In this day and age it is somewhat accepted that the “big clubs” will dominate all across the board in English football. Somewhat stale air breathes on football as the stranglehold of money dictates all.

Is it possible a manager could overcome these shackles of expectations and pessimism to follow in the footsteps of Brian Clough, OBE?

Mr Clough and assistant Peter Taylor did the unthinkable of taking not one — but two — second division teams to win a series of silverware. Nottingham Forrest won the European Cup twice under Clough’s guidance.

What has happened to the belief and ability to match the game’s heavyweights? I’d like to think it is still possible for greater competition with the simple addition of belief to a side.

How can anyone deal with such dominance by the top teams?

In any given game either team can win or lose. Hunger to win coupled with the genuine thought that it is possible can often outweigh any form of quality difference. Players at any team in the Barclays Premier League should be able to execute. And the belief is something that can be seen in how the manager approaches the press.

Look at the boys from Bloomfield Road last season. Blackpool had a go at it and along the way grew in the hearts of many with a comic manager in Ian Holloway. Blackpool beat Liverpool twice in the league and also beat this year’s title contender Tottenham.

“I call us the Orange club – because our future’s bright!” said Holloway, in one of his many funny quotes.

On Sunday January 15, 2012 Swansea beat Arsenal 3-2. Swansea may have been at home but they definitely served up a performance holding Arsenal to 45% possession throughout the game. Arsenal is not used to seeing so little of the ball given they are known for passing and holding on to it so well.

When Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers was asked if Arsenal was a side he enjoyed watching given the manner in which his own team play, he replied: “I enjoy watching Swansea, I think we are fantastic, some of the football we play, the statistics are up there with the top teams in European football, so I really enjoy watching Swansea.”

Maybe teams should approach games looking to earn their own respect rather than respecting the opposition to a point of mentally discarding their own chances. As a fan it is easy to get behind a man who shows that he thinks he can lead a team above expectations.

In December 2011 Wigan Athletic faced Arsenal. Roberto Martinez found himself caught up in Robin van Persie mania in the pre-match press conference. ”Obviously he’s a world class player and I don’t think you can describe many players nowadays with that title, but the truth is he’s got all the individuals around him as well that can really hurt you if you leave yourself exposed.”

Martinez went on to further flatter the opposition by saying that Arsenal can not be contained even if van Persie can be stopped. The Dutchman had scored 13 league goals at that point in the season. Instead the Spaniard was quick to note a number of other threatening players at Wenger’s disposal.

“Gervinho, Walcott, Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, they are players that are very, very good at one on one situations, so you have to be very, very careful.”

Arsenal went on to win, crushing Wigan’s 4-0 after their mini revival in the league. Wigan looked somewhat uninterested, displayed negative body language and seemed beaten from the kick-off. Martinez should probably concentrate on his own side in the run up to matches not praising the superior opposition as there are no points awarded for making friends in this league.

Brian Clough was known for his controversial encounters but would very rarely be found offering respect to the opposition. Just a thought… believe.

You may not agree with what he had to say but the way Brian Clough put it across showed real belief:

“If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he’d have put grass up there.”   On the importance of passing to feet.

“I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one.” Looking back at his success.

“Manchester United in Brazil? I hope they all get bloody diarrhea.” On Man United opting-out of the FA Cup to play in the World Club Championship.

“I bet their dressing room will smell of garlic rather than liniment over the next few months” Not too impressed with the amount of French players signed by Arsenal.

A world away from the comments given by Wigan’s Roberto Martinez, ‘eh?

In memory of Brian Howard Clough, OBE (21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004)

For season after season Wigan Athletic has overcome the difficulties of remaining in top flight English football. The success of this fairytale story has heavily relied upon chairman Dave Whelan. The Wigan chairman has expressed an interest in stepping down at the age of 75 and handing the reins to grandson David. Needless to say for continuing success, the buying and selling of unproven players is a must if the club is going forward with no uncle Whelan to lean on. Wigan has backed the right players on several occasions, helping keep the dream alive, which is somewhat understandable. When a player is brought to the Premier League and takes the plaudits, then it is an almost certainty bigger clubs will swoop in for those players with big money offers.

On the other end of the balance sheet we Wigan supporters have the flops who can really sink a small club as there is no room for passengers in a squad. Unfortunately some of Wigan’s biggest money signing have all fell into the category of “flop”.

Wigan’s Most Successful Deals

Big Money Flops

Looking Forward

Looking on toward more successful years, Wigan need to continue bagging the right players and making a substantial profit on them. It is safe to say that given the nature of top flight football, in the current day, money really matters and realistically a boring mid-table season for Wigan is an achievable target but also a limit. Current players that could really boost the bank include the likes of James Mccarthy, Victor Moses and even £4,000,000 goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi.

Worryingly, Wigan could miss out on cashing in for star striker Hugo Rodallega, with him currently in the last year of his contract. Hugo has been out of form for most of the present season having not scored a goal since the header against Stoke which kept Wigan in the Barclays Premier League. With January not showing much in terms of transfer action, it is likely that Hugo will go for free at the end of the season. The double edge sword that is the Hugo contract saga has left Wigan shutting off contract talks. This dicey move was made in the hope of helping the Colombian hit man to focus on scoring some goals.

Mohamed Diame is another torment for Wigan. His contract expires in the summer and despite transfer speculation of an offer coming during this period there is still none to date. On a more positive note Diame is in contract talks with Wigan. The resulting contract may not lead to much longer at the club but will at least stop Wigan from losing him for free.

What a difference a week makes. Since Christmas Day, the teams at the bottom and in the middle of the Premier League have performed spectacularly, picking up much-needed points. Consider that Blackburn beat Manchester United at Old Trafford and tied Liverpool at Anfield. West Brom grabbed a draw against Manchester City. Aston Villa beat Chelsea, Swansea held Tottenham to one point, while Fulham drew Chelsea, Wolves tied Arsenal and, last but not least, Sunderland beat Manchester City.

It’s been a fabulous week for “The Other 14″ in the Premier League. The best of the season for the struggling teams.

Despite strong performances from the mid- and lower-table Premier League sides, you can expect the pundits and columnists to start writing about how Manchester United and Chelsea are falling apart instead of giving credit to the teams that beat them. This is a time to give the other Premier League clubs some well-deserved respect. These weren’t lucky wins. Many of the matches featured end-to-end action with the underdog, especially, fighting as hard as they could to salvage a point or more against the Goliaths of the Premier League.

Some of the players who deserve individual praise include:

• Lee Cattermole of Sunderland, who — despite his off-the-pitch issues of smashing up cars in Newcastle — was the key to the midfield for the Black Cats on Sunday, acting as both creator and destroyer in midfield,
• Wigan’s Ben Watson who ran on the pitch as a substitute and smashed home an equalizing penalty with his first touch of the ball against Stoke City,
• Swansea City’s Ashley Williams put in a valiant performance as center-half against Tottenham Hotspur, managing to keep the Lilywhites to just the one goal. The Welsh defender also was dangerous on the attack when he made his runs into Tottenham first third of the pitch, and
• Yakubu of Blackburn was again in fine form as they smashed in two of the three goals to help Rovers beat Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Who are some of the players you feel should be singled out for superb performances during the past week? Share your opinions in the comments section below.

Here is what the Premier League clubs are wishing for in 2012:

Arsenal: Gunner fans are wishing that scoring machine Robin van Persie continues his torrid streak.

Aston Villa: That Alex McLeish has a method to his “managerial tactic” madness.

Blackburn: Steve Kean is renting and not buying.

Bolton: Club officials are wishing the F.A. will bring in two more clubs into the Premier League in hopes that Bolton won’t be relegated.

Chelsea: Andre Villas-Boas decides on the correct starting eleven for his club so that they can make another run at the title.

Everton: That Landon Donovan can breathe some fresh air into the Toffees offensive attack.

Fulham: Hopefully Martin Jol can unite his squad to make another run at a Europa spot next season.

Liverpool: Luis Suarez starts to be known for his play and not for his antics.

Manchester City: That the club continues their blistering pace.

Manchester United: Alex Ferguson uses his genius to figure out the midfield problems.

Newcastle: Demba Ba decides to stay with the club through the January transfer window.

Norwich City: That the club can continue their steady pace and enjoy a second season in the first division.

QPR: The Rangers magically figure out how to score more goals at Loftus Road.

Stoke City: To make sure that an away trip to Britannia Stadium remains a difficult test for opposing clubs.

Sunderland:  That the likes of Sebastian Larsson and Nicklas Bendtner give the Black Cats an offensive identity.

Swansea City: The Super Swans wish that Michel Vorm continues his ridiculous form at goalie.

Tottenham: That the Spurs finish in the top four and qualify for next year’s Champions League.

West Brom: The Baggies wish that Shane Long and Chris Brunt can continue to inspire their teammates in hopes of finishing in the top half of the table.

Wigan: That Victor Moses keeps playing with flair and goalie Ali Al Habsi remains one of the best keepers in the league.

Wolverhampton: Wolves wish that Bolton, Blackburn, and Wigan remain below them in the Premier League table.

Note: Readers can follow Matt on Twitter @thehackreport

It isn’t exactly halfway through the season, but all of the clubs are 18 games into their 2011-12 campaign except for Everton and Tottenham (both are 17 games in) who have to make up their first round fixture due to the London Riots. One of the things I like to follow throughout the Premier League season is the unspoken (or lightly spoken) regional battle between the Premier League clubs of Greater Manchester and Greater London. With all due respect to the Midlands region and the country of Wales, the most polarizing clubs of the Premier League, save Liverpool, call one of these two regions home. I will share the numbers and dissect the region’s clubs and compare them. At the end, I will share my opinion of which side is winning the battle so far.

This battle is only being analyzed from the Premiership’s perspective not the from the perspective of European football. However, I will mention that in my opinion, London has already won that particular battle considering that both of the London’s representatives (Chelsea and Arsenal) have moved to the knockout rounds. Both of Manchester’s representatives (City and United) have been eliminated in the group stage. So let’s begin by introducing the two sides’ representatives in the Premiership. I will list their overall records and records against the clubs in Manchester. I was thinking about adding Blackburn to even out the two regional sides at five, though I know Blackburn is close to Greater Manchester but not in it. However, Blackburn doesn’t have much to offer so I elected against it.

London:

Club (overall record; won/drawn/lost) (record vs. Manchester)

• Arsenal (10/3/5) (2/0/2)
• Chelsea (10/4/4) (2/1/1)
• Tottenham Hotspur (12/2/3) (1/0/3)
• Fulham (4/7/7) (2/1/1)
• Queens Park Rangers (4/5/9) (0/0/4)

Manchester:

Club (overall record; on/drawn/lost) (record vs. London)

• Manchester City (14/3/1) (3/1/1)
• Manchester United (14/3/1) (5/0/0)
• Bolton Wanderers (4/0/14) (1/0/4)
• Wigan Athletic (3/5/10) (1/1/3)

London has achieved 23 points against Manchester sides and Manchester has achieved 32 points against clubs from London. From looking at the records for Manchester, this is clear who is carrying the banner for Manchester. The teams from London are all solid and all of them can not only stay in the Premiership but finish in the top half. Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs are vying for the Champions League spots and I think still have a say in who will be the Champions this year.

I will briefly expound on each club and give my say to where they will end up.

London:

Arsenal: 

I am an Arsenal supporter and I was back in my usual pessimistic disposition at the beginning of the season when they were floundering.  However, I really think Arsene Wenger’s  desperation signings especially Mikel Arteta have brought an experienced man in the center of the pitch similar to what Scott Parker has brought to Tottenham. He’s not Cesc Fabregas nor did most of the Arsenal faithful (well the sane portion) expect him to directly fill the role. He distributes the ball efficiently and effectively in essence letting Arsenal still play their style but he won’t really get on the end of things. I’m not going to say that he isn’t brilliant because in my opinion he is. However, brilliance isn’t always in the form of Messi, Ronaldo, Totti and Rooney. Mertesacker is a big man who can control the air and can be a solid defender to partner with the rock known as the “Verminator” (Thomas Vermaelen). The last thing but certainly not the least which has giving the Gunners new life. RVP. What can I say about him? 16 goals in 18 games. Nothing more needs to be said really. I predict that Arsenal will finish 3rd due to Tottenham’s eventual period of tapering off. I think Chelsea will have plenty more peaks and valleys due to the conundrum that is Fernando Torres.

Chelsea:

Andre Villas-Boas has had to downplay the whole “Second Coming of Mourinho” for a little while but I think his biggest issue is how can he get Fernando Torres to kick into Liverpool form. They are still a bit erratic in my view but the one very bright light for Chelsea is Daniel Sturridge. If he can continue his form and Lampard doesn’t fade off his good run of form as well. They can achieve a firm hold of 4th because I think AVB may have found a offensive solution for this team.

Tottenham Hotspur:

As an Arsenal supporter, it may be quite fitting for me to go on a scathing verbal attack on a sorry excuse for a Premiership club called Tottenham Hotspur. However, I must commend Harry Redknapp despite his vice grip hold on Luka Modric. I also believe Spurs made the most important signing in the League this August by signing Scott Parker. He has been immense for them and I think he really lets Modric and Van der Vaart shine without worry considering Parker will hold the midfield for you. Another important signing was Brad Friedel. The American is an improvement over the erratic, mistake-prone Gomes. Tottenham has always been a team who would have these great runs of form then they drop into a rut usually towards the end of the season. While I don’t think they will drop into that ditch. They will drop a few points and that will give Chelsea and Arsenal the opportunity to pounce. I predict a 5th place finish for them.

Fulham:

Fulham doesn’t have much to offer. They do enough to maintain to middle of the pack finish and stay in the League. I do think they were on an upswing with Mark Hughes who I thought really could have made something more out of them. I do not think Martin Jol is the right man for the job but he’s there. I do think Fulham can make a top half finish if Jol finds away to incorporate Zamora and get him on form. Another key man is Clint Dempsey. He is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and Arsenal did inquire about him but Fulham’s price was too high. Dempsey who is Fulham’s all time leading scorer in the Premier League already has 6 goals to his name and I think he can achieve a 15 goal season and secure Fulham a spot in the top half. I predict 7th place for them.

QPR:

I think that they have the pieces to achieve a respectable finish as well. I do think that they need to bolster the defense in this January window. They bolstered the offensive side of things yet they still are below average in scoring. I do wonder if Neil Warnock is the answer for them. I think he deserved to manage the side in the Premier League considering he got them there but I do think that if they continue their less than ideal form. Will Warnock stay with the club let alone avoid relegation? I predict that they will stay up and finish the bottom half around 13th.

Manchester:

Manchester City:

Sir Alex’s “noisy neighbors” are making plenty of noise this year especially at Old Trafford (that was a joy to watch). They score goals and concede very little. Their squad depth is quite deep with a rainbow of personalities. It’s amazing what a blank check can do for you. Silva and Yaya Toure are outstanding. Dzeko is on a good run of form. Kompany really commands the back line and Hart is as consistent as they come in goal. Mario Balotelli, why always you? I don’t know. They truly are a team, I enjoy watching. I predict the Premier League trophy to be raised by Vincent Kompany as Manchester City win the League and the city of Manchester is finally its rightful color according to my City supporting friends. That color is Blue.

Manchester United:

Sir Alex’s side has experienced total jubilation and total dejection. The Red Devils have been excellent this season save for a couple matches. They will give City a very stiff challenge in not only the league but in the FA Cup as well. It will be fun to observe the Manchester Derby in the Etihad Stadium. I predict Man U to place 2nd and to give themselves a chance to redeem themselves in the Champions League next season.

Bolton Wanderers:

A team who I believed was doomed from the start and they were lucky to avoid relegation last season. I do think that they were unlucky to have lost Stuart Holden again  who I thought could have definitely help save the season for them. Ivan Klasnic and Chris Eagles have come good for them on the offensive end but their defense is atrocious. They have so far conceded the most goals in the Premiership with 41. I don’t see Coyle’s style of play while mildly attractive going anywhere for them. I predict that they will be relegated by finishing in their current spot of 19th and Coyle gets sacked.

Wigan Athletic: 

The ‘Latics are a tough one to predict because I’ve been predicting them to end their one and only top flight spell for the last couple of years. I have obviously been wrong. They do have a magician at the touchline in Roberto Martinez though his job to stay in the  Premiership has been made quite harder due to the departure of Charles N’Zogbia. They still have a young side who can be quite vibrant in their play. I like James McCarthy, Antolin Alcaraz, Franco Di Santo, Jordi Gomez a lot. You have a decent keeper in Al-Habsi with other serviceable players like Conor Sammon and Gary Caldwell. Hugo Rodallega is a very good player who is one of the few reasons Wigan have lasted as long as they have. I predict Wigan to stay up for one more year and finish in 17th.

Conclusion:

While Manchester are fighting at the top and bottom of the table. I think London right now has an advantage and the teams are better collectively. In my opinion, London is winning this battle this year. I don’t put much stock into regional rivalries but it’s something interesting to think about. If I had to choose which regional team I barrack for

it would definitely be Team London. Who do you support? London, Manchester, the Midlands, even perhaps Wales (I haven’t forgotten about Swansea).  Do you think it even matters? All feedback to my questions or to the article itself is appreciated.

Wigan against Blackburn on a cold November afternoon. Normally not a game that would catch my imagination and certainly not one that prior to this weekend I imagined myself writing about come the start of the week. But one incident has really got me thinking about the way that we treat footballers and what we expect from them when it comes to sporting behaviour. The corner move between Yakubu and Morten Gamst Pedersen has caused a huge amount of debate across the airwaves and in the press. Was it cheating? Should the officials have spotted it? What should be our response?

Personally, I have found it worrying the amount of times that I have heard people say that it was all part of the game and that the players had no responsibility to help the officials reach the correct conclusion. I can’t disagree more. This was a case of a player, Yakubu, knowing full well that a goal should be ruled out and not saying so. I have had enough of the lack of morals in modern sport but to a point I can deal with it. But this incident is beyond the pale.

At any point from Pedersen taking the corner to the moment the ball hit the back of the net, the Nigerian could have spoken up. There is absolutely no excuse for him. What happened on Saturday was cheating and unfortunately blame appears to be everywhere apart from at the feet of those responsible, the Blackburn players.

Roberto Martinez, in his post-match interview, claimed that the referee and his assistants should have spotted the lack of a touch. Pundits analysed the positioning of the officials and appeared to conclude that they were at fault. Yakubu claimed that Blackburn “had got away with one”. This at least was true – but only because he allowed the desire to win to override his responsibility to play by the rules.

This is the bottom line in this case. Yakubu, as with all players, not only has a duty to try and win the game but also has a responsibility to uphold the laws and spirit of the game. Too often football seems to have completely lost sight of the fact that it is a sport and that can not be a good thing for the future of the game.

We all want to see players doing all they can to get those three points but we also have to bear in mind that there has to be a line somewhere. If we start to accept Yakubu’s attitude as the norm then how long until we accept that diving is a legitimate attempt to gain an advantage and that asking a referee to book an opponent is acceptable behaviour? Football is important to a lot of people but if it becomes more important than upholding the difference between right and wrong then it really is in trouble.

Editor’s note: Since the memory of last weekend’s Premier League football is still fresh in our minds. here’s a match report of Wolverhampton’s win against Wigan — a match of big importance due to the implications on the relegation zone. The report is courtesy of Chris Machin, a regular contributor to EPL Talk (and a massive Wolves supporter).

It was never going to be a classic. In historical proportion it was more of a David vs David than a clash of the titans. Two teams that had inadvertently combined to amass just one point between them from a possible 42 in the past seven weeks of Barclays Premier League football.

Ranked 19th and 20th in the form table, and only a touch better in the actual standings, Wigan Athletic were riding uncomfortably on a seven game losing streak with only one away goal all season and the same amount of points on the road. They met Wolves with one single point from the previous seven games and without a home win since the second week of the season. At Molineux last Sunday, something had to give.

The signs were all there for the gold ‘n black faithful. Needless to say they were far from encouraging. Wigan Athletic had been very much a part of Wolves’ previous two survival scraping seasons. However they had managed to take the maximum six points from their previous two Premier League visits to Molineux. In addition to this was the well documented recent point-free miseries of the Lancashire outfit. Sod’s law dictates that when a team are looking to shake an unwanted monkey from their backs, that ‘Wolves away’ is the perfect place to do so. Finally there was the baffling conundrum that Wolves’ fans have had to deal with throughout the previous season and the beginning of this, the failure to take points where they are expected. For example, to beat the teams around you in your home games. Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City have already feasted from the Molineux table as newly promoted sides. Perhaps more worrying was the lacklustre performances churned out in these ‘must-win’ games. With all this in mind, you’d forgive a Wolves fan for his or her pessimism.

Wolves went unchanged from their previous outing at Manchester City, with a 4-5-1 set up largely due to their lack of striking options with fitness woes continuing to get the better of Steven Fletcher and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. A little mysterious (but then again we would expect no less of Mad Mick) was the selection of David Edwards/Adlene Guedioura on the right wing whilst ‘out and out’ wingers Matt Jarvis and Adam Hammill had to settle for another bench warming role. There was also continued faith in a back four which has looked decidedly amateur at times so far this season.

Roberto Martinez opted for a variation of the 4-3-3, with former Wolves man David Jones joined by Ben Watson and Mohammed Diame as a central 3, whilst strikers Rodallega, Moses and Di Santo were deployed in attack.

I’ve decided to mix things up a little and borrow from my American influences and offer a play-by-play style report of the days action, mainly due to my recovery from an appendectomy allowing me a lot more time to break away from the furore of sitting in the stands and make some real notes as the action unfolded.

Here is a breakdown of the play as it unfolded, with all the ups and downs, contradictive emotions and mood swings experienced during last Sunday’s Jekyll and Hyde showdown.

2 mins – The first shot of the game came following a long ball out of defence from Wolves. David Edwards took a touch past Alcaraz and shot low from the edge of the area, comfortably beaten away by Al Habsi.

4 mins – The first major talking point of the afternoon. Winger Stephen Hunt collected the ball on the edge of the area, beat the Wigan defender en-route into the area, was clearly caught by the on rushing Wigan goalkeeper but admirably choose to stay on his feet, regained his balance but the chance came to nothing. It’s safe to say a penalty and a card would have been inevitable had he taken a tumble.

7 mins – The first sign of continuing joy down the Wolves left side for Wigan became apparent. Victor Moses on the right side of the Wigan’s attacking trio picked the ball up on the flank, took on and beat both Ward and Hunt but was finally stopped in the area at the expense of a corner.

The opening 15 minutes was filled with pretty uninspiring football. It was clear to see why both teams have and will more than likely continue to struggle this season. Wolves continued to revert to the long ball lottery. Where on earth was Kevin Doyle up to this point?

16 mins – Stephen Hunt delivered his first telling cross of the afternoon from the left flank, finding David Edwards 6 yards out but his header went wide. Edwards seemed to be drifting from his position on the right side of midfield in search of his natural surroundings, Guedioura was having to fill in for him and Wolves were lacking in this area.

19 mins – The first error of note is typical of the mistakes being made by Wolves this season. Johnson hit a blind pass out of defense, putting Karl Henry in danger. Henry lost possession (where’ve we heard that one before) to Hugo Rodallega who advanced but let Wolves off the hook with a tame left footed poke from the edge of the area which trickled straight at Hennessey.

In the ten minutes of inactivity to follow, the lack of atmosphere was making the real noise around Molineux. With a distinct sense of foreboding in the air, the tension in the silence suggested a crowd that was growing increasingly worried about their side’s fortunes. Wigan’s build up play was patient, whilst Wolves was tentative. Both sides showed a lack of ingenuity and quality in their approach. Frustratingly it seemed obvious to everyone else except the players that long balls aimed at small targets just wassn’t going to work.

30 mins – Golden chance for Wigan. Richard Stearman’s naivety got the better of him once again as he tried to dribble the ball out of defence. He failed to take on and lost the ball to Franco Di Santo who swept a perfect ball over the heads of the two Wolves centre backs. Rodallega’s touch is perfect as he set himself from 6 yards with only Hennessey to beat. He proceeds to slot the ball wide of the left hand post and provides Wolves with a major let off.

31 mins – GOAL!! Football’s unforgiving lessons came to the dance. A golden chance spurned at one end turned into a goal at the other. Kevin Doyle’s fear of getting into the box paid off as he advanced into the right channel and pulled the ball back across the box for Jamie O’Hara to slot home from inside the six yard box. Three goals in 4 games for the summer signing from Spurs. The celebrations that followed were notably one of relief rather than ecstasy. The atmosphere was soon subdued after the goal as the fans know logically that they cannot rest on their laurels.

40 mins – GOAL!! Wigan continued to expose Wolves on their left side again and again. Full back Emerson Boyce skipped past a spectating Stephen Ward on his way into the area. He was then bundled over by Stephen Hunt in an attempt to dig Ward out of a hole and the inevitable penalty was given. Ben Watson with a 50% penalty conversion rate this season stepped up and fired tamely straight at Hennessey. The ball ricocheted back out, luckily to Watson, who slotted into an empty net. All square.

43 mins – A spell of pressure from Wolves in response to the goal saw a number of decent crosses sent into the Wigan area that were dealt with by the keeper and his defence. After the latest cross was cleared out right to Jamie O’Hara, he swept it back first time on the half volley forcing Al Habsi to parry low near his left hand post.

The half time whistle was met with little reaction from the crowd. The TV commentator quoted that the match was “delicately poised” for the fans of both teams. It must have seemed more ‘ominously suspended’ as they could have only have feared the worst after a lacklustre first half coupled with their recent experiences.

A scrappy affair was to be expected. The two teams far from mirroring each other in their approach. Wigan utilised their three central midfielders as part of a possession game, neat and tidy and constantly passing but without any real joy. Wolves were much more direct but nevertheless predictable in that they did not show anything that would have worried Martinez up to that point.

Substitution: Half time (Wolves) Matt Jarvis replaced Adlene Guedioura. Another unlucky outing for Guedioura, unable to influence the game as much as he could from the centre of the park, he was left to rot out on the wing and thus was the makeweight for the much needed second winger in this 4-5-1 system.

46 mins – A real sense of déjà vu early in the second half for Wolves fans as Wigan again were getting joy on their right flank. The lively Victor Moses was given too much time and space but opted to shoot wide of the upright from about 20 yards.

48 mins – Wigan’s intent was there for all to see as they came again. Di Santo received the ball on the edge of the area with his back to goal, turned Christophe Berra inside out before shooting low and inches wide of the post. The Wolves back line was looking extremely tentative on the back of recent poor performances.

55 mins – GOAL! Karl Henry’s first positive contribution of the season (forgive the sarcasm but that’s just about spot on). Credit where it’s due even from his biggest critic. I am open to being proved pleasantly wrong. Henry almost in nosebleed territory received the ball on the edge of the opposition area, showed incredible poise as he dropped the shoulder, beating two men and dribbled to the byline and cut it back to an unmarked Stephen Hunt. The Irishman miscued his shot and it was palmed out by Al-Habsi who picked himself up to claw the ensuing header from O’Hara that followed from off the line. Unfortunately for Al-Habsi, who must have been fuming at his defence for all his efforts, Wolves made it third time lucky as David Edwards drilled home from close range. 2-1 Wanderers.

62 mins – Wigan attempted to draw level for a second time finding more joy (yes you guessed it) on the Wolves left back position. Stephen Ward was looking like the makeshift full back he started out as, allowing Rodallega too much time and space to hit the byline and flash a low cross right across the 6 yard box and out the other side. The warning signs are apparent for Wolves as they seem to have gone into retreat whilst Wigan’s patient possession game was building pressure once more.

Substitution 64 mins – (Wigan) Albert Crusat replaced Ben Watson.

65 mins – GOAL!! I must have stepped inadvertently into the twilight zone as another Wolves goal and fine move began in the centre of the park with Karl Henry! The mainstay in the Wolves line up should have taken a leaf out of his own book on this one as he got the ball under control, stopped and looked up before sweeping a glorious ball FORWARD and out wide to Ward advancing on the left. Ward cheekily back-heeled it to Matt Jarvis, who took on and beat his man into the penalty area before an almost carbon copy of the second goal. Edwards picked up the cut back from Jarvis but his shot was blocked. The second ball fell to O’Hara whose left footer was beaten back into play by the Omanian Wigan keeper before Wolves go third time lucky once more as Stephen Ward controlled and volleyed well into the upper left corner of the net for his second goal of the season.

Kudos to Ward who by all intent and purpose had had a nightmare defensively but quickly erased those memories, and of course to Karl Henry who really should do this more often. If he’s got it in his locker, let’s see more of it because that is where 90% of the frustration builds in relation to the Wolves number 8. The scoreline — 3-1. Wolves are almost there.

69 mins – Wolves were keen on putting the proverbial nail in the coffin begin to attack relentlessly. A free kick on the right wing was whipped in impressively by the left boot of Jamie O’Hara bypassing everybody and finding Christophe Berra whose header was saved point blank by Al Habsi tipping it up and over the bar. Berra still awaits his first Wolves goal as the Wanderers were heading for the Latic’s jugular.

75 mins – Reality check for Wolves as Wigan come again. Slow and short precise build up saw them move side to side and pass and move, leading to two tame efforts in quick succession from Di Santo and Rodallega.

Substitution – 77 mins (Wigan) Connor Sammon and James McArthur replace David Jones and Hugo Rodallega. Pleasant ovation from the Molineux faithful for David Jones, another whose chances at the club were limited due to the often misguided pecking order. Rodallega’s misfiring afternoon was bought to an end as Martinez had seen enough chances go begging.

81 mins – Wigan would not lay down and die. A right wing corner found Steve Gohouri 8 yards out, who powered a header down and goalward. Wayne Hennessey reacted with a strong right handed save, tipping the ball onto the post and out.

Substitution – 83 mins (Wolves) Nenad Milijas for Jamie O’Hara. It appeared that time is running out for the fans favourite Serbian, I fear his season will now be limited to cameos like today despite the fact that we constantly find ourselves crying out for someone who can pick a lock like he can.

The game petered out with Wolves sitting back and soaking up the pressure from Wigan that was apparent but never incisive. Victor Moses continued to torment the Wolves full backs winning a free kick against Richard Stearman whilst Sammon hit the foot of the post late on as he was allowed time to turn and shoot from the edge of the area.

Sky Sports gave the man of the match award to Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi which says a lot for the game itself, but even more so for the Wolves who still couldn’t produce an outstanding performance even when they won the game.

If we take the game for what it was, there was a job to be done and, everything aside, Wolves produced when it was most vital. Although there won’t be many leaving Molineux today brimming with optimism, it is a foundation on which we can and need to build. The performance was nothing beyond a 6 out of ten. You could still spend hours picking it apart with frailties at both ends of the field. The defence still look far too susceptible, and against an attack more potent than Wigan’s of which there are many in this league, you can see Wolves coming a right cropper.

As they say though, ‘you can only play what’s in front of you’ and Wolves got in and got back out with three massive points, and to boot they were taken from the ‘competition’ effectively making it an impactful 6 point turnaround. Unfortunately Wolves can’t play Wigan every week, who must be wondering what they have to do. Eight losses on the bounce — all off the back of playing decent football. Their ethics are in the right place but something is lacking where it really matters. I’ll keep it real and certainly won’t be jumping on any bandwagons, Wolves must continue to improve massively on this improvement if they are to avoid a third season scrapping in the Premier League doldrums. The international break is followed by two games on the road, Everton and Chelsea.

I guess we should enjoy it while it lasts, and pray that the team and the management can finally see past the end of their noses and build on and learn from their experience against the league’s whipping boys on this dreary Sunday afternoon. Remember, remember the 6th of November. The day the Wolves stopped the rot.

This weekend sees Wigan entertain Fulham with both in desperate need of a result of any description. So what has happened to Wigan this year? Nothing much really if we’re honest. Their form has been pretty abysmal for a sustained spell of time and if this continues then they will no longer be plying their trade in the top flight. So what is the problem? With a chairman as loyal and enthusiastic as Dave Whelan, they should be doing a lot better but this is simply not the case. The players and Martinez have a lot of questions to answer. Their performances this season have been embarrassing and something has to change.

With a goalkeeper the calibre of Al-Habsi and sprinklings of star quality in McCarthy, Rodallega and Moses, they should be commanding a higher league position than they currently are. The question arises why are they so bad? Simply put there is no easy answer but a large portion of blame must fall on the shoulders of Roberto Martinez. In fairness to the man, he did a fine job with Swansea and initially at Wigan he seemed to be perfect for the club. However slowly but surely their form has died and they are now one of the favourites for the drop. Questions have to be asked about his management style as his team are not performing to their obvious potential. Could anyone have realistically seen that any of the promoted sides had a better team at the start of the campaign? Yet somehow Wigan find themselves below all three! It is all well and good staying loyal to a manager for so long, but somewhere along the line someone has to make the hard choice, and unfortunately for Martinez that very moment is now imminent for Whelan. The decision on the future of the manager is critical to stabilising results on the pitch and giving the club every possibility of remaining in the top flight next season.

No one likes to see a manager of obvious potential come under fire and eventually get the sack. However, in this case it seems Martinez has had an abundance of time to remedy the problems but he has thus far failed to do so. His refusal to speak to Aston Villa illustrates the character and quality of the man, but these should not be cited as reasons for his stay of execution. Certainly in the future he will do a fantastic job at another club, yet at Wigan he has had his chances and failed to grasp them.

There are plenty of hungry managers available to take on this challenge and maintain Wigan’s status as a top flight team. The job will certainly not be easy and perhaps after the weekend’s football is concluded, Martinez may well be having the last laugh. But as a neutral observer I strongly feel Wigan need a change of direction if they are to stand any chance of preserving their Premier League status.

Throughout the season so far one man, Steve Kean, has come under sustained attack from fans and reporters alike for the ‘’woeful’’ job he has been doing at Blackburn. However, lest we not forget they are in the last eight of the League Cup. Where are Wigan? Martinez has essentially escaped under the radar for too long, his team’s performances this season have at best have been abject. How long this pattern will continue unquestionably lies in the hands of the Wigan chairman Dave Whelan.

Wigan Athletic are in the bottom three, along with North West neighbours Bolton and Blackburn, after an abysmal run of six losses on the trot. They are much maligned for their poor attendances despite football being Wigan’s second sport behind rugby league and the club faces competition for fans from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City. And after a poor start what’s next for Wigan this season?

Wigan narrowly avoided relegation last season with a Hugo Rodallega goal on the last day against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, which was enough to keep them up. However they lost star player Charles N’Zogbia to Aston Villa for a fee of £9,500,000 and their only really signings of note were goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, who has looked impressive but due to the fragility of the defence has not been able to show his full potential, and Shaun Maloney. Wigan did not really bolster their squad well enough and already look to be paying the price with the solitary win coming against a QPR side, which hadn’t been on their shopping spree at the time. Their squad just doesn’t seem to be strong enough or has the depth for them to do well this season. And if injuries deplete the team Wigan could really struggle.

Defense has been a real problem for the Latics this season with teams being able to cut them apart with ease. Their defensive performance against fellow strugglers Bolton last week was truly atrocious. There were far too many individual errors and incidences of players giving the ball away in their own third. Steve Gohouri being an example of a player guilty of this.

Manager Roberto Martinez has got the team trying to play expansive football since his instalment as manager in 2009. It just doesn’t seem that they have any defensive cohesion so playing in the way they do does not work with Wigan. They constantly try to pass it out from back and as seen against Bolton it often leads to their downfall, with defenders looking for impossible passes and often giving the ball away to the opposition in dangerous areas, and of course in the Premier League they get punished for this. Sometimes for relegation threatened teams it is better to adopt a more defensive, physical style of play with Stoke doing this since their promotion in 2008. Stoke have now become an established mid-table team and as shown with Blackpool last season, attacking football without a good enough defence can’t keep you in the League.

As well as defensively, Wigan have been poor going forward with a meager six goals being scored in the first nine games. Three of these goals have come from former Chelsea player Franco Di Santo and they were all deflected efforts. The loss of N’Zogbia has meant they have lost valuable goals as he was their top goal scorer with ten goals last season and also provided a lot of service to the likes of Rodallega which they don’t have now.

This season is going to be very tough for Wigan. Owner Dave Whelan has said that he doesn’t want to sack Martinez which he should be applauded for but it is going to be tough for him in the future with the club largely reliant on his money, with less revenue gained due to their low attendances, an average of only 17,682 being the second lowest in the league ahead of QPR who are admittedly restricted by the size of their stadium. If Wigan get relegated this season, their crowd size will falter and they will lose a large majority of their squad meaning life in the Championship could be very tough especially with the large number of ex-Premier League teams in that division.

They have started poorly but in their next three games the Latics play Fulham, Wolves and Blackburn, all teams around them in the table. These three games could be crucial to their season. A low points total will lead to a lack of confidence and a real feeling that relegation is going to be tough to avoid but a good run could lead to them gaining momentum that could get them the points they need to stay in the league. It certainly looks like relegation is a really possibility for Wigan this season but of course as shown this weekend with Manchester City’s thrashing of Manchester United and QPR’s win against nine-man Chelsea, football is unpredictable so Wigan of course do have a chance of survival.

Editor’s Note: “Get Stuck In” is EPL Talk’s weekly column featuring review, analysis and opinion on all the happenings in the Premier League each week from different EPL Talk bloggers and podcasters. If you currently write for EPL Talk and would like to contribute to “Get Stuck In”, contact Jesse Chula at JesseChula(at)gmail(dot)com.

A Time For Concern In Manchester? – Matt Hackenmiller

Manchester United’s unconvincing win against Norwich City did nothing to calm the nerves of fans after the Red Devil’s Champions League draw against Basel midweek. The return of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez failed to spark the attack as was expected for the defending champions. Moreover, the back line continued to look shaky and uncertain against the Norwich counterattacks. I won’t even get into the Krispy Kreme felony that forced a change in goal. Three points is three points, but most Manchester United fans were expecting a more dominate performance.

What is more troubling though is the trend that United has started to play down to its competition. They played well against the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal, but have not looked their best against West Brom, Stoke City, and now Norwich City. This is something that most top clubs go through at times and if not corrected, it can cost United a chance at their twentieth championship. The international break is often looked upon as an annoyance for most clubs, but this one seems like an opportunity for the Red Devils to regroup before fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester City later this month.

Match Between Tottenham And Arsenal Proved That A Shift In Power Is Upon North London - Jesse Chula

Spurs are back and there’s no doubt about it. After enduring a slow start to the season because of some difficult early fixtures and the distraction that was the Luka Modric transfer saga, Spurs have rebounded themselves up to sixth in the table with four wins in a row and still hold a game in hand. While not convinced they were at their absolute best at the Lane on Sunday, Spurs were still able to gain three points against their bitter rivals through solid play from Rafael van der Vaart, who scored the game’s classy opener, Gareth Bale, who blitzed both Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson on the left wing, and from a brilliant wonder strike from Kyle Walker which proved the winner.

Question marks still hang over Arsene Wenger, his job safety and 15th spot Arsenal in regards to just where the current version of the Gunners will ultimately finish in the table. Where there aren’t question marks, however, is where the power in North London currently rests. All arrows point to White Hart Lane, Redknapp and Spurs while Arsenal fans are left scratching their heads wondering where it all went wrong as they endure an early season of struggles watching a lesser version of The Arsenal. On Sunday, Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie, Per Mertesacker and to a lesser extent, Mikel Arteta, all failed to deliver in the North London derby. For now, at least, Arsenal continue to be a work in progress.

David Moyes Has A Right To Feel Aggrieved In Loss To Liverpool But Must Also Look At His Team Selection – Jesse Chula 

The sending off of Everton’s Jack Rodwell at Goodison Park in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby was easily the weekend’s most contentious moment. Referee Martin Atkinson botched a massive call when he should have simply awarded Liverpool a free kick, or at worst, cautioned Rodwell in the 23rd minute. Instead, Atkinson sent off young Rodwell with a straight red stemming from a challenge on Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Saturday’s highest profile match was instantly changed. Suarez was guilty of making a meal out of the challenge and definitely played his part in the sending off of Rodwell which left Atkinson with a tricky decision that he got terribly wrong.

However, neutrals and supporters alike have asked questions of Moyes’ team selection, specifically questioning the Scot’s decision to leave out club stalwart Phil Neville in central midfield. Moyes also selected Seamus Coleman in favor of the recently acquired (on loan from Real Madrid) midfielder Royston Drenthe. On Saturday, Moyes selected a decent enough squad, but could it have been a bit stronger? Although he has a right to feel aggrieved by Atkinson’s performance, Moyes may want to rethink his team selection next time out against the league’s elite.

Gloom over Lancashire - Kartik Krishnaiyer

While the two big Manchester clubs have gotten the headlines, the early part of the 2011-12 season has not been kind to the other Premier League clubs close to Manchester. In fact, it hasn’t been a great start for most of the traditional Lancashire clubs.

Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. The clubs which are within a 25 mile radius of one another have all fallen on hard times together, just as local neighbors are in their ascendancy.

All three clubs have managers who advocate an open style of play, in direct contrast to their immediate predecessors (less so in the case of Wigan where Steve Bruce was a pragmatist). Yet, the results for the three clubs are extremely worrying. Bolton supporters hounded Gary Megson based on the aesthetics of play, but Owen Coyle’s results have simply not been much better. In fact, it can be strongly argued that Megson’s teams were better equipped for the grind of relegation battles and tough road matches.

Under Roberto Martinez, Wigan has entertained and played a mouth-watering passing game. But the club continues to struggle to achieve results and many of Martinez’s buys have not stood up when compared to similar buys by Steve Bruce.

Blackburn under the naive leadership of Venky’s is destined to record one of the worst seasons of the Premier League era. Steve Kean is nothing more than a figurehead manager, representing all that is wrong with the new ownership group.

The gloom gets worse in the area. Burnley, Bury and Rochdale all got off to rough starts in their divisions (although the Clarets have recently recovered). Preston is outside the Championship for the first time over a decade and Stockport is outside the Football League for the first time in over a century.

Football has fallen on hard times in neighboring Yorkshire, with both Sheffield clubs in the third flight, Bradford City near the bottom of League 2, and Leeds United outside the top flight for eight consecutive seasons. During this period, Lancashire has been the most successful region of the country in footballing terms, but that seems to be changing before our very eyes.

ESPN Shows How to Broadcast the Premier League The Right Way (Once Again) – The Gaffer

A message to ESPN: Don’t. Change. A. Thing.

Saturday’s live broadcast by ESPN2 of Everton against Liverpool was a perfect example of how the “Worldwide Leader In Sports” is running away with a superior TV production of the world’s most popular sports league.

First, you had the wonderful opening with Ian Darke walking outside the Cavern Club in Liverpool, and bringing some historical perspective to the Merseyside derby (as well as something that most Americans can relate to: a love of The Beatles). Second was the usage of aerial shots, which gave us TV viewers at home some wonderful shots above Goodison Park. If anyone didn’t realize how close the terraced homes were that encircled Goodison Park, now you know.

Third and finally, viewers in the US were able to watch pre-match interviews with Graeme Sharp and Tim Howard. By the time the match was ready to kick off, the excitement level was at a fever pitch.

Let’s hope ESPN sticks to their proven formula of bringing soccer to US viewers.