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Football365 Focus On The Flirters...

Though the idea of Steve Bruce and Gareth Southgate flirting is a little unnerving. Philip Cornwall's attention switches to Wigan and Boro as he tries to work out the whys and wherefores...

Last Updated: 15/05/08 at 11:35 Post Comment


Wigan

What went wrong
Appointing Chris Hutchings. I tipped Wigan for relegation on the back of that decision and would have been sorely tempted regardless, after their last-day escape in 2007. Given how close they had come to Championship football, apppointing Hutchings was asking for trouble.

Paying £5.3m for Jason Koumas. He's a talented player, but he scored four times as many goals for Wales (four) as he did for Wigan (one) this season, flitted in and out of games and his previous top-flight experience was no more satisfactory. Too mercurial.

A weak squad could ill-afford to lose a key plank of their tactical plan in Emile Heskey in early September, a week after he had become one of the first England players to receive a standing ovation at the new Wembley.

Derby aside, the only away point taken off another bottom-half team came at Fulham.

What went right
Arguably, Heskey getting injured early on, leading to a downturn in form that cost Hutchings his job nice and early, so he didn't hang around long enough to take the Latics down. His departure came at a time when Steve Bruce was available to be snapped up.

Emile Heskey recovering. His first start on his return from injury in December, against Man City, was the first game since his injury that Wigan did not lose.

Chris Kirkland discovering he's not made of balsa wood any more (copyright Sarah Winterburn).

The lowest-placed team to win at the JJB were Portsmouth.

Reasons to be cheerful
Heskey, an honest pro in a self-centered age, should bring a smile to any football fan's face. To know you have him in your team is even better.

Bruce has shown an ability to learn from his mistakes and has plenty of experience of relegation battles now.

They still share a pitch with rugby league, which surely helped with their top-half home record.

No danger of Chris Hutchings being reappointed.

Pete Gill will never be at a loss for things to complain about on a Monday morning as long as Wigan are available to appear in Premier League Winners and Losers.

Doom and gloom
Fans will still have to watch football played on that rugby pitch. Even if it gives them an advantage, it does not make for pretty entertainment to win over new fans in the most competitive area for clubs chasing supporters in the country.

What if Heskey breaks again and doesn't come back as quickly? And does Marlon King look like a £5m striker?

And the moral is...
If Chris massacre comes early, you'll be OK.



Middlesbrough

What went wrong
Playing well against the big boys does not earn as many points as half-decent performances against the strugglers. Boro were 11th against the top half, 15th against the bottom half.

Stamina was suspect. No-one did worse when drawing at half-time and only Derby were poorer as a second-half team. Fulham and Spurs were the only sides to drop more points from a winning position.

A brilliant chance to reach the FA Cup final was squandered at home to Cardiff in the sixth round - one of too many off-days - even if the officials didn't help.

£6m was spent on Mido, who scored his last goal on 25 August, and £2m was spent on Jeremie Aliadiere. The inhabitants of any pub in north-east London could tell you what was wrong with one, or other, or both of those decisions.

What went right
Stewart Downing reacted superbly to England disappointment, making those of us who praised his initial selection feel less like lemons.

Redcar native David Wheater deserved his England call-up and Adam Johnson (although Sunderland born) is also starting to fill the 'local hero' vacancy created by Jonathan Woodgate's abandonment of his hometown team.

The performances against leading sides suggested that if Gareth Southgate can coax some consistency out of his players then the achievements of Steve McClaren - a League Cup win and reaching the UEFA Cup via the Premier League - could be repeated.

Reasons to be cheerful
We have not seen the best of Afonso Alves, whose purchase is a good sign that the club can attract well-fancied players and that Steve Gibson is fully behind his manager.

Bowing out with an 8-1 win, even against a team with ten men shot in the foot by their owner, will carry Teesside hearts happily through the summer.

Doom and gloom
The fact that Woodgate left is a reminder that players can be enticed away from the area.

Gareth Southgate is still learning on the job - the debate about his lack of qualifications goes on.

And the moral is...
Some people can't see the Woodgate for the Tees, especially his agents.

Philip Cornwall

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