Roker Report Score Predictions: Sunderland v Wigan Athletic

Our panel once again showed too much faith in Sunderland to get a result in midweek as they once again stuttered at home, this time to Burton Albion. No points means no movement and it’s as we were going into the home fixture against Wigan Athletic.

This means it’s still tight and our table could completely turn on it’s head this weekend, depending on results.

Let’s find out what our panel go for in this round of predictions...

---

Philip Butler predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 3 - 1 Wigan Athletic

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Will Grigg

I honestly have no idea why I’m so confident going into this game, but the blind optimist in me is expecting a comfortable win in what is likely to be Andrew Taylor’s final game in charge at the Stadium of Light.

Will Grigg looked lively off the bench on Tuesday night, and I’m backing him to follow up that performance with a goal (or two) this afternoon.

Photo by Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images

---

Malcolm Dugdale predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 4 - 0 Wigan Athletic

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Will Grigg

Yes, I am the Roker Report glass half full specialist... but I’m very much hoping that with nothing to lose and about ten minutes of marked improvement in the last game evident with a back four, our caretaker manager will grasp the nettle.

I’d love him to start out that way against a struggling Wigan side, and to give us all and the new owners (and maybe a potential manager in the stands) a boost.

We will need changes to be made but they can be positive ones. Wyke is unlikely to be available, but we can start with what looked like a slightly clicking Grigg and Graham (a new G-force anyone?).

We have lost O’Nien but it provides an opportunity to Sanderson or Diamond, or both depending on the system.

We can also use both Hume and MacFadzean for a full ninety minutes to provide an element of pace down the left, and a mix of Maguire and Embleton in the centre. We also have 5 subs, let’s use them to win convincingly, not to shore up a point.

Playing 4-3-3 or even 4-2-3-1 gives us much more as an attacking force and we simply have to go there.

Oh, and let’s get Burge back in nets. That early set of clean sheets with Burge between the sticks may not have been a coincidence, and we can’t ignore the howlers from Matthews with Burge and Patterson both chomping at the bit.

Come on lads, the big push starts here. Others are losing and we need to start winning not drawing... HAWAY!!

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Getty Images

---

Matthew Foster predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 - 0 Wigan Athletic

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Elliot Embleton

In amidst a man with a birds nest for a beard claiming he’s bid for Sunderland, and discussions at who’s best to take the helm at Sunderland (it’s the Cowley brothers), we failed to beat a poor Burton side. What a time to support Sunderland eh?

Honestly I despair. It’s getting hard to muster the motivation to watch us, whether that is down to having to watch it on a one-camera stream, or at how awful we’ve been, is hard to tell.

With all that negativity, you’d suspect I’d be backing a draw or a defeat... oh no, my questionable optimism returns.

We’ve got to beat these though haven’t we? They’re rock bottom, with eight points to their name and only two wins thus far. They are a side in turmoil, and highly unlikely to get their heads above water before the season ends.

To add to that, they’ve managed only ten goals in League One this term, and have had the same caretaker manager not once, but twice.

I do have sympathy for Wigan, but not enough to not want us to put them to the sword, and heap more misery upon them.

Just win this one Sunderland, please?

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Getty Images

---

Jack Howe-Gingell predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 - 0 Wigan Athletic

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Grant Leadbitter

In what has been a busy week for us Sunderland supporters, I’d almost forgot that we still had League games to play!

Takeovers being called fakeovers, the Gus bus breaking down, Scandinavian directors, young billionaires liking Tweets and Lee Johnson. It has been a distraction but we need to get focused and get back to winning ways.

Wigan are the basement boys, with only two wins this season and generally are a mess on and off the pitch, after recently seeing their latest takeover attempt halted by the EFL. Hopefully caretaker boss Andrew Taylor will have learned from the Burton game that we need to get at teams, and we can put a poor Wigan side to the sword.

Joe Garner seems to be one of their biggest threats with six goals across all competitions this season, but Sunderland shouldn’t fear anything Wigan have to offer based upon their dismal campaign thus far.

We need to get the tempo up and lead from the front. If Lee Johnson is the man to replace Phil Parkinson, hopefully he is taking note and planning for the future. Changes will occur due to Luke O’Nien’s injury and Charlie Wyke’s knock - could Grigg be given another chance?

We should win comfortably, though nothing is a given. I just hope we play better and get the three points.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Getty Images

---

Will Jones predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 - 1 Wigan Athletic

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Charlie Wyke

Two managerless sides go head-to-head in what seems like a six-pointer in a completely different sense.

We need this to get back on track, in order to push back into the picture, which basically everyone dropping points midweek we need to take advantage and start picking up maximum points.

While we showed for eighty minutes why Parkys ideals were no more than woeful - a change in system and a bit more energy showed the class we really have. I don’t believe that Taylor will change much, I hope I’m wrong, but Wyke will somehow be leading the line again.

Honestly, who knows what we are gonna get. We don’t even know who the manager will be.

Let’s get back into the top-six please lads. Show me some passion.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Getty Images

---

Martin Wanless predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 - 0 Wigan Athletic

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Will Grigg

Another game of the SAFC lottery awaits - who knows what’ll happen?

A small glimpse of hope during Tuesday’s poor draw at home to Burton was that Grigg looked lively, and I’m hoping that will have been enough to get him a start against his former club - particularly as it looks like Wyke could be out for a spell.

Because of that, I’m going for a Grigg double in a 2-0 win... that hope continues to spring eternal.