Match Report: Wigan Athletic 0-1 Norwich City

A team struggling and sliding down the table was the opposition at the DW Stadium and if Malky Mackay and his men at Wigan wanted a win here was a prime chance to get one. Yet the game at the weekend proved no to be that chance for three points. Changes were made for the game as James Perch, Maynor Figueroa and Shaun Maloney came into the side.

Defensive reshuffle combined with what you could argue is a potent attacking line up, Marc Antoine Fortune leading the line but the three behind him should have done damage. Of course what looks good on paper doesn't work out in reality.

Instead of the high line attacking game you would have expected from the line up on show, we got a lacklustre couldn't give one performance. The Norwich goal came inside the first six minutes, Jonny Howson's strike after finding acres of space inside the box. Nothing Scott Carson could have done to stop that one.

It was nearly 2-0 minutes later when Cameron Jermone. Yet again our defensive game let us down and the striker was given time and space on the ball. Luckily for us the effort was tame and easily dealt with by our goalkeeper. Would that spur us into action? The answer was an emphatic no.

It wasn't until after the half hour mark when we managed to get a shot on target at John Ruddy and that was never going to trouble the Norwich goalkeeper. Flat and out of options the team looked ready to limb to the 1-0 defeat. Maybe the half time interval would change things.

Yet again Wigan failed to change things. Shaun Maloney taking an early shower as he made for Don Cowie two minutes into the second half, the Scotland international clearly of his game. The change in personnel did nothing to change the out come of this game.

Questions have to start being asked of the players now. The manager has changed and well even though it is early days they look even less interested at the moment than they did under Uwe Rosler, whilst we seem to have no idea when going forward. That could be linked to the striker we are giving a chance up front, a man who may work his socks off but has been shown time and time again not be a proven goal scorer.

It is Watford away up next and after their battering of Fulham last week I don't fancy our chances. That is unless we some how manage to change it all around. The players have the ability to, and if they want to save this club from relegation we need points on the board.

Time for the boys to step up and to become men if we are ever to see the light at the end of the tunnel.