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Gomez confident of giant killing
Jordi Gomez
JORDI Gomez readily admits the number of world-class individuals in the Tottenham Hotspur line-up makes them formidable opponents tomorrow night.
But the Spaniard is still confident that Wigan Athletic have what it takes to come together and slay the giant. Any team on the planet would be happy to have the likes of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Gafael van der Vaart on their books.
While acknowledging the quality of the Tottenham stars, Gomez believes Latics can come away from White Hart Lane with the three points.
But only if they concentrate on the job in hand – and not be too overawed by the big names on the Spurs team sheet.
“All of their players are very good players, international players, who can win games on their own,” Gomez told the Evening Post. “But we have to work as a team to try to nullify their threat – and it can be done. Yes, they have great players, but they are only human beings at the end of the day and you can’t afford to build them up too high.
“If you go on to the field thinking ‘I am playing against so-and-so, he’s great’, your own game is affected and that’s not good.
“You have to concentrate on your own game only, and think of them as opponents and not supermen.”
Latics need only look to last season’s 1-0 victory at White Hart Lane for inspiration going into the game.
And Gomez believes a positive result would give the team a great boost heading into February and March – and eight ‘winnable’ fixtures that will make or break the season.
“We had a good result there last season, which shows we can go to the homes of the top teams and come away with a win,” the former Espanyol and Swansea man reasoned.
“That will give us a great deal of confidence going into this game and hopefully we can repeat that result.
“Despite recent results, there is still a great deal of confidence in the dressing room that we can turn things round.
“We know we didn’t play very well at QPR, but that was only one game and we have plenty of other chances to prove we belong in this division.
“We know things don’t look good at the moment, but there are 16 games left and we have to try to win as many games as possibly to stay in the Premier League.
“That could turn out being six, seven, maybe eight – I don’t know.
“But all we can do is focus on the next one and try to win that.
“Tottenham will be a hard game but, after that, there is a run of eight matches where we are playing against teams that are around us or where we want to be in the league table.
“And that run will give us a perfect opportunity to try to pick up as many points as we can to stay up.”
The visit to Spurs is one of the glamour trips of the season, albeit tempered slightly by its scheduling on a Tuesday night in January.
But Gomez says it represents the first of 16 cup finals that will dictate whether Latics drop back into the Championship or keep their place at the top table of English football.
“The Tottenham game will be a massive one, but all the games are going to fall into that category between now and the end of the season,” he added.
“Every game between now and the last game will be cup finals, and each will present its own challenge for us.
“We know Tottenham are a great side, with very good players, and you can see that by the way they are fighting for the title.
“Sure, they lost their last game at Manchester City but they are not dead yet in the race for the title.
“Apart from last week’s result, they are in a good run of form and that will be such a tough game for us.”
Gomez is one of several Wigan players out of contract at the end of the season.
And while speculation has plagued some of his team-mates, Gomez has preferred to keep his head down and get on with the job of keeping Latics in the Premier League.
“Yes, my contract is up at the end of the season and nothing has happened yet,” he revealed.
“But I’m not thinking too much about that at the moment.
“All my focus is on the team and helping us to get results on a weekly basis, and not worrying about what may or may not happen beyond this summer. We have more than enough important games coming up between now and then, and that is what I must concentrate on for now.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 8 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
WAFC1
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 09:33 PMThe austerity package, as you put it, gives the club it's best opportunity of being a viable and competitive Championship club, a much better alternative than following the same mistakes of so many ex-Prem clubs who are still recovering from the excesses of the Prem.
mona
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 08:29 PMUnfortunately it will not stop at one league lower. The new austerity package will see to that.
WAFC1
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 06:27 PMWe need every point we can get so no game should be written off. I don't get why those who appear so upset about our results are the first to write us off and give up, isn't that what they accuse the players (rightly) of doing so often? I'm sat here watching Sky Sports salivate over the transfer window while not even mentioning Portsmouths bank accounts being frozen and a winding up order beng in process, this is the same club who Sky loved when 'Harry' was in charge and spent money they didn't have. I have the same frustrations over our current predicament, part of me would also like the season to end now, but I'm not about to give up on the team. Should we go down I'm not going to treat it like it's the end of the world, it's one division lower, come August we'll still have a club to watch and enjoy the kick-off, I'm not too sure some Prem or Championship teams are going to be around in a few years time, at least not in their present form. Once one goes, they'll tumble one after the other.
flipflop
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 01:49 PMyour right flyer i dont think he could find the ground but he deffently did when he got his leg broke at the then jjb hahahaha
flyer
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12:16 PMonly worry with johnson he seens to have had a few injuries lately but yes agree with both grab johnson and the money,We nearly had him a few yrs ago but if i remeber he drove past wigan and signed for everton instead
thepieshavegone
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 11:01 AMCouldn't agree more - Tizwaz25. What this news about Johnson on a swap with Fulham? Take him I say and the money too.At least he's fast. Hugo has not played well this season.
flyer
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 10:43 AM5-0 to spurs
Tizwaz25
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 10:16 AMIs bulls**t a particularly Spanish thing?? Is this joker Gomez from the same planet as Martinez?? He says "We know we didn't play very well at QPR, but that was just 1 game ....." So why are we bottom of the League with only 3 wins and 15 points from 22 games. What happened in the other 21 games that didn't get us too many wins. Obviously Gomez' head is like his game....up in the clouds, with no reality. The "Gutless One" needs to disappear off the face of this club ASAP so that we can stop playing with 10 men from the start, and start getting some heart and fight into the team. Don't wait for his contract to run down. GO NOW and take Bulls**t Bob with you. You can speak Spanish Bulls**t together, and keep each other company.
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