Wigan, long associated with tries, found it easy going against a Derby side that didn't try.
There's no need to wait till the end of the season, we will officially be recorded as having the worst ever number of points attained. This was as inept a performance from a Derby County side that I care to remember in forty three years of following the club.
It was also a record of twenty one games without a win. Small numbers.
An embarrassment said Jewell afterward, indicating he will make them suffer in training next week. I hope he joins them because on this performance the management need to take their share of the blame also.
As supporters we can accept we struggle with the resources at our disposal. We can accept we won't be world beaters, that teams spend more on one leg of one player than we have spent on the whole squad.
What we won't accept is a lack of passion, of effort, of application. There was little of those three qualities at the JJB Stadium yesterday.
Let's start with Barnes, a lazy attitude, lacking of any perceived interest in the game whatsoever. His whole match amounted to not much more than a goal line clearance and one shot which was blocked after 87 minutes.
Now add Savage, brought in to wind the opposition up, to get up their noses. In short to inspire. His ninety minutes can be summed up as one block in the penalty area, jumping back into Leacock forcing his withdrawl at half time and buggar all else. Sorry to be so blunt. On reflection maybe that's a tad unfair, perhaps he won the toss to.
Two out of eleven, one inherited, one bought by Jewell. The two poorest performances and yet two that stayed on the pitch for the whole ninety. And in a nutshell it's hard to understand why.
Of the rest, Stubbs was immense at the back as too was Moore, Leacock added pace and balance before he was crocked by Savage when both players went for the same ball in the air, McEveley at left back was roasted by Valencia. Behind them Carroll is a Bywater clone, good shot stopper but decisions for crosses still are uncertain.
Ghaly subdued yet still creative and Pearson mediocre in midfield but both put in the effort so lacking in Barnes and the determination absent in Savage.
Fagan, fantastic work rate poor end product and Miller end product poor work rate. Maybe they can bang their heads together in training and come up with one good player. Sections of the support yesterday were of the opinion that if Kenny (offside) Miller wants away then he shouldn't be in the team.
Villa and Sterjovski came on and tried, Villa with no service had one overhead shot on taarget and Mile produced one bit of skill by the touchline, whilst Todd who came on at half time when the scores were level was largely anonymous.
For the record Paul Scharner scored Wigan's first on the hour mark, after two blocks by Carroll saw the unmarked defender slot home the easiest of chances, whilst the Latics second was volleyed in by Valencia after Fagan failed to track back in the dying stages.
Two nil and deserved. Wigan have a small yet perfectly formed stadium, a small yet dedicated bunch of supporters, but they have a heart in the Boardroom, on the pitch and in the stands. They have what is needed to stay in the Premiership, quite frankly we don't. Derby were dire.
Wigan: Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot, Paul Scharner, Emmerson Boyce, Erik Edman (Jason Koumas 90), Luis Antonio Valencia, Wilson Palacios, Michael Brown, Kevin Kilbane, Emile Heskey (Marcus Bent 90), Marlon King (Antoine Sibierski 85).
Subs not used: Mike Pollitt, Titus Bramble.
Goal scorers: Paul Scharner 60 mins, Luis Antonio Valencia 84 mins.
Derby: Roy Carroll, Darren Moore, Dean Leacock (Andy Todd 46), Alan Stubbs, James McEveley, Hossam Ghaly (Mile Sterjovski 62), Giles Barnes, Robbie Savage, Steve Pearson (Emanuel Villa 57), Craig Fagan, Kenny Miller.
Subs not used: Lewis Price, Eddie Lewis.
Booked: Craig Fagan 89 mins.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).
Attendance: 20,176.
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