bettermirror Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 when is de vos due back? in time for the november/december friendly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batch Posted October 25, 2003 Share Posted October 25, 2003 De Vos is back in training at the moment. So far he's been running on the training ground in an attempt to gain fitness. Next week i believe his is joining full training with the rest of the squad. He was on the local radio here in Wigan (I'm a Wigan Athletic fan BTW) saying the foot is feeling fine and joking that with the First team and Reserve teams both top of their respective leagues that he may not be able to get a place in either of them. He writes a page in the local newspaper here in Wigan every Saturday. Once it is published in an hour or two i'll see if he mentions anything i missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batch Posted October 25, 2003 Share Posted October 25, 2003 Just got it now. No mention of how the injury is. He's just on about the Champions League and drug testing / taking in sports. Ben Johnson gets the obligatory mention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batch Posted October 25, 2003 Share Posted October 25, 2003 Also forgot to mention that he is hoping to get back to action when our reserves play Wrexham on November 5th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 25, 2003 Share Posted October 25, 2003 Thanks for this update - if he's fit enough to play for the reserves on Nov 5 hopefully he'll be ready to face the Czechs on Nov 15, which would be fantastic news for Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batch Posted October 26, 2003 Share Posted October 26, 2003 On November 15th we have a big game at Sunderland - it may be called off because of Euro play-offs- we have Neil Roberts who is likely to play for Wales, not sure about Sunderland but they need 3+ players to be called up to have the game called off. If it isnt called off do you think De Vos will get called up for a meaningless freindly ? I remember him opting out of a friendly against Estonia a while ago because we had a league game the same day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettermirror Posted October 26, 2003 Author Share Posted October 26, 2003 thanks for the update. batch are you a canadian abroad? sunderland have a number of internationals do they not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batch Posted October 26, 2003 Share Posted October 26, 2003 No i'm not Canadian, I'm English and am from Wigan. I just came here to see what you though of JDV and decided to sign up so i could keep you updated. Sunderland do have a few internationals- they have John Oster who may get called up for Wales for the play-off game. I'm not sure of what international friendlies are being played that weekend but Sunderland have 4 or 5 other internationals who could get called up if their respective countries are playing. On a personal level i hope the Sunderland game isnt called off. I was planning to go to that game. If it did get called off it would be re-aranged for a Tuesday night and there is no way i could do a 400 mile round trip on a Tuesday evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Georgio Posted October 26, 2003 Share Posted October 26, 2003 Thanks for the updates Batch! I just wanna emphasize one thing for you even though it may already be apparent to you. Most people here are supporting our National Team first and foremost. We don't believe this game to be "meaningless" at all and infact it is significantly more important to us then the game against Sunderland. We are trying to prepare for a gruelling qualifying stage and given that all our preffered squad except two (Onstad and DeRosario) play pro in Europe, this opportunty IN EUROPE for a prep game is of utmost importance. Devos (our captain) is key as the general in the back who will need atleast one game playing with players in what is now our best opportunity to get all our preffered core starters together, some of whom he will not have played with either at all or in some time ie. Jazic, Bircham, Pesch, Radzinski, possibly some other fullback etc. The Czechs will have the most formidable attack of arguably any team our MNT, past and present, have EVER faced, which will mean our fullbacks will get the brunt of it, which could also mean our fullbacks will get maximized preperation for future matches. Any reasonable National Team Supporter would support players missing international games if the game does conflict with the players pro career, especially if the game is meaningless. But I think it is safe to say this game against the Czechs is worth even a minor disagreement between any of our players and their management. Atleast I hope it is that important to all of our current National Team players, unless they are in their own league playoffs (Onstad and DeRo). Devos' health is of course above all else the most important issue. Georgio P.S. I also think the sooner Devos get's back, the sooner he can put the kaibosh on the whole Watson scenario .... ugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batch Posted October 26, 2003 Share Posted October 26, 2003 You might want to check out this link. Its an article i've scanned from todays local football newspaper. http://www.mdcumberbatch.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/johns/vos.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew Posted October 26, 2003 Share Posted October 26, 2003 First off welcome Batch and thanks for the updates. I've got to agree about the meaningless friendly talk. Obviously I understand where you're coming from as a Wigan supporter, but our biggest weakness is in the centre of the defence because basically we have no idea who to pair with DeVos. Jason being hurt compounds the problem, so for him to miss this game for club duty would be a tough pill to swallow. We've got a caretaker manager in place and this will be our best friendly before World Cup qualifying starts. You didn't happen to make the long trip to Plymouth last year to see Wigan did you? A few of us were at that match on our way to Scotland for the Canadian friendly. cheers, matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettermirror Posted October 27, 2003 Author Share Posted October 27, 2003 cheers again, batch. to clarify my position. de vos MUST play against the czech's if healthy. we need him to bring our squad together for world cup qualifying. with players like radz, hutchinson, and de guzman all growing this is our best chance since 86 to qualify - plus the u23's and u20's emerging as top 20 world squads. frankly, if de vos has to miss just ONE of Fourty-Six matches, boo-hoo. Wigan have done fine without him up till now, eh!? i also support wigan because de vos is on the squad and the fact that they are in the greater manchester area, being a united supporter myself. i'd love to see another manchester side with a canadian to boot, in the prem. but de vos must put country before club in this case - he's missed plenty for canada to play for wigan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batch Posted October 27, 2003 Share Posted October 27, 2003 Yeah i think i was a bit hasty calling it a meaningless friendly after i though about it. Over here our national team basically all play for 4 or 5 clubs so know how to play as a unit for the most part. For Canada and the lesser footballing nations it must be a struggle especially when players only get to meet up 4 or 5 times per year. Matthew - No i didnt get to the plymouth game last year. The only away game i went to last year was Huddersfield when we won the championship. I think i remember a few Canadians coming along to the JJb stadium at one point in the past few years. Cant quite remember when it was though. There is normally a Canadian flag in the main stand at the JJB not sure if that is an exiled Canadian but more than likely just a fan who brings it along because JDV plays for us. bettermirror - be careful what you say about calling us a Manchester team;) but long as you dont call us Scousers i dont mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fza Posted October 27, 2003 Share Posted October 27, 2003 Batch, thanks for the article. I wish your club the best this season and if they get promoted then I hope it will be with DeVos wearing the band around his arm. I`m an Everton fan, but I`m always aware of what`s going on with different English clubs that obviously, have Canadians on their roster. Good luck mate!! Thanks again!! Francisco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reza Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 I would rather keep Devos alone. November is a huge month for Wigan as they face Reading, Sunderland and Westham away and these are the teams they are competing against for promotion. Wigan has to be at its best to come out with reasonable number of points out of November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ed Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Reza I would rather keep Devos alone. November is a huge month for Wigan as they face Reading, Sunderland and Westham away and these are the teams they are competing against for promotion. Wigan has to be at its best to come out with reasonable number of points out of November. The team that will be named will have no resemblance to a squad that could compete for a top 3-4 spot in CONCACAF, so why bother DeVos. It's just a kick about for the boys from the early 90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batch Posted October 31, 2003 Share Posted October 31, 2003 De Vos wont be making his comeback on 5th November after all. Our reserve game at Wrexham that day has been called off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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