Wigan Athletic vs Manchester United

Wigan home form:
L City 0-1
D Everton 1-1
D Villa 0-0
L Swansea 0-2
D WBA 1-1
W Stoke 2-0

W1 D3 L2

Overall W2 D7 L7 at home. Their other win was against QPR in their 2nd home game of the season. Along with Bolton, Villa & WBA the only teams to win more points on the road than at home.

They've scored 14 and conceded 25 at the DW.

Against the top 6 at home:
? v Newcastle
D v Chelsea 1-1
L v Spurs 1-2
L Arsenal 0-4
L v City 0-1
? v United

Last 10 overall: LDWDL DDWWL
 
I really really like Wigan, and want them to stay up for another season. Having said that, I really don't mind us giving them their semi-annual spanking this time around :)

De Gea

Rafael
Rio
Evans
Evra

Valencia
Carrick
Cleverly
Young

Rooney
Welbeck

Subs: Amos, Jones, Smalling, Scholes, Giggs, Park, Hernandez.
 
I really really like Wigan, and want them to stay up for another season. Having said that, I really don't mind us giving them their semi-annual spanking this time around :)

De Gea

Rafael
Rio
Evans
Evra

Valencia
Carrick
Cleverly
Young

Rooney
Welbeck

Subs: Amos, Jones, Smalling, Scholes, Giggs, Park, Hernandez.

I would put Jones for Rafael and Chicharito for Welbeck for this one.
 
------------------------------D.De Gea-------------------------



--P. Jones------------C.Smalling-------J. Evans---------P. Evra--



--A. Valencia----------M. Carrick--------R. Giggs--------Park JS--



------------------------W.Rooney------D.Berbatov--------------


Subs: Amos, Rio, Fabio, Scholes, Hernandez, Welbeck
Prediction:0-3 Rooney hattrick
 
Anything but a loss will be fine here. If we win, it's basically as good as over but even with a draw a 6-point gap ensures we can draw one more game and still be in front by more than three which allows us to lose at Etihad. A win here and we only have to pick up 7 points in home fixtures to secure it.
 
------------------------------D.De Gea-------------------------



--P. Jones------------C.Smalling-------J. Evans---------P. Evra--



--A. Valencia----------M. Carrick--------R. Giggs--------Park JS--



------------------------W.Rooney------D.Berbatov--------------


Subs: Amos, Rio, Fabio, Scholes, Hernandez, Welbeck
Prediction:0-3 Rooney hattrick


This line up is as likely as me going out with Cheryl Cole. and for those slightly slower its not going to happen.
 
If he's training well, I'd give Nani a start on the right and rest Valencia for the weekend. This would also keep opposition tactics off balance as they're preparing for Valencia's strengths. I'd also rest Welbeck for Hernandez, as he's beginning to look tired. Also Giggsy for Scholes, with Cleverley to come on in the 2nd half.

---------DDG--------

PJ---JE---RF--- PE

-Nani--MC---RG---AY

-----WR----JH-----
 
I think we'll see Nani start if he is as far back as Sir Alex alludes to. Good idea tactically to keep him off the bench and start him next game, Wigan most likely won't prepare as much for him as they would've if he was on the bench. He's done similar in the past I think.
 
Every game seem to be a 'banana skin', ffs... we're Manchester United. We'll do what we want! If we drop points it has nothing to do with Wigan, only ourselves.
 
Wigan in decent form but we've an awesome record against them since they got to the premier league, never dropped a point. I'd go same team as yesterday and bag another 3 points.
 
have funny feeling about this one, even though we've been awesome away. We'll get no easy ride from the ref after this weekend and Martinez is making it known he's sick of refs apologising to him after matches. Still, it'll take a major collapse for us to throw it away.
 
Wigan in decent form but we've an awesome record against them since they got to the premier league, never dropped a point. I'd go same team as yesterday and bag another 3 points.

Scholes probably won't be able to play much if at all on wednesday.
 
I always worry about a wobble at Wigan to be honest.

Have a feeling the ref will give them a lot of favorable calls and deny us some legitamate ones.

Still, we should do enough to win a nervy 2-1 i think.
 
DDG

Jones Ferdinand Evans Evra

Valencia Cleverley Carrick Nani

Rooney Welbeck


And it's goodnight Wigan!
 
My usual thoughts would be we would stumble here but we're in such good form and we usually play well against Wigan.

1-3
 
We might slip, but I dont think I can even think about slipping up against Wigan.
Its one of those fixtures. Open.. there to be won.
 
We've yet to drop a point to Wigan since they came up to the PL. I know things like that are there to be broken, but I can't see it.

We've been awesome away from home, hopefully that'll continue and it'll be another game chalked off.
 
is there been any news on Nani and when he is back? I have seen nothing on him for a couple of weeks
 
He did come off early against QPR, I can see him playing and going off after 60 or so.

But I'd guess you're right and we'll see Giggs with Carrick.

Hope not - that combo has been poor since last year's CL semi final. Play central midfielder in central midfield. Cleverley is rusty, but fully fit apparently so get him in there. As much good as Giggsy can do in terms of creating chances, these days he tends to do it for both teams.

Plus the combination of those two in the middle and their blinding speed leaves us very vunerable to the counter - which Victor Moses was exploiting for fun against the Chavs.
 
we've gotten lucky in the past with Wigan. remember the o.g. by Pascal Chimbonda "Chim-knee sweep" a few years back. that headline still cracks me up for some reason. I think it'll be a tough game for us but hope I'm wrong.
 
Wigan would appear to be one of our least formidable obstacles in gathering the 11 remaining points we require to end The noisy neighbours remaining hopes.

The Latics have not claimed so much as a draw from 14 previous meetings with us and the aggregate score from the last five games between the north-west neighbours is a staggering 21-0.

Still think it will be a toughie..Just hope they come at us , as we will have to much class for them
 
It might just be me, but of all the games remaining, if we have to drop points I want it to help Wigan. I really rate Martinez and the job he does there, and they're just a very likable club.

It would be a travesty if they go down and QPR stay up.
 
It might just be me, but of all the games remaining, if we have to drop points I want it to help Wigan. I really rate Martinez and the job he does there, and they're just a very likable club.

It would be a travesty if they go down and QPR stay up.

I like Martinez for his philosophy on playing football the right way, but it seems like he's always fighting relegation at Wigan. So in terms of results, he's not all that.
 
I expected Carrick-Cleverley midfield pairing in last couple of games but it never happened, but this is maybe the best game for that since we will probably rest scholes, so I'm again expecting that pairing. Giggsy is better in last few months after coming of the bench, than when he is when starting the game.

I hope for something like this:

-------------- De Gea ------------
Rafael --- Smalling --- Rio ---- Evra
------- Cleverley --- Carrick -------
Valencia --------------------- Nani
--------------- Rooney -----------
------------ Hernandez -----------

Welbeck could be rested for this one, since Hernandez could be better option for this game. We can rest Evans today, and Rio against Villa, since I found this game as more important. I don't think there is no need to rest rafael today, and he can be rested against Aston Villa.
 
De Gea
Rafael-Evans-Ferdinand-Evra
Valencia-Carrick-Cleverley-Young
Rooney-Welbeck

We'll win tonight.
 
I could see Nani and Hernandez starting this. It feels weird with just one trophy to play for at this stage of the season but with a midweek game I think we'll freshen up a bit.
 
I like Martinez for his philosophy on playing football the right way, but it seems like he's always fighting relegation at Wigan. So in terms of results, he's not all that.

He's always losing his best players and not exactly investing big money to replace them. They don't have a great home advantage, because they don't that that many supporters. He's doing well.
 
-----------The Gay
Jones---Smalling--Evans--Evra
-------Carrick--Scholes
Nani------Rooney-------Young
----------Chico
?