Will You Turn Up this Time?

It`s that time of year again. Thousands of Bolton fans will make their way to Wigan on Saturday, hoping for a decent result/performance. The turnout is usually good, and is usually rewarded by a dismal display from the Whites. The exception was in 2006-7 when a brace from Andranik enabled a 3-1 win.

Last season`s 1-0 defeat, despite playing against ten men for 85 minutes, was the low point of Gary Megson`s tenure. It came days after Bolton had bowed out of the UEFA cup in Sporting Lisbon, when the Ginger One fielded a team consisting of reserves, academy players and a couple of people who happened to be passing when the coach was leaving. Many haven`t forgiven Megson for that, and probably never will.

Steve Bruce is struggling to keep Wigan`s players motivated. The chance of Europe has gone and his side are currently in mid-table, a mere three points ahead of the Whites. Sunday`s performance at Blackburn, was typical end of season fayre, with the home side, understandably, far more committed.

‘If I have to shuffle it around, and I have to bring in youngsters who are desperate to play, to give us a little bit of zip back, then I will do it – because I ain’t just going to sit back and watch us fritter away our season,` he told the Wigan Observer.

There`s not much to play for (although with £700,000 available for each League place, the accountants might disagree) and neither side will be relegated. The chances of this encounter being an uninspiring one, ending in stalemate are real, but if Gary Megson wants to get some of those disaffected supporters back onside, he could start here, by inspiring his men to a rousing victory.

Yes, we know. The words ‘Megson` and ‘inspiring` in the same sentence. You can but hope