We could really do with a win tomorrow.
Stating the obvious I know but on the assumption we’ll get slapped up by a good Arsenal team it’s important we don’t come unstuck here.
Brighton should also be considered a top side based on their consistency over the last 12 months, but it’s the more winnable of the two.
The memory of the 3-0 kicking they gave us in this fixture back in April is still fresh in the mind with the most worrying aspect being that the scoreline flattered us. It definitely should have been more.
There was a solid response against Brentford to the more recent beating we took against Leicester so that’s something to carry into this one.
Brighton
You do wonder whether things might come unstuck for the Seagulls now Graham Potter has left for Chelsea.
But the 4-1 drubbing they handed out to their former boss last weekend suggests that may not be the case.
Consistent performers like Trossard, Caicedo, Webster and Dunk remain to give them stability and you get the sense that the team is greater than the perceived sum of its parts. The fact they’re still underrated by many is to their advantage.
Italian Roberto De Zerbi is the man in charge now. An interesting appointment. He was at Shakhtar Donetsk last season and doing well by all accounts but left when Russia invaded Ukraine.
It’s been a mixed start for him with defeats to Brentford, Spurs and Man City, a credible draw at Anfield, a less credible stalemate with Forest before that first victory against Chelsea last time out.
Wolves
It would have been nice to have made it to the World Cup with Costa giving us consistency upfront. I felt he was getting better so it’s a blow to lose him.
You would have thought Guedes would be the man to benefit and maybe we can get more from him playing through the middle than we’ve seen out wide?
He’s scored goals for Valencia and Portugal playing up top and we need him to find some form. We can’t afford such an expensive flop.
Other than that I don’t see Steve Davis making changes, unless there are injuries. I haven’t heard much about Nunes after he went off clutching his arm at Brentford so hopefully he’s alright for tomorrow. If not, you’d expect Joao Moutinho to carry on.
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Predictions
Well done to St.Kitts Wolves, Toronto wolf, basherbaz, So some pride boys, Ben Rasmin, Prawny, DeptfordWolf, Liz, StrangeLuck, Franski and DebenhamWolf for all correctly predicting the 1-1 last time out.
PeteRobbo has the lead at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 13.
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!
Against my better judgement, I’ll back us to get over the line.
We could do with Nunes as I think this could be a good game for him. They ran the midfield against us last season and we need as much agility and power as we can muster to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Boubacar will bring that to the table hopefully, even if Nunes isn’t fit.
Can we coax something out of Guedes or Hwang? I would prefer to see the former starting and given that Davis has been bigging up his shooting ability, you would have thought he’d be the chosen replacement for Costa.
A win in either of the next two could mean we head to the World Cup break outside of the bottom three, which would be a huge boost to morale. Losing both could see a dreaded gap begin to form. They’re tough games so I’m fearful but sometimes the results arrive when you don’t expect them.
We could do with a win but I would be content if, against a good Brighton side, we didn’t lose. With a new manager seemingly inbound, players will hopefully want to step it up, Guedes included should he play. UTW
Again, I don’t really see where the goals are coming from and I think we’ve issued in other areas. these have been well documented elsewhere.
Hope we’re both wrong mate!
UTW!
Confidence growing and pre manager appointment maybe will cause a million percent improvement.
Brighton – another team with goals in them. They have been slipping down the table since Potter left, but last weekend suggested the new guy might have worked out how to get the best out of them. Perhaps not the best time to play them.
A forced change up to front for us might unlock something, but still difficult to predict that we’ll score many if at all.
We need something from this being the optimist as very 2-1 to the Wolves.
The forced change to the front line might be a good thing ,although Costa has definitely been getting better and better with game time.Its got to be Gedes up front . He’s got to prove himself and this is his chance . I would also like to see Ronan get a chance.
Clive would be proud of you London.
thank you . what a nice comment. all the best to you.
?
Agree about Ronan Matt. He knows how to disturb the net.
definitely. i enjoyed seeing him play in the past
he’s been at wolves since 2014 and only had 13 games . i’ve seen his scottish exploits but what i remember him best for is is dead ball play and his low head height crosses.
i can’t see why on earth he doesn’t get a run out and have Mourtinio on the bench . they keep reiterating the need to manage JM s game time due to his age
At the moment, it seems as though those taking part in that ridiculous half time game (why not give them three goes each?) have about as much chance of scoring at home as those in gold and black. Sooner or later, you’d hope that we’ll have a bit more luck in front of the onion bag. Completely against my better judgement, how about tomorrow? And that’s despite Brighton being a bit of a bogey team. Still have nightmares about Peter Ward.
Nope. Don’t see us getting anything out of this. Let’s face it if it wasn’t for Neves this side would be dead and buried already. We ripped the soul out of the club this summer with the outgoings and I’m not sure that the players brought in have the character for this fight. Hopefully they prove me wrong but for these two games I can’t predict anything but a heavy loss.
I like your lineup Thomas, it looks very promising. Surely in our hour of need (no Costa, Nunes, Neto or Jimenez) Guedes will finally show us why we paid so much for him?
I must say I’m fed up with 3-0 and 4-0 defeats that ‘flattered’ the opposition. That’s no consolation. Obviously I want wins that don’t flatter us! But, Rome (or should I say Portugal) wasn’t built in a day. If Lopetegui is confirmed in the next 24 hours, that would be a tremendous boost for the team, and I reckon Wolves would feast on Seagulls. Lopetegui would command the respect of the team and might also influence Adama into a new contract. Could Adama hope to leave and play under a better coach than Lopetegui? Don’t think so. By now he knows the top 4 are not interested and he didn’t pull up any trees at Barca. It was only at Wolves that he briefly achieved that ‘unplayable’ comment. He might yet do it again with the right coaching.
With Lopetegui confirmed as coming in that would be confirmation that the ‘project’ is on again and I would predict 2-0 tomorrow. If not I reckon a respectable 1-1.
I’d love to be feeling more optimistic about this one but Brighton are typically the sort of side we struggle against – high-energy, good in possession, and capable of carving a defence open (as they did numerous times against Chelsea last weekend).
Costa’s sending off came at the worst possible time – as you say Thom, he was beginning to look sharper and was probably unlucky not to score at Brentford. It’s hard to see Guedes or Hwang offering a decent alternative based on their recent form. Hopefully the former can pull his finger out though and start delivering on his hefty price tag.
The same goes for Nunes, who for me is looking progressively worse with each game. It can’t have been easy for him to be dumped into a struggling team but he really needs to be offering more. Hopefully if the Lopetegui rumours bare fruit then a more capable manager will be able to coax some performances out of him.
A result here would be great given we’re likely to lose to Arsenal but I just can’t see it happening. Prove me wrong lads!
I’m suspecting another defeat against a good Brighton side. However with the good news on the horizon, manager wise, hopefully the boys will up their game a bit.
.
Our defenders appear to be remembering what their job is again. The centre pairing especially and Bueno is improving by the game helped in no small part by having Neves on his inside to cover any defensive difficulties.
When he came all the talk was of Guedes being a goal scorer so have we been playing him out of position and could this be his moment?
A win against Brighton would make so much difference to the morale of all of us, so I’ve got to stick out for a home victory, at the cost of any Prediction League points that I will most probably lose. 🙁
Guedes knows what he has to do with Costa’s unfortunate absence, so come then matey, stick it the back of the net. You, too, Adama and Podence!
Good luck lads!
COYW
This is as good a Brighton side they have ever had. Although on paper you might say the same about Wolves. Sigh…
Agree about Brighton, in spite of them selling players for top money. Don’t agree about Wolves, we’ve sold and lent out players and regressed as a result. A Wolves side with Jota, Coady, Doc, Saiss and Boly in it would in my opinion be the best Wolves side since the Cullis era.
The Doog,Waggy, Ken Hibbitt , Mike Bailey?
Richards?
2xpeters: broadbent and knowles
Brighton will be licking their lips so it remains to be seen if we can keep them shut out until half time
After that who knows? Would be a win against the odds but just maybe we can do this
Hope the Mol is rocking and wills the team over the finishing line
OODCL
I’m just back from hols and enjoying once more my home comforts. Our team need to find their home comforts too and reward the suffering home fans with a performance worthy of the name Wolves.
I feel Nunes, Guedes and others need to show their worth and, with a new manager incoming, the incentive to shine will never be stronger. Is it the system or are they just useless? Let’s hope it’s the latter.
I mean ‘not’ the latter.
Stupid boy.
TFFT
Actually I thought Guedes looked decent in his first few outings and seemed to lose the plot as team performances generally deteriorated. He must be given a chance in my opinion and our encouragement and support from the kick would help. I like the team although I do think Podence flatters to deceive and would consider Chem Campbell as an alternative. Agree also that Conor Ronan surely must be given a chance; I don’t really understand why he hasn’t; he’s shown he can score goals wherever he’s been, and actually I don’t think we should’ve let Cundle go out on loan either. Give these young guys a chance; look at Bueno’s performances as an example. I’ll be happy with a continuation of the Brentford improvement, get a goal or two and avoid defeat.
Well said James. I hope Conan gets a game before the World Cup. Possibly it will be the Leeds game. Otherwise, he is likely to go north in January which would be a great shame. He is now 24 and must be wondering what is happening to his career.
Gonna be positive this week….
Same old, same old
Could be a very tricky game for us, but I’m going to be positive and go for a 2-1 win with a distinct lack of confidence. We just keep leaking players of late, but, at least we are getting to see and blood some youngsters. I would love to see Connor Ronan at some stage but he seems to get overlooked; maybe there a reason…
It’s time for Guedes and Nunes to show us what they are capable of. Here’s hoping…
A couple of points:-
Nunes has been reported as saying he is not very happy with the position he is being asked to play and would prefer a free ranging role. Well, give him that role and see what he can do. He’s meant to be one of the best attacking midfield players around.
Let him prove it.
Also, what does Conor Ronan have to do to get a game?
Obviously a lot more than scoring a hatful of spectacular goals and putting in dominating midfield performances.
Give him a chance.
Go at Brighton from the start and I think we can beat them. Sit back and tart around as we are apt to and I reckon we’ll lose.
You are quite right Thomas in saying that Brighton is a team greater than the perceived sum of its parts.
Exactly as the Wolves were under Nuno in their first two seasons in the Premier League.
That’s what we need to be again and we need a coach who can make it happen.
Step forward Julen Lopetegui… And quickly!
We have 5 new boys in the team, three who know how to fight, Collins, Bueno and B Traore and two who have yet to show up, Nunes and Guedes! They need to step up to the plate.
Spare a thought for RAN who had significantly improved and easily pushed Jony out of his spot, now cannot get a look in! He is a good player, a pity he cannot play on the right.
Expect a much better performance with the apparent imminent appointment of a new Manager. The players will be trying to impress!
A lot depends which Brighton team shows up, but home advantage will mean a lot! Anticipate a point!!
If I get up to watch the game I’m thinking 0-3 but if I sleep through the alarm [im in NZ] I thing we’re going to go radio rental and win 3-2 seems to be the way at the moment
4am kick off for you PosNeg… go for it ..
You won’t be disappointed ….
I guess Guedes gets his chance to show something from the striker position, as he hasn’t shown anything from the wing yet. Let’s hope Brighton reverts to the form that had them scoring once over 4 games before the Chelsea drubbing.
Against all hope praying for a win here before we get cast aside in the relegation battle.
Do I expect us to get a result, do I f………
Get Lopetegui in asap and support him in the January window.
Yours depressed.
I bumped into an old friend the other day. Bartholomew the paranormal hedgehog. He has come up with a cunning plan for tomorrow. He intends to burrow up periodically inside the goal nets just behind the Brighton goalie , put a white sheet on his head and shout Wooooohhh wooohhh loudly. This should be enough to put the goalie off and ensure a comfortable 3-0 win to WWFC. Meanwhile after a set of negotiations lasting longer than the doomed Israel- Palestine peace talks , it looks like Lopetigui MIGHT be confirmed as our new manager. Only a paranormal hedgehog will know the answers. Probably. WWFC 3 Seagulls 0.
Now Lopetegui has been confirmed though Cheeseburger, will the paranormal hedgehog still do the business for us? Or has he hibernating until a Halloween 2023?
Telford mate. Insider information from the Paranormal hedgehog indicates an upward trajectory. First stop. 40 points!
Sort of hoping that the 4-1 mauling of Chelsea was just a bit of romantic football folklore to be talked about in Brighton pubs for decades to come but they have looked like worldbeaters more than once since Potter took the filthy lucre at Chelsea. So who knows but no doubt they will have been fired up for that game more so than normal with a point to prove to their ex gaffer, they’ve stuttered against similar sides as ourselves so let’s hope that’s the Brighton that turn up cos if not we’re in for a torrid time unless we carry on improving. We need to exhaust all avenues to get Guedes firing, he looked good early season and one of our better players albeit fading in games. He scored from left, right and central position at Valencia so playing him in place of Costa could bear fruit. Personally i’d like to see Traore play central with Guedes on the right. We had no problem getting crosses in when Traore was benched by Lage, our problem was there was nobody in the box to recieve them. With the lack of goals becoming a crisis we need to try something different and Traore is in good form. Ronan should at least be getting a chance from the bench given that has goals and assists in him. Mouthino did well last week when he replaced Nunes, i don’t really see any reason to give him his place back if he is fit. Hard to see Nunes getting his favoured left side of midfield with Neves playing so well and pretty much holding the side together.
COYW…
Good signs of improvement over last three games but it will take a big step up to get the better of Seagulls. Hope to see Connor Ronan get a chance at some stage of the game.
Wolves 1 – 1 Seagulls
The clamour for Ronan is deafening. Surely Wolves’ cupboard isn’t so full of riches that they can continue to ignore him.
With Costa out of the equation until December Wolves need to be creative on the goals front. I would prefer Adama in the striker role as Guedes has yet to impress – but happy for the latter to prove me wrong.
Most of the team were giving 100% the last game. Bruno looks like he has been in the team for ever. Worried about up front. Definitely not convinced by Hwang. Guess attitude and body language not good. He could not wait to go down the tunnel the last game. He also was not happy when Costa complained about him during the game. We will miss Costa bossing Traore and telling him what to do.
Not convinced as Brighton such a bogey team, but still predicting a win.
Any points in this game will be a definite morale booster. Except for Neves,Sa and Bueno, the rest of the team seem to be running at 75% efficiency. My biggest disappointments by far, have been Nunes and Guedes. Two players that seemed to be a cut above the rest before they came to us. I wonder if they were slightly overwhelmed by finding themselves in the PL ? I believe if these two, in particular, can raise their game to the standard they played overseas, we would be in a much better position.
I agree with most of the guys on this blog, regarding Ronan. It would be good to see him get a run. I would also like to see Adama at CF with Guedes on the right and Podence (or Campbell ) on left.
Brighton have been having a decent season and a draw would be a good result for us.
A hard one to call. We always struggle against Brighton but maybe last week was a turning point and we can scrape a win. So I’m going for Wolves just to edge it. Our attacking options are severely lacking but maybe Guedes can start to repay some of what we have paid for him. Forever hopeful.
We’ve been having difficulty scoring all season, as well as last season. Diego showed signs of helping to turn that around, but then he got himself a red card last week and so now we’re back where we were before he arrived.
PComparingng their form with our form I’m afraid I have to predict another defeat and probably one in which we fail to score yet again.
As usual, I hope I’m emphatically wrong!
Glad we got a vital point last week, but the next few weeks are looking bleak.
I’m counting on the urgency of this fixture to get our boys in gear…but I don’t have a lot of faith in the outing. My gut says we’re going to be blown away, my heart says they’ll at least hang in there.
Going with my heart on this one.
For me its the loss of Costa. He drags defenders away from their position allowing Adama and Neves to get shots away. Without him…
Trossard will score more than us
Well it looks like we finally have our new manager. The very best of luck to him when his appointment is finally confirmed. The job for the remainder of the season is pretty simple – avoid relegation. After that, let’s hope he is given full control to rebuild the team in the way that he wants as he wants when he wants and the only thing that is set for him is a budget.
So it looks like Jeff has finally got his man. Sadly I think he will be taking over a team in the bottom 3. I can’t see us getting anything anything today. Some positives in the Brentford performance but the Costa red card is a blow with no real candidate to replace him. Guedes looks uninterested and Hwang is just not up to it.
Julien over to you
I’m with Cheesey on this one.
It’s just come up on my phone that we’ve secured the services of Lopetegui.. well that is some good news…
Won’t make the tough task ahead any easier but hopefully his ‘nous’ will give everyone a big lift…
I can see a tunnel ahead, let’s hope there’s light at the end of it ,
what a terrific appointment.
talking of appointments… see you in the pub in a couple of hours time
Lopetegui’s first seven games:
Dec 26: Everton (a)
Dec 31: Man Utd (h)
Jan 4: Aston Villa (a)
Jan 7: TBC – FA Cup third round
Jan 14: West Ham (h)
Jan 21: Man City (a)
Feb 4: Liverpool (h)
So, that’s 18 points and a place in the FA Cup 4th Round. I can stop worrying now :0)
New Manager incoming should hopefully put the feel good factor into the squad, they’ll want to show the new boss what they can do.
Wolves win.
I’m hoping the Lopetegui news will give everyone a lift. We really do need something from todays game. I’m not confident though and can’t see anything changing until after Julen has taken over
Worth reading the analysis by Guillem Ballague in the piece on Lopetegui’s appointment on the BBC Sport app. Very encouraging. And boy, will he/we need every ounce of his energy and inspiration!
Another of our bogey teams roll up today having walloped Chelsea for 4 last week…. Gulp…
If I’m honest IMO.. losing Costa for the next 3 games has just made the hill we’re trying to climb even steeper… Hwang and Guedes are midgets compared to 8ft 6” Dunk so they’ll get little joy… and Brighton have some mobile midfielders .. Trossard eg.
I’m just fearing the worst again today …
It’s going to need a huge swing from what we’re currently serving up to get a point even …
Here’s hoping …
Twixo. Maybe they walloped Chelski but they couldn’t beat Forest at home and lost to Brentford. Maybe they ay all that brilliant.
Fair point Cheesey…
I was only going on last weeks form .. lol.
If Carlsberg did rumours they would have said, Lopetegui is to join Wolves and will take charge during the World Cup. A warm weather training break is on the cards for the players not involved in Qatar. That’s the rumour I first saw some days ago, and it has come true. Lopetegui is in place, for the third time of asking. Any one of us could have been excused dismissing this rumour, as we have had so many false dawns.
The ten year project is back on, with our original choice of coach. Regular European competition by 2026. Very do-able in my opinion. We’ve tasted success already in Europe, and have beaten all the big boys at some point during Fosun’s reign.
My prediction for today was 1-1 if the Lopetegui appointment was still in discussion, or 2-0 if he had joined us. OK, he doesn’t start kicking ass just yet but this news might just inspire the team and the fans today to victory.
Can I withdraw my 1-1 Thomas?
Will be happy to just get something from the game.
Great news on the new manager but he’s not here yet, and even when he arrives he’ll inherit the same problems – no goals. The thought of Guedes or Hwang up top is already giving me nightmares. Hope I’m wrong but I just don’t think we’re good enough at the moment.
Some great comments on here, especially about the “youngsters” who have played the last few games, and RAN and Ronan. Let’s hope they all click today.
Very pleased we have Lopetegui. Hoping for a “bounce” from that announcement and going for a win.
Very iteresting link about Lopetegui on BBC website today:
Guillem Balague, Spanish football expert says:
“We’ve seen with Sevilla, Julen Lopetegui brings more than football; football that is physical but has to do with tactics, possession, dominating games, attacking. When it worked well at Sevilla, it was wonderful to see.
I’ve always said Sevilla were the most ‘Premier League’ club in Spain. The high tempo, the diversification of the tactics, the good use of collective answers for a team that weren’t the best individually – Lopetegui made the players better and the team compact, but always with the possibility of winning.
All that led to a Europa League win for Sevilla and showed that Lopetegui can maximise the potential of a team as one of the top managers around.
But between a club that was not investing in players properly – having lost Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos, for instance – and a manager who had squeezed a lot out of a side that was not properly recycled, it all meant it had to come to an end.
He had taken Sevilla into the Champions League for three consecutive seasons – something that hadn’t happened before. I felt he was tired; mentally and physically. He has to give a lot of energy and something new was needed for him as well.
He took time off, his dad wasn’t in a great place and he wanted to be close to him. It took priority, and Wolves said they would wait when Lopetegui said no.
Things have developed, not for the better, which means Lopetegui is rested and has given time to his dad. There is not much that can be done and he finds himself in a place where he is ready to work again, full of energy.
His Wolves task is going to be one of the hardest things in football: to change a negative dynamic. But he has seen the potential of the side, he knows they are going to get better.
Congratulations, Wolves fans, this is a great choice.”!
So Lopetegui has got the gig………IMO the right choice but at the wrong time. I’ll explain.
The guy has had a hard last few years both his work and home life now if he was coming into Wolves at the beginning of the season or we were in a better position and hadn’t spent out …….., I cannot see Jeff opening up the purse strings like the last window, then I would say he has a decent chance to succeed but coming into a club joint bottom of the Premier League the toughest league in the world never managed in that league or country is a massive ask.
Fosun and Jeff have as expected gone done the same route as before with this appointment same plan same strategy which has not been working for a good two years now there inability to evolve there ideas plan and the club in general have resulted in where we are today and sadly I cannot see anything changing on and off the pitch with this appointment.
LOPETEGUI is not the man he was six years ago when Jeff first tried to get him the world has moved on……but sadly not Jeff and Fosun
A team doesn’t really have to win that many games to get out of the relegation zone.
With a good month of games, we can get back into the top half of the table.
But i bet you said ” oooohhh ooooh look at Villa. Signed Emery. Oooooh ooooooh. Threw your dummies out the pram”. And yet Emery was shit at Arsenal? …
He wasn’t so shit at Arsenal Cheesy, 55% win rate, beaten finalists in Europa League, 5th place finish in PL.
Ok mate. Just jousting with ya. No worries.
Still got sacked though. Fans turned on him .
Gotta love an optimist….
Neither is Lopetigui record so shit is it. But put your own slant on it doe ya.
At Seville he had very little money to spend but he got the best out of what he had but as BBCWM correspondent pointed out that only takes you so far he done wonders really with little backing that’s why I suspected he’s been appointed but he was a different bloke then eventually I.t wore him down just like Nuno was worn down by Jeff and Fosuns ownership and lack of foresight and investment.
Fuckin hell he managed Real Madrid. What do you want? Pep from Citeh? We am Wolves. To get this bloke is a major coop. Hope they have found him a leafy suburb in Pattingham!
I’ve seen him yesterday in Upper Gornal chippy trying to order a pie……ell…la and chips but they only had chicken and mushroom
I can’t see us scoring unfortunately.
Fingers crossed but…
Excited but apprehensive as well, because if this appointment doesn’t work out, I really can’t see where we’d go. Happy with a point
J Lo it is then has a big job to do which will be helped by having Jan transfer window round the corner
Adama sub
Now, now, that may just keep Neves with us in January.
As for today, albeit he’s not here yet, but new manager bounce on the cards.
They’re a good side. While we struggle to find a new man in charge they pick one up and get to thrash their old boss. I hope we can keep the score down.
Bollox, 1-0 up already. Could be a long afternoon, but we’ve plenty of time to score 3. Great news about our new Basque manager. Ooo hang on Guedes has equalized. Better get my diction up.
1 lv & COYW
Every team needs a certain amount of luck, I know the old saying you says you make your own luck, but i think it has deserted us big time.
The sending off contributed massively I thought a bit soft, yellow card yes but not a Red , the ref was to happy to give a red especially when the Brighton player was waving his hand so profusely I thought his hand was going to fall off.
Speaking of the ref he was atrocious like most of the refs we have at the mol.
Only time will tell what league we will be in next term, hopefully it will be the Premiership ?.
What I will say is perhaps we haven’t got the luck but it looks like we have the fight back atm, and perhaps that will get us over line at the end.
We are a rudderless ship……….and the captain won’t be on board till 14th mean while the rest of the crew are trying but failing to plug all the leaks it’s ridiculous decision by Jeff just to let things drift along as if……..it doesn’t matter because the new guy will sort it all out.
Head in the sand and totally totally incredulous of the damage this is doing which may prove irreparable in the end .
Semado should NEVER pull on a Wolves jersey again £30 million pound and he gets out jumped by a bloke a good foot smaller than him.