Burridge believes former club Villa will go down

Dubai: Loyalties aside, former Aston Villa keeper John Burridge says he's backing Wigan Athletic to avoid the drop over his old club in support of his protégé at the DW Stadium, Ali Al Habsi.

Former goalkeeper and Dubai resident Burridge, 60, who first spotted Al Habsi's potential while coaching in Oman, made 65 league appearances for Aston Villa from 1975-1978, lifting the League Cup there in 1977.

But with Villa and Wigan currently locked in the throes of a relegation battle with Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers, nostalgia is on hold.

One point off the bottom three of Bolton (33), Blackburn (31) and doomed Wolves (23), Wigan have 34 points - level with QPR and two short of Villa with three games to go.

Only Bolton has a game in hand, but safety is by no means guaranteed for any team involved, least not Villa, who have won just twice in 2012 and now need to find results against Tottenham at home and West Brom and Norwich City away.

Burridge - now a TV pundit and youth goalkeeper coach for Al Wasl - said: "I'm supporting Wigan in their last three games against Newcastle, Blackburn and Wolves, because it's my boy [Al Habsi] and we're in the modern day. My playing days for Villa are over.

"Villa are the Manchester United or Arsenal of the Midlands - they are massive club in terms of ground capacity and potential support, and a big institution. But the only problem is they don't spend any money.

"United and Arsenal can be accused of that too but the difference is they have Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger - Villa have Alex McLeish, who has a track record of getting relegated. He should never have been appointed. A club the size of Villa should be pushing for top four every season - it's ridiculous."

Burridge added of Villa, who were last relegated from the top flight in 1986: "While Wigan have the experience of continually battling relegation, Aston Villa don't and this will ultimately fall in Ali's favour."