Wigan has quietly become a favorite club of mine. I don't know why. Maybe I liked Palacios as a player, or because they brought in blog favorites like Jason Koumas and Charles N'Zogbia. Or maybe because Rodallega inexplicably scored against Manchester United when I had him on my team for a 2-game week. Whatever the reason I have a soft spot for the team, and to be honest I want to be optimistic for the season, but keep finding it difficult.
They have a new manager in Martinez who had a good few seasons at Swansea, but may find the step up difficult. And he's first has to rebuild the team. Wigan's top three scorers are gone (granted they only scored 9, 3, and 3 goals respectively). They've lost their best two midfielders in Palacios and Cattermole. They are thin across the back and still prominently feature Titus Bramble. And while Gomez and Scotland are full of promise, they seem to be filling out the squad with Championship level players which can be a dangerous game.
That being said, they should be exciting in possession. Rodallega and Scotland are handfuls. Supporting the attack, N'Zog, Koumas/De Ridder and Gomez will be difficult for other teams to track and contain. Gomez looks the best fantasy option given his price tag and the likelihood that he pushes up into "the hole". However, kicks are likely to be shared amongst this group. We'll definitely be watching to see if a pattern emerges. And for what it is worth, N'Zogbia has had a great pre-season.
I'm hoping for the best - a solid mid-table secured with an exciting attacking style that garners lots of fantasy points. But I'm steeling myself for the worst - a club flirting with relegation due to an inexperienced squad and a too brittle defence (and in the form of Kirkland, I mean that literally).
Possible Starting XI: Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Bramble, Figeuroa, Brown, Watson, N'Zogbia, Koumas, Gomez, Rodallega
Players to watch:Jordi Gomez - Throw him in the same boat as Luis Jiminez from West Ham United. He has all of the characteristics to be a potentially interesting fantasy player...good pedigree (Barca youth system, 'nuff said), played for Wigan's new manager last season at Swansea (meaning he's likely to get a chance), and he scored (12 goals in 44 appearances in the Championship last season). What we obviously don't know is how he'll adapt to the Prem and we don't know for sure how much he'll play. Like Jiminez, he's worth watching for a week or two to see how things are looking. If you need an inexpensive newby then one of these two might be worth a risk as you're looking to economize.
Charles N'Zogbia - Is this the year? We've been waiting for N'Zog to make "the leap" for a few seasons now. He clearly has some talent and has had some excellent fantasy games in the past. That said, he's another one who has never really put together a string of exceptional fantasy performances OR been able to reliably stay in the line-up so that you'd even be willing to put up with his occasional 2-point clunkers. With Newcastle blessedly in the rearview mirror and Wigan having experienced some departures over the summer there's no reason to believe that Charles won't be given a chance to play regularly. What he does with it is anyone's guess. My guess is that he takes the chance and becomes a better-than-average fantasy midfielder (think 8.00ish per match). If you get him early in the season before his price goes up, you'll probably be happy. If you wait or use him selectively, then you'll probably do OK but not really be getting the benefit of the current price.
Hugo Rodellga - Finished last season strong and with the departure of Heskey and Zaki and just about everyone else who resembles a striker, you have to think that HRod will be in a position to put up some pretty good points at a pretty reasonable price. This, of course, assumes that his performances were the real deal and not just a brief spark from a merely adequate player. I'm not ready to jump straight in this season although I think Jeremy is - definitely one to watch from the middle of the table.
