Wolverhampton Wanderers V Wigan Athletic

Wolverhampton Wanderers V Wigan Athletic

Date & Kick-Off: Sunday, 6 November 2011 – 13:30 GMT

Venue: Molineux

TV Coverage: LIVE on SKY SPORTS 1

Preview

A monumental meeting at the bottom of the Premier League this Sunday sees a Wolves side without a win in eight host hapless Wigan, who are currently on run of seven straight defeats in the league. The reward for the victorious party will be just three points, but it will feel like the proverbial six as two nailed-on relegation candidates go head-to-head at Molineux – which can be seen live on Sky Sports 1 as part of Super Sunday’s double bill.

Usually in these types of fixtures, where two struggling teams meet both eyeing up each other as a means to an end – and in this case a means to their dire streaks, the onus will fall on the home side. However, Wigan aren’t in a position where they can afford to rest on their laurels, because they have none. Their current state of affairs are critical to say the least; Martinez’s Latics prop up the table in 20th, after one win all season, and are already three-points off safety.

On the topic of safety, Wolves are clinging onto the last position that doesn’t scream ‘DANGER’. Wanderers sit just two-points above the drop zone in 17th, three points better off than rock-bottom Wigan but just one bad result away from slipping into that dreaded bottom-three. In fact, defeat in this fixture for them, provided it is by a two-goal margin or greater, and they would be leapfrogged by the Latics.

So where’s your money going – on a Wolves side without a win since 21 August, or do you fancy Wigan to collect their first points since 27 August? It has been such a drought for both that you wonder if either actually remember how to win a game of football.

Wolves

League Position: 17th

League Form: LLLDL

Last season it was Wolves’ inability to take points off their survival rivals which almost cost them their Premier League status. This season, however, it’s been their inability to take points off anyone which is jeopardising their two-year reign in the top flight. Since the middle of August, which was when they last won a league game, Wolves have registered a meagre two points from 24 that went on offer. But they can at least take enormous heart from the fact one team has been just as abysmal as themselves – and it just so happens they face them this weekend.

A 3-1 loss away to Man City last weekend stretched Wolves’ winless run to eight in the league, six of which were defeats. So you can kind of see why some supporters aren’t happy with the current regime, and why Mick McCarthy has come in for some stick of late – even though he was instrumental in guiding the club back to the promised land, as well as the small matter of keeping them there for the past two years.

The last time Wolves were at home it was against newcomers Swansea, and it was also shown live on Sky Sports which meant we got a first-hand perspective of what McCarthy is dealing with. The hostility around Molineux right now is highly detrimental to the team’s chances of ending their dismal sequences of results, so you do wonder how the crowd will react should their team fall behind on Sunday at home to rock-bottom Wigan, who have suffered seven consecutive defeats.

Wolves’ fixtures at home this season haven’t been too difficult, which I suppose doesn’t entirely bode well for Sunday. They were winners first time out, versus Fulham, but it’s been a downward spiral ever since with defeats to Newcastle (1-2), QPR (0-3) and Tottenham (0-2), though their 2-2 draw with Swansea in their match in the Midlands felt like a victory considering they trailed 2-0 going into the final ten minutes. That comeback draw coupled with their valiant performance away at Man City last week, in which they almost came from two-goal down but ended up losing 3-1, could be the telling signs of a Wolves renaissance.

If Wolves are to kick-start their faltering season on Sunday, they will have do it without top scorer Steven Fletcher. The Scotland striker has been ruled out with a calf problem, meaning Kevin Doyle will once again have to work tirelessly up front on his own.

Wigan

League Position: 20th

League Form: LLLLL

Win, lose or draw – relegation or survival – it would appear Wigan chairman Dave Whelan will keep faith with manager Roberto Martinez no matter what the outcome. That has to be of huge relief for the Spaniard, who is a talented manager in my honest and humble opinion, because any other manager in his situation – at the helm of a team which has lost its previous seven league matches – would have more than likely faced the music by now.

So without feeling any added pressure from the board, Martinez can focus on what really matters, and that’s the football side of things and what happens on the pitch this Sunday. Ideally, Wigan would have liked this match at home, even though the DW Stadium is hardly a fortress these days, but Molineux isn’t a bad venue either. The home fans have been quick to turn on their team of late and an early Wigan goal would certainly work in the Latics’ favour.

Just like their opposite numbers, some green shoots of recovery can be seen in some of Wigan’s recent displays. Away at Newcastle in their last away fixture, Wigan were dogged and resilient, tidy on the ball, and although they didn’t offer too much going forward, had chances. To lose 1-0 was a massive blow and incredibly unjust. Then, at home to Fulham last time out, Wigan were beaten 2-0 despite enjoying the Lion’s share of possession and creating the better opportunities – but yet again it was their lack of cutting edge in the final which cost them dear.

Wigan have now scored just three times in their last seven league games, all of which were defeats while only one of those goals were scored whilst out on their travels. Now that’s some damning statistics if you ask me. It gets worse, though. Two of those goals were scored by midfielder Mohamed Diame, both crackers as well, and he’s a major doubt for Sunday. Meanwhile captain Gary Caldwell is suspended.

Match Pointers

- Four of the previous five league meetings were won by Wigan, who did the double over Wolves last season by winning 2-0 at home and 2-1 at Molineux.

- Wolves (17th; W2 D2 L6) are without a win in eight games in the Premier League, losing six and drawing two; they also managed just five goals during this dismal run.

- The Molineux outfit have conceded two goals or more in each of their previous Premier League home games, and on three occasions it was precisely two.

- Wigan (20; W1 D2 L7) have lost their last seven league games, by an aggregate of 3-15.

- The Latics have scored just one goal away from home this season, failing to score in four of their five awau league encounters.

Betting

Perhaps I’m being biased; I suppose I am seeing as I’m tipping them, but I’m rooting for Wigan this weekend, even though there’s little on paper which would suggest an away victory is even plausible in this fixture. The Wolves team does look better from an attacking point of view, with Mick McCarthy boasting a lot more creative outlets than his opposite number, who will once again rely on the quick feet of Victor Moses. Defensively, though, both are as poor as each other.

To be brutally honest, I wouldn’t want to back either side at short odds, so there’s no way I’ll be touching Wolves at the Evens mark. So I’m basically putting all my faith in Roberto Martinez masterminding a whirlwind of a Latics performance at Molineux, possibly inspired by Victor Moses, the 21-year-old who will be buoyed by his recent call-up to the Nigerian senior side; he’s also had more attempts on goal than any player in the Barclay’s Premier League this season without scoring. Something tells me he maybe due.

Match Outcome: Wigan to WIN – 7/2 Ladbrokes

Value Bet: Victor Moses to Score – 5/1 Unibet

Match Odds

Wolves – EVENS Boylesports

Draw – 5/2 StanJames

Wigan – 7/2 Ladbrokes

Wolves V Wigan Athletic

Sunday, 26th December – 15:00 (GMT)
Venue: Molineux

Wolves

After Wolves missed the opportunity to add some vital points to the board after last weekend’s Black Country derby was postponed due to adverse weather conditions, the club have been desperately seeking the support of the locals as they aim to get Sunday’s relegation six-pointer with fellow struggler’s Wigan on. Making sure the match does go ahead couldn’t be more important to Wolves’ survival cause, as another cancellation will mean no chance of bolstering their meagre points tally and would thus leave the door wide open for bottom-placed West Ham to leapfrog them and possibly force Wolves to nosedive into 2011 bottom of the Premier League – Physiologically, a huge blow for the team.

Frustration all round as last weekend’s clash with local rivals West Brom was called off due to snow, not because it was an eagerly-anticipated derby but because Wolves had all the momentum after securing two wins in their last three league matches. Victories over Sunderland and Birmingham City, both coming at Molineux, provided manager Mick McCarthy with some much needed relief after seeing his team previously go four matches without registering a single point. Finally the players are starting to really pull the weight and the football club as a whole are beginning to see the end product for a change.

A couple of recent successes isn’t enough to put their alarming first half of the season in the shade, with the Midlander’s having already reached double figures in the loss column. More worrying than anything else is the fact seven of those have come when Wolves have gone travelling, although, what with Wolves at home this weekend, in the meantime it will be viewed as positive for punters as it means only three of their league defeats this season have come at Molineux, home of a very hungry Wolves side.

The togetherness of the group is starting to shine through, with every goal celebrated as though a match-winning strike in itself and every victory savoured like it could be their last, and with the form Wolves have been in this season, they’re right to take that approach, as three points really have been at a premium this season. Just four wins from their opening 17 matches of the season is relegation form all over, but their reprieve comes in the form of the morale in camp, as well as home form. At homes Wolves have been such a tough nut to crack this season, so often undeserving in defeat but very much worthy of every point they collect. Above all else, the players are giving nothing less than 110% under Mick McCarthy, so while Mick may well be without half-a-dozen first-team regulars and some real star quality, few can begrudge the work ethic of his team on match days.

Wigan Athletic

Fans of Wigan Athletic were handed an early Christmas present when manager Roberto Martinez confirmed his desire and intent to retain the services of both Charles N’Zogbia and Hugo Rodellega, Wigan’s most creative and prolific outlets, until at least the summer meaning the Latics won’t be weakened in the second half of the season as they strive to fight for their Premiership status.

The Latics have come across many crunch encounters in their time but few have had more riding on the outcome than Sunday’s relegation scrap with Wolves, who lye just one place behind them in the table and would relegate Wigan to 19th with a win at Molineux. However, victory for Wigan, repeating the feat they’ve achieved last term when winning 2-0, would see them leap out of the bottom three and greatly enhance their chances of starting the new year in a much healthier position.

Quite how they’ll succeed in snatching all three points from the grasp of Wolves we aren’t sure, with their record away from home this season abysmal to say the very least. They began brightly enough, beating Tottenham 1-0 at White Hart Lane, though it’s been downhill since with Wigan going on to lose four of their following seven away encounters in the Premier League, the majority of which came against mediocre opposition. Furthermore, based on the current league table, previous away clashes with those in close proximity have all gone against the Latics, losing 2-0 at Fulham, 3-1 at West Ham and conjuring only a 0-0 draw away to Birmingham City.

In the crunch encounters this season, Wigan have bottled it. It’s as simple as that. Just recently they were presented with a massive game with bottom of the league West Ham, and although it was an away fixture the final result showed just how spineless they’ve been in the relegation six-pointers. When you throw in their lack of confidence sustained from a severe lack of wins – Just 3 all season – with an alarming lack of goal nutrition – posting the weakest offensive record in the entire league and having mustered only 5 away goals in 8 away outings – it really doesn’t bode well for Roberto Martinez’s charges, who have this knack of appearing doomed but somehow manage to produce a result out of the blue to ease the threat of relegation.

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Last 5 Matches

Wolves

Premiership: Wolves 1-0 Birmingham City
Premiership: Blackburn Rovers 3-0 Wolves
Premiership: Wolves 3-2 Sunderland
Premiership: Blackpool 2-1 Wolves
Premiership: Wolves 2-3 Bolton Wanderers

Wigan Athletic

Premiership: Everton 0-0 Wigan Athletic
Premiership: Wigan Athletic 2-2 Stoke City
Carling Cup: Arsenal 2-0 Wigan Athletic
Premiership: West Ham United 3-1 Wigan Athletic
Premiership: Manchester United 2-0 Wigan Athletic

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Head-to-Head

2010/2011: Wigan Athletic 2-0 Wolves
2009/2010: Wolves 0-2 Wigan Athletic
2009/2010: Wigan Athletic 0-1 Wolves

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2010/2011 Premier League Statistics

Wolves

League Position: 19th
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-3-10 (Home: 4-2-3)
Form: LLWLW (Home: WLLWW)
Top Scorer: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (4)

Wigan Athletic

League Position: 18th
Win-Draw-Lose: 3-7-7 (Away: 1-3-4)
Form: WLLDD (Away: LLLLD)
Goal Difference: 13-28 (Away: 5-11)
Top Scorer: Hugo Rodellega (4)

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Match Odds:

Wolves – 2.15 totesport
Draw – 3.40 SkyBet
Wigan Athletic – 3.90 bWin

Wolverhampton Wanderers V Wigan Athletic

Saturday, 16^th January – 15:00 GMT

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 15th

Recent Form: WLWLL

Winnable fixtures don’t come around that often when you’re a Wolves fans but a home game with a beleaguered Wigan, albeit a winning one in their last outing, does represent a glorious opportunity for Wolves to add another win to their league tally of five thus far. The Wolves’ were beaten in their last home outing by an in form Man City but the last two teams before City were sides in close prolixity to Wolves in the table and Mick McCarthy’s men duly dispatched both. Will Wigan Athletic fall to a similar fate on Saturday? 

A narrow 1-0 victory at Tranmere won’t have set the world alight for Wolves fans but it did end a run of two successive defeats in the league. The trip to Tranmere was a brisk change from some of their recent league fixtures; tough games with Man City & Liverpool in which Wolves suffered defeats in both despite playing some good, entertaining football in both. However, Wolves were far from convincing at Tranmere but we suppose at least the job is done and the fans can now look forward to their next cup encounter, a home tie with Crystal Palace.

For now, though, and more importantly, Wolves must divulge their full attention on their next task at hand – A home encounter with a struggling Wigan. Now… Wolves might be without a win in two after back-to-back defeats to Man City & Liverpool but their opponents this Saturday are suffering a far worse lull in form and are without a win in their last five games. Moreover, Wolves have boosted their credentials with two wins from their last three home fixtures after beating both Burnley (2-0) and Bolton (2-1) in December. Those pair of wins have lifted Wolves out of the relegation zone and a win over the Latics would see them remain on safe ground… for now.

It’s safe to say that Wolves have been a lot better at home, both in results and displays, but are still not completely comfortable in front of their home fans, at least from a backers point of view. Their record at Molineux this season stands at 3-2-5 but it’s worth mentioning that, although this recent good run of form at home should boost the players confidence levels, Wolves were struggling to perform at home in the very beginning of the season and did manage just one home win in seven before their quick-fire back-to-back successes over Burnley & Bolton. They are clearly a team that thrive on confidence and momentum but after two straight defeats in the league will that have an adverse effect on their performance at the weekend, or will they see their 1-0 victory in the cup as a building block for a better new year?

Wigan Athletic

League Position: 16th

Recent Form: LDLDL

Any game Wigan are involved in these days we tend to steer well clear as they are just so damn unpredictable. However, for a Wigan side without a win in five and winless in their last five away outings, surely there is no easier opportunity for them to put an end to such a baron run than a trip to Molineux. However, five games without a win, three defeats in five and conceding five goals in their last outing (That number 5 is appearing a lot) we can only presume that a demoralised Wigan side will be travelling to Molineux on Saturday in a game they simply have to get something out of to avoid falling into a confidence sapping pit.

Wigan are rapidly becoming a team in serious trouble after not only a poor run of results but also a dreadful set of performances. Scoring goals, surprisingly, hasn’t been much of a problem for Roberto Martinez’s side, despite the Spaniard opting for just one striker in most outings, but keeping a clean and a tidy defence has been close to impossible. Wigan may have scored a reasonable tally of 6 goals in their last five league games but they’ve shipped a frightening amount in return – 13.  

However, the Wigan C.V reads a whole lot worse when you delve into their diabolical away record. The Latics, under Roberto Martinez, have managed to notch up just two away wins all season, with their away recording standing in at 2-1-7. However, it gets a whole lot worse when I read out their dire away goal difference of negative 20. A Wigan offence led solely by a hard-working Rodellega has only managed 11 away goals this season but have shipped a mammoth 31 in return – the worst away defensive record in the league… A shared honour with Burnley.

Wigan’s performances of late have left a lot to be desired, especially in defence which is an area where Martinez has done little to bolster nor improve as of yet. Their defending at times is laughable, or cry able if you’re a Wigan fan, with a distinct lack of quality, organisation, grit, determination, effort… we could quite literally go on. Wigan, while their defence is performing this bad, are a lost cause to us and we won’t be backing them for quite some time to come. At least not until we some vast improvements in their back four.

Match Verdict: Wolverhampton Wanderers to WIN – 2.30 totesport

To be brutally honest we wouldn’t touch this game with a barge pole, such is the little appeal this match has on us. However, we have to pick a result and Wolves get the nod… only just mind. Mick McCarthy’s side have been miles better at Molineux and they often start their home games at a fast pace. If they were to sprint out of the blocks then Wigan might not be prepared for an early assault, or any assault for that matter judging by their defensive displays this season. It doesn’t have the makings of a classic but a big game nevertheless for both sides as three points would be hugely significant for the winner.

Match Odds:

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 2.30 totesport

Draw – 3.30 BlueSquare

Wigan Athletic – 3.40 BlueSquare

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Wolves/Wolves (HT/FT Betting) – 4.00 PaddyPower