Malky Mackay's affection for Norwich City will never dim but Saturday's Championship encounter is all about Wigan Athletic.

The Scot goes in search of his first victory since taking over last month as he looks to drag the Latics out of the bottom three after a desperate few months following last season's play-off heartache.

'It will always be all about the game. My main focus and priority is to make sure we climb out of the bottom three and start climbing up the league,' he said. 'It's about making sure our stadium is a tough place to come, a place that teams don't want to come to. Looking back over my two games, I obviously wanted more points on the board, but I am happy with the progression I've seen. Norwich have had a little dip, but I've no doubt that the team that takes to the field will give us a stiff test, but so did Middlesbrough when they came here. They're arguably one of the best footballing teams in the division and we probably should have won the game, and that was also the case at Sheffield Wednesday.'

Mackay sees plenty of common ground between his old and new clubs.

'Obviously Norwich is a one-team county, so there's a real draw in terms of support, but in terms of the people who work at the football club, I see great similarities,' he said. 'It is a really close staff, very tight-knit, you find people doing three things at once because they really care about the club. That real passion for the club is something I've already seen since I've been here, that pride in their people and in their club. They're one of the top teams in the division, having just come down from the Premier League, and both the set-up and the squad makes them a tough proposition.'

Mackay was an integral part of a Norwich side that clinched top flight promotion in 2004.

'They're a terrific football club, and a place I have very fond memories of,' he said. 'I lived down there for six years, during which time we won promotion and my son was born. Delia Smith is a terrific lady, she really is, and her and Michael (Wynn-Jones) have put a lot of time and money into that club. I remember the year we won promotion, she saw that Nigel Worthington had taken the team out on various excursions and she obviously got a bit jealous and organised to take the wives and girlfriends on various little trips. They went to Newmarket races one day, she managed to get them into 10 Downing Street on another, and took them through a cookery class at the stadium. She's put her life and soul into the football club.'