With just five points to show from playing the three promoted sides in their opening three games, the Latics now find themselves in 17th place in the table.
Ominously the next three games for Roberto Martinez and his side are against two of the three sides in the bottom three. This could be easily defined as a make and break stage of the season.
Three defeats would see the Latics firmly rooted at the foot of the table whilst three victories would see the opposite, and a push into the upper echelons.
Games with Everton, Tottenham, and Aston Villa are not going to define the season so far as Wigan Athletic are concerned. It is the bread and butter fixtures against those teams in and around the relegation zone that are crucial.
The team so far seem to realise this and supporters have been left disappointed with the performances over the last four games. The so called footballing philosophy of Roberto Martinez seems to have been replaced with a drab, slow, often pedestrian, march towards the opposition goal mouth.
The attacking play is predictable and the pace is so slow that opposition defences have time to re-group and read Martinez’ programme notes before deciding how best to deal with a lone Wigan striker.
Di Santo is a very promising footballer. He is strong, tall, athletic, and energetic, he also has an eye for goal. For those who say that sounds silly given his present record in English football haven’t seen a 22 year old that seems a player re-born this season. It is perhaps unfair to him that Rodallega now faces a spell on the sidelines which has ramped up the pressure on the young Argentine to continue his scoring run.
The problem seems to lie with the fact that, even at the DW Stadium, Di Santo is left isolated and ploughing his lone furrow with little help or support from his team-mates.
Victor Moses hasn’t lived up to his billing as Charles N’Zogbia’s replacement. The young winger spends most of his time on the fringes of the game and seldom has much impact on the attacking play of the Latics.
The other flank remains a huge issue with Gomez inadequate, Stam too defensive, and McArthur a central midfielder.
There has been little secret made of my dislike for Jordi Gomez over the last week and his performance against Tottenham last week epitomised the isolation of Di Santo. Arguably the most creative player in the present Wigan Athletic ranks, Gomez was over-run by Scott Parker in the centre of the park before going missing on the wing.
The frustrating Spaniard wasn’t involved at Villa Park but Di Santo remained isolated as even when 2-0 down, the Latics focussed on remaining solid and the issue of damage limitation.
It is here where the issue of the transfer window can be considered. Neither Shaun Maloney nor Albert Crusat have been given a chance to influence this attacking void over the last three games.
Nor have they been given much chance to learn and adapt to the Premier League. Instead the Latics have continued to plod along to back to back defeats throughout an instantly forgettable month of September.
Both of Crusat and Maloney were signed as attacking players and neither have been given a chance to have an impact. In particular Martinez highlighted the signings as players who could have a immediate impact on the squad, just what we needed given some key summer departures (Tom Cleverley and Charles N’Zogbia).
Instead Latics fans have been left disappointed as both experienced professionals have been left with some large splinters in their backsides from some serious time bench warming in games where goals and attacking play has been drastically needed.
The centre of midfield cannot be ignored either when evaluating the attacking issues. Of the present trio, only Momo Diame looks like he wants to attack. Ben Watson appears to be on a short lease from Gary Caldwell and spends most of the game trotting five yards in front of the back four, whilst James McCarthy is another victim of management shackles. His youthful exuberance and optimism of last season has been replaced with a defensive and work-man like mentality.
Aligned with the lone striker, lack of impetus from the wings and full backs who dare not overlap, the result is a blunt attack. It was so very disappointing the hear Martinez harp on in Sam Allardyce esc post Villa as he highlighted the number of corners won as our major achievement.
Double figures in corners cannot beat two goals, and besides, we need to win at least ten corners before we see a half decent delivery.
Wigan Athletic are coasting from defeat to defeat on the premise that everything will be okay if they produced the most passes and win the most corners during a game.
Yes we have suffered some bad injuries to key personnel and lost our best player in the transfer window, but that is football, and we have to move on.
Supporters have been blessed with Roberto Martinez as manager, but we are in a period of bland complacency that is going to cost us our Premier League status unless we wake up.
The football needs to be played at pace, Crusat, Moses, di Santo and co. need to be allowed to run at defences and create chances. McCarthy, Diame, and Watson need to support the attacking play from the heart of the field. The very capable Van Aanholt, Figueroa, and Emmerson Boyce need to flood forward from full back.
In short we need to get back to basics with our attacking football. This is certainly not a call for the long ball and two strikers, just a call for more pace, power, and direction in our play.
Less of the predictable, more of the skilful improvisation that can remove a isolated defender from the game. Less of the dangerous passing that often gifts opposition players a free run on Al Habsi and more of a focus on getting our passing going in areas to hurt the opposition.
If we wanted to watch Allardyce-esc football he would have been appointed as manager two and a half years ago. The Latics support want to see the Roberto Martinez football in all its glory, not some half-assed defensive total football style that produces defeat after defeat.
Get the pace back, get the impetus back, get the drive back, and you’ll get the passion back. Remove the shackles and get the players attacking as we have some terrific young talent at our football club. The DW Stadium should be rocking in a fortnight against Bolton and only a win is good enough.
At the moment it would appear the Frenchman who spent 74 minutes on the Villa substitutes bench yesterday papered over more cracks than could be known last season. He has been shackled by McLeish and is set for a disappointing season. The Latics meanwhile are being shackled by their failure to replace the Frenchman and his attacking impetus.
Now is the time for Martinez to show his hand, are Crusat and Maloney Premier League players or should they be resigned to the re-branded development squad? Bolton, Fulham, and Newcastle over the next month could make or break our season, let’s please be more forward thinking.
For as forgettable of September was, for all the wrong reasons, hopefully October will be the month where the Latics firmly plant Blackburn and Bolton in the relegation zone and at the same time propel themselves away from the drop zone. The opposite doesn’t bare thinking about.
