Wigan Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[chrissivad]

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Wigan v Tottenham

Venue: DW Stadium Date: Sunday, 21 February 2010 Kick-off: 1615 GMT

Coverage: Live on Sky Sports, BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio & highlights on Match of the Day 2

For more details on coverage please check out Geez's Live Media Thread Click Here

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Latics seek revenge for 9-1 reverse
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Wigan have the chance to exact revenge on Tottenham for their 9-1 drubbing at White Hart Lane in November.

Spurs striker Jermain Defoe was the star of the show with five goals the last time the sides met in one of the season's most astonishing matches.
Supporters will hope Sunday's clash at the DW Stadium provides a similar amount of excitement and Roberto Martinez's Latics will be determined to prove a point to their opponents as they start again on a level playing field.
The state of the Wigan pitch is in fact a major talking point after the mud-sodden surface contributed to a poor encounter when Bolton visited in midweek.
Wigan ground out a goalless draw to inch further clear of the relegation zone but they remain in trouble after claiming just one victory from their past 11 games.
Wigan have at least become harder to break down in recent weeks, although they could be without key centre-back Titus Bramble after he was forced off against the Trotters.
Bramble has a hamstring injury and if he does not recover in time is likely to be replaced by Emmerson Boyce in defence.
Another option would be to drop Paul Scharner back from midfield but Martinez may decide he wants to tinker with his side as little as possible.
Bolivian forward Marcelo Moreno could be given another chance to impress after making his first start on Wednesday, but Jason Scotland and Victor Moses are also in contention to line up alongside leading scorer Hugo Rodallega.
Spurs news

Tottenham would not appear to be in the sort of form to deliver another demolition job after stalling in their push for a top-four finish.
Harry Redknapp's men have slipped back to sixth after collecting just two points from their past three matches, while they were also held to a 1-1 draw by Bolton in the FA Cup last week.
Aaron Lennon, who linked up so devastatingly with Defoe in the 9-1 triumph, has been sidelined since December with a groin injury and is not quite ready to return.
Ledley King (knee) will require a late check and Jermaine Jenas is also doubtful due to a groin problem.
Younes Kaboul and Kyle Walker are available again after being cup-tied last week and Redknapp could decide to make changes in both defence and midfield.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (groin), Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and Carlo Cudicini (wrist and pelvis) are all still sidelined.



PREDICTIONS

Skysports.com prediction: 1-2

SKY BET odds: Wigan 11/4, Draw 12/5, Tottenham evens

One to Watch: Jermain Defoe
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BBC Preview

Wigan's Titus Bramble is unlikely to shake off the hamstring injury he picked up against Bolton in midweek.

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Aside from that Roberto Martinez only has concerns over Steve Gohouri and Richard Kingson.
Tottenham remain without winger Aaron Lennon, but manager Harry Redknapp announced this week that his groin injury does not require surgery.
Ledley King may be saved for the FA Cup replay with Bolton on Wednesday and Jermaine Jenas faces a late test.


Wigan
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured: Bramble and Gohouri (both hamstring), Kingson (muscle tear)

Tottenham
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Jenas (groin)
Injured/unavailable: Assou-Ekotto (hip), Cudicini (broken wrists), Lennon & Woodgate (both groin)


MATCH PREVIEW
You can get odds of 500-1 on either side managing a repeat of the 9-1 scoreline Tottenham racked up in the reverse fixture in November.
But Tottenham's magic touch in front of goal has deserted them of late and Wigan have only scored more than one goal in a league match once since mid-December.

Tottenham's travails away from home, and their distinct lack of goals, is a concern for manager Harry Redknapp. Shorn of the injured Aaron Lennon, sides have worked Tottenham's tactics out and the lack of a decent supply line to Jermain Defoe and close marking of Peter Crouch has seen Spurs score just once away from home in their last four league matches.
Earlier this week Redknapp bemoaned his side's lack of a Frank Lampard figure who can weigh in with 20 goals a season, not surprising given that his central midfield duo of Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios have scored just two league goals between them this term.
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez says his side must "cash in" on their home fixtures if they are to steer clear of the relegation zone.
Easier said than done when the surface at the DW Stadium has been churned up by a combination of bad weather, football and the start of the rugby league season. It is not likely to be conducive to the passing game both sides like to play, so a 9-1 scoreline looks like a bet definitely worth avoiding.

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MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Tottenham's 9-1 win over Wigan in November was their biggest-ever win in the top-flight.
• The five goals Jermain Defoe notched in that match equalled the most goals scored in one Premier League game, previously achieved by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.
• The clubs met for the first time in their history in 2005 in Wigan's first season in the Premier League. They have now met 10 times, Tottenham have five wins and Wigan earned their first win last season, a 1-0 victory at home.


Wigan
• Wigan's only win in their last 11 league matches was against Wolves on 16 January.
• The Latics' last home league win was against Sunderland on 28 November.
• Wigan have conceded 49 league goals this season - only Burnley (50) and Hull (51) have worse records.


Tottenham
• Tottenham have only scored three goals in the league in 2010 and their only victory in six league matches came at home against Fulham.
• Spurs have not been lower than sixth position all season.
• Tottenham have not won in any competition since August after failing to score in the first half, which is a run of 29 games.


LEADING GOALSCORERS
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Wigan
Rodallega: 7 goals (7 league); N'Zogbia: 6 goals (4 league).....

Tottenham
Defoe: 21 goals (15 league); Crouch 10 goals (5 league)........

Referee: Alan Wiley
Assistant referees: Mick McDonough & Jeremy Simpson
Fourth official: Mark Clattenburg




MOST RECENT MEETING

Tottenham 9-1 Wigan (22 November 2009)
Tottenham scorers: Crouch 9, Defoe 51, 54, 58, 69, 87, Lennon 64, Bentley 88, Kranjcar 90
Wigan scorer: Scharner 57

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Wigan Vs Tottenham Number of Goals Specials

 

[PT]

Well wouldn't it be dandy if Defoe led the way to another three points tomorrow?

 

[DC_Boy]

it amazes me that we're such strong favourites to win this game

i'd have thought ours and wigan's chances were quite similar, maybe us slightly more likely to win

but an evens chance compared to 11/4 - don't see that at all

 

[bern]

It will probably go tits up the way things are going.

 

[gibbs131]

Can we have one of those games where everything goes in again please? We have been so unlucky with keepers finding form etc etc.

 

[Wellspurs]

Is Bramble fit? I'm not sure it will be good news or not.

 

[Wellspurs]

Can we have one of those games where everything goes in again please? We have been so unlucky with keepers finding form etc etc.

If every chance had gone in it would have been 15...remember it was only 1-0 at half time!

 

[fazza]

This is another banana skin of a game, never mind about 9-1, that was a fluke result, I think we will draw this game 1-1, I just don't fancy us to win these games anymore, Wolves, Stoke, Hull etc.

 

[brett.spurs]

Not confident at all.

 

[nightgoat]

We need to play like we did second half against Bolton, rather than the first... Whether or not we actually do is another matter...

 

[camaj]

Can we have one of those games where everything goes in again please? We have been so unlucky with keepers finding form etc etc.

It's easy to be in form when you hit it straight at the keeper! I wish people wouldn't blindly repeat this nonsense. Our finishing has been poor and we/harry would rather just make an excuse. I don't think any of the keepers have pulled off anything but routine or good saves, nothing amazing or world class

 

[ajspurs]

If we are to continue with our typical Spurs ways, after winning this tie 9-1 previously and with people betting we will win this also, we will definitely lose.

I agree with camaj, we haven't put our chances away at all, Defoe should have put us 1-0 up against Villa and Kranjacar against Wolves also, could have been the difference between getting 6 points from those rather than the 1 that we got.

Despite our possession though, we actually haven't created a great deal of chances for our strikers at all, I think us constantly aiming for Crouch's head is one of the reasons, hopefully we'll start with Pav or Gud tomorrow.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Lets hope for a turn of the tide today. COYS

 

[spurs_viola]

As someone has pointed out on another thread, Wigan rugby team has played away this weekend (them too, huh :wink and the pitch should hopefully be in a better condition because of that and will not "dictate the need" for long ball to Crouchy tactics.

Also, would like to note that yesterday has been a very good day for the other Russian players in EPL, especially for Bilyaletdinov and Zhirkov who were both heavily involved in goal action - so it would have been a good motivational move to play Pavlyuchenko this weekend. He follows his compatriots here keenly and they all keep in touch all the time, so he would be even more up for it. Another 90 min on the bench would be even more demoralising after this weekend.

 

[worcestersauce]

I read yesterday that our form since the end of August has been no better than Everton and Birmingham the trouble is that their better form has been recent and ours hasn't so we really go into this game much nearer to Wigan than our league position suggests. I wonder which team will turn up the one from the first half against Bolton or the one from the second half?

 

[nedley]

Biggest game of the season:grin:

COYS

 

[Raxscallion]

This is a must win game!

;-)


I honestly expect us to be disappointing and lose. In fact, I expect us to complete the season with a flourish of mid-table mediocrity.

So at least anything better'll be a nice surprise!

 

[fazza]

I must admit to being very angry at the moment with Harry and the team, we were in a great position and looked a real contender for that 4th spot, now we just look like typical Tottenham of the last 18 years, the so nearly outfit that always fails when it matters, the legends of the premiership, the unlucky ones.

Am I the only one sick to death with this constant problem, it doesn't matter who the manager is, who the players are, it always happens like some kind of mystical curse, who the fuck broke so many mirrors 20 years ago??

 

[karennina]

This is the one where I'm expecting us to turn it around - as Jim Duggan used to say, we have stronger players than them in every area of the pitch, and we've had quite enough of losing (points) to inferior opposition. No reason to give the players / harry any excuses in advance this time, they have to find a way.

 

[Raxscallion]

I must admit to being very angry at the moment with Harry and the team, we were in a great position and looked a real contender for that 4th spot, now we just look like typical Tottenham of the last 18 years, the so nearly outfit that always fails when it matters, the legends of the premiership, the unlucky ones.

Am I the only one sick to death with this constant problem, it doesn't matter who the manager is, who the players are, it always happens like some kind of mystical curse, who the fuck broke so many mirrors 20 years ago??

Exactly. We've tried changing the manager. We've tried changing the players. We've tried changing the strip. We're in the process of changing the stadium. The only thing we haven't tried changing is the name. We need something scarier than Tottenham Hotspur.

I propose the North London Badass Mofos Brap Brap Y'Getme Blud