If ever a town had clichés written all over it, it is Wigan.
Eric Blair (George Orwell) started it with his novel The Road to Wigan Pier. Which is nothing like Cromer Pier I can assure you. I’ve been to the former once and the latter more times than you could shake that proverbial stick at. Wigan’s Rugby League side is famous and has coinage, at least for those who live north of the M62.
And then there is Northern Soul. We see many followers of the genre around these parts with their (rather cool) Tees displaying the clenched fist logo with “Keep the Faith” printed around it. Nothing wrong with that. However, the only Northern Soul hit to touch the UK music charts was Footsie, accredited to “Wigan’s Chosen Few“.
When I occasionally want to listen to some soul I’ll go to the Temptations, Aretha, Sam Cooke or the Tops. Or Marvin, Gladys Knight or Martha Reeves. It’s Motown for me every time (with the exception of Sam, obviously).
Saturday’s referee Gavin Ward appeared to be one of Wigan’s chosen few. What a disaster he was for the first hour of the match. The not given Teemu Pukki penalty in the first half was ridiculous. I’m right behind the Barclay goal and I know what I saw.
Wigan had a game plan and fair play to them. They didn’t exactly high press but presented two banks of four with the challenge of: break us down if you’re clever and brave enough.
It was getting very niggly because referee Ward refused to intervene. Wigan did some real naughties in terms of barking bo!!ocking and biting so obviously our older hands responded in kind. It could have escalated but fortunately, it didn’t – and no thanks to the referee in that respect.
Both Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis appeared a little phased by all these shenanigans and for the first time I’ve witnessed seemed a little bit self-conscious. Emi Buendia didn’t enjoy the perfect game either although he had his moments. Not an easy game for the younger lads in all honesty.
But we kept going. And going and going again. Marco Stiepermann was excellent once more, as were the defensive holy trinity of Timm Klose, Christoph Zimmermann and Alex Tettey.
When the fool Ward (and I don’t use the description lightly as few people would criticise a referee after we’ve won a match) decided to atone for his earlier error and point to the spot for a softy on 86 it was literally payback time. If that hadn’t have been given I reckon I could have accepted it. But he knew he’d stuffed up and gave it anyway because of what must surely have been a guilty conscience.
It was very well and graciously done by an obviously knackered Pukki to transfer the honour to Mario Vrancic. I hate straight through the middle pens but he conned Wigan keeper Christian Walton and we deservedly won. Well done Mario and well-done team.
Now we move on to some tougher stuff. Forget Frank Lampard, it’s Bradley Johnson who is my Derby County connection.
But then I thought: in terms of a reunion, how many of our current squad would even remember him?
Probably only Max and Jamal who must surely have looked up to him from the Academy.
Shows how the times have changed.
I’ll just end by saying that (courtesy of Quest TV) the Binners’ orange Day-Glo away kit is the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. A gratuitous and uncalled for remark, but I thought I’d say it anyway.
That’s my personal little marker (10 games) met and passed with flying colours, took the flag a little time to get up. Now the hard job for Farke and his backroom boys, is to keep it flying up there, I am not silly enough to realise that it won’t slip down a little over the coming weeks.
But more than fair play to all involved coaches & players , I can’t help thinking what will we be like when some of the injured lads come back, I have only had the pleasure of gpoing to wigan once, during Worthy era, Rugby had been played the friday night, the pitch looked like they had just gone to post match bath, the crowd looked like a few stragglers had stayed behind to watch an alien sport No barriers or other safety measures on the section we were shown to. after a long weight for someone to turn on a lift for wheelchair users.
A steward set the recoord straight, by telling us: no rugby had not just finished and that the place was full and alive few hours before. I left having a little more admiration for the round ball lovers up there, in a sea of oval throwers.
I think we can expect just about every team who turn up at Carrow, will be opening the gates to park their coach, I kept think that they could at the end say job done, and City still had not found a sure fire way of breaking through, perhaps if the 23rd person on the pitch had not had a reason for giving the spot, we would not have done. But the what if;s and if only’s are not needed he did and we did and that is all that matters.
That isn’t the first time we have ground out a win, sometimes it is luck and sometimes with a little help , it shows to me that the players have grown up to competing in the hurly burly of the championship. ,
As for Marco Stiepermann, he has been given the chance to get in his best position and he is taking it, not full back or defensive midfield, But this type of player was always in there, at last a round peg in a round hole for him, we get to see & enjoy , I am Not surprised at all. but highly delighted.
Like Colin down in Cardiff, I prefer this league more than the Prem, another test lays round the next corner, I know we won’t face a team that we have next to no chance of getting something from the game .. For me that makes for a more enjoyable time all together, when things are clicking anyway.
Thanks again Martin for a good monday opener
Cheers Lad.
I think your opening para pretty much nails down exactly how most of us are feeling just now tbh.
Round pegs in round holes is something I advocate as well – I bet Marco would play in goal if he was asked to but he has been truly impressive in that advanced mid slot, he really has.
I can’t remember for sure but when I went to Wigan Pier (a sarcastic reference to a collier jetty) I think they were still non-league. Tempus fugit and all that.
Good post and thanks.
It was a scrappy affair to be sure but these days we are winning those games. The highlight of the match for me was the substitutions! Perhaps Farke is learning after all. We needed to change it up and did so with time left on the clock which has not happened in the past. I do think that we need to make some slight adjustment to get Rhodes in the team he looks sharp to me and would surely have taken one or two of the chances we created. We keep living the dream!
Hi Cyprus
Interesting point about Rhodes. When Kenny McLean and Onel Hernandez return Daniel Farke will surely have some thinking to do. Plus there’s Ben Marshall as well.
I don’t see DF playing a 4-4-2 but Pukki can drop deeper so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
As many before me have said, Farke has a nice problem in terms of selection but at the moment I’m firmly on the side of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.
My only slight concern was that both Jamal and Max were totally stifled, but Farke put Louis Thompson on at the right time as you so correctly say.
Tough one on Wednesday!
A good run of results, which hopefully has gone some way to vindicating Farke and Webber and maybe has provided a bit of credit in the bank for if (not when) we have a run of bad results.
Although we have been brilliant the last few games, and it seems illogical to break a winning formula, my gut feeling is we need to start changing our starting 11 for a few reasons:
1) Teams are starting to look at us as a threat and plan to nullify us, so making changes disrupts these plans;
2) We have a big squad, with a number of players coming back from injury (Mclean, Vrancic, hernandez etc) and we should utilise this to keep things fresh; and
3) I went to the Arsenal cup match last year where we were on a great run and we had fielded a near identical starting lineup to the 5 previous games. They battled their guts out for 120 mins but in the end were beaten and following that game we had a big of a slump, the players looked jaded and basically knackered – we need to prevent something like this happening again.
Thanks London.
You make some excellent points.
Sure the bad results will come but this time in the Carabao it’s Bournemouth away. I’d stick with the “shadow squad” for that one if I were Farke. but that’s just my view.
The most positive thing to me is that if others see us as a threat we surely must be just that.
A good feeling really.
Great Monday morning stuff as always Martin.
Yes; we’re now at the 10 game marker, and I wonder how many of us thought we’d be where we now find ourselves after 5?? (I was certainly worried given the loss of both Hanley and Hernandez).
Oh; ye of little faith!!
As you correctly point out, we do get some very questionable referees. Wigan were clever and feisty with no comebacks from him, and then Aarons gets booked for what seemed to be his first offence.
What Saturday reminded me of were a number of matches during the Lambert era – where despite not playing too well, and being on the wrong side of some dubious decisions NCFC still find a way to win.
Whilst neither Aarons nor Buendia were anywhere near their best, and Cantwell was the victim of one or two rather juicy challenges they kept going. Full marks to Herr Farke for early and ultimately game-winning substitutions – and another mention for a great performance from Steipermann. Another goal or two from him cannot be far away, and Wednesday at Derby would be a great time/place to carry it all on.
Given the opposition, 9 points or more from October and I’ll be a happy bunny!
O T B C
Thank you John.
I must admit the referee issue is starting to concern me. I know we can’t have Mike Dean (the ref I respect the most) officiating as we’re not in the PL but Gavin Ward was truly pathetic because he surely must have seen that game degenerating into a kicking contest whilst doing nothing about matters to correct the situation. Even Simon Hooper (over the full 90) is better than that.
Wigan were not particularly dirty, just hard because they knew referee Ward would not stop them.
Nine points this month would make me a rejoicing rabbit too!
Hi Martin
Another enjoyably read for possible a hard game to analyse but it helped make a great weekend with Europe winning the Ryder Cup not my sport but do I like getting one over the yanks.
Sad news last week for Spurs with Chas passing away but didn’t they do well at both games to commemorate him.
Norwich found an 11 plus 1 to beat on Saturday and I will give Paul Cooke his due he said the first pen was a 100% but his remark saying the Ref gave the second to make up for not giving the first might come vack and bite him.
I wasn’t sure about Krul when city signed him thinking all his injuries had taken their toll and he was well past his best, but he is gradually getting his form and confidence back which can only help to tighten up the defence.
Stieperman is showing what we always hoped he had in his locker but as you alluded to he wants to play and will cover any position when asked
Pukki is playing a blinder even Celtic supporters can’t believe how good he is proving to be, maybe a late developer.
Aaron looking to be a good find from the academy but needs to stop getting silly yellow cards or his season will be short.
Zimmermann is proving he is a great fit for either Hanley or Klose and it will take a lot to shift him now he is in the side.
Team Farke are proving they have what it takes to be successful in this league and keep the harpingers of doom and gloom at bay but a small slip and the sack them brigade will be out in force again.
Bring on Derby and I hope Bradley Johnson has a bad game at least it is on the Sky Red Button again so will beable to watch it
OTBC
Hi Alex
Have to kick off with the Chas reference. Saw them three or four times once supporting Led Zep at Knebworth in I’ll guess 76.
Me the missus and number two son saw Chas ‘n’ Dave at St Andrew’s Hall a couple of years back. Along with some of Jonny’s mates.
I got the thumbs-up from Dave Peacock for wearing full Cockney kit including waistcoat, braces and flat cap! Had a brief word with him afterwards – lovely guy.
Paul Cook was honest enough for me in his after-match assessment. I do remember him playing for us but not in any kind of stand-out way. A bit like a guy we had called David Smith. You were there when they played, but…
As ever thanks for the comment.
Enjoyable read again Martin.
I was level wi the first penalty and simply could not understand why it was not given. Pukki had the ball under his control, was a yard clear of the defender and the keeper was racing off his line. Pukki, with a goal in each of his last five games had already picked his spot and was in the act of steadying himself when the red faced centre half clattered into the back of him. It’s refereeing of this standard that threatens the integrity of football itself.
If indeed ward did have a pang of conscience and penalise the tug on pukki later in the game then two wrongs made a right and the correct result was reached.
Having criticised farke on this site before, it’s only right that I give fulsome praise where it’s due. The run of five wins is staggering, given the injury problems in key areas. On Saturday, it was plain that the younger players were struggling, that we were missing some pace on the wings, particularly that of Hernandez who I thought would have opened up Wigan. The changes implemented worked to a tee and Vrancic, Thompson and Rhodes must all be on the verge of a starting place. All three looked in a rich vein of form and lively and the young players are looking jaded after such a busy period of games.
Stiepermann, yet again was my man of the match, a revelation since the Cardiff cup win, a first name on the team sheet and an early contender for POTS if he maintains this form.
Derby next up and a draw would be a very good result. Fingers crossed for the red button bonus on Wednesday. Six straight wins could never happen, could it?
Hi Chris
Great post and I don’t disagree with a word of it.
Hernandez should be back soon
I’d pick out Christoph Zimmermann as a rival to Marco for PotS – but we’re only 10 games in.
As the Northern Soul crowd say, Keep The Faith!
A few years ago, one of my fellow directors thought he was onto a good thing. He was due to present to a client based in the north-west, and was promised that afterwards they’d take him to a match. Checking the fixtures, it was clear he’d be seeing Man Utd’s Champions League game that night at Old Trafford.
He thought wrong. They actually took him to a League Cup (whatever it was called then) game at Wigan. It was freezing cold and the crowd was around 3,000. He can’t remember the score, or anything beyond being relieved to get back to his hotel room.
Way back in college days I had a girlfriend in Wigan. But that’s another story…
Come on Stew
Please share the tale of your last para…………..
A gentleman doesn’t divulge details, of course. But I do recall cosy afternoons in her room, followed by freezing waits at Wigan North Western for the train home….
Ha!
There was another band called Wigan’s Ovation who had a minor mid 70s hit with a truly terrible song called Skiing On Snow.
Another good win and it sounds like it was the kind of performance that we’ll have to be able to produce if we continue the recent success. I’m still not going to get too excited until we’ve played 20 games but I am loving the moment.
I’ll be supping the corporate pint at Derby on Wednesday. Hopefully I’ll leave my host disappointed. I’ll be at Carrow Road for my first home game of the season on Saturday preceded by Friday night at The Waterfront watching The Rezillos. Carling don’t make weekends, but if they did……
Ha! The Rezillos
With Fay Fyfe and that bloke (Eugene somebody?) singing Can’t Stand My Baby and Top of the Pops. Utterly excellent. For a bunch of Scots anyway!
Give me a mail to let me know where you’ll be before the Stoke match and I’ll try to catch up with you.
Cheers Don
Wonder if Passlack might get a run instead of Aarons? The young lad has done brilliantly and in the long term will be a big asset, but from what people are saying he might just benefit from a few games to take stock of what he’s learned.
The point above about Aaron’s unnecessary cards is a good one, something Ben Godfrey’s got to watch too.
Hi Keith
I haven’t seen enough of Passlack to judge but I would think that should Aarons be rested then Ivo Pinto is probably above him in the pecking order.
We’ll find out on Wednesday evening!