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Wigan Still a Threat Despite Struggles
Friday, 30th Jan 2015 15:44

Town boss Mick McCarthy warns that Saturday’s opponents Wigan Athletic will still be a threat, despite the Latics' current position of second-bottom of the Championship, eight points from safety.

McCarthy admits that he’s surprised to see the Lancastrians, a Premier League club less than two years ago, at the wrong end of the table.

“I keep saying I try not to get too shocked or surprised by football and whatever happens,“ he said.

“I left Wolves as a Premier League outfit and almost two years later they were a League One club.

“I was surprised about that, that was a shock. And Wigan are in danger of doing it as well.

“They’re down at the bottom, but they have got good players, irrespective of where they are or what they’ve done.

“They’re trying to do a lot of business, I’m not even sure what we’ll face tomorrow because they’re trying to get players in. They’re hoping they’ll have signed a few.

“They’re still a threat, there’s not that much between the teams and they’ve still got some good players.”

He says relegation from the top flight can have a big impact on a club: “I think it shows the devastating effect of coming out of the Premier League.

"Having players on good dough, 25 grand a week, and then others signing on much less. I think it creates divisions in a club.

“Whether that’s happened there, I don’t know, but relegation certainly had a really bad effect on the club.

“But last year they were in the play-offs. I don’t know, it’s a bonkers league, it doesn’t get any saner, does it?”


McCarthy was pleased with his side's display as they picked up their first away win of the season against Wigan earlier in the season.

“It was significant, it was a good performance," he recalled. "We played so well that night and overran them completely, except for the last 10 minutes when they got one back and got back in the game and hit a post.

"It was a really good performance, I think that was what was really significant.”

McCarthy can call on striker David McGoldrick after a two-game absence with a knee injury but 18-goal top scorer Daryl Murphy is out with a calf problem.

McGoldrick is likely to start either alongside Noel Hunt or Freddie Sears, both players having impressed since joining the club.

Hunt, who scored twice at Millwall a fortnight ago, will probably get the nod ahead of Sears, who netted his first Town goal in the 3-2 defeat at Brighton, with the former Colchester man likely to play a role from the bench.

In midfield, Cole Skuse will take up his usual deep central position with Teddy Bishop perhaps coming in for Kevin Bru after playing for the U21s on Monday. Paul Anderson and Jay Tabb look set to continue in the wide roles.

At the back, the Blues boss seems likely to continue with skipper Luke Chambers at right-back, Tyrone Mings on the left and Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith in the middle. Bartosz Bialkowski will again be in goal.

The January transfer window has seen something of an exodus from the DW Stadium. Shaun Maloney has moved on to the Chicago Fire, Ben Watson to Watford, Callum McManaman to West Brom, Adam Forshaw to Middlesbrough, Ivan Ramis to Levante and Roger Espinoza to Sporting Kansas City, while Oriol Riera (to Deportivo La Coruna) and James Tavernier (to Bristol City) have gone out on loan.

Liam Ridgewell has joined on a six-week loan from the Portland Timbers and Australia international Chris Herd has come in on loan from Aston Villa.

This afternoon, the Latics have completed the permanent signings of striker Billy McKay from Inverness Caledonian Thistle and defender Jason Pearce from Leeds.

Manager Malky Mackay is expecting a hard game: “I know Mick really well and his teams are always difficult to play against.

“He’s done really well at Ipswich, they’re a tough, uncompromising team who have plenty of experience and plenty of goals in them.

“Portman Road’s never an easy place to go and certainly not at the moment, but I always enjoy going there and so will the lads.

"It’s a good stadium, good atmosphere and a good pitch and we’re really looking forward to the challenge.

“We’ve pretty much got a fully fit squad, there are a couple of knocks and bruises, but in the main we’re fine and we’re in good shape heading down there.”

In September goals from Luke Hyam and Conor Sammon saw the Blues to a 2-1 victory over Wigan, their first ever win at the DW Stadium.

Hyam, who is currently out with a knee problem, turned home the opener on 20 and loanee Sammon netted against his old club in the 63rd minute, before Martyn Waghorn set up a nervy finish for Blues supporters when he pulled one back with eight minutes remaining.

At Portman Road in March, Wigan returned to Lancashire having claimed a 3-1 win. Tommy Smith put Town in front in the 19th minute, but goals from James McClean and Leon Barnett saw the Latics go in ahead at the break with McClean adding his second and Wigan's third in 77th minute.

Overall, Town have beaten the Latics three times (twice in the league), have lost six times (five) and the teams have drawn one League Cup tie.

Town fitness coach Andy Liddell was a Wigan player between 1998 and 2004 and kit man Paul Beesley was at Springfield Park between 1984 and 1989.

Wigan's goalkeeper-coach is Mike Pollitt, who made one appearance for the Blues during a curtailed loan spell in November 2006, a 3-1 home derby victory over Norwich City.

Supporters are reminded that this weekend is the first of two months of disruption on the railway line between Manningtree and Shenfield.

Saturday’s referee is Charles Breakspear from Surrey, who has shown 59 yellow cards and seven red in 19 games so far this season.

Breakspear’s most recent Town match was the 1-0 home victory over Bolton at Portman Road in February last year in which he booked only Christophe Berra.

Squad from: Bialkowski, Kenny, Chambers (c), Mings, Parr, Berra, Smith, Clarke, Skuse, Bru, Bishop, Ambrose, Anderson, Tabb, S Hunt, Stewart, McGoldrick, Murphy, N Hunt, Sears.


Photo: Action Images



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Sir_Bob added 15:49 - Jan 30
Get at them early tomorrow, their heads have got to be minced. Sears & Noel to start, Didz playing just behind them. 1-0 after 5 mins.
COYB
1

irishtim added 15:50 - Jan 30
McClean will be their dangerman imo.
1

muccletonjoe added 15:58 - Jan 30
Hope to see an improved performance tomorrow after a 10 day break to recuperate. Quite honestly, lose this and we can all adjust our expectations
7

The_Messiah added 16:10 - Jan 30
The Latics are low on confidence, a perfect chance to put them to the sword!
3-5-2 would be ideal, they wont pose much threat up top to worry our warriors at the back
Bart
Chambo Berra Smith
Parr Skuse Mings
Bru Bish
Didz Sears

Those pair of Hunts on the bench along with Ando who has to have the weakest bladder in the squad. Has anyone else noticed that when he is sub he has approx 3 pi55es per half! I cant help notice him keep running past every game!

This will see 3 points coming our way....COYB

0

RedDust added 16:17 - Jan 30
BialkowskiParrChambersBerraSmithSkuseBruBishopSearsMcGoldrickMings

10

Tractamatt added 16:29 - Jan 30
RedDust: my thoughts exactly but as another thought how about starting Noel Hunt and Sears up front.?
0

NicRams added 16:36 - Jan 30
Are their new signings from this afternoon eligible to play because it happened after midday? Sure I heard that to play the next day the deal has to be done pre midday.
1

jas0999 added 16:42 - Jan 30
No games in the league is easy, but let's be honest, in our position anything less than three points would be a big disappointment. Agree with other posts, we need to attack them right from the off.
3

jpring89 added 16:56 - Jan 30
if there is any team in this league we would like to face at the moment you would have to say its wigan or blackpool. considering the games our rival have this weekend we should be back in the top 2 in my opinion.
1

stevelincsexile added 17:12 - Jan 30
I quite like the look of that RedDust.
2

Middle2605 added 17:15 - Jan 30
Sears to start over Hunt!
2

Cloddyseedbed added 17:33 - Jan 30
Here we go again I see some people are expecting an easy win as Wigan are near the bottom. If we play like we have in the last few games we will not win. If we are back to our best I'd hope we could, it won't be easy though. We'll miss Murphy more than any player in the squad as we do not have a direct replacement for his style of play up top and his aerial superiority, when we resort to humping it up. God help us tomorrow if we continue playing hoofball with Sears, McGoldrick and Hunt vying for the strikers role. Hopefully it will encourage the team to keep possession and pass the ball and not just keep hitting it up, for it to come straight back in our half again. I can but hope.
7

walberswicks added 18:31 - Jan 30
I expect like Brighton and the rest of the league, Wigan will be "ready for us"
Draw at best.
-1

NoelTheDub added 18:31 - Jan 30
Cloddyseedbed
I dont like our hoofball style but it has got us to were we are and I agree hoofball is out of the question without Murf up top.I would love to see Didz behind Sears/Hunt and Teddy with Ambrose in midfield with Skuse holding in front of the back 4, yes we have no width but we never have imo,Good luck Town tomorrow COYB...
4

RedDust added 18:41 - Jan 30
TractaMatt:

My reasoning for the formation is to continue to give Bishop all the opportunities to learn his trade in attacking midfield against on paper an easy team & I think McGoldrick needs a lift so he goes up front to score goals because I think he has selflessly in recent weeks tried to bring the ball into attack because there really has'nt been anyone else capable of doing it! get him back to the statis of goal scorer and the smile on his face grow alittle bit bigger!
1

bellazzurri79 added 18:43 - Jan 30
Wigan have signed Jason Pearce and billy McKay ... Let's hope they don't gove them a much needed boost
2

Flewitt85 added 18:45 - Jan 30
Think it's safe to say we are hitting our bad patch at the moment (every team has one) but it's how we come back from that that's important.

Think tomorrow will be a good start!
1

RedDust added 18:50 - Jan 30
LOOK EAST:

All mention that it's BAD news for Ipswich as Murphy is out... with zero mention that Mcgoldrick is back!!

At the end of Norwich's mention we were told that they are ONLY 4 points out of the playoffs, Nice positive perspective to end the segment with!
3

bluefeast added 19:05 - Jan 30
£ points will help boost us ,a draw and who knows ,a loss and mm will change things and then we have to hope for the better ,with such a limited squad its very tough indeed ,we lack pace out wide ,creativity centrally , have a right back who cant play the ball . if we want to challenge for auto we need to have balance through the side ,we know Mclean will issolate chambers tomorrow and rip him a new one, if parr were there he would get further forward which gives Mclean something to think about defensively
1

braveblue added 19:45 - Jan 30
2nd bottom, just lost their best players. Get real.
0

oddball added 20:15 - Jan 30
Bluefeast is the man who knows :-)
0

bellazzurri79 added 20:45 - Jan 30
Unrelated news just in

@SkySportsNewsHQ: BREAKING: Press Association - Police investigating alleged road rage incident involving Roy Keane. More on #SSNHQ
0

Steelmonkey added 20:47 - Jan 30
Players coming in for Wigan are unknown quantities, and will be up to impress, just like Sears and Hunt are.
Lets hope Wigan's new boys fall flat on their .....
All their best players gone, lets hope so braveblue.
COYB's.
1

pablo123 added 20:56 - Jan 30
If we can't beat this shower , the wheels really have come off !! We have to win our next 3 games if we are to be serious challengers for promotion !!
3

Hiltzkooler added 21:06 - Jan 30
No excuses Mick...none from the players....the Club are contenders now and need to play as such...the run in at the end of the season are games that will be challenging...this game needs to be won to get back on track...endex....get on with it....looking forward to a positive result and a positive game....
3


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