Despite starting the season with high hopes the Latics go into the festive period firmly rooted in the bottom three and six points adrift of safety.
Uwe Rosler has been replaced by Malky Mackay and the new manager is having just a tough a time getting results as his predecessor.
Since his arrival at the DW Stadium Mackay has managed a solitary point from a possible fifteen and that came in his opening game as manager against Middlesbrough.
The terraces are full of supporters who for a host of reasons are unhappy with the performances witnessed on the field.
Chief amoungst the concerns is standard of the performances. There have been times in our not to distant past where we have spent long periods at the wrong end of the league table and as a club we have become galvanised towards survival and sticking together through tough times.
However the performances of recent weeks, and I am thinking Norwich and Rotherham at home jumping out amoungst these, have simply not been good enough.
Whilst much of the blame should lie with the new manager he alone cannot be held responsible for the sub-standard performances of a host of well-paid first team squad members.
At the moment Mackay has lost the faith of supporters for his steadfast decision to operate without a recognised striker.
This weekend represented the chance to get a good win and improve confidence amongst players and supporters alike as struggling Rotherham visited the DW Stadium.
The Millers hadn't won in their last six games and had managed to score only one goal, a solitary strike against bottom of the table Blackpool.
Mackay's decision to operate with just the one forward player, James McClean, was baffling to say the least. Of more conern was the apparant tactical decision to constantly send long balls up the winger who had to contest with two giant centre backs more than compentant in returning the lofted passes to their destination.
Then there was the lack of dominance in the middle of the park which resulted in a sup-standard Rotherham team growing in confidence and starting to dictate play as if they were the home team.
The formation adopted appeared from the stands to be a back four (from right to left) of Perch, Barnett, Boyce, and Taylor. In fron to fthem was a midfiedl five of McManamana, Cowie, Watson, McCann, and Maloney, and James McClean was left up top on his own.
On paper those eleven players should have been capable of beating the eleven players Rotherham fielded. However things were incoherent going forward. Shaun Maloney was isolated and ineffective on the right flank, Callum McManaman uniterested on the left side, whilst the midfield trio of Watson, Cowie and McCann steadfastly refused to get in advance of the ball which left James McClean ploughing on alone at the top of the pitch.
It appeared from the stands as if the eleven had been thrown together in the pub before the game. There was no unity.
The tactics frustrate. Mackay's name can be added to the list of managers who continually deploy Shaun Maloney is a wide role where he is ineffective. The pnt sized number ten is most potent in the number ten role operating in the hole behind opposing defenses. He needs to be played up front off a big man such as Marc Antoine Fortune and given the chance to impact play from a central position just behind the front line.
With wingers like McClean and McManaman you would imagine the manager would get the ball down, use the width of the pitch, and get the two players one-on-onewith the respective full backs, to the dead-ball line, and fizz low balls into the box. At the same time mobile central players such as Espinoza and McCann can get into the box to get on the end of the crosses alongside the strikers. Instead we chose to pump long balls to McClean for an aerial challenge whilst McManaman spends the duration of the game growing in frustration our on the left touchline.
The new manager has had five weeks to mould the team into his image and on view of Saturday's performance, and result, things have gone backwards from our poor start under Uwe Rosler.
There is no shape, no attacking methodology, and little in terms of defensive confidence.
The players must also take a share of the blame in particular a small few who's performance of recent weeks are insulting to the supporters who turn up and chant their names from the stands.
For the second time in as man home games Andrew Taylor has cost the Latics a goal. First there was his slip against Norwich and then there was his indecision against Rotherham. The former Middlesbrough full-back is unfit and a yard off the pace and his inclusion in the first eleven ahead of Maynor Figueroa is laughable. It is little wonder than Steve Bruce has recalled the Honduran back to Hull.
Against Rotherham all the above came against a team with a suitably smaller budget and squad. To be beaten in terms of tactics and desire is unforgivable especially given the significance of the fixture in our survival hopes.
As a football manager you will live and die by the decisions you make. At the moment very little has changed under Malky Mackay and he is dying through his inaction and decision to play so defensively.
Forget January as that is six crucial points away. We need to set small targets and look no further than our final games of 2014.
It is easy to critisize and be negative without offering positive solutions and hence I am prepared to tender how I would see the short term way forward.
Al-Habsi
Perch Ramis Boyce
Forshaw McCann Espinoza McClean
Maloney
McManaman Fortune
Thoughts on the above in a nutshell:
1) Positive and attacking with players who can get forward, dominate posession and impact the game.
2) Maloney/McManaman/Forshaw are all interchangeable throughout the game to cause problems for opposition markers.
3) Ramis' experience and organisational strengths are utilised at the back alongside Ali Al-Habsi as a replacement for Scott Carson who hasn't made a notable save for a few weeks. Ramis is also capable of ranging passes to release McManaman/McClean on the flanks.
4) Chris McCann and Roger Espinoza give high energy levels in the middile of the park.
Above all though the key emphasis of the above is to be a team capable in posession. A team who can dictate play and dominate the opposition, particularly when facing the likes of Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday at home.
Use the width of the pitch, get creative and skilful players in advance of the ball and into positions where they can make chances and influence the game.
Before we go to face our rivals Bolton in the FA Cup we have two vital league fictures with Leeds away on Boxing Day before the visit of Sheffield Wednesday on December 30th. Nothing less than four points from those two fixtures is acceptable at this stage of the season.