A look at our signings - Midfielders

James McClean

I wasn’t too thrilled when I first heard of McClean’s signing. He was very quiet after his terrific debut for Sunderland though the Championship is of course a very different league to the Prem. However so far, he has shined. Another brilliant debut cemented his place in my ideal line for the team, teaming with McManaman on the opposite wing is going to be a deadly combination, especially is Maloney is played in the middle. Why this has happened, I don’t know but I’m very excited to see it. Honestly though, I think McClean has been a brilliant buy, he’s dangerous, forward thinking and hungry. He’s still young and certainly makes mistakes, but he will learn from them and come out an excellent winger.

McClean arrived from Sunderland for an Undisclosed Fee.

Chris McCann

McCann is a good buy, he’ll certainly help the midfield cause. I’m not entirely sure on how he will stand at the end of the season however. With a history of knee problems, his purchases could become a double-edged sword, but hopefully he’ll stay away from them. With McCarthy out, McCann certainly now has more of a chance to shine and here’s hoping his does, I think he as good potential to be a solid and reliable worker. There are some silly mistakes to be found, which always seems to be the case with Wigan players at the moment, but ironing those out should be the lad’s main focus – a concrete midfielder is something the team is desperate for now McCarthy is gone.

McCann arrived from Burnley on a Free Transfer.

Nick Powell

I think this lad has bags of potential. After hearing about the interest in him last year, I had to take a look and I soon understood why United jumped in. He will certainly be a class player given the chance to shine. It was a smart move to bring him to Wigan on both ends, he’ll provide us with a solid replacement for McCarthy and bring a more central playmaking role to the fold, something I think we should be taking advantage off already – all the ingredients are there!

Powell arrived from Manchester United on loan.