How Long Before “Bottom Four Bob”

“Good luck to them and can we just let them get on with it and put our energies into supporting the players we have here now.”

Those aren’t my words. They were posted by Horc – one of the posters who has kept this thread going – but on the equally amusing Tav and Wags thread.

And what tactical idiotic decisions might they be oh “Special One”.

And what tactical idiotic decisions might they be oh “Special One”.[/quote]

Swansea at home wasn’t his finest hour I must admit! Perhaps Donny is referring to that proverbial nail in the coffin? :huh:[/quote]
But where was the idiotic tactical decision in that game?

We were leading twice in that game, and unless Martinez instructed Caldwell to fluff his clearance, then I don’t see how he can be blamed.

Let’s not rewrite history!

Compared to other Premier League teams, Wigan clearly had limited resources, both in the size of the squad and the quality of the players. Roberto was also fighting on two fronts; the Premier League and the FA Cup. But he didn’t have the resources to compete in both.

The general consent on this forum was that winning the cup was more important than staying in the Premier League. Roberto overcame all the team’s injuries to produce a makeshift team and a winning performance in the face of the mighty Manchester City.

I suppose that Roberto could have fielded a reserve team in the Cup Final, and a fresh first team against Arsenal three days later. But even that may not have been enough to save the Latics.

In his time as manager, Roberto had to reduce the size of the already modest wage bill substantially – just as other teams were spending much more. The result was inevitable.

Let’s not rewrite history!

Compared to other Premier League teams, Wigan clearly had limited resources, both in the size of the squad and the quality of the players. Roberto was also fighting on two fronts; the Premier League and the FA Cup. But he didn’t have the resources to compete in both.

The general consent on this forum was that winning the cup was more important than staying in the Premier League. Roberto overcame all the team’s injuries to produce a makeshift team and a winning performance in the face of the mighty Manchester City.

I suppose that Roberto could have fielded a reserve team in the Cup Final, and a fresh first team against Arsenal three days later. But even that may not have been enough to save the Latics.

In his time as manager, Roberto had to reduce the size of the already modest wage bill substantially – just as other teams were spending much more. The result was inevitable.[/quote]

Under Martinez Wigan Athletic won the FA Cup.

It seems I have to keep repeating this but some people really don’t understand the significance. No ah buts or what ifs need to be added since they are unnecessary.

And what tactical idiotic decisions might they be oh “Special One”.[/quote]

Swansea at home wasn’t his finest hour I must admit! Perhaps Donny is referring to that proverbial nail in the coffin? :huh:[/quote]

Why was he tactically idiotic regarding this game?

If you are referring to him playing Caldwell who was admittedly not 100% fit then I don’t really know what options he had. Golobart perhaps?
Yes Caldwell was at fault for Swansea’s equaliser, which had a good deal of fortune about it, but he also impressively set up McCarthy for his goal.

It was a game steeped in tension for obvious reasons and consequently error prone but you can hardly blame Martinez for the misfortune that cost us the game.[/quote]

I didn’t say his tactics were idiotic I just thought his tactics in-play could have been a little better! To twice relinquish a lead and then to ultimately get beat is bad in anyone’s books. With a couple of tweaks here and there I personally think that the defeat could have been avoided but being bereft of a ‘Plan B’ was always Bob’s achilles heel! Hey but I’m no manager and so my opinion means jack shit! As for Caldwell, I wouldn’t have risked him, I would have played Jones who was well up to the task of playing at the back, anyone but Caldwell who later came back to fuck up our play-offs in The Championship and then contributed to our FA Cup semi final defeat against Arsenal, he is now our manager! You can’t make shit like this up can you!
As for Golobart, signed by Martinez as ‘A Future Talent’, currently lying in the ‘Where Are They Now’ files, well the Spanish third tier to be precise!

And what tactical idiotic decisions might they be oh “Special One”.[/quote]

Swansea at home wasn’t his finest hour I must admit! Perhaps Donny is referring to that proverbial nail in the coffin? :huh:[/quote]

Why was he tactically idiotic regarding this game?

If you are referring to him playing Caldwell who was admittedly not 100% fit then I don’t really know what options he had. Golobart perhaps?
Yes Caldwell was at fault for Swansea’s equaliser, which had a good deal of fortune about it, but he also impressively set up McCarthy for his goal.

It was a game steeped in tension for obvious reasons and consequently error prone but you can hardly blame Martinez for the misfortune that cost us the game.[/quote]

I didn’t say his tactics were idiotic I just thought his tactics in-play could have been a little better! To twice relinquish a lead and then to ultimately get beat is bad in anyone’s books. With a couple of tweaks here and there I personally think that the defeat could have been avoided but being bereft of a ‘Plan B’ was always Bob’s achilles heel! Hey but I’m no manager and so my opinion means jack shit! As for Caldwell, I wouldn’t have risked him, I would have played Jones who was well up to the task of playing at the back, anyone but Caldwell who later came back to fuck up our play-offs in The Championship and then contributed to our FA Cup semi final defeat against Arsenal, he is now our manager! You can’t make shit like this up can you!
As for Golobart, signed by Martinez as ‘A Future Talent’, currently lying in the ‘Where Are They Now’ files, well the Spanish third tier to be precise![/quote]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Would you really have played Jones at centre-back and Golobart ahead of a less than 100% fit – how much less we don’t know – Caldwell, or Ronnie Stam perhaps?

Martinez went with experience in a pressure game and it nearly worked but for heap of bad luck.

I suppose if anyone of the above alternatives had been played instead of Caldwell and we’d still lost the cry would have been “why did he not play Caldwell”.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

As for tactics, I don’t think he got much wrong in the game. At 2-2 we had to go for the win and as a result run the risk of conceding, which is how it happened.

Caldwell’s subsequent performances and his appointment as manager have bugger all to do with the game in question.

As for Golobart, many managers take a punt on up and coming players and it doesn’t happen. This is not something unique to Martinez.
Sometimes it works. McCarthy and McArthur for example.