Enter the Piedome. Two men enter, one man leaves.

[General Mannerheim]

Yes i would like to see them 3, plus the wingers and 1 up front! (or them 3, plus the wingers and 2 up front with 3 at the back which works a treat for me on Fifa )

Im not saying its the perfect lineup by any stretch, just would have liked it to happen yesterday in the 2nd half, when Elmo was tired and they were running rings round our midfield.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

I agree with BWFCI (blimey!). Muamba does destroy a lot of our attacks due to his poor technique, and he isn't really tactically aware enough to be a real top class defensive midfielder either. He has lots of good attributes, but really hasn't got the complete package to be a decent player in any role....yet.

If we had a Gary Speed in there with Holden, as he is playing at the moment, then our central midfield would be as good as a two man midfield could be for a non-benefactored club.

Tom is right also. We should expect Holden's form to dip at some point, and then he will probably appear quite a poor player, given he does not excel at creating or scoring, which is what you tend to notice most about players. At the moment though he looks fantastic.

[Lord Kangana]

Well thats a cheery outlook. Lets hope his form dips like Nolan's, after about 5 good seasons in the top flight.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Well thats a cheery outlook. Lets hope his form dips like Nolan's, after about 5 good seasons in the top flight.

Hopefully. But he is a premiership novice. It would be amazing if he didn't have a dip in form at some point during what will be a long season for him, being our main player in a two man midfield, often up against three in there. If he doesn't then he really will be some player. Hopefully Mavies will be an effective replacement when required.

[as]

I thought we were screaming out for another man in midfield (Mavis) yesterday, possibly at the expense of either ineffective wingers or later instead of the tired Elmo. As good as Holden is, id love to see him and Mavis together more, they seem to be on a similar wavelength and both try to play football, but id still have Moo in there as the muscle tho.

We really missed the threat of Klasnic from the bench, but at least it gave Rodders the chance to impress, and i think he did - id like to think we'll see them both come off the bench in future.

As for Petrov, he was much improved from WBA and Stoke, but still not up to much - he definitely has that little bit of class though that will sooner or later win us a game tho. id stick with him, but only because we have no better options.

i really wish Steinsson had the ability to match his effort, but its got to be time to try Ricketts!

Following was ok in numbers but far from full, and pretty quiet too where i was put. Still bugs me we dont sell it out tho, this and Blackburn - i know they're bigger clubs n'that but even Tottenham & Arsenal take more than we do to these fixtures, and they probably have to lay out a fair bit more for the privilege!? its a nice buzz when you have a ticket for a sold out game, sadly a feeling ive not had since The Carling Cup final!

Far from full? Where you even at the game?

I was one of the 'pay on the gate' fans, and there were queue's stretching as long as the stand to get in, we missed the first 15 mins and by the time us late-comers got in, we'd almost filled the right hand side of the stand, ie the whole stand.

Spurs and Arsenal haven't taken more to the DW than we did on Saturday, don't talk wet.

Bugs me when people moan about attendances, when they're talking out of their a*se

[KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab]

The Nazis overblow the challenge, telling lies about what Martinez said about the challenge into the bargain.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... nager.html?

Scum.

[Lord Kangana]

Good grief.

Even Martinez said he was perfectly entitled to go for the ball because it was a hospital pass. What the f*ck do these people want, a game of basketball where you just take it in turns to have a goal until the final whistle or bell or whatever they use?

[Montreal Wanderer]

Good grief.

Even Martinez said he was perfectly entitled to go for the ball because it was a hospital pass. What the f*ck do these people want, a game of basketball where you just take it in turns to have a goal until the final whistle or bell or whatever they use?

Indeed Martinez blamed his captain for a hospital pass in the same paper that called it an X-rated tackle.

[Lennon'sEleven]

I enjoyed Saturday - made a last minute decision to go.

Such a difference to the last time I was there - the infamous 1-0 defeat.

On that occasion, the chanting was entirely negative (nothing but "your mum's your dad, your dad's your mum, you're interbred..." over and over).

Obviously we took the chance to laugh at Wigan as a place, but this time it was broken up with cheering for Coyle, Elmander, SKD et al. No wonder we have found the ability to come back from behind. They scored, and the fans rallied behind the players, two substitutions were made to try and change the game, and bingo: equaliser.

What would have happened if we had been more positive as supporters during the Megson years? Who knows, but I like what I heard from our fans after we went 1-0 down.

Petrov, in my opinion, however, had a shocker. 3 promising attacks in the 1st half stopped when he got the ball and tried to cut in instead of hitting Davies/Elmander or just firing a cross in to see what happened.

We didn't get a single corner to my memory, and that must have something to do with our relucctance in the 1st 20 minutes - when we were on top - to fire in a shot/cross.

The bloke next to me was distraight to see Taylor come on. But he crossed for Moreno to shoot, and was a right pest in the build up to the goal. He made more in 20 minutes than Petrov did during his time on the pitch (in my opinion)

i still think we should start with Petrov - he needs time to settle - but we should be happy to have someone like Taylor on the bench if it isn't working out.

Anyway. Elmander scored againm which will keep his much-needed confidence up. And Holden looks like a better ball winner than Muamba.

It wasn't a deserved point in my opinion (I spent the majority of the second half waiting for Wigan to score), but a point nonetheless. If we keep picking up points when we don't expect to, we'll be fine.

[hisroyalgingerness]

I enjoyed a second half of "Wigan's number 2, Wigan's Wigan's number 2"

[FaninOz]

The Nazis overblow the challenge, telling lies about what Martinez said about the challenge into the bargain.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... nager.html?

Scum.

Very unfair article in my opinion as there is no way that Muamba meant anything but to get the ball which he did. The lad wasn't the same after that as he was "afraid" to go into a tackle for the rest of the game. Very sad that this article is meant to further upset him, even though in the interview that I saw Martinez did not critisize Muamba for going in for the tackle, yet it now appears that he is quoted as doing so. Even the BBC is repeating these claims.

Most unfortunate all round particularly for young McCarthy who was on the receiving end of a most unfortunate injury, but Muamba doesn't deserve to be hung, drawn and quartered for it.

[boltonboris]

Martinez has changed his tune..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 124509.stm

Wigan midfielder James McCarthy is expected to be out of action for up to 10 weeks with the ankle injury he sustained against Bolton on Saturday.

McCarthy, 19, was hurt after a tackle by Trotters midfielder Fabrice Muamba during the 1-1 draw.

"It was an unnecessary challenge, it was not malicious but it was reckless," said Latics manager Roberto Martinez.

"One of the most creative young players in the League is going to be out for up to 10 weeks. That is a football crime."

McCarthy has made 11 appearances for Wigan so far this season but was carried off after 30 minutes against Bolton.

"It is a little bit better than we thought at first but it is obviously ligament damage in the right ankle," added Martinez.

"When it is swollen it is sometimes difficult to assess but there is no fracture, we hope."

The Scot joined the club from Hamilton in July 2009, with the Latics seeing off competition from several English clubs, including Wolves, to sign the player.

"He has been sensational," stated Martinez. "Sometimes it is hard to understand the age of James.

"He plays with a great maturity and understanding and the level of performance has been so consistent for a young man it shows you the quality he has got.

"When he comes back he will be stronger and ready to make a real impact in the rest of the season."

[BWFC_Insane]

You'd think injuries were a new fangled thing that didn't happen 20 years ago.

[Lord Kangana]

Thats a manager bitter after finding out he'll lose a player for 10 weeks from a small squad. His initial reaction was much more to the point.

I'm getting to the point now where I just want our players to go down under the slightest challenge, because trying to be adult about it will cost us in this atmosphere of shite.

[hisroyalgingerness]

How many Wigan players ran up to the ref after the foul demanding action?

Big, fat zero. And why? Because it was a nothing challenge

[Armchair Wanderer]

Sounds like a bad day at the office all round. Lets take the point and move on.

I've not seen the highlights yet but soundbytes like those from Roberto Martinez today paint Muamba/Bolton with the same brush as that guy from Wolves and De Jong. Is that justified? Odds of Muamba getting sent off against Liverpool?

[CarlosHernandez]

In terms of the crowd... From my arm chair on Oz the away end looked as full as it's gonna get, with only the first couple of rows empty. Was a damn proud sight to see, and was even mentioned on the commentary.

[KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab]

Sounds like a bad day at the office all round. Lets take the point and move on.

I've not seen the highlights yet but soundbytes like those from Roberto Martinez today paint Muamba/Bolton with the same brush as that guy from Wolves and De Jong. Is that justified? Odds of Muamba getting sent off against Liverpool?

Totally unjustified. Seeing the challenge again, from a number of angles, shows Muamba stumbling just as he gets the ball, which is why he lands on the lad's ankle with his hamstring. The ball's there to be won, and it was nothing more than an unfortunate injury which was a by-product of an accidental clash of bodies. Put simply, if it's "X Rated", or as serious as it's being made out (given that no-one else was injured from a tackle this weekend), then we might as well let the soft buggers win, deem any passage of play which results in any player ending up on his bum a red card offence, and watch them moan about how we're not producing any decent defenders any more.

As for your second question, extremely likely given that he's coming up against the biggest diver in football (who ALWAYS gets away with it).

[Tombwfc]

Both comments from Martinez are fair, both after the game and now.

I seem to remember quite a few people buying into believing that a similarly poor challenge from De Jong was akin to attempted murder, it's just the way football is at the minute (the 'current climate' as Prufrock definately wouldn't say). I'm sure it won't bother the player.

[hisroyalgingerness]

What's confused me is that the media seem to have jumped on the bandwagon - and I'm not quite sure what they're setting out to achieve?