[fasteddy]

West Ham vs Wigan


Wigan have both Roberts and Camara in great form. The fact that the defence can be a bit porous lately is a worry, especially after taking a good lead. Seems as though they lose concentration when out in front...something I am sure Paul Jewell will have been at pains to point out, and correct before this clash.

Wigan are 4-0-4 7:10 : 'away' games...ranked 8th
West Ham are 4-1-3 14:10 : 'home' games..ranked 12th

When Wigan came up against Arsenal after going 6-0-0 , it was the beginning of the toughest run for any club in the league programme: Arse, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manyoo. Not surprisingly they went 5-0-0.
The fact that as soon as they were faced with a game with another club outside of that group and they were back on track: Charlton 3-0. Man City 4-3....shows you what a talented group they are.
They score goals and have an amazing sense of self belief, regardless of whether they lose or not. That's the key to their success: team spirit.

West Ham have been playing well this season...maybe better than even their fans thought possible.
Pardew has done very well with his squad and the recent form of Zamora paired with Harewood has brought its rewards.
But they haven't been able to get a decent winning run going, with only once winning games back to back.

Both these sides are very much 2nd half performers ranked 4th and 5th respectively...so we should be in for a roaring 2nd 45mins.

West Ham are a very attacking minded side , but with the loss of midfield playmaker Benayoun and right back Tomas Repka , they are minus a bit of their usual edge.
Hayden Mullins, Matthew Etherington and Paul Konchesky are doubts also , so Pardew is limited in his choice.

Wigan have no injury worries, so they can field a settled group and go about their business as usual. Considering the hectic fixture list it is important to be able to rest some players , but if you are being forced thru injuries then it's different...I'm sure Pardew would like to make the choice of who plays rather than have it made for him.

Wigan gettin +0.25 is a very generous gift...I accept with thanks!