Thankyou Mr.Referee

Perhaps luckily for Wigan, todays game at Watford was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch. The score was 1-1 and according to the reports, Heskey's goal was against the run of play and Watford will probably be looking at this as a possible 3 points lost, which in their position is not a good thing. As far as Latic's are concerned, this game will be replayed at what has to be a better time for them. McCulloch is back from suspension and the new signings will be eligible to play. Hopefully some of the other players currently out of action will be back by then too and Jewell should have a much stronger squad to choose from. On the downside, had this game ended with a Wigan win, it would have been a much needed confidence booster ahead of the Blackburn game on Monday and on the back of some demoralising defeats against United, Chelsea and Arsenal. I note with great happiness that Chelsea could only manage another draw against Fulham today putting United 6 points clear at the top. I really think it's United's year now. Arsenal also got their arses handed to them at Sheffield United and although I'm happy they got beat, Wigan could do well without too many wins for the Blades as they just passed us in the table pushing us down to a rather uncomfortable 16th place. Blackburn beating Middlesboro doesn't help either.

A couple of days ago I posted about the need for another midfield player and yesterday we signed Norwegian international Kristofer Haestad. Like Granqvist, I know nothing about him but Wigan have been after him since early 2005, along with many of Europes top sides. I know that the first time we tried his agent was quoted as saying something like "If Wigan bid 40,000 krona and Man Utd bid 30,000 we would sell to Utd." Well, looks like United weren't ready to splash out doesn't it. In fact, it looks like not many clubs were prepared to meet his agents evaluation of him, 'cause the lad's gonna be eating nowt but pies for the next few months. It sounds like a good signing, we will see.

Blackburn on Monday, they are having a bit of a revival so I think it will be a close game. Two physical sides both needing to win and if we play like we did against Chelsea and Arsenal we can take the points. I'm going for a draw though, 2-2.

The Madness Is About To Begin

The January transfer window swings open in just a few days time and I'm happy to see that Wigan are wasting no time in moving to strengthen the squad. Paul Jewell has already signed Swedish defender Andreas Granqvist on loan until the end of the season. I have absolutely no idea who this lad is and I'm sure I'm not alone. However, like most Latic's fans I have absolute faith in Paul Jewell and we can definately use some depth in the backs. Webster could be on his way out already and there are rumours about Baines and Arsenal. I don't believe the hype about Baines, but you never know. On the striker front, the Ellington rumours are still flying. I think he would be a good partner for either Heskey or Camara and am of the opinion that he should never have left in the first place. I don't think Wigan had any option but to let him go, and it seemed at the time that he didn't really want to go. Yet another case of a greedy agent having too much control and influence. So, if the Duke deal does happen, I for one will be happy. I think we also need to strengthen the midfield with one or two new faces as well. Landzaat has not really settled yet and although we have good wide players with Kilbane, Valencia, Teale and Skoko seems to be coming along nicely in the middle. We have options in Cotterill and McCulloch but I would love to see another quality passer/holder of the ball come in. We will see. Bigger the squad, the better.

On another note, an interesting article from The Times on Mr. Mourinho and his manners which you can read here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8303-2521868,00.html

You Get What You Pay For

Today was Mrs.Waring's birthday. Yeah, that's right xmas eve. As a child, she tells me, she got ripped off royally by her Mum & Dad who never made the effort to separate the two most important days of their daughters year. Instead they gave her one set of presents that were intended to suffice for both occasions. As a result, I feel obligated to do my best to make both days special. It's not much of chore, I enjoy making her happy, I get a good feeling from it. Besides, if I didn't the earache would be unbearable.

For the past 10 years she has often said that the best steak she ever tasted was at Ruth's Chris in Beverly Hills and how much she would love to go back there. I would dearly have loved to have taken her back but for two reasons:

1. I have an intense dislike for Beverly Hills. I'm from Wigan. I feel uncomfortable there. Nobody likes to feel inferior but I'm not sure that is the only reason. What bothers me about that city is not so much the citizens there, although there is definately a higher percentage of arseholes living there than most other places I have been, but the people who work there. The uppity motherfuckers who work in the stores, restaurants, even the fucking valet parkers have shitty attitudes and look down upon anyone who they deem to be skint. These people probably work for shitty wages, get no benefits and live in some shithole apartment next to the freeway but somehow consider themselves better than average just because they get treated like shit by the rich and famous. Anyway, I'm ranting now and getting away from the point, besides which I should not generalize as that makes me just as bad. I'm sure that there are good people there, charitable, magnanimous folk who would do anything for you. I just haven't met any yet.
2. Four $ signs. In many a restaurant guide Ruth's Chris is followed by the dreaded $$$$. I am in the $$ league, occasionally the $$$ league and often the $ league. I'm not cheap and I'm not a miser. I believe in value for money. I have a hard time reconciling paying big bucks for food. It's a short lived pleasure followed by a (hopefully firm) shit. This is also the reason I will never pay for a hooker, slip her a roofy and do a runner when she passes out - that's how I play......

Anyway, since Ruth's Chris opened up in Pasadena reason #1 is no longer valid and since you can't put a price on the happiness of the woman you love, reason #2 can hardly be used as an excuse not to splash out now and again.

I have to say that as far as steaks and service go, Ruth's Chris is the best I have ever had. There may be better and if there is, I can't afford it. The service was outstanding. Polite, friendly, not at all pushy and the waiter even told us that we were ordering too many sides. The atmosphere was very relaxing and the decor elegant. The steaks are cooked at some ridiculously high temperature and served on plates heated to 500 degrees which apparently seals in the flavour, or so they claim. I'm not about to argue as the ribeye was outstanding and Mrs.Waring's filet lived up to her memories. They also make a fantastic potatoes au gratin. All in all it was well worth the $$$$. The Kraft Macaroni & Cheese we will be eating for the next week will pale in comparison.

At Least He Admits It

Not that it's much consolation for Latics fans but at least the "special one" is big enough to admit they were lucky:

"I'm not proud of them (the players)," manager Mourinho told Sky Sports. "Father Christmas must wear blue because we didn't deserve to win.
"We were in complete control but with 15 minutes to go in the first half I could smell it (Wigan's comeback)...passing the ball bad, losing position, losing balance,
conceding a goal in the last second of the first half.
"Wigan had a brilliant attitude," added Mourinho, who said his team were not the same without captain John Terry (back injury).
"I must give credit to the players because in the last 10 minutes they put a lot of pressure on Wigan. But we did not deserve these three points and Wigan must be very disappointed."

Still.........FUCK!!!!!!