Toby Sibbick – Welcome to Wigan Athletic

With the start of the 2024/25 season approaching quickly Latics have strengthened their defensive options with the signing of Toby Sibbick from Hearts for an undisclosed fee.

Since I last posted on TalkingWigan.com we sold Sean Clare to Leyton Orient for an undisclosed fee and, well, I think it’s fair to assume that the money we generated from that outgoing has been spent on bringing 25-year-old Sibbick to the club on a permanent basis. That’s money well spent for sure.

The former AFC Wimbledon, Barnsley and Hearts man is a versatile defender who, as Shaun Maloney pointed out, can play anywhere across a back four or three, and has experience in defensive midfield too. He’s tall, athletic, and really comfortable with the ball at his feet which feels like a bit of a prerequisite to joining us under Shaun Maloney.

With over 75 games of EFL experience under his belt, as well as top flight and European experience north of the border, the 25-year-old brings a lovely blend of knowhow and room for learning to our defence, and profiles nicely alongside the likes of Jason Kerr and Will Aimson.

Now for the difficult bit. Take a breath, sit tight. He looks to me like an absolutely undeniable replacement for a certain Charlie Hughes, who within minutes of Sibbick’s arrival was being linked with a move away. As sad as that would be though fear not, because we have a very very good defender on our hands with Toby Sibbick and we should celebrate that fact.

In this, and every ‘Welcome to Wigan Athletic’ article that I post this summer, I’ll be taking a closer look at all aspects of the new signing’s game. Their profile, where they’ve played before and how they’ve performed, their suitability to our club and our style of play, and a report on their best attributes as well of areas of their game that could hold them back. As best I can I’m going to try and provide you, the valued reader, with the best possible idea of what to expect from our recruits.

And as there’s no time like the present, here we go. Toby Sibbick, you’re up to bat. Let’s see what you’ve got!

Profile

Strengths

Firstly I’d suggest that Toby Sibbick possesses all of the attributes you want in a modern day ball playing defender. He is quick, strong and agile enough to go toe to toe with most of what League One forwards will have to throw at him, and has the temperament and appetite for defending that you want from a centre back. He looks like he enjoys that side of the game which is always important first and foremost.

I like how he covers ground so easily, and is comfortable defending in wide areas similarly to the likes of Hughes and Kerr. Sibbick is a much more complete athlete than someone like Kerr though, and suits playing with that kind of front-footed stopper. Sibbick has a good understanding of where and when to be in certain positions which makes him a valuable covering defender.

He uses his body very well in duels, and makes use of his long legs to hook around backing-in opponents to nick the ball away from them. There might be comparisons made between him and Sean Clare, which I can kind of see as they’re both unusually tall, almost gangly, versatile wide defenders. I would suggest that not only is Sibbick the better and more suited to our style of the two, he’s also a lot more sturdy and imposing than the recently departed Clare.

If we are to play a back four this season, and Sibbick plays as one of the two centre backs, then a lot will be asked oof him in possession. He will need to be confident enough receiving the ball on the back foot or the front foot, controlling it under pressure and progressing it with long-range diagonal passes, incisive ‘line breaking’ passes and driving runs forward.

And there is definitely reason to believe our new man is capable of rising to those challenges. You just have to watch the highlight reel put together by the Latics media team to see the range of passes he is in his locker, and as you’d expect from a player with full back and wing back credentials he’s used to taking the ball past players too.

And another real strength of Sibbick’s is his wonderfully useful versatility. He’s a player with experience at left, right and central centre back, as well as at right back, right wing back and in midfield. If we are to carry a fairly small squad of senior players it’s absolutely vital to have options who cover several positions. While I see him as our starting centre back alongside Jason Kerr it’s great to know he could deputise in a number of other roles.

Limitations

The biggest criticism I’d have of Sibbick, and it’s one that was noticeable in clips as well as in discussion with fans of teams he’s played for, is a proneness to lose focus after long spells in possession. Whether it’s an internal eagerness to make things happen quickly I’m not sure, but I get the impression he’s not someone who likes having loads of touches of the ball deep in his own half.

While that may not seem like too much of an issue I do think it’s absolutely vital that our centre backs are patient in possession and don’t look to force things that aren’t there. The way we play is all about creating gaps to exploit, and while some don’t and never will like it that’s the way it’s going to stay. I do worry slightly that Sibbick’s natural instincts will be to rush things when a little bit of composure and patience is necessary.

It’s a tough job staying laser focused for 90+ minutes, and if we enjoy large spells of possession like I’m sure we will next season I do expect him to be asked to improve that side of his game. In truth his concentration, both on and off the ball, is in need of some work just to ensure he rids his game of unforced errors.

That’s especially important when playing at centre back because your mistakes tend to be punished more severely than most positions, in fact every position other than goalkeeper. It takes a certain level of confidence and bravery to play at the heart of defence, and when you’re coming into a side that is about to lose the best defender we’ve seen since the Premier League era, like it or loathe it, there will be added pressure.

So while I’ve written about it as a limitation there is absolutely no reason why it can’t be a positive. It’s a real test of character, but if overcome Toby Sibbick will cement himself as a firm favourite amongst Latics fans. He’s a really well-rounded player who just has a few areas of his game that need to catch up with the others. As he approaches his prime there’s no reason why that can’t happen.

Potential Fit

So what actually is Toby Sibbick you might be asking? After a quick browse of his profile and data from recent seasons my first thought was as a right centre back in a back three, or as a defensive full back who narrows to create a back three and lets his opposite full back push on. However, after watching a bit more of him I think I’d start him at LCB in a back four on the opening day of the season.

And let me explain why. Firstly, it can be assumed that Jason Kerr will be given the captain’s armband and therefore is the first name on the team sheet, so it’s all about finding a partner for him.

When you think of Kerr’s best qualities you think of his aggression, willingness to go up for headers and engage in the dirty side of the game without taking a backwards step. There’s also his really astute short-mid range passing game, and the calm and considered way he distributes it. When thinking of his limitations you’d maybe say his lack of mobility, particularly on the turn, and ability to progress the ball quickly with long-range passes or runs forward.

Can you think of anyone with those attributes? If not, scroll up to the ‘strengths’ section of this article and remind yourself!

In our 4-2-3-1 system it’s vital to have athletic defenders capable of covering big distances, especially out wide given how our full backs tend to invert in possession. We were vulnerable to counter attacks last season which was due to a distinct lack of pace in our backline, so Sibbick’s arrival is very necessary.

He’d also be well-used at right back, albeit I think we have better options in the squad. He uses his body well when pressured with an opponent on his back, and turns nicely to get the ball onto his favoured right foot. I like him as a ball carrying option in our team, and while he can show those qualities when used at centre back, he can do so with less risk when played at full back, wing back or in midfield.

Final Thoughts

Toby Sibbick is a wonderful footballer and a wonderful athlete at League One level. He has everything you’d want from a ball-playing defender, and has been singled out by Shaun Maloney and Gregor Rioch as a hugely important signing. It has since transpired that the reason they were so keen to get this deal over the line is because the sale of Charlie Hughes is imminent.

And while the impending Hughes exit is extremely painful, I really don’t want that to take the shine off the signing of Toby Sibbick because it’s a really astute one. Don’t judge him against the performances of Charlie Hughes because you won’t find that level outside of the very best in the EFL. You shouldn’t aim to replace players like that like for like, you should aim to find alternatives with important qualities that better the team in new ways. There are parts of Sibbick’s game that are better than Hughes’, just as there are areas Hughes is superior in. Judge our new arrival based solely on what he does for us, which I’m hoping and expecting will be very impressive.

With Sibbick, Kerr, Aimson and Carragher I think we have a nice blend of attributes that should keep us tight at the back. I’m encouraged by how quickly we’ve moved to bring in the 25-year-old, and am very much looking forward to watching him play in the famous blue and white.

Welcome to Wigan Athletic, Toby Sibbick. Up the Tics!