Wigan Athletic currently find themselves rock bottom of the Premier League table and they are looking like clear favourites for the drop this season.
The Latic’s have been fighting a battle to retain their Premier League status for quite some time now and it looks like they will lose that battle this season.
Small
Wigan are one of the smallest clubs ever to grace the Premier League. They came from near extinction in the fourth tier of English football to the promised land of the Premier League, mainly thanks to owner Dave Whelan investment in the club.
Whelan has tried to build the club up but he was always fighting against the tide. Wigan as a town is a traditional rugby stronghold. Despite the theory of ‘if you build it they will come’ Wigan’s DW Stadium is often scarcely populated by a group of diehard fans.
The other problem is Wigan’s location. Wigan just happens to be very near to the Mecca’s of football that is Manchester and Liverpool. That means Wigan have trouble competing with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton for fans.
A low turnout of fans means less revenue coming into the clubs bank account and Dave Whelan can’t keep pumping money into the club forever.
Style
It’s a shame that Wigan are were they are at the moment. Latic’s boss Roberto Martinez has brought in a style of football which is usually reserved for the top echelon of clubs. On their day Wigan can play some fantastic football.
Unfortunately for the Latic’s they haven’t had many of those days recently. Their major problem is scoring goals. They seem to play such good football until it comes to putting the ball in the back of the onion bag.
If they had a prolific striker they would be sitting comfortably in midtable. Then again every club is looking for a prolific striker to score the goals they need to achieve their seasons objectives. Those strikers are usually highly expensive or highly elusive.
Shrewd
Wigan have been very shrewd in the transfer market in recent years. They have signed players for peanuts and turned them in decent Premier League players. Another player who could develop into a decent top flight player is Nicky Maynard, who according Sky Sports is set for talks over a move to Lancashire.
The Bristol City striker has been prolific in the lower leagues and at 25 it looks like he could have the opportunity to try his hand in the top flight. Wigan face competition from local rivals Bolton for the former-Crewe stars signature though.
Maynard’s contract expires this summer so he is unlikely to cost Wigan a major fee. The striker may not be as prolific in the Premier League as the Championship but he is hungry for success and a chance to prove himself at the top level.
Latic’s boss Roberto Martinez has developed players from lower standards of league before and I think Maynard could prove a good signing for his side.
Five
Wigan currently look like they are in a five horse race to avoid relegation this season. A team usually gets dragged in from nowhere near the end of the season but I can’t see that happening this season.
The likes of Blackburn and Bolton have got some really encouraging results in recent weeks and QPR are starting to pick up under new boss Mark Hughes. Wigan are the one’s looking the most vulnerable to the drop and it’s going to be hard for them to get out of the relegation zone.
Miracle
Wigan have produced surprise results against some of the top flights biggest teams to survive in recent seasons and it could happen again. However season after season they cant rely on an end of season miracle to rescue them.
I feel really sorry for Latic’s boss Roberto Martinez because I do think he will be a really good manager in the future. Unfortunately for him though it looks like his club could be facing Championship football next season.
Will Wigan survive the drop this season?
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