CCFootballVlogs’ Wigan Athletic vs Rotherham United Match Preview

Wigan Athletic will host Rotherham United at The Brick Community Stadium on Monday, April 21, 2025, with kickoff scheduled for 15:00 PM BST.

Current Standings and Recent Form

Wigan Athletic: 16th

The latics approach this game coming off the back of a positive 0-1 win over bottom of the league, Shrewsbury Town. The match saw Glenn Whelan back on the touchline, covering for the suspended Ryan Lowe, and it’s fair to say the tactical system was impressive, the initial formation was 4-3-1-2, but after being goalless at half time, Whelan switched to 4-2-3-1, with Will Aimson being replaced by Jonny Smith, allowing Jon Mellish to fall back, and let Jensen Weir also fall back into central midfield. It’s no lie that this tactical change made all the difference, and in the 71st minute Dale Taylor, netted a tap in assisted by Maleace Asamoah. Notable performers on Saturday were: Sam Tickle, Jason Kerr, Luke Robinson, Baba Adeeko & Dale Taylor. Going into this Rotherham game it’s very difficult to split these 2 sides apart, 2 sides who have been on almost parallel journeys in recent years both being labelled as “yoyo clubs”. Tactically, if we can base our starting 11 similarly to Saturday’s second half side, I feel the chances of us getting either a draw or win are very likely, but as stated, Rotherham have a more than decent side and they cannot be underestimated.

Rotherham: 13th

As for Rotherham, the Millers have not had as good of a season as they would of expected and playoff hopes have quickly faded, with a real struggle to find consistency. Former boss Steve Evans, had high hopes going into his first season as new boss, but has sadly failed to deliver to expectation and was replaced most recently with Matt Hamshaw, who most recently was caretaker boss of Derby County amidst the sacking of Paul Warne. Hamshaw has implemented a very different system compared to Evans’, with his preferred formation being 4-3-1-2 compared to Steve’s 4-4-1-1. Since appointment Hamshaw has been able to find consistency at Rotherham, with the Millers grabbing 10 points in their last 5 games out of a possible 15. Going into this match Rotherham will certainly be in the mood to clinch the +3 and will want to end the season in style giving their loyal fans something to remember, in what has been a fairly under par season.

Head-to-Head Record

Wigan Wins: 24

Draws: 9

Rotherham Wins: 12

Players to Watch

Wigan Athletic:

• Sam Tickle – Consistent as ever for Sam, as he time and time again comes to Wigan’s rescues defensively.
• Jason Kerr – Wigan skipper and has been massively underrated this campaign, with such solid performances week in and week out.
• Luke Robinson – Luke has been relied on heavily this campaign, dictated on many injuries to key players, and his performances recently would justify Luke getting a new contract, he’s been superb!
• Baba Adeeko – By no means has Baba had a standout season, but his performance vs Shrewsbury was one to remember after he put a real shift in!
• Dale Taylor – Difficult to express how grateful I am for Dale’s services to the club so far this season and if we don’t see him return next season it will be a real disappointment.

Rotherham United:

• Jack Holmes – A youngster who has caught the eyes and appraise of Rotherham fans in recent weeks, a pacey, versatile winger who I feel has a very bright future going forward in the EFL.
• Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu – Mpanzu, has been very good for the Millers recently, and his EFL experience during Luton’s mighty rise to the Premier League is certainly showing.
• Louie Sibley – It’s been an interesting loan for Sibley, he struggled to adjust to Des Buckingham’s system at Oxford, but he has really settled at Rotherham, interesting to see what his situation is during the summer.
• Sam Nombe – A classy striker, who is a clinical goalscorer, the latics need to be on high alert when he graces us with his presence.
• Mallik Wilks – MOTM last time out, Wilks has impressed whilst out on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, being one of the most used players in the EFL.

Predicted Lineup:

Wigan:

Match Predictions

Curtis’ Prediction: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Rotherham United

💭 “I personally think that Rotherham have found form in their recent games (W1, D1, L1). Which compared to us (W1, D3, L1). Yes, we did win 1-0 in the away fixture through an unexpected Baba Adeeko goal. Overall, with this in mind and our historical record, I am predicting a 1-1 draw as I believe that we can score against them again but whether we can hold on is another question as there have been multiple games this season where we have drawn after taking a lead/being behind. I would though like to be optimistic and have another home win under the belt.”

Charlie’s Prediction: Wigan Athletic 1-0 Rotherham United

💭 Rotherham’s form is much better than ours, and overall their overall squad is in better form all together. However, our record against them is decent and I feel we stand a decent chance at getting back to back to wins.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Predictions

ChatGPT: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Rotherham United

“Rotherham’s away form has been inconsistent this season, with only 2 wins out of 15 away matches, accumulating 11 points on the road. While Wigan has shown resilience at home, both teams have struggled to secure consistent victories. Given these factors, a draw seems the most probable outcome”

Grok: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Rotherham United

“Wigan’s home record and Rotherham’s recent away struggles suggest a closely fought match, with both teams likely to score but cancel each other out.”