Areas for Improvement

With Transfer Deadline Day looming, Wigan’s only notable signing is that of Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi on a permanent deal. This has created a cause for some concern amongst fellow Wigan supporters. With Dave Whelan promising to reinvest every penny of the N’Zogbia money, fans are understandably becoming a little anxious with how late the club are leaving it to secure new players. The most obvious areas for improvement are on the wings and upfront. Martinez clearly sees the right wing as the most urgent priority, with the Latics heavily linked with both Shaun Wright-Phillips and Vladimir Weiss in recent days.

I believe the acquisition of Shaun Wright-Phillips would represent a significant improvement on Wigan’s current options on the right of Martinez’ preferred 4-5-1 formation. As highlighted in the previous article, the jury undoubtedly remains out on Gomez claims for a regular starting role. With his tendency to cut inside, the pitch becomes narrower and Wigan are left to rely on Emmerson Boyce to provide the width from full-back. In contrast, Shaun Wright-Phillips more direct style would instantly provide the team with more width, in turn improving the supply to the central striker, whether that be Di Santo or Rodallega.

I have to confess to knowing relatively little about what Vladimir Weiss would bring to the table. This is perhaps due to the fact that he has never really had a consistent run in a Premier League side. Like Wright-Phillips, he would appear to be a small, tricky type of player. Although I don’t believe him to possess the pace of Wright-Phillips, I certainly believe his trickery and crossing skills from the right-hand side could be of enormous benefit to Wigan should they be beaten to the signature of Shaun Wright-Phillips.