Wigan Athletic’s 3-0 defeat to Birmingham City at the Brick Community Stadium marked a disappointing start to the new calendar year for manager Shaun Maloney and his squad. The loss not only highlighted the team’s need for improvement but also raised urgent questions about squad depth as injuries began to pile up.
Reflecting on the match, Maloney expressed frustration at the team's inability to convert opportunities, stating, “My feeling at this Club is we have to go toe-to-toe with these Clubs and get more clinical at what we’re doing.” The Latics faced familiar foes during the game, but standout performances from Birmingham’s Alfie May, who netted two goals, proved more than Wigan could handle.
“We had enough chances and a lot of shots in the first half. If we were more clinical, this game would’ve been completely different,” Maloney lamented. His squad demonstrated promise early on, controlling play but failing to capitalize effectively, falling behind 2-0 by halftime. According to Maloney, the difference was clearly defined: the clinical nature of Birmingham’s attackers versus his team’s struggles in the final third.
“The game was decided in both boxes. Alfie May is a brilliant finisher, and the difference in this game,” he remarked, underscoring the importance of finishing skills at this level. Despite the 3-0 scoreline, he acknowledged his players’ efforts, noting, “I can't really be negative,” as they executed the plan well but simply could not convert.
On the injury front, the Latics faced significant challenges after losing midfielders Matt Smith and Baba Adeeko. Smith underwent surgery for a severe hamstring injury and will be sidelined for approximately 16 weeks, raising doubts about his return before the end of the season. Similarly, Adeeko is expected to be unavailable for six to eight weeks, potentially until early March.
These injuries prompt urgent reassessment of transfer strategies as Maloney indicated, “I wasn’t planning on going in for another midfielder, but with Tyrese, Matt and Baba out, I’ll probably have to change some plans.” Midfielder Tyrese Francois is already ruled out until April, leaving the squad thin. Latics’ boss noted, “We’re very strict in terms of budget this year,” alluding to the financial constraints impacting their potential recruitment.
This unexpected turn of events has forced Wigan to explore options and make tough decisions as they proceed through the January transfer window. Maloney has reported the club has already secured Arsenal defender Josh Robinson and FC Nurnberg winger Joseph Hungbo on three-and-a-half-year deals since the start of the month, signaling proactive steps to bolster the team.
“We might have to make some hard decisions with the squad and we probably need to give Kai Payne more time to develop,” Maloney said. Payne, who recently appeared off the bench during the Birmingham match, is seen as too inexperienced to shoulder the team's midfield responsibilities alone for the upcoming months.
With the team's current standing—seventh or eighth for chances created but among the bottom three for goals scored—Maloney recognizes the urgency to find the right attacking players to provide more depth and competition. “There'll be certain parts of the attack as well we’ll look to strengthen, and I think that's fair,” he stated, reinforcing the need for balanced team competitiveness.
The manager's confidence remains mainly intact as he trusts many of the attacking players but acknowledges the facts: Wigan must capitalize on created opportunities to score effectively. “I trust a lot of our attacking players, but there will be parts of our attack I need to add to, such as Joe (Hungbo) coming in,” he explained, outlining the competition required to spur improvement.
Finally, Wigan confirmed the permanent signing of forward Josh Stones to York City, after his loan stint saw him perform impressively at Oldham Athletic, scoring four goals over six games. Stones expressed enthusiasm for joining York, stating, “I’m buzzing to be here, and hopefully, I can help to take you all where you want to be.”
The forecast for Wigan Athletic remains tense amid injuries and transfer activities as they strive to redirect the outcomes of their promising play to tangible results. Maloney’s task lies not only in capitalizing on existing talent but effectively augmenting the squad to create opportunities and convert them to secure their place moving forward.