Sub plot of today’s game

Today’s local derby against Bolton will be interesting for how the players perform as much as the result.

Last weeks performance at Blackburn was widely reviewed by the fans as very poor.

Excluding the chances Wigan spurned against a poor Blackburn side, passes went astray and there was a general lack of commitment from several players.

Is it as the club say, a switch off due to having sealed premier league football for another season or is there another reason?

The absence of Melchiot from last weeks team raises the question of whether there has been a problem in the camp. Bruce’s excuse that he played Boyce as a aerial defence instead of Melchiot could be accepted apart from why wasn’t Mario on the bench.

Strong rumours came out of the club earlier in the season that there was tension and observers at training sessions recently have reported that there appears to be tension between the two ( these are unsubstantiated ).

The team news today with either the Inclusion/exclusion of Mario will be awaited with interest.

The next is the Zaki issue, Bruce was correct in disciplining him but has said that his actions would have been more severe if we didn’t have such as small squad. Has Bruce’s inability to act more strongly affected the morale and team spirit within the camp and has Zaki’s frequent and flagrant breaching of club discipline caused a disruption of team harmony?

Mido/Zaki have allegedly not been getting on and the possibilty of them pairng up today will be watched with interest. Previously they have seemed poles apart on the pitch,

Kapo’s seemingly frequent anti WIgan outbursts appear to have gone unchecked and he currently appears to be first choice sub. This again raises questions about club discipline, as surely if his attitude and petulance is so bad then he should be banished to the stand for the rest of the season? Again it will be interesting to see if he features today.

Steve Bruce’s future at Wigan is another bone of conjecture. Local media once again this week have linked him with the Newcastle lad. Bruce is a Geordie through and through and has turned down the job once. If the opportunity came along again it is widely beleived that he will take the job.If moves are afoot then this may affect the teams morale and performance.

All the above is ifs buts and maybe but another set of reasons why today’s game will be watched for what doesn’t happen almost as much as what does.