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Just saw his goal on ITV - very tidy finish with the outside of his boot, although it was a little fortuitous in that it trickled in. I'm disappointed that he no longer seems prepared to cut in and hit the ball with his right foot. When he was playing for Derry, this is something he'd do constantly, to the point where he could strike it as well with his right as his left.
Goal!
Goal! Ipswich Town 1, Wigan Athletic 1. James McClean (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marc-Antoine Fortuné.
Currently 2-1 away to Ipswich.
Is McClean injured at the minute or is there any reason in particular as to why he didn't make the bench for yesterday's FA Cup semi-final?
Tactical omission, presumably because they needed more defensive options: https://twitter.com/PKendrickWIG/sta...14061135384577Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
They could have done with him after Arsenal equalised. Rosler had taken Wigan's best outlet, McManaman, off at that stage as well and any slight threat they had going forward was gone for the remainder of the game and extra time.
Yeah they also looked like they settled for the penos, with still 30 minutes to playQuote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
They are a limited Championship side, you hardly expected them to go toe to toe with Arsenal? I thought Rosler set them up very well and they defended excellently. I think most Wigan fans were worried when Caldwell come on and mystified when he stood up to take first penalty. Seemingly McMannaman took a knock which is why he came off. McClean still has a role to play in their last 5 games. I would have brought Maloney on instead of Powell who is a lazy selfish git with an inflated ego.Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
They were going toe to toe with them though, and causing them the occasional problem. I thought the substitution of McManaman was made with the view of seeing the game out, but kind of backfired when there was forty minutes left to play after Arsenal's equaliser. Fair enough if he was injured though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roberto
When I saw Caldwell stepping up I couldn't help thinking "what a gobsh!te". Probably Wigan's least technical player just wanting to show off his cojones! Maybe I'm wronging the man and he's actually an excellent penalty taker in practice or they were stuck for volunteers.
Interesting words about Nick Powell, I didn't realise that might be the perception.
I don't get why Gomez didn't take a penalty. I guess it's true that sometimes it's the players you least expect who bottle penalty shootouts.
It seems they were saving him to take the crucial fifth that never came.
Wigan fan's on Nick Powell!Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
http://www.cockneylatic.co.uk/forum/...35-nick-powell
Rossler was asked did they practice penalties and he replied 'I'm German, we don't need to!' However he has since added they will be practising them in case they get to the play off.
That's a bizarre strategy.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Ronaldo never got to take one against Spain in the Euros either due to saving himself for the fifth, presumably to grab the glory. He's missed a couple in shoot-outs over the years anyway.
Tut tut, must have looked at a very different game to me:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Roberto
Arsenal were no great shakes, their forwards were awful, and many times Wigan were 3 on 3, 2 on 2 but decided to play the ball back rather then go for the jugular. Both teams were pish.
I was thinking of that, yeah. Didn't understand it at the time, still don't. There is some value to keeping your best penalty taker until last (there is data that suggests the most important penalties are the first, second and fifth) but it kind of defeats the point if you send Gary Caldwell up firstQuote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
The fifth, if it comes, will always be a real pressure-kick, but I do agree it is a risky strategy bordering on foolish.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Statistics have shown that sending out your your best taker first is the way to go.
Scores to bring Wigan back to within a goal at home to Blackburn. They'll just about scrape fifth the way things are going, which will be a lot better a draw than sixth.
McClean with brilliant endeavour and cross to set up Wigan's go-ahead goal against QPR.
Booked for a blatant dive they say. Got sheepishly to his feet, the rascal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
it was a shocking dive
Go ahead goal? You watching your soccer on NBC?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Lay off TOWK, man. He showed great hustle to give us that update.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
How many players would not dive if they thought it would get them promotion to the Premiership?
Not many.
I'd be more concerned with the fact he had an open goal and all he had to do was side-foot it in with his right, but instead he went with his left and hit the post.
He did well for the first part, that move was all about him. His touch was a bit heavy and I thought he keeper was favourite to block the shot but his instincts betrayed him for the loose ball. Using his left was just wrong.
He seemed to be playing centrally, or like a table footballer, playing all along that line. He skinned Dunne well one time in the second half and throughout the game his pace and energy were impressive. But he lacks a bit of finesse that's for sure. I do think Rossler would have been better off playing him wide though as Wigan just couldn't get the ball to stick in the final third and they struggled to use the ball well at all in the second half.
In fairness to McClean he may have his limitations but he always works his socks off. The fact he played centrally highlights Wigan's problem all season i.e. they don't have a decent striker. QPR have Austin, Doyle, Zamora and Johnson and Wigan have Marc Antoine Fortune who couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. With the squad QPR have they should have ****ed the Championship.
Except that these days Doyle makes McClean look like a goal-scoring machine...though tbf, ask most QPR fans and it's all about Austin's goals, none of their other forwards seem too capable?
Plus Doyler's lost his mojo and don't see him getting it back anytime soon. Wolves should have taken that £4 million...
Doyle barely even plays up front these days though. He is still very valuable for Ireland as nobody can hold the ball up like him or Long and none of the other strikers - playing for the same place - are capable of scoring goals either, although Stokes simply hasn't been given a chance.
Walters just showed his ineptitude whilst playing up front for Stoke this weekend, missing a couple of sitters - one with his head - despite supposedly being good in the air.
I agree that Doyle still has a valuable role to play for Ireland but I was concerned by how much sharper and more effective Zamora looked when he came on.
Wigan had no fit strikers available so they were forced to play somebody up front, and McClean seemed the best option physically. I think Waghorn pushed up and McClean dropped off for extra time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
I didn't see anything too sheepish about it. Green berated him rightly and was responded to by McClean by a f*ck off. How dare you berate me for diving etc. Would have been nice had Green gone back for more-would like to have seen McClean get a slap. fkn diversQuote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
Little harsh on Walters i feel. He's scored a few premier elague goals which doesn't just happen by accident.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
He has done well for us when played up front. Austria at home comes to mind
Video of the dive here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wujDF1BKFV4
I've seen worse.
The thing is, he probably could have scored had he stayed on his feet. Stupid dive on many counts.
Ah, you Doire boys...
Hadn't seen it till just now, was listening on radio, but yeah, stay standing up and score was the smart move there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Predator
so...this happened earlier
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bni0cMnIIAAf50n.jpg
You'll need to start making more brash and ill-advised statements to keep him interested :)Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Very poor dive, he went down way to early, something else he needs to work hard on in training.