On Sunday the 21st Everton will be exactly what Wigan Athletic doesn’t need in their headlights. Chelsea knocked them off the road last week; now it’s Everton’s turn to take a crack.

The Chelsea 4-0 monster trucking of Wigan last week was due to sloppy defending, as well as to their attempt to become a long term Premiership side.

Like pigs in the mud, Wigan is trying to wallow down for 3 more years in the Premiership. It’s the normal short term goal. Last year it was just to stay alive for another year. So how does the 1 year goal differ from their now 3 year goal?

Well, the Wigan that stayed out of the relegation zone last year plays differently then Wigan does now. Of-course there were some personnel changes (Bullard’s blown knee at Fulham and Chimbonda at right back for Spurs), but it was not a full team remake. They can’t afford it!

The real change is their offensive playing style; their style is closer to a sloppy Blackburn trying to play proper football by getting the ball to the flanks and having Emile Heskey head into the back of the net. But, they will take anything less then that if it leads to a goal. 

That is in sharp contrast to last year, where Wigan won with the long ball. Not necessarily over the top, but high speed Division 1 (English 2nd Division) rock ‘em sock ‘em football. Many believe that that style doesn’t, or couldn’t last in the top flight, even though it rules the school in the 1st Division. This is why Wigan and West Ham have started their transformation.

Like a little butterfly that is trying to spread its wings, Wigan is trying to reach the playing level of the Premiership. The problem with little butterflies is that they are still soft and weak from the cocoon birth and vulnerable to Monster Trucks or hunger Evertonian players.

Let it be known that with this change from what worked last year, this butterfly might not get to spread its wings next year, especially if Heskey’s goals dry up—there might not be any more Winged Wigan Warriors on the TV.
 
Some say good riddance, I say they have lost 3 straight and might not see a win until May.
 
These butterflies though will see through their growing pains and soar back to mid-flight next year.
 
Meditations from the Mongoose

This entry was posted on Friday, January 19th, 2007 at 8:00 pm and is filed under Soccer World, England. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.