Wolves play wrong card with no.2 Connor at the team’s helm

Roberto Martinez’s Wigan stretched every sinew they had last season to retain their Premier League status.

Wolves also worked hard and tirelessly but the club erred when replacing manager Mick McCarthy with his assistant Terry Connor as the Molineux team were relegated at the end of the season.

Club chairman Steve Morgan should have gone for a better manager if he really wanted to improve Wolves’ chances of avoiding the drop.

But he took the gamble of leaving the assistant at the helm without spending any cash.

The 5-1 hiding to neighbours and rivals West Brom really hurt, but this result was again followed at Fulham and at home to Manchester United.

What a contrast with Wigan who opened their campaign with only one win in 13 matches but ended the season with a flourish.

Wigan only lost two matches from their last nine and chalked up wins away to Liverpool, home against Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle.

Season 2012-13 will be the Latics’ eighth in a row in the Premier League.

Wolves had high hopes that they could avoid the bottom three places as they won seven points from the first nine available but the spirit soon faded as the season progressed and McCarthy was axed.

At the end of November, it seemed that Wigan were already staring relegation in the face, losing eight straight league matches to equal a negative club record.

But Wigan did not copy Wolves and backed Martinez to turn things around.

The return of Antolin Alcaraz and Hugo Rodallega to full fitness after a tough summer at the Copa America gave the Latics a much-needed boost. Franco di Santo and Victor Moses also had a good season, scoring some vital goals to give the side a lift.

Martinez is hoping to bolster the front line this summer since Wigan’s total of 42 goals last season only surpassed one other side’s scoring tally in the division.

In the cups, Wigan went down 1-2 at Championship side Crystal Palace in the second round of the League Cup.

They also suffered an early exit in the FA Cup, bowing out to Swindon away 1-3 at the first hurdle.

Wolves beat Northampton 4-0 in the League Cup and continued the good work with a nap-hand triumph over Millwall at Molineux. The might of champions Manchester City saw them out at home 5-2 in the fourth round.

In the FA Cup, neighbours Bir-mingham dashed Wolves’ hopes of progressing after winning the replay 1-0 following a 0-0 draw.

Premier League 2011-12

Wigan Athletic

August

Home vs Norwich 1-1 (Watson pen).
Away vs Swansea 0-0.
Home vs QPR 2-0 (Di Santo 2).
September
Away vs Manchester City 0-3.
Away vs Everton 1-3 (Di Santo).
Home vs Tottenham 1-2 (Diame).
October
Away vs Aston Villa 0-2.
Home vs Bolton 1-3 (Diame).
Away vs Newcastle 0-1.
Home vs Fulham 0-2.
November
Away vs Wolves 1-3 (Watson).
Home vs Blackburn 3-3 (Gomez, Caldwell, Crusat).
Away vs Sunderland 2-1 (Gomez pen, Si Santo).
December
Home vs Arsenal 0-4.
Away vs WBA 2-1 (Moses, Gomez).
Home vs Chelsea 1-1 (Gomez).
Home vs Liverpool 0-0.
Away vs Manchester United 0-5.
Away vs Stoke City 2-2 (Moses, Watson pen).
Home vs Sunderland 1-4 (Rodallega).
January
Home vs Manchester City 0-1.
Away vs QPR 1-3 (Rodallega).
Away vs Tottenham 1-3 (McArthur).
February
Home vs Everton 1-1 (Neville og).
Away vs Bolton 2-1 (Caldwell G., McArthur).
Home vs Aston Villa 0-0.
March
Home vs Swansea 0-2.
Away vs Norwich 1-1 (Moses).
Home vs West Brom 1-1 (McArthur).
Away vs Liverpool 2-1 (Maloney pen, G. Caldwell).
April
Home vs Stoke 2-0 (Alcaraz, Moses).
Away vs Chelsea 1-2 (Diame).
Home vs Manchester United 1-0 (Maloney).
Away vs Arsenal 2-1 (Di Santo, Gomez).
Away vs Fulham 1-2 (Boyce).
Home vs Newcastle 4-0 (Moses 2, Maloney, Di Santo).
May
Away vs Blackburn 1-0 (Alcaraz).
Home vs Wolves 3-2 (Di Santo, Boyce 2).

Wolves

August
Away vs Blackburn Rovers 2-1 (Fletcher, Ward).
Home vs Fulham 2-0 (Doyle, Jarvis).
Away vs Aston Villa 0-0.
September
Home vs Tottenham 0-2.
Home vs QPR 0-3.
Away vs Liverpool 1-2 (Fletcher).
October
Home vs Newcastle 1-2 (Fletcher).
Away vs West Brom 0-2.
Home vs Swansea 2-2 (Doyle, O’Hara).
Away vs Manchester City 1-3 (Hunt pen).
November
Home vs Wigan 3-1 (O’Hara, Ed-wards, Ward).
Away vs Everton 1-2 (Hunt pen).
Away vs Chelsea 0-3.
December
Home vs Sunderland 2-1 (Fletcher 2).
Away vs Manchester United 1-4 (Fletcher).
Home vs Stoke 1-2 (Hunt pen).
Home vs Norwich 2-2 (Ebanks-Blake, Zubar).
Away vs Arsenal 1-1 (Fletcher).
Away vs Bolton 1-1 (Fletcher).
January
Home vs Chelsea 1-2 (Ward).
Away vs Tottenham 1-1 (Fletcher).
Home vs Aston Villa 2-3 (Kightly, Edwards).
Home vs Liverpool 0-3.
February
Away vs QPR 2-1 (Jarvis, Doyle).
Home vs West Brom 1-5 (Fletcher).
Away vs Newcastle United 2-2 (Jarvis, Doyle).
March
Away vs Fulham 0-5.
Home vs Blackburn 0-2.
Home vs Manchester United 0-5.
Away vs Norwich 1-2 (Jarvis).
April
Home vs Bolton 2-3 (Kightly, Jarvis).
Away vs Stoke 1-2 (Kightly).
Home vs Arsenal 0-3.
Away vs Sunderland 0-0.
Home vs Manchester City 0-2.
Away vs Swansea 4-4 (Fletcher, Jarvis 2, Edwards).
May
Home vs Everton 0-0.
Away vs Wigan 2-3 (Jarvis, Fletcher).