By Eye Of The Tiger
October 3 2009

Hull welcome Wigan to the Kc this weekend after a 6-1 hammering away to Liverpool last weekend which has left The Tigers which left them 19th in the table with a -13 goal difference. Wigan on the other hand are 10th and beat Chelsea 3-1 last weekend.

TEAM NEWS

Hull could welcome back Anthony Gardner who has missed the last 4 games with a knee injury. Liam Cooper is doubtful with a hamstring strain, but Steven Mouyokolo returns to the squad. Jimmy Bullard is still not quite ready and Ian Ashbee and Richard Garcia Remain sidelined with knee injuries.

Wigan are at full strength except for the absence of Oliver Kapo so could name the same side that beat Chelsea.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Up until last weekend's 6-1 loss to Liverpool, Hull's record Premier League defeat was 5-0 against Wigan at the KC Stadium last season.

• Hull have not beaten Wigan at home since a 3-1 victory at Boothferry Park in the third tier of English football in April 1985.

• Current assistant boss Brian Horton was player-manager that day. Steve Massey, Stan McEwan and Billy Whitehurst scored the goals, with former England manager Steve McClaren also in the Tigers line-up.

Hull

• The Tigers have secured just two wins and picked up only 12 points during 2009.

• Phil Brown's side have also suffered more defeats (17), scored fewer goals (17) and conceded more goals (46) than any other Premier League club during this time period.

• The Tigers have failed to score more than once in 24 of 25 top-flight games since the turn of the year.

Wigan

• Wigan are looking for back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season and only the second time in 2009; having beaten Sunderland and Hull last March.

• The Lactics were one of only four teams to do the double over Hull last season, the others being Manchester United, Aston Villa and Sunderland.

• Five of Wigan's seven Premier League games

"There's some tough decisions going to have to be made with regards to team selection, there's no doubt about that,"

"There's some tough decisions going to have to be made with regards to the way we play as well.

"I saw Wigan play Chelsea last week and they equipped themselves very well against a very good team. Wigan will be coming to the KC Stadium with a new-found confidence and a belief that they can get the points.

"There's been a lot of talk about our next six games and four of them are at home. But that means nothing if you don't win the first one, so we're not looking any further ahead than Wigan.

"We've made a slow start this season and confidence is not at a premium at the moment. The support that we're getting is not at a premium at the moment, but it's a two-way street and we understand that.

"Any success we've had in the last two-and-a-half years has been based on clean sheets and a clean sheet mentality. I think that has gone out of the window (recently).

"Wigan boast a decent front line that scored three goals against Chelsea last weekend. It's not just going to be about our back four and the goalkeeper (on Saturday), it's about the people in front of them as well.

"If we can get back to having ten or eleven defenders when we haven't got the ball, that is the kind of discipline I'm after."

ROBERTO MARTINEZ

"Mentally we shouldn't fear anybody, which will help to compete against anyone in the Premier League," said Martinez.

"The moment you drop your standards you get punished and we need to be aware of that on Saturday.

"Last weekend was a sign of what we are capable of, and we need to concentrate on what's in front of us now, and be aware that the game against Hull City will be a completely different test.

"From our point of view we've had a lot of credit for the Chelsea win which is fantastic, but if we don't carry that on this weekend it will mean nothing.

"Hull City are a group of players who are better than their results have shown; they've had a tough start to the season, already playing the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, and also have a lot of good players who have been there a short time waiting to click. We need to make sure they don't do that against us.

"We have to stay level-headed and remember that there are certain things we can do better that we didn't do against Chelsea.

"We'll have to adapt to the challenge we've got, and they're obviously playing on the back of a huge disappointment at Liverpool, and they'll want to bounce back in front of their fans."

The gaffer also revealed the areas of the game he expects to throw up differences to last weekend's contest, and stressed the importance of continuing the progress Latics are making week-by-week.

He said; "The method of play never changes, but your approach does.

"We're going to find it harder to get on the ball, harder to get possession, and it's going to be a real fight to earn the right to get hold of the ball.

"I think there will be a lot of 50-50 balls to contest, and a lot of incidents we need to be first in. Those little battles we need to win will be the big difference from last weekend's game.

"They have done magnificently to stay in the Premier League and I'm sure we'll have to be ready for a hostile atmosphere from their crowd.

"We need to carry on with our standards and keep doing the good things we've been doing this season so far."