Two from five

May 16, 2011 By

This is it. Here we are. Two from five.

A topsy-turvy, bonkers Premier League season that threatened to go right to the wire has done precisely that. Well, at one end of the table at least.

And with the permutations seemingly infinite, here’s my take on each side’s survival prospects.

Wigan

Roberto Martinez’s team will kick-off Sunday at the bottom of the pile, but arguably have one of the more favourable fixtures away at Stoke.

A draw could feasibly keep them up should Blackpool and Birmingham both lose, which isn’t unlikely, so they’ll fancy their chances.

My gut instinct tells me they’ll get a result and survive by the skin of their teeth.

Blackpool

No team has characterised this whacky season more so than Ian Holloway’s Blackpool and they’ll be the side that the overwhelming majority of neutrals are rooting for.

Despite a massive victory over Bolton, they remain south of the dotted line with Wigan breathing down their necks. Surely they can’t win at Old Trafford? Only Albion have come away with anything other than a defeat and even a weakened Man Utd side should be too much for the Seasiders.

I think a draw might be enough to keep them up, but I suspect they won’t get it.

Birmingham

Out of nowhere, Birmingham are suddenly knee-deep in the brown stuff. Losing at home to Fulham was disastrous, particularly with all four of the other sides picking up points.

They now find themselves needing a huge result at White Hart Lane or a huge favour from both Stoke and Man Utd.

I believe they’ll lose against Spurs, which means they’ll be relying heavily on others.

Blackburn

Blackburn start the day in the strongest position after picking up valuable draws against West Ham and, most recently, Man Utd. Every point is precious and those two results were huge for Steve Kean’s side.

A draw will almost certainly get the job done against Wolves, because only wins for Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham would see them relegated in that scenario, which is highly unlikely.

They’ve shown some great resolve in recent weeks and I think they’ll get the point they need at Molineux.

Wolves

Buried and seemingly gone for good less than a fortnight ago, back-to-back wins have put Wolves in a strong position. We could only dream about having 40 points on the board prior to kick-off against West Brom but that’s exactly what Mick and the boys have achieved.

The only disappointment of course, is that despite our epic comeback the old gold are far from safe.

We might have done enough already but a big performance in front of our home crowd will get us over the line without the need for help from elsewhere.

Sadly, I fear we’re in for a long anxious afternoon because I don’t think we’ll beat Blackburn. I think it’ll end in a draw, which means our attentions will turn to White Hart Lane, the Britannia Stadium and Old Trafford.

Ultimately though, I think a draw will be enough for us. I would even go as far as to say we could lose and as long as it’s by no more than one goal, we’ll retain our Premier League status.

Final standings

I did the BBC Premier League Predictor and entered the following scores:

Man Utd 3 Blackpool 1
Stoke 1 Wigan 1
Tottenham 3 Birmingham 1
Wolves 2 Blackburn 2

If those predictions came to fruition, it would mean the final table looked like this:

So Blackpool and Birmingham are my two from five.

Who are yours?

Wolves 4 Blackpool 0

February 26, 2011 By

If this was the high pressure, high stakes, must-win game that Mick McCarthy suggested during the week, his team certainly had no intention of shying away from the big occasion.

From the moment Dave Edwards nipped in to win possession and set in motion the free flowing move that led to Matt Jarvis coolly slotting home the opener, Wolves remained very much in the ascendancy.

About time Jarvo


Edwards was one of two changes to the side that started at the Hawthorns and his limitless energy was infectious, particularly during the frantic early exchanges. The welsh international has been a tremendous asset this season and no more so than today.

Adam Hammill also returned to the starting eleven and it was a great shame to see his afternoon cut short with injury after a string of incisive runs down the flank. Hopefully he’ll be back for next weekend’s game against Spurs.

One player who won’t be taking to the field for that match is of course Jamie O’Hara. The on-loan Tottenham man is ineligible against his parent club and will be sorely missed on the evidence of today’s man of the match showcase.

He went searching for the ball at the beginning of the second half, getting Wolves going when it looked like the tempo had dropped. The packed Molineux crowd certainly appreciated that.

It was he who fittingly put this game to bed, intercepting a stray pass before driving forward and finding the corner of the net with a precise finish from the edge of the box. What a tremendous player this guy is. If we can stay up, he’s exactly the kind of talent we need to elevate us to the next level.

And speaking of the next level, that’s something Sylvan Ebanks-Blake seems to have discovered, finding the net twice in a deserved 30 minute cameo. The first was a trademark poachers finish, arriving perfectly to tap in Kevin Doyle’s pinpoint cross. The second was something special, controlling Stephen Ward’s pass instantly, running clear of the Blackpool defence and planting a superb left foot finish in the corner of the net.

The perfect end to a pleasing afternoon.

Of course it’s fair to suggest that Wolves were substantially aided by DJ Campbell’s petulant sending off just prior to half time, but it’s equally acceptable to point out that we’d been in control long before that unnecessary flash point.

Blackpool had threatened in spells, mainly when benefitting from our defence’s uncertainty in dealing with high hanging balls from deep, but for the most part Wayne Hennessy remained untroubled. He’ll have been delighted to have scooped his fourth clean sheet of the season.

The back four, although stretched at times in the first half, did the simple things well and kept their concentration when it would have been easy to switch off in a relatively straightforward second period.

Karl Henry should also take a slice of the credit for the shutout. He was rightly criticised last week for being sloppy in possession, but was far more assured today and even pulled off two or three fabulous raking passes out wide. We need our captain to be at his best for this vital run in and this was a timely return to form.

17th place is the minimum requirement come May 22nd and as of 5pm on the 26th of February, that’s where Wolves find themselves in the Premier League table.

And whose to say we should settle for the minimum?

Wolves Vs Blackpool Preview

February 24, 2011 By

This weekend’s match against Blackpool is a must win. Plain and simple.

After the disappointment of last Sunday’s late collapse at the Hawthorns, Wolves desperately need the points. And with the three sides sitting directly above us facing difficult fixtures, escape from the drop zone is entirely plausible, but only with victory.

Blackpool battled to a 2-1 win back in December

Ian Holloway’s team have struggled of late and were sliding ominously towards the bottom themselves until a fantastic home win over Spurs on Tuesday. That will no doubt have lifted their spirits and filled them with confidence ahead of this fixture against statistically the worst side in the league.

Unfortunately for the Seasiders, they’ll have to make do without their captain this weekend, as Charlie Adam starts a two match suspension. That’s a bonus for Wolves because he’s unquestionably been a star performer in a fantastic season for his unfancied side.

Worryingly, Blackpool’s away form is impressive. They’ve already wracked up 5 wins and 2 draws, plundering 20 goals in the process (that’s double what Wolves have managed). Sure, they’ve also lost 7 matches too, but their ‘have a go’ attitude has unsettled opposition all season. Credit to them for that.

I suppose the quandary for Mick McCarthy is whether or not to bring in a second striker and revert to a more attacking 442 formation. I suspect he won’t, with the logic that if he can keep things tight and stop Blackpool pouring forward, Wolves can create enough chances to score against the second worst defence in the league. Therefore, I think we’ll see the same eleven as last weekend:

Hennessy

Zubar
Stearman
Berra
Elokobi

Foley
Henry
Milijas
O’Hara
Jarvis

Doyle

It’s difficult to know what the right answer is tactically against a side like Blackpool. Do you play them at their own game and attack? Or is that playing into their hands? Do you try to keep things ship-shape defensively and pick them off? Or is that paying them too much respect?

Either way, it will be interesting to see what Mick does.

I would probably start 451 too, but bring Hammill in for Foley and really push the two wingers forward, so it becomes more of a 433. That way, you’re having more of a go but not leaving yourself too open.

Prediction League

Well done to Bagsy for being the only person to pick up the maximum by predicting 1-1 at the Hawthorns. 7 others went for the draw but none got the score.

I’ll back Wolves this weekend I think.

We’re long overdue a decent win and when I say a ‘decent win’, I mean a game where we’re not clinging on by our finger nails in the 94th minute.

We’re strong at home (albeit not against the sides around us) and with Charlie Adam being out, I think we’ll do it.

3-1 Wolves.

If you’re going, get behind the lads. I think it’s a sell out at Molineux on Saturday, so it should be a great atmosphere.

Up The Wolves.

* Just a quick mention for my friend’s excellent online gift shop that’s selling Mothers Day gifts, so make sure you’re ready for April 3rd!

Blackpool 2 Wolves 1

November 20, 2010 By

Well, all I can say is, I hope this is the low point of the season.

What a complete mess.

And the sad thing about today is how little Blackpool actually had to do for the three points.

The second goal just before half-time was crucial

When Luke Varney powered in his once-in-a-lifetime volley in the third minute, you immediately sensed what was about to come.

And so it began.

Wolves dominating possession, passing the ball neatly, but in the areas where it really matters, coming up woefully short. We had 20 efforts on goal in the match but didn’t force their keeper into a meaningful save. That tells it’s own story.

Jarvis skinned his man time and time and time again, yet not once did he pick anyone out, or equally, did a forward make a clever run across a defender to get on the end of anything. I don’t understand how that’s possible with Doyle, Fletcher and Ebanks-Blake all on the pitch.

In fact our likeliest scorer throughout was Milijas; his incisive run and shot striking the inside of the post to sum up our woeful afternoon. And while we’re talking about the Serb, why oh why wasn’t he in the starting line-up? He’s been our best player in the last five games and the only touch of class we have in the entire squad.

Pathetic Mick.

I’m our manager’s most loyal supporter, but his decisions at times not only infuriate, but also defy any kind of logic.

Still, in my opinion, we didn’t lose this game because Mick McCarthy left out Nenad Milijas.

We lost it because Kevin Foley allowed Luke Varney to pull a long ball down and cut inside unchallenged, and we lost it because Marcus Hahnmeann came for a cross he was never going to get and we lost it because our forwards couldn’t score in a brothel, until the last minute at least.

Do those things fall at the manager’s feet? Well, you can certainly point to the fact Mick bought these players, but slack individual errors such as those from Foley and Hahnemann cannot be accounted for by anyone.

The first thing we must do in order to address this shockingly bad run of results is to cut out those sloppy mistakes. We can’t give teams a head start every single week and expect to see an upturn in our fortunes.

It’s all very well screaming ‘Mick out, Mick out’ from the rooftops, but if players are going to switch off and cost us goals, week in week out, it won’t make a blind bit of difference whose sitting in the dugout.

So by all means, blame the manager. But also blame the players too.

They can certainly do better. Much better.

Blackpool Vs Wolves Preview

November 19, 2010 By

Wolves head to Blackpool tomorrow desperate for a win to reignite their faltering season.

Ian Holloway’s side have so far defied all expectations and currently occupy 15th place in the table; their gutsy, attacking approach catching many off-guard and giving them real belief that they can survive their first ever Premier League campaign.

This fixture finished 2-2 last time out in the Championship

Interestingly, the Tangerines have achieved their best results on the road, with impressive wins at Wigan, Liverpool and Newcastle giving them a fantastic platform to build on. At home, they’ve been less formidable, winning only once against nine man Albion a few weeks back, as well as two draws against Fulham and Everton.

By contrast, Wolves have the worst away record in the league with only a single point to show for their efforts, so you could argue this game is nicely poised.

Mick McCarthy received a double injury boost yesterday, as both Christophe Berra and Steven Mouyokolo came through full training and are available for tomorrow’s game. I’d expect Berra to start alongside Richard Stearman, with Mouyokolo dropping to the bench.

Having dabbled with 4-4-2 against Boloton, I’m fairly certain Mick will revert to 4-5-1 this weekend in the hope of keeping things tight and nicking a goal. This is the side I reckon we’ll see:

Hahnemann

Foley
Berra
Stearman
Ward

Jarvis
Henry
Mancienne
Milijas
Hunt

Doyle

Personally, I think we’re a far stronger outfit with this shape, allowing us to keep possession and get our two best attacking midfielders (Jarvis and Milijas) into good positions. With Mancienne sitting in alongside Henry it should also give us far better defensive stability.

Prediction League

Only Stourbridge Wolf said Wolves would lose last weekend to Bolton, so congratulations to him for being the one person to pick up any points.

This weekend, I’m going to back Wolves for the win.

In recent times when we’ve been on the edge of disaster, we’ve always managed to conjure up a result and tomorrow represents an excellent chance to do just that, particularly as Blackpool have one or two players out injured.

So I’m going to stick my neck out and say 2-0 to the Wolves.

If you’re going to Bloomfield Road tomorrow, have a great time by the seaside and get behind the lads.

Up The Wolves.