Wigan Athletic v Blackpool Official Matchnight Thread 26.01.21

Haven't commented all game but read most of the comments posted.
You can only beat what's put in front of you and considering this was a makeshift side (apparently), I thought Blackpool played very well.
Maxwell very rarely troubled , did what was expected when called upon
The back four were solid and a special mention for Thorniley who I thought played exceptionally well.
The midfield were workman like couldn't fault any of them. Lovely goal from Virtue.
Madine and Yates were a handful all night, Bez having his best game in a tangerine shirt tonight although he's still prone to the odd hiccup 😁
The substitutes who came on all did their jobs well.
Simms, hopefully is the striker we've been crying out for all season, yeh two close range goals but you've got to be there to get em! Well done Rob Apter bit of 1st team experience and an assist to boot👍🏻
Didn't get to see too much of Stewart to make an opinion and Oh yeh Sully came on too😁
Great night and an excellent team performance 👍🏻
Totally agree
 
Oh see ,see how the board turns.With the speed of light almost , a perfect corner , a debut nod in , a deft one two and volley. A board of the pre match and a board of the post match. Look at the contrast from black to white , from hot to cold. Oh fickle fickle footie fan . Your mood swings strops, flounces, pirouettes and damn those complete 360 turnarounds. However , I too am proudly one of you. Moans, groans out of the chair cheers and jubilant fist punching the air.
Optimism coursing, flooding through my tangerine veins...until next time . Fare ye well
 
We've waited a long time for that. I thought the back 4 were excellent, particularly Thorniley and Husband. Madine won absolutely everything in the air. The one thing that I really noticed tonight was confidence growing within the group. We've two good games next up in Burton and Northampton, please let the weather and Covid be kind, we really need to play these two games now. Playoffs anybody ?

Just to add, Apter's corner, the best of the season and great for Simms' confidence to bag a brace !
 
Now lets do that against the better teams. Simms to start next match. Madine and Yates will have to fight for a place in the team.
I can imagine a great partnership between CJ and Simms

UTMP
 
Oh see ,see how the board turns.With the speed of light almost , a perfect corner , a debut nod in , a deft one two and volley. A board of the pre match and a board of the post match. Look at the contrast from black to white , from hot to cold. Oh fickle fickle footie fan . Your mood swings strops, flounces, pirouettes and damn those complete 360 turnarounds. However , I too am proudly one of you. Moans, groans out of the chair cheers and jubilant fist punching the air.
Optimism coursing, flooding through my tangerine veins...until next time . Fare ye well
You been imbibing the Dickens tonight Mull?
 
Wigan are shit.

Seriously did not see that coming, but it did. Some great positives. Well done Pool 👏 👏 👏 👏
They're up and down. Not the first time they've been hit for five but managed a 3-3 and a 4-3 win away in the last four. Was happy to keep Lang and Joseph out and get away with a clean sheet+ considering, and thinking about the home game struggle with a full quota available. So a massive brucie bonus with that outcome.

Made a difference with the formation and attacking intentions tonight. More of a 4-2-4. Make more out of less going forward when you've doubts you can control a game with your defence.

108 days to cancel out the minus three goal difference from the Ipswich home game. Phew.
 
I've just looked at the table and to be honest it's so confusing it's difficult to assess where we are and where we could end up, other than the top 2 seem out of reach.

I hope, I really hope, this is the game we find out our feet and get the belief to go for the kill when we've got our foot on the throat of the opposition.

Great night, fingers crossed for a few more.
 
I was sayin' to the Mrs, Simms is getting in some good scoring positions, then he scores. Then I said give Apter a chance and the little beaut makes a corner and delivers an excellent cross for Simms second...................brilliant. All credit to Wigan for keeping up the fight though.
 
Great performance, Wigan are different from the other teams with a lower league position that we have played recently in that they try to play, Shrewsbury etc have just sat in and tried to nick a goal and defend, it's those type of teams that we need to start beating. Great for the goal difference and about time we were lethal with our finishing, UTMP..
 
Where did that come from? Wigan are poor but I thought we were absolutely outstanding tonight, in every single way. We did everything tonight that we've been failing to do all season. We were determined, aggressive, and ruthless. Even in the first 30 mins when it was more even I thought we were doing a lot right, and had put a couple of quality moves together.
To have almost the entire first team taken out, and then go and win away 5-0 takes some doing. Some of the moves we put together were superb, not least the one for Virtues goal. In fact, we've scored some fantastic team goals this season, we just haven't done it anywhere near often enough.

I don't always do individual player comments but can't help myself this time ☺

Maxwell - good positioning, and pulled off a great save in the second half. Reliable.

Gabriel - I'd be delighted if we signed this guy permanently, he's a very good player and would be a real asset. Still improving too. Solid defensively and a threat going forward.

Husband - I've always said that I think we can do better, but I'm going to swallow my pride tonight, I thought he was outstanding, and my MOM. Seems he's not giving up his spot for Garbutt without a fight and I say good for him. Made a good claim to keep it tonight.

Ekpiteta - clean sheet and a goal. What more can you say, perfect evening for him. Possibly our best signing this season? I feel a lot more comfortable when he has the ball now than at the start of the season, seems to have thrived under Critchley. Maybe his best success story so far.

Thorniley - I think his two appearances recently have really made a case for keeping him. And I wouldn't be unhappy if we did. Some players may have had a don't care attitude after being told they can leave but he's really stepped it up instead. Good attitude and certainly given Critchley something to think about.

Williams - I know he's not for everyone, he's not as composed or cultured as others, but I think he's a useful player to have. He puts himself about more than any of our other midfielders and sometimes you need that. Played well, especially in the first 30 mins which was much more a battle.

Robson - did the simple things well and seems to compliment Williams.

Virtue - still a bit rusty but improved as the game went on. His goal was another example of doing something we haven't done all season - getting midfielders forward into goalscoring positions, and it was a great finish. He can get goals and offers us something different to our other midfielders. I can see him becoming a regular. Most successful sides get goals from midfield.

Lubala - he can be frustrating to watch, you just feel he's about to really take someone on and then he doesn't. I think a regular run in the side will do wonders for him, and he's certainly got the right attitude, but perhaps lacking a little bit of confidence? He also tracked back well and overall good performance. Justified selection ahead of kaikai imo.

Yates - nine goals now, from really struggling to get his first goal for us, he's stealthily becoming a 20 goal striker for us. Can never fault his effort and seems to be finding that knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Madine - gave their defence a torrid time. Held the ball up well and linked up with others. He's the lynchpin, I think we're a much better team with him in it. Won the flick on for the fourth goal too.

Difficult to rate the subs, but I will say that Simms looked very good. Finally we have someone that made some great runs - we've really missed that because Madine and Yates often play with their back to goal. Could be a KDH quality signing.......or I might be getting carried away bit.
Also, great to see Apter get on the pitch, a BFC youth player, and won the corner for the fifth.

Overall, it was a perfect night and I can't fault them. Excellent performance from a depleted team, and this really needs to be held up as the standard we need.
 
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Great performance under the circumstances, really enjoyed that, great to see young Simms bag a brace, my Everton contact sent a simple text - you’re welcome
 
Where did that come from? Wigan are poor but I thought we were absolutely outstanding tonight, in every single way. We did everything tonight that we've been failing to do all season. We were determined, aggressive, and ruthless. Even in the first 30 mins when it was more even I thought we were doing a lot right, and had put a couple of quality moves together.
To have almost the entire first team taken out, and then go and win away 5-0 takes some doing. Some of the moves we put together were superb, not least the one for Virtues goal. In fact, we've scored some fantastic team goals this season, we just haven't done it anywhere near often enough.

I don't always do individual player comments but can't help myself this time ☺

Maxwell - good positioning, and pulled off a great save in the second half. Reliable.

Gabriel - I'd be delighted if we signed this guy permanently, he's a very good player and would be a real asset. Still improving too. Solid defensively and a threat going forward.

Husband - I've always said that I think we can do better, but I'm going to swallow my pride tonight, I thought he was outstanding, and my MOM. Seems he's not giving up his spot for Garbutt without a fight and I say good for him. Made a good claim to keep it tonight.

Ekpiteta - clean sheet and a goal. What more can you say, perfect evening for him. Possibly our best signing this season? I feel a lot more comfortable when he has the ball now than at the start of the season, seems to have thrived under Critchley. Maybe his best success story so far.

Thorniley - I think his two appearances recently have really made a case for keeping him. And I wouldn't be unhappy if we did. Some players may have had a don't care attitude after being told they can leave but he's really stepped it up instead. Good attitude and certainly given Critchley something to think about.

Williams - I know he's not for everyone, he's not as composed or cultured as others, but I think he's a useful player to have. He puts himself about more than any of our other midfielders and sometimes you need that. Played well, especially in the first 30 mins which was much more a battle.

Robson - did the simple things well and seems to compliment Williams.

Virtue - still a bit rusty but improved as the game went on. His goal was another example of doing something we haven't done all season - getting midfielders forward into goalscoring positions, and it was a great finish. He can get goals and offers us something different to our other midfielders. I can see him becoming a regular. Most successful sides get goals from midfield.

Lubala - he can be frustrating to watch, you just feel he's about to really take someone on and then he doesn't. I think a regular run in the side will do wonders for him, and he's certainly got the right attitude, but perhaps lacking a little bit of confidence? He also tracked back well and overall good performance. Justified selection ahead of kaikai imo.

Yates - nine goals now, from really struggling to get his first goal for us, he's stealthily becoming a 20 goal striker for us. Can never fault his effort and seems to be finding that knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Madine - gave their defence a torrid time. Held the ball up well and linked up with others. He's the lynchpin, I think we're a much better team with him in it. Won the flick on for the fourth goal too.

Difficult to rate the subs, but I will say that Simms looked very good. Finally we have someone that made some great runs - we've really missed that because Madine and Yates often play with their back to goal. Could be a KDH quality signing.......or I might be getting carried away bit.
Also, great to see Apter get on the pitch, a BFC youth player, and won the corner for the fifth.

Overall, it was a perfect night and I can't fault them. Excellent performance from a depleted team, and this really needs to be held up as the standard we need.
I'm not after an argument cos most of your thread is spot on. Husband - for a left-back he plays to narrow, which gives the wide attacker the advantage every time. That's all.
 
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