Kolo Toure is finding out the hard way how tough Championship management can be as Wigan Athletic’s new boss, having picked up just one point out of a possible 12 since his appointment.
A debut draw against Millwall is as good as it has gotten so far for the Ivorian, with three defeats on the spin and 10 goals conceded against Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Sunderland following that.
On paper though, the task gets slightly easier as Hull City visit the DW Stadium on Monday afternoon.
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Just six points separate the two sides but whilst Wigan sit at the bottom of the table, the Tigers are up to 18th following Friday night’s 1-0 win over Birmingham City.
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City had drawn three matches in a row under new boss Liam Rosenior before Oscar Estupinan’s winner against the Blues, and whilst a second win in succession can’t take them into the top half of the table, it would take them clearer of the relegation zone .
And a victory is what they are going to get according to EFL pundit David Prutton, who has predicted a 2-1 success for Hull in his Sky Sports predictions column.
That would represent a fourth defeat on the bounce for Toure and Wigan should that happen and it would put early pressure on his job at the Latics already.
The Verdict
There are already signs concerning Toure’s Wigan side – especially in defence.
They are leaking goals left, right and center – admittedly to decent teams – but Wigan were holding their own against most at the start of the season.
Whilst Hull are further down the table than some of their recent opponents, no match in the Championship is easy and on paper, you’d have to take the Tigers’ side over Wigan’s.
A defeat on Monday for Wigan would be extremely concerning and it would prove even further that new faces are needed in the squad.
