Fulham FC @ Wigan Athletic

Good to hear Ruiz is ready to go, but can't imagine that MJ will keep Roda on the bench against his old team. For a variety of reasons we tend to look lifeless, listless, and hopeless on the road, but Hugo will have the motivation and energy that can lift the team.

For all the away woes, Wigan has been the oasis in the desert. The lads won there (0-2) last season, and it's reasonable to think a result is waiting to be had. I'll go w/a 2-2 draw w/Hugo and Berba finding the back of the net.

 

Jol's Wigan Preview

See the full story at fulhamfc.com

 

Getting a chance to take road points from them before that team gets it's typical late-season relegation-saving hot streak - good timing.
Injuries and our own transition from all the player movement - could take it's toll.

That said, Berbs has shown he can light up the lesser teams (too bad we don't get Blackburn this year), & Hugo gets one as well - FFC 2, Wigan 1.

 

Will be in the chat and hope that I'll want to watch the replay later. Very strange to be optimistic about an away match, seems downright unnatural as a Fulham fan :roll:

 

I think we've turned a corner. 3-1 good guys!

 

It's Fulham...away. I'm still skeptical.

 

Pessimistic approach: we never get 3 points away

Optimistic approach: Hell, we did last year, why not this year too?!?!!

 

Overall_______GP__W____D___L___Pts__GF__GA___GD
Wigan Athletic_4___1____1___ 2____4___ 4____8___-4
Fulham________4___2____0___2____6___10___6____4

Wigan Home___2___ 0____1___ 1____1___ 2____4___ -2
Fulham Away__2____0___ 0____2___ 0____2___ 6____-4

Questions abound for me in today's match. A quick glance at each teams form from the league table, the goal difference column in particular, would make one think Fulham should be considerable favorites but a quick glance probably is deceiving. It is always perilous to evaluate match-ups based on the league table this early in the season and Wigan is a prime example so a match by match break down of Wigan's season is very much in order. To date Wigan have played the extreme ends of the table in three of their four matches losing to Chelsea and Manchester United by a combined 6-0 score line and shutting out Southampton 0-2. In their only match with a mid-table rival Wigan managed a 2-2 home draw against Stoke City. It could easily be argued that Wigan have pretty done exactly what they have been expected to do in their first four matches.

Fulham on the other hand have a bright six points and a plus four goal differential after their first four matches but what that means is questionable in terms of this match. The 5-0 home tonking of Norwich and the 2-3 road defeat to Manchester United cannot be fully dismissed when looking at individual performances but have little use when trying to evaluate how today's team will fare since the central midfield duo of Dembele and Diarra will not be available today and Berbatov did not join the White's until the third match. I can only hope the 0-3 debacle at West Ham was an anomaly and that the 3-0 home win over West Brom, who were reduced to ten men in the second half, will be a better indicator of the Fulham team we will see on the road today. On the upside of things, it should be noted that Martin Jol has not been playing with a full deck of cards due to injuries over the last two matches and should have both Bryan Ruiz and Mladen Petric back and available for service today.

What all of that means is, well your guess is as good as mine what all of that means but I think the best way to evaluate this match is by gut feel. I have not seen Wigan play this season but from the squad stat sheet it appears that Fulham are the far more dangerous side going forward. Franco Di Santo and Arouna Kone are the men that must be kept in check. Di Santo has taken eleven shots, put three on goal and netted twice in four matches while Kone has managed nine shots, putting two on goal and netting once in three matches. Wigan suffered perhaps a bigger blow in terms of importance to their squad than perhaps even Fulham's loss of Dembele in the transfer window when Victor Moses departed for Chelsea. I don't see this front line give Fulham's back four a large amount of trouble but then again we are on the road aren't we.

My prediction is Fulham gets its first road win of the season with a narrow 1-2 victory over Wigan.

 

http://www.sportlemon.tv/v-4/4/118/v-451966.html here it will played for us to watch

 

This.

 

More later, but good time in the chat. It's 3 points. It's AWAY. A draw was probably the fair result, but screw fair. This calls for 3

:banana-blonde: :banana-explosion: :banana-ninja:

 

Disappointed to miss the chat. Had to run some errands with the wife but luckily have fox soccer 2go on my phone so I was still able to watch most of the match.

Got a bit tense at the very end but a huge 3 pts on the road. Great to see Rodellega get in the act!

 

The posts and the AUS were on their games today. We were lucky, but both teams had missed chances. Berbatov probably should have scored as well. Always great to secure road points.

 

Had to leave the chat around halftime, but love the result. Would've liked to have had the clean sheet as well, but in this league, we'll take the three points however we can get 'em. Keep it rolling, lads!