As others have noted, it was good that Julen Loptegui didn’t hide away from acknowledging Wednesday’s dismal performance.
Some managers might have tried to deflect on the basis we kept them out for the majority of the contest, but he was quick to point out we should be doing better.
Standards are important and that was probably the worst performance – with the ball at least – of his time in charge.
One thing that continues to concern me is that this team seem to go through two distinct phases in games – sustained possession without creating followed by another period in which they can’t find even one good pass.
We’ve got to sustain a higher level of performance for longer and take more chances in attack.
Spurs
Losing to Sheff Utd the other night almost certainly means another season without a trophy for Tottenham.
They’re still in the Champions League but have a 1-0 deficit to overturn against AC Milan in the second leg and even if they were to progress, they don’t give you the feeling they’re capable of going all the way in that competition.
In the Premier League, getting that top-four finish is a realistic aspiration. They currently occupy the final spot and have a good run of games coming up against teams at the bottom.
That doesn’t always count for much, but they possess attacking players that can punish weak defences, so they’ll be hoping for a strong return in March and early April to bolster their position.
Lloris and Bentancour are both out, the latter for the remainder of the season.
An away record of won 5, drawn 3, lost 4, scored 20 and conceded 20 isn’t brilliant and coupled with that mini-upset in the cup the other night, shows they can be vulnerable on their travels.
Harry Kane (20 goals already this season) and Richarlison are both serial scorers against Wolves and the latter is still waiting for his first Premier League goal for Tottenham. I hope that doesn’t follow a predictable script.
Wolves
If Cunha is fit, I think Julen has to look at fielding the same attacking lineup that performed well for the first hour at Fulham.
Hugo Bueno is probably ruled out by what looked like a hamstring injury he picked up at Liverpool, so Ait-Nouri will be back in the side.
I’ll be disappointed if I see Moutinho deployed in that advanced attacking midfield role again. He works hard and is always neat in possession but we need another player that carries a direct threat in those spaces.
I wouldn’t be overly upset to see Nunes dropped, possibly for Gomes if that might free Ruben to get further forward. Matheus teases quality but I don’t feel is giving enough to the team in terms of effort or output to be an automatic pick.
Predictions
Well done to Ash k, Wokywolf, Steppenwolfe and Desert Wolf who got the scoreline spot on at Anfield.
Rich now has a five-point lead at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 25.
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!
Although Spurs are ahead of Liverpool and Newcastle in the table, I think this represents our best chance of getting a result in this mini-run of games.
Partly because it’s at home and partly because Spurs can drop off at times, which might afford some of our technical players the opportunity to do their thing.
I was caning Sarabia for his performance at Anfield, but he has shown the ability to play penetrating forward passes and get into the box himself. He will be a key player between now and the end of the season. I’ll back him to respond and get our goal in a tightly contested draw.
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Spurs don’t have the best away record, so if we can find something going forward we can pick up points. We should also be expecting a reaction after the last dismal performance.
Mind you, Spurs fans might be expecting a reaction from their players too. And because they have proven goalscorers, I can’t but predict another defeat in this difficult run of games.
I’ll go for a win
gotta click sometime
I don’t see why we should keep picking Nunes as he has done very little in terms of material impact on games. Get Gomes in. Ironic that as soon as he scores, he doesn’t get in again! If Cunha isn’t fit (and he doesn’t score anyway) , put Costa in alongside Jimenez or even one of the kids…..bueno, toti and hodge have all stepped up and as no one scores regularly in the first team squad anyway, we can’t lose anything by throwing in one of the kids. We should be open to anything to try and solve the lack of goals. No goals means you can’t win football matches, you can’t win football matches you are likely to be relegated, no point in persisting with the same old,same old, hoping it clicks, our forwards and midfield have had more than enough opportunity to prove their worth and some of them simply haven’t.
It’s baffling as to why we don’t have any strikers coming through the ranks. Another shortcoming given our inability to sign a decent one. And don’t even mention Danny Ings….
Spurs have two of the best strikers in the league up front and are likely to want to make up for their midweek result; as we should also wish for ourselves. So it obviously depends on which aspect of both teams turns up. Spurs tend to be on their game more often ; hence their better position, so the logical signs are not good in my opinion.
However, if we pick an effective midfield, I hope we can gain the win we badly need.
I’ll go for a 2-1 win as long as Moutiño is not in the number ten spot. I love him as a player but his finishing is non existent and his legs are showing signs of age in my opinion sadly at this level.
I also hope Ait Nouri is on his top game as consistency is not his strong point. If Podence plays he needs to simplify his game and pass more carefully; he is good around the box and in finishing, so the number ten spot seems a shoe in if Cunha is not ready to my mind.
We need these points so COYW…
Very poor performance against Liverpool with the ball, lots of stray passes and again we failed to work the keeper. I keep saying we will go ok but I would like us to pull a little further away. I would like to see two recognised wide forwards in the team and not a team full of centre mids. Spurs are a funny team their fans are not happy but they are top 4 still in Europe but losing to Sheffield Utd will have been a blow.
Hope you’re right mate
As I write this. I still have no idea what score I am going to predict. Maybe time to get the magic dice out and rely on them. This final result could be a win, draw or loss (of course).
Sod it. Let’s be positively, optimistic. With Kane and Richarlison against our Dawson, Kilman combination, I can’t see them scoring more than one. And our toothless forward line is not likely to score many either. But, we have Neves, Ruben Neves (as the song goes). So here is my magic dice prediction. A 1-0 win for the mighty Wolves !!
What I have noticed is that Podence should not be a substitute… he has to start to be an important player , does nothing as a sub .. don’t know why
Maybe he just tries too hard to make an impact,London when sometimes the simple balls can be more effective. It’s fine taking a risk ( a lot of our players won’t do that) but you do have to pick the right time. Possibly he’s more relaxed when he starts.
Tough game no doubt, but we have a chance if all of the stars align — we play great and Spurs having an off day.
They may be top six, but we have to try and score goals, and not sit back and wait for a break. Negativity is creeping back into our style again, and has to be addressed.
Mouthino should not start, as he has virtually no goal threat. Hopefully Neto can come on late and remind us how good he can be.
Play well and we can get something from this game!
Last night I saw highlights of a Wolves v Spurs game from a few years ago which ended 3-3. The team included Doyle Fletcher, Jarvis, Berra, Miljas etc. and Mad Mick was the manager. Also playing was Elikobi, remember him? I wonder who would win an arm-wrestling match, Adama or Elikobi? Would be interesting!
And Mick’s team “put in a shift” in no uncertain manner, they were no slackers!
Made me smile!
Not overly optimistic we will get the right result, but here’s hoping.
Toss a coin and see where it falls. Would be just as answerable as my predictions of late.
I have a feeling that a little tinkering at the back might be coming up; maybe Collins replacing Kilman?
Also, I would like to see Podence start and Adama return to impact sub for a couple of games.
We could get something out of tomorrow’s game if it comes together. We really do need to get up a head of steam and widen that small gap at the bottom.
It will be six days short of a year since any……yes any Wolves striker, forward has scored a goal a damming statistic for both them the rest of the team and more importantly the recruitment process at our club.
No other club in the Premier League and probably in the history of football has done.
That says it all about the decline of the club and team since Nuno left.
We have just been happy to tread water and admire the view, well the consequence of lack of knowledge for site and planning and getting the right people at the club is coming back to haunt us big time.
All this could and should have been avoided but the people or person in charge did away with the sensible people and decided they knew better…..well as the saying goes ” you make your beb you have to ly in it “
Should that be, ‘I met me Babie in Lye, innit’ ? 1 lv.
While we’ve done well on our travels against Spurs, there’s been a fair bit of pain in the home games over recent years. They normally get the job done here.
But I agree with Thomas, they are so inconsistent and often don’t seem to play very well. But when you possess world-class talent in the form of Kane and Son, it can often dig you out of a hole.
These are there to be got at, they’re vulnerable after the cup exit and we want to see a response to the poor showing at Anfield. I’m hoping for a lively game, and no silly early goals given away, which has happened in this fixture a couple of times, leaving us playing well thereafter but ultimately fruitlessly chasing the game.
We need to go on an unbeaten run starting tomorrow, please please please.
The good news is three o’clock home kick offs for the next month.
See you in lych mate
Will be on parade at eleven prompt.
Safe journey ?
Yep – see you all for a lovely pint or two and topped off with a home win !
Can’t play any worse than we did at Liverpool so to restore some pride a 2-1 win to the Wolves
They’ll smash us. Hope I’m wrong…
That Liverpool performance was so disappointing. Surely we can’t get any worse!?
In common with others on here I have no idea what to predict.
Ever hopeful I’m going for a Wolves win. Being realistic I don’t think we will keep a clean sheet (it’ll be Richarlison).
I didn’t catch all of the game on Wednesday but, based on what I did see, wholeheartedly agree with your assessment Thom – it was far too negative, and we’ll need to do a lot better to pull clear of danger. I still think we’ll manage it, but we can’t afford to fall for the false narrative that the manager and players we have are ‘too good’ to be relegated. They’re not.
Spurs is an odd assignment because they’re sitting pretty in the league but have been underwhelming for most of the campaign. That being said, Kane means they’re always a danger and capable of putting any team to the sword.
Rich is dominating the prediction league so I’m going to let my heart rule my head and back us to get a draw here.
Hoping for a far better performance
I imagine this will be the usual play well in the first half, score once but fail to extend the lead, then sit back in the second half and eventually wilt under pressure.
Kane a doubt so if he plays 0-2 , if he doesn’t play 0-2.
Can’t see us stopping up tbh , the Bournmouth loss was a killer and pivotal to our survival.
I’m going for a win….just because now is the time for everything to fall into place ?
The last time I sat in my seat in the Steve Bull stand, I watched us outplay Liverpool and ended up standing and applauding us keeping the ball through what must have been getting on for 60 passes over a few minutes.
Against them in the week, we obviously felt sorry for them because we spent most of the time giving the ball away to them.
The first rule of being a successful football team…. KEEP THE BALL!
The second rule… WHILE YOU’VE GOT IT, PUT IT IN THE OPPONENT’S NET!
It’s an easy game when you play it properly.
We CAN do it.
Let’s do it tomorrow.
This looks like another stiff challenge for our too brittle team I’m afraid.
As many have said on here, Spurs can be erratic themselves but look at the league table and their goals for and against columns marks out the clear difference between us and them. I’m hoping that Lopetegui shows some faith in our most capable attacking players – Podence and Neto. If they can produce a goal or two between them and our defensive stalwarts of Dawson and Kilman can be on their game as well, then maybe we can pull off a much, much needed win. But it seems that our manager prefers keeping our ball playing attackers on the bench.
But it’s a tall order I fear and so, even though I’d love to retain a glimmer of optimism and opt for a draw, the depression that recent results have generated in me leaves me regrettably expecting more of the same.
I was disappointed that we didn’t hold on to s point at Anfield, not that we particularly deserved it…
We need to give Spurs another shake up, while they’re still reeling from defeat at the Blades. (Great… wasn’t it!)
So a win for me and three points!
I was down the pork sandwich shop in Gornal earlier and a bloke said ” watch out for that Kane”. I said “sorry” ? . He said “we’ve gorra watch out for that Kane in the box”. I said ” oh. Yes It’s a good place to keep a cane these days. I don’t think they use them at school anymore”. He said ” Yoam saft you am”. I said ” Well it ay often someone goes on about canes in a pork sandwich shop”. At which point he buggered off. Any way I got my pork sandwich and as I was munching away on the way back up the road it suddenly dawned on me we are playing Spurs tomorrow and that bloke in the shop was on about Harry Kane! Oh the irony. There was me going on about the cane at school. Must have thought I was a right loony. Which I am. Which brings me nicely on to the match. Spurs are not going to relish a cold cloudy afternoon in Wolverhampton and most of their players will be wearing 17 pairs of gloves each. This all sets us up nicely for a 2-1 win. And Kane will be caned by Dawson. And go home back to north London in a bit of a strop. But it jolly well serves them right coming up here with their fancy 17 pairs of gloves and canes and everything. So. It will all click tomorrow WWFC go 2-0 up. Spurs pull one back but a rearguard action secures the win. WWFC 2 SPUDS 1.
Based on performances over the last couple of months, this could easily go any of the three ways so I’ll sit on the fence.
Impossible to predict indeed .
All I know is we’ll win lose or draw so I’m going to sit on the fence and predict my third 1-1 in a row.
Waiting until Leeds…
If the Haddock Headed Scampi of LG 2 can beat PL Sinners in the Cup, well my days of paid up footy punditry are shuffling to an ignominious end.
Have we got the hairy bolloked guts and bloody mindedness to make the Spuds wish they had never left the Titanic? Is anyone going to throw themselves at Kane and Son like the Blades and finish our only chance with a bullet? Who’s going to plunge into the bucket of fish guts and come up with a winner?
In a word, lads, after 5 seasons in the sunny delights of free spenders land, has WWFC gone soft? Especially from February onwards, when a definite apathy takes hold.
Nah. In a Spursy world, I’m hanging on to the Liverpool murderation, when they didn’t even score a goal, and as we now badly need the points, we’ve got to win this.
1 lv & COYW.
All’s not doom and gloom. After getting something of a nosebleed and flirting with the play-off places our friends from Sandwell have nosedived tonight. Oh dear.
I tossed the dice and they said 3-1 to Tottingham.
The table doesn’t lie and Spurs are 4th for a reason. However, their away form isn’t it and a performance from our lads anything like that handsome win against the pool should see them off comfortably.
Can we do it? Of course we can.
How do I know? Wolves ay we!
Anfield was SO disappointing
So
Where do I find optimism?
I don’t… but this team of ours can surprise and … that’s all I can hope for
We’re due a penalty so I hope Neves takes it
OODCL
Don think son has scored against us ,so that’s inevitable richarlison always scored so that’s spurs 2 but Bentancur is out that’s 1 to us possible 2 as he usually holds things together
How on earth is a Wolves fan expected to guess a Wolves score… when our inconsistency is so consistent.
One point from 3 games is not brilliant.. in fact it’s sh@@e… and there are danger signs this is going to get worse over the next two fixtures.
Spurs .. although very beatable have goal scorers who find the net out of nothing situations whereas we haven’t had a striker’s
goal for nigh on 12 months..
Can’t see it changing tomorrow regrettably but I’m praying for a draw…
Forgot to add details of tomorrow’s referee …
Tim Robinson …??
No me neither…. Looks like we’ve been landed with another PL newby… who sure won’t give us anything and seeing as it’s a London club PLUS Top 6 then .. I think you know what we’re up against …
Hoping against current form that we can both find the net and also keep a clean sheet.
If they score first I fear another 2-0 loss but want to be a bit more positive. If the atmosphere is right and the team show a bit of grit and determination I can easily see a draw here.
It wasn’t the defeat that was most disappointing about the trip to Anfield. It was the nature of it. The poor performance.
Particularly when a week or so earlier we managed to lose to Bournemouth. At home.
Sandwiched in between was a creditable 1-1 away to high flying Fulham.
But after the complete dismantling of Liverpool and incredible 2-1 with 10 men v Southampton, we looked the possibility of building further momentum against Bournemouth squarely in the eye, and blinked.
Now we find ourselves with a fairly unforgiving run in, including the likes of Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle, Chelsea, Brighton, with very little breathing space between us and 18th placed Everton.
3 points to be exact. And we’ve played a game more than most around.
So, now more than ever, every single game, each of the 13 remaining battles, is a cup final for us. The very real prospect of relegation is just simply unthinkable.
We are back to looking down and hoping there are 3 teams worse than us.
We are not too good to go down.
There are improvements. But we must score more goals. With such a toothless attack, opposition players feel emboldened. They play without fear, believing we can’t score. And by and large they’re right.
Whilst our situation is better than where we were at Christmas, it is still precarious.
It isn’t just about the manager choosing the right team and formation from those without injury. Some may well benefit from nuclear powered hair dryer treatment – you can only offer a carrot for so long before needing to use a stick.
A very big stick.
UTW
We are consistently inconsistent. This has all the hallmarks of a Spurs win, but we have a habit of bouncing back from defeats and we do play better against teams who don’t come to Molineux to camp at the back. This could go any way but I’ll go with us to edge it.
Could do with a win really but I think we’ll have to settle for a draw
Think we could nick this one but not really sure how the goals will come.
Really no idea!
Another win one, lose one season. Time to win one.
Jimenez to score a penalty to win the match.
I know it’s probably too optimistic, but maybe Lloris being out tips the odds slightly. He usually makes some important stops in any game. So, let’s reach for an absolutely incredible two goals scored, a clean sheet, and hoping Kane and Son have an off day.
Embarrassing first half. Tottenham a yard quicker.
Second half transformation.
3 at the back must be the way from now on.
Fighters show who’s who.
3-5-2
Very late on parade by a few weeks. But looking at some of the results of late, my prediction attempts are Vanerama league status.