Whatever happens at the DW Stadium this week, I urge you to lighten up, try to forget your troubles — no matter how hard that might be — and get behind the lads, even if we’re losing 2-0. After all, things could be far worse – we could be facing point deductions, liquidation or even complete eradication from the face of the earth.
Remember: though it might not seem like it right now, these are the glory years of Wigan Athletic, the times you can reminisce upon and bore your grandchildren to tears with when you’re old and grey (if you aren’t already, and God knows there are a fair few bald-before-their-time Latics supporters). All 90 minutes of Latics’ victory over Chelsea; Maynor Figueroa’s halfway line strike live on the television, no less; the best goal we’ll ever see from Paul Scharner or Mo Diame on a football field. These are the things we ought to be remembering 2009-10 for, not inexplicable losses to lower league teams or, erm, that afternoon at White Hart Lane.
Latics' screen test looms
Speaking of our friends (and I use the term in a metaphoric, perhaps even ironic fashion) from North London, we just so happen to be their next fixture in the Premier League – the date to mark down in your diary, if you haven’t already, is Sunday at 4.15PM. A weird time for a football match to take place, I know, but I’m guessing Sky picked it for TV broadcast because they wanted to gloat about Jermain Defoe just that bit more – expect plenty of repeats of ‘you know what’ in the week leading up to the game.
All is not well in the Tottenham camp, however. A loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers and an FA Cup draw against Bolton doesn’t exactly translate to a good week for Spurs, so they’ll be looking to put their troubles behind them and get back on track in the fight for a top four place. On the other hand, all accounts suggest they really were poor against Wolves, so bad that even Little Wigan could have beaten them – and I can personally vouch for that having seen the match on the Sky replay thingy.
All this isn’t to forget there’s a more immediate test to come on Wednesday evening as the Latics face Bolton at the DW. You’d have been forgiven for forgetting all about this game, what with all the postponements and such over the winter period casting confusion over rearrangements. Oh, who am I kidding – there isn’t a single Latics fan that doesn’t have the date Wigan next play Bolton tattooed to the inside of their eyelids.
Of course, there’s no doubting the importance of the Bolton game – a loss could see us back in the bear pit known as the bottom three and thirteen games of sitting there with our heads in our hands. A win, though, would be extremely handy, nay crucial, at this stage. We have to retain a positive outlook: one or two wins back to back may not save us from the dropzone just yet, but would give breathing space and take the press off our backs long enough to get some consistency back into the team, something that’s been absent from Wigan Athletic since late 2008.
Still, on any individual day Wigan are capable of beating Bolton, certainly on home turf. Even if it has been ravaged by elephants and golf club-wielding hooligans on Friday evening… by which I mean the rugby. Oh, the fun and games the resultant potholes could lead to are almost infinite!
Four points is a realistic target for the next two games. Should we get zero, I fear Martinez will be the target.
Dan, Jesus Was A Wiganer
As far as I can see, the Spurs game is on the tele because Sky made right idiots of themselves showing Stoke and Pompey grind out a one-bout thrill fest when there was something going on elsewhere (that should always have been a “better” game to start off with. Richard Keyes might as well have just put a hat on with “Yes, I know!” written on it.
As for tattoos on eyelids, I often wonder how many of our fans treat Bolton games with the same significance as I do. Nothing to do with having done the walk down Manny Rd, but Preston and Stoke seemed to take precedent for a while and many fans will have grown up (in a Latics sense) with those. Maybe it’s time for a “who do you see as Latics main rivals?” thread/poll thingy.
I’m feeling lazy though, anyone want to set it up?
Interesting point, NRP. Who is our biggest rival? I remember being asked by someone from Belfast, “who are Wigan’s biggest rivals, the local derby that gets everyone talking”? I couldn’t answer him for sure, and I think he was a bit baffled when I posited Bolton, Preston, Stoke, Bury, Manchester City, Morecambe…
Can’t remember much of ‘that’ Sunday, which I literally spent in a daze, so I haven’t a clue how the actual televised game went. Still, I think I ought to point out that despite allusions to the contrary in this article, Sky chose this match for broadcast before the Tottenham game at WHL.
It had never ocurred to me that this game was picked as early as November, an even bigger egg on face if this one turns out to be a drab 0-0 draw. Ironically I believe Pompey/Stoke is on TV as well this weekend.
Who are our biggest Rivals?? Hmm we don’t have any real hardcore rivals as such but the Bolton and Preston games have a special place in my heart.
Wigan Warriors.
Ah yes there our neighbours from the “family game”