Weekend Preview - Man Utd v Wigan

The 40 point safety mark has become more of a myth than the requisite standard in the Premiership in the last few years but still teams who were expected to struggle before the season began feel a sense of comfort once its reached. Paul Jewell is already amongst the front runners for manager of the season but it could still go badly enough to really take the gloss off. The Latics have their 40 points in the bag and a win over Man Utd in the Carling Cup final could make it difficult for Jewell to motivate his players for the run in but silverware, a UEFA Cup spot and Premiership safety would be a massive achievement for nearly any club let alone one which was playing 3rd tier football only 4 years ago and realistically would have been happy with finishing 4th from bottom.Man Utd's FA cup defeat at Anfield now leaves them with only one chance of avoiding a 2nd trophyless season in a row. The prawn sandwich munching masses of Old Trafford will undoubtedly dismiss the Carling Cup as a meaningless competition should they lose but you know as well as I do that they are desperate for a win and this desperation is where it could all go wrong. Wigan perfectly fulfil the old cliché of the underdogs with nothing to lose, something which they've been making the most of ever since coming within seconds of grabbing a shock draw against the champions in their Premiership debut and it's not just wishful thinking on my part to suggest that they're in with a real chance this Sunday. The return of Camara was a big factor in their draw with Spurs, not as big a factor as Johansson's brace of course and with Jason Roberts returning from suspension Jewell will have options in attack that are more than capable of causing problems for a still unsettled Utd back line. Camara has the pace to trouble even the speedy Ferdinand and the powerful Roberts has proven a handful to Premiership defences all year while Johansson's 3 goals in 3 games has given the manager a tough choice for Sunday. We can't forget what happened when these two sides met earlier in the season but it was the final game in what was probably one of the toughest run of games for any side and Man Utd are going to need to be at their attacking best to achieve any kind of victory, another 4-0 thrashing just isn't on the cards for me. The horrific injury to Alan Smith leaves Ferguson with an even bigger headache in the centre of midfield, even at his best Ryan Giggs would be satisfactory at best in this role and no matter how long Alex persists with Fletcher I'll never be convinced. What Giggs does offer is an extra attacking option and without a real ball winner keeping Wigan on the back foot will be key. Ronaldo looked to be back on form but an anonymous display v Liverpool was another reminder of how he can go missing in big games. He'll be needed to take the pressure off Rooney and Van Nistlerooy, if these two are forced back into the midfield or out to the wings to get a touch on the ball you'll know Wigan are doing well. Unlike many recent domestic cup finals I envisage an open an exciting game here with both sides getting on the scoresheet. Wigan at 5/1 in 90 mins are more than worth a punt, stay away from the 0-0 scoreline but the 2-2 draw at 16/1 really appeals to me. Van Nistlerooy is always an obvious choice to score first but when you have Camara and Roberts both at 9/1 I'd certainly rather a gamble on either of the Wigan pair. Finally with the propensity of modern day finals to go to penalties we'll give you 10/1 on the Reds and 11/1 on the Latics to lift the trophy following a shoot-out. Bet on this match with Paddy Power and get a free ten pound bet!