Wigan Athletic

Young Manchester United striker Angelo Henriquez is set to join Wigan Athletic on loan until the end of the season.

The highly rated 18-year-old marksman only joined United from Universidad de Chile in the summer, and a temporary move to Wigan will bring him increased first-team opportunities with the Premiership outfit.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is delighted to have captured the services of the prolific Chilean international, who scored on his debut appearance for his national side last month.

Speaking about the switch, Martinez reserved praise for Henriquez and feels his impending move to Wigan would be mutually beneficial (via DailyMail.co.uk),

Angelo is as good a goalscorer as you will find. He scored goals at Universidad de Chile and he is going to score goals here. I am sure he will be an important player for United. We are glad we can work with him and he can use Wigan as Tom Cleverley did and adapt to what is needed in this league.

Sir Alex Ferguson will hope for a repeat of the success seen when Manchester United loaned Tom Cleverley to Wigan in 2010-11. Cleverley enjoyed 25 first-team appearances with the Latics, which helped him develop into one of England’s brightest midfield stars.

It may prove to be another masterstroke by both clubs.

Martinez need not worry about Henriquez’s pedigree—at all international levels Henriquez has found the net with impressive regularity: He scored three goals from four appearances for Chile’s U17s and 14 goals from 10 appearances for the U20 side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lUSnSbGFrE

Of course, Henriquez will have to adapt to the rough and tumble of the English Premier League in order to continue his impressive progress. However, Sir Alex believes he has the necessary build to deal with such rigours, “He has an incredible physique for a boy of 18,” he said. (via Mirror.co.uk)

Henriquez has been impressing in Manchester United’s U21 side, but with Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck ahead of him in the pecking order for a first-team berth, the move to Wigan can only be positive for his development.

Will Henriquez return to Utd as a first-team option or will he be another Federico Macheda? Give me your thoughts below or hit me up on Twitter @jonathanbeever.

 

Wigan was the centre of football's tactical universe on Saturday, as Roberto Martinez once again eschewed convention to send his team out in what we presumed was a 3-4-3 formation against Arsenal.

But with James McCarthy pushing forward into his more natural midfield areas, there were times it looked more like 2-5-3, or even 2-1-4-3. There were times nobody had a clue what it was, but it seemed to be working.

Wigan flooded the midfield and starved Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Lukas Podolski of space and time on the ball. They doubled up on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain down Arsenal's right, and Theo Walcott was given little ammunition leading Arsenal's line.

Most of all, they pressed. They pressed like their lives depended on it.

Arsenal 'giving the ball away' - or Wigan taking it away from them? Very impressive German-style pressing from the Latics so far.

— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) December 22, 2012

For an hour, Martinez's men had their opponents flummoxed. Arsenal were largely neutralized, and it was Wigan who wasted the best chance to go ahead—Arouna Kone slicing a woeful shot after being sent through by Franco Di Santo.

Wigan's formation was working. It was still working when Walcott burst into the Wigan box, surrounded by blue shirts ready to stop him. But Walcott got on the wrong side of Jean Beausejour, the Arsenal player fell, and the result was a penalty which Mikel Arteta calmly stroked home.

You can't legislate for moments like that. Beausejour's nudge was naive, and his team paid the fullest price. All that hard work and application cut down by the single moment when concentration dipped.

Perhaps tiredness was a factor. Only Reading have conceded more second-half goals than Wigan this season, which we might conclude is a result of their intense work rate and heavy legs setting in. (Infostrada stat, as quoted by Eurosport-Yahoo!)

But to their credit, Wigan showed no sign of being broken and showed great heart in pushing for an equalizer. They had the better of the remaining 30 minutes and came close through Kone and James McArthur.

As we entered added time, Arsenal were hanging on. It certainly didn't look like we were watching a team in the bottom three against one through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Martinez's team can count themselves very unlucky to have lost. Arsenal deserve credit for getting the job done, but Arsene Wenger will surely concede his team were stifled as an attacking force for most of the encounter.

Wigan fans should emerge optimistic for their team's Premier League survival. And they should maintain complete faith in Martinez's bold tactical blueprint.

Martinez is the rare Premier League manager who likes three at the back. He likes it so much that he's used it in all but three of their 18 games in the league and completely ignored the dominant 4-2-3-1 that prevails these days in England.

Wigan's set-up would be more at home in Italy's Serie A, where teams like Napoli and Juventus use three at the back as their default setting. We've seen Manchester City try it in England, but only as an alternative and not with great success.

Here's B/R's Sam Tighe on the mechanics of Martinez's system. Here's Michael Cox explaining how changing to 3-4-3 kept Wigan up last season.

Wigan Athletic have been attracting admiring glances from every corner of the globe since Roberto Martinez firmly instilled his free-flowing system at the DW Stadium.

The Spaniard should be heralded both for his willingness to change and for making it this far—his Latics side endured an eight-game loss streak at the start of last season and he's still in the job.

Let's take a look at how he has his boys playing in a slightly unorthodox formation, using screenshots from their 3-2 win over Reading at the weekend for illustration purposes.

The setup

It's a 3-4-3 formation—the only one in the English Premier League—that is continually flummoxing opposing managers and getting Wigan results.

Here is the lineup used against Reading, but bare in mind it's a versatile system that sometimes sees Jordi Gomez into a centre-forward position, and at others sees Shaun Maloney in central midfield.

Martinez utilises two attacking wing-backs who stay wide in addition to two playmaking wingers who are able to cut inside and interlink with the central midfielders.

The back three stay wide when in possession, then shrink into a close-knit set when defending deep.

Making space

Why is it that Wigan are so good at passing the ball despite boasting a modest bunch of players?

Martinez's coaching is a huge influence, teaching them to keep the ball on the deck, control it well and stroke it with precision. The other reason is that they've got tonnes of space to work in.

Here, you've got Maynor Figueroa (CB) drifting toward the left touchline, which in turn encourages Jean Beausejour to attack. With two players touchline-wide, Reading's entire formation shifts to the right by about five yards.

On the other side (unseen on the screenshot), Beausejour's opposite number Ronnie Stam shuttles forward and attracts the attention of Nicky Shorey, thus stopping the left-back coming inside to close the gaps.

The result is gaping holes between the Royals' lines and in between their clusters of players.

Exploiting it

Of course once you've dragged your opposition out of position by passing it around cleanly, you need to take advantage of the holes you create.

Maloney, Gomez, James McCarthy and David Jones were full of clever movement that opened things up on Saturday, and it was Beausejour who was the common beneficiary.

He was rampant on the left side with more than a third of the Latics play going through him. He received 68 passes from his teammates, and in particular Jones, as they looked to him to beat Chris Gunter and make things happen.

Here, we see Beausejour in a crossing position. He's got plenty to aim at, including Stam steaming in from the right-wing-back position to worry Shorey at the back post.

The Chilean specialist fired in 16 crosses against Reading, most of them dangerous and three in particular finding teammates in great goalscoring positions.

Wigan's ability to go from passive passing to incisive attacking is what catches managers out time and time again.

In defence

It'd be remiss to assess Wigan's system without looking at how they defend.

The back three only feature in the primitive stages of the passing game. The outside centre-backs are encouraged to step forward 10 yards and initiate a pass, but once the ball reaches James McCarthy 40 yards from goal, they take a back seat.

They never surge forward recklessly, which is why, if teams to break against them quickly, they've always got three players designated to defend.

Having three at the back allows them to carry a spare man even against Brian McDermott's 4-4-2, meaning Jason Roberts was man-marked the entire time.

This is in stark contrast to Reading's game at Villa Park three days later, in which Roberts constantly worked the channels and sucked Ciaran Clark into dangerous positions high up the field.

Conclusion

Wigan look like they're going to secure safety in the English Premier League in their most comfortable fashion yet since Roberto Martinez took charge.

They don't looked phased by anyone and remain confident of outplaying the best of teams as the fans ask "Victor who?".

Follow @stighefootball

Wigan recorded their first win since August 25th with a 2-1 victory over West Ham United on Saturday at the DW Stadium.

The Latics went ahead early in the first half as Ivan Ramis scored in the eighth minute off of a corner kick. Ramis volleyed home a Jean Beausejour corner kick from the edge of the penalty area to put the home side ahead.

Wigan opened the second half with a goal as James McArthur scored in the 47th minute to give the Latics a two-goal lead, which lasted for most of the match.

West Ham did peg a goal back in the waning minutes of the match, as James Tomkins headed in a goal in the 93rd minute.

Throughout the match, Wigan were the dominant force, as they had seven shots on target compared to the four that the Hammers took on target.

Also, Wigan held control of possession for most of the match but ended with only 54 percent of possession due to a late surge by the visitors.

Roberto Martinez and company moved further away from their relegation rivals with the win, as they moved up to 15th place in the EPL table with eight points.

The Latics will also be able to carry the momentum from their win on Saturday into the Capital One Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, when they play host to League Two side Bradford.

As for the Hammers, instead of cracking the top four for a day with a win, they fell to ninth place in the table after both Fulham and Arsenal came away with wins on Saturday and leapfrogged them.

Sam Allardyce and company will not play in the Capital One Cup after losing to Wigan in the third round of the competition.

West Ham's next match will be played on Saturday when they host Manchester City at Upton Park.

Wigan Athletic may have to make another one of their seemingly fabled runs at the end of the 2012-2013 Premier League campaign to stay in the league for another season.

The Latics may finish comfortably in the middle of the table.

It seems likely that, once again, they are set to be the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde club of the EPL.

One thing that will not be leveled at the club, however, is the tag of being boring.

After watching the opening day match against Chelsea, it is clear that no matter who Wigan is playing, they seem bound and determined to deliver the most exciting matches of the Premier League season.

Even if their crowd could be confused for the guest list at a funeral parlor, Wigan play an attacking style of football that no one else is currently brave enough to attempt in the EPL.

Roberto Martinez has his 3-4-3 system implemented well already this season. It has its ups and certainly its downsides, as the Chelsea match showed in full.

Within the opening seven minutes, the Blues were already two goals to the good after Eden Hazard had run fellow debutant Ivan Ramis into a tizzy.

But after Frank Lampard’s penalty, Wigan began to settle down and boss the match. Part of this was due to Chelsea beginning to back off, but at least part of it had to do with Wigan’s concept of attacking play.

The Latics, over their last 10 Premier League matches, held possession for an average of 50 percent of the time.

Considering during that stretch that Wigan have played Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea twice, that’s no mean feat.

That number was helped by their heavy possession advantages over clubs like Blackburn and Stoke, but to be level after that kind of fixture list says something about what Wigan are trying to accomplish.

During that stretch, the Latics ran off seven wins and three losses, indicative of the fact that matches Wigan are involved in are not likely to be drawn anymore.

This is what is great about watching their matches: Wigan are involved in matches where there are winners and losers.

Since their change to Martinez’s 3-4-3, Wigan have drawn only three of 15 matches, with all of them coming within the first five matches of its implementation.

Stretching back to last season, the Latics have been involved in 10 straight matches where there was an outcome for either side, something that raises the level of interest in a match.

Perhaps more important, however, is the way that Wigan have gone about attacking the opposition.

As ZonalMarking looked at, Wigan are willing to attack with a whole cadre of players at any given moment in the match.

Against Chelsea, often times eight men were involved in the visitors' half of the pitch during attacks. While they proved unsuccessful, Wigan, when they go on the attack, really go on the attack.

Perhaps the one thing that might make or break their season is their ability to turn in chances, particularly from crosses.

Because of the width of the Latics in the 3-4-3 system, Wigan will send the ball in frequently from the wings.

New signing Arouna Kone was brought in for this reason, mind, and will need to be applying a better finishing touch than the header he missed wide late in the second half.

Even if Wigan lose Victor Moses to Chelsea before the transfer window shuts, Wigan will be in a comfortable position in the table by season’s end if they can continue what they started last term.

Until then, expect more thrills and spills than a Benny Hill collection before the season reaches its climax in May.

Wigan Athletic is preparing to bid farewell to out-of-contract players this summer including striker Hugo Rodallega and defensive midfielder Mohamed Diamé. 

Rodallega is the current all-time leader in scoring at Wigan with 23 goals. 

He was instrumental in saving their 2011-12 season but has found himself wanting to leave for better waters since January. Rodallega's intentions sparked interest in a couple of Premier League teams, including a Ligue 1 team, but nothing has transpired as of yet. 

If Rodallega were to leave, Wigan would be out of a proven goal scorer, although the Colombian has yet to hit the 10-goal mark this season. He has just two goals from 22 appearances in league competition which brings his value down, but he does have three assists to his name.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez had this to say about Rodallega (via Sky Sports):

"I don't know if he has another club lined up but he will go with our blessing," he said of the South American.

"I can't praise him enough for his attitude. He's been very unselfish. I think everyone will look at the time he had at the club as a success.

"We have to be prepared and know we need to bring in four players as quickly as possible."

Mohamed Diamé has made a name for himself in the Barclay's Premier League and is known for his hard-tackling abilities and his tendency to get stuck in.

The Senegalese midfielder made his debut for Wigan immediately after his transfer in 2010 and has been a consistent and ever-present figure in the Wigan midfield. This season, however, he has seen himself fielded in just 26 games, although managing to score three times. 

Martinez expect the aforementioned players plus two out-of-contract players to leave the club. 

"There are four players out of contract and I expect them all to go," Martinez said. However, he is certain to keep players under contract on the team and hopes to keep the squad together.

In an attempt to stop speculation of Victor Moses, Martinez confided, "...I don't expect to lose anyone who is under contract." Moses looks to leave the club after rejecting offers of a renewed contract. 

This exodus can only mean peril for Martinez, although he looks calm and confident and steadied for the rough waters of the summer transfer season.

After a shocking start to the season, one that buried Wigan Athletic at the bottom of the Premier League throughout January, February and March, team manager Roberto Martínez seems to have started to figure things out after switching the formation to a courageous 3-4-3.

The turnaround from Wigan this season has been nothing short of remarkable, but the more notable topic is the style and the manner in which they have conducted themselves—and that has captured the hearts and the imagination of fans.

I will be the first to admit that, a couple months ago, I thought Wigan looked to be a squad ready to drop. I'll even take it one step further and say that I was almost happy about it.

Any match that was on at the DW Stadium seemed halfhearted at the time, with more than half the stadium empty and absolutely zero atmosphere. Things were not looking right, and fans were ashamed that the team they eagerly wanted to support was such an embarrassment in what I believe to be the best football league in the world. 

In the last month, however, things have turned around, and Wigan has begun to change the opinions of the critics out there. I think they have one of the best managers in the league at their disposal: Martinez, who always conducts himself with dignity and respect. Although considered to be a "young" manager, he's the leader this team needs. 

Fans can thank Martinez's recent development of a 3-4-3 system for the strong play we've seen. This arrangement of players gives the team more passing angles than a 4-4-2 would, and the players, all confident when in possession with the ball, have seemed to thrive.

They started to play with the conviction and resolve of a team who had finally taken pride in their position in the Premier League.

Key players such as Di Santo, Moses, Maloney and Caldwell are starting to reach their potential and delivering results very few predicted. They've managed to defeat Premier League giants such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle in a run that offered much hope and promise for next season.

And most reassuring of all, these results weren’t just "lucky"—they played magnificent football.

Let's quickly focus on the Arsenal game at the Emirates Stadium. Although the final score, 2-1 in favor of Wigan, was not as impressive as the one against Newcastle (4-0 Wigan victory), it was this performance against Arsenal that many felt was the best of the season.

From the outset of the match, Wigan attacked and kept Arsenal on their heels through swift passing, leading to their first goal being scored by Franco Di Santo with just seven minutes played.

Victor Moses, who was a beast that whole game, found space on the right to slot a ball in for Jordi Gomez, who then set it up perfectly for Di Sanco to shoot into the Arsenal net.

Those fans who made the trip from the Greater Manchester area to North London sure got what they wanted.

Wigan continued the attack and scored again 94 seconds later. Victor Moses found himself with too much space on the left and sent in a wonderful ball for Jordi Gomez to net their second goal of the match.

Wigan were finally playing football worthy of the Champions League.

For the first time in a long, long while, Wigan have shown their potential, and displayed an ability to work as a team and listen to the advice of their manager. The team is the epitome of "football bravery"': trusting that your system will, at some point, deliver results. It is a process that requires much patience, and for much of this season, the results have not followed.

If they can carry this momentum into the next season, along with a few transfer deals, they could be vying for a top-10 finish.

Victor Moses, Wigan's dynamic young attacker, looks set to leave the Latics sooner rather than later after rejecting a contract extension with the club.

Moses has one year left on his current deal at Wigan and manager Roberto Martinez has expressed his hopes to keep the 21-year-old for much longer.

But despite his manager's firm belief in him, Moses appears to have his eyes on grander locales.

The player's agent told Supersport.com on Wednesday that Moses is not interested in signing a new deal with Wigan.

"We were about to start talks on the extension when [Moses] said he does not want to sign a new deal," Tony Finnigan said. "Victor Moses has played himself into a position where virtually every club in the Premier League want to sign him."

Tottenham and Liverpool are rumored to be considering a move for Moses in the summer and an Aston Villa scout watched his performance against Arsenal on Monday.

It's no secret what they all see.

Moses is among the most dangerous players in the Premier League with the ball at his feet. His craft has been instrumental in Wigan's late season move away from the relegation zone and has led his manager to compare him to Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Whether he stays or goes, club supporters will thank Moses if the Latics are able to successfully stave off the drop.

With four games remaining in their season, Wigan sit five points clear of the relegation zone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a01LlIHefQ

Shaun Maloney netted a super winner for Wigan Athletic over prospective EPL winners Manchester United. The relegation threatened club stunned United and produced another giant killing feat which could save their Premier League status.

Wigan recently downed Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield and now can claim the Red Devils as a victim, after a typically bold display. Roberto Martinez has his side still sticking to his principles of open, attacking football despite the very real threat of dropping down a division.

Former Glasgow Celtic starlet Maloney has added a touch of flair and assurance to the Latics forward line and his class made the telling difference against United.

Maloney worked a short corner with Jean Beausejour and exchanged passes with the Chilean attacking midfielder on the left-hand side of the box. Maloney then glided past a static Wayne Rooney, along the edge of the box, before unleashing a precise and decisive finish across David De Gea.

Maloney hoisted a shot with the inside of his right foot and managed to curl the ball over the United back line and bend it past De Gea. The strike epitomised Wigan's adventurous performance and Martinez's willingness to attack, no matter who the opposition are.

His insistence on trying to win every game, regardless of the situation or opponents, has come in for criticism. In particular, his tactics seemed at fault when his side decided to throw men forward against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with the scores level at 1-1.

Martinez's reluctance to have his side scrap and play out a draw was ruthlessly punished by Chelsea's late winner. Yet Wigan were rewarded against United tonight, in producing the best result of their season by far.

With teams around them like Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers dropping a clutch of points recently, Wigan may just escape the drop. However, the games don't get any easier, as Martinez takes his team to North London to take on Arsenal in what will surely be another entertaining encounter.