It must be hard enough to raise your players’ spirits after a 3-0 defeat, or conceding a last second equalizer, but how on earth do you approach the task when you have conceded nine goals in one match, eight of them in one catastrophic half? I certainly don’t envy Roberto Martinez and his staff this week as they prepare for Sunderland’s visit, but I at least expect Wigan’s fans to get fully behind their side as they attempt to ensure that the damage isn’t lasting, particularly as the players have offered to refund the money paid out by the fans that travelled to White Hart Lane. History is not on their side though, as the last team to concede nine in one Premiership match, Ipswich Town, went on to lose their next six matches, the first five of them without even scoring a goal.

Thank God that’s over with. We can rest easy now that we know that New Zealand have conquered Bahrain, and Macedonia triumphed over Canada, and my sincere gratitude goes to FIFA for ensuring that Premier League and Championship fans have been denied seeing their teams in action for another two weeks as a result. At least the FA managed to fill their coffers via one of the more pointless run-outs for the England B team though. I’m sure the fans will see the benefit of that.

29 more goals, including some quite breathtaking efforts, 9 red cards and no end of controversy. I don’t want to come across as a marketing agent for the Premier League, but we really are being treated to an excellent spectacle this season, although it was no surprise that the only goalless game took place at St.Andrew’s. There has been a great deal of coverage in the past few days of the record number of red cards on a single Premier League Saturday, but despite the protestations from a number of the managers involved, and the appeals from Liverpool over their two contributions to the tally, I really don’t think the referees in most cases had any option. The only player who can count himself a little unfortunate in my opinion was Radoslav Kovac of West Ham, who probably didn’t even see Darren Bent approaching from behind as he attempted to clear the ball, only to make contact with Bent’s tender parts and draw his second yellow card of the match.