Match Day Thread Wigan Athletic vs QPR

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Wigan Athletic vs QPR
The Championship
Saturday 1st April 2023, 15:00
DW Stadium

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How to get there;
Train: 2 hours 54 minutes - tube to Euston Square then mainline from Euston to Wigan North Western, then local train to Scot Lane and finally a six minute walk.
Drive : About 3 hours 50, and 207 miles up the M40 then M6.
Cycle : Just under 20 hours up National Cycle Route 6 for 224 miles

Previous history vs Wigan;
Games won: 10
Games drawn: 7
Games lost: 4

Ones to remember;
21 Jan 2012 Queens Park Rangers v Wigan Athletic W 3-1 Premier League
12 May 2014 Queens Park Rangers v Wigan Athletic W 2-1 League Championship Play-Offs

Ones to forget;
27 Aug 2011 Wigan Athletic v Queens Park Rangers L 2-0 Premier League

Players who have played for both;
Ian Baraclough
1990 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 9 (2)
1998–2001 Queens Park Rangers 125 (1)

Matt Jackson;
1996 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 7 (0)
2001 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 7 (0)
2001–2007 Wigan Athletic 160 (4)

Gino Padula
2000–2001 Wigan Athletic 4 (0)
2002–2005 Queens Park Rangers 90 (4)

Pascal Chimbonda
2005–2006 Wigan Athletic 38 (2)
2011 Queens Park Rangers 3 (0)

Fitz Hall
2006–2008 Wigan Athletic 25 (0)
2008–2012 Queens Park Rangers 85 (3)

Marcus Bent
2007–2008 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 31 (7)
2010 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 3 (0)

Jason Jarrett
2002–2005 Wigan Athletic 95 (1)
2007–2008 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 2 (0)

Scott Sinclair
2007 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 9 (1)
2009–2010 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 18 (1)

Ben Watson
2009–2015 Wigan Athletic 111 (13)
2009 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 16 (2)

Leon Clarke
2006 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 1 (0)
2010–2011 Queens Park Rangers 13 (0)
2015 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 10 (1)
2019 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 15 (3)

Will Keane
2013 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 4 (0)
2014 → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 10 (0)
2020– Wigan Athletic 108 (46)

James Perch
2013–2015 Wigan Athletic 82 (3)
2015–2018 Queens Park Rangers 74 (0)

Jamal Lowe;
2019–2020 Wigan Athletic 46 (6)
2023– → Queens Park Rangers (loan) 9 (3)

Match Preview;
Wigan return to the Championship after two years in League 1. In their first year in the third tier, they finished 20th, and then last season they won the division under Leam Richardson. After a poor start to this season, losing six out of seven matches, Richardson was sacked and replaced by Kolo Touré. Touré managed nine games, won none of them, and was sacked on January 26th. He was replaced by Shaun Maloney, who having played 91 times for Wigan, hasn't massively turned the tide, as they have lost three, drawn six and won one of his ten games so far. Rare to find a team that has got through as many managers as us so far this season!

They have now lost two and drawn three of their last five, their last win was on February 11th vs Huddersfield. Their top scorer is Will Keane with 10 so far this season, which is 10 more than he ever scored for us. As for us, here's hoping the international break has given our bunch the chance to get a bit of rest, and then put in some hard work on the training field. Ainsworth has now managed five, won one and lost four...form which has seen us plunge to just six points from the drop zone. We need our key players to start delivering the goods or this could turn into a very nerve wracking end of the season.

Team News
QPR: Chris Willock, Ethan Laird and Leon Balogun are all likely to return following long-term lay-offs. Ilias Chair, Ossie Kakay and Kenneth Paal are rated as 50/50.

Wigan: The hosts have no apparent fresh injury concerns.

Pre-match Talk
Gareth Ainsworth (QPR head coach): "Every team in the Championship are dangerous – and Wigan are no different.

"Their troubles have been well documented, but they have some good players and we certainly can’t take them lightly. I’m sure they have a siege mentality and will be giving their all.

"I’ll be doing everything to make sure we’re firing - we need to improve on our last couple of results and Saturday is a big game for us."

Shaun Maloney (Wigan manager): "It’s all about QPR - we’ve got a massive game coming this week, and thankfully the focus has to be back on football.

"They’ve got some really good attacking players. They can get the ball in your box very quickly.

"We are going to have to be at our very best defensively.".. defensively."...

...COME ON YOU SUPER HOOPSA!!!

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Deep joy.

Cheers Dave.

 

I'm actually thinking of not following this and just getting the result at the end. There is only such stress one can put up with!

 

Apparently Wigan players haven't been training as they haven't been paid, guarantee they'll still look more organised than us...

 

If they all brought a bag of cans I wouldn't write them off

 

They'll be well rested then.

 

We're gonna smash these pie-eating northern slags for six....c'mon the Cavalry, put these ****s to the sword!
















1-0 to them, probably

 

Chair, Willock and the even lesser spotted Balagoun all played for the B Team today.

 

At last, a bit of good news.

 

Did they win?

 

They did 2-0, think it was laird rather than chair with the other 2

 

Thanks Dave. Nice compilation.
Here's six and a half minutes of your life you won't get back. I suggest starting at 4:15 to get to the action.
Get stuck in boys!

 

Somewhat insane!

 

I went to the wrestling and a football match broke out!

 

Agree. Why ruin a good sleep?!

 

Ainsworth ready for the run-in (qpr.co.uk)

 

Really wishing that Willock is back for this, even if only for 60 mins. If he's all fired up and raring to go, he might just be the lead cavalry that we have been waiting for.

 

Go Gazza go. It's hard not to get behind him when he just exudes optimism while acknowledging the fight he's got on his hands. That's what we need. Positivity. Especially at home. Away from home it always lifts the spirits when the team come to the away end to acknowledge the backing they've received from our fans. Wigan is one of the quieter stadia where the home fans watch the football in a rather disinterested way and don't exactly get behind their team. For all his faults as a manager the one thing Holloway was very good was getting the fans and the players up for the big occasions especially a run in. Hoping Gazza will do the same.

 

I'm a bit worried about " The Cavalry "
C,mon urrrrrrss..