I type this as I peer out of the window of a very rainy Starbucks in Kent.
typical april weather. Lovely.
onwards!....
In their last 11 Premier League games, Wigan Athletic have taken 19 points from a possible 33, since February. It is interesting to note, after losing the 4 games prior to said current form, they went unbeaten for 3 games taking 5 points from 9; a pre-cursor, no doubt to what was to come.
More crucially, they have taken 12 points from a possible 15 points, including wins versus the champions Man Utd and Stoke City at the DW Stadium, but more pivotally, at Anfield versus the defensively frail Liverpool and last night at citadel Emirates Stadium; only a disputed Chelsea loss (via the linesman) prevented Wigan staying undefeated in a period where few had predicted them taking a single point, let alone 12.
It's hardly the form of a relegation threatened side.....and they shouldn't be now - relgated that is -.......
Another Scot, unheralded and seemingly clumsy, but now finding his feet (literally) is Gary Caldwell. This guy has truly been around the houses, so to speak. He has been at Newcastle, Hibs and Celtic, as well as loan spells at Darlington, Coventry and Derby. Since moving to Wigan, Martinez had installed him as vice, the first team captain for his unflinching and relentless performances at the heart of the back 3.
Where Caldwell is really enjoying himself, is where Wigan deploy a 3 man defence with 2 wing backs, allowing him - unlike with many teams - to be the lynchpin of the defence. He, next to Antolin Alcaraz and Maynor Figueroa, are starting to form an inpenetrable back line, with wing backs, Jean Beausejour and Emerson Boyce, tracking up and down the wings. Being a central player, Caldwell is allowed to link up in midfield with Wigan's most important attacking outlet Victor Moses.
Moses, now 21 and recently having declared his commitment to Nigeria's national team, is often the string-puller for Wigan. Yes, he tends to be profligate, but he seems to be converting more of his chances, if not providing Wigan with a pacy, technical playmaker, as he was last night. Moses has only 4 goals, but with 6 assists, he is proving to be a better creater of opportunities.
Wigan have 4 games left and a decent 5 point gap to the relegation zone, but with games away to Fulham and Blackburn to come, as well as tricky looking games at home to Newcastle and Championship-bound Wolves, it is not a forgone conclusion.
But if they keep the momentum up they will stay up.....surely?.....
As a 21 year gooner, it brings me no joy in witnessing Tottenham Hotspur's fall from grace.......( honest ;) ), so without going into all the juicy details, I want to draw a few carefully considered comparisons with that of Arsenal.
In January, when Spurs swept aside Everton to move within two points of the two title-chasing Manchester clubs, Harry Redknapp was heard to utter this:
"It's not impossible for us to win the league - we have a chance"
Fast-forward two months and the target had been revised to third....
"That's what we're capable of doing and that's where I want us to be"
Another month on, after Tottenham had been soundly beaten by Norwich City, the goalposts had been moved again...
"We'd settle for finishing fourth"......
Now lets be honest these are not a million miles away from what Arsene Wenger had said last season when seemingly in with a shout of the title, his team capitulated from a position of finishing as runners-up, to third and finally finishing in fourth; each time he protested that finishing in such position would not be so bad...
a coincidence....... ?
another comparison. In February 2008, when 2 nil down against Birmingham City at St. Andrews, Eduardo suffered his horrific leg break, which effectively ended his Arsenal career, but more prominently was the catalyst for Arsenal losing their six point lead at the summit of the Premier League, which many players failed to recover from. Indeed many gooners, see this as the beginning of four seasons, of injury-fuelled heartache for the the clubs supporters.
Fast forward four years, to a few weeks ago, to Fabrice Muamba's horrific cardiac arrest on the pitch. Since when, Spurs have drawn 3 of the last five league games, losing to Norwich and beating only Swansea. One could be forgiven for putting their current form down to events of White Hart Lane that Saturday eve. hardly relegation form, no, but for a team who needs to keep winning games in the final push for a top four position they are faltering. Now out of the cup after a 5-1 drubbing by Chelsea at Wembers, Spurs' season is now in real danger of collapsing - they could even finish outside of the top five.......
A coincidence...?
food for thought........
