Wigan Athletic F.C.

Discussion in 'Ecuador' started by damnecuadorian, Feb 24, 2009.

  1. damnecuadorian

    Mar 11, 2007
    SF & NYC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    Benitez is set to move to Wigan

    By Alan Nixon 24/02/2009

    Wigan boss Steve Bruce is ready to make a new record £6million move for Ecuador striker Christian Benitez.

    Bruce has sent general manager John Benson to Mexico to set up a deal for the small but skilful Santos Laguna star, who is just back from a broken leg.

    The Latics chief wanted Benitez in the last window but his injury meant the deal was considered too risky by chairman Dave Whelan.

    However, Benitez made his comeback at the weekend and Wigan watched him play for an hour before starting talks for a summer deal.

    Benitez, 22, was voted the most valuable player in the Mexican league last season and Wigan will have to splash out to bring him in.

    Bruce expects major changes in his squad at the end of the season with strikers Amr Zaki and Mido out of contract and winger Luis Antonio Valencia bound for Manchester United.

    A huge potential profit on Valencia makes Wigan believe his fellow countryman is worth a gamble.
     
  2. damnecuadorian

    Mar 11, 2007
    SF & NYC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    By the way, I started this new thread because I didn't want Wigan news to be split between Luis Antonio Valencia, news & comments (r) and News: Wigan Confirm Interest in Benitez.
     
  3. Primitive Ways

    Primitive Ways Member+

    Jan 30, 2009
    Florida
    Club:
    Barcelona Guayaquil
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    Valencia needs to stay at Wigan, IMO he won't be getting any playing time if he goes to Manchester U.
     
  4. LDU4ever

    LDU4ever Moderator
    Staff Member

    Liga de Quito
    Ecuador
    Nov 21, 2004
    Miami, FL
    Club:
    Liga de Quito
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    I actually think Valencia will get a fair shot at a starting spot considering SAF's discontent with Nani and the possibility of C. Ronaldo leaving to Real Madrid in the summer...Park isn't ever assured a starting spot and the Scholes is getting old (it rhymes!). Anyway, Valencia's age and skill are what Man U needs...for such a high bid that Man United is putting on our ecuadawg, he'll get a shot and will have to keep strong performances to assure a spot in the starting XI.

    As for Benitez, Wigan is a great fit for him. Hopefully Santos Laguna will loosen the boy for 6 million pounds although knowing the trajectory of Mexican clubs with their best players, they might keep him :/
     
  5. damnecuadorian

    Mar 11, 2007
    SF & NYC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    If this deal goes through, it would absolutely rock if Benitez and Valencia both stay at Wigan. Realistically though, Valencia is worth a ton of money and Dave Whelan will most likely opt to cash out.

    Question: Since the January transfer window is over, does this mean that the soonest Benitez could play for Wigan is in the summer?
     
  6. GW Emperor

    GW Emperor New Member

    Oct 26, 2008
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England

    Yep that is correct. The deal for Benitez will not be able to go through untill the transfer window re-opens in the Summer. The 1st of August is the day that it will open again.
     
  7. damnecuadorian

    Mar 11, 2007
    SF & NYC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    Well there goes my dream of seeing them play together and kicking almighty ass. :mad:
     
  8. GW Emperor

    GW Emperor New Member

    Oct 26, 2008
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    It will be interesting to see how the Wigan team will look next season. I too hope that Valencia will stay at the club, however if Christiano Ronaldo departs Manchester United, then it will be quite likely that Luis Antonio Valencia will be signed as his replacement. When it comes to the strikers, who of the current crop will remain? Will Zaki choose to sign for Wigan permanantly once his loan deal expires? Will Wigan consider making Mido's deal more permanent? Will Camara and Sibierski be gone from the club? Could Benitez and Rodallega be the starting strikers for Wigan? or might Wigan choose to use Rodallega in the deal to capture Benitez, therefore money + player for Benitez, this if Wigan feel that Rodallega overall never did enough for them? I cannot wait to find out.
     
  9. Primitive Ways

    Primitive Ways Member+

    Jan 30, 2009
    Florida
    Club:
    Barcelona Guayaquil
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    I watched him play against Blackburn and thought he did a good job.
     
  10. Quilotoa

    Quilotoa Member

    Sep 26, 2008
    Brasilia, Brazil
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    I too would love to see Valencia stay at Wigan and get 90 minutes on the pitch every week and possibly even play European football!! But, after watching him play several times I am becoming a believer that he could be a starter for a world class team after a year or two. As for Benitez I think a summer move for him in exchange for Rodallega would be a good move. Keep Mido and sign him on a permanent deal, try and keep Zaki if possible and I think Benitez would be a starter no problem. I think he would really turn some heads in the premiership. I hope this actually goes through!! btw, I'm not so impressed by Rodallega and neither is anyone else in Lancashire. Bad move?
     
  11. Spencer

    Spencer Member

    Mar 11, 2002
    Quito
    Club:
    Barcelona Guayaquil
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    I agree that Hugo Nuncallega sucks haha, and that Benitez rocks and he will go to England, I can feel it :)
    And Antonio is a world class player indeed, I'm proud of him
     
  12. ECUAlex

    ECUAlex Member

    Feb 24, 2009
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    I hope this actually happens, Benitez and Valencia on the same team!!! Off topic but I actually think Guerron would be a good player in the EPL because it's a more fast paced game, he fits in perfectly.
     
  13. Spencer

    Spencer Member

    Mar 11, 2002
    Quito
    Club:
    Barcelona Guayaquil
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    Yes it would be great to see them playing together in England but remember that Valencia will most likely leave for a better club at the end of the season. So what will probably happen is that Valencia leaves and Benitez joins at the same time
     
  14. Argentine Futbol

    Argentine Futbol Red Card

    Feb 21, 2003
    Old Greenwich, CT
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Did i call it or did I call it? Hugo Roda************ is AWFUL. Watching him play makes me want to scream and shout. Just off the hot press. Wigan will make a 6-8 Million euro bid for Benitez in the summer. How bad of a striker do you have be for the coach to decide to get another striker 6 month later? I think they realized they made a huge mistake on Rodallega.. They got smacked with a DUH stick..
     
  15. GW Emperor

    GW Emperor New Member

    Oct 26, 2008
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    If say Wigan lose Zaki to a bigger club, and they choose not to make Mido's deal more permanent, do you reckon that as well as possibly signing Benitez, that the idea of going for Carlos Tenorio again might enter the heads of the Wigan board? During the Summer of 2007 Wigan did declare an interest in the services of Tenorio only for Al Sadd to turn them away. Tenorio would be a good addition to the EPL in my opinion, especially when you take into account the player's pace, skill, and braveness, and the decent job that he did against the England defense at the last World Cup. Could he still be considered a possible target for Wigan, or do you reckon that he is now long forgotten?
     
  16. Argentine Futbol

    Argentine Futbol Red Card

    Feb 21, 2003
    Old Greenwich, CT
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Zaki to a bigger club? In England? that Would be a shocker.. and Mido is a better player and work horse than Rodallega. Who in the hell is going to spend money on Carlos Tenorio? How old is he now? 30-31? he would have been decent 5 years ago. Plus he's been playing in a league that's 10x worst than Venezuela's.
     
  17. GW Emperor

    GW Emperor New Member

    Oct 26, 2008
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Carlos Tenorio is 29 at present, and his last chance to play at a top level is quickly approaching him. Yes he plays in a rather turd league, however lets not forget that he did do well on the biggest stage in the World, the World Cup, this while he was at Al Sadd, and Mauro Zarate also did a decent job when he went on loan from Al Sadd straight to Birmingham City. If you are a good player you should be able to perform well no matter which standards you are shifting from.
    With regards to Zaki, lets not forget that since he has been at Wigan he has been associated with many top clubs, for instance Real Madrid, Liverpool etc. If Zaki starts going on the goal scoring spree again that he did in the first half of the season then the interest of top clubs will likely be with him come the end of his loan spell.
     
  18. Argentine Futbol

    Argentine Futbol Red Card

    Feb 21, 2003
    Old Greenwich, CT
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    It would be nice for tenorio to go to England for acouple of years but i don't think any club is going for that. he's done in my opinion.. and who did Carlos Score against in the World Cup? Costa Rica and Poland? Zaki is not replacing any striker at Real madrid or Liverpool, manchester United, Arsenal, or Chelsea. Hell he's not going to replace any of their backups. and scoring a million goals against stoke city and middlesborough is not getting him into any of those big clubs. He already has 10 goals at Wigan. he reminds me of Eric Wynalda's run in Germany.
     
  19. YeYeto

    YeYeto New Member

    Feb 17, 2009
    Club:
    Liga de Quito
    Wigan has good scouts, so I dont think that Rodallega is there by chance. Just give him some time and I think hell do good in the premier league. In terms of Benitez going to Wigan, I think I read once that Santos wants too much money for him. Who knows maybe Rodallega ends up doing good and his stock value rises and then they sell him or loan him and Benitez goes to Wigan. That club has done pretty well as of lately, just think of the profit they made when they sold Palacios. And of course as we all know there is a realistic possiblility that our very own Valencia could end up making them millons more.
     
  20. GW Emperor

    GW Emperor New Member

    Oct 26, 2008
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Tenorio played well in every WC 2006 game, and even scared our top class England defense. The Poland side that Ecuador beat that year were also collectively very strong. If Tenorio wants to prove himself regularly at a top class level though, then he must make that move this Summer. He was/perhaps still is a top class player, and because he has spent most of his best years playing in the Qatar National League, there is therefore a good chance that in 50 years time his name could be forgotten in the Footballing World, which would be very unfair. Tenorio should look to move to an EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Argentinian, Brazilian, Bundesliga club, or any team that is playing in the UEFA Champions League or CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores, this to be remembered as a regular basis top class player.
    With regards to Zaki, he is certainly better than any of the strikers in current top 4 club Aston Villa's side, I would say that he is better than Arsenal's Adebayor, nerdy Van Persie, the developing Vela, and Bendtner, and with regards to Manchester United I would prefer to play him over Wayne Rooney, this since Rooney has long spells of not putting the ball in the net. But anyways we will see what happens with this guy in the future, and I would prefer him to remain at Wigan.
     
  21. GW Emperor

    GW Emperor New Member

    Oct 26, 2008
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Yeah I agree that Rodallega needs time. He started off well in the EPL, in which on his debut game he looked like something special against Liverpool. He has been a bit quiet ever since though, but lets not forget that he has only been at the club for a few games.
    In terms of profit and scouting, the club has done very well indeed. Once upon a time bringing a Honduran to the EPL would have been considered a risky move and many would have expected them to fail or not become great, however the Wigan gang found two amazing players in the form of Palacios and Figueroa, who settled into the EPL immediately, and with regards to Palacios, one year after signing him for as little as 1 million pounds, they sold him to Tottenham for an incredible 12-15 million, therefore making a nice profit of over 10 million in such a short period of time. Great business going down at Wigan.
     
  22. Quilotoa

    Quilotoa Member

    Sep 26, 2008
    Brasilia, Brazil
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    I agree with their scouting with Valencia, Palacios, and also Zaki. But I don't see much in Rodallega. He doesn't posses any great speed, nor does he have strength. He could make a turn around but like Argentine Futbol said, if they are looking for another striker 6 months later Bruce must not be too enthused, or they have a surplus of money. For the reasons I stated above, I believe Benitez would be a much safer signing with his strength and speed, not to mention his goal scoring abilities which I find superior to those of Rodallega.
     
  23. Argentine Futbol

    Argentine Futbol Red Card

    Feb 21, 2003
    Old Greenwich, CT
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina

    I'm not even going to begin to answer this..lol.. Unicorns anyone???
     
  24. GW Emperor

    GW Emperor New Member

    Oct 26, 2008
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Yeah I absolutely agree that Benitez is a better player than Rodallega, and that Wigan should definately go for him. With Rodallega though, he showed in his first EPL game that he can be something special, and he probably needs more time to develop into a more regular performer. Both Rodallega and Benitez might actually form a decent partnership for Wigan in the EPL, however if say Wigan cannot meet the Santos Laguna asking price, then I would recommend that Wigan put Rodallega in the deal, alongside cash, to secure the services of the better Benitez. Santos Laguna would be happy with this deal, this since they would be getting a player who is proven to be good in the Mexican Primera, and on top of that Rodallega has just gained experience in the EPL, which could see him return to the Mexican Primera as a better player. Oh and of course Santos would have some cash in their hands as well, and we all love money.
     
  25. GW Emperor

    GW Emperor New Member

    Oct 26, 2008
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    EPL: Chelsea v Wigan (28/02/2009)

    Preview by Setanta Sports:
    http://www.setanta.com/uk/Articles/Football/2009/02/27/Preview-Chelsea-v-Wigan/gnid-42132/

    Preview by Sky Sports:
    http://www.skysports.com/football/match_preview/0,19764,11065_3004869,00.html

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Wigan have not had a win in their last six games now, and the last four were all draws. They are clearly missing the services that Luis Antonio Valencia can provide, who unfortunately remains out with injury (hamstring) for this game, this alongside casualties such as Mido (groin), and likely Daniel De Ridder and Jason Koumas. It should also be noted that Wigan have not beaten any of the so called Big 4 this season, and without key man Valencia, and considering that they are going up against a new and improved Chelsea under Guus Hiddink, it looks like such a scenario may continue. Both Setanta Sports and Sky Sports predict a 2-0 win to Chelsea, and I too will predict that, or a 2-1 win all in favour of the Blues. As additional notes, could the hard tackling Lee Cattermole add any of the Chelski players to his growing list of EPL player injuries that he has been responsible for? And it should be noted that Valencia could make a full recovery within the next couple of weeks for Wigan.
     

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