Article: Wigan Athletic vs Swansea City Match Preview & Thread|Football, Swansea City, Wigan Athletic

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Wigan Athletic................................... vs ...................... Swansea City
The DW Stadium
Wigan
Sat 03-03-12 15:00 PM KO

For links to watch the game online, click HERE
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Welcome one and all to the match thread for the game between Wigan and Swansea. The build up to the game this week has seen Brendan Rodgers claim that Swansea are "just as desperate for points as Wigan are" when in reality the table shows that isn't the case. Both sides will no doubt be giving their all in a battle for the three points but good performances against lofty opposition won't mean a lot for Wigan who now only have one win in the last 11 PL games. Swansea meanwhile arrive after having lost back to back games in the PL for the first time (leaving Man City as the only team who haven't lost 2 in a row) so will be looking to address the issue straight away.

Last time out at the Liberty I thought the result was harsh on Wigan, and the Latics' boss will no doubt be looking to get one over on a team he helped shape before departing for "greener pastures". Both sides will try and get the ball down to play it, although another factor in this could be the much maligned pitch at the DW, which has been blamed for the injury to Darren Bent and criticised by other managers. Martinez came out in it's defence, saying "both teams have to play on the same pitch" which is true, but it will be a shame if the quality of football is dictated, even if only in part, by the state of the grass.

The Match;

Wigan are currently 3 games unbeaten which is their longest run of that nature this season in the league. After beating Bolton away in a crucial 6 pointer, they followed it up with a creditable draw against Villa, and Martinez will be hoping that this is a sign the team is starting to "turn the corner", as it were. One thing is for sure, currently rock bottom, if Wigan want to stay in the PL they are going to have to go on a run of results not seen since a certain Mr Tevez kept West Ham up on the last day of the season at Man Utd. Whether they can remains to be seen, but it's still impossible to predict who out of the bottom five, and possibly a few places above too, will be in the final 3 league places at the end of the season.

Swansea - well... last time out I was saying how they should be refreshed after a little break and in the end it counted for nothing. With that in mind, I'll do a complete about turn and claim that after playing, and getting a kick up the arse, against a robust "football" team in Stoke, the Swans are newly practiced in what it takes to win a game at PL level.

Prior Form; (most recent at top)

Stoke City 2 - 0 Swansea City Premier League
Swansea City 2 -3 Norwich Premier League
West Brom 1 - 2 Swansea City Premier League
Swansea City 1 -1 Chelsea Premier League
Sunderland 2 - 0 Swansea City Premier League

Wigan 0 - 0 Aston Villa Premier League
Bolton 1 - 2 Wigan Premier League
Wigan 1 - 1 Everton Premier League
Tottenham 3 - 1 Wigan Premier League
QPR 3 - 1 Wigan Premier League

Team News

Wigan have a clean bill of health. I guess the pitch can't be that bad then!

Swansea will be without Kemy Augustien for what looks like the rest of the season after exploratory surgery on his ankle revealed a slightly more complicated problem than first thought, but Michel Vorm should come straight back into the team after missing the Stoke game with a virus. Andrea Orlandi looks likely to regain fitness but given his game time so far this season it's unlikely we'll see him featured.

Trivia; - "Courtesy" of Opta

Completely guessed lineups;

Wigan Athletic

Al-Habsi

Figueroa Alcaraz Caldwell(C) Boyce

McCarthy McArthur Gomez Moses Beausejour

Di Santo


Graham

Dyer Sigurdsson Sinclair

Britton Allen

Taylor Williams(C) Caulker Rangel

Vorm

Swansea City

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Analysis;

The battle of the less fashionable footballing teams eh?

For any Wigan fans who are interested, a few fans of differing teams have been telling us to watch out for you on our trip up North as you play deceptively good football. I'm not saying it came as any surprise to me (or to any other Swans fan aware of Martinez preferences) but it's always nice to hear your team is well thought of, in spite of a lowly league position.

As I hinted at earlier, I think the result at the Liberty Stadium earlier in the season was a harsh one and Wigan had a few good opportunities to score, especially late on in the game where I was sure you were going to score. Victor Moses has come into his own this season and he, along with Hugo Rodallega, have to be considered the biggest threats to the Swansea backline. They have the pace and trickery to worry any team and will have to be closed down quickly for the Swans to earn their 10th clean sheet of the season. What is pleasing to see, for me anyway, is how this season Wigan do genuinely seem to have turned a footballing corner, if not one that is bringing results at the moment. I've waxed lyrical recently about how the Swans were lucky to have been able to practice their style of football in the lower leagues where it is a lot more forgiving. Martinez didn't have that option at Wigan, so it's been a tough slog to get the team playing how he wants, and at some point results are going to start matching performances. Whether that will be this season or next, in the PL or the Championship, it's worth sticking with Bobby as he, along with Brendan Rodgers and the Swansea board, have shown that continuity and belief in an underlying system can be all that is needed to put together a competitive PL team.

As for the Swansea team, it's difficult to see what Buck will change, but history his team selections thus far have shown that to predict anything would be folly. Having said that I expect a largely, if not entirely, "first choice" XI and we'll go again in search of our third away win of the season. Gary Caldwell (who captained Scotland for the first time midweek) and co will be trying to stop Danny Graham linking up with Sinclair and Dyer, and how much space the two wingers get up against their fullbacks will be instrumental in dictating what kind of game we see.

From what I saw of the Wigan v Villa game, and what I've read about it since, it sounds like the kind of game Swans fans became used to at the beginning of the season with lots of "safe" possession lacking in any real direction or attacking intent. The Swans have moved on from that this season, although sometimes it appears all too easy to fall into the trap of passing it around the back four in the hope the ball will magically find it's own way to goal. If both teams decide they want to retain possession, we could be in for a very boring game, but then again if both sides decide to utilise their wingers and "get at" the other team, we could be in for a fine footballing spectacle indeed.

One last note, it'd be criminal to not mention either of the keepers in any report. Both Ali Al-Habsi and Michel Vorm have been outstanding this season, and lead all kinds of tables when it comes to stats and points accrued. Both keepers will look to continue their good form, but it's worth Scott Sinclair noting the stat about Al-Habsi saving 50% of all penalties he's faced so far this season...

Ladies and Gentlemen, the floor is yours.

Iechyd Da.

Scott

 

I always seem to be first these days, Scott. Good one again. Think the Wigan board's a bit quiet so don't know what response you'll get (no offence to the Latics who contribute here).

I think it'll be a tricky game. The pitch will definitely have a part to play too. It's shocking. But as Martinez says it's the same for both teams. Maybe that's why they shoot from distance rather than try the more intricate stuff. They can play football for sure and it'll be an interesting match up. I think we're looking jaded and whereas the players and the manager say they want three points they'll secretly be content with one. Not sure the fans would agree.

0-0 for me. Two good keepers should see to that. Sorry I can't be more optimistic.

 

I'm going 0-0. Were not very good away from home, but I can't see them scoring either.

Great article as always Scott.

 

Wigan 1 Swans 2

WE ARE STAYING UP

 

Swans to win 2-0, we have that bit more quality in our team. Do fancy Dyer giving them a torrid time, and stick the ball in the onion bag.

 

Sorry forgot, top thread again Scott.

 

good thread, had a scan of it and i notice you put moses and rodallega as wigans biggest threats. rodallega has been garbage this season!

 

My opinion innit. The guy might have been ropey, but form always seems to go out of the window with the Swans. The guy is capable of producing a moment of magic and affords attention imo. I did concede he's unlikely to start...

 

exellent thread as usual - just wondering that Vorms penatly save percentage might be better - i know he saved 2 against Wigan and Fulham and i cant remember any other penalties against us tbh, anyone else know?
it will be an even game tomorrow, i hope both teams go for it and if they do more likely it will be a draw but i ll be positive and predict a 2-1 win for the Swans - Graham and Allen for us.
ps Nice interview with Martinez, very complimentary about us. They also play football the right way so i hope they stay up with us.

 

Ok lads just to say even though Saturdays game is a must win game for both clubs. Latics more so (because were bottom of the league) Mark lawro Lawrenson has gone for a 2-1 win for the latics which is abit of a surprise because usually he give`s us jack ****. and also for the game we`v got Mr fantastic ref Andre Marriner for Christ's sake. But for me i'm going for 0-0 game. For those who want to watch online go to www.lshunter around 4 ish and look down the list anyway lets all have a good game eh.

 

Not him he was the idiot who let Pedersen take a corner to himself it's no secret we need to win games and I think we have 1 win at home all season which is shocking, I'll go for an optimistic Latics win 2-1.


Ps don't get confused you lot I'm still a Wurzel so to speak but have Wigan connections

 

Banana skin. Wigan play some good football and might surprise us. They are also more abrasive than us and can mix it if they have to. We can't do that.

We will come under a lot of pressure in this game and, after Norwich and Stoke, I have to question the bottle of some of our players. I certainly question our defence which went walk-about in those two games.

I know I sound pessimistic but those defeats have shaken my confidence - not the fact that we lost them but the way we lost them. Lose this and with Man City to come it could be four losses on the bounce and, to me, that is the start of a slide.

We are well capable of beating Wigan but they will be scrapping for everything and playing good football as well (Norwich?????). It is a mix that might well find us out again. If our lads relax and expect Wigan to stand off and admire our pretty passing we will get nothing. We are going to have to fight for the right to play and it will be an interesting, if nerve racking test of our character.

A draw is the least we need and a loss will see us sucked right into the relegation battle. At the end of this game I want to see a point(s) on the board, not another defeat with Buck telling the cameras how fantastic we were in between the goals the other lot scored. We can win this but not if we perform like the bunch of wimps we resembled in the last two games.

Sorry to be down-beat but let's be realistic. We need these points badly and we are going to have to focus and concentrate for 90 plus minutes to stand a chance of getting them. I hope and pray we can do it.

 

^^^ Amen to that ^^^

 

Game day! 0-2 Swans.

 

Scott, wonderful result if you're right! We know what we have to do so let's go and do it. Don't care about a "fantastic" performance today, an ugly win by any means will do me.

 

Have to agree Ivor, need to get points today, I'm getting twitchy. I do fancy us getting all three points, think we have that little bit more class with our wingers. HJust hope Sinclair has a decent game for once. Got us down for a 2-0 win. Come on U Swans!!!!!!!

 

Spot on Ivor. Like you, it wasn't the fact that we've lost the last couple of games but the way in which we lost them. At the moment we are lacking confidence all over the pitch and unless the players pull themselves together this could be the start of a slide. Even Sinclair has taken to laying balls off to others in a worse position so it must be bad.

If they play the way we know they can we could and should win today. Hope so.

 

That link to the game isnt working...it's saying too busy

 

http://www.firstrowsports.eu/watch/111035/1/watch-wigan-athletic-vs-swansea-city-fc.html

This will probably work at 3pm.

 

This is working fine for me

http://www.belovedsport.com/channel-6.php

If anyone has a high quality Sopcast link, let me know