THERE’S NO TIME TO FEEL TIRED SAYS MCARTHUR
WIGAN do battle with QPR tomorrow in their 62nd match of a marathon season – but midfielder James McArthur is praying it won’t be their last.
FA Cup winners in 2013, the Latics have combined a Championship play-off push with Europa League football and another run to the FA Cup semi-finals.
And with the goals drying up, it’s hard to deny the players have looked tired in recent weeks.
But Scottish star McArthur, a near ever present at the heart of midfield, says there is plenty in the tank for today’s showdown.
“Nobody feels tired,” he said. “And personally, I’m enjoying it. As a player, all you want to do is play games. And with so little time for training that’s what we’ve doing so nobody is complaining.
“To be honest, we’ve been easing off in training since Christmas.You spend a lot of the days recovering. You’re playing, then you’re recovering, then getting your sharpness up. It’s a constant cycle and it has been hard. But we’re near the end and hopefully all the work will pay off.”
McArthur is also hoping Wigan’s recent reputation as giant-killers – they have beaten Man City in each of the last two seasons – will help at Loftus Road, where QPR will start favourites.
“I do think the pressure will be on QPR, which will work for us,” he added. “We’ve done it time and again in Cup football when bigger teams have been expected to win and we’ve usually been able to take advantage of that. We seem to enjoy the big games and it’s another one coming up.
“Our away form is good. Yes QPR beat us at their place, but we could have scored four or five on the day.We’ll be confident.”
And if it goes to penalties? After all, it was shoot-out misses from Jack Collison and Gary Caldwell in the semis against Arsenal that cost the Latics a shot at defending the FA Cup.
“Everyone will be up for taking one,” he added. “We don’t think about what went before.”