Source: Team_Talk
McCarthy hopes for laid-back Latics
The Latics caused one of the shocks of the opening weekend as they claimed a 2-0 triumph at Villa Park courtesy of a stunning strike from Hugo Rodallega and a neat finish from Jason Koumas.
Villa's lofty ambitions coupled with a change at the helm at Wigan and the loss of Antonia Valencia and Lee Cattermole left almost everyone surprised by the result.
Subsequently, McCarthy knows he could either find a Wigan side brimming with confidence or one expecting an easy ride against the Premier League new boys at the DW Stadium.
But having pitted his wits against Roberto Martinez and summer signings Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland in the Championship last season, he remains wary of what to expect from the trip to Lancashire.
"Villa might have done us the best favour ever," said McCarthy.
"I don't know how Wigan will feel about it, I imagine they'll feel pretty good. How well did Villa play? How well did Wigan play? I think Wigan played very well.
"Wigan have got good players. They lost their manager and they've got another good manager who's come in. He's brought some of his own players in, they've lost a couple admittedly but sometimes that's the way clubs are.
"That result at the weekend was fantastic for them. They will be cock-a-hoop about that I would have thought."
He added: "We can all work out the scenarios can't we?
"They've gone down there and beaten Villa, who are expected to be a top-six team, they'll be delighted with that and rightly so. The performance as well. The result is a fabulous result away from home. What a great start that is.
"How will it affect them? They'll be confident, they might just think having beaten Villa away, Wolves at home will be a piece of cake compared to that, so we'll see.
"I don't think for one minute Roberto (Martinez) will think that and allow anybody else, but it's just there in their heads.
"They've beaten Villa away from home, well this appears to be an easy one compared to that."
McCarthy can expect the doom and gloom merchants to be circling ahead should Wolves come away from Wigan empty handed on the back of Saturday's 2-0 opening-day defeat to West Ham, despite their positive display at Molineux.
A trip to Manchester City awaits on Saturday and although the Wolves boss would obviously love to get off the mark sooner rather than later, he insists it is what his side have collected after 38 games that will matter most.
"The earlier you get something on the board the better, that's for sure, and I'd really like that today," he said.
"I'm not going to start saying it's vital because there's another 37 games to play and it will be how many points you end up with.
"But of course the earlier you get some it gives you the confidence to get some more."
