Premier League Betting: Hard times ahead for Wigan

Premier League / Ralph Ellis / 13 August 2009 / Leave a Comment

Will Wigan's James Pacheco look-a-like struggle in the top flight?

"West Brom proved last year that you can’t cope if players are learning as they go, and it will be even worse for Wigan because – just like Tony Mowbray at Albion – they’ll have a manager who is also getting his first taste of the top flight."

Ralph Ellis discusses Dave Whelan's hypocrisy and why he believes the Latics will struggle under their new boss this season.

It's a funny thing, but the last time I met Roberto Martinez he seemed pretty Spanish to me. Okay, he spoke excellent English, to be honest much better than most of the English people you meet, especially in Wales. And he's lived over here a good few years now and, a bit like Manuel Almunia, almost certainly qualifies for a British passport, if indeed he's not got one already. But, all that said, he was definitely Spanish.

Clearly that wasn't the impression that Wigan chairman Dave Whelan got when he interviewed Martinez for his manager's job. After all, it was only in April that the boss of JJB Sports stated quite clearly his policy for appointing bosses: "I'd never entertain a foreign manager for Wigan," he said. "And I don't think it's right that England have a foreign manager either. We are the home of football, for God's sake. I can't believe that we need foreign managers."

So Whelan has shown this summer that he's quite capable of changing his mind. And he's shown it yet again by selling Lee Cattermole to his old boss Steve Bruce at Sunderland. It was only a day or so ago that both he, and Martinez, were insisting that the England Under 21 midfield player was, "Not for sale, full stop".

All of which leaves me wondering whether Wigan might be the other club to consider when you're looking for longshots in the Premier League relegation market. I picked out Portsmouth a week or so ago as value in the market, and others have followed because their price has since dropped to [3.05]. Now I think Whelan's team look an even better bet at [5.4].

Their problems are masked by the fact they finished as high as 11th last season - but that was mainly due to a sensational first half to the campaign before they sold Emile Heskey and Wilson Palacios. Once safety was secured they collapsed, taking just four points from the last eight games - and three of them thanks to a last day win over Pompey.

Since then Whelan has cashed in some more, collecting £16million from Manchester United for Antonio Valencia and now an £8million package for Cattermole. Of the players who've arrived only youngster Scott Sinclair, on loan from Chelsea, has even the tiniest Premier League experience.

West Brom proved last year that you can't cope if players are learning as they go, and it will be even worse for Wigan because - just like Tony Mowbray at Albion - they'll have a manager who is also getting his first taste of the top flight. Martinez did a fantastic job at Swansea, and unlike Whelan it doesn't matter to me if he's Spanish, Welsh, or whatever. But it will matter that he's not got good enough players and there are hard times ahead. Back them to go down - and cover your stake by backing Stoke at [2] to finish above them in the season match bets.

Five things you might not know about Lee Cattermole

1. His middle name is Barry - after his dad who played for Middlesbrough's youth teams and according to Lee "always says he had the finest left peg in the North East"

2. He made his Middlesbrough debut as a 17-year-old, and was captured on TV cameras crying after a 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa

3. His hero as a Boro fan was Juninho - but he rates Paul Ince the best player he's ever worked with

4. He's a decent golfer with a handicap of 8

5. The first thing Cattermole will have to do at his new club is break one of Steve Bruce's rules - while at Wigan he was not allowed to return to the North East following an incident at a nightclub