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Wigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney has sent out a stern warning to Manchester United ahead of their FA Cup third-round meeting at the DW Stadium on January 8. The Latics are prepared to fight for a place in the next round of the competition they won 11 years ago.
The FA Cup represents the only remaining realistic opportunity for Manchester United to win a title this season after their poor performances. They've been eliminated from the EFL Cup and the UEFA Champions League and are eighth in the Premier League. The Red Devils will be under a lot of pressure to overcome their poor form and avoid a colossal upset.
Manchester United will come into the clash against the League One side as heavy favourites to go through, but the Latics' manager has issued a battle cry. Shaun Maloney, an FA Cup winner with Wigan in 2013, will be in the dugout and has revealed that his side will change nothing.
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He said via Manchester Evening News:
"When you play against a team two divisions above, you have to be aware of the talent they have so how we defend will have to be different to how we defend in League One.
"But I still have to give the players belief and I'm not going to change how we play when we have the ball, just because we play someone so much different."
Wigan are 17th in League One, but know a thing or two about an FA Cup upset. They defeated Roberto Mancini's Manchester City in the final to win the cup back in 2013.
Erik ten Hag and his Manchester United side will be extremely wary of Maloney and his Wigan side on Monday. The Latics will aim to exploit the soft underbelly shown on occasion by the Red Devils.
A tally of 14 defeats in 28 games across competitions for United is enough motivation for Wigan to have a go at the Red Devils. They will be under no pressure whatsoever when they face Ten Hag's side for the first time since 2017.
Manchester United favourites despite inconsistent form
No Manchester United fan, not even the most pessimistic one, perhaps believes that Wigan Athletic stands a chance against them. The Red Devils, who sit eighth in the Premier League, are overwhelming favorites to reach the fourth round.
Ten Hag's side lost their last Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground to bring up 14 defeats so far this season. They will be keen to avoid another defeat, this time against the League One side.
The United manager will hope that his side find the form that they have shown in flashes this season to dispatch Wigan. Failure to qualify for the fourth round of the competition will likely spell doom for the Dutch manager at the club.
