COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From My Seat: Wigan (H)

By Ken Buckley   ::  17/09/2011

Wigan at home should be a ?gimme? but footy just aint like that and we endured a game that should have, nearly did, then at the death we delivered with a few moments that could have reversed the score line. Just over 31,000 turned up and for most of the game did little except moan at our attempts to fashion anything.

Team announced and no Saha, could he still be injured I thought but a more technically savvy mate told me he had ?Tweeted? that he was dropped and not considered good enough. ? The mind boggles.

Unchanged team announced and it sounded good in a continuity sense but in a playing sense it soon became clear that as poor as Wigan were we were in no shape to capitalise and an odd game developed were fans expected and demanded more whilst the players did their utmost to dampen any enthusiasm the crowd might show.

The Blues were dominant from the off but the half showed little to support that theory and it was individual occurrences that kept us awake. Coleman had a stooping header turned around the post early doors, Then the visitors had a chance when the misfiring Fellaini gave the ball to Di Santos as he stumbled but luckily the striker hit a 30yarder in hopeless fashion when a pass inside to the totally unmarked Moses would surely brought them the opener. We then had a barren spell when only Osman and Hibbert looked remotely competent at this level yet we were still dominating without looking like scoring.

Cahill was crowded out on one burst then Osman played a cute reverse pass that sent Baines scampering into the area only to be dispossessed. Coleman made a couple of runs that looked promising only to flounder at the death. We had the lion?s share of play but could do little with it and wouldn?t you know it Wigan had a break that but for a super intervention from Hibbert we could have been one down after Moses had got wrong side of Distin.

Wigan forced a corner and the king of timewasters Watson took (why the guy wanted to waste time in the first half was baffling) The ball was rolled short to Di Santo and Osman and Jags seemed like weeping angels from Dr Who as he strolled past them, shot, and despite a last ditch effort from Hibbert the ball hit the net.
All were gutted and many let the players know of their dissatisfaction which did indeed bring a flurry from our lads and within two minutes we had won a corner taken expertly by Osman, in swinging and finding the head of the leaping Cahill, his shot hit the bar to groans from the faithful but the follow up header from Jags hit the net and turned groans to cheers. We finished the half on the front foot with a Baines free kick and a Cahill header going close.

H/T and the chat was of the poor performance witnessed and the hope that a couple of subs may take place that could see us home as players like Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov and Jagielka had been at best poor.

No changes at the start of the second half which disappointed many. We did though have the lion?s share of the game but without going anywhere and it was becoming a game where fans were commenting to each other rather than watching the non fare taking place. Just nothing was happening up front which was transmitting to the crowd who in turn tried to up the volume but songs just died after a few bars. A song for Fellaini seemed to be tried but 50 people out of 30odd thousand hardly registered. And in my view Fellaini didn?t deserve it. We had a move that caught my attention in the 78th minute according to the big screen and Osman got forward at some pace and rolled a very inviting ball across the six yard box and was distraught to find not one Everton player had attempted to get into said box. Gutting for him and us.

By now both Drenthe and Vellios were on and showing little, the crowd getting anxious surely Barkley would be introduced such was our need for someone of genuine pace and talent. But on 84mins the manager sent on Stracqualursi for Cahill who got a standing ovation as he left the arena. None of the subs seemed to be making any difference until the reliable Hibbert put in yet another great cross and out of the blue there was Vellios rising well to head home with a superb header. Oh joy we never thought it would come.

The goal came with just 3mins of normal time to play but the ref Added 6 more due to injuries to Wigan players and in those minutes Tony Hibbert capped a fine display that saw him preferred to Neville on merit after a Wigan player hit the bar, Hibbert first to the second ball and away. Two more attacks as we struggled to get out were thwarted yet again by that man Hibbert the second of which brought a comical moment which I must admit had me in stitches yet it could have been very costly Hibbert found Stellios but instead of haring upfield he went toward his own goal got in a mess and the ball luckily being hacked away into touch.

A host of players quickly pointed in the direction he should have taken and their animated gestures just hit the funny spot for me. Maybe a few intensive English lessons required? Deep into the injury time and a long pressure relieving ball was headed on by our Argentinean into the path of Drenthe who raced forward and gave a master class in ?one-on-one? finishing. We won 3-1. All were happy but none convinced yet a win is a win and three points is far better than none or one.

M.O.tM - Tony Hibbert

Overall a welcome three points but I don?t think anyone will get carried away with that performance and many a comment was passed regarding what our points haul might be in the next 5 matches. It?s easy to predict the worst but I stay optimistic as playing against the top teams and Fulham can and should bring the best out of us. Today?s display could have dented many hopes but I would rather be a Blue than a pie eater and looking at other results in the EPL today I am prepared to expect anything and predict nothing.

Next up Carling cup then City away. I am sure team changes will abound and some may be fearful of outcomes. Why?. Football is an indeterminate sport and once that ball starts to roll who knows.

UP THE BLUES

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