Wigan need to buck the trend to qualify for Europe

Wigan's run in over the last three seasons has not been stellar in terms of accruing points, with last season's nine points out of twenty four being the nest.

In the first season 2005/6 Wigan gained 5 points out of 24 , a score that only the relegated Baggies failed to beat.

In 2006/7 Wigan again only gained 5 points , crucially 3 of those coming on the last day of the season at Bramhall Lane when beating Sheffield United. This was the lowest points accrued by any Premier League team that season in the last 8 games.

Last season saw an improvement with 9 points out of 24, which beat 3 teams in Man City, Pompey and West Ham.

So history seems to be against us in accruing enough points for europaen football.

Looking at the fixtures though , Bruce can take positives in that homes games against Bolton, Pompey can be considered winnable whilst away games against relegation haunted Blackburn, Baggies and Stoke fall in the same category. However teams figthing for survival often present more of a challenge then mid table teams with nothing to play for.

Latics other three fixtures are all againt top six teams in Everton, Man Utd and Arsenal and will surely present tough tests.

Bruce's biggest worry appears to be the Latic's lack of firepower up front.

With Zaki seemingly out of the picture, the responsibility falls onto the talented but goaless Rodellaga and Mido who has scored 8 goals in 50 Premier League games in 3 seasons, a hardly prolific record.

A plus is the superb back four, with the best keeper in England, Chris Kirkland behind them which sees goals conceeded, kept to a minimum.

The next eight games promise to be an exciting end, to a season full of drama and controversy





Latics Speyk Podcast 6 Now Available

This episode talks to Latics Speyk commentator and Latics fan Phil Mangan more commonly known on the Latics boards as sprayzen, amongst the topics discussed are Amr Zaki, Titus Bramble and the Everton game, there is also music from The Mamas and Papas, Rainbow, ELO and Howlin` Wolf.

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