2020/21 Prediction League; Game 36 v Wigan (home)

Div3North · 18-03-2021, 15:29

Accrington Stanley

v

Wigan Athletic

2020/21 Prediction League Game 36; v Flog It FC (home)

فزنا بالكأس فزنا بالكأس - eee-aye-adio آي أديو فزنا بالكأس
"Laqad fazanaa bialkas
Laqad fazanaa bialkas
Eee Aye Adio
Laqad fazanaa bialkas"

..... which, as you'll know, is the Arabic for "We Won the Cup" - which they did, as a PrawnSandwich team, just eight short years ago.......... and Arabic is the official language of Bahrain

And Aitor Karanka has "stepped down" (which basically means they locked him in the cellar) and been replaced by Lee Bowyer, who won his opener 2-1 on Wednesday against Reading ..... Starter for Ten; how many yellow cards did Bowyer achieve in his League career?

And the PFA will shortly have a new Boss, after 40 years of Gordon Taylor @ £2 million per annum (wonder who agreed that salary, and more importantly, why?) ... Ex Brighton striker Maheta Molango is set to replace him as chief executive; the Swiss 38-year-old, who qualified to be a lawyer in Spain after retiring from playing and spent four years working as chief executive of Real Mallorca, has been recommended for the job by an independent advisory panel. Taylor leaves the role he has held since 1981 at the end of the season; and Molango will earn around £500,000 pa (I know, chicken feed, innit?)

And this season's Award for Self-Effacing Modesty goes to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who - after being recalled to the Swedish international side five years after he retired, and at the age of 39 - apparently tweeted, "The Return of the God" ...... and on the subject of International Call-Ups, let's hear it for Dion Charles ...... hope it's the first of many, Young Sir

Second Starter for Ten; what was the name of the Wigan Club Mascot in the 2019/20 season?

We played them, you'll remember, on 12th December; we gave them a three-goal lead in the first 32 mins, caught them up to 3-2 (goals from Pritchard and Nottingham), scored an OG, got a third (Burgess), and lost - rather like against MK Dons, where we levelled up to a Desmond and then lost by the odd extra goal ........ Since December 12th, they've released or sold another 10 players (including striker Joe Garner to APOEL Nicosia, CB Nathan Cameron to Solihull - who I believe have now submitted a planning application to plant some Moors; Kal Naismith to Luton Louts; centre forward Jolly Charlie - err, no, sorry, Charlie Jolley - to Trangmere; Joe Piggott to Altrincham; and one or two more you won't know to one or two places you've never been ....

They ProperSigned four in January; Zimbabwe-born RB Tendayi Darikwa from Notts Forest; striker Zach Clough, also from Forest; Irish RB Corey Whelan, from Phoenix Rising (why isn't there a team called "Phoenix Sinking"?) in the Good Ol' US of A; and Ghanaian winger Joe Dodoo, most recently of Ankara Keçiörengücü, who play in the Turkish Second Tier .... they also LoanSigned four more, being Scottish CB George Johnston from Feyenoord, Belgian CMF Funso Ojo - a very traditional Belgian name, that; Rotherham striker Jamie Proctor; and CB Scott Wootton from Plywood Argyle

After stealing the points from us they lost 5-0 at home to the Richdoodles, then won one and drew four of five; they then won two and lost eight of the following ten (beating the Cobblers 1-0 and Brizzle 2-1, both away), before beating the Donuts 3-0 at home and Argyle 2-0 away, getting a Saturday off, and managing a half-Desmond against the Wombles ...... their home record is W3 D4 L10, and away it's W6 D3 L9, giving them P35 W9 D7 L19 (same as Brizzle, three less than Swindon, and therefore joint 22nd in Losses), with a -23 GD (which is also 22nd, only beaten for worseness by the Wombles and Swindon) ... the potentially bad news is that they've played 35 for 34 points; all the sides below them have played 35 too, except the Wombles (34), and so if AFC Wimbledon Common win their G in H, Wigan are back in the GreasyPole places ... Burton have now caught up to the peloton, so relegation LOOKS like being four of 6 ....

Leading scorers are Callum Lang and Joe Garner, each with six, and Kyle Joseph and Will Keane, each with five .......... And Nigel Adkins has landed the Boss's Chair at Charlton, I see, making it five Managers departed and six arrived in March 21 alone, and meaning that only 48 of the 92 Prawn & EFL managers have been in post more than 12 months ..... and it seems that Danny Cowley (1-5) is now favourite for the Pompey job, overtaking Daniel Stendal (6-1) in the ratings .....

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 20th March (it'll be ProperSpring in two more days after that #smileyfacewhere'sthe suncream) ... Our current form is a worry, but even though we're now in the bottom half of the table, we're actually only five points off the Playoff Places (ok, five points and two goals behind 6th place Charlton (but we've got 2 Gs in H over the Addicks too!)) ............

And Lee Bowyer accumulated 116 Yellows (and six Reds) during his career ........... And the Wigan Mascot for 2019/20 - now this'll surprise you, given it's Wigan - was Crusty the Pie!

Good luck to everyone! ....... Keep the Faith! ....... Stay safe and keep well! ....... And thanks for playing!