Wigan Athletic (h): Three Things The Imps Need To Do To Win

Ahead of Saturday’s match at home against Wigan Athletic in League One, I asked the Vital Lincoln City members what three things they think The Imps need to do to pick up all three points.

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Here’s what sedgleyimp said:

1. Bring the ‘A’ game and be at it from the kick-off. Wigan are sitting very pretty at the top of the division and I expect them to go up as one of the automatic teams come the end of the month. They have not been shy in recruiting quality players throughout the last twelve months as evidenced by their acquisition of Magennis once they knew Wyke was out for the season. They have lost only six games so far this season and average nearly two goals a game. So we cannot afford to allow them the chance to get a hold of the game early on. If we play on the back foot from the kick-off, we will struggle. We will need to be on it from the very first whistle and play in the first half as we have in the second half at Fleetwood and earlier in the month at Rotherham.

2. Stretch the game. Wigan’s squad has plenty of experience, but is bar one of two quite aged. They really only have Lang who you would consider to be a first-team regular who is young. Magennis is nearly 32, McClean approaching 33, Darwika and Tilt are both in their 30’s, and several others who will start on Saturday approaching 30. Can they deal with a fast game where the full width of the pitch is being used after a game only days before? Perhaps not. Time catches up with us all and an aging football team will be no different. So if we stretch the game and start to make them work hard, those old bones just might not be able to keep up.

3. Win the Midfield. This will be the key area of the pitch on Saturday and we just cannot afford to let their central players win it. The likes of Power will run a game if given the chance. So we will need that extra body in their come Saturday afternoon. I hope that it will be Bridcutt, whose return at Charlton was one of the reasons we won that game. If not him it simply will have to be someone who is capable of doing to hard graft and put their foot in. That could easily be Sorensen who we all agree works hard during a match, or Sanders who won’t let us down. What we cannot afford though is to have a lack of numbers in there and that will mean a lone striker. It worked well when the system was switched at Fleetwood and really has to be the way to go in this tough match.

Thank you to Graham Burrell and Lincoln City Football Club for the photograph!

Have a go at our Lincoln City versus Wigan Athletic Quizzes, published last season (they were all correct at the time they were published):

Wigan Athletic (h): Three Things The Imps Need To Do To Win:https://t.co/2BmprIouQY#ImpsAsOne #WAFC

— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) April 7, 2022