Don’t really feel like giving you an insight as to what’s happening in the TNS office, safe to say it’s depressing, in fact all the Windows now have safety catches on them, the Scissors & Tippex have all gone missing and the mood here, is one very dark place.
So it’s the 31st game in the Sky Bet Championship. Wigan Athletic will be playing Reading at the Madejski Stadium; the match will kick off at 8pm on Tuesday the 17th February.
Wigan are still in 23rd place with 22 points, they’d be bottom if it wasn’t for a cracking 4-4 game between Blackpool & Forest, which meant Blackpool didn’t go to 23 points. As for Reading they are in 16th with 37 points, top of the table is Bournemouth with 59 points. Looking at Bournemouth’s points total, it looking very slim now that Wigan will now win the Championship, due to the fact we can only get a maximum of 70 points from the remaining games.
Yes, I’m taking the piss. Remember the earlier ‘dark mood’ reference.
Looking at recent form coming into this game, yes it is official we are the shittest form team in the Championship, we are now down to 24th in the Form Table. Wigan has just 2 points from their last 6 games. Reading on the other hand is in a lofty 11th with 8 points from their last 6. Top of the form table are Boro with 16 from 18 points:
- Wigan P 6 W 0 D 2 L 4 (Draws against Blackburn & Ipswich)
- Reading P 6 W 2 D 2 L 2 (Wins against Sheffield Wednesday & Wolves, also Draws against Millwall & Boro)
Previous Games between the 2, well it’s well known fact that Wigan & Reading have played against each other in all 4 Tiers of the English game. So unless Reading has an implosion, we won’t be adding to our League 1 tally next season. We covered previous games a little in the first game of the season in August, overall there have been 41 games, with Wigan winning 17, Reading 14 (soon to make it 15) and there have been 10 draws, thanks to Cockney Latic for the head to head info.
Referee for the game will be Simon Hooper; his assistants will be William Bull & Ian Fissenden. The 4th official will be Gavin Ward.
Simon last took charge of a Reading game in September, when Derby won 2-0 with Robson-Kanu getting the only yellow issued that day. Last game for Wigan, was the game at Loftus Road last season, when QPR won 1-0. Benayoun scoring the only goal and later being sent off for a 2nd bookable offence, Simon that evening issuing 3 Yellows & the Red to Yossi.
Team News, who gives a shit, as you can imagine Wigan fans were perplexed at Malky’s tactics against Nottingham Forest when 3-0 down, he brought on Striker Billy McKay in the 88th minute. Do you get the feeling he doesn’t have a clue!
Reading fans can have a look at the cracking site Royals Rendezvous for their own Team News, we often work with this Web Site, believe me it’s well run.
How the Bookies see the game, well looking at the odds at William Hill, they have Reading at 5/6 to win, Wigan are at 13/5 and they are offering 23/10 for the draw.
As I normally do, I’ll add a foolish bet, but then again with Wigan’s form! On the 19th September 1992, if you can remember that far back, Wigan in the old 3rd Division were really poor & it’s then we were on the end of the heaviest defeat to Reading, a 4-0 thumping at Elm Park!
So being a curious bloke, Bet Victor are offering punters 150/1 for Reading to win 5-0 and have their best ever victory against Wigan, remember you heard it here first.
My thoughts on the game, well you’ve probably realised through the tone of the Preview, I’m a bit miffed! The defeats I can take, I’ve seen them many times before, the early 90’s as an example, and do you remember those days.
What’s frustrating me is the Silence from the Club, as they say “the Silence is deafening!“
Come on Dave can you explain what’s happening with our Beloved Wigan Athletic?
Andy
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