Wigan Athletic boss insists Latics will take FA Cup tie with Stoke seriously

The Latics boss is desperate to advance into the fifth round – despite the potential damage it could do to the fixture schedule, and his side’s chances of winning promotion back to the Championship.

“Absolutely yes, as a football club, you’ve got to want to win every match,” Richardson said.

“We’ve tried to create an environment here that’s happy, hard-working, and also winning.

“You don’t want to leave that page at any point, and we’ll try and overcome every challenge put in front of us.

“It’s a little bit of a chance to take stock in the league, but we also know it’s Stoke, a Championship club, with incredible talent and a very good manager.

“That said, we’ll go there hoping to get a positive result and get through to the next round.”

Latics will be cheered on by more than 4,000 supporters at the bet365 Stadium.

And Richardson says the continued backing from the town is another reason his men won’t be tempted to take their eyes off the ball.

“It doesn’t surprise me – it doesn’t surprise me one bit,” the Latics boss (pictured left) added.

“These fans follow us round, giving us all the energy we need.

“They’re used to supporting us when we need them the most, and Saturday will be no different.”