Wigan at City

Talking about Joel, how's he doing over there?

Joel came into the team for the FA Cup tie at Everton and has played very well. His distribution is exceptional.

He kept his place until the semi-final. I don't know who Martinez will choose tomorrow night.

Martinez has a full squad to choose from, with no new injury problems.

He will take into account Sunday's FA Cup semi-final - and no doubt next Saturday's game at West Ham - before settling on his starting eleven.

It's a tough fixture. City have lost just one home match in the League in the last two seasons - and that was to Manchester United.

They have scored in their last 46 home league matches and have won the last six meetings between the two clubs without conceding a goal.

But Wigan are not completely without hope. They have lost just one of their last six away matches in the Premier League.

They are undefeated in their last five away Cup and League games - counting the semi-final - with an impressive aggregate goal count of 2 against and 13 for.

I'd like to avoid a heavy defeat at City and turn out a full strength team at West Ham on Saturday.

Stats are there to be broken. Really hope you guys manage to escape the drop - you're leaving it late again this year.

Wouldn't you like to have a trouble-free end of season for once, or have you actually grown to enjoy the agony?

It is worrying - there aren't any inconsequential mid-table clashes at Wigan. Still, there are several candidates for relegation this year, including Stoke and Norwich.

I'd rather have a trip to Cardiff next season than some distant outpost of football in eastern Europe. However, the trip to Wembley for the semi-finals was fantastic - we should do it more often!

No offence intended, but in view of the size of the club and of others in English football, it's likely that Wigan will go down sooner or later.

I hope that doesn't happen for a long time yet, but when it does I reckon you'll cherish the memories of reaching (winning?) an FA Cup final and of competing in Europe that much more.

It has been something of a miracle to survive for so long.

You can build a very respectable team from the players Wigan have sold. And every sale requires a replacement. If that replacement isn't a success, then it jeopardises the future of Wigan. That's what happened with the purchase of Boselli.

Several players reach the end of their contracts this year and could move on. It takes time to get new players to gel. And in due course Martinez will move on too.

Damn, you looked to be heading for a good point there. Unlucky.

So close!

Perhaps Moses or N'Zogbia could have created a goal.

Here's a team of former Wigan players who left for bigger clubs;

Roy Carroll
Pascal Chimbonda Mario Melchiot Titus Bramble Leighton Baines
Antonio Valencia Lee Cattermole Mohammed Diame Charles N'Zogbia
Hugo Rodallega Victor Moses

Subs; Ryan Taylor Wilson Palacios Lee McCulloch Jimmy Bullard Jason Koumas Jason Roberts

It's the damnation of selling clubs. You have to be very well managed, have a good scouting system and have a cear idea of what you need to keep up with the pace.