Tony Mowbray says Sunderland must find a way to counteract Wigan's experience and physicality as Sunderland prepare to face the Championship's awayday specialists this weekend. The Latics arrive at the Stadium of Light boasting the best away record in the second tier with 13 points from six games on the road, a return bettered only by League One Ipswich Town who have collected 16 points from seven away games.
While Sunderland have gone down the youth route with a squad with an average age of just over 23, Wigan have opted for experience with an average age of almost 28. Wigan also have more height in their side, meaning they will be a threat from set-pieces.
And there is also the 'ex-factor', with five former Sunderland men in the Wigan ranks - Max Power, Charlie Wyke, James McClean, Nathan Broadhead, and Ashley Fletcher. But Mowbray says Sunderland will have to find a way to minimise the Latics' strengths, without detracting from their own game.
READ MORE: Former Sunderland fan favourite Seb Larsson has announced his retirement
"Wigan are a really experienced team," he said. "I saw them on the telly the other night [against Blackburn].
"They are experienced and they have got a lot of players who have been associated with this club over the years as well. Whether it is extra motivation for the ex-Sunderland players comig back to the Stadium of Light, we'll have to see.
"They have the best away record in the whole EFL, not just the Championship, so it's a tough game for us. They won League One last year while Sunderland finished fifth, so should it be perceived as a game that we should win because we are at home?
"Or a really difficult game against a team who finished eight points ahead of us last year? Broadhead was here last season but he is at Wigan now. Has he improved them?
"He's certainly given them another string to their bow, because he is very mobile and added to the big physicality they have got with Charlie Wyke being back now. When you look at the players they brought off the bench the other night, they all seemed to be 6ft 3in strikers coming on!
"It's another tough home game, just as Preston was a tough game and they then went to Norwich and won 3-2, and Blackpool was a tough game and then they went to Watford and won. I only mention those because on the back of drawing at our place, both of those sides went on to have really good victories.
"The perception might be 'you've got Preston and Blackpool at home, that should be six points'. It would have been nice to get six points, but they have shown what good teams they are.
"We just have to keep racking up the points. This is a really tight league from top to bottom - if you win a game, you can jump six places but if you lose one you can drop three places.
"We have to accept that we haven't got Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms at the moment, and we are doing our very best without those assets. Wigan stodged the game up [against Blackburn] with a back five, they get the ball forward quickly to some big strikers, and keep the ball around your box.
"We have to keep the ball away from them, but not at the cost of trying to threaten their goal. The more we turn the ball over, though, the more they will keep the ball around our box and that becomes dangerous and difficult."
Sunderland's defeat at Swansea last weekend ended their unbeaten run, but the Black Cats have still lost only one of their last five games. And while they have slipped to 13th in the table, they are only four points away from the top six.
READ NEXT:
- Tony Mowbray pondering Jack Clarke option amid Sunderland's Amad Diallo dilemma
- Sunderland's home game against West Bromwich Albion moved for TV coverage
- Sunderland handed key fitness boost ahead of weekend visit of Wigan Athletic
- Sunderland 'Til I Die will return for a third series covering the club's League One play-off win
- Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray drops selection hint as he looks for Corry Evans replacement
