purchase - three goals in four games - but he was already loved by the Newcastle faithful.

Titus Bramble, on the other hand, has it all to prove to them, and hopefully he can do by keeping former England wonderkid Michael Owen quiet.

Predictions wise, i am going for 1-1. Wouldn't it be lovely if Bramble was to score the winner though?

Kilbane isn’t a left back!

We finished the 2006/07 campaign in style surviving with a real performance of blood and guts on the final day of the season. All the talk this term has been to avoid such a finish and we seem to have a strong foundation on which to build.

All outside eyes have Hutchings as favourite to win the sack race, but a little closer to the JJB Stadium and the Latics fans are quietly optimistic about the job “Hutch” can do in the hot seat. 

Our squad may be paper thin and made up of players who have spent their careers being ridiculed for various reasons, but a few weaknesses apart, we showed at Goodison Park yesterday that the rolling over Wigan of post Christmas last season is no longer in evidence. 

This was a solid display from the back forwards and Kevin Kilbane’s shocker at left back apart, there was plenty to build on for the future, especially with Michael Brown yet to come into the midfield. 

Everyone in the tired old stadium knew that Kevin Kilbane wasn’t going to keep the sublimely skilful Mikael Arteta under wraps, and that was in glaring view as the Spaniard ripped his way through our left hand side for the first half. 

In particular, Arteta could have easily had a penalty mid-way through the first half. Although Bramble’s challenge was a fair one, in front of the Everton faithful, no-one could have blamed referee Mark Clattenburg for giving the spot kick. Full credit to the referee however for his close positioning and honest decision. 

The defence looked promising despite the absence of Wiganer.net Player of the Season Emmerson Boyce and we actually had two centre backs with pace about them. A commodity rarely seen by the Latics’ support. 

While in midfield, Paul Scharner is a machine and will have a big part to play in the season while Antonio Valencia has adopted a playing style similar to road-runner on steroids and needs to slow his game down if he is going to make any progress. Denny Landzaat was quiet once more and Jason Koumas didn’t stamp his authority onto the game. 

Forward Antoine Sibierski wasn’t fit enough for the first eleven after injuring his thigh in pre-season, but had the big Frenchman managed the full 90 minutes we could have come away with something. He took his goal well and offered much more of an outlet than Caleb Folan. 

Everton, whilst not impressing too much, certainly did a job on us and they will be a good bet for Europe this term. If Arteta can remain fit for the season, and Johnson continues his rich goalscoring form, they’ll have another good season. 

All-in-all the travelling support were happy with what they saw yesterday, and a few tweaks to the team will see us picking up points. We’re currently 17^th in the table and have moved up three places on the back of this defeat, we have to be pleased with that. 

Middlesbrough on Wedensday night is a big game as it is likely that they will be at the wrong end of the table come May and we need to pick up points off the sides around us. 

The only message at the moment from the supporters to manager Chris Hutchings is a simple one: For God’s sake, Zinedine Kilbane is not a left back!

Football is back.
Paul Farrington
The Wiganer