Things aren’t much better for the Londoners this time around, having lost 3-1 at home to Villa yesterday to extend their winless run to 4 matches.

Oh what a night

So as he was when we visited Stamford Bridge back in November, Andres Villas-Boas is a man under growing pressure.

Lets just hope then, that Wolves don’t lay down and die as they did then, allowing Chelsea to win the game by TKO in the first half.

We should approach the game with some degree of confidence, having won the fixture last season and remained undefeated in the last 3.

However, it’s going to take probably our best performance of the season to emerge with a result even if JT and co are struggling.

The Team

We have two new options to consider for this one, with both Jonnson and Frimpong eligible to make their Wolves debuts. Throwing either in at the deep end would be a massive call from the manager, but I think Mick will do exactly that.

This is the team I think we’ll see:

Hennessey, Stearman, Johnson, Berra, Ward, Frimpong, Henry, Hunt, Jarvis, SEB, Fletcher

So that’s one change with Frimpong coming into central midfield and Ward dropping back to his rightful position at full-back.

The young Arsenal player has come to play matches and with so many midfielders ruled out, I think he should be given a chance immediately. I’m really looking forward to seeing what his energy and physical presence can bring to our team.

Could he finally allow us to play 442 effectively without being wide open through the middle? One can only dream.

Others in contention include Edwards, Foley, Forde and Doyle, who’ve all featured in the last two matches. As mentioned, Jonnson is also available to make his debut.

Prediction League

8 people correctly predicted a stalemate at the Rebook. 5 of them got the 1-1 scoreline too.

So well done to Louie, Kowloon Wolf, Ventura Highway, sleachy and my knowledgeable sidekick Ben, who all get the maximum 3 points on offer. Jed, Chad and Josh get a single.

You’d expect Chelsea to bounce back and win this one, but I don’t think they’ll fancy a trip to the Molineux on a cold Monday afternoon.

If we can get in their faces from the start and make it difficult for them, I think we can get a result. A lot (as always I suppose) depends on the team selection.

I’ll go for a fourth consecutive draw and say 1-1.

If you’re at the game tomorrow, have a great time and get behind the lads.

Up The Wolves!

“It’s about what we do – we’ve got to focus on our performance, our team, it’s not about them because if we give them anything like a goal early on, you’ll see a completely different team. They’ll be spraying the ball about and we’ll be chasing shadows.”

Right you are Mick.

No man on the post. No chance.

How unfortunate then that a catalogue of sloppy individual errors heavily contributed towards Chelsea gaining that decisive foothold inside the opening six minutes.

First, Nenad Milijas dawdled in possession, allowing Ramires to scamper clear and force a wonderful fingertip save from Hennessey.

Then, from the resulting corner John Terry escaped Roger Johnson with ease to flick a header towards goal.

But for me, most disappointing of all was that we didn’t have a man guarding that far post.

When you’re scrapping it out against a significantly better team, you need that insurance policy. And ultimately today, not having a player in that position has cost us a goal.

As you would imagine, Chelsea didn’t look back after gaining the initiative, dominating the first half without really having to exit first gear and scoring two further goals to end the match as a contest.

Wolves unsurprisingly found the going tough in a nightmare first 45, failing to do anything with the ball inside the opposition’s half.

Two close range headers from Stephen Ward and Dave Edwards represented decent half chances, but that was as a good as it got as we once again looked toothless in attack.

The second half was better, but ultimately in vein effectively attempting to rescue a lost cause.

However you want to dress it up, there’s simply no point in taking positives by claiming we played well after going 2 or 3 goals down.

The fact of the matter is, teams naturally relax in this position and the game opens up.

Yes, it’s admirable that the lads stuck to their task and yes we could and probably should have cashed in when Chelsea took their foot off the gas, but would the consolation of a goal have made up for the performance up to that point?

Not for me.

Another soundbite attributed to Mick McCarthy during the week was this one:

“Sometimes you have to sacrifice things going forwards to make sure you are solid.”

Understandable, but I would argue his team selection today sacrificed a lot of things going forward and at the same time made us more open at the back.

For instance, why was Ward pushed into midfield?

Surely all this accomplished was making us more vulnerable at the back and less effective as an attacking force.

Why not just keep Ward where he’s been doing a solid job and bring in a dedicated midfielder? Why make two changes when only one is necessary?

I just don’t understand.

And that in a nutshell is what annoys me the most.

In our inaugural season back amongst the elite we were 3-0 down after 20 minutes and fortunate to skulk away with a 4-0 loss. The gulf in class was humbling.

Wolves played well at the Bridge last season

Fast forward to last year and Wolves more than matched their illustrious opponents for the duration, registering 12 shots on Petr Cech’s goal and forcing 8 corners.

So what this time?

Hard to say really.

Somewhat surprisingly, both teams head into the match struggling for any sort of form.

Chelsea have lost 3 or their last 4 Premier League matches, with 2 of those defeats coming on their own patch (albeit against Arsenal and Liverpool).

12 games in, they already trail Man City by 12 points, leading some to speculate whether they’ll even make the top four, let alone challenge for the title. They currently lie 5th.

But whilst most of their best players – the likes of Lampard, Droba, Terry and Cole -  have seen their best days come and go, it would be foolish to write off such an experienced team.

However, if they are to succeed over the course of the season the likes of Torres, Mata, Ramires, Sturridge, etc surely need to step up and make significant contributions.

It goes without saying they’re massive favourites to win this match and anything but a home victory will surely heap even more pressure on Andre Villas-Boas.

The Team

Mick’s job isn’t made any easier this weekend by the injury to Richard Stearman and the suspensions picked up by Stephen Hunt and Jamie O’Hara at Everton.

I can’t shake the suspicion he’ll play 442, with a team of:

Hennessey, Zubar, Berra, Johnson, Ward, Henry, Milijas, Edwards, Jarvis, Doyle, Fletcher

So Zubar in at right-back for Stearman, Jarvis in for Hunt and Fletcher in for O’Hara.

If we do go for this sort of shape, I’d expect one of the strikers to play deeper in an attempt to link the play.

With Edwards playing on the right, it should keep the midfield narrower and Jarvis offers the outlet down the left.

The other option is of course the 451, moving Edwards into the middle and playing one of Guedioura or Hammill out wide.

I’d be happy enough with either, just as long as we try and have a go at them.

Prediction League

13 wise armchair pundits correctly predicted we’d lose at Everton. 6 of those got the 2-1 scoreline correct too.

So well done to Amer Wolf, Hamlet, Ventura Highway, Exeter Wolf, Philly Pete and Yoda – you all get the maximum 3 points on offer.

The rest get a single point.

Hard not to predict a defeat this weekend.

Chelsea should be right up for this one and I’m not sure we’ll have enough at either end to stop them getting the win.

3-1 Chelsea.

If Wolves are to get anything, a performance similar to last season’s is the order of the day. Keeping possession and using the ball intelligently will be key, as well as a disciplined defensive showing.

Should you be one of the people making the trip down south for this one, have a great time and get right behind the lads.

Up The Wolves.

I wasn’t around to savour the glory days of the 60s and 70s, but this never-say-die Wolves team are now writing their very own chapter in Molineux folklore.

And whatever happens this season, I’ll always be able to boast ‘I remember us winning at Anfield’ and following these latest heroics, ‘I was there that night when Wolves beat Chelsea’.

Thanks Mick.

Stephen Hunt's early goal was enough for Wolves

And thank you to every single player in old gold, for producing a performance of such astonishing discipline and courage, which defied all logic and quite simply strangled the life out of the reigning Premier League champions.

Nobody encapsulated the fighting spirit more than Zubar. He could have gone into hiding after his Upton Park horror show, but instead came out of the traps like a man possessed, thundering in a left-foot drive from all of thirty yards, which forced a top-class save from Petr Cech. That set the tone and the Frenchman was it all night, defending resolutely and even robbing the ball off Ashley Cole at one stage and rampaging towards goal. C’est Magnifique Ronald.

And what about Stephen Hunt? Performances like this one are the reason we ponied over 3 million smackers to Hull. He never stopped running, closing down the opposition, prodding, kicking and climbing all over anyone in a blue shirt. ‘Nuisance value’ I think they call it. I prefer ‘bloody brilliant’ myself. Yeah, just carry on booing him, it just refills the tank for another lung bursting surge down the wing.

It was a predictably hostile reception for Hunt, but you certainly can’t accuse him of shying away. In fact, it was little surprise when John Terry lost his rag and shoved him in the back of the head, with the referee enjoying a front row seat. On the same night Emile Heskey was sent off at Villa for an identical offence, big questions have to be asked as to why the England skipper wasn’t at least shown a yellow.

But to merely focus on Hunt’s ability to irritate would be doing him a great disservice. After all, it was his delicious inswinging corner that forced the only goal and even though I can’t envisage the powers that be awarding him the strike, he definitely deserves all the credit. He also went close to scoring outright with a dipping free-kick that clipped the top of the bar on it’s way over, but regardless, this was his finest hour in a gold shirt.

What a game for Big George too. If the charismatic left-back has produced a finer performance for Wolves, I certainly can’t remember it. He repelled everything and even discovered a majestic first-touch and cultured passing range that nobody knew he possessed. On a night where five or six players might lay claim to the man of the match champagne, Elokobi was right up there with the very best.

Of course there were occasions where Chelsea threatened. Many in fact. Drogba crafted an opening with trademark power and neat footwork but was only able to strike the outside of the post. Malouda and Kalou were also guilty of wasting excellent chances to equalise, skewing wide from close range when clean through. But when you’re playing the top sides, you always need a bit of luck to get the three points and Wolves deservedly got just that.

It was a night of celebrations at Molineux

The important thing is to not give anything away and with Stearman and Berra imperious at the heart of our defence, that never looked likely. Hennessy in fact had very little work to do for his third cleansheet of the season, but got a vital toe on Kalou’s speculative effort that was dribbling inside the near post just prior to half-time. A goal then would have completely changed the game.

Alongside the infectious Hunt, the midfield trio of Jarvis, Foley and Edwards put in the mother of all shifts to constantly track back and make life as difficult as possible for Chelsea to find a way through. By the end, Ancelotti had deployed no less than four strikers, but they completely ran out of ideas on how to breakdown the impenetrable barrier that stood before them.

Our £14 million strike force endured a largely thankless task in defending from the front and chasing down long balls forward. Still, they stuck to their guns well and made life uncomfortable for Terry, Ivanovic and co all night. Doyle did what he always does, tussling for possession and using his remarkable touch and control to ask questions of the opposition. Fletcher found the going harder but unquestionably put in the work rate to more than justify his selection.

In fact, every single player justified their selection and that must make victory all the sweeter for Mick McCarthy. There would have been a few eyebrows raised prior to kick-off with Milijas and SEB dropped and a forward thinking 4-4-2 formation employed, but the gaffer got it spot on. And for that, he deserves enormous credit.

It’s onto Donny next in the cup before tough looking fixtures against Man City, Liverpool and United.

And don’t ask me what’s going to happen.

Because I haven’t got a clue.

Match Highlights

Drogba scored twice at Molineux last season

Their results away from Stamford Bridge have also been disappointing by title-challenging standards, with only three wins from their ten games to date and four defeats already.

On the flip side, it’s perfectly reasonable to point out that they won’t go on dropping points forever and at some point, their season will take an upturn. They’ve got too much quality to just fade away.

So the question is, do Wolves have enough to prolong their struggle?

Well, your guess is as good as mine. Jekyll and Hyde and performances against Blues and Wigan were followed up by even more contrasting fortunes in the Liverpool and West Ham matches.

And I expect much the same side will take to the field as have done in those previous four fixtures, meaning a starting eleven of:

Hennessy

Zubar
Stearman
Berra
Elokobi

Hunt
Foley
Milijas
Jarvis

Ward

SEB

Wolves are boosted by the return of Kevin Doyle, but I’d be surprised to see him thrown straight back into the side, even though he certainly should be if fully fit. Fletcher, Jones and Edwards offer further options for Mick, should he choose to mix things up again.

Personally, I’d go 4-5-1 bringing in Jones or Edwards for Ward, to make sure Chelsea’s midfield aren’t afforded time and space. We need to contain them as an attacking force because I think we can certainly get at their defence, which has been shaky in recent weeks.

Prediction League

Well done to Jed, Dazza in Brisbane, Stourbridge Wolf and Aikiwolves who all correctly predicted a 2-0 defeat at West Ham. All of you pick up three points. Ben also got a point by correctly forecasting the outcome but without the correct scoreline.

I just can’t see us containing Chelsea tonight and I don’t think we’ve got enough at the other end of the pitch to go and get 2 or 3 goals ourselves. So it has to be a defeat. I’ll go with a courageous 3-1 loss.

Blues scored a priceless victory over them a few weeks back by keeping things tight at the back and nicking a goal. If Wolves are to get anything out of this one, we need that kind of performance, but I just don’t think we’re capable of delivering it.

If you’re going to Molineux tonight, have a great time and get behind the lads.

Up The Wolves.

“Lots of positives for Wolves, but no points.”

No report needed.

Wolves battled hard and used the ball well

In all seriousness though, you can look at this defeat in two ways.

1. Wolves played well, knocked the ball around impressively and were simply undone by two moments of real quality. If we continue to play as well as that, we’ll start winning games sooner rather than later.

Or, the slighly more downhearted:

2. Wolves played well, knocked the ball around impressively, but once again ended up on the wrong end of the final scoreline. It was an opportunity missed and there’s no point getting credit for a decent performance if you’ve got no points to show for it.

Personally, after the two months we’ve had, I’m happy to lean towards the former and salute players and manager for upping their game.

Mick saw the light and brought Milijas back into the middle, dropped Fletcher from the right-side of midfield and finally (finally!!) introduced some long-overdue balance to the side. The improvement was there for all to see.

Milijas strolled around the park, swapping passes with Jones and getting Jarvis into positions where he could really do damage. Not only that, but the Serbian himself cleverly picked moments to pop up on the edge of the Chelsea-box and test Cech with a handful of decent efforts.

Doyle was back to his best too, pestering Terry and Ivanovic throughout with his trademark hold-up play and movement. He was also unlucky not to become the first opposition player to score a Premier League goal at Stamford Bridge this season, stinging Cech’s hands with a clever snapshot and getting just under a Jarvis cross from close-range.

A mention too for Dave Edwards, whose non-stop running was a real asset today, with both Jones and Milijas able to pick him out for a change. The Welshman had Wolves best chance, powering a header straight at Cech following a wonderful flowing move down the right. He’ll have been disappointed not to have done better.

Defensively, Berra and co probably did as well as they could have. Some of Chelsea’s build-up play was devastating, with both of their goals a result of textbook examples of pass and move football. But whenever the ball was there to be won, the two center-halves and both full-backs got it to safety, often keeping their composure and retaining possession.

Stearman’s first half tackle on Drogba was rash, but other than that one moment of madness he filled the void Craddock left behind well and looked calm and assured in only his second appearance of the season.

Not much to say about Hahnemann, typically strong and decisive, in stark contrst to Hennessy’s horror-show last season in the same fixture. His perfectly timed tackle on Drogba was a particular highlight and capped another solid, all-action display.

Continuing the positivity, Stephen Hunt finally saw some action and came close to dragging us level with a powerful diving header that Essien cleared off the line. Considering the torrent of abuse he had to withstand from the Chelsea supporters, he performaned admirably and will only improve over the coming weeks and months.

So overall, plenty to feel good about moving forward.

But in the immediate, another pointless weekend means the gap between Wolves and 17th place increases.

And that does not make me feel good.

Chelsea were 3-0 after 22 minutes last season

Arguably, this is the hardest of the lot, at the ground of the reigning Champions where Chelsea have lost only once in the league since 2008.

And their home form to date has been flawless.

As well despatching West Brom 6-0 on the opening day and ripping Blackpool apart within the first 20 minutes of another emphatic win, Arsenal were also sent packing with their tales planted firmly between their legs.

So what hope for a Wolves side without a win since the opening day and four defeats in their last five? To put it bluntly, very little.

On paper this looks a foregone conclusion and anything other than a comprehensive home win would surely come as a surprise to even the most optimistic of Wolves supporters.

Mick McCarthy has no choice but to shuffle the deck with Karl Henry still suspended, Jody Craddock injured and Michael Mancienne ineligible against his parent club.

Here’s the team I think we’ll see:

Hahnemann

Foley
Berra
Stearman
Ward

Jarvis
Edwards
Jones
van Damme
Fletcher

Doyle

That’s Stearman once again deputising for Craddock and van Damme filling the void in the holding midfield role. The only other option in the center of the park is Milijas and I can’t see Mick throwing the Serbian in at the deep end against the likes of Essien and Mikel.

We should also get a glimpse of Stephen Hunt this weekend too with the Irishman likely to be named amongst the subs. He can expect a pleasant reception from the Chelsea fans should he make an appearance (sarcasm).

Prediction League

Myself, dboy and Rich all correctly forecasted a 1-1 draw last weekend all of us picked up the maximum three points on offer.

As a consequence I’ve extended my lead at the top of the overall table (thank you, thank you).

This weekend I’m unsurprisingly going for a defeat but the question is, how heavy? Hmm, think I’ll go 3-1 Chelsea.

If you’re going to Stamford Bridge (I learned my lesson last year) have a great time and get behind the lads.

Up The Wolves.

So to see if I could find anything to give us hope for the weekend, I chatted with some Blues’ supporters on a popular football forum. Here are the questions and some of the best answers:

How would you rate Chelsea’s season to date? You’re top of the league with a vastly superior goal difference to everyone else. Has it all been smooth sailing?

Chelsea won both matches last season

“Pretty much went as I expected, disappointing to not get something from City and losing in the League Cup so early but the season has been more than satisfactory so far. It hasn’t always gone smoothly, a few injuries are exposing our lack of depth and more injuries could see us struggle.”

“Top of the league and shouldn’t complain, but we are by no means perfect. We still lack some pace and guile up front, which mean we are a bit static when up against very well organised defences. The squad does not have the depth it did last year and we will struggle when key players are injured.”

Who have been your most important players thus far? Is it the usual suspects or has anyone really surprised you?

“Malouda has been vital to the front line and the midfield. He has been our main creative force. The return of Essien of course has given us a better bite in the midfield. Then of course Cech Cole and Drogba. JT has also improved on the poor spells he had last year.”

“All of them, they have all been important particularly the midfield with the loss of Lampard, Ramires has been key.”

“Every player has put in a good shift. The usual suspects Drogba and Malouda are vital to our attacking play, Cech seems to be cutting all mistakes out of his game and Terry is starting to look like the old Terry, faultless season so far. The only surprise for me is Mikel, he’s so improved its incredible. He finally looks to make a forward pass as much as possible rather than sideways and backwards, he even made a Lampard-esque off-ball burst forward against Villa.”

Which would you rather win this season, the Premier League or the Champions League? You’ve never won European Cup, so does that hold greater value?

“The Champions League… So people will stop talking about it!!! All jokes aside the best team in Europe wins the strongest league and not necessarily the Champions League.”

“Many disagree, but it will always be the Champions League for me until we win it.”

“Always PL for me, but would love this to be the season we go one further as well. For me, you have to be champions of your country first, then champs of europe, so this year would be a fitting climax to some of our players’ careers. Probably wishful thinking though.”

Wolves took an absolute pasting at Stamford Bridge last year and aren’t coming into the game in the best form, what do you think we need to do to have any hope of coming away with a decent result?

“Unfortunately for Wolves, and no disrespet intended, your best bet is damage limitation. Hard work, concentrating for the full 90 mins and working for each other is what will get you a decent result. Do the basics well and you’ll do yourselves justice, few teams come to Stamford Bridge and get a result, nevermind a win. Stick to a game plan and give it a go, who knows, it might be Wolves lucky day!”

“What Villa did was sit back so far that we had no room to play anything intricate. And without Drogba crosses have to be so precise.”

“Two options. Throw caution to the wind and try to get an early goal or pack the midfield and try to hit us on the counter. Either might work depending on who turns up on the day.”

“Sorry but it will take a miracle for you guys to get anything at the Bridge. If there’s any living hope of you getting a result it will be from us having a major shocker not you playing well.”

“Close down the midfield, stop ashley’s overlapping runs. For 90+ minutes. Easier said than done.”

Michael Mancienne has played substantially more games for Wolves than Chelsea. Do you think it’s inevitable he’ll move on permanently in the not-too-distant future? What are your thoughts on the player?

“I wanted him to stay this season because I thought he could fill the role in the squad Belletti filled last year. He wants out though I think because that’s the best we could offer him. And at 22 I think he isn’t likely to step up suddenly. Could be cracking in a few years though once he gets the experience.”

“Don’t know if he will leave permanently or not. Clearly, he is not yet good enough to break into our first team and its better that he get experience in the premier league. Time will tell if that changes.”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure he’ll be a permanent Wolves player come the end of the season. I wouldn’t have minded him being a squad player for us, but I don’t think he’ll ever be good enough to be a regular.”

“Still think he has a Chelsea future if he can put on some muscle and prove himself this season.”

Who would you identify as Wolves most important players? And also (a bit of a long-shot this one) would you welcome any of our players into your squad?

“I quite like the look of Matt Jarvis, I’ve also been a fan of Wayne Hennessy wanted him to replace Carlo Cudicini when he left but don’t know what happened to him as Hahnemann gets in more now.”

“Doyle is a very good player. Better then just the runner he is given credit for. He might slip into our squad.”

“Wayne Hennessey would be my choice, Milijas looks decent as well.”

“Doyle, Fletcher, Hahnemann, but probably only the last I would take as a backup to Cech.”

“Kevin Doyle, he could do a decent job for a higher up the table club. David Jones and Matty Jarvis look good players too. I would definitely have Hennessey as our back-up keeper purely because our number 2 and 3 keepers are so poor compared to Cech. Jarvis and Doyle would get in as squad players.”

Finally, dare I ask, what’s your prediction for Saturday? Be kind.

“A hard earned 1/2-0.”

“Doubt it will be as convincing as last year as we have our injury problems. I’ll go for the Chelsea win though.”

“We’ll get the result but I don’t think by a big margin, 2-0 I say.”

“Prediction for sat? Probably 2-0. Our defence is looking good, but we might struggle to create, and we’re probably looking at a set piece or two. All the best though. Hope you guys stay up. Maybe you can answer one for me – why are your fans so far away from the pitch, and are the club looking at moving/redeveloping? It’s always a pity to see on MOTD.”

“I’d be happy with 1-0. Good Luck anyway.”

You see, despite dominating the Champions-elect for long periods, missed chances at one end and mistakes at the other, ensured the points eventually ended up where they were supposed to.

Drogba was the difference in a tight game

What’s so frustrating, is that it could so easily have been different.

Had Kevin Foley not needlessly wandered over to the left to get involved with a throw-in, we probably wouldn’t have been so easily cut open by Chelsea’s slick counterattack in the space he left behind, culminating in Didier Drogba’s opener.

Had Christophe Berra been stronger and not allowed a simple punt up field to become a through ball, a second goal for the visitors and for the imperious Drogba probably wouldn’t have arrived.

Had Petr Cech not made two outstanding saves to deny Guedioura and then Foley a priceless equaliser, the final scoreline could have been turned on it’s head.

But it’s all frustratingly hypothetical in the end and a less biased onlooker would almost certainly point out ‘that’s why they’re at the top and you’re struggling at the bottom’.

They’d be right too.

It was a performance full of guts, determination and no small amount of skill from Wolves, but ultimately it proved fruitless because of a handful of key moments, which is an all too painful reminder of how difficult life in the Premier League can be.

Speaking of cruelty, how many more dire refereeing performances will we be subjected to this season? Fortunately, the plethora of decisions wrongfully given against Wolves didn’t cost us, but it certainly didn’t aid our cause either. And how the linesman failed to spot a blatant elbow in the face of Adlene Guedioura from John Terry is beyond me. A no-questions sending off in my opinion. Chelsea fan’s would probably disagree, as they’re seemingly blind to any of Captain Fantastic’s wrong-doings.

Hardly surprising though that good old JT found it necessary to plant one on Guedioura, as the French midfielder once again laid down an impressive marker in his second home start. He must be one of the first names on the teamsheet for next weekend’s trip to the Reebok after another all-action display.

Doyle was once again at his superb best, ably supported from midfield by the clever passing of Jones and another livewire display from Jarvis.

At the back, I thought Zubar was brilliant, cutting out the sloppy errors and using his power and pace to good effect. There’s been a few calls from the Molineux faithful to restore Foley to his favoured right-back position, but I think that would be harsh on the enthusiastic Frenchman, who has all the attributes to be a star in this side. Perhaps he could be moved into the middle at the expense of the faltering Berra?

Most encouraging from yesterday’s display was the emerging feeling that this group of players have developed a clear understanding and seem comfortable with the roles they’re being asked to fulfill. That bodes well, even if it has taken us 26 games to achieve.

The general consensus seems to be that performances up to the standard of our last two games will be enough to keep us out of trouble.

You’d be hard pressed to disagree.