First observations

We are well away from the finished article, but there were some notable performances today.
I thought that every single player made a great contribution to get the result over the line. Here are a few comments and observations, but don’t be offended if I have missed anyone.

Sam Tickle: put your tenner on Sam playing for England one day. Only real mistake was their goal, but more than made up for it with the rest of his performance.
Shaun Clare: shakey first twenty minutes then grew into the game. Liked his penetrating runs from defence to start a number of attacks.
Charlie Hughes: looks like he has been playing for 20 years; so calm and confident in his own ability. Charlie might join Sam in a future England line up !
Liam Morrison: workman like performance and can’t remember any mistakes.
Tom Pearce: welcome back from the wilderness. One of the best left footed crossers that I have seen in a Wigan Team since 1968.
Matt Smith: as you would expect from an Arsenal youngster. A calm footballing brain in possession. The sort that will give me the jitters until we have seen him week in and week out.
Scotty Smith: good engine room, prepared to get stuck in and clinical passing. Should become a fans favourite.
Steven Humphrys: great energy and strength. Once he scores, he will go from strength to strength.
Callum Lang: always like Callum, but hope the Captaincy doesn’t distract him from his normal game. Think he was carrying an injury today, but still put in a good shift.
Thelo Asgaard: looked menacing today and had the Cobblers worried. Keep it up.
Charlie Wyke: ground out 100 mins today, so every credit. He deserved a goal at the end, but the post just beat him.
Kell Watts: welcome back Kell and good to see you on the pitch.
Callum McManaman: All time legend, and I think he will have a very valuable contribution to a long season. Brilliant goal today, showing good craft and determination.
Chris Sze: reminds me of a young Mike Newell and hope he proves to be as good.
Baba Adeeko: first saw him at Accrington about two seasons ago. Good strong lad; another one that I’m tipping for a great career.

Enjoyed my day today, thanks to Shaun & the Boys !

I haven’t seen a better left footed crosser of the ball in a Wigan shirt than Pearce for as long as I can remember. 2 out our 4 goals have come from his cross.
It could have been 3 after we hit the post from Wykes header.
His corners are as good as they get, accuracy, pace, and put in a position were, if the keeper comes he’s left in no man’s land i.e. Derby.
Overall given the changes no one can moan not even me. I’m just glad that a fair chunk of the team that left the pitch on final whistle came through the Wigan ranks at some point.
McManaman for me made the difference. Just his intensity took the pace of the game up a notch which shoved Northampton on the back foot for a good 15-20minutes.

Our biggest challenge is keeping them all fit. Once key players get injured that’s when we might struggle so we need to lap it up while it good

My only criticism is a tiny one, when we receive the ball we seem to take a few seconds too long to make the decision what to do with it.

The better teams will press faster and harder giving you no time to weigh it up. Some players need to have a quick look up and read the situation before they receive the ball so they’ve a better idea what to do with it before they get it.

We did this in the 2nd half playing the ball far quicker and more intense which put Northampton on the back foot and set up a win.

Super Stuart Barlow wrote:

Few blue tinted specs there Lostock.

Tom Pearce would be a good crosser of a ball if he was hitting them from the other side of the canal. Not so hard son.

Scott Smith was awful. Game changed when he fucked off.

Speaking of fucking off, Chris Sze will be fone asap.

I’ll agree with most of the rest. Clare and Matt Smith look like great signings.

I know these are your views and you’re entitled to them, but why sound so angry with 2 of the academy kids?
You are wanting Sze and Smith to “fuck off” after seeing them start off on their first team careers.
Scott Smith played really well and bombed forward when he could. Sze tried hard to make an impact on the game but was only given a cameo role. No need to be so aggressive buddy and don’t be so quick to judge these young players, give them time to develop.

FFS here we go, just nearly gone out of business due to employing a bunch of overpaid dead weights and we’ve a transfer embargo in place and you want to slate a 19 year old lad with little League experience? get a fcukin grip pal fcuk me.

I’d sooner watch him develope (which he will) than watch the likes of Edwards last season. He needs game time and Maloney is giving it to him so improvement will come.

Just because we had an idiot owner and CEO beforehand doesn’t mean we need to pick players not good enough.

As soon as we can sign players again, Chris Sze will fall down the pecking order and will be shipped out. Not good enough.

Adeeko was superb last night I thought. Charlie Hughes is excellent as we know. Lang, Thelo, Callum. Plenty academy lads out there.

Tickle WILL be good, but he needs to learn to parry the ball AWAY from goal. Did that a few times last week. If he’s an outsider we blame him for the goal.

Bit harsh as usual Stu.

I think if someone said we would go to Bolton on -1 we’d have all been happy, but we should have won that game last night. Total dominance from us really for the most part. We’ll get soundly beaten on Saturday I fear, but there would be no better place to move into positive points.