3 Points Can't Always Be Pretty

It is fair to say that the brand of football we are playing at the moment is not in the same league as the stuff we were playing for the first few months of the season, but the question I pose today is, why do we care as long as we keep winning?


In my memory very few teams have been able to play an exciting and expansive style throughout an entire season, really the only club to manage it was Arsenal in their heyday and look what has happened to them. Even our near neighbours have made a habit of grinding out wins when things are getting difficult, so why should we worry?

Last night against Wigan there was an attitude from some that we could just turn up and roll them over 3 or 4 nil, I admire that confidence and obviously that would have been fantastic, but in reality that was never a foregone conclusion.  In recent weeks the Lancashire side have been in a pretty dire run of form, and they haven't won at home for quite some time now.  In the middle of this poor patch though, they have drawn at home with both Liverpool and Chelsea, teams that have given us problems over recent weeks, they may be rooted to the bottom of the table, but they do know how to spoil the party.  Top against bottom matches don't always end in the mauling that many think they will.


On the pitch somethings were excellent, Edin Dzeko was superb and I thought once he scored what was a really nice goal you could see the confidence flowing through him again, he must start on Sunday.  He held the ball up superbly, won everything in the air and put in a real shift to help out his team mates, if it weren't for a greedy finish to a superb run by Aguero in the second half he would have had a 2nd.  He was also unlucky with a delicate curling effort that was superbly saved by Al-Habsi.  

It was also great to see Silva back in the team, he may not have been at his glittering best but he offers so much, we are really not the same team without him.  I also felt it was a much more improved performance from Samir Nasri, he again was neat and tidy with the ball, he hardly ever gave it away and used the ball effectively.  At times he slowed the game down a bit too much but I am sure that with time that will improve, he may be experienced in the Premier League but that doesn't mean he doesn't need time to adapt to a new team.


The downside for me was the back line, or to be precise the centrebacks.  Generally Zabs and Clichy did a good job in the full back areas but Lescott and Savic really struggled and to be quite honest we need our captain back as soon as possible.  It isn't that either of them are bad players, Savic has bags of potential and for me Lescott has been superb this season, I just feel they need a calming influence and a communicator alongside them, without Kompany in the backline there is no real organisation.  Victor Moses gave us problems all night long, neither of the centrebacks seemed to know how to deal with him and they continually dropped off, this invited a lot of pressure.  It may be time for a rethink on Sunday against Spurs, granted they won't have Adebayor, but it might be time for Richards to switch to centre back with Zabaleta retaining his place at full back.

What of the bigger picture though? I have always said that January was going to be a particularly difficult month, Yaya Toure is clearly a massive loss and his influence is lacking in the midfield, as well as Milner and Barry are playing they don't offer us what the big Ivorian did.  The loss of Kolo hitting harder than expected too with the loss of Vincent Kompany.  I always said that there was a big chance we would fall behind United in January, I felt that if we could stay no more than 3 points behind them we had a great chance of crossing the line in first place, well so far things are much better than that.  We have 1 more league game this month (and Everton on the 1st) and we lead by 3 points with a far superior goal difference, yes it was a shame being knocked out of the FA Cup and we still may exit the League Cup, but in terms of league performance things are looking good.


It is vital I think that we don't panic over what is a clearly dip in performance levels, we are without 3 of our most influential players, something that any time would struggle to overcome and for the Liverpool game it was 4!  Spurs is clearly a huge challenge on Sunday, and we will have to improve if we are going to win that game, I am sure we will raise ourselves but it could still go either way, a win and everything looks fantastic, a defeat would mean United could close the gap again, but do not underestimate their trip to the Emirates they are not guaranteed anything there, if we can win at half 1, the pressure on them will be immense when they kick off at 4.

Granted we aren't hitting the high levels of the first few months, but if we win games does it really matter? Very few teams would be capable of hitting those heights throughout the entire campaign, if this is our 'bad patch' i'll definitely take it!

All my friends train camels... but can Ali Al-Habsi give United the hump?

By CHRIS WHEELER

A keen interest in camel racing is not one you can easily pursue around Wigan in winter, but at least Ali Al-Habsi has been able to put his knowledge of fire fighting to good use in English football.

Few goalkeepers are called upon to rescue their team quite as  frequently as Al-Habsi, whether it was bailing out his old club Bolton or answering the call of duty on a regular basis for Wigan. He came up with an outstanding penalty save in Wednesday’s draw against Liverpool and will doubtless  need further heroics at Manchester United on Boxing Day.

That the 29-year-old does it with an easy smile and a humble nature is even more admirable considering he has not only kept goal at the wrong end of the table throughout his career in England, but he also carries the responsibility of being the only player from the Persian Gulf in the Barclays Premier League at a time of huge Arab interest in football.

It has been a fascinating journey for Al-Habsi; from an upbringing in the deserts of Oman and his job as an airport fireman, to the freezing climes of Norway and eventually east Lancashire.

As the dark clouds gather over Wigan’s training ground, he is aware of the expectation from a distant part of the world where he enjoys almost iconic status.

‘Yes, of course, it’s a huge pressure,’ says Al-Habsi. ‘It’s not just Oman. It’s Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and all the Arab countries. They all follow me every game I play. You can’t believe how much they love Wigan and the Premier League.

‘When you see Manchester City with Sheik Mansour, Abu Dhabi and Etihad, or Qatar getting the World Cup and buying Paris Saint-Germain, football is more interesting than before. To be from  Oman or the Middle East and play in Europe is massive, but I really enjoy it.

‘It’s harder now because everybody believes in you. You are the face for them.’

Al-Habsi didn’t plan for a career in Europe, or to be a goalkeeper for that matter. He was a striker until the age of 16 when his brother, Abdulaziz, coach of their hometown team in Al-Mudhaibi, advised him to change position.

Four more of Al-Habsi’s nine brothers - his father Abdullah and mother Aza also have six daughters - played for the team in Oman’s Third Division, although the absence of grass meant they trained on sand and played home games in a neighbouring town.

Indeed, Al-Mudhaibi, 75 miles from the capital Muscat, is famous for its Al Fath camel racing track. A third of the 56,000 population are said to work in the sport.

‘I love that village,’ says Al-Habsi. ‘It’s the most famous place in Oman for camel racing. All my friends train and ride camels. I’ve had a try - not going fast, just walking.

‘When I go home I love to go there all the time to watch how they train and feed them.’

Even though he was only playing for Al-Mudhaibi in the lower leagues, Al-Habsi earned a call-up to the Under 17 national team. His career changed from the moment John Burridge, the much-travelled veteran English goalkeeper and coach who was working with Oman’s senior squad, saw him save a penalty in a friendly.

‘He thought I could make it in England,’ recalls Al-Habsi. ‘To be honest I just laughed. No player from the Middle East had been given a trial or played in Europe. He was telling me I could play in the Premier League.’

Burridge is mentioned in reverential tones. On the coach’s advice, Al-Habsi moved to Muscat, where he got a job as a fireman at Seeb Airport and split his shifts around training with his mentor, who also helped him to learn English. In summer, Al-Habsi would travel 16 miles by bus to start sessions at 5am before the heat hit 50 degrees.

‘It was hard but when someone believes in you, you do everything,’ says Al-Habsi. ‘John Burridge said he wasn’t going to leave me until he’d put me in the Premier League. When I was 18 he brought me to England. I trained with Bolton and had a trial with Man United.

‘He took a picture of me at Old Trafford. He said, “It’s to remind you, Ali. You will play here and you will be a star”. When I played there for Bolton, I got man-of-the-match and John was there. It was brilliant.’

Burridge paid for the trip, such was his belief in Al-Habsi. Sir Alex Ferguson wanted the youngster, as did Kevin Keegan at Manchester City and Sam Allardyce at  Bolton, but work-permit problems meant that he headed for a three-year stint with Lyn Oslo instead.

‘When I got to Norway there was snow everywhere and it was minus 15. In the first week of training we were outside on the artificial grass. Afterwards I sat there looking at my frozen hands and feet.

‘But when you have a dream, you forget everything around you. I promised my family that I would stay there and work hard.’

Al-Habsi got his move to the  Premier League with Bolton in 2006 after a transfer to City had fallen through 12 months earlier.

He struggled to displace Jussi Jaaskelainen despite an impressive stint at the end of the 2007-08 campaign that helped keep Bolton in the top flight. He had more  luck taking Chris Kirkland’s place when he moved to Wigan on loan last season, winning the club’s player-of- the-year award.

The deal, which turned into a £3million transfer in the summer, also meant he did not have to uproot his wife, Basma, and their four-year-old daughter Renaad. 

A sunny disposition has served him well at Wigan. After avoiding relegation on the final day of last season, Roberto Martinez’s men are locked in another survival battle. Al-Habsi’s heroics on Wednesday night earned a draw just four days after Chelsea had also been held.

It gets no easier with Old Trafford next up. Much has changed in Al-Habsi’s life in the 12 years since that photo was taken. ‘I’m looking forward to it,’ he says. ‘I’m so happy and loving my club.’

City V Wigan Report

So the City juggernaut continues to roll on, and Manchester (and Salford) as a footballing City('s) goes from strength to strength.  It is hard to pin point exactly which was an easier win this season, the opening day demolition of Swansea or yesterdays hammering of Wigan.  I would suspect ultimately that the Welsh side put up far more of a fight than the Lancashire club, perhaps surprising after the strong start that Roberto Martinez and his side have made to the season.

In truth the 3-0 scoreline doesn't really do City justice, it should have been 4-0 by half time and it could easily have been 7 or 8 by the final whistle, if we had been a bit more ruthless and clinical in front of goal we could have inflicted a similar thrashing to that which Wigan suffered at Spurs a couple of years ago.


Macini demonstrated the importance of his whole squad and rang some changes, Edin Dzeko was left out and rested after his heroics at White Hart Lane, as was Gareth Barry, Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta.  James Milner, Adam Johnson, Micah Richards and Carlos Tevez came in to replace them and fortunately the changes didn't change the sides fluidity too much.

City took the game by the scruff of the neck early on with Sergio Aguero scoring his first with a really neat finish after good work by a rampant Clichy and Silva.  They were perhaps unfortunate to not build on the lead after Richards crashed the underside of the bar after a superb raid down the right, and again when Kompany hit the woodwork with a header off a corner, there was also a good chance for Adam Johnson to extend the lead when he cut in from the right hand flank.  The best opportunity however was a penalty, after Silva was crudely hacked down by Lopez, Tevez took the ball and hit (scuffed) one of the worst penalties that you are likely to see, it was so weak Al-Habsi could probably have just stepped to his left and picked it up!

1-0 at half time, and Wigan found a 20 minute spell either side of half time in which they managed to impose themselves on the game slightly.  Di Santo should probably have done better with a one on one situation where Hart had run out into no mans land, and just after the break Hugo Rodallega hit a low shot that wasn't so much saved by Joe Hart but deflected off the England keeper wide of the post, that however was all Wigan would really have.  


The introduction of Samir Nasri gave City an extra spark and it wasn't long before some exquisite one touch football between Silva and Frenchman released Aguero for his second that he slipped past the keeper into the corner for a supremely confident finish.  City became dominant again after the second was scored and the third wasn't far away, superb play again by the exceptional Silva where he showed skill, strength and technique resulted in Kun being released to calmly slip home his 3rd of the afternoon into the exact spot that he had dispatched the previous one.

City finished the game at a canter, Balotelli was introduced and he looked sprightly without any real service, youngster Abdul Razak was given a 10 minute cameo which I suspect will be built upon in the League Cup next week.  


If we are being ultra negative I suppose Adam Johnson could have done more, and really we should have been more clinical in front of goal and taken all of our chances, but that is really clutching at straws, it was another superb performance overall and it will further add to the confidence and good feeling that appears to be around the team and players.

Not let's get on with the all important figures:


Joe Hart: 7 - Would have been 6, not through poor performance, just had nothing to do, but I just watched 'tunnel-cam' on the OS and seeing his motivational speech before the second half was fantastic, so bumped to a 7! 


Micah Richards: 8 - Attacked superbly well again, showed determination to get forward but also back, was incredibly unlucky to not score in the first half when he hit the bar.  Dealt with Rodallega well at the other end of the pitch as well.


Vincent Kompany: 8 - Rock at the heart of the defence, unlucky to not score with a good header in the first half, organised well and mopped up everything that he had too.  He is really excelling in his role as captain with his right hand man Joe Hart.


Joleon Lescott: 7 - Was given a couple of scares by Di Santo but grew in confidence as the game went on, made one particularly good rampaging run early on.  Also should probably have had a goal from a Yaya Toure shot that the defender tried to deflect into the net.


Gael Clichy: 7 - The engine on this guy is insane, he is so much quicker than I realised.  He struggled with Moses at times but much like Lescott grew in confidence as the game went on, he also provided a couple of excellent crosses that unfortunately went unused.

James Milner: 8 - Another exemplary performance in the centre of the field, Mancini finally seems to have realised his best position.  He bombed on when required and got back to make vital tackles, does all the less noticeable dirty work well.


Yaya Toure: 7 - Plying his trade in his more natural holding role this season we are seeing less of Tourepartnership with Milner, they work well together.


Adam Johnson: 6 - A frustrating day for Johnson, nowhere near as bad as some would have you believe but always not perfect.  Work rate seemed improved, he tracked back well, but not everything came off for him, perhaps he overcomplicated things on occasion.


David Silva: 10 - Really not going to write much, it's all been said before.  Fantastic, magical, strong, full of endeavour, skillful.  There is no better midfielder playing in England currently, and not many better in Europe.


Carlos Tevez: 6 - Work rate is definitely still there, no loss of passion but not quite up to match sharpness yet.  He was a constant threat but had a tendency to take the wrong option at times, woeful penalty didn't help him either.


Sergio Aguero: 9 - Now scored 6 for the season and this was a great hat trick.  He passes and places the ball into the net and has the ability to place them right inside the post making them impossible to save.  His work rate is also immense and he just seems to love playing the game.

Substitutes:


Samir Nasri: 8 - Steadied the ship when he came on and linked up wonderfully with Silva and Aguero, managed to notch up an assist on the short time he was on the pitch, he looks a real star.


Mario Balotelli: 6 - Didn't really make much of an impact, worked hard and scampered about.


Abdul Razak - N/A - No real time to judge, but good to see him getting time on the pitch.

I suppose it seems strange for a player to score 3 times and not get Man of The Match, and in the stadium that award went to Aguero and understandably he will get most of the plaudits but for me it has to be David Silva.  As always he was behind everything that City did, he ran the show and provided the tempo, he caused so many problems going between the lines and was impossible to keep quiet.  It is not just his skill and passing that is impressive his work rate and strength is also superb for a player that at first appears so lightweight.

Maybe i'm Insane, But I'd Really Like Us To Sign....

....Charles N'Zogbia.  I suppose right away I should point out that I am not expecting the French man to come in and replace David Silva or anything daft, but I think as a squad member he could be of massive assistance.

Essentially I feel that we are lacking some real direct pace in our squad currently, and I think that is something N'Zogbia can provide.  He is a direct runner, and has great delivery from wide areas, the natural width that he would provide would contrast to anything we already have.  I suppose there would be a clear comparison to SWP, but I can't help but feel that the Wigan winger would provide much more threat off the bench than Shauny ever would.

N'Zogbia is only 25, meaning he has a lot of his career ahead of him and clearly that is another positive.  His performances have been one of the biggest contributing factors to the survival of the Lancashire side this season, he has netted 10 goals which is not to be underestimated considering they came playing in a relatively weak side.

Clearly there are also some downsides to any potential deal, sometimes his attitude has appeared questionable and whether he could make the step up to a top 4 side is definitely up for debate, there is also a question mark over whether he would be happy only being a squad player as opposed to a regular starter.  

 The most important issue I suppose though would be competition, it is reported in the tabloids today that Liverpool are in pole position to sign the Frenchman for around £8million, they are joined by Sunderland who have also shown interest, as well as his former club Newcastle.

I am not suggesting this transfer is likely, or that there has been any speculation linking us to him, it is just a personal opinion, I can't help but feel that he would provide some decent options in our squad and offer some different things to what we already have.  I also think his experience and knowledge of the Premier League would be an asset, he wouldn't take particularly long to adapt and get used to his new club, something which couldn't be said about a player coming from abroad.  N'Zogbia for £8million?  It's a yes from me...

Premier League Preview - Wigan

Wigan Athletic

Wigan finished 16th last season fighting off relegation, and picking up some impressive victories along the way including a 3-1 win over Chelsea and 3-2 comeback victory over Arsenal. But on the other hand, Wigan took two of the worse beatings in Premiership history including an 8-0 defeat to Chelsea, and a 9-1 defeat to Tottenham.

This season, manager Roberto Martinez has his work cut out, losing experienced players Paul Scharner, Mario Melchiot, Erik Edman and Titus Bramble. He has therefore signed right back Ronnie Stam from FC Twente and Paraguayan centreback Antolin Alcaraz from Club Brugge in order to shore up the new defence, while up front Martinez signed Argentinean 25 year old Mauro Boselli from Estudiantes for £6.4million.



Key Player: Chris Kirkland

The 29 year old has over 100 appearances for Wigan, making himself one of the most senior members in the club. His experience, as well a forthright ability is what’s needed if Wigan are to stay up. Kirkland has personal motivation to get back into the England squad, especially with the lack of quality England goalkeepers about right now, he has to perform well.



Manager: Roberto Martinez

Key Signing: Mauro Boselli

The 25 year old has an eye for goal, and an impressive goal scoring record back in Argentina. He scored 32 times in 57 appearances, and has two international caps for Argentina. Needs to link up well with Rodallega if he is to keep Wigan up.



Aims: Avoid Relegation

Prediction: 18th

Charles N’zogbia has expressed his desire to quit the club, and is trying to fashion a move out of the DW Stadium. Now with the calibre of players who have left, Martinez has only two real quality players at the club and I cannot see them staying up.



First Five Fixtures: Blackpool (H), Chelsea (H), Tottenham (A), Sunderland (H), Man City (H)

Best 11

Number 2: Hugo Rodallega

Name: Hugo Rodallega
Date of Birth: 25/7/1985
Age: 24
Height: 5ft 11in
Nationality: Columbian
Position: Striker
Previous Club: Necaxa
Club: Wigan Athletic
Total Career Apps: 195 Total Career Goals: 87
Shirt Number: 20

Columbian international Hugo Rodallega joined Premiership side Wigan Athletic, after beig signed by than manager Steve Bruce in 2008. The 24 year old posses excellent pace, technique and an eye for goal, having scored some important goals for the Latic's, boasting a scoring record against the likes of Liverpool, Man United and Aston Villa. Expect the Wigan striker to continue to improve and a top four club may take a closer look in years to come.

Check the video below for more:

This Weeks Top 3 Goals

Manuel Figueroa Wonder Strike

Ronaldo Free Kick

Andrey Arshavin

Wigan Destroyed By Spurs

Words can't really describe how bad the defending is from Wigan, but give credit where credit's due, Tottenham took all 9 goals well.

Watch: