Wigan Athletic (A) - Saturday 27th June (3pm)

[Guest]

Wigan Athletic vs Blackburn Rovers
DW Stadium
Saturday 27th June 2020
3pm Kick Off (Behind Closed Doors)

(Available in full on iFollow, goals as they go in on Sky Sports and highlights on Quest (Sky channel 144) from 9pm Saturday.)

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Lovely win against Bristol City last weekend just gone. We've got the Wigan game fast approaching, but all the fixtures are fast approaching with the way they've all been crammed in. Originally scheduled for a midweek game, we were expecting to take a dwindling away following - but now there'll be none whatsoever. 

As with the City fixture, this no crowd malarkey could be a good thing for some of our players. I think most of us agree than Ben Brereton's best game in a Rovers shirt came on Saturday. 

The main question though, and it is a tough one, is who does he start? Wigan are a much more direct and physical side. Against Huddersfield Town where they won 2-0, they had just 30% possession. They will happily wait whilst we play it round the back and hit us on the counter. We have to approach this game differently to the last. Therefore could a Danny Graham start be warranted? Maybe we need to play a formation with wingers to try and get the ball in the box? Where does Sam Gallagher fit into that? Or Ben Brereton for that matter. A win in the right circumstances could take us into the Top 6, with a trip to lowly placed Barnsley to follow. A plus 9 goal difference is also vastly superior to a lot of play-off chasing sides, which could come in handy at the run in.

Lots to discuss before another big game! Hopefully no, or at least less, iFollow issues will persist into the next round of fixtures either. Looking forward to the game and hearing people's thoughts.

Some highlights for the perusal of those as bored as I:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hUskn1tX_I / Highlights from 18/19's 3-0 victory at Ewood Park
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NDnFYCqU8o&t=78s / Highlights from 17/18's League One clash which ended 2-2.

 

[tomphil]

We usually come back down to earth with a bump here so i expect this to be no different.  Also expect the tombola to be spinning beforehand.

Wigan   2    Rovers   1

 

Then again if they fly a banner over 'Pies lives matter'  we might dick them 5 nowt !

[MarkBRFC]

Poor record here, but behind closed doors might take that kind of thing away.

2-1 Rovers

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

Will definitely start to dream of play offs if we can win this one. Got draw written all over it. 

[JacknOry]

If we really do have aspirations of the playoffs - we should be going out to get maximum points from this and the Barnsley games. We have both Leeds and WBA coming up which, while not impossible, the likelihood of getting points is far less.

[1864roverite]

I think there is pressure on Wigan to get the points so they will have to be more attack minded. Rovers aim should be to pick them off on the counter with the speed we have up front. Game made for Rothwell and Armstrong. Will happily take a 1-0 scrappy win

[philipl]

Great match intro JoeH!

Will repeat what I posted ion the Bristol City thread- City are on a run of games without wins and we extended it for them.

Wigan are top of the current form table on their own- W4 D1 L0 without letting goals in!

This is one hugely challenging game.

Win this and we really are contenders.

[Admiral Nelsen]

Just had a look at their win at the weekend, Huddersfield had 70% of the ball! Hard to say whether that played into Wigan's hands or not, but they'll get a very different sort of game against Rovers. 

Can only see this being tight, with the odd goal probably being enough to decide it. I think we have more quality though, especially in depth. 2-1 Rovers. 

[rigger]

If we can’t win the next two games we don’t deserve to be in the play-offs.

[Mattyblue]

We manoeuvred ourselves into this position many times under Bowyer and bottled it every single time... let’s hope this team is different.

Edited June 23, 2020 by Mattyblue

[MarkBRFC]

We've done this a few times under Mowbray too though haven't we?

Everytime we seem to get a sniff of the play offs we go 5 or 6 games without a win.

I'm hoping behind closed doors might take that element away.

[Mattyblue]

I was thinking more at the business end of the season it was the fatal flaw of the Bowyer era...

[MarkBRFC]

14 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I was thinking more at the business end of the season it was the fatal flaw of the Bowyer era...

That late run in 13-14 was incredibly frustrating, draws with the likes of Yeovil, and then Sheff Wed after being 3-1 up.

14-15 we were out of the running by March I think, masked by a good FA Cup run. Two of the top four goal scorers in the league and we finished 11 points off the play offs.

I hope we can force our way in there this time, although the last time we got close under Mowbray after Bristol City away we went 5 games without a win, it wouldn't suprise me at all if we went that way instead.

[RoverDom]

1 point off the play offs. If results go the right way we could get into the top 6. Therefore I'm going 3-0 wigan. 

[jim mk2]

Just now, RoverDom said:

1 point off the play offs. If results go the right way we could get into the top 6. Therefore I'm going 3-0 wigan. 

 

Yes, absolutely. Tony Nosebleed gets dizzy and goes back down the ladder when he gets to certain heights.

Plus, Paul Cook has the hex sign over Rovers and always has them pumped up.

Wigan 2-0

 

[AllRoverAsia]

I'm hoping we have it in us to give Morsy a good kicking, on the sly, the way he does it to others.

That and a win, naturally.

[Admiral Nelsen]

38 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

That late run in 13-14 was incredibly frustrating, draws with the likes of Yeovil, and then Sheff Wed after being 3-1 up.

That game at Hillsborough was horrible, genuinely not exaggerating in saying that was one of my worst days watching Rovers. 

[roversfan99]

Would bring in Armstrong for Gallagher. Nyambe for Bennett. And Rankin Costello out, Williams in if fit, otherwise Downing to LB and Rothwell or Johnson in CM with Evans and Travis.

[LeftWinger]

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

Plus, Paul Cook has the hex sign over Rovers and always has them pumped up.

 

 

I wouldn't call 1 win in 5 games against Rovers the hex sign.

[rigger]

No excuses, we have better players than them. Anything less than a win is unacceptable. Result over performance.

[WacoRover]

Teams teetering on the brink of relegation places, with seemingly nothing to play for, often are the hardest games to play. Rovers are approaching being fully fit (sans Dack), but these matches are so hard to pick. 

Our defending should be improved over what we had vs BC. But I had no gripes with R-C. 

Going back to old PL days, Rovers were 7-3-4 vs Latics. Rovers have more quality, more to play for; therefore, I say 2-1, Rovers. 

[simongarnerisgod]

will be a real test,the oafish cook will have them fired up,only hope we won`t be pushed around adn intimidated

[Ossydave]

It feels oh so similar to the build up to the Wigan game at home. We had our tails up after just beating Bristol funnily enough away from home. What followed was a dreadful game and a dire run facing life without Dack.

We really can't afford a slip up at weekend though or its curtains on the season for me.

Will this time be different? I'd be telling lies if I said I was brimming with confidence.

[WacoRover]

Indeed; when we lost Dack, I thought all was lost. Not to mention Cunningham, Holtby, Evans, et al. But, guys we had to have come through were making plays, and some other guys farther down the depth chart started showing their stuff.

Does Tony have weaknesses, and lapses of good sense? I guess he does, who doesn’t. But we’ve got what we needed.... Rovers are in position to make a serious run to the playoffs. 

That’s all I need to be encouraged. When/if we fall from that, I will have a legitimate gripe. Right now, I’m feeling good about this season. 

[Fraserkirky]

Rothwell in for me and Downing to LB, Nyambe for Benno, and Arma for Gallagher.

Walton

Nyambe Lenihan Tosin Downing

Travis Evans Holtby

Rothwell

Brereton Armstrong