eyres_28

Renshaw was quality throughout and made some terrific saves both in the shootout and from open play. Handles very well and commands his box well from corners. The goal we conceded was a freak. Definitely ready for the bench IMO. Mantack (RB) his absolutely rapid. Struggled positionally at times first half but wasn't given much protection. Big threat coming forward and defensively got better and better as game progressed. Capped display with attacking penalty. King (CB no.4) improved as the game progressed and very commanding in the air. Fallon (LB) and Hargreaves (LW) linked up superbly all game and pressed very high up the field. Some excellent crosses from the pair. Lee Knight (RB) has the best chance of progressing for me. Awesome technique and very direct with his wing plays should have scored a header late on but very very impressed. Rio Murray (CF) has ability and presence but drifted in and out a little too much. Definitely one with potential. Read and Leonard in CM ran and ran all night. Not convinced by either but Leonard got the goal. Glackin (no.12) came on up top second half and has a great touch and movement, albeit against tiring opposition. Should have scored on two occasions but was very impressed and looking forward to seeing him again. Brilliant night to cap off an excellent day! 4th round against Luton - I'd recommend it. Hats off to all the lads on both sides, who produced an end-to-end high energy contest. WEM-BER-LEY!

It doesn't. Hence i feel that it isn't the fault of the players, at least not solely which some lead us to believe. I don't think it' is solely a players' attitude fault. The manager and the previous two before him have been woeful. Unfortunately for us, Dunn is at the peak of this extremely perilous iceberg and the collapses under Dunn have been at a level above any that preceded it. My point is that he appears to believe he is beyond criticism and will not shoulder any of the blame for recent performances.

"I would keep 6 of the squad and sign 2" How is that not dismissing the current squad? For me this, rather than the fans or the lack of timely wages, explains the perceived attitude of the player on the pitch.

So Dunn's post-Chesterfield attack was justified? He went so far beyond requesting that fans don't mock their own players (which I agree is wrong). The condescending fashion he demeaned fans was pathetic and now, if these comments are to be true, he is talking about his players in a similar vein. He is a complete idiot and his continuing relucatance to accept blame is becoming tiresome. Let's consider the opinions of those on the DUNN > PLAYERS side of the debate. If the players are solely at fault for the run, then there must be nothing wrong with Dunn's man-management skills. I'm not a manager but I'm not sure which management theory advocates dismissing 90%+ of current employees as a good move. We'll have a Championship squad if he improves 90% of the squad, and I wish we had that sort of money. I guessing Kelly and Dummigan are the two? I hope it works out and we find a way to put 2015 behind us. However, this is the worst start, on and off the pitch, a Latics manager has made during my time supporting our club.

Is he injured?

Coleman (won't play) Dummigan Dieng (won't play) J.Wilson Eckersley (won't play) Winchester (won't play) Wellens Kelly Jones Yeates Cassidy Subs: Higdon, Poleon, Wilson, Mills, DP, Rasulo, Cornell

We will concede more possession and goals with Higdon up top

I'm all for sticking together and the atmosphere is vile and needs to improve. However, David Dunn has been nothing short of horrendous in his short tenure at the helm of our once fantastic club. He has alienated fans left, right and centre, with his pathetic comments in the chron 2 weeks ago. His failure to take any responsibility for the performance of the players at Crewe and in the Southend debacle is laughable. Surely if they are showing a lack of desire that reflects terribly on his man-management skills. His tactics in the first half of games has been woeful at best, and barring the first half against Sheff Utd, we haven't put in a solid 45 minute spell under Dunn - note that Winchester ran that first half and has been forgotten once again in favour of the ineffectual DP. The team he named last Saturday baffled every single latics fan I know, yet once again he refused to shoulder any of the blame for how we played against one of the worst teams league one has ever seen. Only Dunn knows why Dieng isn't getting a chance. Finally, how could it have been possible to concede 5 goals the way we did against Southend and then name a weaker back 5 in the following match. He baffles me.

And comfortably our worst defender, which is his role

He always dictates the game. Moves around the midfield until he is having an impact and getting his foot on the ball. We've seen him against us since he left threading balls through from an advanced position and gradually move deeper and deeper until his foot is on the ball. Great signing and 11 starts this season suggests his legs are still there. Can't wait to see us passing the ball properly again.

No Winchester on the bench - what is the world coming to?

How can you defend that performance? Since Donny (league debut?) he has been a huge liability on crosses. Some of the 'top class' saves he makes are completely avoidable if he had any command of his 6yd box - he has to be good from point blank range because he doesn't claim anything. He never anticipated crosses, doesn't move his feet quick enough to get out to the ball and when it comes straight to him often flaps or drops the ball. Professional keepers must have the basics and this lad doesn't. The leaky defence is surely a direct result of the fear they have in the man behind them. Coleman may not be the finished article and does make the occasional error but I feel much more comfortable with him between the sticks.

No changes at HT was ludicrous and then we go 3-0 down. Yes the change in formation was more gung-ho but he left it too long at 3-1 and even though we got the goal, we had Rasulo as the only player warming up at 2 goals behind. What sort of message does that send. He sounded disheartened in the interview yet didn't really personally apologise for his part in tactics, team selection or motivating players to want to win second balls and generally play for the badge. The buck stops at him and he's failed to take ownership. Big decision coming up for Corney. We're going one way under this management regime.

Im glad he said something but he's gone too far with the way in which he's put his point across. The atmosphere at times this season, home and away, has been nothing short of toxic. It's horrible at times to be a fellow supporter sat in the stands. Vile personal abuse of individual players, sarcastic chanting (Saturday wasn't a one-off), ironic cheers when a player has a shot or passes forwards and celebrating the current boo boy being taken off. Does this transfer to the players? Of course it does. It may have galvanised them on Saturday but it isn't the way to support our club. From this angle I don't mind Dunn having his 'say' and some of the comments made are fair game. However, to some extent the argument that the 'abuse' and toxic environment is merited is a fair one. The football has been poor and clearly we need and expect to see much more attacking intent. Dunn hasn't acknowledged this at all in his interview and it just comes across by the end as a nasty condescending dig at the people who pay £22 week in week out. Suggesting our knowledge of football and expectations comes from a computer game is a cheap shot and the recurring theme of Dave and previous managers harping on back to the past 20yrs and the budget is becoming tiresome. I watched Dunn on 'Goals on Sunday' when Warnock mentioned that Oldham fans "think they know everything about football" and this interview sounds like he has taken Warnock's advise on board. I pray he realises the style of football is the cause of the atmosphere and makes some effort to change things up, even if it's just giving Dom more support or throwing Rasulo in. As a fan I don't feel that my £22 gives me the right to direct verbal abuse at players, who no doubt thrive on confidence, and I never would. It would be great to hear positive constructive voices from the paddock. Except towards that little judas. Give him all the stick we can come 3pm Saturday.

terrible waste of space aint he

Only one loanee and one short termer in the XI Happy with the line-up and happy to see Dom and Higdon back together. It is a little strange after he's bigged up Rasulo all week.

First half was decent enough, some nice approach play and on another day would have scored a couple (Poleon, DP's header and Fulton). Very unlucky to be behind. Second half was powerpuff again I'm afraid. Wouldn't it be lovely if we occasionally had pot shots from the edge of the box or low and behold get to the byline for a cross. Poleon's shot that was tipped behind apart, there is just too much tippy tappy on the edge of the box. For 20 minutes when Fuller came on we tried to thread the ball through the eye of a needle time and time again. Can't believe people are saying Dom is pathetic. He isn't and has never been a lone front man. This isn't his fault and I doubt he wants to have that role, yet just like at Donny away he gets shoved up top alone and some fans choose to launch unwaranted abuse his way. He is a threat though and there CBs hated playing against him when we used him correctly and played balls down the channel. We need to play 2 up top if Poleon plays and untill Cassidy returns we don't have the personal to play 1 up front on his own. CW needs to produce a lot more if he's being given this 'free role', yet depsite his talent and super patches of play, his influence on the whole 90minutes simply isn't enough to warrant his place as the number 10 with only one ahead of him. I'd play him on the right for either Yeates or DP and tell Poleon to support the striker (Higdon or Fuller). This is the worst league for years and years and we are sat just outside the drop zone. The squad is deep enough and IMO good enough, especially with Forte and Cassidy to return but the tactics both Kelly and Dunn have been setting us up with are one dimensional and way too defensive. One up front can work with a proper number 9 and midfielders who want to gamble - this simply isn't happening. Worried.

Eyres Gregan Wellens Liddell Taylor Lee Kilkenny Harkins Baxter Winchester

On a completely unrelated note but it needed posting: Wildshut, Boro's Lightning fast LM who caused us all sorts of problems, is on loan at Wigan and played a starring role for them last night. How on earth did that happen?

Goal and an assist. Good to see him getting games. Not suprised that he's scoring at that level.

Ref gave them everything in both halves for me. This was epitomised 2nd half when their lad pushed Burn while the ball was still 10yds behind him and the ref gave the subsequent tackle as a foul against Burn. He seemed to have the big club syndrome with them. Allowed Adams and Baxter to get in his ear and was happy to listen and even laugh along with them. How Baxter's knee back isn't a pass back, I will never know. The ref signalled that it hit his thigh - is that not simply an extension of his foot, thus an indirect FK 10yds from goal?

Excellent shift against a tricky and nasty opponent in Adams - the ref seemed to be his biggest fan, which I hate to see. The positions the full backs took up when attacking is such an improvement and imagine reflects how they played at Gillingham. Allows DP and Jones to come narrower, still need to see them both gambling a little more when the full backs are looking to swing the ball in. I also thought Kelly was superb today.

He was average against Walsall (who could well get promotion) and Boro (who will win the Championship) but wasn't poor IMO. Something seemed to go wrong behind the scenes for the lad. Didn't have the chance to take his opportunity at Donny due to negative tactics but that role today is made for the lad. One negative for me is that he did have the chance to run at his man 1on1 a few times and looked to pass; I would like to see him back his running ability a little more. Excellent late runs into the box though and his shot won the corner for the goal. Well done lad.

Wilson and Dieng had a cracking run together last season at CB. Really like him in there and Burn has been a mistake or red card in the making for weeks. After a good start he is looking slow and his lunges forward were painful to watch. Dieng needs to take his chance next week but the Burnley lads and Wilson alongside him has the makings of a cracking defence with and without the ball. Quick mention for Dummigan, who was absolute class today. So refreshing to see his enthusiasm, ability on the ball and reading of the game.

Absolutely superb in the first half. His first touch was sublime at times. It is great to see him playing without the extra defensive responsiblity as his first thought was to look forward, which is refreshing to see after Doncaster. Got into some great positions in 'the hole' and his cross for Poleon (who looked shocked to see it fall to him) was brilliant. Quieter in the second half but nice to see Dunny put faith in him and has to start in the same role next week.