Our goal threat has certainly improved since Paul Cook took over as manager. Our 40 league goals in the Championship was the joint lowest in the division last year, and we have emphatically turned that on its head this year with our 79 goals in all competitions.
We haven`t rested on our laurels in the goalscoring stakes either, and James Vaughan`s signing from Sunderland, and Devante Cole`s arrival from Fleetwood, were meant to add to the goals that the likes of Grigg and Powell have contributed during our promotion push so far.
Yet things haven`t been plain sailing for the pair since they arrived. While James only got his first start last weekend, Devante was only named on the bench for the first time against Rochdale. Still the manager believes the options he has at his disposal now offer greater tactical flexibility, with two strikers up front now a possibility. The boss was quoted by Wigan Today as saying:
“We know he`ll [Vaughan] score goals as well as creating goals for others, and it gives us the option of going with two up top. With Devante having also joined us in the window, I really feel we`re in a very lucky position at the moment, and they`ll all hopefully play a part in our future success.”
On Sunday I doubt that the gaffer will err away from the tried and test formula of the Grigg and Powell combination that has worked so well, but there will be times when a different approach will be needed, especially at home.
The DW stadium hasn`t been too great for us in the league recently. We haven`t scored in four of our last six games at home, and we haven`t looked to make any real changes to our tactics.
Having two up top as Cook suggests could be the solution. Our January signings offer two very different approaches. One provides an aerial threat to compliment Grigg`s strength and ability to hold up the ball. The other can play deeper, and can offer a different threat to defences, which we don`t currently have.
Whether either signing are good enough for us we don`t yet know considering their lack of games, but I would certainly like our manager to try a few different things in the coming weeks, and utilise the pair when coming up with plans to unlock the opposition.
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