League 1: Rochdale- Wigan Athletic

 

Early televised kick off and something of a local derby, these two clubs have lived in the shadow of the bigger North West teams for decades, but Wigan have moved on with several years in the EPL, an FA Cup win and European adventure, but success is all relative and for Rochdale, just playing in League 1 on very limited resources is an achievement. However, that previous success has meant we are not playing on a level field and Athletic still have their parachute EPL payments and a playing budget which Rochdale boss Keith Hill (pictured) said was around 10-15 times what he had at his disposal. Money usually talks in football, maybe not over one or two games, but 46 matches is a long old haul and now that the Latics have fallen about as far as a club with their resources can, the only way is up and the signs are that they have started on that climb up the football ladder. They have lost just once in 12 starts, they performed dismally at Bury last week in the FA Cup in another Manchester "derby", but have got the FA Cup tee shirt and a first round tie probably felt a little beneath them ( !), they got back on track in midweek with a facile 4-0 win of their own over a dire Blackpool team, which would not have taken much out of them and they should be pumped for this , especially with the television cameras in attendance and a return to the "big time". Their parachute paymenets will run out next season and Wigan really need to get back up to the Championship at the first time of asking, they basically remain a small club and another season in the third tier would soon see attendances tumble to 4-5,000 and once the EPL money runs out, they will, at best, be one of a host of similar sized clubs jostling for success in a very competitive league. Right now they have an edge and they have to make the most of it.
 

Dale have one just once in seven starts and that came against a Swindon Town team who are in freefall and they were terribly disappointing in a midweek JPT loss here to lower league Morecambe, they might have had one eye on this game, but the commitment was missing and they will have to up the intensity to get anything from this.They are very short across the middle today, Camps, Lund and Henderson are all out injured and at least two others face late tests, if Allen doesn't make it, I find it very hard to see how they can take anything from this, even if he plays, it will be very tough.

 

1.75 units Wigan Athletic -0.25 ball 2.06 asian line/Sportmarket.