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Well, its got this bad….
I’d been considering going to a game at either Deepdale or Ewood Park, today.
I didn’t go to either in the end, but I seriously considered doing. Why? Just to watch a game….maybe even enjoy it. Also, a higher, better level of football. £15 it was to get in at Deepdale. They sold out.
Ive never in my 40 years of going ever considered going somewhere else to try and ‘enjoy a game’. Thats how bad its got. Ive been to random games in the past at places, but just with friends for something to do. Not to seek more enjoyment than I get from my own club.
John, believe me, these lot will NOT be getting any more money off me. Forked out for me and the eldest lad for this season, which I massively regret now. As Ive said, if I could get a partial refund, Id walk away. But I cant. So you’re all stuck with me until May!
I really don’t like our club very much right now. The old Latics died in 2020. This is just a shell. Same badge, same stadium, but nothing else. There’s no soul to the club anymore.
And yes, Ive seen plenty of tough and hard times, I never missed a game in the years 1992-95, which were really bad. I started going in 86 and went many years without missing a game. Ive put relationships, family events and holidays behind following Latics.
Now? No. Me and the lad have an agreement. “2 down, we walk”. Or if he puts Chris Sze on, we walk. Seriously. Or any other bizarre piece of tactical genius he might show. Can guarantee Weir and Power will stay on though.
Owners are shit. I need not elaborate.
Manager is shit. Hes as bad as the owners. But hes also had his hands tied, as did Maloney and Lowe. But he’s still assembled an absolutely shite side. And put all his faith in Perkins to become another Wareham? Absolutely deluded. Wasn’t a fan the first time. Still feel the same.
Ive a season ticket but will be joining the many who are not even turning up shortly I think. Its depressing me going. When its getting you down as much as it has been me, it might be better to stop going.
Unless things change massively, Latics wont exist in 2 years time. Carry on as we are, they’ll only be opening the West stand, come Christmas.
Dire. Strolling to relegation.
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I think the owners 30 odd years back were called Gage and Bittell and a local man Stan Jackson was also involved at the time and they did their very best on 1500 crowds and a crumbling Springfield park. From my memory they managed to scrape together around £32,500 to buy midfielder Ian Kilford from Nottingham Forest which was a rare event for Latics at the time but Killers fine input kept the club from the non league trapdoor. Heroes all in my opinion and even more so looking back now , hearts in the right place and kept the club going until Mr Whelan came in on his white charger. Fine people all .
Thats right, Stephen Gage and Nick Bitel. Stan Jackson…Jonathan’s dad, was club President. It was he who went and knocked on Whelan’s door to ask if he could help with the monthly wage bill, as they were struggling to pay it. So he paid the wage bill. Soon after, he thought ‘I may as well buy the club’, and the rest is history.
We’ve never been right since the day the Whelan family sold us and severed ties.
That meeting tonight sounds like it answered nothing, really. Its alright Caldwell making a few jokes and that to lighten the mood a bit…and it was a really awkward set up tonight with the CEO leaving and Danson Jr not really giving answers. At the end of the day, if we carry on how we are doing, GC might not be so jokey, come December.
None of them seem to get the basic thing that until we improve on the pitch, are winning a few games and providing entertainment, the attendances will NOT go up. It’s as simple as that. Casual floating supporters are not going to turn up and pay £25 or £27 to watch that whats being churned out. Can’t blame people.
Thanks for the understanding and sympathetic replies. I actually expected some stick. So really, thanks very much.
Its bad when its getting everyone down so much.
The thing is though, if Caldwell walks or get potted, it will not be any better for the next person to take the job on. Theyve had THREE managers now, all struggling to different degrees.
Ryan Lowe has had so much stick and abuse, and clearly its not the manager(s) that’s the problem.
I just think this whole thing will get a lot worse yet. I may have a Season ticket, but I’m not going wasting Saturday afternoons like I did yesterday. No chance.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”, I was speaking with a friend who said he’d have Perkins all day long over Costelloe. I’m not sure what game he’s watching but he must be wearing the same rose tint glasses Caldwells wearing. Sony Perkins is simply not good enough. He’s levels below what we need. We’re playing as bad as last season but the difference is, in the second half of last season we had a guy who would put half chances away I am lost as to why Moseley was sent out on loan. If you wanna find out if he can swim, throw him in at the deep end. But the problem stems right from the top I’m not quite sure Maloney didn’t warn Caldwell because he’s getting the exact same treatment NO FUNDS AVAILABLE Since Danson took over Incoming £12 million Outgoing £600k-£700k Self sufficient?? More like Self Suffication
Anybody who thinks Perkins is a good player really should f*** off and not watch football ever again. Because they haven’t got a clue. He makes Pat Gavin look like Ronaldo R9 (the Brazil one)
This element of our support is doing as much damage as the ownership. At any other club, fans would have reacted by now. But we are so apathetic. Its staggering. We have some proper retards in our support. A lot just go out of habit. They’d still go if we sank to the North West Counties.
It was really telling as we walked down the steps on 82 mins yesterday. Just as they were putting Sze on. (The introduction of ‘Pencil’ as my lad calls him, was the final straw) The amount of people sat there playing on and looking at their Phones, Facebook, YouTube, News channels…it was unbelievable. 6 minutes from full-time and a goal down. Yet the onfield action was so riveting, people weren’t even watching! That’s telling in itself. No near misses, no balls whizzing across the 6 yard box with players sliding in. Just the same docile shit Performance as ever.
Weird, clueless fan base. No other club would get away with whats going on. Not a chance. We’re crumbling to obscurity.
I’ve just thought the same about Caldwell, this could see him walk. And not just with what’s happened this week, he’s not looked great recently. I’ve seen it with managers before. When I worked at the ‘Death star’ in Horwich, when I first met Phil Parkinson, he was cheerful, upbeat, down to earth and was polite and talkative. A year down the line when all their owner stresses were going on, he looked like he had aged 6 years and was locking himself away in his hotel room. I was also told that when Neil Lennon was there, he was buying and drinking a bottle of whisky a night. And that Sam Allardyce would go to Tesco, come back with bags of red wine and cans, and go back to his room.
So its a stressful job at the best of times, never mind with what’s happened this week. But with these owners…bloody hell. I couldn’t work like that. Trying to put a team together with buttons. I’m not a GC fan, but I wish him no harm. Same with Ryan Lowe. These fuckers have ruined 3 managers so far. We could bring Pep in and it wouldnt be any different. There aren’t many managers who would work like this. Lowe was definitely misled when he took the job on. And considering Caldwell left the relative tranquility of Exeter behind, he was as well.
It would take a really brave man to come out and call it as it is. Lowe no doubt signed an NDA, so can’t say anything. They’re absolutely shitheads these owners. Killing the club.
It’s only heading in one direction. The club is dying. Less and less turning up, yesterday was worse than the previous game. No excuses of people away on holiday now, that’s gone. Kids back in school, etc. People are not turning up because its SHIT. It’s that simple.
You go to be ENTERTAINED. You go to ENJOY it.
I’m getting neither out of it. It has become a chore. Really had to make an effort to go yesterday. We can’t even do the simple things. Can’t keep clean sheets, and can’t score goals. Whatever the level you’re at, you’re only heading one way. We have some of the worst strikers I have ever seen. No wonder Leyton Orient fans were laughing when we signed Perkins. And Caldwell paid for him! So out of his depth. And so is Sze. Why they persevere with him is beyond me. Utter shite. And as for Costelloe…I keep thinking he will come good. But he’s gone backwards if anything. We think he should pack in football and take up running.
The only bright lights are the two young lads on loan, Gray and Walsh. We actually don’t think Walsh is quite ready for first team mens football. He IS only 17 still and a bit raw and naive. Gray though, you can see how good he is and how good he will be. But they’re playing surrounded by shit. Carragher and Weir who are only footballers because of their dad’s. No, its true. But for them, they wouldn’t be playing professional football. No way. Its clear Nepotism. We have a goalkeeper that makes me look tall, and I am under 6 foot. Smallest keeper I’ve ever seen. These signings baffle me. Fraser Murray has some ability, but is too slight and knocked over too easy. Max Power POINTS a good game. He only came back to be handy for the school run. Let’s be honest. Connor Barrett, I actually like. But he isn’t getting played enough. The whole formation is shite….
I dont like anything about us, do I?
Simple fact is we got rid of too many players in the sunmer. The turnaround in staff has been too big. Massive mistake. We’ve made a poor team, a shite team. With such changes, recruitment had to be done early as possible, to ‘let them gel’. Yet we were still signing players right upto the deadline, and 3 weeks after the seasons start! The whole shitshow has been a recipe for disaster. And thats what this season is becoming, a disaster.
No doubt its been a shite week for GC and all at the club. I totally get that and am not without sympathy. To see him crumble in that post match presser yesterday, it was a disgrace it was allowed to happen. Whoever is the media manager at the club, should’ve intervened and called halt…”Gents, can we call a halt to it there? The gaffer will speak further about today’s game in a couple of days time. Thank you very much”. That’s what I would’ve done.
Any criticism I have of GC is purely down to whats happening on the park, nothing personal. We said weeks ago the way things are going he won’t make Christmas. I think that even more so now. He’s working to such constraints, we all know. And it would be no different for anyone else. The club is actually being killed. Ran into the ground. Pep or Klopp wouldn’t be any different. (Although I doubt either would select Perkins or Sze)
These bastards have ruined Maloney, Lowe, and are doing the same to Caldwell. They’re actually doing far more damage to us than Al Jasmi ever did. They didn’t Asset strip us. And thats clearly what this gobshite and his gormless son have done. A knobhead owner and his son ruining a club this side of the Pennines. Its been done before….
That club have bounced back in a big way. (As much as I/we hate them, they have done) But I can’t see Latics bouncing back like that. Not unless something massive and major happens. And I can’t see it.
I’m watching more football on telly now than I have in years. Why? Because I might enjoy it. Without the emotional attachment, I might just enjoy it more. I watch it and think a lot of the time ‘why can’t we play it about like that?’ Or ‘that was good, neat play’. We can’t even do the basics.
Borrowed time. Read into that how you want. Manager, club, ownership. Could be any of those. How we are existing and heading, there’s no future in Wigan Athletic FC.
After today, I am done.
I woke up this morning and I really didn’t want to go. The lad and I were meeting his mates in the pub beforehand, so that’s mainly the reason I went.
I was dreading the actual game, and let’s be honest, I was right to. I’ve had enough. I really HAVE had enough. I didn’t enjoy one thing about the game, or being in the ground. The whole thing is absolutely depressing me.
Danson Out! So what if he goes and we have to fold. We’re being held to ransom by this cunt. Hes sold around 7 mil of players and reinvested fuck all. Just put us out of our misery, because with him or without him, the outlook is bleak. People keep saying its ‘Death from a thousand cuts’. Yes, it is.
And Caldwell out too. Awful manager. Was the first time too. We got shut for a reason. This os our worst team since 1993. But at least in 1993 we had some players who could put the ball in the net. Yes, we were shite. But not this shite.
I’ve said a thousand times over the years that I am done. But this time…nah, Ive had enough. Carry on like this they’ll only be opening the West Stand soon. More will drop off after today. Thats for sure.
Shite.
‘Can we trust them?’ You ask.
At the moment, we have no choice. I know what you mean though. They came in and threw out comments about us ‘getting back to the Premier League’ and things like that. It laid down a yardstick that we are a million miles away from. That was naivety.
They put forward a model of a club that would develop our own players and sell for a profit, and to fund the club’s progress. Lang, Hughes, Asgaard, Tickle, Bettoni all sold on their watch. Any young talent we had, gone. Any asset of any value, gone. And they’ve been replaced by loan signings and freebies. The conveyor belt of producing young players to fund self-renumeration, has stopped. I’ve no doubt that if K’marni Miller gets a place in the side, and plays 10 or 15 decent games for us, he will also be sold as soon as clubs come sniffing.
What does this all show? It shows an ownership who are not experienced in running a football club. Totally stripping assets, which is what it is. And what happens come the summer, regardless of what division we are in? The loan players will all go back to their clubs and we will be down to 10 contracted players again. Going round in circles and just getting gradually worse. Like spinning round in a whirlpool, struggling to stay afloat. We all know what happens eventually.
How complicit is Gary Caldwell in this? I am not sure. I know I couldn’t work like he is doing. Ryan Lowe got dogs abuse, but he was clearly being held back from doing the job he wanted to do. No backing. Why the fuck do you buy a club and then not ‘have a go’? (The stadium?)
I find it very concerning that we cannot even move for free transfer players. Theres cutting your cloth accordingly, and there’s strangling yourselves. If things are really so tight, I cannot see any future for this club. If things dont change, I will certainly NOT renew in the summer. I know Ive said that lots of times, but this time is different. Since the season started, my head and mental health feels battered. I go the match for enjoyment, pleasure, a release. I’m getting none of that. It’s negativity, stress, worry, people ar-jarring with each other.
Honestly, I can’t be arsed anymore. Whilst I’ve posted what I have above, I DO fully understand people’s frustrations and anger. I actually contacted the club 2 weeks ago and basically offered to work for ‘next to nothing’ for the club, working on supporter relations and helping the link between supporters and the club. I put forward some very good ideas for improving things. I was told to ‘eff off’ in not so many words. They’re reading the room very wrongly. Their idea all the time is a ‘fans forum’, where questions are heavily screened and sanitized. Its aimed at appeasing the gullible. And that will only happen if we win a couple of games so they can accentuate positives. If we don’t win a couple of games, it won’t happen. And if it does happen, I think thats maybe the time where people speak up and do some kind of protest.
Me and the lad have our season tickets. Unfortunately. We’ve been milked for the last time and I bet many others feel the same. We have also said that from now on if we go 2 down, we get up and walk out, whether we’ve played 10 minutes or 70 minutes. What we are having put before us on the pitch, its an insult. It’s an insult to Arthur Horrocks, Jack Farrimond, Ian McNeill, Larry Lloyd, Bryan Hamilton, Ray Mathias, Paul Jewell, Roberto Martinez, Paul Cook, Leam Richardson. It’s an even bigger insult to Mr Whelan. All that hard work is being ripped apart and will fall by tbe wayside.
As things stand, I will be amazed if we are still existing in 2 years time. This lot aren’t going to keep on funding us and covering costs like they are. And I can’t see anybody buying us. It’s grim. Absolutely grim.
So that’s your response is it? Head in the sand.
Nothing good about the club at the moment.
It’s going to be a season of 1 step forward, 3 steps back. All season. A bottom 2 finish is what I said over the summer, and I still stand by that. Will be amazed if Caldwell makes Christmas. Thing is, I think if that happens, our attendances will be that low, they’ll only be opening the West Stand.
Already looking at missing games.
I can’t even be bothered debating it all anymore, I have to be honest.
I feel Ive been ripped off for nearly £700 for our season tickets. In all seriousness, if I felt they would meet me and refund me for them, minus the games gone, I would happily take that and walk away. Done. I really would.
I feel I have been defrauded my misrepresentation. Yes, there’s never amy guarantee with football. But at least do the basics what are required. And I don’t feel Latics have. I will tell you something else. They won’t get another penny off me now. We were considering the shirts…but no chance. Not giving them a penny.
Not a cat in hells chance I am sitting through a season of games like yesterday, and nor should anybody else. I’ve come to the conclusion our manager is also part of the problem. I wasn’t a fan the first time, I’m not a fan now. He’s not a good manager. Basic errors and baffling tactics and selection.
Lying gets as well. No way was there 10k home fans on. No chance. About 2.5k in East Stand. Was very sparse.
And the overall thing is unless someone miraculously comes in and buys us and chucks some money at it, I think we are heading, at best, towards being Non-League, and at worse, folding. Am I serious? Damn right I am. If we don’t get sorted I think we will be done within 2 seasons.
These lot HAVE stripped us of all assets…deny it if you will, but its true. We’ve nothing left. If he ‘gifts’ the club to the Supporters Club, which I think will happen eventually, there will not be anybody left to even sell to get money to tick the club over. No value in this squad, and so many are loan players again. Thats a very dangerous game for a club in Latics position.
I really do fear the worst by way of an ending to all this. We are no better off than under the last couple of owners. Just treating water as we have done for the last 7 years. We are like a smack head who’s been taking things to ‘Cash Generator’ to survive. We’ve took the telly, hi-fi system, nans old jewelery, mobile phones. All we have left is the carpets. Well, that’s Latics.
Knackered.
Fully agree.
Bank half, reinvest half, of any transfer money received. Simple as that.
We also, unless any news comes out late this morning, still have players on the books who have next to no chance of playing, such as Ronan Darcy. McManaman is also. Daft, waste of a wage.
When you look around as well, there are loads of players currently unattached. Its criminal Matt Smith is just floating around somewhere…jogging round a park somewhere, probably. Will Keane still playing in the PFA games.
The so called late attempt to get Humphreys was embarrassing. Not even sure how serious it was. Why would Caldwell go for him? Hes never managed him and doesn’t know him. It could be utter bullshit. “Well, we tried…” But DID they?
Tonight will be interesting…
If we get turned over tonight, it will turn nasty.
Club have absolutely taken us all for mugs. They think sales were down on ST’s this summer? Wait til next summer then…
If I was Caldwell, I’d walk. Being set up to be tbe man who takes us down to League 2. The fact we haven’t brought A striker in is staggering. Even if we had gone to maybe…oh I don’t know, Accrington Stanley and signed Josh Woods, who is a young striker. At least then its a body in and someone with potential as an actual striker. But to bring nothing in? Bloody hell.
And a squad lacking experience also. Really worries me. Have we even TRIED to get Will Keane back? Or one of the 2 experienced midfielders I have been touting? Both also free agents? I don’t get the club at all.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Murray, Carragher and Fox want away. They aren’t mugs and this is in no way the club they joined.
Caldwell is either feeling very cheesed off, or is a stubborn fool regarding Sonny Perkins. If its the latter, he will die by his own sword and probably be gone by November.
Disgraceful transfer window. Around 6.5 mil in and nothing reinvested. The absolute asset stripping and managed decline of a football club.
But at least we still have a club, eh?
If they’d had any brains they could’ve gone to Birkett Bank and recreated the Oasis cover.
But Scholes?
They’re taking the piss out of us. Have us down for mugs.
I actually HATE this club now. Won’t get another penny off me. Ive wasted £360 on a season ticket I absolutely detest. Will go because Ive paid for the ‘Privilege’.
Soon as May comes, thats me done. 40 seasons in and I will be done.
Doubt I will go every game this season. Already looking for reasons NOT to.
Shithouses, not bringing a striker in. Stubborn fucker is gonna die by his own sword. Ah well, not bothered. No manager worth their salt would work like that. Couldn’t afford Humphreys? Absolute JOKE of a club.
Tomorrow will be interesting when MK Dons turn us over…
Yep, I still had it in my mind that we were ‘playing’ on the night of the deadline, but of course our games been moved to Wednesday night.
Less of an excuse then when we don’t sign anyone.
Crazy giving the crock a 2 year deal. Absolute madness.
Weir shouldn’t be here either, only a player because of his dad. And McManaman, another waste of a wage. I bet they’re all on about 2-2.5k a week. Let’s say 6-7k a week between the 3 of them. (Trevitt, McManaman and Weir)
That money could’ve gone towards a decent strikers wage. I believe Taylor is on 9.2k a week. That would’ve gone a long way towards it. Or if not Taylor, I bet we could get someone decent for those kind of wages.
I dislike so much about the club. I said 2 weeks ago, I am only going for GC and the players. But when he’s doing interviews and coming out with some of the comments he has, I am having my doubts. So early in the season as well, and I am having doubts. I will have even more doubts if we get nothing from Wimbledon. And I’ve looked at MK Dons team and think they will beat us. Their midfield looks like it will over power us, and they have Nombe and Aaron Collins up front. I predict a defeat on Wednesday here and now.
Deadline on Wednesday night as well, and we’re playing. If we don’t bring a front man in for some goals, we are done. We also need another midfielder I think. Some experience. 2 experienced heads available….
Daniel Johnson, ex PNE
Joe Ralls, ex Cardiff and did well for Plymouth, last season. One of them to come on and help see games out and just give us their experience…its what we need. Some guile.
Ultimately the formation he has been playing doesn’t work. Didn’t work for Lowe, or Caldwell. Need to go to a 4-2-3-1. Straight back 4, 2 defensive midfielders, 3 attacking mids with Walsh as a CAM playing behind a front man with 2 wider attacking mids. They call the 2 defensive midfielders the ‘Double Pivot’. They give the defence more cover and allow the full backs to attack, whilst covering for them.
With 3 at the back, trying to play wingbacks, we leave far too much space in behind them. We fell apart with it at Bolton last season and we still haven’t learned our lesson. It definitely needs to be changed.
But will he realise? It’s a formation a lot of teams are playing now.
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