Rangers (away)

[Made in Wigan]

Not quite sure why it took 90 minutes for people to realise Naismith isn't a left back.

Gibson isn't what we need and will be a waste of a signing and wage imo.

Disagree about James, I think he'd improve and get better with games. Whether he'll get that opportunity when Byrnes fit is debatable and whether we can afford the luxury of bedding him in is another argument entirely. However he can play right back and that's the most important thing so we needn't worry about that position.

Bruce didn't look great but he's been re signed as cover so will be starting, though another cb won't go amiss if burns out for any length of time.

Pacey strikers cost money. The maths don't work for flogging Cole and signing another which is why his departure is odd. I hope we reconsider releasing him.

I'm not clued up about the quality in our development squad and no idea who plays left back in it but unless we bring someone in I'd be throwing them in the deep end on Saturday in the absence of any credible alternative.

 

[OnLoanfromEnfield]

I'm not clued up about the quality in our development squad and no idea who plays left back in it but unless we bring someone in I'd be throwing them in the deep end on Saturday in the absence of any credible alternative.

Funny that you should mention the Wigan Athletic Development squad .... after being binned, it is now back. Callum Lang played for the Dev squad last week in a friendly (and scored twice).

 

[Made in Wigan]

Funny that you should mention the Wigan Athletic Development squad .... after being binned, it is now back. Callum Lang played for the Dev squad last week in a friendly (and scored twice).

Cool. Can he play left back as well?!

Seems odd he's in that this year, was with the first team last pre season. Perhaps he maybe bait in some of these Everton loan deals given their reported interest earlier in the summer.

 

[king_dezeeuw06]

Not quite sure why it took 90 minutes for people to realise Naismith isn't a left back.

Gibson isn't what we need and will be a waste of a signing and wage imo.

Disagree about James, I think he'd improve and get better with games. Whether he'll get that opportunity when Byrnes fit is debatable and whether we can afford the luxury of bedding him in is another argument entirely. However he can play right back and that's the most important thing so we needn't worry about that position.

Bruce didn't look great but he's been re signed as cover so will be starting, though another cb won't go amiss if burns out for any length of time.

Pacey strikers cost money. The maths don't work for flogging Cole and signing another which is why his departure is odd. I hope we reconsider releasing him.

I'm not clued up about the quality in our development squad and no idea who plays left back in it but unless we bring someone in I'd be throwing them in the deep end on Saturday in the absence of any credible alternative.

I don't think any of us really saw much of Naismith to judge what he was or wasn't capable of. Our management team worked with him before and knew him well and they were the ones who said he could be a left back. You'd like to think if they say that he's been showing good signs in training or something and the fact he was a left back as a young lad suggested he might be another Nathan Byrne, a winger who's true calling is a wing back. So we gave them the benefit of the doubt but it only took about 15 minutes of the game to know that they are wrong on that count - Naismith was obviously not cut out for the role. Unless he had the worst game of his life and is usually drastically better I'm not sure how they could ever have thought he was a left back on the basic lack of fundamental defensive ability he showed. And fair enough to the lad he's only playing where he's told and maybe up the park he'd be better but playing Naismith at left back was a bit like when Caldwell was playing Yanic there 2 years ago you could tell within a few mins it was an accident waiting to happen.

Agree on Gibson - very unimpressed, he looked like he couldn't run anymore. I'd say he's not even a patch on Perks, and he wasn't what he was - but at least he could still get around the pitch.

 

[OnLoanfromEnfield]

Yanic being played at right back was a tactical switch after the Birmingham game. Luke Burke had a dicky hamstring. Nathan Byrne having not done a great deal for Wolves during pre season and was not fully fit.
Gary Caldwell also noted at the time that coaches had watched Nottingham Forest and they had different formations for every one of those games. Whilst Yanic may not have been a success during that game ... Wigan were right in the game despite some shocking errors (Burn, Morgan, Garbutt, Powell, players allowing a very quick free kick).
Compared to Luke Garbutt , Kal Naismith looks a solid left back ......

Oh dear ....I'm still yearing for Yanic back again and wishing we had signed Callum Paterson for the extra money.