Wigan v Newcastle – Premier League match preview

Latics v Mags
Latics v Mags
Newcastle head to Wigan this afternoon knowing that victory over the Latics would see us take a huge step towards Premier League safety.

Also on offer is the chance to end the afternoon sitting in the top half of the table, but with Wigan scrapping for their lives it’s not going to be an easy game.

Roberto Martinez will today be looking up at Aston Villa and will be wanting three points to stop his side from being cut off in the relegation spaces. Recent results have shown that his team are capable of getting themselves out of trouble and recent history suggests that they may do just that having managed to escape relegation in previous seasons. They know what they need to do and they know how to do it.

Wigan:

Ivan Ramis, Mike Pollitt, Albert Crusat, Ben Watson and Ryo Miyaichi are all on the injury list and are unavailable for Roberto Martinez. Callum McManaman is doubtful after picking up an ankle injury in the FA Cup tie against Everton last weekend.

Newcastle:

Hatem Ben Arfa has been ruled out for the remainder of the season as he looks to get his hamstring injury sorted. Yohan Cabaye is doubtful after picking up a groin strain in the victory over FC Anzhi Makhachkala on Thursday. Tim Krul, Fabricio Coloccini, Ryan Taylor and Haris Vuckic are all missing for the Magpies.

Previously:

Newcastle beat Wigan 3-0 at St James’ Park earlier on in the season and go looking for their first ever league double over the Latics. To achieve that they will have to win at a ground where we have been notoriously poor ever since Wigan joined the Premier League. Of seven encounters at the DW Stadium (formerly the JJB Stadium), United have won just once, back in 2011 with Shola Ameobi scoring the winner. The other six times we’ve tasted defeat at Wigan with the 4-0 defeat last term being our heaviest.

Overall there have been just 14 matches contested between the two sides with the record being split down the middle. United have won on six occasions, as have Wigan, with the other two meetings ending in a draw. Both teams have managed to find the back of the opposition net 16 times highlighting how similar our record against each other actually is.

Stats and facts:

Wigan have the worst home record in the entire football league. They’ve won just two games at home this season picking up a total of ten points along the way. Wigan have also failed to keep a clean sheet at home all season and have conceded a league-high 31 goals at home this term.

Paul Scharner could make his 150th appearance for Wigan today.

Mike Williamson could make his 100th appearance for United today.

United have the second worst away record in the league having amassed just eight points (one win, five draws) on the road all season.

Final thought:

With Manchester City to play next week I dare say we really need to pick up three points today if we are to avoid being sucked deeper into the relegation mix. The carrot of beating a team that can catch us up and the chance to be able to sit in the top-half of the table this evening should be motivation enough.

However it’s that last part that worries me – motivation. Wigan have been awful for the vast majority of the season but this is the kind of game we always struggle in. Time and time again we put in fantastic performances against the “bigger” teams in the league and usually end up with nothing to show for our efforts, but against teams we should be beating we seem to only give it half our effort which annoys the hell out of me.

There are no easy games in this league and I take nothing for granted, but with games running out and points to be had Wigan will be up for this. We need to match them in those stakes and then hopefully our quality will shine through and we can gain a positive result out of the game. I have a bad feeling about it though…

Howay the lads!

Date: Sunday, 17th March, 2013

Time: 4pm – Live on Sky Sports 1

Venue: DW Stadium

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

32 thoughts on “Wigan v Newcastle – Premier League match preview

  1. Got a good feeling that we will get a point from this one.. Wigan will throw the kitchen sink at us so we will need to play well. There are no easy games in the pl, even tho characters like B&B seem to think some wins are a given…

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  2. Wigan have the worst home record in the entire football league.

    United have the second worst away record in the league

    Sounds like a good game.

    Hopefully we can get something out of it.

    my guess is 1-1 but I’ll settle for a win

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  3. worst home record v worst away record. 😕 😕
    I think this match has 0-0 written all over it.
    We dont need to be thinking about the europa cup today. 100% concentration on this match or we will lose.
    Wigan are not going to be a push over.
    Hope to see some more good deliveries from Marv and DeB and with any luck a goal or two from Cisse.
    A win will take us up to 10th. Lofty heights indeed.
    Howay the Lads

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  4. Fatigue may play a part in this one for our lads and Wigan will be desperate to keep that gap between them and Villa to just 3 points rather than the 6 points it currently sits at.
    However, I think a win today puts us 12 points clear of Wigan and the bottom 3, which would not only put us 10th in the league but more importantly (IMO) safe from the threat of relegation. That’s how id be selling it to the players anyway.
    Well have fresh legs in Debuchy and Gouffran who are in good form at the moment and a player in form in Marveaux, and if Pardew tells Cisse he’s ***** a few times today we may even see a last minute winner again 😛

    Toon 2-0 today for me like – Sissoko and Gouffran

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  5. TBH i would settle for a point now , but have a feeling we will nick all 3 points in a heavily contested encounter . I dont think this one is going too be pretty ,a few cards will be shown today .

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  6. Goofy could once again be the one to make the difference today.
    I have been quite impressed with him since he arrived.

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  7. I somehow can’t see Willo making his 100th today 😀
    I think i’ll go for a 1-2 win yeah wigan won’t be easy but I expect us to be better. You never know if we can hit them early we could thumb them as I still think that we’ll hand out a good old hammering before the season is out.

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  8. We have a shocking record at the DW Stadium, but thankfully so have Wigan this season. I think they’ve only won twice.

    If we play like we did against Swansea but take our chances I think we will win.

    Fancy Adam Campbell to score today.

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  9. Not wanting to re-ignite the debate from yesterday re: Pards but have to say that if he wins the Europa and he finished fifth that puts him in the all time hall of fame and has to put him above Keegan and Robson in the managerial stakes…he has also presided over some of our best Premier league results/comebacks in memory. Like him or not that’s reality. We are never going to win the league in my lifetime so all I ask is a few amazing games per season I jump ut my seat and a decent cup run. He provides that for sure.

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  10. Campbell needs to work on his control can see that was an issue when he played against Anzhi, couldn’t hold onto the ball.

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  11. I didn’t see the penalty handball, but the it did look like it hit the GK’s elbow to me. He should never have been put in that position if the defender had have just headed it forward!

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  12. Epsilon, that may be the case yet I am never going to say the mackems got a right decision 😉

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  13. Andymag – probably just nerves I reckon. If i came on for NUFC I doubt I’d even be able to stand up, my legs would be like jelly :p

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  14. I would say that the only team playing high octane “entertainers-like” football seem to be Spurs. It only works because they have the magic of Bale to “bale” tme out …sorry for the pun. It worked in the home game against Inter, but didn’t work in the away game 🙁

    For those of us waiting for the entertainers to return, don’t hold your breath.
    Unless your a top 4 side, football is cyclic anyway. We had a period at the top of the league, Champs League etc, then the momentum died. Ditto Leeds, Aston Villa, Everton. Everton seem to be reappearing, the toon are still building. We’ve only just re-established ourselves in the league and are building the momentum. It takes time.

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  15. That’s all we need, the makkems getting a lucky break, or even two 🙁

    We must avoid defeat at all costs today. Jonas will replace Cabaye in midfield and we will defend the point, we have the magicians up front to snatch the win.

    0-0 maybe if we’re lucky 0-1 toon.

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  16. Moreno, fair enough mate 😛 One thing is for sure – mackems are *****! Got about as much pace/creativity as a bit of cardboard. And their best player is loaned from Spurs!

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  17. I wish we had a seasoned experienced manager in charge like MON. So many championships and experience under his belt, and look where the makkems are 😆

    I’d rather we had that legendary Michael Laudrup in charge, we’d win the league by 10 points easily 🙂 Failing him, Gus Huidink would be my next choice 🙂

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