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king_dezeeuw06

king_dezeeuw06

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With us playing Luton, Charlton vs Boro, Stoke vs Hull, Leeds vs Huddersfield it's a huge weekend at the bottom and with at least 2 of our rivals guarenteed to drop points in 6 pointers a massive opportunity for us to put some distance in.

Luton have by far the worst away record and defence in the league but are in good form winning 3 and drawing 1 of their last 6 plus have a decent record in 6 pointers. Not to mention this is Graham Jones first time at the DW as a manager and McMannaman and Tunnicliffe being former player will probably give them extra motivation.

We've seen that in the high pressure 6 pointers over the last 2 and a half years we don't often get wins so we need to break that habit. But i'm very nervous as we all know good form and upsets can lead to complacency and how often in football do you see a team follow an epic performance and impressive win in a hard game with a poor showing and disapointing result in what should on paper be something of a banker. After beating top of the league West Brom away it would be the most Wigan thing ever to lose to bottom of the league Luton at home the following week.

I wasn't expecting the West Brom performance and result but i was less nervous about going there than i am about this Saturday. This is as good a home banker as we are going to get this season and the first of the crucial 6 pointers - so this is a rare occasion where we have the pressure on us as favourites. This game has bannana skin written all over it as Luton will be well up for this, they will attack us and get stuck in, so we have to make sure we are on our game and not take it for granted.
 
This has to be 3 points, no excuses!

Lose this and results around us don't go our way we are back in the danger zone. Win this and results around us do go in our favour it will seem like we are way off the drop!

Delighted about us taking points against teams we likely shouldn't have but there should be no excuses and it needs to be drilled in that this has to be a 3 point game.

We are better than Luton, I see a 2-1 win.
 
I agree with all the KDZ wrote. That said, if we do lose, it's not the end of days. We'll still be in a better position than some other teams, and with a list of remaining fixtures where there are enough opportunities to get the required results/points.

The key thing for me though is whether or not we carry on with the same type of performance we've seen of late. In the last couple of weeks, there's been a good discussion on here as to whether Cook will/should carry on as Manager after the end of this season. For me, it's always been just as much about the performance as the result.

If we win on saturday, but don't play particularly well, I'll be disappointed. However, if we play really well, but don't get all the points, then I'll still be upbeat for the remaining games.

Looking forward to it.
 
I agree with Moonay on this, it's all about the performance.

If we continue with the same type of performances that brought us the 9 points over the last three games we should be able to gain the points needed to escape the drop, whether that is this weekend or anywhere in the following nine games is irrelevant.

It would be great to get the win this weekend as it would boost the squads confidence further but a draw would probably create the same feeling and allow us to take the unbeaten run on. However, even a loss, as long as the performance was acceptable would not be disastrous and as long as we were beaten by a better team on the day might not dent the confidence, but could help ground the players for the final run in.

Given all the above I seriously expect us to win this weekend given the way we threw it away at Kenilworth Road.

2-0 for me.
 
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There are nine teams in this scrap and the picture will change on a weekly basis.

The maximum haul in the last three games has given us a massive boost, particularly so with the performance in the last two. However we’ve all been around long enough to know at the bottom things rarely to go script. Just when you think we’ve cracked it, we don’t.

Two weeks ago this was down as a must win, though is maybe now a mustn’t lose. The psychology in sport is fascinating and subconsciously I wonder how the approach to the game will change.

I’d imagine it’ll be similar to the Ipswich home game last year and it’ll be a nervy frustrated crowd if Luton take the lead. I’m going for 1-2 in favour of the Hatters.
 
This game will be a tougher test than west Brom or Leeds, 6 pointers are always more difficult, psychology wise, you need to show the grit and perseverance. There is pressure here to win, where at Leeds or West Brom there was no pressure to win.

Luton will be a tougher game, but thanks to the epic week we had, this game is now a must not lose than a must win.

We are in a position where we can share points Vs teams below us as they wouldn't of caught us up.

But we are very much capable of winning and if we do puts us in a very positive position.

We are now not having to rely on results, it's all in our hands now.
 
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moonay said:
I agree with all the KDZ wrote. That said, if we do lose, it's not the end of days. We'll still be in a better position than some other teams, and with a list of remaining fixtures where there are enough opportunities to get the required results/points.

The key thing for me though is whether or not we carry on with the same type of performance we've seen of late. In the last couple of weeks, there's been a good discussion on here as to whether Cook will/should carry on as Manager after the end of this season. For me, it's always been just as much about the performance as the result.

If we win on saturday, but don't play particularly well, I'll be disappointed. However, if we play really well, but don't get all the points, then I'll still be upbeat for the remaining games.

Looking forward to it.
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I think there are 2 things running parralel with performance and result.

I think if we perform as we have in the last 2 we'll probably get the result, but even if we don't perform just grinding out the win is the main thing at this stage of the season.

As Franco said the psychology of 6 pointers is something different and we've clearly not got right in the past (1 win in 8 games against the the 7 teams around us this season). We've exercised some demons that haunted us for so long recently, i if we can exercise another one tomorrow that will be a big boost heading into the games against Huddersfield, Stoke, Charlton, Barnsley and Hull which ultimately will kill or save us. If we can't then get over the line with Luton then it will just make those upcoming games even harder. I think this is a tone setting game for the rest of our run in.
 
king_dezeeuw06 said:
I think there are 2 things running parralel with performance and result........
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Yep

king_dezeeuw06 said:
...... I think if we perform as we have in the last 2 we'll probably get the result, but even if we don't perform just grinding out the win is the main thing at this stage of the season.......
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Whilst I'd normally agree with you here about the result being paramount (certainly at this stage of the season), I'm hoping that they prove the last few games weren't just a flash in the pan. Just winning isn't sufficient for me to justify Cook keeping his job (though I know he won't lose it anyway), and I'd rather hope he keeps it with style.

king_dezeeuw06 said:
............. As Franco said the psychology of 6 pointers is something different and we've clearly not got right in the past (1 win in 8 games against the the 7 teams around us this season). We've exercised some demons that haunted us for so long recently, i if we can exercise another one tomorrow that will be a big boost heading into the games against Huddersfield, Stoke, Charlton, Barnsley and Hull which ultimately will kill or save us. If we can't then get over the line with Luton then it will just make those upcoming games even harder. I think this is a tone setting game for the rest of our run in.
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Some very fair points. ........... but to just scrape a win may not do a lot to help the mentality of the players in those other "big" games.

4-0 Tics. :please:

;)
 
I agree with a lot that has already been said, we know at this stage in the season league position is not necessarily reflective of how teams are currently playing, look at us, Luton, Barnsley or the recent wins for Norwich and Watford in the Prem.

I can't call this one so, whilst praying for a win, I'm going for a nervy 1-1. This would not be a disastrous result in my onion thanks to the last few games (unless of course it's another injury time shocker).

I have to add, I'll feel a lot less confident if Balogan is not available.
 
Made in Wigan said:
Slaven Bilic made a very good point after the match last week. He said he’s come to realise in the Championship that league position is no real indicator of the likely result and that it’s more important to look at recent form.
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Been saying that for weeks. Current form is the better indicator of how the team are performing at the moment, the league table shows historical performance.

(It is also how I tried to justify my comments about Gary Rowett. A debate I am looking forward to resurrecting at a later date given recent results for both teams.)
 
Arthur_Itis said:
I agree with a lot that has already been said, we know at this stage in the season league position is not necessarily reflective of how teams are currently playing, look at us, Luton, Barnsley or the recent wins for Norwich and Watford in the Prem.

I can't call this one so, whilst praying for a win, I'm going for a nervy 1-1. This would not be a disastrous result in my onion thanks to the last few games (unless of course it's another injury time shocker).

I have to add, I'll feel a lot less confident if Balogan is not available.
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Bologan was ill rather than injured when he came off last week so in theory he should've shaken off the bug or whatever was bothering him. But 100% agree seeing him in the starting 11 does give you a lot more confidence.
 
king_dezeeuw06 said:
Bologan was ill rather than injured when he came off last week so in theory he should've shaken off the bug or whatever was bothering him. But 100% agree seeing him in the starting 11 does give you a lot more confidence.
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Didn't Balogan come on loan from Brighton, the COVID-19 capital of England, perhaps he'll be self isolated (totally unfounded rumour starts).
 
Form says Latics win, but it would be typical of us to do WBA and Leeds away, batter Reading, then be done at home by the rock bottom side.

It's a banana skin and we're in a strong enough position after our recent run that we could take a draw.

Obviously want a win and on paper it should be easier than recent games we've already won... But the only thing consistent about Latics is that we're inconsistent. I'm not even going to make a prediction. I'll just keep everything crossed and try to enjoy it.
 
moonay said:
Yep



Whilst I'd normally agree with you here about the result being paramount (certainly at this stage of the season), I'm hoping that they prove the last few games weren't just a flash in the pan. Just winning isn't sufficient for me to justify Cook keeping his job (though I know he won't lose it anyway), and I'd rather hope he keeps it with style.



Some very fair points. ........... but to just scrape a win may not do a lot to help the mentality of the players in those other "big" games.

4-0 Tics. :please:

;)
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Would be nice
 
What may help us here is that Luton have to come and win. A draw really doesn't help them and I'm hoping that will open up the game. Luton are typical of a Martinez/Jones team in that they cannot defend and we will be afforded chances, therefore it's up to our usually underperforming attacking midfield to take them. However, they also have the ability to come here and do a job on us like I saw first hand at many every six pointers under Bob in the Prem (Blackpool, Reading spring to mind).

For me its Stoke which is the must not lose game of the upcoming four, this is more of a must win considering the opposition. If the players play like they did in the last two games and are clinical in front of goal, we will win. So no excuses, get three points and that's one relegation place sorted and a bigger gap between us and the bottom three with Charlton playing Boro.
 
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