This is Wigan we're talking about! Predictions? Hah!
I know what I want to happen - wins over Southampton and Reading plus three points away to a Chelsea side who're not playing very well and who we owe for last season's two offside goals (plus the kidney punch on Maloney). But what's likely?
Southampton are playing well and seem to be responding to their new manager's all out attacking philosophy. They'll see that three points away to us would do them all sorts of favours. they'll be well up for this, but even if they win - and they easily could - I think that'll worka against them. A bit like West Ham they'll begin to imagine that they've "done enough". I expect both Southampton and West Ham to be in a relegation battle come May, regardless of what happens on Saturday. My prediction? As usual it hinges on Gomez. If he plays we won't win. We've only won one of his starts this season, against Reading. Bobby tends to start him in games he thinks are winnable, which we then go on and lose (mostly). Think Sunderland (twice), Fulham, QPR (a draw), Norwich, Newcastle. We've had him for four seasons, he adds next to nothing. When will we learn? I dunno. So - Bobby started him alongside Maloney last home game to Sunderland which we duly lost. Please Bobby, do what you've done for the last three seasons, stop playing him and we'll get out of trouble.
Chelsea away he won't play him but our problem there will be defensive. We're shipping goals - we miss Ramis and Alcaraz so badly - but Bobby could play an interesting back five of Caldwell, Lopez and Golobart with Figs and Boyce on the wings. Two Jimmy Macs plus Roger - could we hold out for a draw?
Reading away is another massive game but the one I feel most confident about strangely. Simply put its this. When Wigan Athletic play well we're better than the entire bottom half of the league. Better than Sunderland, Newcastle, Southampton, Stoke, Villa, Norwich - whatever. When we put it together we're a match for anyone - and I expect the importance of the game to be too much for Reading. Wigan will thrive on that - as we so often have done in the past - and i expect us to put them away.