Alan Curbishley is relieved to be facing a hosting a familiar-looking Wigan Athletic team in their Premier League opener on Saturday.

Curbishley's West Ham United team were swept away 2-0 by a Manchester City side containing five new signings on opening day last term, and afterwards the Irons boss admitted he had known little about the likes of Elano, Martin Petrov and Vedran Corluka.

Exactly 12 months on and the Hammers again begin at Upton Park, but this time against a little-changed Wigan whose manager, Steve Bruce, has brought in just three new players over the summer.

And Curbishley is grateful for the opportunity to plan fully in the knowledge of what his players will be up against.

"Man City hit a lot of people cold last year," he said.

"If you look at their first eight games they were fantastic.

"We weren't too sure what to expect when we played them in the first game of last season.

"They played well that day. But know what we're up against Wigan.

"We know what to expect but we must deliver."

The Latics themselves have brought in midfielders Olivier Kapo and Daniel De Ridder - both from Bruce's former club Birmingham City - and Egyptian forward Amr Zaki, on loan from Zamalek.

All three will be hoping to boost a side that ended last season by losing just four of their final 14 matches.

"Wigan turned the corner magnificently last year," Curbishley observed.

"The second half of their season was very consistent and they'll be looking for a little bit more this year."

And Curbishley expects the Lancashire side - a non-league side as recently as 1978 - to improve on last season's 14th-place finish.

"They have a squad that could perhaps deliver a bit more," he added.

"They're looking for better things than the bottom section of the table.

"It should be an open game."

[Guardian-Series]

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