a) Wigan are a good side, who without the 'distraction' of the FA Cup , would have probably have retained their status. b) We, without an dominated midfield player, are lacklustre, to say the least. c) Dawson is no answer to say a Digby or big Kelvin. d) The game was lost in midfield. e) We shall meet similar quality sides, but have learnt from our mistakes, and take points from them.
agree 100%. Wigan will be one of the top teams as they have kept a good nucleus together from their prem season and added championship quality with the likes of Holt, barnett and perch. A lot of people are underestimating them as I have noticed that they are under the radar of being peoples choice of promotion contenders. Very impressed with them today but like u say, all other games will be within our grasp. We we're unlucky on the fixture list I think as any other team (QPR included) we would have given them a better game.
a) I agree b) I agree, but as are most teams - it's hard to dominate when you don't get much of the ball though c) Let's not make Dawson a scapegoat for awful tactics today d) Correct e) I think Wigan are one of the best 3 sides we'll play all season
After today a few changes will be made for Blackpool. Guys like Hassell, JOB, Scotland etc should be looked at. Steele should have done better on a few goals, especially the first. Simple straightforward shot, no sun in his eyes, no real power behind the shot, his view wasn't blocked and it was a nice height to deal with. Too many tippy tappy passes. An incident that stands out is in the second half when we had about a dozen passes to move 5-10 yards, then lost it and about three passes later Wigan were charging towards our goal. Too many long balls especially to Dagnall which didn't make sense. People knock him but he needs the ball to his feet. Jennings rush of blood to the head hasn't helped our goal difference.
I remember everyone saying the same thing about Wolves when they turned us over early doors last season. I'll reserve judgment on Wigan at this early stage, just as I will with ourselves. It's one game. Just happens that we handed it them on a plate.
You've learnt from judging Hill and Wisey too early then? Me too. Although I'd be prepred to bet money on Wigan finishing top 4 this season. I think.
Agreed, last season i can't remember a team that came to Oakwell who i thought were real quality, although i think we've come across a quality team today. We're all hurting at the mo but we'll bounce back, we've enough quality to finish a few spots higher than last season. Up the Reds!!
I'd obviously be daft to suggest they won't be up in the top 6 at least. But I refuse to believe they were as great as a lot of us are trying to make out. We played teams last season who were as good, and turned them over. I honestly can't shift my opinion from that of it being a mistake to go 442. Of course, I don't think we'd have won or owt with 352, but I think our chances of doing so would have been far greater. But as redarmychris often points out, I'm wrong all the time so maybe I'm again talking gibberish. I think a few folk will assume I and others who have been critical today are going 'OTT' etc, but my opinion on todays performance is exactly that - an opinion on today. I still trust we have a squad capable of doing better this season, and I believe our manager is the right one. No toys have left this pram. But I refuse to just say "ah well, Wigan were great and there was nowt we could do about it" because that smacks of Keith Hill.
I can't think of a much better league team that we have played in recent years to be honest mate save for Reading when they went up who I remember being pretty strong.
Reading and West Ham that year, yep. Possibly Boro that year, too. I thought Charlton last season were better than Wigan were today. They cut through us brilliantly. Can't help thinking we gifted Wigan the game today. Once Jennings walked and we conceded the other two Wigan could afford to look good. Up until that, and goals aside, they were average IMO.
That's one goal. And you're wrong anyway - bottom corner, through bodies who should have been charging the shot down, good strike. Not in any way a keeper error, not in my book. And the other three were from about two yards out. Which of those was he at fault for? I think Luke Steele might have been the only player that looked like he warranted being on the same field as Wigan today. Didn't pull any trees up but looked up to championship standard. Can't think of many others, but I won't universally criticise or praise until I've seen five or six games and I don't think it'll get much worse than today, tactically wrong, naive even. Outclassed. Out thought. Bring on the trip to the seaside.
If you think Steele was to blame for the first goal then it goes to show how players get vilified for not much during the season. If you give most good Sunday League players the time and space Watson got at the edge of our area they will score 6 times out of 10st. We are playing against ex prem players and recent FA Cup Victors. Disappointing but lets see what we are like against our usual competitors cos Wigan will be in the top 3 all season.
It's just that goals conceeded in our own six yard box is my number one pet hate in letting goals in. Keepers get so much protection from refs that if the keeper takes a couple of steps to collect the ball and gets knocked it will be a foul on keeper.
Steele didn't have a bloody prayer with the first goal. The only goal he could possibly have done anything at all with was the 3rd that Barnett bundled in if he'd reacted quicker.
Out of interest who do you believe were as good as Wigan last season? Seriously, I know you are gonna say Brighton and Watford. For me not even close pal
I thought Charlton were better. They attacked us with pace and ran riot, even despite the two reds. Just tore us apart. And they'd only just been promoted with a team full of kids/lower leaguers, not the talent Wigan have at their disposal. I think Watford were poor against us last season, but we didn't allow them to play. Same goes for Brighton. I thought Forest were pretty devastating that day, too. They were just as good in the return at City Ground but we somehow battled through that one. As I said yesterday, I'm more than aware of how talented a side Wigan are (cup winners, Prem veterans etc) but I refuse to be as ignorant as to suggest there was nothing we could do about them. That does smack of Keith. And it goes against the displays I saw under Flicker last season where we stopped many quality sides - Palace, Cardiff and Hull for example who are now all in the Prem.
