With that in mind, Blues fans will probably feel satisfied with their night’s work. Good luck to them I say. I don’t begrudge them the win.

For Wolves and Mick McCarthy there’s no such consolation.

Terrible goal wins terrible match

We were awful, both individually and as a team.

But lets start with the former.

Elokobi was a liability throughout. Yes, he made a vital goal-saving lunge in the first half (which I thought was a foul by the way) but his total lack of awareness and incompetence on the ball make me shudder everytime he has possession.

Sadly though George, you narrowly miss out on the numpty of the match champagne.

No, that’s most definitely reserved for another deserving culprit.

Step forward Stephen Hunt.

We all know he’s been woefully anonymous in recent times, but his performance last night was taking the flippin’ Michael.

He sauntered around, half a yard off the pace and quite obviously just couldn’t be arsed.

You can normally tell within the first 10-15 minutes of any match whether he’s up for it or not. If he is, ala Blues at home last season, you’ve got a real player on your hands.

80% of the time though, he doesn’t show anywhere near those levels of interest and isn’t the type of player who can operate effectively in cruise control.

He was easily the worst of a very poor bunch.

Still, however bad individuals were, the manager must shoulder much of the blame for the team performance.

Anyone who comes out two days before the game has even kicked off and proclaims ‘It’ll be Doyler and Sylvan up top’ as if that’s some sort of declaration of attacking intent is living in cloud cuckoo land.

That says to me, that in his head it doesn’t matter who else he plays because two out of form forwards, both dining off past accomplishments as opposed to anything they’ve done recently, will get the job done.

That was never, ever going to be the case.

I said in my preview I’d play 451 because we needed to make better use of the ball in the middle of the pitch and not just hoof it long to the forwards.

Well low and behold what did we do?

The same thing we always do in a 442 of course, pass it around the back four, run out of ideas and shell it long.

Nice one Mick.

He got two bites of the cherry in this tie and patently didn’t learn his lesson from the first taster.

I despair.

You can only imagine what the millions who tuned into ITV made of it.

Like them, I’d rather have watched Coronation Street.

Wolves went on to win 2 of their 3, while Blues failed to pick up a single point and were relegated by the narrowest of margins.

This picture amuses me

That predictably led to financial woes, a fire-sale of players and even a manager jumping ship to bitter rivals.

While all this was happening, I could only muster one thought – it could have been us.

It could have been us waving goodbye to our best players as the vultures circled.

It could have been us heading directly back to square one and joining the scrum to get out of the Championship.

It could, very easily, have been us.

So it many ways it’s apt that the two sides once again come together just 6 months down the line.

Credit to Blues, they seem to have kept things together remarkably well considering their plight and under Chris Hughton, they’re a decent outfit.

Their home form is particularly impressive and they’re yet to lose at St. Andrew’s in 11 league matches, boasting 7 wins and 4 draws.

Anyone else smell a banana skin?

The Team

It will be very interesting to see what sort of team Mick puts out for this one, but I hope he takes it seriously as a repeat of the 3-1 thumping we got against Crystal Palace two years back wouldn’t be greeted kindly, especially in a derby.

This is something like the team I expect to see:

de Vries, Foley, Johnson, Elokobi, Jonnson, Frimpong, Edwards, Guedioura, Kightly, Doyle, SEB

Man, that was difficult.

I tip my hat to anyone who can correctly predict the lineup for this one as Mick has a considerable number of options to choose from. I changed my team 2 or 3 times.

Here’s my rationale for each player’s selection.

de Vries – given a run out
Foley – needs minutes after injury
Johnson – desperate to play against former club
Elokobi – given a run out
Jonnson – debut
Frimpong – needs game time and to assess in a 442
Edwards – needs minutes after injury
Guedioura – given a run out
Kightly – assessed after loan period
Doyle – needs a goal
SEB – Mick won’t want to play 451 so second striker needed

Prediction

There’s no Prediction League points up for grabs this weekend, so purely for fun.

Cup matches are difficult to guess as you never know what sort of team either manager will put out, but I’m expecting this to be close.

Blues will be up for it so it’s up to Wolves to match them.

We’ve got more quality, even with our second string so I reckon we’ll just come out on top.

2-1.

If you’re at St. Andrew’s for this one, have a great time and roar the lads on.

Up The Wolves.

On another sub-zero weekend, on the decaying Molineux pitch, Stoke came out on top with their trademark brand of agricultural non-football.

20 smackers well spent? Probably not.

Free header anyone?

Wolves for their part were easier on the eye, but only a little, attempting to pass the ball throughout on the uneven surface but rarely penetrating the typically well-organised opposition.

Mick deployed a strong side, resisting the urge to field the fringe and keeping faith with 9 of the players that started against Liverpool. And in many ways, the performance was very similar to last Saturday’s.

Once again, for all the huff and puff, nobody in a gold shirt seemed capable of sticking in the knife.

The only difference being that the strikers can’t blame the service this time.

Ward sent over a delicious ball just prior to the interval that Fletcher could only head against the post.

Sam Vokes was also profligate, guiding a superb inswinging cross from Jarvis straight at Thomas Sorensen, when a bulging net seemed inevitable.

Then finally, in the dying seconds, Milijas wasted the greatest opportunity of all, sending a meek spot-kick towards goal that the Stoke keeper once again repelled with ease.

That would have secured Wolves a deserved replay, but instead the FA Cup journey is over for another season.

Still, we can have few complaints about losing after Robert Huth was inexplicably left all alone in the six-yard box to power home the only goal of the game. It was a moment of slackness in an otherwise solid defensive outing, but again, it’s costly.

It was a dull game truth be told, that only really sprung to life in the final 15 minutes, but it demonstrated the crucial difference between two sides. Stoke, for all their shortcomings, kept things tight and made us pay for a moment of slackness. Wolves switched off at a crucial moment, then failed to capitalise when handed a reprieve.

Frustration was the overriding feeling, summed up perfectly by Mick McCarthy’s touchline rage following the Milijas penalty failure.

It’s quickly onto Bolton now, where we can’t afford wasted chances and hard-luck stories, particularly with a Man United/Arsenal double-header to follow.

We need points. Not excuses.

Wolves complete O’Hara signing

One piece of good news today is the loan signing of Jamie O’Hara from Spurs. Read the full story on the club site here:

http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10307~2279998,00.html

He’s unquestionably an excellent addition to the squad, but hasn’t played a competetive game all season following a back injury. Fingers crossed he can hit the ground running because he’s definitely got the ability.

With the transfer window only open for another 24 hours, is there still time for any further additions? We’ve used up our last loan on O’Hara, so any additional business will have to be permanent.

Wolves were victorious against the Potters on the opening day and good value for the win, so a repeat performance from the boys in gold would do just nicely.

Remember when everything seemed perfect?

The two teams have enjoyed contrasting fortunes since that early-season encounter, with Stoke eventually finding some consistency after a terrible start to see themselves safely ensconced in midtable.

Wolves, as we know, have struggled at the bottom and would almost certainly swallow a defeat in this game if it meant victory against Bolton and three precious Premier League points next Wednesday.

Despite this thinking, I believe Mick will field a strong side for, whilst also giving a few players the chance to force their way back into the first team. Depending on injuries, I expect a lineup something like this:

Hahnemann

Doherty
Craddock
Mouyokolo
Elokobi

Edwards
Jones
Henry
Jarvis

Doyle
Fletcher

It’s a shame Hammill is cup tied as I think we’d all like to have seen him given a chance in this one but the likes of Craddock, Henry, Mouyokolo and Edwards would  all benefit from the game time as they work back up to full fitness.

In terms of a prediction, it’s a difficult one to call, as nobody can know for sure (as I write this) how strong either team will be.

But based on the fact that Tony Pulis has been moaning (with justification in my opinion) about the fixture being moved to a Sunday ahead of a Premier League fixture in midweek, I think he’ll make a number of changes. Their away record isn’t that great either, with 7 defeats from 11 league matches. However, this is a cup tie so all that goes out the window.

Neither team will want a replay though and something tells me we won’t need one.

3-2 Wolves.

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

* As always, cup games don’t count towards the Prediction League.

It’s always the same at this time of year. The waft of Deep Heat cuts a warm path to the heart as you recollect some of your fondest footballing memories – often to do with the competition we have won four times.

Last season's cup run ended in humiliation at Selhurst Park

FA Cup third round weekend is football from the old school. Teams going at each other like rabid dogs, fervent supporters so close they are on the pitch, floodlights illuminating the chill and preferably, the sight of a terraced stand or two.

When we heard we had dropped on Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat, most of us sighed.

Not me. ‘Tis the stuff that dreams are made of! We might all moan to one another about the prospect, but deep inside we get off on it. The only shame is that the Belle Vue ground isn’t the backdrop for the muck and nettles that will follow.

Bland Premier League theme replaced by a tub thumping local beat; accent of Yorkshire PA announcer thicker than a pie crust and the sight, somewhere, of a cardboard FA Cup covered in tin foil.

If we win, we can moan some more about the injustice of having to go to Doncaster in the first place, which was obviously the most unenviable draw for any club in the history of the competition. As we progress through the rounds, we can all harp on about the day we had to beat Doncaster Rovers at their place in arctic conditions.

If we win, we can enjoy the best Match of the Day programme of the year, watching a Bedlington Terrier or a Vauxhall Motor doing remarkable things in front of a packed grass bank.

Like a 10 year-old kid and his faith in Father Christmas, I still believe in the FA Cup and won’t listen if anyone tells me otherwise.

Come January 8, we will all keep one eye on the game and the other on page 2 of the Premier League table.

I won’t be. I’m going! Most probably in two pairs of thermal socks and a pair of Long Johns.

Why? Because I still remember us scoring three second half goals at Mansfield, O’Neill Donaldson, an injury time Kevin Keen goal at Vale Park and a brave defeat at Brian Clough’s Forest.

I know we all yearn for Premiership survival. But for one weekend I just want a Tony Gubba voiceover, a Lightning Seeds soundtrack and a bit of magic for the good old days.

On a more positive note, it was a decent game of football, which kept the crowd of 14,449 entertained throughout. There were some excellent goals too, most notably Ronald Zubar’s chest high volley that whistled into the top corner to earn us a second chance in the tie.

Zubar - Deserved his goal

The big defender did himself no harm with his performance either. How Mick can’t see that this guy should be in the team every week is beyond me. Whenever I’ve seen him play, he’s done well and a good run in the team seems long overdue. Perhaps now could be the time for the former Marseille man to step up and make a big contribution to our survival mission. He certainly has all the attributes to do just that.

Mancienne had a decent game too, sweeping up at the back and keeping Victor Moses in his back pocket. Berra wasn’t as convincing and struggled to contain the aerial threat of Alan Lee, most notably in the fourth minute when the forward powered home a header to give the Eagles the lead.

That put paid to Hennessy’s hopes of a clean sheet and things didn’t really get much better for the Welsh international. He had very little to do in the match, so will be disappointed to have shipped two goals. He couldn’t do much about Lee’s bullet header, but I’m not so sure Darren Ambrose’s free kick should have been able to find it’s way in.

Elokobi enjoyed mixed fortunes and despite some powerful and incisive runs forward, he let himself down again with poor distribution. I can’t see him unseating Ward from the left-back slot anytime soon.

In midfield, Jones was the real bright spark and must surely have played himself into contention for the Liverpool match. He picked out some clever passes and got into good shooting positions, culminating in a well-taken goal from the edge of the box.

Henry, Surman and Foley all showed nice touches but none of them really had the ability to hurt Palace in the final third, which probably says a lot about why we’re so toothless in attack at the moment.

Up top, Vokes won a lot of headers and was up for the game from the very start. Maybe he deserves a chance alongside Doyle with SEB and Iwelumo struggling to make the desired impact on the Premiership stage. Speaking of SEB, he can be reasonably pleased with his performance, but unfortunately, his long wait for a goal continues and for all his good play, he didn’t really get a sniff in this one.

By contrast, new boy Mujangi Bia got into some great positions when he came on, but ultimately failed to capitalise. I wouldn’t say he convinced me about his future potential with this second-half cameo, but the one thing he did was put Palace on the back foot. We’ve been crying out for a player (other than Jarvis) that can get defences turned and this guy might well give us that spark. The jury’s still out.

Overall, a few decent performances but as a team, we didn’t do enough at either end to get the win. And I’m afraid that until we start playing with two proper wide men, we’ll continue to struggle in the ‘goals for’ column.

Come on Mick, sort it out.

I didn’t go to that replay, but I remember vividly watching at home on the TV and shaking my head in disbelief at that last goal from Armstrong. What a finish. However, I did go to the first game at Selhurst Park (what a dump), where Gordon Cowans assaulted one of their players before curling in a neat finish to earn us the draw. I suppose justice was done in the end.

To be honest, I won’t be heading to Molineux on Saturday expecting a similar cup classic, but will definitely settle for a decent performance, a win and maybe even a few goals if the footballing Gods are smiling down on us.

I’m sure Neil Warnock has other ideas though and will have his side up for the game and hellbent on causing a mini-upset. It will be interesting to see whether the ‘next big thing’ Victor Moses turns out for the visitors, as many of their fans seem to think they don’t want to get him cup-tied. Makes sense I suppose given that his exit seems inevitable and they want to get top dollar for the striker. If he does play though, I’ll look forward to seeing what he’s about.

For Wolves, I expect a lot of changes from the side that were blown away by Wigan. With Liverpool to come on Tuesday, I can’t imagine Mick risking any of our better players for this one so it could well be a complete second string. That’s not necessarily bad news though, as all of those players should be well up for the game and a chance to force their way back into the first team.

Here’s the kind of lineup I’d expect to see:

Hennessy

Zubar
Berra
Elokobi
Hill

Surman
Jones
Castillo
Foley

Iwelumo
SEB

I include SEB in that eleven, simply because it seems like a good opportunity to try and get him a goal. That must be something Mick is contemplating, but I’ve given up trying to second-guess our manager. For all I know, he might field our best side.

To be honest, the one result I really wouldn’t like to see is a draw. I think win or lose, get this fixture out of the way and move on, whether that be to the next round or focusing completely on survival. I’d love to see us win it and continue the cup run, especially with the likes of Man Utd and Liverpool already out, but staying in the Premiership must remain the number one priority.

Ben put the question to me earlier in the week:

‘What would you prefer, an FA Cup win or Premiership survival?’.

I opted for the latter. You might well think differently.

Either way, I do believe we’ll overcome Palace in this particular encounter. Had the game been at Selhurst Park, I wouldn’t have been quite so confident, but seeing as it’s at home, I’ll go for a 2-0 win.

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

Up The Wolves.

A bitterly cold Sunday night and a rock hard pitch didn’t exactly contribute to what was far from an enthralling spectacle, but the one moment of real quality won the game.

Tranmere's manager is their physio. Strange.

And I was pleased that it was Matt Jarvis who fired home the winner, particularly after that embarrassing miss at the end of the first half. He’s undoubtedly been one of our best performers this season and always looks to make something happen, so that goal was just reward for his efforts.

Nenad Milijas was more or less anonymous throughout, yet it was once again the Serbian who unlocked the opposition defence with a delicious, perfectly-weighted through ball. And that’s why we need him in the starting eleven. He might go missing for long periods, but he’s always capable of turning a close game in our favour with a moment of supreme quality.

There certainly wasn’t as many changes to the side as I’d expected, but one player who came in and did himself no harm at all was Wayne Hennessy. He had the odd moment of madness, with one poor throw and that 50/50 clash with their striker, which really should have given them the lead. But his overall play was solid and he handled everything fairly comfortably, even plucking one or two difficult crosses out of the winter sky with relative ease. I wonder if he’s in contention for a start at West Ham? Probably not given Hahnemann’s recent good form.

The wait for an open-play goal continues for SEB, despite a glorious headed chance from point-blank range. That’s the third similar opportunity he’s had this season and despite good saves from the three respective keepers, he’s really got to be planting them in the back of the net. But despite the miss, he was the better of our two strikers, although neither really enforced themselves on the game, which is disappointing.

In midfield, it was hit and miss again for me. Henry did his normal job pretty well, sweeping up in front of the back four and finding simple passes. Foley was neat and tidy as you’d expect, but he doesn’t give you a particularly great option in the final third. There’s an argument that we can afford to accommodate him in the midfield when Milijas and Jarvis offer the attacking threat, but I’d still like to see McCarthy bring in another natural right-sided midfielder. I suspect we might see that. Kris Commons has been mentioned and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a gold shirt before January’s out.

Berra was rested at the back and I thought Mancienne did well sitting in alongside Craddock. He gives us more speed and guile at the center of defence but I’d still keep faith with the Scottish international for the trip to West Ham. I think he and Jody have a good understanding and position themselves well to compensate for any lack of pace.

So overall, it wasn’t great and we could easily have lost, but we’re through and probably shouldn’t complain too much about any win this season. It certainly won’t do our confidence any harm. I’d back us to beat Crystal Palace at home in the next round too and if we can, the FA Cup might just become a little bit more interesting for us.

On a side note, did anyone else watch the game on the FA Website and think the commentary was just awful? I couldn’t make my mind up whether they were trying to be biased towards Tranmere or were just two complete plonkers. Either way, they were uber critical of pretty much everything Wolves did and it just rubbed me up the wrong way. End of mini-rant.

Anyway, West Ham next up on Sunday. Should be a titanic clash, with both sides needing a result. I have faith Wolves can get it. More on that in the preview later in the week.

Up the Wolves.

I do know they’re struggling at the bottom of League One (third bottom to be precise) and parted company with John Barnes not too long ago. But other than that, I’m struggling.

John Barnes - Didn't last long at Tranmere

It wasn’t always that way of course. Back in my early days as a Wolves supporter, visits to Prenton Park were a regular occurrence and they always had some useful players, most notably the likes of John Aldridge and Pat Nevin. Those were probably the golden years for Tranmere and where they’d eventually like to get back to.

Unfortunately, things aren’t quite as rosy for them these days and I’d imagine they’ll be looking forward to this match, hoping to make the most of the occasion and cause an upset. They’ve seen an upturn in their results recently, so they’ll have some belief that they can get the win and start a cup run.

I imagine Mick McCarthy will make quite a few changes to the Wolves side for this fixture. He’s come out and said he’s picking from his ‘first team squad’ but that gives us very little indication as to the actual eleven that will take to the field.

So I can’t possibly come close to predicting the exact lineup. However, I’d expect players like Hennessy, The Hoff and Matt Hill all to be given starts. Other than that, it’s more or less complete guess work. But with West Ham and Wigan coming up, I don’t think our manager will want to see any of his best players exerting themselves too much.

I don’t like devaluing the FA Cup, but unfortunately I can’t seem to muster a great deal of interest at this early stage, with Premiership survival all I’m able to focus my energies on. You might be different.

Seeing as I know so little about Tranmere and I have no clue what players will take to the field for Wolves, predicting a scoreline becomes rather difficult. Would it be incredibly ignorant of me to say that I expect Wolves to progress, simply because we’ll probably have a stronger team, whichever players we put out?

Whether it is or it isn’t, I’m going for a Wolves win, although no result would surprise me greatly.

If you’re making the trip, have a great time, enjoy the match and roar the lads on.

Up the Wolves.

Don’t forget, you can watch this match live on the FA website for free. Simply visit this page at 6pm on Sunday evening. I think that only applies to people living in the UK, but I might well be wrong.