Wigan manager Shaun Maloney hopes Manchester United loanee Joe Hugill has silenced his critics after his brace put the Latics on course for an emphatic 4-0 win at Bristol Rovers.
The 20-year-old striker put Wigan in command with two close-range first-half efforts at the Memorial Stadium.
“Joe is a very good finisher, but whatever the level he’s hoping to reach, there should no ceiling that I’m going to put him on him,” Maloney said.
“He’s got lots of attributes and the two goals will have put him on cloud nine, because I know from experience that this performance will give him a lift.
“But he will have to keep his feet on the ground, work hard and go again because there’s plenty of competition up front, especially from Dale Taylor.”
Maloney hopes the two goals will help silence Hugill’s doubters.
“Man United fans look out for their loan players and I remember reading something that wasn’t positive about Joe’s start with Wigan,” Maloney added
“They were saying he was struggling, but he wasn’t and in reality he was learning to get into certain positions I wanted him to get into, but we weren’t finding him.
“He didn’t score for the first three or four, but I’ll judge him on the ratio of chances he takes rather than just goals scored.
“He’s still got work to do and there’s still different ways to score that he can get better at, but he’s had a good start no matter what goals scored statistics say.”
Hugill put the Latics in control after 20 minutes when he tapped in from close range after the defence had failed to clear their lines following a corner.
He was again in the right place at the right time after 40 minutes when he bundled the ball in after goalkeeper Josh Griffiths had saved following another corner.
Thelo Aasgaard strengthened Wigan’s grip on the contest after 50 minutes with yet another close-range finish when Griffiths dropped Silko Thomas’ cross.
And on-loan Liverpool left-back Luke Chambers underlined his potential when he completed the scoring by catching out Griffiths with a low 20-yard free-kick.
Things went from bad to worse for Rovers after 84 minutes when defender Taylor Moore was sent off following an off-the-ball clash with substitute Maleace Asamoah.
Rovers boss Matt Taylor said: “For 15 minutes it was quite a good game with two teams going at it.
“But then goals change the state of the game and the way people feel and perform.
“It was a real shock to the system the way we went under and how we failed the do the basics of the game first and foremost when the score-line went against us.
“It’s probably not the tie to go into every detail, but there wasn’t enough (players) out on the pitch with enough know-how and experience to get themselves through it.
“You’re looking for leadership and it starts with myself. The first two goals were identical from set-pieces, so it’s about set-up aspects as much as intent.
“We tried to give them clear direction at half-time to change the way we were playing, but there were still too many mistakes and we never had control of their team after the first two goals. We were too fragile.”
[(SK Slovan Bratislava) Strength]: 1. Coming into the UEFA Europa League Play-off round, SK Slovan Bratislava hope to grab the advantage of advancing in this home game, with full motivation.2. SK Slovan Bratislava defeated MFK Skalica 1-0 at home in the last Slovak Super Liga game. They kept unbeaten in the first 3 league games with 2 wins and 1 draw.3. SK Slovan Bratislava scored in 6 of the last...
[(SC Preussen Munster) Strength]: 1. SC Preussen Munster will play at home in this match. The team must defend their home honor and their fighting spirit is beyond doubt.[(SC Preussen Munster) Weakness]: 1. SC Preussen Munster suffered a defeat in the midweek DFB-Pokal match, being eliminated 3-5 by Hertha BSC after a grueling battle that went all the way to penalties, which is a blow to their mor...
[(Real Betis) Strength]: 1. Real Betis failed to start with a win in the first La Liga game this season. They are eager to win and boost their morale.2. Real Betis' new signing midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme contributed an assist in the first league game, showing decent performances.3. Real Betis scored in each of the recent 6 games, boasting stable offense.4. Real Betis received 10 wins, 7 draws, an...
[(Palmeiras) Strength]: 1. In the first leg, Palmeiras secured a resounding 4-0 away victory over Universitario de Deportes, gaining a huge advantage in the race for advancing. Hosting this game at their home ground, Palmeiras will naturally go all out to avoid being reversed by the opponents, ensuring a smooth advance to the next round and continuing their charge towards the Copa Libertadores tro...
[(River Plate) Strength]: 1. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. Returning to their home ground for this game, River Plate are united in their determination to beat Club Libertad and advance to the quarter-finals, with a strong desire to win.2. Red-hot River Plate kept unbeaten in the last 7 games with 4 wins and 3 draws. They beat Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba...
[(NK Rijeka) Strength]: 1. NK Rijeka, powerhouses in Croatia, have a strong pursuit of honors. After dropping down from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, the team are eager to prove themselves in the UEFA Europa League, aiming to enhance their stature in European football and bring glory to both the club and their supporters.[(NK Rijeka) Weakness]: 1. NK Rijeka defender Mile Skoric will miss t...
[(KFUM-Kameratene Oslo) Strength]: 1. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo have achieved 7 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses in the league so far this season, scoring 29 goals and conceding 20 in 18 league games, and currently rank 7th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game with great desire to win.2. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo's major forward Johannes Nunez has performed steadily in the team's front...
[(Vaasan Palloseura) Strength]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura have been in poor recent form. In this home match, they are motivated to rebound.[(Vaasan Palloseura) Weakness]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura drew 0-0 with HJK Helsinki on the road in the last game. They are on a 1-game winless run.2. Vaasan Palloseura were winless in 7 consecutive home games, failing to show their home advantage.3. Vaasan Palloseura co...
[(West Ham United F.C.) Neutral]: 1. West Ham United F.C. recently expressed their desire to sign their upcoming opponents Chelsea's player Andrey Santos, but their offer was rejected. Chelsea informed West Ham that they have no intention of selling the player.2. West Ham United F.C. scored 46 goals in 38 league games last season, averaging over 1 goal per game. However, their offense is still con...
[(Aberdeen F.C.) Strength]: 1. If Aberdeen F.C. can advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage, it would mark a historic milestone for the club. This huge honor will undoubtedly greatly boost the team's fighting spirit.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Neutral]: 1. The two sides have never met before, and there are no relevant track record available for reference at present.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Weakness]: 1. Aberde...
- 1 Liverpool signing Leoni: I want to learn from Van Dijk
- 2 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Alaves vs Levante Prediction for today 17 August 2025 - Football
- 5 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 6 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 7 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 8 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 9 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer
- 10 Man United Make Goalkeeper Decision Amid Onana and Bayindir Uncertainty