Say what you like about Wigan Athletic, and let’s face it everyone does an opinion on us within the town and across the world but life is certainly never dull. We have a new manager in situ and you know what – nearly everyone agrees that it is a good appointment.
In many ways, it feels like Uwe Rosler is the man that we should have given the job to in the summer and we have subsequently taken a step backwards. As we seem to have regressed so far in the past couple of weeks his arrival can only be considered a positive move.
Although nothing is ever certain in football, given our league position of 14th I have already written off this season for promotion and I am kind of cool about that, if we can muster a cup run up in the FA Cup or progress in the Europa League. From here on in I will simply be looking for improvement and given Rosler’s reputation I am sure it will come.
Not that it will happen overnight and we will need to give the new man time, plus our team will have to get used to yet another style of play. From Spanish tiki taka to German counter attacking at pace with six months of….well I’m not sure what it was in between.
That squad of players who on paper look decent enough to be right at the top of the table look disinterested, disjointed and slightly unfit right now so our new man has a big job on his hands.
I think it is similar to when Paul Jewell first took over, there is capability in the squad but not the application or desire to really create something special so I suspect there will be another overhaul in personnel in January.
We will see more young, hungry players come in who want success and anyone who is not up for it, be they a Coyle acquisition or a hangover from the Martinez days will get sent on their way.
Rosler apparently favours the Dortmund model of closing down and counter attacking at pace and it’s clear that some of our players do not either have the physique or aptitude to conform to this.
By the time the transfer window shuts at the end of January we could be watching a very different team. Interesting times ahead.
First published in the Wigan Evening Post 12th Man column Wednesday 11th December
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