Start as we mean to go on

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Five points, three games and three games unbeaten. Many will think last week could have gone a lot better others will think that we’ve finally turned the corner after a poor autumn. Either way I think there’s a lot to be positive about going forward.

Hopefully we’ve started December as we mean to go on.

We can argue that we should have done better against both Reading and Bolton who are fighting it out at the bottom of the division but to stop the rot on the road and get a point is a start. It was positive to see Will Grigg back on the scoresheet as well.

James Vaughan can count himself unlucky not to keep his place in the side after his goal and performance against Blackburn but Grigg offers so much for this Latics side it makes sense for him to start.

All the talk pre match ahead of our trip to Horwich was of Bolton’s on-going financial troubles. With players not being paid yet again, there was talk that the Bolton players may well down tools. Of course that wasn’t going to happen, more likely is that those Bolton players will be in search of a move come January. It feels like Bolton have been in a permanent state of crisis since 2015.

When you look at their financial situation it’s real hand to mouth stuff, having to wait for gate receipts before you can pay your players? It’s a shame they didn’t charge a sensible price last Saturday. A couple more thousand Wiganer’s through the door could have helped swell Ken Anderson’s coffers.

Rivalries aside it must be soul destroying as a supporter and shows just how stable our life was under the stewardship of the Whelan family. One has to hope that stability also comes under the stewardship of Darren Royle and IEC.

As I said at the start the week could have gone better, but five points and no defeats represents a decent return to form ahead of the festive period.

Next up for Latics is the visit of Frank Lampard’s Derby County (c) to the Dave Whelan stadium. In fairness to Lampard he’s made a decent start to his career as a manager. Contrary to popular opinion I’m glad the likes of Lampard and his former midfield partner Steven Gerrard are being given chances in management. It’s certainly a better offering than Sam Allardyce, and his particular brand of ‘football’.

Derby will be hoping to get a win to push them in to the play-off places. So congested is the Championship that two wins could feasibly move them up from seventh in to the automatic promotion places. Equally we need a win to maintain our decent home form and keep away from the relegation zone.

Reading have sacked Steve Clement following a poor start to the season, and like Ipswich they have too much quality to stay rooted in that bottom three so we need to keep picking up results to prevent us slipping down. With players returning from injury and the performances of the last week I’m sure we’re more than capable of doing that.

Sean Livesey

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