TyldesleyLatic

Unfortunately I think, if his subistitutions when we went 2-0 down are anything to go by then I think he’ll put Gohouri at centre half & scharner in his midfield

Hope I’m wrong & that he drops Scharner back to centre half, drops Thomas to the bench & plays with Diame & McCarthy in the centre of midfield & Moses “in the hole” with N’Zogbia returning to the right wing
Might be a bit risky seeing as how we still aint safe from relegation but as we’ve only scored 3 goals in our last 8 games he needs to try somet to given us a bit more bite up front & I’ve given up hoping he’ll play 4-4-2

“the phrase I used was ‘ready-made Premier League players'”

Perhaps the confusion between us comes from that phrase. I think you’re using it to describe established premier league players & I take it to mean players who are ready (no matter who or where they’ve been signed from) to hit the ground running as competent top flight players.

That is my issue with Bobby’s signings. Jewell, Hutchings & Bruce before him had to look in the bargain bin for players & all managed to pick up players who slotted right in. Yes it also meant they picked up their fair share of absolute duffers who would never be good enough in a million years but they still managed to pick up enough who were good enough (even Hutchings)
IMO however I don’t think Bobby has signed one player who has been able to hit the ground running at this level with the possible exception of Caldwell (although I stand by my previous comment that he still has a fair bit to prove). They’ve all needed time to bed in & get adjusted to playing in this division
My belief is that a team like Wigan Athletic can’t afford to sign players with “potential” unless they can either produce the goods at a fairly decent level anyway or unless someone who is able to hit the ground running is brought in (say on loan) alongside them. The problem you have with bringing so many players in who need time to bed in is that by the time they start to adapt they’re stuck in a relegation battle & confidence is at rock bottom
Couple that with signing players who quite clearly will never be up to the job at this level – Scotland, Gomez, Amaya etc..
The money that’s been spent on these players with “potential” or who just aren’t up to it could have been spent on some established top flight players who could be picked up relatively cheap as McLeish had done before he got the wads of that fella from Hong Kong

So to me its not an either or situation. You can do both – Bobby’s put all his eggs in the “sign up & coming players basket” &, personally, I don’t think its worked & was the wrong move to start with

I’d agree that we can’t say he’s made a quality signing in that there is no-one I would say has been a complete success:
Stojkovic – doesn’t look up to the job
Caldwell – No nonsense defender. no more & no less but as the Bolton game showed he needs to do it on a consistant basis
Gohouri – Hadn’t played for months & was clearly not going to be available for quite some time so don’t understand the signing
Thomas – Not impressed at all. He might tackle all day long but rarely finds his team mate with a pass
Diame – Probably the best of the bunch BUT has had as many poor & anonymous games as he has had good uns. Needs to improve his consistancy
McCarthy – Looks a good un but only been playing for 2 months. Not long enough (IMO) to say whether he’s been a success or not
Moses – Apparently one of the hottest prospects in the English game. It seems clear however that Bobby doesn’t think he’s ready yet so I’d have to question the wisdom of bringing in someone he didn’t think was ready into a team in the middle of a relegation battle whilst releasing other players & not bringing someone in alongside him. We’ve certainly not seen anywhere near enough of him to say whether he is good enough or not
Gomez – Looks like a Championship player
Scotland – Looks like a championship player
Moreno – starting to grow into his role but is 2 months enough to say he’s been a success especially as his arrival has coincided with latics only scoring in 3 of our last 8 league games (and only 1 goal in each of those)?
Amaya – Looks a league 1 player

To me its worrying for the close season that 9 months after his arrival there is not one of his sayings that I would say has been a quality signing. That’s not something I have been able to say with any of the Latics managers in the 23 years I’ve been watching

“Having seen it again after the game, it wasn’t a two-footed challenge by Caldwell, he had one foot on the ground throughout the challenge and clearly played the ball with that foot”

You must have seen completely different footage and photos than me than coz he jumps off the ground with both feet, leads in with one with the other trailing & connects with the top of the ball & tevez with the studs of his leading foot. The trailing foot then swings round & catches him too
Its not a “2 footed challenge” but it doesn’t need to be – as both feet left the floor the ref is entitled to think it was reckless & send him off
Likewise with Tevez but saying Caldwell had one foot on the ground throughout the challenge doesn’t tie in with anything I saw – particularly as he caught the ball with his leading foot which was clearly off the floor. if you think he caught the ball with his trailing leg then he’s gone over the top of the ball & through Tevez before he catches the ball
Technically the ref doesn’t need to see the end of the challenge if he sees both Caldwell’s feet leave the floor initially

I think Tevez’s challenge was worse but Caldwell & Latics would be wasting their time appealing

“Agree with all that, TL. I’m not convinced it was really a red but I saw it coming.”

I don’t think there was any malicious intent in the challenge but at the ref’s seminars I’ve been to its exactly the sort they tell us are reckless & can be worthy of a red.
I know what you’re saying about seeing it coming though. The City fans were starting to get on the ref’s back coz he hadn’t fallen for any of Tevez’s dives & I thought that there was gonna be a big decision coming City’s way

“Who was the ref? Chris Foy?”
Don’t really wanna give their name out coz I was introduced to him by the landlord & don’t want anyone chucking a spanner in my promotion chances!!! I think you know what town I live in though

I think the trains from Wigan go to Victoria. if they do then jump on the metrolink to Piccadilly.
Once at Piccadilly come out of the station & turn right at the lights to go up Ducie Street. Walk up there past a couple of car parks & apartment/hotels/converted warehouses & you’ll notice a canal on your right on side.
Get on the tow path & walk up the canal past some relatively posh looking apartments till you come to a road bridge that’s a dual carriageway.
Up on to the road, cross over the dual carriageway. Take your first left & from there you can see the ground & follow the crowds.
Its not really any bigger walk than from Wigan town centre to the DW.
Or you can be a lazy get & jump in a cab but be warned I tried that once with a group of us & the taxis in Manchester get very busy approaching kick off for City games & I think we ended up getting to the ground 15 minutes late after waiting for over half an hour for a cab when (unkonw to us at the time) it’d have been quicker to walk

I’ve never understood why some people need to read, do crosswords etc on the bog to have a dump

I’m in, squeeze it out, clean up & out

How feckin long does someone have to be on the bog to complete 2 crosswords (quick ones or not)????? I suggest more roughage in your diet Griff

Having to choose between golf & fishing is to me like asking someone whether they would prefer to die of AIDS or cancer!!