[theo_luddite]

V

EFL Championship
Monday 28th November
Two Thousand and Scarfteen.
Live on Murdoch TV - 19:45 kick-off.

Where we're at.

Two sides that are hardly in the middle of a purple patch meet up on Monday night, thanks to Rupert and his merry men mucking around with the fixtures again, with both looking to get their season back on track. Town have only lost 1 at home so far and Wiggin have only won one away, but don't let that stat fool you. We've both only won one of our last 6 games and we are now 3rd bottom in the recent form table with only Wolves and Rotherham below us and losing touch with the top two fast. Birmingham, Norwich and L666s can all go above us with wins (or a draw for Brum) on Saturday long before we kick off. Brum are away to Brentford and Norwich away to Derby so they might have their work cut out. L666s on the other hand are also on Murdoch TV on Saturday evening away to Rotherham, so could have things a bit easier. Wiggin are 2nd bottom and will be hoping Cardiff don't continue their improved form under Colin away to Villa or that Blackburn pick up points from a Newcastle side that has forgotten how to drop points since the first couple of games of the season. Murdoch TV is stuck in Yorkshire for the weekend as they are also covering Barnsalee v Forest on Friday night.



Town are only charging £10 for this game, including the Wiggin fans, in an attempt to get some bums on seats and create a good atmosphere.

Scarftastic


Town have declared this match as a bring your scarf night. If this all seems a bit

well it seems some fool let Jarvo

go on a fact finding mission to Germany and he saw fans wearing scarves and thought - 'what a brilliant idea, we must copy this. We aren't selling many scarves at the club shops so what an opportunity to sell another one to everyone that already has one.'

(Sorry about the colours - I didn't draw these).

So, on what will likely be a freezing cold night in November, Jarvo's brilliant idea will come to fruition. Like, er, who wouldn't be wearing a scarf anyway? It's not going to be May or August weather now is it? Gloves might be the order of the day too, thus muting a bit of the noise but no doubt there will be plenty of those cardboard clapper things stuck under the seats. Do us a favour Deano - don't let this chap out on his own again, well, not without his medication anyway.


OK - it's my fault, I hold my hand up.

The last time I did a thread (Both Ends) we still had one of the best defensive records in the Division - well I soon put the mockers on that one didn't I? Despite having one of the tallest sides in the club's history, certainly defensive wise, we seem to have forgotten how to attack the ball in our own box and we are leaking goals left, right and centre from anything pumped into the box that's only slightly above head high.

Let's hope we've been working on that this week in training because the jolly holi to Marbella didn't seem to improve things at all judging by the highlights from Cardiff.



Having said that are we guilty of being a little over critical? Are we expecting too much too soon? Having got off to a flying start that we never really saw coming has the real Town that we all know and love finally turned up again? I was expecting more of this Town schadenfreude earlier in the season so maybe if it wasn't feast or famine we'd be a bit happier about it. Wagbo can likely turn this around but I wouldn't necessarily expect another long run of good results, however there's no reason we can't win a few more than we lose. Then again if we can hang in around the top 6 it should be enough for Deano to dip his hand in his wallet again come the Winter Transfer Window. We should really be taking more points than we are off lower half/third sides having done so against top-half (or expected to be top half) opposition at the start of the season. I still say a top 10 finish will be a big step up from last season, however with Town getting the juices flowing so early in the season, a slide down into mid-table mediocrity will now disappoint many, despite the fact that many of us would willingly have taken it as an improvement on the last 3 seasons before we ever kicked a ball.

Wells on his way - or just another lazy journo?

Defensively we've been poor since I wrote the Both Ends thread, but strikers like Wells also need to get their head up and stop trying to shoot through or at defenders legs. It doesn't work - evidence - our lack of goals when we are on top. We've yet to score more than 2 in a game. If it's true what was in The Telegroan this week about him not wanting to sign a contract extension then anything we get for him would have to be well spent on someone (or several someones) who can find the onion bag.

Some have suggested blowing it all on bringing Rhodes back on loan (I doubt Boro will let him go on a free), but would he fit in with Wagbo's system? He was hardly the most effective 'defend from the front striker' when he was here before. Has that side of his game changed or improved? I haven't seen him in the few times he's played for Boro this season but somehow I doubt it. I think we'd be better off trying to prize a League 1 or 2 goalscorer away for a decent fee.

I'll throw a couple of names in the hat (and put my tin hat on for the flack that might come back).
Josh Morris (25 year old) is banging them in at Scunny, but he's actually a midfielder. Then again, so was Ian Robins until Mick Buxton put him up front. Morris has hardly been prolific before so this is a big change for him. 15 goals so far is more than he previously scored in 5-6 seasons combined.

John Marquis (24 year old) is also showing signs at last of being a goal scoring striker, with 10 so far. Previously on Millwall's books he was loaned out all over the place before signing for Donny this Summer.

Getting a promotion hunting team to sell their top scorer to another club never happens though does it?  
Any chance of a Dwight Gale on loan? Nope, thought not.
The Unexamined on the other hand ....... "You can not be serious!!"

Wiggin the Club - Whelan and Dealin'

Opinionated former Chairman Dave Whelan had a statue of himself unveiled on Thursday this week, his 80th birthday. To be fair you can't argue with what he has done for the club, taking them to heights we are still dreaming of getting back to nearly 45 years since we were last up their. There's just something about the only chap to break his leg tripping over a Wembley worm that has since spent years trying to convince anyone that would listen that it was caused by a bad tackle, that just gets right up my bleedin' nose. It might also be something to do with naming the Wiggin stadium after himself. It's my opinion, and say what you want, it won't change it.

Having built the (once) successful JJB Sports Store empire after buying JJ Bradburns fishing and sports store, with money he made from selling a small supermarket chain to Morrisons, he did use his money wisely in taking a little football club from arguably the biggest Rugby League town in the country up to the Prem and kept them there. Building a new stadium to replace the crumbling grounds that both professional clubs played at, he originally named it the JJB Stadium after his business. He also did it by charging some of the lowest ticket prices in the country, however he still struggled to fire the Wiggin folks imagination and they rarely had full house signs up at the ground unless the egg chasers were playing, particularly International egg-chasers (seems a bit familiar that). He sold off JJB Sports to his fellow directors, only to cherry pick the profitable Fitness Clubs as JJB went bust soon after, so he renamed the business as DW Sports Fitness and renamed the ground as the DW Stadium, both in his honour. They enjoyed 8 seasons in the Prem until they beat Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup Final and quickly headed south. They bounced straight back from League 1 after two relegations but so far they aren't punching anywhere near the weight that maybe they could or should be. Like us they've found the step up is a bit harder than it first looks in this Division. Whelan quit as Chairman just before they were relegated to League 1 and appointed his then 23 year old grandson David Sharpe as the country's youngest Chairman. Whelan still owns the club however and no doubt pulls a few strings in the background.

Wiggin - the Town
Apart from being famous as a rugby town, Wiggin is also best known for a pier that doesn't really exist in the form that we associate with seaside piers and a certain Casino that was best known as an all night dancing venue. Wiggin Pier was made famous by a certain Mr. George Orwell with his book The Road to Wiggin Pier. It's really just a disappointing looking landing stage on the canal bank pretty darned close to where a quite large and nice pub of the same name now sits. Wiggin Casino was the home of Northern Soul music back in the 1970's. It closed in 1981 as Northern Soul came to the end of its run of popularity, along with wearing seriously baggy pants and sweaters or  t-shirts (polo shirts now) with big stars on them.



Though I never visited Wiggin Casino, my bro and his now missus used to go regularly to get their backwards dancing fix. The lure of Wiggin nightlife continues however as many Prima Donna club footy supporters would make a weekend in Wiggin a high priority for an away trip. Some would moan like hell if they had to play there on a midweek night and they couldn't get time off work to go.

Who to look out for (if they play, 'appen, maybe).

Will Grigg - top scorer with 5 League goals in 16 appearances this season and a bagful last season, has his own Will Grigg's on Fire song/chant (look it up if you must) and was voted one of the best players at Euro 2016 despite not getting a kick for Nor'n I'ron. Just goes to show what a load of bollox social media voting can be. The Wiggin supporter that uploaded the YouTube video got a free Season Ticket from David Sharpe for his efforts. Grigg was an unused sub in the last game, a 0-0 draw at Barnsalee. I saw enough of Grigg down here when playing for t'Wassall lads to know that he can be lethal anywhere around the box. Quite what went on a Brentford is beyond me but they loaned him out to MK Dons where he scored a bagful along with Benik Afobe and then they sold him to Wiggin. Let's hope he stays on the bench again.


Adam Le Fonde - we know all about ALF - another unused sub in the last match. Possibly more likely to score against us than Will Grigg if he comes on at any stage.


Jussi Albert Jääskeläinen - Adam Bogdan, who was on loan from Liverpool (who are they?) was keeping Jussi on the bench until he ended his season by tearing his ACL at Barnsalee. Jussi at 41 is still showing goalies can and do last forever. The Bogman is now back at Liverpool getting his knee fixed. Good to know it's not just us that sends loan players back in a broken condition.


Steven Warnock - playing at left back signed from Derby in the summer after playing on-loan last season, he's also been at L666s, Blackburn, Bolton and a whole host of other clubs. Now 34 he wears the skippers armband.


Yanic Wildschut is lightening quick, with or without the ball. The good news is no one from Wigan can keep up with him either.


One we won't see.
Reece James - we all know about this young left back from the impression he left when on loan to us from Man U a couple of seasons back. He would be challenging Warnock for his place but he picked up an ankle injury last season and hasn't played yet this season. Likely won't play before Christmas after two operations on his ankle, so will be kicking every ball while sat in the stands.


New Manager - Warren Joyce

As with most of the bottom 8 in the division, Wiggin pressed the panick button before the end of October and Warren Joyce took over from Gary Caldwell at the start of the month. They then got spanked 3-0 at home by Reading and are still to score a league goal for him following the Barnsalee game. This is his first League Manager's appointment in about 18 years, previously he was in charge of Man U's U21's and had a short spell in charge at Hull from November 1998 to April 2000 all those years ago. While managerless, Wigan won 1-0 away to Cardiff and we all know what happened next down there.

Wagbo's Team talk.


and get yer 'eads on any balls that get crossed or lumped into our box!!

Stats - (thanks to my mates at Statto.com)

Head 2 Head

Wiggin haven't beaten us in a League game yet in our own midden. They played us off the park in the FA Cup match on their way to Wembley but that team has long gone. Apart from Scanz, so has ours.





Recent Results and Form Table



Table and Fixtures



Predictions
The game will be on telly unless the floodlights fail and/or a cloud burst of monsoon proportions turns up just before kick off. Other than that, I'll leave it to you lot.

Wrap up warm and don't forget your scarves.  


but maybe wear stripes and not hoops eh?

[themaclad]

Remember they eat pies and play in a rugby town

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Sadly will miss this epic of to watch Marillion at the Academy in Manchester

[SHEP_HTAFC]

Brilliant thread theo
Really not sure what to make of this game. It's really not getting my juices flowing.
We always do crap when the Sky cameras come....so i'll predict a frustrating 1-1 draw.
I really don't like this lot though. Would love to see us turning them over and dumping them into a lower division.

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one theodolite.

Looks like Wigan will have ancient goalie Juicy Jaskilinen in their team on Monday night.

[themaclad]

Yep Bogdan has bolloxed his ligaments lengthy lay off think he's goulashed

[jjamez]

I dont think its worth buying a Morris or marquis if we sell wells. Now rhodes is a pipe dream and the examiner went full lazy, crap standard, reason papers are dying mode and put a list of players that in the large part were 0%ers. In fact the only have chance one may have been gestede if we could even afford, however there are better players who are cheaper out on the continent that would be better options. It was an article that actually peeved me off a bit, they name fomestic players that we could get and proceed to name ones we have no chance with, where was aguero and messi?

I do agree theo that a look in the lower leagues is worth a shot but, Morris has done nothing until this year, marquis has failed at a lot of places but is doing okay now. Worth noting that one of the last lower league players that was signed up to our league was roofe to leeds and that set back 3mil and is it worth it for us? Answer is no. BUT lower league options are there and just need finding, however i would stick to foreign markets for at least one of the new strikers and i would be tempted to get houriane in from barnsley ahead of next season to replace mooy...

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I will think up of a few domestic striking options sometime tomorrow

[jjamez]

okay, lets have a look at a couple of domestic options, now these are all that i have picked out and not players that have had any substancial links to joining us or even leaving their clubs. this could possibly go into the transfer rumours bit, if so feel free to move it. some of these maybe more wildcards, some may be not so glamourous or exactly what people were expecting, but sometimes those sorts of players are the ones that succeed, ala vardy, austin, andre grey ect

i'll start us off with one who we should probably be facing on monday in the form of will grigg. yes he is yet to be proven at this level and may not be the tall man that some fans have been asking for, but he is from what i've seen, a worker, he will chase down and presurise defenders. if his past few seasons are anything to go by he does know how to finish, plus he comes free with a ready made song. the only problem is that wigan will want a fair few bob for him. he has 6 goals this season

stick with the championship and move down south, this time for a salford born lad in the form of scott hogan. having rebuilt his career after being released by rochdale, then returning and recovering from serious injury, he has shown a lot of quality when i have seen him play. scored 10 goals this season so far and would also cost a bob or two, but he too fits the brief of the sort of player town should be looking at, someone who will chase and run defenders into the ground.

now this one is probably one that would be a loan move, but it could be a decent stop gap until summer if we sell wells or not and thats chuba akpom. granted he scored only 3 league goals for hull last year but he was behind a few decent strikers, the thing is, if he didnt have the ability or potential, arsenal would have got rid by now, it maybe a decent avenue to follow

move down to league one and a player we arguably missed out on and one that has added and developed his game since we last looked at him is lee gregory. when we looked at him he was a taller lad who didnt put himself around much, that seems to have changed a bit and he seems to be a bit more physical whilst still knowing where the goal is. scored 7 goals this season but tried forcing a move to rotherham through this summer so it maybe a sign that he wants to return north or play in the championship, we can offer both and also offer him a platform to showcase his abilities, especially if we are still up and around the playoffs come january, milwall arent doing the greatest so there maybe scope here, again wont be cheap, but if rotherham felt they were in with a chance then can we?

rudy gestede at villa has slipped down the pecking order with the arrival of kodija, mccormack and ayew. plus the return to favour of abonglahor has limited the benin internationals game time. last season saw him be quite prolific at blackburn earning a move to villa. villa have also been linked with jock mcrhodes so he would be even lower down the order standing at 6"4 he would quench that thirst fans have for a big man, whilst also being capable of bagging 15-20 goals. the only issues i see are the biggies, ie would he want to come here? villa will probably want to recoup most of what they paid ie 5mil and his wages would far exceed what we currently pay out, but a loan would not be out of the equation.

now move onto some more left field options, starting with datm favorite of the month omar bogle. hes scored 14 goals this season and is another physical player that will put himself around a bit. its worth noting that he has scored as many goals this year as he did last year in a league below, so stepping up may not be an issue, stepping up to the championship might be a bridge too far but its one of those where you never know until you try it, is it worth the risk, probably, would fans be happy, debateable, would it work, who knows, could sign anyone and itll either work or it wont. thats football, the one thing is he's 23, so age is on his side, he'll be hungry to prove himself so that will work in his favour. it could well be a risk worth taking, it'll cost, but not as much as a more proven player.

final one for now, and its someone who i have long been surprised no one has taken a punt on in the form of john akinde. 15 goals this season, 23 last year, 31 and 18 the years before that all at rather unfavourable clubs. a big unit that has obviously scored goals in the lower leagues, never really succeeded in the higher leagues earlier in his career, but he may have found his game now and putting it this way it involves a physical presence that gets beyond defences and scores... could he do it at this level? see bogle. worth a risk? well we are needing a big man to throw on so yes it probably is, it would be better if he proved himself at league 1 first but then he will cost more. atm being at barnet would proably mean he wouldnt cost an excessive amount to sign and would be one of those that if it failed, then so be it...

[Lord Snooty]

Unbelievably Leeds have clawed back our 12 point gap over them and knocked us down to 6th.
We now have to put on a proper performance on Monday night and beat Wigan convincingly.
This is a MUST WIN game.

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Hold on. Rotherham have pulled one back.

Come on.

[Lord Snooty]

On a positive note however. It's destined that we can't ever finish a season above Leeds. So if they were to finish in the top five, we could still make the play offs.

[theo_luddite]

4 prats down here celebrating like it's 1999. You would think they had won the league.

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Take a look at our fixtures and theirs until the end of the year and tell me which you would rather have.