Wigan Continue to Impress

By Brian Lofrumento | 29th December 2008

Wigan Continue to Impress | read this item

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zaki-wigan-goal While Hull stole the early season headlines, Steve Bruce and his Wigan side have slowly been marching up the table. Egyptian striker Amr Zaki has led the way, and Bruce’s side currently sit all the way in 7th place. With no real consistency amongst the table this year, Wigan have a genuine chance of finishing in the top half of the table in 2009.

Why is Stoke doing so well? There’s a few reasons:

Amr Zaki

The most obvious reason of Wigan’s success is Amr Zaki. The Egyptian striker serves as a testament to Steve Bruce’s managerial prowess, as Wigan plucked Zaki from relative obscurity and turned him into a Premier League success story. Wigan’s form has mirrored the form of Zaki, so when his goals start drying up expect Wigan’s point total to do the same. This, however, seems unlikely, so Zaki should enjoy even more success in 2009.

Steve Bruce

Not always discussed amongst the world’s greatest managers, Steve Bruce has quietly been forging a successful managerial career. Instead of putting Wigan into financial troubles, Bruce has taken full advantage of what is available to him. Wigan were a side that struggled heavily last season, so such a great turn around has a lot to do with the manager. Well done, Brucey.

Latin Influence

Fans at the JJB have become accustomed to cheering on Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia. The two Latin players (Palacios is Honduran while Valencia is Ecuadorian) have become automatic starters for the Latics, and both of them offer the club a different dimension. Valencia is a tricky winger full of pace and trickery, while Palacios is a midfield enforcer who has been likened to Paul Ince.

Emile Heskey

Heskey has been in the English game for a long time, and the former international is still playing a key role in the league. The large target man has been playing so well this season that he has even been linked with a move back to Liverpool. Heskey appears to be the perfect partner for Amr Zaki, and he is Wigan’s second leading goalscorer in the league. If Wigan can keep Heskey in January then they should reap the benefits of this strike partnership until May.

As well as Wigan has been playing, it’s so easy to start sliding down the table. With only 3 points separating them from 10th place, Steve Bruce and company will need to make sure they are focused on the task at hand. Here’s to Wigan surprising a few people in 2009!

What do you think of Wigan? Do they have enough to secure a top ten spot? Have your say in the forums or listen to us discuss the matter in the Premiership Talk Podcast.