Wigan Athletic v Charlton AthleticSaturday 21st September 2019 … 3pm Kick-OffReferee: Andy Davies (Hampshire)IntroductionWarning this is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill… the Valley has been breached!! – We all knew it would happen eventually; Birmingham visiting last Saturday would be the first team in nearly a year to take three points away from South East London. Of course to go a full season undefeated would have been something that no one would have imagined – So whilst the ramparts get rebuild, stronger and taller, lets head out on a road trip as we journey back up North to face Wigan Athletic
The OppositionName: Wigan Athletic |
Manager: Paul Cook
Ground: DW Stadium
To be honest there arent many sides who can be considered yo-yo teams anymore… Gone are the days of most teams bouncing from relegation to promotion in successive years, when teams get relegated these days it can take a few seasons to recover but in Wigan it’s the same old blueprint!!
Promoted back to the Championship in 2017/18, they would win League One at a canter – Life back in the second tier would be interesting though, would they succumb to another year of alternating between Divisions or would they finally be able to consolidate and secure safety for the first time since 2014!!... Well the short answer is yes (of course they did else we wouldn’t be playing them), the long answer is only just – Finishing 18th and only twelve points from the drop, life is never easy in this part of Lancashire!!
So whats next for Paul Cook and his Lactics – Would they take the next step or would they struggle again? – Well the loss of Nick Powell to Stoke would never be easy yet it looks to be another year of struggle… Goal Difference keeps them above Barnsley, and with just one win this season (an impressive 3-2 win over Cardiff) it means that our opponents could well be lucky to ensure Championship Football come next May
Should Charlton nose dive down the League, then this is the sort of game we must win!!
Charlton Team NewsSo with the first defeat out of the way how does Bowyer turn? – In all honesty we didn’t deserve to lose against Birmingham and whilst some individual performances weren’t up to the standards we’ve come to expect, it was a performance where on another day we would have taken something from the game
Ultimately then does Lee make wholesale changes; Williams in for Oztumer is the obvious choice but the biggest question is do the loan signings have to play – If that’s the case then we wont see many other replacements, otherwise you’d expect to see Darren Pratley making a return in midfield at the very least!!
Phillips
Solly | Lockyer | Pearce | Purrington
Cullen | Pratley | Williams
Gallagher
Hemed | Leko
Substitutes Bench: Amos | Sarr | Field | Kayal | Oztumer | Aneke | Bonne
PredictionFrom my own perspective this is when it gets interesting under Bowyer’s stewardship… We’ve seen that he can cope with the rigours of League One, and whilst he’s achieved an impressive start at this level it could still easily go sour – How we bounce back from defeat is what’ll matter, we’ve yet to lose two games on the trot under the current Management, lets not start now!!
Comments
A great preview as usual .. Agree with the Pratley/Field swap and in Taylor's absence I would go for Bonne and Aneke up front .. it's time they were both given a long run out. (It could be though that WBA insist that their boys are given regular game time. If so that ties Bowyer's hands and I can't really see that he would agree to that.)
A bit negative thinking perhaps but I'd be happy with a draw here even though Wigan are in terrible form and have conceded almost two goals per game whilst scoring under one per game.
As the preview states, it will be a good test for our new team after a loss and without their talisman.
Wigan Athletic 0 v CAFC 0 ..
Of course nothing is easy, but we really should be targeting the 3 points whether it's to continue our unlikely quest for promotion OR being more pessimistic if you see it as a potential relegation 3 pointer! Win this and we'll be 12 point ahead of Wigan, a nice cushion, lose this and it'll be 2 losses on the spin with Leeds and a tough run of fixtures to follow...
https://t.co/5VZgpZC3mL?amp=1
1-1 Hemed
I really struggle to see how that can be compensated for with a semi-fit Hemed and a junior striker in Bonne. Best bet for the next 4 games is to shut up shop, play 2 defensive mids in front of the back four, my choice would be Pratley and Cullen, and hope we can keep clean sheets with some attacking threat in Leko and Gallagher. It is a tough ask.
Following our 1st defeat of the season it will be interesting to see how we respond.
Not having Lyle in the side makes things harder but it's something we are going to have to deal with until he returns.
Personally I think Wigan are going to struggle this season and this gives us an opportunity to bounce back from the Birmingham game and restore a bit of confidence before the tougher games come think and fast.
Charlton to win 2.1 and keep the feel good factor going.
Wigan, Leeds, swansea and fulham
the charlton way we will lose to Wigan and beat Leeds and Fulham.
really do think we need to win this one. as the next 3 sides we play you would expect to be in the thick of the promotion spots.
also mentally gets us back from that loss which would be a good thing.
wigan have not won in 5 so they must be doing something wrong.
Solly Lockyer Sarr Purrington
Pratley
Cullen Kayal
Williams
Bonne Leko
I think if we go with a young pairing up top for a smash and grab start.
Then bring Hemed on to use his experience as the game draws on to hold out for the win.
Think the latter needs a few more cameo performances to improve his final ball first
Gallagher is starting to look tired and some of those tackles of his are getting a bit late. I'd have him as a bench option.
Pearce if not 100% I'd give a bench spot. Better to not risk him imo.
I can top my tan up saturday
2-1 & we fall out of the play-offs.