Wigan Athletic

Brace yourself. A referee might have just admitted a mistake.

Unbelievable, I know. But true nonetheless.

From The Guardian:

Roberto Martínez has received an apology from Mike Riley, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, following Wigan Athletic's controversial defeat at Chelsea on Saturday. Wigan's manager claimed his relegation-threatened side were "robbed" as Chelsea struck twice from offside positions to secure a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard has since spoken to Riley about the matter and says the PGMOB accepts mistakes were made. Martínez said: "He just said he understands that at the level of refereeing in this league, they should get that call right. I think that is a very honourable way to face mistakes. We are all capable of making mistakes and it is about how you react to them."

If you missed the match, you can click here to watch a video of Branislav Ivanovic's opener for Chelsea. That one should have been an easy call. He was clearly offside.

Click here for Juan Mata's late winner. That call was a bit more difficult.

After the match, Martinez flayed the linesman, Dave Bryan, who had allowed the goals to stand. Bryan was taken off duty for Tuesday's match between Blackburn and Liverpool.

According to The Telegraph, Martinez claimed a "double standard" for big clubs and smaller clubs like Wigan, who are currently 19th in the 20-team English Premier League and facing the prospect of relegation.

I’ve had two apologies from referees already this season after decisions have been made. You would never see those decisions against the top sides. All I want is to have strong referees. I just feel it’s a lot easier to make mistakes against us because there are no repercussions. There is not going to be a backlash against your decision.

Make that three apologies.

Now, if only the FA would fess up to a mistake or two.

Follow @MikeCummings37

Wigan Athletic produced the result of the day with a stunning 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield. The victory was a great reward for manager Roberto Martinez, who sticks to his ideals about playing open, passing football, despite his team's plight.

Goals from Shaun Maloney and a fine individual effort from central defender Gary Caldwell, put Wigan only a point away from safety.

The Latics were rewarded for a typically daring performance. Their decisive start at Anfield punished an increasingly sluggish-looking Liverpool.

Shaun Maloney, who netted their first goal from the spot was active and intelligent, while the midfield moved the ball quickly and passed with confidence.

Rather than playing with the customary holding midfield destroyer for a tough away game, Martinez instead moved forward Jean Beausejour into the middle. He gave him the freedom to link with the forward lines and form a front three, which gave Wigan the impetus and put Liverpool on the back foot.

So often Wigan are criticised for resisting the urge to be more functional and scrap their way out of trouble. Yet Martinez and his players should instead be praised for sticking to attacking principles, regardless of the consequences.

It's easy to promote attacking, expansive football from a position of strength, or when little is at stake. Yet to do it as a club of limited resources, at the risk of losing millions, is commendable.

That perseverance and faith in the way the game should be played comes from Martinez. He was the driving force behind the revival that led to the stylish Swansea City team we see today.

He has striven to do the same for Wigan, encouraging youngsters like Victor Moses and James McCarthy to play with flair.

Martinez has attempted under trying circumstances, to create a team structure emphasising skill and technique, rather than cynical functionality designed for survival by any means.

Wigan staged an incredible escape from relegation with a 1-0 win away to Stoke City on the final day of last season. Their fidelity to the attractive style of play promoted by their manager, can hopefully be met with a similar reward this year.

If they do once again manage to avoid the drop, their first-ever win at Anfield will probably be remembered as the turning point in their season.

Last season. Wigan fans went into the first match of the season with newly promoted Blackpool on their schedule. The Latics were looking forward to an easy win over a club who were playing their first ever game in the Premier League. Well, they were out for a shocking result at the DW Stadium.

It all started with a Gary Taylor-Fletcher goal for the visitors in the 16th minute and once the final whistle was blown, it ended up a 4-0 win for Blackpool.

Things could not have gotten worse, but somehow they did as Wigan were thrashed by Chelsea by a score of 6-0 at home once again.

This season, the schedule looks somewhat similar on opening day as the Latics will host Norwich City on Saturday. And instead of having a powerhouse like Chelsea in game two, Roberto Martinez's club is blessed with visiting playoff winners Swansea and then the third promoted team, QPR, in the first three games.

Wigan fans who saw the nightmare at the DW Stadium last season are not at all taking any of these three sides for granite and may actually the best thing for the Latics.

If the club go into the three-game stretch with a mentality that they are playing three strong clubs, instead of the three new guys on the block, it could give Wigan a huge advantage.

Being tabbed as one of the clubs to be in the relegation battle alongside these three promoted clubs, Wigan could get a quick nine points in their first three games and it could give the club positive momentum going into the rest of the season, in which the schedule gets tougher with trips to Manchester City and Everton followed by a home match with Tottenham.

The key thing for Roberto Martinez and Co. to remember during their first three games this season is to not repeat the dreadful start that they had last season. Also, to build on the momentum on possibly gaining nine points and being near the top of the table to start the season.

I've only been a Wigan Athletic fan for about five years but I have grown a lot of love for the Latics in a short period of time. I'm still learning about the game of football (soccer) but I have genuine concerns about our current position on the league table.

17th place will rarely win you anything in any sport but in this case I cannot possibly be hoping any harder for such a result. Relegation would be terrible as our team has a lot of good, young players who genuinely seem to be learning to play well together.

I've watched every game this season and it seems that all the goals we concede happen during the same three periods of the game.

- The first five minutes of the game.

- The last five minutes of the half.

- The last 10 minutes of the game.

It is terribly frustrating at times and due to the fact that I'm still learning the finer points of the game, I am at a loss as to why it keeps happening.

Roberto Martinez seems to be a great leader and has bonded well with the younger players. Charles N'Zogbia, while obviously wanting to play for a bigger club, has continued to perform at a high standard. Hugo Rodallega has had some great moments and Hendry Thomas has played some really hard-nosed defense on a number of occasions.

Goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi has been a breath of fresh air also, although we have let in a few goals lately.

What is wrong with Wigan? Are we that bad? Or have the other teams just improved around us?

What are your thoughts?

Follow me on Twitter! More at brawlnball.com!

While Manchester City do their best to steal Wigan Athletic’s title tag as the most unpredictable team in the Premier League, the Latics don’t make the task easy for any other teams.

Wigan have conceded a massive 13 goals at the DW Stadium already this season, with West Ham the closest team to them on 7. Though they have played more home games than any other side this season, they’re going to take some catching up. That was even after their first home clean sheet of the season yesterday in a 2-0 win over Wolves. Clean sheets is something Wigan have done well on both away trips this season as they remain the only Premier League side not to concede on the road so far. Shutting out both Tottenham and Birmingham was impressive. They travel to Newcastle after the international break as they look to maintain that record.

Chris Kirkland hasn’t played in goal after two wretched performances to start the season saw Wigan go down 4-0 at home to Blackpool and then 6-0 at home to Chelsea. His replacement, Ali Al-Habsi, on loan from Bolton has kept clean sheets in 3 of his 5 starts this season, conceding just 3 goals. The first Omani player to play in the Premier League was noticeable in their victory at White Hart Lane when he kept Spurs at bay. He didn’t have a single save to make in yesterday’s victory over Wolves.

Three points over fellow relegation contenders was aided when Karl Henry was sent off after 11 minutes in yesterday’s early kick off for a reckless challenge. Jordi Gomez finally got the break through with a well struck free kick that narrowly missed George Elokobi’s head as it flew in off the underside of the bar. Hugo Rodallega later secured all three points with his second goal of the season.

Wigan currently sit in 13th position, two points above the drop zone, although will drop a position today after the Liverpool and Blackpool game is finished, and would drop a further place should Newcastle get something at Manchester City. Their inconsistencies make it hard to predict where Wigan will finish this season.

A side that never secured back-to-back victories in the Premier League last season, Wigan have lost just once in their last 5 Premier League games since a woeful start to the season that had many calling for Roberto Martinez’s head. Points against bottom half sides will be important for Martinez’s side this season, and he must be looking at picking up a few from their next six league games which consist of Newcastle (away), Bolton (home), Fulham (away), Blackburn (away), Liverpool (home) and West Brom (home).

Wigan’s impressive start away from home will inevitably drop at some point and points at the DW Stadium are a must. Having lost 3 of their 5 home games this season is a concern, although getting Chelsea and Manchester City out of the way early on isn’t a bad thing. Their eight points have come without the likes of Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia hitting their top form, while there are early signs that new signing Antolin Alcaraz has been a good summer buy. Mauro Boselli has not played in their last three league fixtures after failing to set in during his opening four. Goals remain a problem for this side, and this will hurt them when they’re not keeping clean sheets.

Over there next six games we might have some idea how Wigan’s season is going to go, although in all likelihood we’re going to be no closer to finding out as they remain an unpredictable side like last season under Roberto Martinez.

Wigan Athletic are 11/10 second favourites to be relegated from the Premier League this season.

With the Premier League season now rapidly approaching, I have decided to take a look at each of the 20 sides that will be playing at the top level of English football during this upcoming season.

To start off my countdown, I have decided to actually go in reverse order with Wolverhampton starting off the list, and Arsenal concluding this list right before the start of the Premier League season.

In the second part of this preview, I will look at Wigan Athletic , who finished 16th in the Premier League last season, despite having some of the worse losses in Premier League history last season.

Review of last season:

After an 11th place finish in the 2008-2009 season, Wigan saw the departure of Steve Bruce to Sunderland and brought in former player Roberto Martinez to become their new manager.

Under Martinez, Wigan had some terrible performances (such as their 9-1 loss to Tottenham and a 8-0 loss to Chelsea), but were also able to beat Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool at the DW Stadium for the first time ever during the season.

And as a result, Wigan were able to stay afloat for a sixth straight season in the Premier League.

Transfers:

New Signings:

Mauro Boselli (Estudiantes La Plata), Ali Al Habsi (Bolton), Antolin Alcaraz (Club Brugge), James McArthur (Hamilton) and Ronnie Stam (Twente).

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce looks set to sign Titus Bramble from Wigan. Bruce was in charge of Bramble when the pair were at Wigan, which makes the transfer even stranger.

Any Premier League betting pundits who have seen Bramble play know that this is a risky move by Bruce. If Sunderland are looking to tighten up their often leaky defence then this is hardly the best way of going about it.

The fee is believed to be in the region of £1million. Not many Sunderland fans will view the deal as a good piece of business. They know they won’t be signing players to make them Favourites to win premier league silverware, but they might have expected better than thois.

Despite his limited talent, Bramble has spent the majority of his career in the top flight. He was part of the Ipswich team that finished 5^th in the Premiership. That was followed by a move to Sunderland’s main rivals Newcastle for £6million. He played over 100 games in his five years at St James’s Park. Bruce then brought him to the DW Stadium on a free transfer, where Bramble had the best spell of his career during the 2008/09 season. Surprisingly the centre back picked up the Wigan Player of the Season award.

It remains to be seen whether Bramble will be a starter in the Sunderland team. Big Titus plays best when sat on the bench. Bruce is still deciding on whether to sign Ghanaian captain John Mensah. The Lyon defender was on loan at Sunderland last season and had a good World Cup in South Africa last month. The only issue is the African’s history of injuries. It’ll be Bramble’s history of gaffs that will be worrying Sunderland’s fans most before the upcoming season.

After Maynor Figueroa's 60-yard wonder goal on Saturday, the question should be asked. Has the Premier League ever seen such a strike come from such an unheralded source in its long and distinguished history?

David Beckham and Xabi Alonso's wonder strikes against Wimbledon and Newcastle respectively were each in their own right excellent goals. But Maynor Figueroa's strike was, at the very least, equally spectacular.

But while we expect such feats from two of the finest strikers of a ball the league has ever seen, there was little evidence that Figueroa had such an ability.

And just like Beckham's strike before him, Figueroa's strike has set Premier League rumour mongers and gossip columnists into frenzied excitement. Not that the Honduran left back's manager, Roberto Martinez, has helped matters.

In his post-match interview he remarked: “We know that we will not be able to keep him forever because the reality is he is slowly fulfilling his potential, and his potential should be to go to the top of the top.

"He's got the World Cup in front of him so I don't think changes would be a good decision before such a big event in his career. He'll probably go next summer but until then we will go on enjoying his defending and his magical goals.”

In truth, the goal itself was one of rare quality and power-leaving both teammates and opponents agog with awe. Paul Scharner, Figueroa's teammate, said: "If you score a goal like that, you have to pat him on the back.”

While the beaten keeper, a bemused Thomas Sorensen, said: “Obviously it is never great to be beaten from that distance, but you have to credit his awareness and his strike was unbelievable.” 

Yet the goal merely drew attention to a player who has inconspicuously emerged as one of the finest left-back's in the country. Had Figueroa been up against Aaron Lennon rather than Erik Edman then it is hard to imagine the winger would have enjoyed the freedom of the White Hart Lane pitch during that 9-1 thrashing.

But despite his seamless adaption to life in the Premier League, it is easily forgotten that the Honduran was signed for what is believed to be a relatively small, undisclosed fee. At a time when defenders can easily cost as much as attacking players, and when full backs especially are becoming more important to modern day football teams, this is, in whichever vernacular you choose, a snip.

Yet he is not alone in that regard at the DW Stadium. One of the hallmarks of Roberto Martinez's team, and Steve Bruce's before it, was the cosmopolitan nature of its members who were often snapped up from all areas of the globe for, often, relatively small fees. When Dave Whelan took aim of Bruce's “dodgy signings”, his remarks seemed to overlook the number of bargains he brought to Wigan.

Figueroa was of course one of them, yet he was no mere exception. Perhaps the most eye-catching one before that was Luis Antonio Valencia. Granted, he was signed from Spanish giants Villarreal but it was Wigan who took a chance on him—signing him on loan first, before signing him on an undisclosed fee.

In his time at the then JJB stadium, Valencia made his name as one of the finest wingers in the league, before completing a £16 million move to Manchester United where he now features with regularity.

Then there is Wilson Palacios, now of Tottenham Hotspur, who Steve Bruce signed on recommendation from Arsene Wenger. The Honduran international has since gone on to establish himself as one of the finest central midfielders in the league, and at a sale value of £14 million, he was a profitable bargain at that for Wigan.

But there are others who remain at the DW Stadium. Perhaps most prominent among them is Hugo Rodallega, another relative unknown who arrived at the club as Bruce's replacement for Emile Heskey, and has since proved to be a capable, skilful goalscorer, and a crucial part of Martinez's forward line.

Yet even then, you could point to the work of Roberto Martinez who has clearly inherited some of his predecessor's prudent financial sensibility, and keen eye for a bargain.

The names of Hendry Thomas and Mohamed Diame may not yet be household Premier League names yet, but given time they have shown enough in their short time in English football to have the ability to thrive.

Both are tall, athletic players with the technical ability to adhere to the Roberto Martinez philosophy of short passing, attractive football. Thomas, a 24-year-old Honduran international who plays very much in the mould of his international compatriot Wilson Palacios.

Meanwhile Mohamed Diame, a 22-year old French midfielder signed from Rayo Vallecano, is very much cut from the same cloth. A tall, dominating midfielder who provides the side with plenty of muscle in midfield, at £3.8 million he looks a snip. Clearly Wigan's conveyor belt of footballing bargain buys shows no sign of slowing down.

And in an era when the footballing landscape has contracted so that now every would-be superstar from all corners of the globe can be seen easily either on television or the Internet, Wigan has managed to prove that footballing gems are still there to be found.

Figueroa's wonder strike at the very least is testament to that.