Latics got a bit of a stuffing at Gigg lane in the FA cup 1st round yesterday, individual errors, sloppy play and not a lot of conviction going forward, a game to forget, luckily enough it wasn’t in the league but it did bring to an end the 10 match unbeaten run.
Pregame Gary Caldwell and his players had been speaking to the media building the tie up and I for one expected it to be a humdinger of a contest, but just like the weather it was a bit of a washout and we ended up with a smacked botty.
Rich O’Donnell was brought back into the side, presumably to give him a bit of a confidence boost, unfortunately that back fired dramatically when he spilled a powder puff header from Bury striker Tom Pope onto the post and the ball trickled over the line, it was all downhill from there.
Haris Vuckic was given a start to get him some match fitness, he looked like a man who hasn’t played much recently, considering he has had just 45 minutes first team action since last season that was spot on!
Gary Caldwell was left ’embarrassed’ by what he saw, he said he’d have liked to have made 14 changes in the second half, that’d take some doing, whilst his Bury counterpart David Flitcroft was delighted and described the win as ‘as good a performance as we’ve had all season’.
After the game both bosses spoke to the media let’s take a look at what they had to say:
Latics boss Gary Caldwell – ‘It’s probably the lowest I have been since I got the job; everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
‘We have to take it on the chin, we had great support and we apologise to the fans because it was obviously not good enough both in terms of the result and the performance.
‘I thought we started well in the game and had opportunities to score but we said before the game that they wouldn’t keep coming so we knew we had to be clinical and we weren’t.
‘The first goal is a mistake and we crumbled after that as a team and that is not something we’ve done this season, it’s a massive disappointment but we regroup and go again.
‘You have to rally round and do something about a mistake like that and I don’t think we played at all after that, we have to be more hungry in both boxes.’
‘I wish I’d been able to bring on 11 subs at half-time to be honest – and then another three in the second half’
‘It was one of those days where I don`t think anyone associated with Wigan Athletic can be happy with their day’s work.
‘I’m a little bit embarrassed, to be honest.
‘It’s obviously my responsibility to pick the team, I prepare the team, and I shoulder more responsibility than anyone.
‘We had great support once again, and we have to say sorry to the fans.
‘I’ll be having a long, hard look before Tuesday night about picking a team I believe will be good enough to beat Blackpool.
‘And the people send out there on the park have to take their opportunity better than the 14 who played at Bury.’
The Two Gary’s – Caldwell and Flitcroft
By permission of Bernard Platt/Wigan Athletic
Bury boss Gary Flitcroft – ‘We beat them in the Capital One Cup and we’ve beat them in the FA Cup.
‘That’s how we perform, we’ve been performing consistently for two years now.
‘The lads believe they can beat any team we play. I send out that message to this group, to never feel the opposition is superior and to make sure they back each other up in everything they do. They certainly did that today.
‘We knew where we could hurt them, we wanted to get crosses in and penetrate the box. We did that, and to keep the clean sheet as well, comprehensive is a good word to describe it.
‘It was probably as good a performance as we’ve had since I took over.
‘Every single one of them had a team ethic. It was a real team performance and that’s what has got us the victory.
‘I love this competition and to be in the next round was the key.’
Check out the latest PWU Podcast – Swindon Review, Bury & Blackpool Preview
Contents: Guten tag, Herr Barnes (0:00); Swindon review with Dan’s Off The Terrace Report (2:00), thrilling 10 minute freeview (7:20) and the Vigouroux Show (13:40); Grant thrown to the Wolves, Holtmaster Comeback Trail cancelled?! (20:00); The race to lose Manager of the Month (24:00); Yet Another Shakers Preview: Barry’s Bury factfile (25:30), mixed predictions (30:00); Paul’s bright and breezy (phhrt) History of Blackpool (35:00) including Crime and Deviance report (39:40), aborted predictions (41:20), Boycey’s coming home (44:10); more Blackpool facts and flatulent outros (45:10)
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