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[Paul]

Funny old club.

When they were Northern Premier League (pre-conference days), one of my best mates was from Wigan, and I kind of adopted them as a local non league side, went to watch them a few times, even when they got into the league I followed them when City weren't playing. I remember having a great day out in Jan 1987 watching them beat Norwich in the FA Cup at their old place (Springfield Park ?), they went on to the 1/4 final that year losing to Leeds at home.

Now though (and for about 9 years) I f**king detest them, I want them to go down this year, and next too, their fans really pissed me off in 1999 not just in the play-off but in the other games despite us winning 3 of the 4 games.

14 games including the FA Cup in 1970, we've won 6, lost 5, drawn 3, on the face of it not a bad record, but done the double on us in the last 2 seasons, and now they've got Bruce just for good measure.

Its about time we gave them a good seeing to, they're shit this year so we won't have a better chance.

[wasp]

Move me over you dastard!lol

[Dizzy]

3-0 to City no probs

[Paul]

3-0 to City no probs

Did you miss my reference to a Lids win there ? 2-0, you lost the semi to the winners Coventry, your last semi I think ?

[wasp]

Rumour has it Vas has kept his place for fecks sake!

[Kippax Cat]

I don't like em, they always seem to do us over...........and their fans are still moaning about Shaun Goater in the Playoff semis.

Is Sibierski fit? I hope not.  Got 0-1 Sibierski written all over it (and he'll probably score it with his head) 

[BongoBlue]

I don't like em, they always seem to do us over...........and their fans are still moaning about Shaun Goater in the Playoff semis.

Is Sibierski fit? I hope not.  Got 0-1 Sibierski written all over it (and he'll probably score it with his head) 

Y'know, I fear the same. But I do think that even with the amazing phenomenon that is Mr Thre'epenny Bit Head on their side, that for a change, we may just do 'em in typical City style: i.e. look fantastic and score twice in the first half; then concede one in the 58th minute or so and grimly hang on for the 2-1.

Of course, either Donkey Heskey or our old Gallic-Bonce Sibby Thre'epenny Bit Head will score for them. Depends upon who is playing. Benji and either Ireland or Elano for us.

The Oracle has spoken. 2-1 to us. More hard-bloody earned than it should be too.

[manchester blue]

I don't like em, they always seem to do us over...........and their fans are still moaning about Shaun Goater in the Playoff semis.

Is Sibierski fit? I hope not.  Got 0-1 Sibierski written all over it (and he'll probably score it with his head) 

Well he's very good in the air! 3-0 City. Johnson and Elano to start for sure.

[H]

Many years ago, I worked briefly for the then Chairman of Wigan, Bill Kenyon. While I was there, Wigan won the Freight Rover Trophy, their first ever silverware! As the club didn't actually possess a trophy cabinet, Bill just kept the trophy on a desk in the middle of our office. Let's just say that if I listed the selection of different items which were deposited in that trophy, I suspect this might just be my first and last post on the new TC...

These days, I am largely ambivalent towards Wigan. I don't criticise them for their small crowds, simply because they are basically a non-league club with an oversized rugby stadium so we shouldn't really expect them to fill it.

I do think that today should be the ideal opportunity for City to finally give someone a good stuffing. Trouble is, Bruce does tend to organise his defence  well. I just hope Bramble plays.

Oh and hello everyone!

[wasp]

hyer H. Here's my thought on proceedings.Have we swapped the White Goater for the Black Macken!

[jds]

Well, that was shit.

I may be accused of being a moaner but I'm getting fooking sick of seeing defensive football at home to crap like Wigan. Breaking with four players up and six behind the ball is fine against the top clubs, but this is fooking Wigan, and like Everton on Monday half their team didn't cross the halfway line in 90 minutes.

While I'm on about it I'm sick of 4-5-1 at home, sick of seeing better players on the bench than we have on the pitch, sick of seeing defenders, especially fullbacks watching us attack with no-one to mark, and sick of seeing every attack come to nowt because we won't shoot because Sven's told them retention of the ball is more important than scoring. On that issue, what's the point of passing it around the defence after 85 minutes at 0-0, only to pass it to Hart who thumps it down the pitch towards players who haven't competed for the second ball all season?

The reason I enjoyed the first half of the season so much was because we had a sense of adventure. Where's it gone?

Each game is 8 hours of my life I'll never get back and yesterday was a frustrating throwback to last season.

[wasp]

To be frank, a bit of a Keeganesque shambles is developing.Why, when we go to 442 do we start playing like a bunch of kids chasing a tennis ball round a primary school playground. I've said for a while now the coaching isnt good enough.

[jds]

To be frank, a bit of a Keeganesque shambles is developing.Why, when we go to 442 do we start playing like a bunch of kids chasing a tennis ball round a primary school playground. I've said for a while now the coaching isnt good enough.

We put the right footed Vassell on the left (on the fooking bench would have suited me, but anyway... he did have a half decent game yesterday) and the left footed Castillo on the right... and funnily enough they both kept coming inside onto their stronger foot, so we had Caicedo, who obvious likes to play deeper and not on the shoulder of the last defender, Vassell, Castillo and Benjani all going for the same ball. Then when they "won" it (I say won, but it was more "When Wigan lost it") they had no-one forward to pass to.
The forward players don't seem to have any instructions other than what position they're supposed to play in. The defence, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be allowed to think for themselves.

[Ged]

It's almost as though they are trained to play as a restricted 4-5-1 and just can't cope when they change to 4-4-2.
I'm now of the opinion that we may have to sacrifice our best player if we're fucking everything up just to accomodate him.
I'm still hoping the return of Johnson may rescue our quest for Europe, but we need to experiment with next season in mind and hope the points mount sufficiently.

[Dizzy]

3-0 to City no probs

Did you miss my reference to a Lids win there ? 2-0, you lost the semi to the winners Coventry, your last semi I think ?

I did - ooops!  Mind you Chinny-kins you men don't half have good memories for game stats even stats from other teams'!  How do you do that? 
I didn't have any links re the Wiggun match but it sounded pretty dire from what the rest of the TC posters in Chat were saying. 
Have the wheels come off for City?  Too much too soon and now burn out or can you overtake Everton, Villa and Luckypool?  I heard on SoccerAM that if the results go a certain way (involving Spuds) there could be an 8th EUFA place up for grabs.

[Paul]

Mind you Chinny-kins you men don't half have good memories for game stats even stats from other teams'!  How do you do that? 

I use soccerbase.com 

Its better than my memory ever will be, I can't remember what I had for breakfast never mind football stats, I can remember memorable games, the Wigan V Norwich was great and memorable not least for it pissing down relentlessly, and Springfield Park at the time having a grass terrace behind one goal, allocated the away end on the day, and the Norwich fans couldn't stand up.

As for City I'm struggling to remember a game in 2008 (didn't see the derby live but I don't need to remember that as I have it on DVD).

Thankfully I was spared yesterday's bore, by work where I think I had a more enjoyable time, no really I think I did.

[Dunnie]

Yep, you probably did 

[jds]

I had more fun driving home in the fog and rain on the M62, so work was probably a hoot. In fact, by 7pm I felt like Charlton Heston's mate in Planet of the Apes. The one that has his brain removed, not the one who's stuffed and put in a museum.

[Mick]

Blimey, it was pretty crap, but it wasn't that bad. I reckon I've seen plenty worse.

[jds]

You're right, Mick. Sometimes last season I felt like the one in the museum. Incidentally, I renewed my ST after the Everton game without thinking about it. Last season the kids had to talk me into it.

[Ged]

Ah yes, season ticket renewals.
I think it's traditional to produce shite performances for at least three weeks after the renewal documents have been posted, especially after an 8.2% increase (in my case). Most clubs would want to encourage fans with a scintillating performance or two, but as ever we choose to buck the trend.

[Mick]

Ah yes, season ticket renewals.
I think it's traditional to produce shite performances for at least three weeks after the renewal documents have been posted, especially after an 8.2% increase (in my case). Most clubs would want to encourage fans with a scintillating performance or two, but as ever we choose to buck the trend.

It is 8.2% over 4 years. Doesn't sound so bad when you say it like that. Although it didn't sound so clever when I was paying it.

[Ged]

Ah yes, season ticket renewals.
I think it's traditional to produce shite performances for at least three weeks after the renewal documents have been posted, especially after an 8.2% increase (in my case). Most clubs would want to encourage fans with a scintillating performance or two, but as ever we choose to buck the trend.

It is 8.2% over 4 years. Doesn't sound so bad when you say it like that. Although it didn't sound so clever when I was paying it.

It's not so bad after 4 years, but it was quite painful writing the cheque on Saturday morning. Good job I didn't wait until after the game.

[BlueAnorak]

On the bright side, we got a point against the buggers. Havn't done that for a while!

[petrusha]

On the bright side, we got a point against the buggers. Havn't done that for a while!

For all of three months, in fact! 

OK, sorry for being so facetious.  I know what you mean - it's as if those sad, inbred tw@ts have an Indian sign over us.

FWIW, I hate all the other Greater Manchester clubs for the attitude of their fans when we've come up against them.  Wigan are one of the worst.  Can't wait for them to get relegated and begin the slide back to non-league, where they belong.

Rochdale are exempt, because I can't remember us playing them, but as for Wigan, Bury, Bolton, Oldham and Stockport, I'd lose no sleep if the lot of them went out of business.