MX23RW : Thursday, December 26 15:03:47| >> :600:111653:111653:
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Wigan logo
Championship
Aug 23, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Blackpool

1-0

Riera (35')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Wigan Athletic vs. Blackpool

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between winless duo Wigan Athletic and Blackpool at the DW Stadium.

Two of the four remaining winless sides in the Championship go head to head on Saturday as Wigan Athletic host Blackpool in a Lancashire derby at the DW Stadium.

Of the two sides, the Latics will undoubtedly be the more disappointed with their start having entered the season as many people's tips to win the league.

However, things have not gone to plan for Uwe Rosler's side so far this season, with a 93rd-minute equaliser against Reading on the opening day providing what remains their only point of the campaign.

It has not been an easy start for Wigan, with away defeats to in-form Charlton Athletic and much-fancied Cardiff City following that opening draw, but there is no getting away from the fact that they have underachieved so far.

Of course, there is a long way to go yet, and there won't be many matches this season more appetising for getting out of a slump than Blackpool at home.

This weekend sees the Latics return to the DW Stadium for the first time since the opening day, and they will be glad to see home soil having been beaten three times in a row on the road, including a shock defeat to Burton Albion in the League Cup.

The alarm bells are on standby at the moment, but anything less than a victory on Saturday could send them into overdrive.

It has often been said that you can't win the league in the first six matches, but you can lose it, and Wigan are in danger of doing that if things don't improve sooner rather than later.

As poor as Wigan's start to the season has been, though, they can take some solace in knowing that their plight is not the worst in the division.

Blackpool have immediately plummeted to the bottom of the table as one of only two remaining teams without a point in the Championship, and it is hard to see them occupying any other position from now until May.

It has been a hectic summer at Bloomfield Road, with 19 new players being brought in to make up for the mass exodus that decimated the squad at the end of last season.

Manager Jose Riga has arguably the toughest job in English football in turning his side into a cohesive unit and, as things stand, it is difficult to see where the Seasiders will be able to pick up a victory.

It would certainly be a monumental shock if they were to clinch it at the DW Stadium, even accounting for Wigan's poor start to the season, but Blackpool will be buoyed by their success against the Latics last term.

The Tangerines suffered another traumatic campaign in 2013-14, but they still managed to pull off the double over Wigan, including one on their last visit to the DW that effectively secured their Championship survival.

There were also tiny glimmers of positivity against both Blackburn Rovers and Bournemouth, with Riga's side scoring and showing some signs of improvement despite their defeat.

However, four losses from four in all competitions is the worst way to start the season, and it would take an unlikely turn of events for Blackpool to avoid making it five in a row.

Recent form

Wigan: DLLL

Blackpool: LLLL

Possible starting lineups

Wigan: Carson; Boyce, Ramis, Kiernan; Perch, Cowie, McArthur, Taylor; Huws; McManaman, Fortune

Blackpool: Lewis; McMahon, Daniels, Clarke, J Oriol; Perkins, Lundstram, Cywka, Zoko, Delfouneso; Miller

Sports Mole says: 3-0


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Written by
Barney Corkhill
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New manager of Wigan Athletic, Uwe Rosler, looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan Athletic at Hillsborough Stadium on December 18, 2013
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