Match Preview: West Ham United vs Wigan Athletic

The game is upon us, does anyone care? Well I don't think many Wigan fans do, if you do let me know and I will change this. Really we want to see an improved League form, that though can only happen after a win against Sunderland this weekend. But before all that, lets have a look at what is happening in the next 24 hours regarding Wigan.

That of course is a game at Upton Park where we will face West Ham United in a show down to get into the fourth round of the Capital One Cup. Do we want to? Well it can always help to get a cup run, it always boots morale and increases fan support, especially with the opportunity for silverware. Yet in the league cup, youth teams are used and it is often that we get anywhere.

Last season we fell in the first round to Crystal Place after a poor performances. This season, we comfortably beat a Nottingham Forest side 4-1 and it gave us hope of a cup run. Then we got the draw of West Ham United, now we all groan as we know it is likely to be a waste of 90 minutes.

Players could get injured and they will get tired, then on the flip side it gives time for the younger and second string players to get in the action.

The starting 11 is likely to include players returning from injury (Antolin Alcaraz) and then some of our up and coming players (Callum McManaman and Ryo Miyaichi), the the second string players will come in (Ronnie Stam and co).

So it will more or less be the same side that played Nottingham Forest, with McManaman and Miyaichi coming in for Crusat and Gomez. The two players would change the complexity of the side with more youth bounce and hopefully the spark that we missed against Fulham to score some goals.

West Ham United will more than likely throw everything they have at us to win the game. The man who we will need to watch will be Modibo Maiga who played against Crewe in the last round for them. The player was linked with Wigan during the summer, and he has shown how he can handle himself in the Premier League with his strength and ball control which are important at this level.

Of course all of this depends on who plays for either team, one thing you can predict, is that West Ham will have the wind in their sails with their superior league form and the home crowd behind them. While we will deflated and looking to get a win to start a run of our own. Is that possible?

Well we have a mixed luck at Upton Park. We win some, we lose some. Our last encounter their (in 2010) saw us lose the game as West Ham United tried to save themselves from the drop. Of course we now know that it was futile, but at the time they were starting to build together a run that looked like seeing them safe.

Yet two years later, and with more new players than you can shake a stick at. It is likely to be a usual Wigan vs West Ham match, full of passion and with both teams looking for the win. In recent history, these games very rarely end in draws and I wouldn't expect one here.

Progression to the next round for Wigan? That can only be said once the game is done, this really is a cup game and either side could win.