The Pies V The Trotters

An excruciatingly embarrasing performance - gutless, feeble, devoid of skill and commitment, in short an utter disgrace. Connolly apart, none of the players looked to have the slightest interest in trying to win the game. As early as the third minute, the game was up when the defence simply stood and watched as Garner nodded in a cross. Parky’s selection was again idiotic. Why play the lumbering Lowe against speedy opponents? It took less than a minute for that blunder to be exposed. Thank God Lowe injured himself otherwise we could have been looking at a cricket score.

You could argue that we were unlucky with the deflected second goal and you could point to another absolutely priceless schoolboy error from Matthews. But the truth is these players are playing for neither the club, nor the manager. Wigan were jittery all game and could easily have been beaten, but we never reall tried.

Of course we know that relegation is now a certainty, if the club survives that is. But it is also clear that Parky is wholly to blame for this. His ultra defensive and tactically inept approach saw to it that any confidence built up by a freakishly good start to the campaign was steadily eroded by so many failures to win eminently winnable games. He should resign tonight. As to the players being demotivated by KA’s behaviour, rubbish. They are professional sportsmen and must leave all that behind as soon as they take to the pitch. Sadly, I think the chairman has basically given a manager, coaching and playing staff a free pass to excuse themselves for disgracefully inadequate performances. Clear the lot out, if there is something to clear them out from in the summer and start again. That’s the best it is possible to achieve.

What a dreadful performance.



Weak – beaten on the ball many many times.

Skill less – I can hardly think of one decent pass that we made – all hoofball.

Tactic less – just a case of run around and see what happens



Apart from scoring 2 goals against a very weak Wigan defence, we were an embarrassment.



The manager made his usual changes and played 2 upfront with Lowe at right back.

We set off badly and just did not compete at all for the whole 90 minutes.

Wigan saw Lowe at right back and took him on. He got skinned straight off which we survived and then again but this time he gave a stupid free kick away.

Defensively we just slept. Wigan put over a really good hard centre and no one attacked it, leaving Garner a simple head in. Where was Hobbs or Beevers – no one marking their main striker?

We were shambolic – it was just a case of high balls hoofed forward to Donaldson or Magennis who could do little with it. Wigan defence was poorish though so there were a couple of close calls. Connolly headed over from a good position and O’Neill failed to play the ball when clear on the right. We were scary in defence each time Wigan attacked.

It somehow got to half time at 1-0 but we had been terrible. I cannot think of any decent forward passes, it was all hoof.


The hope was that the manager could organise them at half time – not a chance!


Ameobi replaced Donaldson at half time and we attacked a bit but defensively, we gave up.

We were wide open down their right for the Wigan man to have a clear 20 yards run into the box and score. There was just no defensive shape at all.

No sooner had we conceded goal 2, Matthews cocked up. He had the ball in his hands and threw it on the floor to kick without seeing the Wigan man behind him. Of course, he ran round, took the ball and squared it for Powell to roll in. Amateurish!

We then started a bit of attacking and O’Neill blasted in when the ball bobbled about in the Wigan area.

So could we do a miracle recovery? No! Almost immediately our midfield opened to leave the Wigan man running clean through. He shot from quite a distance out and scored. It was a good shot but a distance.

Again, we came back and Magennis had a lovely chance but totally misheaded. Fortunately, the mishead fell to Ameobi to blast in.

Again, could we do a miracle recovery? No! Straight from the kick off Wigan launched it down the left towards the flag. Olkowski decided to let it run out for a goal kick and was caught. The ball was taken off, crossed and after a scramble seemed to be cleared. The ball went out to the right and, as happened throughout the match, a Wigan man was first to the ball, centred it and Clarke totally out jumped 2 defenders (Olkowski and Hobbs I think) to head in. The defenders should have cleared and I’m not sure if Matthews couldn’t have taken it.

And it still wasn’t over! Wigan hit the post when Noone got nudged off the ball.



It was a really pathetic performance. No guts. No determination. No positive tactics.

No hope.





There will be no reaction to this result as so-called take-over issues will overshadow it. Phil Parkinson should go after this capitulation





Marks

Matthews - 2 Terrible mistake for goal 3. Without seeing any replays, I am a bit doubtful about him on goals 4 & 5.
Lowe - -1 On the field for 5 minutes – beaten twice by the winger. The second one resulted in the goal conceding free kick and also a booking.
Beevers - 3 Outfought totally. His defensive headers are dreadful – straight to the opposition.
Hobbs - 2 How he justified being in the starting line up, I don’t know after Tuesday. Well, today he was worse. So slow to react to anything.
Taylor - 3 Just too slow. Caught often (where was he for goal 2?). Never able to assist the attack.
Connolly - 3 Totally outplayed by Wigan midfield. Headed over from a good chance in first half.
Williams - 3 Outplayed, outthought. Dreadful forward passing. Should have conceded when he was caught in possession.
O’Neil - 4 Traumatic first half when Jacobs and Robinson just ran past him every time. Deadball taking was poor – often hit the first man.
Buckley - 1 I say it every match; On the pitch for 80+ minutes and what did he do? I can’t think of any contribution to this game.
Donaldson - 3 Only lasted half the match and did some running but that’s all.
Magennis - 2 Dreadful. He hardly won anything or held the ball up. He should have scored but put in such a terrible header that it fell to Ameobi for goal 2.
Olkowski - 2 Was he fit? If not, he shouldn’t be on the bench but he was awful.
Ameobi - 5 At least he scared Wigan a bit.
Noone - 2 Wouldn’t normally give a mark for such a short time but he was caught in the possession and made such a weak attempt to keep the ball and it led to Wigan hitting the post.

How did Parky manage to get from Wigan to Twickenham in time to do the half time teamtalk?