[Willow85]

Clive Clarke.

Had Connolly on the brain after talking about the push in the earlier post.

[retired_gitfresh]

Preview of tomorrows game -


SUNDERLAND WILL PROVIDE STERN TEST.

Wigan Athletic entertain Sunderland on Saturday hoping to keep up their 100 percent record of Premiership victories over the Mackems.

With Latics sitting pretty in tenth position in the fledgling Premiership table and the Mackems currently occupying fourth spot, the game at the JJB Stadium is sure to be billed as a 'must win' game' even so early in the season.

The Blues' easy victory over Middlesbrough on Wednesday evening will fill the team with confidence, whilst Sunderland will arrive in town with no fear following their two great results so far this season. They scored a last minute goal to beat Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day of the season and it was another last minute effort that secured a draw from the jaws of defeat last time out at Birmingham City. Given Latics' record of conceding last minute goals last season, the significance of this will not be lost on manager, Chris Hutchings.

There will also be two personal battles up front for both sides during the game as the Premiership joint top scorers, Antoine Sibierski and Michael Chopra (along with Mwaruwari, Martins, Healy and Martins) will be chomping at the bit to finish the afternoon in pole position in the goal scoring charts!

As for the team that Latics will start with, it looks as though either Denny Landzaat or Paul Scharner will make way for new signing Michael Brown, other than that there are expected to be no changes in the Latics personnel. So the team is likely to line up...

Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Luis Antonio Valencia, Denny Landzaat/Paul Scharner. Michael Brown, Jason Koumas. Emile Heskey, Antoine Sibierski. Likely subs, Mike Pollitt, Fitz Hall, Josip Skoko, David Cotterill, Julius Aghahowa/Henri Camara.

However, (as this is being compiled early on Friday morning) there are still a few hours left for Chris Hutchings to sign up a left back, but it does seem unlikely, especially as stand in, Kevin Kilbane, was man of the match in midweek.

Roy Keane will be loathe to make too many changes and the Sunderland team that takes to the JJB Stadium field on Saturday won't be too dissimilar than the one that travelled to St Andrews in midweek...

Craig Gordon, Danny Collins, Nyron Nosworthy, Paul McShane, Greg Halford, Carlos Edwards, Dickson Etuhu, Dean Whitehead, Ross Wallace, David Connolly, Michael Chopra. Likely subs, Darren Ward, Roy O'Donovan, Liam Miller, Stern John, Russell Anderson.

The game is sure to attract a crowd in excess of 21,000 with Sunderland poised to bring their traditional massive support to the JJB Stadium. Hopefully, they will leave Wigan lower down the Premiership table than when they arrived.

Home fans can also purchase tickets on the DAY OF THE GAME.

Prediction, Wigan Athletic 2 Sunderland 0

History of this fixture...

10/10/1987 - Third Division - Roker Park - 1-4 - 13,974 - (Paul Jewell)
12/03/1988 - Third Division - Springfield Park - 2-2 - 6,949 - (Paul Cook, Steve Senior)
16/04/1988 - Mercantile Credit Festival - Wembley - 0-0 - (won 2-1 on pens) - (Stan McEwan, Paul Cook)
02/12/2003 - First Division - Stadium of Light - 1-1 - 22,167 - (Jason De Vos)
24/04/2004 - First Division - The JJB Stadium - 0-0 - 11,380
28/08/2004 - The Championship - Stadium of Light - 1-1 - 26,330 - (Jason Roberts)
05/04/2005 - The Championship - The JJB Stadium - 0-1 - 20,745
27/08/2005 - The Premiership - The JJB Stadium - 1-0 - 17,223 - (Jason Roberts (pen))
11/03/2006 - The Premiership - Stadium of Light - 1-0 - 31,194 - (Henri Camara)

Player links (in no particular order)...

WIGAN BOROUGH - Arthur Welsby

WIGAN ATHLETIC - Chris Makin, Alan Crompton, Joe Hinnigan, Wayne Entwistle, David Hamilton, Andy Marriott, Ian Patterson, Emerson Thome, Terry Cooke, Mike Pollitt, Jamie Lawrence, Peter Beagrie, Graham Kavanagh, David Connolly, Kevin Kilbane.


----------------

anyone coming ?

[retired_workoutmom26]

I have my ticket for this match tomorrow, along with a mate, his brother-in-law and some of his mates. Another mate turned it down as he's going to watch Durham at Lords in the creekit. Shame they clash tbf as I fancied going to Lords, but this is way cheaper and I'm a bit skint.

I've already been to the JJB already for our 2005 Championship match. Great atmosphere that night - also helped by the result of course - and I'd settle for the same!

[retired_gitfresh]

UL dudes. WTF was going on with your defence though. Pulling shoving, wrestling player left right and centre often with no intrest in going for the ball, in the case of Halford.


Never realised Halford was that bad tbh, although i never got the hype about him from his Colchester days. For a 23 or 24 year old (or however old he is) he should be MUCH quicker than that, but Heskey and Koumas seemingly walked past him time after time and neither of those are particularly quick

Plenty money for Keano still to spend before the end of the month ?

[Willow85]

Think that's unfair on Halford tbh - he's only played about 6 games in 8 months since his move to Reading, he certainly hasn't played well so far, but he's better than his recent form suggests.

From what I've heard the midfield was non-existant and the defence was being pulled and pushed allover the place by Heskey and Sibierski and simply couldn't cope - hence the desperate tactics.

Hopefully after Keane's comments last night he'll realise Yorke isn't up to it any longer, think that will certainly help our cause.

There will be money to spend, but I've no real idea who's lined up - there's even been serious links to Andy Cole, wilst we need another forward I don't think he fits the bill in anyway at all.

[retired_gitfresh]

From what I've heard the midfield was non-existant

Yeah a non-tackling 36 year old (that is how old Yorke is isnt it ?) up against Landzaat and Scharner isnt really ideal tbh.

I was VERY nervous about the game tbh but when i saw Yorke start where he did i though "three points coming our way here"

[Willow85]

Yorke probably only started as Whitehead was unfit, but he was poor in the Spurs game and in many games last season in the Championship - at times we were carrying him even then, though he did have many good games too.

I'm not really a big Liam Miller fan, but if Kav is frozen out and on his way (no squad number) then I can't for the life of me see how he can play Yorke again, when we have Miller and Leadbitter. Miller even though he's lightweight has looked ok so far this season when he's got Etuhu behind him.

Hopefully from what Keane said about notmaking the same mistake and being too loyal in an interview last night, Yorke will have started his last game for us.

[Willow85]

*oh I forgot, Leadbitter is also injured.

Don't suppose it helped playing Stokes wide right with Edwards out too.

[retired_gitfresh]

Oh and i've just realised.

Yorke in over Kav

Kav and Keane had a falling out i hear. Bury the hatchet (not literally) Keano pick the players who are good enough, not ones you might get on with a bit better

[Willow85]

TBH whilst I'd rather have Kav in than Yorke (rather have anyone TBH), Kav's form a few early games apart wasn't very good for us.

I like him as a player, but maybe age and injuries have caught up with him?