Premier League preview: Wigan v Wolves
If Wigan boss Roberto Martínez is struggling for answers during his side’s match with Wolves this Saturday lunchtime, then he might be tempted to phone a friend.
The official Wigan website’s live commentary of last weekend’s goalless draw at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s was interrupted by the familiar voice of Chris Tarrant asking whether or not commentator Graham Lovett could help out a pal stuck on a football question. He couldn’t, and so his friend was denied the chance to win £250,000. There are a lot more expensive questions around the DW Stadium at the moment though.
Chief amongst them – why did Martínez shell out £6.5million on Mauro Boselli?
The misfiring Argentinean has now lost his place in the side after a series of below-par performances, and with Wigan struggling in the relegation zone ahead of this clash with a Wolves team who are just above them in the table, don’t expect him to win it back for this one. The chances of him playing are less than 50-50, and so the goals will have to come from elsewhere.
“I made my starting debut in the league against Wolves last season,” said midfielder James McCarthy. “I scored, and it was a great debut, but more importantly, we got the three points down there against them. Hopefully the same will happen this weekend, and I can get on the scoresheet again.”
McCarthy’s optimism aside, lifelines are thin on the ground for the Latics – who have at least improved from their dreadful performances in their opening two league matches – but optimism is still in short supply in Greater Manchester, at least with supporters of the round ball game. Wigan Warriors face St Helens in the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford on Saturday night – you suspect that the town is somewhat more excited about that one.
Perhaps Wolves could take advantage of that.
Three straight league defeats have checked what was a promising start to the campaign, but there were slight signs of promise in last week’s defeat to Aston Villa, where only a late Emile Heskey header deprived them of what would have been a deserved point.
That clash was overshadowed by a late broken leg for Algerian midfielder Adlene Guedioura – “I swear I’ll come back as quickly as I can,” was his defiant cry this week – and his loss places more emphasis on the remaining members of the Wolves midfield, and one of them is determined to turn his side’s form around.
“We just want to get out there and do whatever we can to get back to winning ways,” said David Jones, who has featured in all of Wolves’ league matches so far this season.
“It is a pressure game but we proved last season in certain games when we needed results that we can come through. It would be nice to have a bit of luck on our side as well!”
It certainly would, but in a week that boss Mick McCarthy has been fielding questions about Belgian defender Jelle van Damme’s supposed homesickness – “he's going home every night eating a bowl of pasta on his own,” was the boss’ take on his less than all-action summer signing – he’ll know that a victory could leave Wigan with nowhere to run as they struggle to move away from the foot of the table.
It may not look a classic on paper, but one of these sides could end up looking back on this result at the end of the season and seeing it as the difference between staying up and going down.
There’s a lot on the line then, and hopefully it will provide more answers than Wigan’s commentator on Saturday afternoon.
The final answer for both is still a long way off though.
Prediction: Wigan 2 Wolves 2
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