Pardew Seeks Revenge Against Erratic Latics

By Dan King - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Newcastle will be looking for revenge for last season's heavy defeat at the Wigan on Sunday according to Alan Pardew - but the Magpies manager admits he doesn't know which Latics side will turn up.

Roberto Martinez's side deservedly won this fixture 4-0 last April thanks to a stunning first-half display at the DW Stadium, bringing to end United's six-game winning run in spectacular style.

But just as they did last term, Athletic have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous throughout the campaign. They have yet to manage back-to-back victories in the Barclays Premier League and their last three outings sum up the unpredictable form which currently leaves them in the relegation zone.

Last weekend they brushed Everton aside with a shock 3-0 win at Goodison Park just seven days after a 4-0 thrashing at home to Liverpool. A week before that, however, they had been impressive in beating Reading 3-0 at the Madejski Stadium.

"They gave us the runaround last year when we were in good form and it was a big blow to our Champions League chances so it's a game where we need to take a slight bit of revenge," Pardew said as he looked ahead to the weekend.

"They're on a high, for sure, and we've had our best result of the season so there'll be a real good feeling amongst the players and that'll make for a good game.

"I think Roberto has a side where perhaps even himself, he scratches his head at times. They were unbelievable last week - it was perhaps one of the stand-out results of the year.

"I don't think anyone in the game expected them to win quite as emphatically as they did and yet on other occasions they've not been at their best.

"You can get a team like that, a kind of inconsistent team, but I'm sure now he's looking for consistency just to get them over the line."