After Sunday’s game, a few people took me to task over my negative mindset.
I was definitely seeing red but it wasn’t so much the sickener of conceding late, more how that equaliser arrived.
Wolves couldn’t string two passes together in the second half and overall stats of 36% possession at home to Newcastle, when you’ve got our midfield, isn’t acceptable. Don’t forget their best midfielder was sat at home too.
It seems like Plan A is passing the ball around and struggling to create or camping out and playing on the break. I think Bruno Lage can coax more out of this talented group.
The seemingly imminent arrival of a giant centre forward should help.
Bournemouth
The Cherries have just been slapped for 9 and sacked their manager. Some will say that makes it a tough fixture, but I’m not sure I agree.
If Wolves can assert themselves on the game as they should, this represents an excellent opportunity to collect a first league victory of the campaign.
Scott Parker might consider himself unfortunate to be out of a job on the basis he did get a win on opening day against Villa and the three losses that followed were against Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
They conceded an eye-watering 16 goals in that trio of defeats without finding the net themselves, but it seems like diverging views on transfer policy is the rationale behind the early change.
Parker wanted more signings and the club is talking about long-term sustainability. Fair enough, but you would have thought they’d have got on the same page over the summer or parted ways sooner.
In a season where it looks particularly tough to pick out obvious candidates for the drop, they’re rapidly moving towards the top of that list.
Wolves
Probably not a popular choice but I’d put Dendoncker in tomorrow. There’s talk about him being moved on but until he does leave or we get another forward in, I think we need him.
There are still not enough players in the box when we get forward. Neto and Guedes are willing runners but neither is steaming in at the back post when crosses are coming from the other side.
Nunes got in there a few times on Sunday, but with Raul not offering any aerial threat I think we need another body occupying defenders and whatever you want to say about his finishing, Leander does get on the end of things.
Podence, Traore and Ait-Nouri are other attacking options that could help break the lock and maybe Podence playing just behind Raul could alter the dynamic. It worked well a few times last season.
Predictions
Well done to Cannock Wolf, Portuguese Men of Wolves, PeteRobbo, Rich, Mike Jones, Steppenwolfe, Ash k and Matt Cook for all correctly predicting a 1-1 draw against Newcastle.
Ash K, PeteRobbo and Rich share the lead at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 4.
As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.
You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.
Up The Wolves!
We will win because we have to win. It’s too depressing to contemplate another blank and (shudders) a narrow defeat.
Seriously, how bad is that going to look if they keep a cleansheet having shipped 16 in the last 3?
Am I expecting too much for our team of established full internationals to exert a bit of dominance here? Please, please, please Wolves, don’t make this suffering go on any longer.
Everyone keeps saying this is not the time to play Bournemout. I digress… You have just been twatted 9-0 and lose your manager, with a game the next day…. There is literally 0 time to prepare these players…. We should act like a pack of Wolves and go for the throat. We have the talent – at least in principle to fight with the best of them but right now Bournemout are a wounded animal and we should be happily feeding on them….
Our defence is solid… Every single goal we have conceded this season has been down to a single players error…
SA – Leeds
RAN – Leeds
RAN – Fulham
RAN/COLLINS – Tottenham
HWANG – NEWCASTLE.
We took Tottenham to task for most of the game – a Newcastle team that went 2 up against City was lucky to equalise on the 89th Minute and a Leeds team that 3-0 chelsea was gifted the 3 points….
I think the saying goes…. “out of darkness co…..” *FINGERS CROSSED EVERYONE*
You are correct that the errors are not so much team errors but individual errors and if we can stop them, we will be alright.
Love the positivity WFiL. You might just be right.
I’m not sure I agree with you Thomas:
“The Cherries have just been slapped for 9 and sacked their manager. Some will say that makes it a tough fixture, but I’m not sure I agree” ..
I think the Cherries will park the bus and make this a tough fixture. Still, I’m banking we will equal our highest PL score of the season and nick it laboriously. 0-1.
They have not got the personal to “park the bus”
Thanks for saving me the time – that is exactly what I was going to say – and predicted result.
This has 0-0 written all over it.
Therefore I’ll go for all 3 points seeing as my prediction league position is around as bad as our teams.
Hopefully a first win, but will probably be tougher than it should be.
Bournemouth are in a mess having now sacked Parker, so a great time for us to get our first win. I’d be inclined to start Podence for Neto but keep the rest of the team the same.
Ever the optimist Sarnie? Well I hope you’re right, but personally I’ll believe a return to winning ways when I see one. I thought that Neto had one of his least effective games for us against Newcastle and so I can see why you made your suggestion to swap him for Podence.
Nevertheless, we still look as lightweight with respect to a goalscoring threat as before. Meanwhile, defensively, there are a growing number now questioning the advisability of replacing Coady and our previously secure 3 at the back style with Collins and a back 4. It hasn’t been a great success defensively so far methinks.
So therefore, more of the same for me and I’m sticking with our limited goalscoring capability to produce another single goal and our new comparatively vulnerable defensive capability to concede the same.
Another less than completely satisfying score draw for me then. Hope I’m wrong of course and we we win handsomely.
We will make this game harder than it should be, but I reckon we’ll nick it 1-0 in the 80th minute then switch off and let Bournemouth come at us in the last 10 minutes…
We need a win the team needs to start playing the way they can are next two fixtures are both winnable if we play the way we can. Whitch is fast flowing football 3 or 4 times against NC we had 3 on 2 yet the final pass went straight to a defender we are better than that and Lage needs to get things sorted and fast.
Look, with the standard of players available to us,there has to be something else wrong. I guess we need to get used to this “4 at the back” – which is really two at the back, , because the FB’s are doing the job of the wing backs. Somehow, I felt a lot more comfortable with the old system, and I get the willies whenever the opposition counters. But, that’s what has been decided.
Now, if the new boy comes in, are we partnering him with Raul in a 4-4-2, or will he replace him??
As for the prediction, this is a team earmarked for relegation. If we don’t want to be considered in the same vein, we NEED to win this. So far we have played the easier teams (if there is such a thing). So win we must. And let’s not settle for a 1-0. We know opposition like scoring against us in the last few minutes of the game. So, if Bruno is listening – it’s a 2-0 win for me.
It’s too easy to simply say ”we’re better than our results suggest”. But, as I believe we are, then that’s exactly what I’m saying. We are indeed better than our results would suggest and the incoming Sasa Kalajdzic I feel will prove to be the final piece of the jigsaw. Real aerial prowess to both score himself and give layoffs for others to do the honours. A most exciting addition to the squad.
As for Bournemouth, they are a bit rubbish really, with only a victory over The Vile to brag about. Says it all, does it not?
A nice early goal should set us up nicely.
The season starts Wednesday at 19.30.
Imperative we win the next 2 fixtures and get pts on the board before we hit City + Liverpool.
Not sure if Scott Parker knew the writing was on the wall after the weekend, or whether he wants to stoke the fire to get a reaction from his players, but his post Liverpool comments probably were the best.
As for Wolves, as tight and miserly as we can be at the back (even barring individual errors / naive mistakes) we aren’t creating anywhere near enough clear cut chances. Another striker is a must, and will *hopefully* bring more goals; although balls into the box have to be better, and the back post winger has to attack the cross.
Either way I will choose a scoreline in honour of Clive,
R.I.P.
Agree lots of that has been said. Boremouff will be up for this, but we do have the quality in our team to come out on top. I’m still not convinced by Bruno, but it’s now (bar a few) his team, his methods so over to you Bruno.
First time in 2 years I am going to this one, on my doorstep, courtesy of a Cherries fan who has a season ticket, so have to be on my best behaviour!!
Our first 3 points hard fought but it is time to gel.
RIP Clive
KTF
First Multi-Goal Result, First Win.
Bruno is out of his depth. Without any of the recent additions he already had enough talent to get some results, but continued to fail miserably.
He `s an excuse maker — not a leader. Losing has become a habit, which is very difficult to break. So I think Bournemouth will surprise and get a narrow victory.
Hello Mike what’s the weather like in Bournemouth?
Hi flowDRAB. Sorry, I don`t know about Bournemouth. I live in Florida and here we have gorgeous beach weather ! !
BBQ planned for Wednesday evening with a bottle of Moet and Chandon bubbly already on ice ready to celebrate. Either a surprise victory because, despite our coach, we actually remembered how to score and win a game — unlikely !! Or a defeat, which will be the prelude to Bruno getting his overdue marching orders — probable.
Either way the champagne will go down well with a juicy steak, and the weather will remain just about perfect.
Joking aside. I`d love to see us win at long last, but genuinely I don`t see it happening
On 1 November 2014 I was at the Mol along with at least 20,000 other eager WWFC fans looking forward to an easy win. We were playing B’ham City. They’d lost just the week before 8-0 at home! to – Bournemouth! Gary Rowett had just taken their vacant, head coach position. Easy, easy, I thought. They parked the bus, 0-0!
We’ve been here before.
Please don’t get cocky, lads!
I haven’t got a result right yet so I’m going for the dull draw.
i think we about to turn the corner .
i don’t think Bruno is the man we need but there’s enough talent in the wolves side to do ok in this division this season .
i’ll never be able to read this blog without thinking about Clive . He was such a great Black Country chap … tough as old boots but he had kind words in his locker when they were needed .
Rip . sammy chung too
Sammy Chung and his golden wanderers .!! ( for all of you of a certain age )
by the way … i’ve just put a tenner on 5 v1 at pp – 100 to 1
Gotta go for them
First win of the season coming up.
We are just too good for them !!
Not sure what the several park the bus comments are about. They are playing us, not Man City, and, in our current form, I think that they are likely to take it to us. It will then be up to our greater quality to come to the surface. Hopefully it will but it’s shared spoils for me.
It has to be a win, or else there will be serious charges coming soon.
Drunk in charge?
I’m sure a bus will be parked but it might as well be a submarine as they’re going down.
Surely we’ve got enough to see them off
RIP SAMMY CHUNG.
I just have to go for a 3-1 win for this game, but it’ll be the first time I’m right if it happens. This and Saturday’s game need to be won for the sake of our confidence. I think we are playing absolutely fine until we get to the opposition’s box. I also think Guedes looks really strong and Nunes is totally class. They need to get up to the pace and constancy of the league, but it’s early days. COYW.
Usually optimistic, preferring to be patient, trust in the team and believe, I must confess I was feeling frustrated after watching us on Sunday.
Thomas has already made many very good points. We should have had enough quality to dominate midfield on Sunday. We should have continued the recent trend and had more than 36% possession. We should not have had 10 shots to Newcastle’s 21 or have allowed them 13 corners to our 4.
Yes, we scored a well worked goal on the break, but it was correctly disallowed for a foul by Neto in the immediate build up. We could’ve been 2-0. We weren’t. We got what we deserved. A draw.
For me it was all of the above, mitigated perhaps because the team are still getting used to one another and a new system. But that mitigation is wearing thin.
What really disappointed were the substitutions. Unfathomable. I was completely baffled. Bafflement quickly became anger when a short on confidence Hwang …… well …… we all know what happened.
Will the upheaval at Bournemouth help or hinder us. ?I’m not sure. If Scott Parker’s departure was an unwelcome shock to the squad, then that on top of their 3 defeats culminating in a 9-0 dismantling at the hands of another team that was struggling will not help them tomorrow night. And I hope our players, led by Super Neves, feel they have a point to prove.
Just to add some balance to what feels like a pivotal few days, I suspect if any of us had been told at the beginning of August we would have signed Collins, Guedes, Nunes, Kalajdzic, and kept Neves, Neto and Jimenez (so far), we wouldn’t have believed it. And there’s more to come.
We were so focused on Fosun and the lack of signings. Well, we can’t complain now. Equally, neither can Bruno.
A couple of wins, and everything will feel so much better.
A couple of losses, and, well,
I dread to think.
UTW
Oh, dear. Just heard some bad news about the new signing. Turns out, he’s not a natural striker – he used to be an attacking midfielder in Austria.
I hope people will not hold that against him.
Like you just have Tim.
Should be able to score upfront and from midfield then. Just maybe he was playing in the wrong position before, just like Joelinton but the other way round.
Also you used to be Tim and now you are John but we’re not holding it against you.
And, Thierry Henry was not a natural striker, he was a winger. Another fraud exposed! Don’t get me started on Steve Bull. He wasn’t a natural striker, his stats for the Baggies proved that…
Wolves to play Brunoball. Getting close to the last chance saloon for him.
I’d have Dendonker in the starting line up every week.
Box to box, physicality , gets on the end of more than our strikers.
Someone once said Bournemouth is full of old aged pensioners. Last time I went there apart from 86 year old grannies pulling tartan shopping trolleys with a terrier poking out yapping at everyone and smelling of wee and malted milk biscuits, I didn’t find much evidence. And tomorrow night WWFC will reduce Bournemouth FC to the level of the Boscombe over 75’s crown green bowling team. Everything suddenly clicks and I have already ensured the power lines to Stockley Park are cut off at 19:00 hours via Next Door neighbours cat who is already undercover ready to spring to action. So no further bizarre VAR can be inflicted on us. The desperate Cherries defence will literally fall apart as WWFC go one better than Liverpool with a 10-0 victory. Cherries 0 WWFC 10.
Great to see someone else who remembers Clive’s late additions to the blogs with the astute comments and the basketball scores.
Whoever posted Dover for the continent and Bournemouth for the incontinent take a bow.
I had a shit in Bournemouth once. But it was controlled and there was bog roll available.
I expect a victory. Anything else, then it’s time for Lage to go.
Blimey, some people have low expectations.
.
Never mind Brunoball, we want back LIQUID football, as Clive would say.
The team has been a bit unlucky with self induced errors, which surely won’t continue! Right?
If we don’t win tomorrow, I will be really worried, but feel that it will be a comfortable win, once we score first! Famous last words!
Well my prediction league performance is worse than Bournemouth’s. Got to be a win. But two own goals it will need to be.
This absolutely is a must win. No excuses. The 36% possession figure against Newcastle at home was really disappointing, particularly given the quality of our squad. The substitutions were also rubbish and we simply did not have the kind of attacking momentum or shots on goal we should have expected. Time to turn on the attacking football, release the shackles from the players and let them play their natural game. We have to beat Bournemouth, otherwise I really think Lage will be on thin ice. UTW.
What has happened to our attacking football? Hope it returns tomorrow. It will be a very depressing long journey back of we do not get a result.
let’s hope for the same scoreline from last midweek
I fill my shop with stock i have the best sales computers i look after my staff with very good wages i give them everything they need to succeed.
If they dont its not my fault its theirs i have given them everything i can so !!!
BRUNO if you dont start winning games with the fact you have been given the tools then its your fault and i am starting to think it may well be your fault.
Start winning or i reckon you could be on your bike very shortly .
I would love to be proved wrong .
We have from of struggling to beat a team that have just been thrashed and I fear this might be no different. One thing that is worrying me is our poor second half’s. The new striker will help giving us more presence in the penalty area but sadly he won’t be available
I believe.
Come on, it’s not as if Ted MacDougall is still playing for them …
I feel sorry for Scott Parker getting the sack so soon.
Bournemouth didn’t give him a chance, considering that they’d played three top teams in the first four games.
We haven’t, apart from Spurs, and look where we are!
Anyway, we just have to win tonight and win we will.
I think it was because he vented forth on lack of quality incomings so the owner used his guillotine.
By the way, wasn’t it great to see Chelsea so disjointed again last night.
Yes, I think the owners ended up agreeing with him that the Cherries are ill equipped for the Premier.
Maybe they are, but so are a few other teams… that’s why we have a relegation zone!
Well done Saints!
.
It’s still technically August, and, as some helpful sprite pointed out, we havn’t won a League game in this month since 2011.
Nevermind. I’m also with Thomas. Scotty lost his trousers and the Cherries are ripe for the picking.
An era defining victory on the cards. Bruno finally has his picnic assembled and we can all sit down and tuck into that game pie, apple tart and Banks’s he promised us. Our vast new center forward shading us from the sun and batting away the wasps. Bastards.
If anything the season is getting more unpredictable. I mean did Leeds put 3 past MacChelsea? How did St Maxine’s volley go in? No better time for that most unlikely of scorelines to materialize. Rise with Clive.
1 lv & COYW.
I’m not sure it’s sensible to throw the term ‘must-win’ around in late August but, given we haven’t won in 11, I think it’s fair to do so on this occasion. Put simply, Bruno needs a win. I know it’s early days as far as the new signings go, but he’s been backed now and needs to start getting a tune out of this squad. There’s more than enough quality in our ranks now to be challenging for at least a top-half berth, but our trajectory at the moment is a downward one. I’d say anything less than four points out of this week’s games should warrant a debate about whether he’s the right man for us. Nuno was crucified by sections of our fanbase for less in his final season.
That being said, this is about as good a chance to bag that first win of the season as you’re likely to get right now. Bournemouth don’t look equipped for this level and, while it’s always dangerous to play a team after they’ve binned their manager, we should be capable of seeing this one out. Hopefully that will build some momentum going into the Southampton game on Saturday.
We need to win this & start getting some decent points on the board!
COYW
First 6 pointer of the season.
We need to win this or we will be in the deep brown stuff.
The end of the season might show that we’ve already had some 6 pointers.
Definitely a must win after a disappointing run of games going back to last season. A match away from home pressures is an ideal way to kick start our signing.
There are plenty of plus points for Wolves now, including our new signing Sasa Kalajdzic, waiting in the wings for Saturday’s match. Welcome Sasa.
Finally we can dream of a Clive-five, in memory of our recently departed friend.
Signing? I’m over excited. That should read ‘season’.
Will the new man get any game time????
Wolves to win 2 – 0
Sasa looks pretty useful.
I know it’s difficult to tell from a ‘Showreel’ but Sky have put together some impressive footage showing him to be VERY strong in the air and can score with both feet.
Look forward to maybe seeing him on Saturday.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11699/12685976/wolves-transfer-news-sasa-kalajdzic-joins-bruno-lages-side-from-stuttgart
Prefer to keep a few of those for Saturday mate …
South coast tonight .. south coast opponents on Sat… the personnel are shaping up nicely .. let’s hope Bruno gets his act together..,
Surely the stars have aligned (new striker on the way, worst defence in the league) that wolves can finally score a Clive in honour of the man.
Raul with the brace and when of the new kids opens their PL account
Has to be a win. Have to score some goals. Anything else will really ramp up the pressure. The season should get going tonight.
FOwb
From the net:
Hwang, who is apparently also on the radar of Roma, reportedly has a price tag of up to £25m.
“He’s exceptional”
Leeds would be getting themselves a great player in Hwang, particularly considering Marsch knows how to get the best out of him.
Erling Haaland has previously called him a “brilliant” player capable of “absolutely crazy” displays (Bundesliga website).
A win would do everyone associated with the club a lift. We’ll play well and be good value for our win
Hwang!!! really… has he been conning us or is it that we don’t play the style that suits him.
hmmmmm actually I am beginning to wonder if we play a style at all or one that suits anybody at the moment lets hope we are proved wrong tonight and we can start to create an identity and everyone can settle down and know their role.
But if Hwang is exceptional he needs to start showing it … somehow and sharpish.
Iurnemouth is the place we used to go fir our annual one week holidays
Many happy memories of bband evening meal hostelries in South our new r and walks along fisherman’s walk with my Daf on the way back from the paper shop
My point?
It’s a holiday resort not a football town so let’s help them back to the lower divisions
‘Kalajdzic and Jimenez’ doesn’t roll off the tongue like ‘Dougan and Richards’ but I can see it working in a very similar way.
If only we could turn Traore into Wagstaffe we’d be competing for European places.
Whatever, there can’t be any complaints about Fosun’s intent now so let’s all get behind the team and hope Bruno can implement his “plan”.
Need to get points on board as Got some tougher games coming up
Home win
I do hope our new forward can hit the back of the net. An hour gone and still 0-0. I’m starting to despair!!
Simply terrible. Players look like they believe they’ve done their job when they create a half chance. Why don’t we run at players in the centre of the park rather than pass sideways. Midfielders Running direct at a defender makes them nervous and then creates more space especially in the centre ( this is where the goal is Wolves) The two new Portuguese signings along with Neto and Podence have this within them to do it so go for it
What an absolute joke. This lot couldn’t score in a brothel. LAGE OUT!
One thing that I have learned tonight is that we should not let Traore go until we have someone better in that role
That’s a 10 year contract then, Roger.
Absolutely woeful second half. A team full of internationals, and we cannot create one decent chance of scoring. Relegation beckons, along with Bournemouth, if something,or someone doesn’t change. That’s 13/14 league games without a win, and what, 5 or 6 goals in that time? Utterly pathetic.
Actually we created at least two decent CHANCES of scoring in the second half.
It’s the actual putting them in the net that we have trouble with.
But, I agree it was woeful and Raul Jimenez looks a mere shadow of the goalscorer we’ve come to love.
15 shots… 3 on target…
Oh dear!
Yep. I agree Lage OUT. I don’t normally go to the extremes but that tonight was fucking awful. Boringly predictable. The talented players we have and this is just fucking shit. Fuck him off now.
Lage’s pedigree did not equip him for the Prem and it’s painfully obvious now. I can’t see our previous inspirational captain would have stood for this and if there was bad blood between them, it’s not too hard to see why. The millions spent to give him the toys he wanted risk being wasted.
if fosun . had given nuno another 100 million.. we’d be champions of europe by now
Scraped a draw against a team that is managerless, rudderless and with patchy quality. Wolves haven’t won since April. The best captain and defender had we’ve had in many tyears forced to leave as he didn’t fit into this ‘system,’. The rot hasn’t been chopped out , it’s still here and that I’m afraid is our manager. If we lose against the big boys that could be 15 matches with no result and we would be reliant on a Eddie Howe turnaround. Oh for Graham Potter !