David Moyes believes Wigan Athletic’s supporters would rather have stayed in the top flight than have won the FA Cup — and the West Ham United manager is not about to risk the same outcome for his team this afternoon.
Wigan shocked Manchester City to lift the trophy at Wembley in 2013 thanks to Ben Watson’s injury-time winner, only to be relegated from the Premier League a few days later. Today they host West Ham in a fourth-round tie and Moyes said: “If you went back and asked the Wigan people what they’d rather be, they’d have said [they would] rather not win the FA Cup but stay in the Premier League.”
Moyes, who completed the loan deal for the Portugal midfielder João Mário from Inter Milan yesterday, is set to prioritise the league and select a weakened side against the Sky Bet League One leaders. “The finances are far greater than anything we’d get for winning the cup. I’d like to win it, I’ve been to a final so I know what it feels like being there. If it can happen again, great, but the priority is staying in the Premier League.”
Paul Cook, the Wigan manager, claimed that the fans would never exchange a lifetime of memories from the most glorious day in the history of the club. Cook, a self-confessed Liverpool fanatic raised on glorious trips to Wembley in the 1970s and 1980s, can see things from a different perspective. The 50-year-old believes the supporters of many other clubs are desperate for a standout moment to savour — as the Wigan fans did five years ago.
“Nowadays money has overtaken football memories,” Cook said. “If that’s the case going forward then it’s not great for the game, is it?
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“Staying in the Premier League would be great but then, if you are a Wigan fan, you want those days. I’m a football fan myself and you live for those moments, and those days away. You remember them for ever.”
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Tony Cascarino: my predictions for FA Cup shocks this weekend
Peterborough United v Leicester City, today, 12.30pm, BT Sport 2
Leicester made wholesale changes against Fleetwood Town and if they do the same here they could get knocked out. Peterborough are not a bad side, and I particularly like Jack Marriott, the striker. I watched him when he played for Luton Town. He is strong, tenacious and can get a goal.
Wigan Athletic v West Ham United, today, 3pm
I think this is the most likely cup upset of the weekend. You have to fancy Wigan, who play in League One but are like a Championship side. They will give anyone a good game, as Bournemouth discovered in the last round and West Ham have a ridiculously long injury list.
Middlesbrough v Brighton & Hove Albion, today, 3pm
Tony Pulis has a very good squad at Middlesbrough. Unless he fields a much-weakened side — which he used to do at West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup — I expect a Middlesbrough win. Brighton’s defence is struggling at the moment, especially
with set pieces.
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Cardiff City v Manchester City, tomorrow, 4pm, BBC One
While you have to favour Manchester City here, there is something about Neil Warnock’s Cardiff team that makes this an intriguing match, which will be played in front of a sold-out stadium. Warnock, below, says that he will play his strongest side, and their directness will cause the Premier League leaders problems.