Wigan Athletic vs Bristol Rovers matchday thread.

[axegas]

Last time I started one of these we ended up winning away at Lincoln City, so let’s hope for similar fortune on our travels today. Big chance to reverse our recent run of poor form in the league as we face bottom of the table side Wigan Athletic. Won’t be easy I’m sure but hoping for a reaction to Saturday’s disappointing defeat against Swindon. Tisdale to record the first win of his tenure as Bristol Rovers manager? Fingers crossed, COYB.

[yattongas]

I’ll be out in the garden pruning I expect .....

[althepirate]

I have zero confidence of getting a win after Saturday, so I'm going for a boring 0-0.

[Congas]

He's had hardly any time on the training ground to get to know the squad but I hope it's not safety first midfield stodge for the second away game on the trot against a bottom team. Garner's away record this season was better than his home record and I think he would have got a result at Swindon to pull us away from the danger zone. You can say what you like about his results but to me it was part and parcel of building a decent top half side going forward, a side that would yo-yo between mid table and bottom half while gelling but would not be serious relegation contenders. If bringing on defenders to release the wingbacks from their shackles when you have the likes of Westbrooke and Oztumer on the bench was Tisdale's statement of intent going forward then we're in for a torrid time.

[Deleted]

I’ll wait until I see the lineup before subscribing. If it’s a back five with two holding midfielders I won’t be bothering.

[lympstonegas]

Not confident with this match - we hardly ever win at Wigan.
However this is probably our best chance for a long time and so hopefully we won’t lose
1-1 for me

[Charlton Hayes Gas]

2-0 Wigan

Not confident in the slightest after Saturday.

[gasandelectricity]

Bore draw.

[putterbishopston]

1-0 to Wigan, scrappy game, low on quality.

[Deleted]

Wigan 1 - 3 Rovers. Hanlan with an early strike and Sammy with two in the second half. Own goal by Ehmer for theirs.

[Gasshole]

2:1 Tisdale’s Tigers

[goodnightirene1883]

So far Wigan have played 4-2-3-1 in 7 matches and 4-4-2 in 4 matches this season. They haven't had many goals however one to watch is Joe Garner with 3 so far (an experienced CF)

Joe Garner (2) , Lee Evans (1.9) & Kyle Joseph (1.7) take the most Shots per game
Gas comparison: Hanlan 1.8, Sam Nicholson 1.5 & Luke McCormick 1.4
Key passes per game for Wigan are low, they have come in from the midfield of Gary Roberts (1), Lee Evans (1), Matthew Palmer (1) & Viv Solomon-Otabor (1)
Gas comparison: Westbrooke 2.1 & Josh Hare 1.6
At the other end of the pitch Chris Merrie (2.7) and Tom James (2.4) have the most Tackles per game
Gas comparison: Cian Harries 2.2 , Alfie Kilgour 1.8 & Josh Grant 1.8
Clearances per game wise they have Nathan Cameron (6), Adam Long (4.8) and Daniel Fox (4.5)
Gas comparison: Cian Harries 5.8, Max Ehmer 4.8 & Jack Baldwin 4.6

*Please note - League stats only


+ Strengths

Protecting the lead

Strong


- Weaknesses

Finishing scoring chances

Weak

Defending against attacks down the wings

Weak

Stopping opponents from creating chances

Weak

Aerial duels

Weak


Right now I am a little unsettled.  I didn't expect to see Westbrooke on the bench in the last two games nor did I expect us not to use Ozzy against Swindon.  We seemed to want to go there with the sole purpose of not conceding a goal, so holding our wingbacks from bombing forward and playing a deep shielding midfield.  We did revert to a back four which might lead the way for this against Wigan.  I just hope we understand that these are the 'on paper' winnable games so blooming well treat them like it.

Formation wise... your guess is as good as mine - have picked my version of the 4-2-3-1 which i think PT is a fan of using.  This pick is more what I think we could see if we had a mix of experience and youth.


-----------------------Jaakkola-----------------------
---Hare------ Ehmer ----- Baldwin -----Tutonda----
----------Upson ------------ Westbrooke ------------
---Nicholson----------------------------McCormick---
-------------------Ozzy--------------------------------
-----------------------------Hanlan--------------------

So this is trying to fuse the experience with some youthful attacking element.  Hopefully playing Upson and Westbooke means that we might be able to pick a shorter pass with the willing runners ahead of them.  I have gone for Dave at RB but i think in that role any of the three could be good or bad.  I like the fact that Tutonda can drive the ball out so have picked him.

For what it is worth, Max Ehmer and Josh Grant are on 4 yellow cards and I think its 5 for 1 one match ban.  Haven't got a clue if this means we might save them for a 'harder' match or whether we take on each game as it comes and put the perceived best team out regardless.

What do you think? What would you do?

[rememberhalifax]

In relation to preparation the new manager is only a day or so better off than he was for Sat. he will have seen what those selected could do or couldn't do , but will not have had much chance to assess the alternatives. Its simple though Wigan are in free fall and if we go there with intent and the right attitude we will win , if Sat team turn up then i fear the worst, come on Rovers show some spirit and fight or we will be in trouble.1-0 WIN.

[gasandelectricity]

Kick off is 7pm

[TAGas]

I'll see what the line up is first. If he plays back 4 and with Upson and Grant starting I'll save myself a tenner.

I think this is a must win game, no excuses about hasn't had enough time with the players.

They are joint bottom of table. If we are going to survive we have to win these games.

I'll take a scrappy 1-0 win the gas,

But I'm fearing the opposite result.

[WeAreTheGas]

Not confident of getting a performance or result tonight, but if we don’t at least put out a lineup that shows intent to win the match then the alarm bells will be ringing for me.

[Jomo]

Can't say I'm confident at all. I will probably give iFollow a miss in all honesty after Saturday's abject display. I'm hoping that I'll come to regret that!

[Deleted]

Difficult to predict this one.... Under Garner, whilst his results this season were 'hit and miss', I did think we were progressing (albeit slowly) and my main criticism was that we weren't urgent enough or had enough penetration going forward, we tended to over pass it around at the back when there were times when a few passes at the back and a diagonal or quick through ball was on This made us to predictable and tended to allow the opposition to always get back into shape. But if he was still in charge I would be confident that we would win.

We're now under Tisdale who I do believe will end up being a good appointment (gut feel), but he hasn't had any real time with the squad and the players will probably still be unsettled with some trying too hard to impress (ending up making mistakes) and some unhappy with what has happened and some who will play cautiously as they don't want to make mistakes and find themselves out of the team. Obviously there will be those who had not featured who will be hoping for a second chance. Also Tisdale will have slightly different ideas to Garner and so will be trying to influence things but there may be some mental conflict in the players having been 'trained' a certain way / style. With all this in mind and it also being against a team who are fighting at the bottom, I'm predicting a scrappy game.

I'm hoping for a narrow win (can't see us spanking them) but I do think it will be a score draw at best (we always look like we'll concede at the moment!)

Hoping 2-1 or 1-0 win - think it will be 1-1....

[pucklegas]

Nov 24, 2020 8:19:03 GMT eric said:

I’ll wait until I see the lineup before subscribing. If it’s a back five with two holding midfielders I won’t be bothering.

I thought the same but just changed my mind as like to get in early with ifollow as it plays up gonna win tonight Tiz Army!

[Gas Go Marching In]

I'm back again..

Interestingly Wigan are lowest on shots on target and highest for shots on target against. So there is plenty to back up that they are the worst team in our Legaue.

They are -46 and we are -16.

The only other teams lower than us are Burton on - 33 and Shrews on - 19. Which also Interestingly puts us 4th from bottom, exactly what we are and the 3 teams below us on these stats are the teams below us in the table.
The next lowest after us is Rochdale and they are 5th from bottom.

So for all BG wanting to play pretty football, at the end of the dya what matters is shots for and against on target (pretty simple really!)

www.footcharts.co.uk/index.cfm?task=basics_shotsontarget