Wigan v Portsmouth (Paul Cook Derby)

[nelsonpfc]

Gonna be a great atmosphere with alot of 'interesting' chants aimed at Paul Cook. On paper Wigan should run away with this game. Kenny Jacket still tinkering with the Pompey lineup as we haven't seemed to click in certain areas, mostly up front. We haven't really tested the opposition goalie too much in our first 3 games.
We were very close to signing Brighton youngster Walton on loan, but decided to go for Luke McGee on a permanant so it will be interesting to see which young goalie has the better game. Walton hasn't been tested at all in Wigan's league games, so be interesting to see how his concentration is as I fully expect Wigan to have the majority of possession.
Lowe comes back from suspension and I expect him to be the latest attempt by Jackett add some spark upfront. New signing Dion Donohue is a central midfielder, but has played most of his chesterfield games as a left back. We've been playing two youngsters in both positions and KJ is keeping his cards close to his chest. We obviously have a number of cooks signings, some of which were dropped and frozen out by Cook so hopefully they will have a bit more fire in their bellies. Best central defender so far, Jack Whatmough is had a knock v walsall but hopefully he's fit.

Can predict some of the lineup

McGee
Evans Burgess Whatmough? Haunstrup/Donohue
2 of May/Rose/Donohue

??? Lowe ???
Pitman

Even the most bias Pompey would predict a Wigan win.. Just hoping we can do what lots of teams did to Cooks Pompey and frustrate them for as long as possibly by sitting deep and hitting on the break. McGee needs to put his Oxford blunder behind him and produce a MOTM performanc. I do expect a Wigan 2-0 though.

 

[K-Win]

Looks like a Wigan win, but we have a chance for a point as the players will be very fired up for this one.

We're definitely a work-in-progress at the moment. Kenny seems to be a long way from deciding on his best formation.

2-1 Wigan for me, with Cookie getting an ear-bashing - and us having a man sent off in a bad-tempered affair.

 

[mike hunter]

Can see an unmaned starting 11 from our last two games.
Should be a good atmosphere and hopefully entertaining game.
Going for Wigan 3 - 1 (powell, Jacobs and Toney)

 

[Bucket_]

Getting mashed so far.

 

[Bucket_]

1-1.. how on earth? Hilarious, that was a smash and grab if ever I've seen one! MOTM McGee + post.

 

[SMH]

First game I've seen this season and based on that I'll be disappointed if we don't finish top 6 at the bare minimum. Played some great stuff and battered Pompey. If Toney could have finished his dinner in that first half we'd have been at least 3-0 up. Brainless from Dunkley, lost his head and cost us a point, no way would we have conceded with 11 on the pitch and we still nearly won it with 10 but Grigg missed a sitter. Pompey keeper MOTM with help from the woodwork. For us Morsy ran the game, no Pompey player could get near him, he shouldn't be in this division.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Doubt there'll be a more one sided game all season.

Should have been 5/6 up before the red card, a combination of post 3/4 times, a few sitters and 5 great goalkeeping saves. Looked like a very soft red card and certainly a lot of play making from Pitman but it's not the first time Pitmans antics has got a Wigan player sent off.

We'll play a lot, lot worse than that this season and beat several teams by 3 or more.

Portsmouth absolutely robbed us of points today.

I think avoiding the bottom 4 from what I saw of Pompey today would be the main target this season. That keeper will single handedly probably do that though, what a fantastic talent and whatever Pompey paid for him is an abolsute steal as he'll play for England one day. I would expect next week to be a very busy one transfer wise for them.

 

[Don Tonberry]

You have Paul Cook as your manager, Wigan fans. Get used to this. It happened to us plenty of times in the last two seasons.

It's a great point for us baring in mind all the problems we have with our squad at the moment.

 

[SMH]

You have Paul Cook as your manager, Wigan fans. Get used to this. It happened to us plenty of times in the last two seasons.

It's a great point for us baring in mind all the problems we have with our squad at the moment.

With all due respect, if we have another game with 18 shots, 9 on target, hitting the woodwork 3 times with a keeper having the game of his life and only score one goal then I'll be impressed. You can't blame Paul Cook for Will Grigg being unable to head a ball into the corner of a goal from 6 yards out or Ivan Toney missing two sitters from about 3 yards out. We played some of the best football I've seen from a Latics team in a long time today so don't worry I hope I do get used to it.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Yeah, hitting the post multiple times, missing a few sitters and coming up against a goalkeeper who had an absolutely superb performance that would have been at home in the Premier League won't happen every week. Not sure how Cook can be blamed for that. On another day we'd have scored 6 or 7 with that performance and dominance.

If we had dominated the game but failed to click in the final third then you would have had a point but 18 shots, 9 keeper saves, post 3/4 times and a few blocked shots, indicates not a lot is wrong in the final third at the moment, just an unlucky day at the office. Think only 3 shots actually went wide of the goal...

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

First game I've seen this season.

Your posts did read like a man who hadn't watched his team, or football.

 

[Bucket_]

SMH/Northern Soul.. that's exactly what Pompey fans said many times over the last two seasons. To be fair, it did click for us eventually, so it probably will for you too. And it is fair to say that on another day you could quite easily have won that game 5-0. Just expect some frustration along the way.

I'm personally not hugely worried about the prospect of being in a relegation fight. Even though we had a huge slice of luck yesterday, we showed a lot of resolve. We should also have a strengthened side going ahead, with key players in Thompson and Clarke coming back from injury soon. A lot is riding on whether we can bring in a quality CM (priority) and LB before the window closes - that will probably make the difference between having a dicey lower mid-table season, or one where we can realistically aim at top half and flirt with the playoffs.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

You have Paul Cook as your manager, Wigan fans. Get used to this. It happened to us plenty of times in the last two seasons.

It's a great point for us baring in mind all the problems we have with our squad at the moment.

Aye I bet their worried about the thought of him doing what he did with you, by winning the league.

 

[Marked Ox]

First game I've seen this season and based on that I'll be disappointed if we don't finish top 6 at the bare minimum. Played some great stuff and battered Pompey. If Toney could have finished his dinner in that first half we'd have been at least 3-0 up. Brainless from Dunkley, lost his head and cost us a point, no way would we have conceded with 11 on the pitch and we still nearly won it with 10 but Grigg missed a sitter. Pompey keeper MOTM with help from the woodwork. For us Morsy ran the game, no Pompey player could get near him, he shouldn't be in this division.

Dunkley does have a habit of mad moments. Just wait for the entertaining own goal out of nowhere.

 

[Bobbin']

Apparently Dunkley's quote was 'He played a blinder, I'll learn from it'

It took a red card for a professional footballer to learn to not attempt to punch an opponent in the face what a clown.

 

[wafcharvey]

In all honesty I don't think Portsmouth were bad at all, I just think that Wigan were another level. Mid table - lower mid table finish I predict for Pompey whilst I firmly believe if we get through this transfer window without losing any starters (which I can't see) then we should be winning the league.. or at least top 2 minimum. Another unbelievable performance by a confident Latics side, so refreshing after what we saw last season. Players look happy and confident and always looking to move the ball forwards, exciting times. Respect to the following from PFC also I thought they were one of if not best fans at DW in the last 12 months.

 

[SMH]

Yep fully agree with mid table for Pompey. Won't be near the drop as their keeper will win them more points and Pitman will get them goals. Not good enough a squad for a playoff push though. Definitely a long term project being built by Jackett and the new owners down there.

 

[nelsonpfc]

Was great to see 5 Academy lads on at the end of the game. 3 starters, 2 on as subs. Average age of the team is extremely young.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Apparently Dunkley's quote was 'He played a blinder, I'll learn from it'

It took a red card for a professional footballer to learn to not attempt to punch an opponent in the face what a clown.

He was winding Dunkley up all game, first half he said something to Dunkley off the ball which Dunkley wasn't happy with. Dunkley was having a great game and winning everything and Pitman was getting pissed off with losing every aerial challenge. So he started planting his elbow on Dunkley with every aerial challenge, one of them connected but Dunkley stayed on his feet and carried on.

Dunkley will hopefully learn from it, perhaps if he'd have collapsed to the floor first half and grabbed his face then Pitman would have been sent off first half. Pitman got exactly what he wanted in the end and although Dunkley through intention was right to be sent off, his swing was nowhere near Pitmans face and he's played Dunkley for a fool. Both should have been sent off.

It's not the first time Pitman's done us, won a penalty for dive outside the box and got one of our players sent off for a tackle that never touched him and he was clutching his leg a few seasons ago. Was pivotal in Bournemouth winning about 8 false penalties a few years ago through diving. One of the biggest tossers in the game.

 

[K-Win]

It's not the first time Pitman's done us, won a penalty for dive outside the box and got one of our players sent off for a tackle that never touched him and he was clutching his leg a few seasons ago. Was pivotal in Bournemouth winning about 8 false penalties a few years ago through diving. One of the biggest tossers in the game.

Good job, Brett!

 

[wiganmudhuts29]

laughable from pitman...criminal how we drew that like....2 points dropped

 

[nelsonpfc]

It was over the top, but you can't swing your arms near someone's face in football, just like you can't push your head in the direction of someone else's without getting sent off. I hate players diving and it pains me to see Pompey players falling over with no contact. Unfortuntely if you don't go over the top you get no decisions. Unfortunately the game has become "win at all costs". Under cook you will see this alot for your side. Cook and Richardson will be in the ref and 4th officials ear the whole game, he'll get your captain to do it too. I lost count of the times Michael Doyle left his foot in, caught someone with an arm etc...