Winning promotion straight back to the Championship this season is the undoubted aim for manager Gary Caldwell and the club, but would a good cup run help or hinder Wigan’s cause?
Over the past few seasons, League One clubs, well, primarily Bradford and Sheffield United, have caused several notable upsets in the cups.
Bradford reached the final of the League Cup in 2013 and knocked out Wigan on penalties in the fourth round. The Bantams also had an enjoyable run in the FA Cup last season.
Sheffield United, meanwhile, reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 2014 before losing a thriller to Hull City and then got to the same stage of the Capital One Cup last season before being knocked out by Tottenham after pushing the Premier League club close over two legs.
But, for all their exploits in the cup, neither Bradford nor Sheffield United were able to end any of those seasons by winning promotion to the Championship.
So what should Wigan’s approach be this season, especially in the League Cup, which comes after the first league game of the season?
The League Cup has not been a particularly rewarding competition for Wigan in recent seasons since reaching the final back in 2006. Last year, Wigan lost 2-1 away to Burton in the first round and were beaten 5-0 at Manchester City the year before in the third round. However, that was their first game in the competition due to playing in the Europa League.
Wigan have shown form in the FA Cup, beating City in the final in 2013 and then reaching the semi-finals the year later as a Championship club before losing to Arsenal.
Of all the clubs in the lower two divisions, Wigan are as well placed as any to reach the latter stages, even if they will be outsiders in the overall League Cup betting.
Caldwell has even signed a player who knows about causing an upset in the competition as well after bringing in Will Grigg, who scored twice in MK Dons’ thrashing of Manchester United last season, from Brentford.
Standing in Wigan’s way first of all is a home tie with Bury on Tuesday, August 11. The two clubs have not played each other since Boxing Day 2001, but Wigan are unbeaten in six games against Bury.
Their only previous encounter in the League Cup, though, saw Bury win both legs way back in 1983.
It’s clearly a tie that Wigan are more than capable of winning, especially as there were two divisions between the clubs last season.
Winning the League Cup is an unlikely achievement, but with the first two rounds of the competition to be played in August, it’s an early opportunity for Wigan to build some momentum.
With the need to lift confidence after last season’s relegation, picking up an extra couple of wins in the Capital One Cup can help Caldwell’s squad to enjoy a positive start.
Promotion is the goal this season, but writing off the other competitions is a dangerous tactic and the advantages to be gained from beating other teams, especially those from the same division, in cups should not be under-estimated.
