EPL Team Profile – Wigan
The formal name of the club is Wigan Athletic Football Club or Wigan Athletic FC. They are popularly known as the Latics and train at their home venue, the DW Stadium, in Greater Manchester, England, with a capacity of just over 25,000.
Founded in 1932, Wigan is the youngest team in the Premier League.
The club’s owner is Dave Whelan, and the manager, Roberto Martinez.
They were only promoted to the Premier League in 2005 and finished last season 16th in the league table.
In the current season, Wigan started poorly, losing 4-0 to Blackburn and 6-0 to Chelsea in their first two games. Then they gave the surprise by beating Tottenham 1-0 in the third.
Early Season Preview:
I wouldn’t blame you if at first glance you were pessimistic about Wigan’s prospects this season. They have lost some quality players, who delivered for the Latics last season, and the season before.
However, with Robert Martínez at the helm and a striker of the caliber of Hugo Rodalegga, anything is possible. And Wigan could surprise us all yet.
The team that beat Tottenham in the match of the third round of the current season understood from:
Al Habsi, Gohouri, Alcaraz, Boyce, Stam, Figueroa, McCarthy, Thomas, Diame, Boselli, Rodallega, Pollitt, Caldwell, Mustoe, Watson, Gomez, McArthur and McManaman.
Left-back Maynor Figouroa has always been a good player, hence his great popularity with fans and rival clubs.
Indeed, Wigan’s biggest concern should be keeping Figouroa, or they could drop them, just as their predecessors Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia did.
With Sunderland managing to lure out Titus Bramble, there is a greater burden on Wigan and Figuoroa alike to keep their target safe from opposing forwards.
Crystal Palace’s Victor Moses is in his second season with Wigan, and is believed to have a lot of potential that could well be fulfilled this season.
Martínez has signed Antolin Alcaraz and Ronnie Stam, with extensive experience playing in Europe, as potential replacements for Titus Bramble. He has also brought in James McArthur and Mauro Boselli.
Goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi is on loan at Wigan from Bolton.
The most significant departure is that of former skipper Mario Melchiot.
A relegation battle looks imminent for Wigan, and their first two matches were not the start the team would have envisioned.
In the latest news from the transfer window deadline day yesterday, Wigan have done well by signing Franco Di Santio from Chelsea, and also getting Tom Cleverly on loan from Manchester United.
And their win over Spurs in Game 3 bodes well for the Latics, who could avoid relegation without finishing much better than last year.