Thank God. Unless we step into a time machine and are able to go back in time to when they had replay after replay after replay, this will be the last time that we have to play Wigan this season. And, if we’re lucky, for at least a season after that.
Vital Quotes:
‘It’s fair to say that I will freshen up the team and at this moment I envisage six changes from the team that started on Sunday. We will do that because there are few that put so much into the game against Everton, but equally I believe that we have very good players in the squad who are waiting to show their qualities. hey have to go and show the belief that I have in them and deliver when they cross that white line. We will go there, be really positive and look to progress and earn a last 16 tie at Fulham on Sunday.‘
St Owen gives some of our professional sportsmen a day off. Hang on. It’s on Sunday. Why are we resting players then?
‘I see it as a great opportunity to increase the squad of players we are going to have available until the end of the season. Places are up for grabs because the position we are in the table does not guarantee anyone a place in the starting line-up. It is quite clear who needs to have the chance to play and every game is an opportunity for any player to show what they can do and how much they want to be involved until the end of the season. It is an important game we can perform well in and add players into the final run-in.’
Bobby Martinez. It means he’ll be playing his kids.
Wigan Athletic Team News:
Big Al can’t play against us, again, so Mike Pollitt should step into net considering how well he has played against us so far.
Callum McManaman, Hendry Thomas, Adrian Lopez, Tom Cleverley and Jordi Gomez may all feature.
Player to watch: Tom Cleverley
The Man Utd loanee has performed well in his time at the JJDW, and it was no secret that St Owen wanted him to come to us in the summer. He’s scored three goals this seasnon from fifteen league appearances.
I would have put Mike Pollitt, but I’m not falling for that again.
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
Six changes eh? That’ll mean Wheater, Klasnic, Moreno, Cohen, Petrov and Bogdan? Zat Knight is out for four to six weeks and Danny Sturridge is cup tied.
Player to watch: Rodrigo Moreno
On the wing or up front, I’ve called for the young Spaniard to be given some game time to prove what he can do. Or maybe St Owen isn’t playing him in the vague hope that Benfica will forget we’ve got him.
Match Facts & Stats
Before the initial game, Bolton and Wigan had never met in the FA Cup before, but have met in other competitions. The first was the Associate Members Cup Northern Final in 1986 (That’s the Johnstone Paints Trophy for our younger viewers) in a 3-1 aggregate win.
That, however, remains our one and only victory in cup games as Wigan have beaten us in the three times we’ve met since, a 5-4 aggregate loss in the first round of the 1987-88 League Cup, a 1-0 home loss in the 1989-90 Associate Members Cup and a 2-0 loss in the 2004-05 League Cup Quarter Final.
Three draws from three this season may tell you where this game is heading tonight.
Ref Watch:
Ickle Michael Oliver took charge of our 2-0 loss at Stoke, where he booked Zat and Muamba. He’s 25, but as they used to say, if your old enough here’s a whistle, time to get sworn at.
Match Prediction:
2-0. Because I just couldn’t take anything else.
Next Fixtures:
Fulham away on Sunday in the fifth round. Who’s in?