The long month of December was always going to be tough for the Latics as they faced all of the ‘big four'.
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Wigan had failed to beat any of them in the 2006 season. Liverpool were the visitors to the JJB on the second and they recorded Wigan's heaviest home defeat at the JJB Stadium.
Wigan started brightly and looked as if they could get something out of the game but 4 goals in quick concession before half time sealed Wigan's sorry fate.
A struggling West Ham side were next up as Wigan travelled to Upton Park. David Cotterill scored his first goal for the club and Leighton Baines added another 40-yard goal to the list as Wigan came away 2-0 winners.
Wigan travelled to Middlesbrough on the Saturday and picked up a 1-1 draw. A good start saw Wigan take the lead but a head injury to Chris Kirkland seemed to affect the concentration of the rest of the team as Yakubu equalised in the second half.
Wigan began the biggest losing streak in their history against Arsenal at the JJB Stadium, a brave Wigan performance that deserved so much more was
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Wigan played some of the best football of the season so far and many Wiganers were proud of the lads.
It was a case of going from cruelly defeated to being pathetically embarrassed as a purely shambolic display saw Sheffield United defeat the Latics at the JJB thanks too a strike from Rob Hulse.
Wigan showed very little effort and desire to win and United fully deserved the 3 points they got. Lee McCulloch typified the game when he lashed out at Sheffield defender Chris Morgan.
The event was unseen by the referee but it left Morgan with a black eye and after a disciplinary hearing, McCulloch with a 3 match ban. Great, just what we needed! An injury to Henri Camara ruled him out till February so Wigan had to face the Champions Chelsea with just the one fit striker.
Chelsea were 2-0 up in half an hour and it looked to be all doom and gloom for Wigan fans but Emile Heskey popped up to make it 2-1 just before half time. Maybe, just maybe.
Wigan totally dominated the second half and got an all-important equaliser thanks to that man Heskey again. It was 2-2 right until the last minute.
Chelsea had stole victory in the last minute last season at the JJB when Crespo struck and there were visions of the same thing happening again as 3 minutes were shown as additional time, exactly the same as last year. BANG! It happened.
Chelsea had stolen it again. Arjen Robben struck from the edge of the box and caught Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland off balance. The game ended 3-2 to Chelsea and once again Wigan had failed to get any points from one of the big boys. Frustration set in.
Why couldn't Wigan play like that against other teams where we would get 3
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The next trip for Latics was a glorious trip to Old Trafford to take on Man United. Surprisingly it was 0-0 at half time but that man Ronaldo came on at half time and just opened it all up.
Pretty soon United were 3 up, leaving Leighton Baines to get a last minute consolation from the penalty spot to make the game 3-1 to Man United. As the year drew to a close, speculation grew as to whom Wigan would sign in the New Year.
Before the last game of 2006 at Watford,
The game at Watford was somewhat of a washout. Wigan took the lead through Emile Heskey but Tamas Priskin equalised for the Hornets before half time.
As the game went on the rain began to fall….and fall…..and fall, until eventually the referee Steve Tanner called a halt to proceedings and was forced to postpone the match.
Great, just what Wigan needed, a repeated fixture to tire our players! As the year drew to a close many names were being banded about as to who Wigan should sign in the New Year, would the Duke return? Would we land Zoltan Gera? Only 2007 can tell us.
Sat 02 Dec | H | League | L 0-4 | 22,089 | |
Wed 06 Dec | A | League | W 2-0 | 33,805 | |
Sat 09 Dec | A | League | D 1-1 | 23,638 | |
Wed 13 Dec | H | League | L 0-1 | 15,311 | |
Sat 16 Dec | H | League | L 0-1 | 16,322 | |
Sat 23 Dec | H | League | L 2-3 | 22,077 | |
Tue 26 Dec | A | League | L 1-3 | 76,018 | |
Sat 30 Dec | A | League | P-P |
