A visit to Tottenham is next up for Wolves, following last week’s much needed victory over Bolton.
That win certainly lifted some of the pressure off our faltering side, but two nasty back-to-back fixtures might well plunge us into more misery, unless Wolves can produce some big performances.
Jermain Defoe - the form Premiership striker
Spurs have undoubtedly stepped up their game this season and look like genuine contenders for a Champions League place. So with that in mind, coming away from White Hart Lane with a positive result seems rather unlikely.
Attacking-wise, they’re as good as anyone and have crushed some of the lesser sides already this season, smashing five passed Burnley and Hull as well as that outrageous 9-1 thumping of Wigan. So needless to say, if Wolves aren’t at the races, we’ll get a similar treatment.
But because Spurs are such an offensive side, they do give you a chance at the other end. We saw earlier in the season how Stoke stood firm against the attacking bombardment and were able to administer the sucker punch on a rare foray forward.
What concerns me though is that Wolves aren’t built solid like Stoke (or dare I even say it, Blues). We do make mistakes at the back and we do give teams lots of chances, which you simply can’t afford to do against the top sides. That needs to change big-time on Saturday or it could seriously start raining goals.
We need to shut Spurs midfield down from the outset and cut off the supply line to the likes of Crouch, Keane and in particular, Jermain Defoe. That’s easier said than done with players like Lennon and Kranjcar pulling the strings, but that’s what we’re faced with.
There’s enough legs in the Wolves side to chase and harry, so it’s up to Mick to organise the troops accordingly and get them snapping into tackles from the outset. We didn’t do that at Chelsea and paid the price for standing off.
I fully expect the same team as last weekend, unless any last-minute injuries occur. So that’s:
Hahnemann
Stearman
Craddock
Berra
Ward
Edwards
Henry
Milijas
Jarvis
Doyle
SEB
This side worries me defensively, particularly against such lively opposition, but it’s a step in the right direction from the Blues fiasco. If we can keep it together at the back, we should cause Spurs one or two problems, particularly from set pieces with the delivery that Milijas can provide.
Any points picked up against Spurs or indeed Man Utd in midweek, would give us a huge boost ahead of the must-win against Burnley the following weekend.
In all honesty though, I’m not expecting Wolves to get a result this weekend. I just think we’re too fragile at the back and that will almost certainly be exposed by a good attacking side. But I was pleasantly surprised by our performances at Man City and Everton, so perhaps I should have more confidence in my team.
My prediction for the result is 3-1 to Spurs.
If you’re going to the match this weekend, have a great time and get behind the lads.
Up The Wolves.
There are debates to be had about the back 4 but best left for another time as that will definitely be the one MM picks.
I agree about us looking a bit open with that line up though so I’d play Castillo for SEB.. we could always go back to 4-4-2 as early as half-time if we are losing.
God help us if Mick does a similar sort of thing he did against Chelsea…
One thing concerns me, left back is our weakest point. The right wing is Spurs’ best with Lennon.
Ward needs to have the game of his life to avoid us getting a complete thrashing.
If we can sure up the midfield with 5 and Henry and Castillo operating a more defensive role, then we can perhaps hit them on the break and sneak one and set plays will be key as well. But with Jody Craddock scoring 4 goals in 4 shots, we can be sure to get at least one
So far this season we have been awful when we attempt to play anything other than 4-4-2.
A settled side is key, therefore we should keep the same starting 11 and same game plan as we did against Bolton. If there should be the need for a change then take out SEB and insert BCI (if fit) or the Hoff.
No more tinkering!
Disagree completely with 451. One of our major problems is the lack of a settled starting XI. Stick with the same starting XI as against Bolton. The benefit of consistency is worth it for the possible defensive frailty.
Also, can’s see SEB being dropped after he “put a shift in” against Bolton:
http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10307~1900023,00.html
that should have read “can’t see…”. My bad.
Jed – you beat me to the post! Agree completely
To be fair to Hallam, I can see the logic in bringing Castillo back into the side, but like Jed points out, we’ve been awful when we’ve deployed anything other than a 4-4-2 (spare the Wigan game).
And like Andrew says, we need to keep a settled side at the moment.
Same as last week, maybe Zubar in the defence somewhere (ahead of Stearman?). We need to stick with the same formation as last week, because we can’t keep changing it. With Milijas in the team, we do actually look a threat at set pieces, which I have never felt until now. Tottenham do not have a settled back four at all. Their centre backs are injury prone but still very good.
Berra and Craddock will need to focus for the 90+ minutes. We will concede, it’s just how many!
SEB in for me, he was our top scorer last season and still has a chance this season. he’s been unlucky in the recent weeks and will soon get another goal.
Louie – SEB hasn’t been unlucky, he’s been poor. You can say he hasn’t had chances but what he’s had he’s squandered and you just can’t do that in this league.
Surprised you all say we’ve been rubbish playing anything but 4-4-2 and brush aside our win at Wigan playing 4-5-1 – its our only away win?!
Adam, Man City away 4-5-1 first half could have and should have conceded at least 6, 4-4-2 second half much much better and were a cross bar away from a draw! Chelsea at home, enough said and how many more? Our players suit 4-4-2 full stop, anything else they look lost. Same team same formation – no need for discussion – why change a winning team?
Hallam, ‘You can say he hasn’t had chances but what he’s had he’s squandered’. Not sure about the logic of that one.
SEB had a world class save from him away at Chelsea. Had that been against any other keeper that would have been a goal. He nearly got a goal v Bolton and is being rightly backed by Mick. He’s our top scorer and deserves a run, he will score!
Louie, I wonder how long we’ll have to give him before people realise he ain’t good enough for this league. He adds nothing to the team if he’s not scoring because he doesn’t hold the ball up well enough nor does he run his socks off taking defenders out of the game. For me he needs a rest and someone else given a chance. The hoff scored on his debut yet only gets 5 mins here or there – he has the same goal tally as SEB and from open play and not the spot!
My only issue with SEB and Doyle together is that it doesn’t bring out winger(s) into play. When the oppositions centre halves are 5 inches taller than our strikers, any crosses must be inch perfect. If Lumes/Hoff were on the park, it might be a different story. A lot of our success last year came from the wings.
I’m with you Jed. SEB is totally out of his depth. What I fail to understand, is that he even looked half paced here in Australia, although he did net the winner against Perth Glory. We need a decent partner for Doyle in the January mad house. I have no idea who, but surely we can attract somebody that can hack it at theis level.Tomorrow, I’ll go 3-0 Spurs
I hate to say it but Jed’s right, if SEB don’t score it’s almost as if we’re playing with 10 men. But it’s hard to just discard someone who got 37 goals in a season and a half. Remember even Bully didn’t play in the prem.
As for saturday the first thought is a defeat but the Bolton game has filled me with optimism. How about 1-1, Jody at the back post in injury time
And is there really no news around that the E&S have to tease us with Robbie Keane coming home in january. As if
I think – given the current dissatisfaction with SEB – it is time to give MM some cred for signing K Doyle. We’d be stuffed without him, even if he hasn’t scored that many.
SEB will come good in the end. Things haven’t quite fallen for him yet this season but i’m confident they will. He’s a proven goalscorer and of all the players when we got promoted, how many of us were confident that he would score us goals this season. The worst thing we could do is drop him. He will want to be scoring goals more than anyone. Can guarantee you he is as frustrated about not scoring as any of you. And any game he sits on the bench will feel like missed opportunities to bag that goal to get him going.
I’m not sure I necessarily subscribe to the view that SEB offers nothing but goals. I’ll grant you that he’s struggling at the moment, but I think he can hold the ball up well and he does get involved in the play.
Against Bolton, I thought he generally did OK, so the criticism he got from some quarters was a little harsh in my opinion.
Whether someone else could do better, is certainly up for debate though.
SEB is undoubtedly at his best when feeding off a target man, something he hasn’t had the opportunity to do this season. And he probably won’t get that opportunity because Doyle, quite rightly, will be the first name on the teamsheet every week.
If you were going to take him out, assuming you’d still want 2 strikers, who do you bring in?
The Hoff came on against Bolton and aside from that excellent bit of work to clear the danger in the Wolves box, he was a liability up front, failing to control that delicious through ball from Milijas and seemingly unaware that we needed him to hold the ball up, to see the game out. He’s a risky pick in my opinion, one that could go either way.
We know everything there is to know about Andy Keogh and we’ve all got our opinions on him. What you would say though, is that he linked up quite well with Doyle in that short run of games they played together.
But for me, when he’s fit again, Chris Iwelumo should be the number 1 threat to the Doyle SEB partnership. A proper target man, who gives us that extra dimension with our attacking play and knows where the goal is. Would love to the see Big man get a good run in the team. He was awesome up at Stoke before he got injured.
In the short term though, I think we’ve got to give our number 9 the benefit of the doubt and keep the faith. He deserves it.
It’s also worth remembering that in 2003, Henri Camera couldn’t hit a barn door before Christmas, but nearly kept us up with his goals in the second half of the season. Sometimes patience does pay off (well, nearly).
Ah, Keogh’s out for 3 months apparently. Scratch what I just said about him being an option!
http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10307~1901728,00.html
Thomas, agree with you mate. Some of the football we’ve played this season hasn’t suited the forwards we’ve been playing. Against birmingham how many times did we just lump the ball up field. If we are going to do that then there needs to be a target man but for people to be slating SEB when thats what he’s had to deal with when its not his game is unfair. We all know where he is at his most dangerous and until we start creating the chances we won’t see the best from him.
All I know is that Zubar has an interesting taste in jumpers
http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/12/11/wolves-spread-some-festive-cheer/10/
Thomas – I’m with you on the Hoff. Granted, he perhaps needs time, but he looked like a rabbit (extremely large one) in the headlights last week. He takes 20 yards to get up to pace and another 20 to slow down. Jury’s out.
Looms is the man.
Here is my order for the strikers.
1. Doyle
2. SEB
3. The Hof
4. Keogh
5. Iwelumo
I might even have Vokes ahead of BCI if he were here.
I don’t think Iwelumo is a premiership class striker. If we go with a big man, it has to be Maierhofer. Sylvan holds the ball up well, where have you got this ‘he can’t hold it up’ from?! He is a finisher. No he’s not proven in the premier league, he has played 8/9 prem games while half fit!
I can’t believe some people think he’s not good enough, as with Kightly.
The idea that he only plays well with a big man is rubbish too. When he first joined, he and Keogh formed an excellent partnership which almost got us promoted.
Louie, I don’t think you understood the comment mate.
I actually said SEB is at his best when he plays with a big man, not that he can only play with one.
Your order of strikers is strange to me also. You rate the Hoff having hardly seen him play and write off a striker who has never done anything but good for the club in Lumes.
You say we shouldn’t get on SEBs back because he hasn’t had a proper chance yet, but judge iwelumo before he’s even played.
What’s the logic?
Ebanks-Blake consistently scored goals last season. Lumes (he had a fantastic start) has had pretty much the same record as Keogh in 2009, worse I think. SEB just kept scoring, but Iwelumo stopped scoring in a lower league. And don’t say well Keogh hasn’t scored, because he isn’t a scorer.
I don’t understand why Iwelumo jumped the queue of Hof and Keogh who had done no wrong for the Stoke game.
I honestly just don’t really rate him at this level. He’s near the end of his career while SEB is at the start of his.
Louie you are probably right, Iwelumo is a championship quality striker. Its where he has spent the majority of his career (or lower), and would have made the step up to the Prem with someone else if he wasn’t. But to say the Hoff is better is pushing it a bit mate come one!!!!!
Oh and I agree with you about people judging SEB on games when he has been half fit. The step up this season was always going to be hard, but it has been made harder for players like him and Kightly with all of their injuries
i managed to get a ticket for the game tomorrow. anyone else going?
also ben / thomas. if you aren’t going and want me to write a little review *if im not in the pub getting pissed afterwards* i’ll try do one saturday evening and send it in.
Sam, glad to hear you managed to get a ticket. Have a great time mate, I hope they put on a performance for you.
Would love to get a report if you have chance mate. Always better to get the view of someone who saw it first-hand. I go to all the home games obviously and probably half the aways.
Opted out tomorrow after the Chelsea performance. Will save my money for less glamorous away days now I think, probably Burnley, Hull and Blues (no offence to any of those clubs of course, apart from Blues).
Edward, The Hof is an regular international for Austria, and scored goals for fun in Austria (althought dirk Kuyt did the same in Holland
). Iwelumo is much better in the air, but I think the Hof is probably a better goalscorer and player. Just to make it clear, I don’t think Iwelumo is rubbish, he deserves his chance as well. I just don’t think he is as good as the other strikers we have.
Have you guys been following Sam Vokes’ progress up at Leeds? Checked out their forums and sounds like he is really struggling – bit shocked cos I thought he’d fill his boots at that level in a good side.
As for SEB, I just dont think its happening for him right now – Cech’s save, Pompey sitter, post at Goodison etc – whether thats down to fitness I’m not sure.. he’s always looked to be carrying a bit of excess to me! I think its just that in Premiership its 1 chance a game rather than 4 or 5 and so every key moment gets analysed more and more.. I mean, I had £10 on him to get Golden Boot last season and believe me he missed plenty and could have had 40 goals easy..
In regard to Maierhofer and Iwelumo.. I watched Blues game and came away thinking we were crying out for a target man.. however in retrospect I think thats just because we were so poor on the day that all we could manage was long balls.. with Ward back in the team feeding Jarvis and hitting the strikers feet (hopefully Foley doing same soon on the right) .. and Milijas providing proper passes to the forwards, we look a different team. I’d be very disappointed if he starts with anything other than SEB and Doyle up front vs Burnley.. the next 2 games (as I’ve said above) I’m less fussed.. lets face it, anything MM can snaffle out next 3 hrs of football will make my week so he can do what he wants as far as I’m concerned!
well im a londoner tom so i try and get to any games i can. even though i definitely cant afford it!
I’ll keep my eyes peeled and my note book at the ready and if im not too drunk i’ll write it up while the gf is watching xfactor!
I wish I could get tp this game, it’s the nearest game to me, just down the road! A
Adam, all Leeds fans are going on about how he can’t finish and that stuff. they said he is a good hold up player, but he misses lots of chances. They reckon Beckford is better than him, which is so not true:) I really hope we don’t sign him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ4sB-PHlgk
I just hope they don’t score in the first 5 minutes.
I would be interested to see how well the offense is if Milijas has another decent game. Will his passes change the whole complection of the game?
Is Chris game fit? How long has he been practicing?
Louie – to say that Iwelumo is not up to the prem after not playing while heaping praise on SEB who has been playing is a bit double standards don’t you reckon?
And as for the youtube link Louie, that was a fabulous goal, but that’s getting on for two years ago now. It’s irrelevant now.
I seem to remember Jay Bothroyd scoring a wonder goal in the last minute at Leeds but I don’t want him to play up front tomorrow!
Fabulous goal though, thanks for sharing. And i would go with him and Doyle still
Iwelumo has been in the game for more than ten years, and never got to a high level. Sylvan was one of the key reasons for why we went up.
Louie I agree that SEB will eventually get his chances, and put them away when he settles in more. But like everyone else is saying, at the moment we have a style of play where the players get the ball up the field by crossing the ball in the box, reasonably accurately on the majority of occasions rather than passing the ball all the way up. Don’t you think the Hoff would suit this style of play better (assuming Iwelumo is still recovering but I still think the Hoff is better… but thats another story)? And even still, the majority of our goals have come from set pieces, and having a big aggressive guy like the Hoff in that penalty box would surely do some good for us, especially when partnered up with milijas’ deliveries?
I’m not discounting SEB so much as saying that at the moment, he’s not suited to the style of play that we’ve temporarily adopted to the Prem, and other options need to be looked at until we finally get some rhythm.
Maybe thats true, but when he starts getting in the right positions (like Jody has been doing brilliantly) he will score more. He’s not bad in the air but obviously not as good as BCI or The Hof.
That is the dillemma for Mick, let Ebanks-Blake settle in, or get the big guy in who might make a difference at set pieces? I reckon he will stick with sylvan
I think that MM will stick with SEB as well. I think that he’s not far wrong too, the more I think about it, the more that Hoff is good as an impact sub.
Tonight – TH 3 WWFC 1.
Please subtract 3 from my predicted Spurs score. What an immense performance.