Optimism

[PJC]

First of all every fan has the right to express their opinion. On reading through posts there are negative comments about the team and against some players in particular from some individuals.
A team needs to develop. Success doesn’t come overnight. Yes Wigan could do with a couple of “enforcers” to break the line. But where are the Kelvin Skerrets?
Wigan this season have more spring in their game. So let’s stop highlighting individuals and give some encouragement

[josie andrews]

First of all every fan has the right to express their opinion. On reading through posts there are negative comments about the team and against some players in particular from some individuals.
A team needs to develop. Success doesn’t come overnight. Yes Wigan could do with a couple of “enforcers” to break the line. But where are the Kelvin Skerrets?
Wigan this season have more spring in their game. So let’s stop highlighting individuals and give some encouragement

This

[WarriorWinger]

First of all every fan has the right to express their opinion. On reading through posts there are negative comments about the team and against some players in particular from some individuals.
A team needs to develop. Success doesn’t come overnight. Yes Wigan could do with a couple of “enforcers” to break the line. But where are the Kelvin Skerrets?
Wigan this season have more spring in their game. So let’s stop highlighting individuals and give some encouragement

This

Let's just hope the coaches don't take the same approach to the team and players as you do, otherwise we will never improve, whilst I get your sentiments on not putting them down when there has been a vast improvement in the overall team, but all is not great and paying lip service to players isn't going to help, you can't just say you had a great game to someone who didn't you need to point out the errors or where they need to improve, for the good of the team.

Now I know we are all armchair coaches but we have a vested interest in the team and therefore why wouldn't we express an opinion on what we think is going wrong, otherwise what would be the point of these kind of boards

[morley pie eater]

First of all every fan has the right to express their opinion. On reading through posts there are negative comments about the team and against some players in particular from some individuals.
A team needs to develop. Success doesn’t come overnight. Yes Wigan could do with a couple of “enforcers” to break the line. But where are the Kelvin Skerrets?
Wigan this season have more spring in their game. So let’s stop highlighting individuals and give some encouragement

This

Let's just hope the coaches don't take the same approach to the team and players as you do, otherwise we will never improve, whilst I get your sentiments on not putting them down when there has been a vast improvement in the overall team, but all is not great and paying lip service to players isn't going to help, you can't just say you had a great game to someone who didn't you need to point out the errors or where they need to improve, for the good of the team.

Now I know we are all armchair coaches but we have a vested interest in the team and therefore why wouldn't we express an opinion on what we think is going wrong, otherwise what would be the point of these kind of boards

If us "armchair coaches" have an interest in the team, maybe we should follow their lead. For example, a player knocks on in the first 5 or 10 minutes of a game. His team-mates will probably pat him on the head or put an arm on his shoulder to help him get over it. It's called teamwork, encouragement, togetherness.

Last night, it seems that some posters couldn't wait to get on this forum to point out players' errors during the game. How this equates to us having a vested interest, being a "fan" or "supporter" or having a right to an opinion, maybe someone will explain for me?

My dictionary says "support" means to hold up or assist. I don't see "knock down" or "persistently slag off" in there - maybe I got the abbreviated edition?

[WarriorWinger]

Maybe I should be the head coach then if all you have to do is put an arm around a player and say there, there keep your chin up

[PJC]

Point taken about voicing opinion. I said that at the start. I will criticise the play. It is full on all over the field with often no variation. There is no one slowing the game down.
However personally I think that there is more spirit than last year. We have to give the team time to develop. We have no idea what is said behind closed doors.
I suspect the players never read the comments concerning some individuals but if they did it wouldn’t help them

[DaveO]

There is a definite difference about the team for the better this season and it could be argued they have not yet gelled completely but I don’t think it’s wrong to point out some obvious failings.

One of the worst at the moment is they seem to switch off after a period of good play and let teams back in. This isn’t down to other teams good play but clearly an obvious fault with Wigan. It’s happened several times recently and certainly happened against Cas & Hull. This is something the coach should address.

Let’s also not forget to state the obvious, without Field’s bits of individual brilliance we might well be at the other end of the table. We are relying on him too much (with an honourable mention to Faz).

As to criticising individual players, sorry but some are not up to it. Isa is past it, Bibby is defensively poor and Hardaker is never a winger (though it is not his fault he’s playing there). Everyone knows my opinion of Powell and unless you count Thornley we simply do not have any first team centres at the club and it shows. KPP started well but is now finding it difficult and that is also not a criticism of him as a player but an observation it’s not ideal.

I have seen criticism of Cust, Mago and also Ellis before his ban. I don’t think any of this was warranted. They might not have brilliant games every week but they seem fine overall to me. Where the criticism is warranted is when you see players who more often than not are consistently bang average to poor. Unfortunately we have a few too many of those.

[DaveO]

My dictionary says "support" means to hold up or assist. I don't see "knock down" or "persistently slag off" in there - maybe I got the abbreviated edition?

I am sure that definition is correct but if you want to talk about semantics and definitions you and I are supporters are we not? There are also definitions of the term “supporter” in dictionaries such as here https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supporter which even gives a sporting example:

“Myles Garrett was also a huge Beckham supporter and expressed his dismay that the players had no input before the Browns released him.”

Which shows that you can be a supporter and criticise. But then everyone knows that, right?

[morley pie eater]

Maybe I should be the head coach then if all you have to do is put an arm around a player and say there, there keep your chin up

And who said that?

When you need to totally misrepresent what someone says so you can score a point, it tends to show the weakness of your own argument.

I could say "If you think all you have to do to improve the team is hound players over every mistake . . ."

[morley pie eater]

My dictionary says "support" means to hold up or assist. I don't see "knock down" or "persistently slag off" in there - maybe I got the abbreviated edition?

I am sure that definition is correct but if you want to talk about semantics and definitions you and I are supporters are we not? There are also definitions of the term “supporter” in dictionaries such as here https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supporter which even gives a sporting example:

“Myles Garrett was also a huge Beckham supporter and expressed his dismay that the players had no input before the Browns released him.”

Which shows that you can be a supporter and criticise. But then everyone knows that, right?

And the common adjectives used with "criticism" are constructive and destructive, as we all know....