Fan Forum: https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/forums/latics-speyk.76/ Last Five Games: Watford W L D L W Wigan D L L D L So, here we are then, two games into the Wilder reign and he has collected 3 from a possible 6 points with three goals scored and only the one conceded to date. Doesn't sound too bad until you remember that one goal conceded was in our worst performance of the season at QPR. Thankfully though we bounced back strongly on the following Tuesday with a very promising openning 45mins against a Birmingham side who looked like they had booked their flights abroad for the Summer already. Rest of that game wasn't as good, but we just about clung on and poor finishing from them and us scoring against the run of play rounded off a satisfactory evening. So, how do our playoff hopes look going into this fixture now? Well, thanks to most of last night's results going against us we now sit six points from the sixth and final playoff place, with the worst GD of all the chasing sides. So, Wigan is pretty much a must a win then. Realistically, we need to win our next two games and then see what the table looks like after that. At the time of writing, that would include having to beat our neighbours up the M1 away from home in what will be a very fiesty affair. Sir Edwards against our third manager of the season in Wilder. Another thing not in our favor is we have played all the sides above us twice (bar Luton) so we cannot rake any points off them, thus relying on at least three of them going on a bad run of form and us to suddenly break out into a winning streak. All we can do right now though, is worry about the next game. Wigan, promoted from League One last season, have endured a torid return to the Championship and have possibly one of the worst home records in the division. They are not playing too much better away, but at the moment still have a chance of survival. We won the reverse fixture 1-0 at their place due to a fairly late goal in a very scrappy game. Hopefully Sarr will remain absent as I was impressed how well we faired without him sulking around for 90mins on Tuesday. I would like to see Asprilla start although Bacuna did have a good game, Kone' must start he was excellent and looking like a more contempt version of Sarr minus the pace. A midfield three seems to suit us, although Cathcart had an off night in defence - so hoping for better from him. Bachmann needs to stop punching the ball to opposition players' as well. Wilder may of picked up on this and hopefully had a word. Still quite unsure on what formation suits us. Louza seems to play better with a lot more space afforded to him, and Pedro likes to slot in just behind. I am actually alright with Davis starting if he can re-discover his first 45 from Tuesday for a little bit longer on Saturday. It's a must win - anything less would almost certainly put paid to any small chance of the playoffs we have. Watford 2 Wigan 0
I don't think us not playing teams above us (apart from L****) is a disadvantage! They will be taking plenty of points off each other and the standout 'hard' away game we have is hopefully one our spineless wonders can really get up for. Bring back Troost for the team talk!
Can't wait, biggest moment of my life as I return to watch a game at the Vic for the first time in a couple of years. Upstairs eating my prawn sandwiches so if I see Gino I'll be sure to tell him his fortune and throw my sandwiches at him. I mean what more could a man want, a day drinking with no family commitments, prawn sandwiches and seeing the mighty Wigan Athletic, whilst engaging in a dirty protest towards my football clubs owner. Prediction: 0-0
It certainly is a must win game, we have squandered so many points this season, we are somewhat fortunate we are still in with some sort of chance!
It's great that we get to see these former premier league silverware laden giants at our own stadium. Must win game. 1-1.
Must win game as teams above us also have “easy” games. We need to win just maintain the 6 point gap. With our mental midgets of players, we won’t. We’ve seen this all season, one decentish performance and it gets us hopeful, only for them to completely revert back to the useless waste of space most of them are. Fully expect us to buckle under the pressure of must win. Going for a score draw, 2-2.
Fair assessment. I too thought Cathcart was poor. Maybe by switching him and Porteous would help. I wouldn't mess with a winning team but would like us to play closer together as we did in the opening of the first half. Start with the same desire and Wigan will crack open. But in all honesty I wouldn't back Watford to win.
Must win game and some slight glimmers of hope? So I fully expect we inconsistently put in a lacklustre, tepid performance and it ends up 0-0
I think it’s more to it than that, Tuesday wasn’t just a case of us putting on a decent performance so as not to incur the wrath of the manager and fans before reverting to type, it was a result of Wilder changing formation and tactics and making the bold decision to finally drop Sarr. He also has a history of going on long winning streaks when it matters so I’d be surprised if we don’t see a follow-up. Also I’m not sure what pressure there is for us to buckle under - we are not clinging onto the play-offs or an automatic spot by the skin of our teeth, apart from a small chance of even getting to the play-offs we have nothing to lose. Maybe they could feel the pressure if we go into the last minute of a long period of second half injury time leading 2-1 with the slight chance to extend our season up for grabs, but I think they’ll be less cautious and play in a freer and more confident manner at the start of the match at least with the mindset that the season is over barring a dramatic upturn in results and take this game as it comes.
Sarr got injured on Saturday, albeit only a minor one, so it wasn't a big call to leave him out! The big call would be to keep him out of the team even if he's fit at the weekend
Am excited about this, which hasn't happened for a long time in a while. Just looked and we've only followed a win up with a win, three times this season. Pretty sorry state of affairs.
And all of those follow-up wins came against a team in the bottom 4 - does bode well for Saturday though...
One of the few brightish spots in this dark, dark season has been the emergence of Porteus and Hoedt as a semi-competent centre back pairing (although, admittedly, Hoedt can't pass for toffee). The defence seems less assured now that these two have been split up and Cathcart has been reintroduced to stumble around in between them. 0-1. Any slim hopes of the play-offs will be gone by 5 o'clock on Saturday and the bloodbath of recriminations can begin in earnest.
Oh good! I like a bloodbath, especially after Medea last week! 'It's just a dug out that my Dad built. Incase the Reds decide to push the button down'
This being a Fagen solo effort, it might have to go to the adjudicator. But a brilliant lyric nonetheless.
A must win game (as they all are now!!) and we need to make it a big win with a standout performance, 5-0.
Yep. I don't think he managed to find a Watford player at all at QPR. I like him, but Franz Beckenbaur he aint
Whole team was rancid that game though wasn't it? I've been quite impressed with his passing in the home games I've seen. At least it's an improvement on Troost, to Cathcart, back to Troost, to Cathcart, to Bachmann, back to Troost aaaannnd... it's gone.
He's also been turned as many times as a ballerina. Better than most of what we have, but his not going to stand out over a season. They'll stick 11 men behind the ball, we'll run out of ideas and settle for a for a 0-0
Hoedt was I worry for me when we were initially linked but I'm happy we did. Yes his passing has been a little wayward at times but some of his crossfield passes have been superb. But he does look at getting it forward usually so not all passes will be completed especially if we're a little static in our movement.
They cant afford to put 11 behind the ball now. They need to go for the win in every game if they want to avoid the drop.
Apparently the Wigan first team haven't been paid according to this article. https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/fo...-of-first-team-squad-having-been-paid-4069132
6 points from safety plus facing a 3 point deduction. And haven't been paid. In theory they will make a half-hearted attempt to go for it, and be ripped apart by Watford counters. 0-1
Haha! Me giving a f*** when I have to pay for/provide my own lunch at work and earn about as much in a year as they do in a fortnight.
If they cannot beat Wigan then that's it for this season. The team still play like mental midgets. One moment of adversity and they collapse like a pack of cards.