Match Thread: Pasties and Pies - A Tasty affair! Bolton v Wigan (H) - Saturday 19th Aug / 12.30

[boltonboris]

An early one on Saturday against 'them'. They've started well, despite being held to a point on their travels to Carlisle on Tuesday

We've started brilliantly with 9 points and 9 goals from our opening 3 league games.

A big blow to be missing fans' favourite Dion Charles and our increasingly influential manager who now has a touchline ban.

Should be a cracker

2-1 Bolton - Adeboyejo and Dempsey is my call

[BWFC_Insane]

We’ve started really well but I’m not that confident on this. I think they are our bogey team and also they will come here very determined. They probably have enough going forward to cause threat.

Confident we will be well above them this season but one off games…less so.

[boltonboris]

We’ve started really well but I’m not that confident on this. I think they are our bogey team and also they will come here very determined. They probably have enough going forward to cause threat.

Confident we will be well above them this season but one off games…less so.

Good, proven striker in Wyke, but inexperienced in the middle of the park apparently and I think we can get at them - I do always fear the worst when we play them, but I've got a good feeling about this one.

We've also got some pretty dark memories of the last time we played them at home and I'm sure the senior players who played that day, along with the management team will think they've some unfinished business with them

JUST DON'T LET US DOWN!!!

[Gary the Enfield]

Cautiously optimistic on this one. We're in great form and have a strength in depth better than last year. Time to shake the hoodoo of Wigan and look up, not down.

[Worthy4England]

We'll shit 'em. Sounds like they have an "energetic midfield" so need to be about it, early!

[boltonboris]

Our line-up on that fateful day on the 16th October 2021 was as follows and it's no surprise their experienced team put us to the sword...

GK - Joel Dixon

RB - Harry Brockbank
CB - Ricardo Santos
CB - George Johnston
LB - LiamGordon

DM - MJ Williams
CM - Josh Sheehan
CM - Antoni Sarcevic

RW - Amadou Bakayoko
LW - Dapo Afolayan
CF - Eoin Doyle

We've come a long way since then!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Our line-up on that fateful day on the 16th October 2021 was as follows and it's no surprise their experienced team put us to the sword...

GK - Joel Dixon

RB - Harry Brockbank
CB - Ricardo Santos
CB - George Johnston
LB - LiamGordon

DM - MJ Williams
CM - Josh Sheehan
CM - Antoni Sarcevic

RW - Amadou Bakayoko
LW - Dapo Afolayan
CF - Eoin Doyle

We've come a long way since then!

That is a team that's asking to be beaten, in retrospect. MJ reprising the Muamba role from Wembley 2011. Today's looks much more... robust. Even Sheehan, hardly a titan, is now more of a barrier to the oppo; he may not be Chopper Harris but he seems to have absorbed Allardyce's advice to Okocha to at least stand in the way.

Anyway, onwards. I don't like derbies, never have - the potential downside always feels worse than the upside, especially as I've never been a schoolyard/workplace braggart. I do hope we stick to what we're good at and don't get 'involved'.

I think we will miss Dion and I hope Dan (assuming it is he) doesn't fluff his lines. A fortnight ago you'd have been laughed off-forum for suggesting Vic might be the division's top scorer. If Dan starts to deliver, maybe it's not all guesswork after all.

[BWFC_Insane]

Our line-up on that fateful day on the 16th October 2021 was as follows and it's no surprise their experienced team put us to the sword...

GK - Joel Dixon

RB - Harry Brockbank
CB - Ricardo Santos
CB - George Johnston
LB - LiamGordon

DM - MJ Williams
CM - Josh Sheehan
CM - Antoni Sarcevic

RW - Amadou Bakayoko
LW - Dapo Afolayan
CF - Eoin Doyle

We've come a long way since then!

That is a team that's asking to be beaten, in retrospect. MJ reprising the Muamba role from Wembley 2011. Today's looks much more... robust. Even Sheehan, hardly a titan, is now more of a barrier to the oppo; he may not be Chopper Harris but he seems to have absorbed Allardyce's advice to Okocha to at least stand in the way.

Anyway, onwards. I don't like derbies, never have - the potential downside always feels worse than the upside, especially as I've never been a schoolyard/workplace braggart. I do hope we stick to what we're good at and don't get 'involved'.

I think we will miss Dion and I hope Dan (assuming it is he) doesn't fluff his lines. A fortnight ago you'd have been laughed off-forum for suggesting Vic might be the division's top scorer. If Dan starts to deliver, maybe it's not all guesswork after all.

Yeah well phrased this. It’s just another game to me. Three points on the line.

But the kids seem to see this as some sort of massive Derby occasion. So for them it’s a big upside big downside.

To me it’s just a game where our opponents always seem more ‘up’ than we are. Hopefully not the case this time.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I don't like derbies, never have - the potential downside always feels worse than the upside, especially as I've never been a schoolyard/workplace braggart. I do hope we stick to what we're good at and don't get 'involved'.

Yeah well phrased this. It’s just another game to me. Three points on the line.

But the kids seem to see this as some sort of massive Derby occasion. So for them it’s a big upside big downside.

To me it’s just a game where our opponents always seem more ‘up’ than we are. Hopefully not the case this time.

Thank you - although I'd say for me derbies aren't just another game... they're the ones I dread most.

Obviously lovely when we win, but it's a bit more "phew, heh, next" than "HAHAHAHAINYOURFACE". Can't be arsed with all that, either way.

I get that the social meeja kidz love it. Whatever gets you through. It's not for me, though.

[boltonboris]

I think if we had a magic lamp giving us 1 guaranteed win in regulation season, most of us would choose this one

[jmjhb]

Kinda how Plymouth were a couple of transfer windows ahead of us last season, I think we are 2-3 ahead of Wigan.

Their first XI isn't bad at all. Strong front 3 and a couple of really promising players at the back. As previously mentioned a little inexperienced in the middle.

This season though we're a totally different beast, and we look to have the strength in depth.

[Worthy4England]

I think if we had a magic lamp giving us 1 guaranteed win in regulation season, most of us would choose this one

Only on the odd occasion where we find ourselves in some lowly division befitting their status...

[The_Gun]

Whatever some of our fans might choose to believe, this is definitely one of our biggest games of the season. Our rivalry with Wigan is a relatively nascent one, but I don’t think there can be any argument that it’s not currently our most significant.

I’ve seen nothing of the ‘tics in their current incarnation, but early season results suggest they’re at least ok. With a large, and likely loud, away end behind them, we should expect that they’ll be fired up and ready to raise their game.

At full strength I’d be cautiously confident of a win, but without Dion we’re a weaker side, and there are entirely justifiable concerns over all potential replacements. Evatt being in the stands I don’t think should be as much of a problem.

Dan in for Dion would be my only change to the lineup we went with for the opening two league games of the season.

2-1 Bolton.

[officer_dibble]

I’d still look to surprise with Mendes Gomes in for Charles but I expect Nlundulu to start - this is your opportunity Dan! Can see a draw.

[TANGODANCER]

We’ve started really well but I’m not that confident on this. I think they are our bogey team and also they will come here very determined. They probably have enough going forward to cause threat.

Confident we will be well above them this season but one off games…less so.

Safe option? Nobody laughs if you're right or wrong. Take a chance and make a firm prediction.....if you dare...

[Prufrock]

No idea why this came to mind today...but the feeling before a derby is what I imagine waiting for your kids' exam results is like.

But don't worry kids, Gary Megson flunked his derby and look how well he's done!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'll also post what I have almost certainly said before* - that winning derbies, particularly against bogey teams, can really help cement a manager's popularity.



*When did that ever stop me, etc and so on

[malcd1]

We'll shit 'em. Sounds like they have an "energetic midfield" so need to be about it, early!

One of Wigan’s midfield was helped off the pitch on Tuesday after injuring his shoulder. Thelo Aasgaard (never heard of him) played 39 league games in the Championship and has started all the league games this season. Let’s hope they really miss him against us.

[irie Cee Bee]

We have started well against mid-table opposition so far. This game is against a relegated Championship team and our first real test as to where we are. Last season we struggled against the top four teams in L1. I look forward to this game and hope we will be able to prove that we are a real top 2 automatic promotion candidate.

[Worthy4England]

We'll shit 'em. Sounds like they have an "energetic midfield" so need to be about it, early!

One of Wigan’s midfield was helped off the pitch on Tuesday after injuring his shoulder. Thelo Aasgaard (never heard of him) played 39 league games in the Championship and has started all the league games this season. Let’s hope they really miss him against us.

Quite highly rated by their lot from last season as I understand it...an "asset" they wanted to keep hold of...