Bury manager David Flitcroft has hopes that his side will benefit from meticulous preparation ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup first round derby clash with Wigan.
The game will be their third meeting already this season, as the Shakers knocked the Lactics out of the Capital One Cup in September and dramatically drew 2-2 in a league meeting last month.
Bury had controlled that match for large parts but conceded twice in the final ten minutes to throw away a 2-0 lead, which the manager is keenly aware of.
Despite having a good idea of Wigan and their approach to games Flitcroft said he sent scouts to watch the Lactics to ensure Bury are even better prepared for Saturday’s game.
“That’s just the way we work,” he said.
“Chris went [to watch Wigan] on Saturday and gave a detailed scout report for Monday.
“We’ve done all our intel, all our detail, we’ve probably spent more hours this week than ever trying to plan what we’re going to do to be competitive against Wigan.
“We don’t take anything for granted – every game is different in fact every 45 minutes is different, the last twenty minutes of the Wigan game for me didn’t define the game.
“The first 70 minutes defined the game, but you never ever take shortcuts or cut corners on preparation because the first time you do it you open yourself up to become weak.”
Flitcroft added that despite good results against their rivals, Bury enter the game as outsiders hoping to cause an upset.
“I love the FA Cup it gives us an opportunity to play what is a Premiership setup, a Premiership team, with a massive Championship budget and resource to do well.”
“If someone would have said when I took over that we’d be playing with them in the Capital One Cup, the FA Cup and competing with them in League One I’d have been definitely surprised.
“From watching them on TV with Roberto [Martinez] winning the FA Cup and becoming a finalist, over the last five or six years they’ve had real success in the FA Cup.
“I was a Wigan fan that day watching it – it was incredible – watching an underdog team do it, but we’re that underdog.”
Image courtesy of Bury FC via YouTube, with thanks.
