Preview - Well it's been a difficult week for the Latics off the field, as Dowie has finally had to give 3 coaches the bullet. Cross, Urmson and Edwards were the 3 men to have their positions made redundant and I for one would like to place on record my thanks and best wishes to the trio.
Of the 3 though, the Latics will miss David Cross immensely. It was a surprise to me that the former West Ham hero was released as he had become a key figure in the management set-up and I expected Philiskirk to have been shown the door. Dowie obviously has had many a sleepless night in the last fortnight since the news broke and hopefully these sacrifices will see the Latics through to the end of the season without any further casualties. Maybe then we can be looking to next season with a Division 1 budget aswell.
However, that Division 1 budget is a pipedream unless this disastrous home record can be dealt with. I doubt there will be any team anywhere who has not won promotion off the back of an away record such as ours. But if our home record carries on the Latics will face this prospect. Dowie is right to set the Latics a new, fresh target of 11 wins from 15 games (starting it with that win at Stockport) and when you look back to our run through September to November that target isn't hopeful - it is truly realistic.
The problem now though is that Boundary Park has become a psychological battlefield now - whether you believe in that or not. The players know what they're up against when they walk over that white chalk and they must feel like there is a heavier weight on their shoulders game by game. But it is no irony that Ice Station Zebra has become what it has recently. The Latics roar is nowhere to be heard anymore and it hasn't been since (god forbid) Neil Warnock was here. Colin Wanker (I like to call him by his anagram) saw the value of Friday night matches which always brought the best out of the crowd, but in the last few seasons the Latics have had a following of murmerers and grumblers. Where has all the passion gone from the fans?
To cement this view that a selection home fans are passionless, our away crowd and away results totally confirm it. It's no surprise that our brilliant away followings this season (apart from an appalling 160 at Cardiff) has heralded such a magnificent away record - so why do we sit in near silence Boundary Park every fortnight? I suspect those fans who moan the loudest probably don't go away from home, but manage to infiltrate enough of Boundary Park to make it a very muted and gloomy ground. I'm tired of hearing boo's at half-time only for those same people to liven up from the 2nd half kick-off when we are 1-0 down. Why is it that when zero is on the clock, the same noise isn't heard? I suspect it is because in this era of "fast-feed successful football" we have a selection of fans that think we have a god-given right to have won the game before a ball is kicked. We haven't!!! Fans must realise this because they are not helping and shout from the kick-off.
Having made my own comments on the home tactics over the past few weeks, I again appeal for Dowie to recognise the problems we're having. The Latics need to adopt a more measured home approach. I cannot stress how tired I am of seeing the ball played up to Andrews plus striker in the maximum of 3 passes only for us to lose possession and end up being caught short against a countering 8 man defence. It's happening every time.
Fortunately, Corazzin (who has been sorely missed, especially at home) will be able to hold the ball up better tomorrow, if we do still persist with this tactic, but we need to start carving teams open and creating space for ourselves. The old pass and move needs to be employed rather than directly looking for the strikers or wingers as quickly as possible.
With this in mind the game will depend on whether we do change our style. If not, I can see a Notts County side coming here, thinking they can win easily at Boundary Park and playing us with a big defence which counters at every opportunity. And with dangerous forwards in Hackworth, Heffernan & Stallard, the Latics will struggle to improve on a home form of just 1 home win in 9 league and cup fixtures at BP, stretching over 4 months should we be served more of the same.
Regardless though, whatever tactics we play tomorrow - we have to make some noise now. If we don't go up it is only because of our home form. Let us fans not be to blame for a lack of effort on our part. This is a rallying call - COME ON, let's make some noise and start cheering the Latics onto a vital home win from the very 1st minute. You all better have sore voices by 5pm tomorrow night!!!
VERDICT - With Hall and Pogliacomi back I feel a lot more confident. However, the results without them have no baring as a bad defeat at home to Plymouth was followed by a decent away win at Stockport. I feel that there is a "no player situation" to make a difference to our home performances as it is purely down to the tactics employed. I think with Danny Boswell (as Rotherham hilariously called him when he was last a regular in a side) being included, Dowie feels we will have someone there to run the side better and he may be right - despite me not being his biggest fan. I have no qualms with seeing if he can make the difference by getting the ball down and playing it around.
Having Corazzin back is a big plus too. He will help us keep possession upfront, which has been a major problem in the recent matches. All in all, it is a simple equation, we need to create spaces and open them up. I think we have all the ability in the side to do this but will we? I going to plump for a draw. I hope I'm wrong though and we can make it a hat-trick over the Magpies.
Prediction - 1-1