MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 21:58:23| >> :600:118817:118817:
[monks data]
Leeds logo
Championship
Dec 26, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Wigan logo

0-2

FT(HT: 0-1)
Cooper (11' og.), McClean (83')

Preview: Leeds United vs. Wigan Athletic

Sports Mole gazes ahead to the Boxing Day Championship clash between two struggling sides, Leeds United and Wigan Athletic.

Malky Mackay is still searching for his first victory as Wigan Athletic manager, and the next chance to end his dismal start as Latics boss comes at Leeds United on Boxing Day.

The Scottish manager began his reign with an encouraging 1-1 draw at home to high-flying Middlesbrough, but since then Wigan have lost four games in a row and are bottom but one in the Championship and six points from safety.

Saturday's home defeat to fellow strugglers Rotherham United was the worst of the lot and Mackay will be hoping for a big response at Elland Road.

Their away displays this season do not point to a win, though, as the Latics have won just once on the road all season, collecting a league-low five points on their travels.

Mackay is sure to flex his muscles in the upcoming January transfer window and a striker could be top of his wishlist as the likes of Roger Espinoza and James McClean have started up front in the recent defeats to Watford and Rotherham.

Leeds's away points haul is only one better than Wigan's, but they do have a top-10 home record with 18 points from 11 games at Elland Road.

The Whites enter the match as one of the teams just above the drop zone in 18th place following Saturday evening's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest, and have just two wins in their last 14 games.

While the draw at the City Ground was a decent result on the pitch, bad news continues to pile up off it. The Massimo Cellino ownership saga rumbles on, while defender Giuseppe Bellusci has been charged with using racist language towards Norwich City's Cameron Jerome by the Football Association.

Italian defender Bellusci hasn't played in almost a month because of injury, but he is back in training and expected to be fit for the visit of Wigan.

Leeds have an excellent Boxing Day home record in recent years, losing just once in 11 matches back in 1996 to Coventry City, while Wigan have never won a Boxing Day game in the second tier.

Leeds:

Recent form: WLWLLD

Possible starting lineup: Silvestri; Byram, Pearce, Cooper, Warnock; Cook, Bianchi, Mowatt; Adryan, Antenucci, Sharp

Wigan:

Recent form: LDLLLL

Possible starting lineup: Carson; Perch, Boyce, Barnett, Taylor; McCann, Watson; McManaman, Cowie, McClean, Fortune

Sports Mole says: 2-1


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Troy Deeney of Watford celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Blackburn Rovers at Vicarage Road on March 25, 2014
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leicester CityLeicester443041086394794
2Leeds UnitedLeeds44279880374390
3Ipswich TownIpswich432611685533289
4Southampton442591085612484
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4420121267442372
6Norwich CityNorwich442191477611672
7Hull City441912136556969
8Coventry CityCoventry4317121468551363
9Middlesbrough44189176460463
10Preston North EndPreston44189175661-563
11Cardiff CityCardiff44195205061-1162
12Bristol City441611175147459
13Sunderland44168205251156
14Swansea CitySwansea441511185762-556
15Watford441217155958153
16Millwall441411194355-1253
17Stoke CityStoke441311204460-1650
18Queens Park RangersQPR441311204157-1650
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn441310215874-1649
20Plymouth ArgylePlymouth441212205869-1148
21Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds44138233968-2947
22Birmingham CityBirmingham441210224864-1646
23Huddersfield TownHuddersfield44917184774-2744
RRotherham UnitedRotherham44412283285-5324


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