It wasn’t just the result against Chelsea, it was the nature of the performance.
Gritty, energetic and full of endeavour. Characteristics that have been sorely lacking at times in this challenging season.
Brentford will provide a completely different challenge. They’re not a talented but disparate group of individuals, they’re a well drilled team with an established way of playing.
Even so, we must adopt the same approach to the game and try to get another seismic victory. Three points would put us right on the periphery of survival.
Brentford
I don’t want to simplify the success of Thomas Frank’s team to set pieces but it’s impossible to overlook the stats.
20 of their goals have come from dead balls (if you include the 7 penalties they’ve notched) and they win more in the air than any other Premier League team.
They’re very good at building up pressure from crosses and making teams pay if they can’t stand up to that physical threat.
They’re low numbers are in the possession and dribbling stats marking them out as a direct and efficient unit.
Ivan Toney still hasn’t been suspended for some reason but his form on the pitch has been spectacular. He has 18 Premier League goals to his name.
Defeat to Newcastle last weekend made it four games without a win but they have been on a tough run of fixtures. They’re the league’s draw specialists with 13 so far.
Wolves
This might be the first week I can confidently predict Lopetegui won’t tinker with his starting XI.
Not only did the above XI perform well against Chelsea it also makes sense against a team likely to load the box.
We effectively have a third centre half with Toti down the left and both Cunha and Costa can help out aerially too, meaning we shouldn’t just get blown away from set pieces.
That also leaves options galore from the bench if things go south and we need to change the shape of the attack.
Predictions
Well done to Wolfstroker, Liz, Matt Cook and DeptfordWolf for all correctly predicting the scoreline against Chelsea and pocketing a maximum.
Rich remains four-points clear at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 29.
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!
34 points has an outside chance of being enough to stay up so obviously a win would be massive. There’s no reason we can’t get it against an effective but not particularly brilliant Brentford team.
They do have the difference maker in Toney and that’s why I’m reluctant to back us for the win. I think he’ll have a say.
A draw wouldn’t be awful as it pushes us closer to survival. Avoiding defeat is important because I think it will be a hot atmosphere at the King Power next weekend and things turning sour in both games would land us right back in the brown stuff.
Got a draw written all over this….I hope.
I’m looking forward to another good performance (and another goal possibly?) from Nunes, in Neves’ continued absence.
We can do this boys!
It’s a win for me… COYW
8 games left.
The same number of games that we’ve won this season.
Add seven draws – that’s the composition of our 31 point tally.
8 cup finals.
9th placed Brentford. They are no mugs. The Bees have only been beaten 7 times in the league this season. Last time out saw them lose a tight game against Newcastle.
But the Bees business is theirs. We need to focus on doing what is needed to win.
And, as Thomas has pointed out, we could do a lot worse than emulating last weekends fine victory against Chelsea.
Nunes hit his stride starting in the right of midfield. The rocket that originated from his right foot should give him confidence to continue with another big performance on Saturday.
Joao Gomes touched every blade of grass. He made 20 challenges, and was seemingly invincible. “You shall not pass.”Lemina was dynamic, full of energy. And new father, Podence, will be available to play, having been given an additional two days to make his case after being charged with spitting.
Costa and Cunha caused plenty of problems for a poor Chelsea and our defence was solid, well protected by the midfield, but Captain Kilman, Dawson, Semedo in one of his better defensive performances and Toti were good.
With Neves suspended, this is a huge opportunity for his teammates to show what they can do without out talismanic Captain. They’ve shown it once. They can do it again. It might be necessary next season.
Surprisingly second season Brentford are likely to offer a sterner test than Chelsea. Wolves have the ability to draw their sting and deliver a killing blow. If we can repel set pieces and give them lots to worry about in their own half.
The bookies are leaning towards a low score draw. Understandable given our lack of goals and Brentford’s 13 stalemates so far this season.
But I fancy us to build on the last game and squeak a 1-0 or 2-1. Assuming the referee and VAR don’t intervene and we keep 11 men on the pitch.
Do that, and we will be on 34 points with 7 cup finals left and every chance of enjoying Premier League football for another season, only this time with a settled high quality manager and some young, exciting and talented players.
UTW
Brentfords ever present captain is out with a ham string injury, a big miss for them. Same team please, no tinkering please.
Pre match Drinks in the Lych Gate , bring it on.
Trust Wolves to find form after I eviscerate them on the blog! I’m more than happy to be eating humble pie currently though, and was pleased to hear about how well we performed against Chelsea. Brentford will provide another stern test, but with their form dwindling we might be in a position to claim another three points and take a huge step towards survival. Here’s hoping!
Going for a really tight five one win
Cmon u Wolves
Strangely, the Bees will, almost certainly, pose a stiffer test than last weeks opponents. They’re a team rather than a disparate bunch of expensive footballers and we will need to be on our mettle to glean all three points.
I would like, and expect to see, the same eleven starters and would also like, and expect to see, a similar result. Albeit with another goal apiece.
Lots of factors suggest that this game is destined for a draw. Thomas mentioned Brentford’s propensity for them. I also think that this is a game both sides will really want to avoid losing – Brentford having lost 4 in a row won’t want to make it 5, and we just need to keep picking up points to keep ahead of those below. These sorts of games tend to end in a stalemate.
However, Thomas also mentioned how efficient and effective Brentford are, whereas , by and large, we have not been. Even playing as well as we did against a poor Chelsea, it took a wonder goal to grab the points. Would love it to happen in such dramatic style again of course. But we can’t bank on scoring screamers every game.
I hope that Lopetegui has found that balanced side that he can go to to get the results we need. If so then they can only improve further as they gel with more game time going forward. But for now, I have to predict a narrow reverse.
It’s funny how Brentford remain the darlings of the Premier League whereas Burnley were generally loathed for their style of play. They can play neat football too which perhaps shifts the narrative a little. Perhaps the novelty will wear off if they stay in the league for a few more seasons.
Tough one to call this but there is a sense their season just might be starting to fizzle out with Europe looking increasingly out of reach. So they might be nearing on the beach territory, which could leave them there for the taking.
I see no reason why we shouldn’t be at it from the off after last week’s morale-boosting performance and win. Undoubtedly a tough test and you can easily see us losing a soft, early goal but if we do it’s important the heads don’t drop like the Leeds debacle. UTW
My first wish for tomorrow is for Toney to pick up a groin strain in training.
My second wish is for a similar performance to last week and, if that happens, we can get the 3 points that will virtually guarantee that we remain in the EPL.
Same team as last week for me and a narrow victory.
If he hasn’t got a groin injury then give him one
Lemina and Gomez looked good in midfield doing the hard work, always thought Neves was being played far too defensively anyway hopefully when he does return he will play nearer the forwards.
Same 11 for me if we show the same energy and fight and take a bit more care playing forward we should be able to get something out of the game. As good as the battling was against Chelsea we didn’t create a fat lot again but nether did Chelsea and Nunes goal was a worthy match winner.
Fan of Brentford here.
Like most others on this site, I find it difficult to forecast this game because Brentford has lost their last two games without losing form I should say, while Wolves have found their form. Man U away was always going to be difficult for us, but a game we should have at least won a point . Both losses easily might have been winners with a little luck. Our last game out against Newscastle was a game we should have won, but the VAR ruling against us and Toney’s missing a penalty, his first in three seasons, made it very frustrating.
Given that we have lost 2 and not 4 of our last games (has someone wrongly mentioned), this brings our tally too: 3 losses in the last 18 premiership games, which you must agree isn’t a bad record for a newly promoted team. Form would say it, we are not easily beaten.
We do have tremenodous treats all over the team, but of course most critics will say we are a one man team in Toney which so wrong, but I do not deny his goals are important for us.
Brentford players to watch out for : Kevin Schade, Rico Henry, Mathias Jenson and the obvious Ivan Toney.
refreshing for an opponent fan to arrive with constructive information. Thanks.
This will be really tough for us, but we NEED points. Can only hope the wolf is awoken.
This is exactly the style of historically we have struggled to overcome.
I’m not yet in the ‘we’ve turned a corner” camp. Too many times we’ve seen what we thought was a defining performance followed by an insipid shadow of the previous week.
With the glaring exception I think all of our players are better than theirs but as had been said they are very well drilled.
We have all the tools to win this but hey, we are Wolves!
JL joined Wolves 14.11.22. Played 14 19th place 10 pts. 0.7 pts per game.
5 months later. He’s overseen 16 games. Accumulating 21 points. 1.3 pts per game. Currently 13th.
That’s corner turning right there, performance wise.
Agree with you on the stats Mutt1eigh but the performances haven’t always matched. And I go back to styles. Teams like Burnley, Sheffield Utd and I’d throw Brentford into this group are teams we’ve traditionally struggled against.
Believe me , I’ll eat enough humble pie to feed a small nation if I’m wrong!
I’m with you Prawny
Not totally convinced and this fixture irrespective of history ( I recall we were on a high when they came to us when first promoted and Mr Toney brought the back 3,as it was then, back to earth with a bang ) is a difficult one which will define the last games of the season and possibly give us some momentum if we win
It’s a fixture if we lose will drag us back into the mire if results don’t go our way this weekend ….tricky one … Would love to see us perform again with the same determination and get the result we really need ….and make a call with my heart and not my head
I’m confused.
What exactly is it you are not convinced about ?
Agree with the stats but …..
I’m saying, categorically, we HAVE turned a corner.
It doesn’t mean we will survive relegation, it doesn’t mean every game will be won, it doesn’t mean every performance will be great.
But the stats speak for themselves. We HAVE turned a corner under JL.
Heavens forbid we turn another in the near future and end up back where we started early season, but I made no predictions about the future. Only the past and present.
That should be enough for us all to feel grateful, positive and optimistic.
UTW
I think on this performance Simon we may have been wrong.
Hopefully, last week’s attitude will be maintained. This game could be more difficult than the Chelsea game, so we need to have our ‘finishing’ boots on hopefully, with Diego breaking his duck at last.
I went for a predicted loss last week partly as a result of my not getting my predicted wins previously. This week I’ll go for a draw, but hoping for better.
Got to go for a win if we play as well as last week but it will not be easy 2-1 to the Wolves.
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Same team and hopefully a similar result
Forgot to put score
.
Same format, same determination please – hopefully Nunes fit.
Brentford have done extremely well this season on the backbof Toney, but are not unbeatabke
“The future is in the air. I can feel it everywhere ” ……… Yes. It’s German rockers The Scorpions. The type of band that Thomas Frank would be in as drummer had he not turned out to be the manager of Brentford FC. I think most German rock bands have someone who looks like Thomas Frank. To be quite frank. As well as 1980’s leather jackets, skinny jeans and a t-shirt with ‘Death Angel’ written on it or something like that. In fact you only have to turn the telly on and there is something to remind you of Thomas Frank’s face. For example. Europe (not the band- but who could also have Thomas Frank as drummer) is sending a space ship to Jupiter to study the 4 moons. Imagine my surprise when one of the moons looked uncannily like Thomas Frank but without the hair obviously. I mean what moon worth its salt would have a curtains hair cut. Certainly not our moon which looks jolly nice without hair. Any way Thomas Frank is going to come unstuck big style tomorrow. With Ivan Toney clean through and rounding Jose Sa he rolls the ball nonchalantly towards the empty net only for a disgarded piece of Thomas Franks never ending supply of chewing gum to come to WWFC’s rescue as the ball sticks to it a foot away from the line and Max Kilman get back to clear the danger. This proves fatal to The Bees as WWFC go on to win 2-0. The Winds of Change truly in the air at Molineux as we inch closer to safety . Out of the Darkness cometh a shaft of light. After the game J-Lo said ” It is uncanny that Thomas Frank has possibly been drummer in both The Scorpions and Europe. It’s sort of a ‘Winds of Change’ meets ‘The Final Countdown’ moment. But we have achieved nothing yet so I am off home now and will be listening to Thomas Franks drumming on CD” Thomas Frank said “No it’s not true I was ever the drummer in The Scorpions or Europe and I certainly look nothing like one of the 4 moons of Jupiter. Although I do accept my hair is a bit late 80’s/early 90’s. Maybe I will go to my local barbers and ask for the Simon Le Bon 1983 next week. We will see” . WWFC 2 Bees 0.
How on earth is Toney still playing? He is a great finisher and will probably score, but so will we. UTW
If Wolves can match my Prediction League average of a point a match, then we’ll be watching PL football at Molineux next season.
Saturday will be a challenge (as others have already said) but I’m hoping for a strong performance (unlike that against Ballmouth after the Liverpool win) and a win (my prediction) but I would settle for a draw.
(BTW I’m not sure why Toney is still playing. I’ve dropped him from my FPL team on principle but all that’s done is cost me points. Let’s hope his continuing presence does not cost Wolves points.)
If I was Ivan Toney’s bookie I might have a few quid on who he’s backing tomorrow!
To digress, our American cousins use the word ‘toney’ to describe something of perceived high class. ‘Toney’ is not what football is all about these days. For starters, let’s make it a cardable offence for anyone other than a captain to approach a referee during a match. The intimidating surrounding or abuse of match officials should be penalised with a points deduction. What’s the use of a fine of £50k against the likes Manure? Hit them where it really hurts. Bruno Fernandes is a prime culprit.
Recently I called for Wolves to stop the nonsense that saw us at the bottom of the Fair Play league. I know we’ve suffered terrible decisions, but even Lopetegui was having a go. That further increases our chance of more unfair decisions against us. The Chelsea result looked like a disciplined and controlled display. If we can do it again tomorrow I reckon we will win 2-0.
Traveling this weekend, so will list my prediction below.
A quick word on Jota, and observe he is back to normal, a streaky player! Scored lots of goals and then nothing for long periods. Exactly the same at Liverpool! Was scoring for fun when he first arrived, but after a couple of injuries he has not scored for 30 + games now! Good sale by us!!
Looking forward to travelling up to see the match; hopefully a better result than last time against B/mouth.
Keep last weeks spirit up and all 3 points will be ours. Funny old game; lose our Captain, Nunes plays in position, and happy days.
All l ask is for the boys to fight for the shirt – not much to ask, is it!!
One game does not a swallow make.
Or something like that.
Anyway, hopefully Matheus is healthy and finally realizing that in this league, he is expected to leave everything on the pitch.
Every team plays differently and the players he is up against will have different strengths and weaknesses than the players from Chelsea.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Costa playing again, at least for the first half. I wonder what is up with Raul. Any rumours?
Feel like this will be a tougher matchup for Wolves than Chelsea was.
Not much to add…like the starting lineup and the uiversal opinion that we must fight for everything all game long.
Still pining for Neto to get in amongst them…second half?
Meantime, being of a superstitious nature, i will echo my disastrous prediction from the Chelsea game
Hope it works again
OODCL
I think you can add ‘of next season ‘ to your Neto comment. He’s way off the pace just yet.
Brentford have been a tough opponent for practically all teams n the PL this season, but their recent unproductive run of form has been their worst spell so far. Add to that our own terrific display against Chelsea and you’d think we should be rated as overwhelmingly likely winners tomorrow. However, we’ve had a habit of proving such straightforward forecasts to be wrong throughout our season and I’m wary of it possibly occurring again here.
What side will Lopetegui pick? You’d think he’d be bound to keep the same team as last week, but he’s been pretty unpredictable on a number of occasions so far. Add to that my own nervousness and I’m therefore drawn toward our up and down results pattern possibly continuing again.
Hope I’m wrong………….
I think this has got a draw all over it. Costa to get his goal!
There’s a rumour going round that Ivan Toney’s put a big bet on being banned.
Mind you, the time the FA take to do anything about his gambling antics, it’s unlikely he’ll see a pay out for a long while yet.
As far as tomorrow is concerned, let’s have the same starting line up as last week and the same approach, and we could well end up with three points.
I’ve a bit of a soft spot for Brentford as a club and for what they’ve achieved but think that, if we play to our full potential, we’ve got enough to beat them.
A grind.
WWFC owe a debt of gratitude to Brentford for selling us one of the best players ever to grace the Molineux turf. I refer of course to Peter Broadbent, for whom they received £10,000.
I was amazed to see on the previous blog that he’d only made the bench. I assume that whoever picked the greatest ever team is, unlike me, too young to have seen him play and it is difficult to judge people you only know third or fourth hand. My Dad was always telling me how good The Reverend Kenneth Hunt was but, as it was before my time, I only had his word for it. On the other hand with PB, Sir Alex Ferguson was a great admirer and George Best wanted to play like him – as did Peter Knowles or course.
Still, debt of gratitude or not, I am hoping for three point from Brentford, with their manager having a miserable journey home to his pet shop in Gornal – if in doubt refer to C of D.
COYW
Saw him playing ina testimonial when he was about 40 and was clearly the best player even then.
Meant to attach this …..
I hate playing Brenford……ever since we returned to the top flight we have struggled against team like Brentford…..saying that fair dues to them they have proved everybody wrong me include.
Ivan Toney is class and I cannot understand why we haven’t gone in for him with all the money we have spent on strikers to take over the mantle from Raul none have showed and sign of doing that including our recruits in January.
He is horrible to play against he is as good in the air as he is on the ground he gets stuck in hustles defenders makes there life a misery he is strong but skillfull he holds the ball up well he is in double figure again this season and has six assists to his name.
I hope J.Lo: sticks to the same line up Gomes in midfield he is a cracking player he gets stuck in breaks up play and can pop up with a goal.
This is another chance to build on our win last time out in fact it’s the third time of asking we cannot keep reverting back to type we cannot keep squandering these chance to move away from the bottom three.
Ivan Toney has told me to put £10 on a Wolves 2-0
J Lo should start with the same starting line up as last week and if we can play with the same passion as last week, we should get something out of this game. I agree this is a tougher test than last week and Frank has done a good job with limited resources. But confidence should be high in our squad after the win. I sat on the fence last week but am going for us to win tomorrow.UTW.
We could do with another win.
The Nylons have been spending a lot of time and effort keeping Ivan Toney out of prison, and it’s obviously getting to him as he missed a penalty last week. Thomas Frankenfurter has spent more time at the solicitors than at the training ground (a disused parking lot at the back of the shopping centre), so has no idea who’ll be playing.
This should play into J-Lo’s hands, as he need do no more than turn out the team who played so well last week. Simples.
Though things are rarely so simple in football or at WWFC. Let’s put those relegation ghosts to bed.
1 lv & COYW.
.
I think we have definitely turned the corner such is the power of last weeks morale boosting victory. Our super coaching team will have done the homework on the Brentford bumblebees and will have the right game plan, especially as has been pointed out they are quite predictable.
I think we will get ahead quite early with a goal from Costa then get another just after half time with another from the born again Nunes. Then we will close the game out in a Brentfordesque manner ensuring schadenfreude all around and we all go home happy wanderers once again.
Same team as last week and same approach. Just add goals. Fingers crossed. We need to win this one to keep the confidence building and move away from the bottom of the table.
Deliberating a prediction for this game – I have narrowed it down to a 1-1 draw or a 1-0 win (either way). Remembering what I wrote last time about Brentford (in particular, their manager) I will opt for another 1-0 win. Reason being, that a number of bloggers (including myself) voted Thomas Frank as “the man I would most love to punch in the face”. Maybe three points will be a suitable alternative, this time. 🙂
I think I’d like to give the cheating Toney a good slap as well, can see var deciding this
When was the last time we won two in a row???
Oh… February. Not that long ago i guess…
Fair play to Brentford for getting where they are in the league … but as we know only too well .. it gets harder year by year to maintain the same level and eventually teams get sussed out… and the pressure of ‘R’ takes over…. Pretty much a description of our pathway …
I do feel that some Brentford players push the fair play boundaries… Toney for one and Mee when tangling with Costa down their place .. so I’m hoping Diego gets another run and scores.. to exact karma.
I’d expect the same starting XI but JLo knows best … it least Frank will have his back to me thro 90 minutes… goodness don’t you want to slap him…
My PL woes continue.. not having made the correct call for about 5/6 games now.. so going for a draw but hoping for a massive win …
Kit laid out ready for the game.
With most of those in the relegation scrap playing “big” teams (Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Man U, Tottenham) it is a real opportunity for us to grab some points and space…
But when do we ever make things easy for ourselves? Brentford’s strength in the air and from set pieces is a real concern
It’ll be close. Aren’t they always?
Bees not so great on the road, only three away wins. Nothing outstanding aside from the ManC 3-1 result.
We have more to play for than them.
Interesting stat. If we beat Brentford today we will have taken exactly the same number of points as they have since the world cup. Considering the brilliant season they have had and the s**t one we’ve had that is quite something !
Ref today … Paul Tierney and VAR … Stuart Atwell who, if I’m correct, refereed us last week .. and did a good job I thought … so hopefully we’ll get a contentious Var go our way …
I think Tierney was in charge for Spurs game and did allright I thought. He is one of the better ones. And there ay many ! Brentford do seem to get lots of penalties. I think they have had 13 in their two seasons in the prem in the same time we have had 3. Still you have to get in the box I suppose !!
I like Brentford as well as Thomas Frank and in Ivan Toney they have a striker that we can only dream about. Small club punching well above their weight gets my respect every time.
Iv had total faith that JLo will steer us clear of this mess but if he tinkers with the team again today and we don’t get a positive result that faith will be severely shaken. If the same team comes out and doesn’t maintain a similar standard then it’s more of the same inconsistency however if they do achieve a repeat performance of last week then i’d be happy to see Neves on the bench on his return as unjust as that would seem given his form. I think we’ll kick on from last week with a fresh midfield buzzing with confidence. Brentford score goals though and we don’t but we do pull results out the bag and even against Leeds i think we would’ve scored an equaliser had Jonny not got sent off so i think it’s gonna be a thriller with a few goals. UTW
Would be nice to get the three and alleviate some of the angst coming into the home stretch.
GO WOLVES!
RUT ROH!!!! I inadvertently posted my prediction very late. The match may have already been over. Please excuse!!! Because of this I will refrain from participating in the Prediction League for the rest of the season, not like I was gonna be in contention for honors. Anyway, I do apologize for the error.
Was happy to see the win and Costa getting his. Its looking up!