The Latics travelled to Macclesfield yesterday in what was a tricky 4th round FA cup tie, thanks to a Jordi Gomez penalty, some resolute defending and poor finishing from the home side we find ourselves excited about the draw for round 5
Latics boss Roberto Martinez was obviously pleased with the outcome and also delighted with the performance of debutant goalkeeper Joel Robles. Macc boss Steve King on the other hand wasn’t too pleased with the referee.
Let’s take a look at what both bosses have been saying:
Latics boss Roberto Martinez:
‘We knew that Macclesfield were on a good run in the cup because of their strong home record, so we expected a tough game. Steve King’s team deserve huge credit, because what they have achieved in this year’s competition is nothing short of impressive.
‘You could see that they were a brave team with a lot of threat in their play and from that point of view we`re very happy to have kept a clean sheet in the process of progressing in the competition.’
‘We put a lot of emphasis on scoring the first goal in the game because we knew it was going to be pivotal.
‘A second goal would have given us total control of the game but Macclesfield were very confident from the start, knew what they were doing at all times and made that difficult for us.
‘Overall, I thought we deserved the result for the chances we created going forwards and our strength in the opposite penalty box.
‘This was a massive test for him (keeper Joel Robles), it couldn’t have been more difficult with the atmosphere that surrounded the game and what was at stake.
‘He has been working very well in training since arriving, but in this match situation his communication was clear and his distribution was accurate.
‘Overall, his composure between the sticks showed how good a goalkeeper he is.’
‘I thought both sets of fans created a great atmosphere and our supporters were magnificent in making the game a special event.
‘To see them all in full voice was nice and I hope they can go home proud of an acute performance full of concentration and excited to be in the next round of the cup.’
Macclesfield boss Steve King:
‘I’m gutted really. I think we dominated the whole game
‘They had a 10 minute spell after they scored where they kept the ball. We should have had a penalty in the first half. I’ve just seen it on the TV again when Waide Fairhurst got pushed straight through the back. How he (East) has not given that, I can’t believe it.
‘The big decisions, he got one right and he got one wrong. Theirs was a penalty, no problem, but ours was a stonewall penalty.
‘As he came out at half-time I said: ‘Have a look’ but he wouldn’t look. I said: ‘My number’s in there so ring me and apologise to me tomorrow’ and he said: ‘I will’.
‘How he can’t see it from 10 yards away with no bodies in the way, he’s just pushed him through the back. That’s a massive decision, but the flipside to that is the boys have done magnificently well. They really worked their socks off and I thought they were fantastic.’
The latest edition of the PWU Wigan Athletic podcast is now available for download.
This week in the studio are Dan, Rob, Greg, Mick and Gareth who discuss in great detail the failings against Sunderland (00:00), bad goals conceded and lack of spark. The cup game at Macclesfield (22:00) is also previewed, what a great tie this is, the magic of the FA cup is talked about, slight disagreement amongst the team here.
There is also a preview of Tuesday nights Premier League game away at Stoke (40:00)
If you would like to get involved in the podcast or have any topics that you’d like to be discussed please get in touch at wigan@vitalfootball.co.uk marking your email PWU Podcast
The podcast can be downloaded from itunes or via our hosting site www.buzzsprout.com or by simply hitting the play button on the embedded player below
Thank you very much for listening, your support is very much appreciated
The PWU crew
Latics and Proud
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