Nothing will be decided by next Friday but two significant things will have happened.
The transfer window of doom will be closed for a start with Matheus Nunes (and possibly other key players) either still at the club or sold.
On the other side of that, Wolves will either have done nothing or something to help Gary O’Neil make a decent fist of things.
I think we need more experience and physicality at both ends of the pitch. A centre half and a centre forward would do just fine for me. Wishful thinking?
Before any of that, there’s the small matter of a game against the only team in the Premier League suffering more than us. We dare not lose.
Everton
I didn’t see their game against Villa but from everything I’ve read, it was a massacre from start to finish. To compound matters for Sean Dyche, both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alex Iwobi went off injured and have been ruled out of tomorrow’s game.
That’s good news for us but bad for an Everton side yet to score a goal in their opening two matches. They did have one harshly ruled out against Fulham on the opening weekend and were unlucky to lose that match on the balance of play.
In a bid to bolster their attack, they have added young Sporting Lisbon striker Youssef Chermiti and fellow forwards Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison, but the latter is still some way off returning from injury.
Che Adams is another player they’re close to signing despite well-documented financial issues. Like us, what they do between now and the end of the window may tip the scales one way or the other.
Given everything that’s going on at the club and their form in recent seasons, it would be some achievement if Dyche was again able to keep them afloat.
Wolves
I’m just going to say it – I think Matheus Nunes deliberately got himself sent off against Brighton. He was already on a yellow and knew what the outcome of those late handbags would be and even had a couple of bites. If it wasn’t deliberate, it was idiotic, which is only marginally more forgivable.
Gary O’Neil played a back three a few times at Bournemouth so there might be temptation to fill the void by bringing Toti into the side. If he wanted a like-for-like replacement for Nunes, I guess Sarabia would be the closest match.
I’d try Matt Doherty at left-back, I’d play Neto down the left and I’d be trying to squeeze what I could get out of Sasa Kaladzik. We need players that are effective in the penalty area.
Whatever he does, this is a good test of O’Neil’s tactical acumen and it will be interesting to see if he’s more pragmatic in his approach or continues to play aggressively. I hope it’s the latter, but whatever gets the job done.
Predictions
For the second week running, nobody got the scoreline correct but then again, a 4-1 home defeat is a bold forecast.
Well done to AgentCyan, Ash K, PeteRobbo, Sheffieldwolf, Wokywolf and t’OM who’ve got the outcome of both games correct. The question is, will they all go for a third straight defeat?
I myself am going for a draw. We’ve looked a better side than Everton over the two games each side has played so far, but I do worry about our ability to navigate this particular challenge. It’s going to be a hot atmosphere, even this early in the season. Both teams know what it means. 1-1.
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.
Up The Wolves!
Neto and Doherty to start on the left is a must in my opinion.
I seem to remember them linking well in the dim and distant past when we scored goals and looked to gain a place in Europe rather than avoid the drop.
Doherty has made and scored goals for us and will do again.
You are right that we must not lose this game. But we are good enough, even without the naughty Nunes, to win it.
You ain’t the first person to say he deliberately got himself sent off last week Thomas.
And I wouldn’t bet against you being right.
Firstly… will the top six stop stealing our best players?!
I, for one, desperately want Nunes to stay, unless, of course he desperately wants to go, then Adios.
This is a no brainer, we have to win if we don’t want our morale and confidence levels to slide.
It’s got to be 2-0 to our boys.
Nunes is desperate to go. There can be zero doubt about that point mate.
And I don’t blame him for wanting a move to the European champions playing under arguably the greatest coach of all time. Not many footballers would want to stay given that choice.
My angst towards him is based on a perception that he’s treated us like a stepping stone from the very start and, for the most part, played like someone who knew a move up the ladder would materialise regardless of how he performed for Wolves.
When he arrived with such a big reputation I made peace with the fact we were a bus stop in his career, but I thought we’d at least get some good mileage out of him. He’s been woefully inconsistent and too often – in my opinion at least – looked like he had no interest in rolling up his sleeves and giving his all for Wolves.
Our recruitment has been awful for years, but I think spending mega money on Nunes and Guedes when we could have had Joao Paulinha for a fraction of the cost and spent the remainder on a proper centre-forward was as big a mistake as anything else.
Annoyingly though, we find ourselves in a predicament whereby we could really do with him hanging around for another season. Even if he remains inconsistent in our side, he can be a difference-maker in a handful of games as we saw towards the end of last season. I think he owes us that so we can (hopefully) rebuild properly next summer.
But I suspect he will force the move through and it will be a desperate scramble to try and add some bodies in the final hours of the window.
Spot on Thomas. I’m not fearful of Nunes being sold. Whilst technically a decent player , apart from the occasional surging run and a single wonder goal last season, I have seen very little in terms of influence and impact on games to justify him being our record purchase. If wolves can make a profit, take the money and run. I’m sure he’d look a better player in a much better team like Man City and with a superb coach in Guardiola, so farewell to another over priced non event from the Mendes/Shi conveyor belt. My biggest fear is what Shi might conjure up with £50m in the final knocking of the transfer window, if indeed he is minded to use it at all.
As for tomorrow, I travel up there with the hope of at least not losing. The 2 worst run clubs in the PL but even Everton make us look close to competent. Hoping for Gary O’Neill to get his first win under his belt.
Totally agree with you with regards to not signing Palhinha, a huge mistake. He would have fitted us brilliantly. Sorry to say, but I think we were on the wrong end of another Mendes dodgy deal there along with Guedes, who clearly from day one, it was obvious he didn’t want to be here. The times he trooped off the field which his head down was alarming. Nunes has got all the talent in the world but I doubt whether we will see much of it. At City he will be a bench warmer for a while, if he does break through with all those players they’ve got, he could be sensational.
Who says he wanted to sign for Wolves?
Thanks for that Thomas.
I absolutely agree with you, and as much as I’d like to think better of Nunes, he has treated our club with so much disdain since he has been with us.
He has certainly not earned his money at Molineux and I was hoping that he was just the right player to step up to the plate now that Neves has gone.
But it looks like it’s not going to happen does it?
First relegation 6 pointer of the season !!!
I will be happy with another aggressive attacking display and a 1 – 1 draw.
A must not lose game, but that crazy 10 minutes against Brighton has shattered my confidence sorry
With the amount of chances we’ve been creating, we will start scoring soon. And against a poor Everton side so do far, you’d have thought it would be in this match more than any other. We should be going into this one with a great deal of hope
But, prediction wise, I said last time out that, until we do start scoring, my predictions are going to be on the negative side. Also, even this early in the season, the fans of whichever side loses this match will be having major jitters. Surely too early to say ‘must win’, perhaps more like a ‘mustn’t lose’. So on that basis, it looks like a 0-0.
Brighton where clearly the better side but there where bits of the performance I liked, again we created a good number of chances but the high press was daft with our lack of pass at centre half. Surely if we match the same kind of attacking output against Everton it should yield a positive result.
As for Nunes 60 million for a player who on the whole has flattered to deceive is a good deal but only if the funds get reinvested and at the moment that’s a big if.
Fabio & Cunha
Rather surprised that with so many exiting players, we are still sending some raw talent out on loan. Lembikisa and Chem Campbell come to mind. I understand they need to gain experience but any injuries to our first team players might leave us rather short on the bench.
Regarding this game, seems to have 0-0 written all over it. And 1-0 at most will win it – but which way?? Go on, let’s be positive (if we can’t be positive against Everton ..what is there left in life ???).
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This is the chance to get some well needed points on the board they have injuries to key players should be a walk in the park if we play the way we can 3-0 to the Wolves.
Looks as if both Nunes and Podence will be through the one way revolving door by next Friday; how many players will actually be left by then?
Hope for a draw tomorrow, but probably no more. Don’t think morale can be very high in the dressing room with all that’s going on.
Time for this nonsense to end. No wonder 0-2 is a popular pick, because it will be.
Already looks like one of the games we must win to get enough points on the board.
If we lose Nunes then I fear we will not have enough time to bring in adequate replacements.
Desperately need another CB, a real goal scorer, and we are 1 midfielder down already.
For me Sasa must start up front with Cunha and aim to get at least 60 mins out of him until he is fully fit. For me Fabio is still woefully below the required standard for the Premier League. 1 on 1 with the keeper v Brighton a top striker just had to score.
I was feeling optimistic after the United game, but after watching the highlights of the Brighton shellacking – specifically how easily we were taken apart at the back – the pre-season gloom has set in once again.
Thom, I agree with your comments about Nunes – he is a bad egg who doesn’t want to be here. I’d happily cash in on him but, like you, have little to no faith in the current board following any sale up with quality reinforcements. If only we operated like a Brighton or Brentford – they seem to lose players every summer but replace them seamlessly and with almost zero panic.
It’s a pretty damning indictment of the current leadership team that this fixture feels like a six-pointer when we’re only three games into the season, but here we are. I only saw the highlights of Everton’s last game but they do look like a rotten side, so anything less than a point can rightfully be viewed as pretty disastrous.
I think this is going to be a war of attrition between two sides – and specifically two managers – who can’t afford to lose. I’d love to see O’Neil persevere with the attacking football we’ve tentatively seen in the opening two games, but feel he might adopt a more cautious approach after the naivety of the Brighton performance.
As for team selection, I’d swap out our two useless full-backs and bring in Doherty and one of Toti and Bueno, and possibly bring the seldom-seen Traore into midfield. You could maybe make an argument for Hwang starting ahead of Neto also.
I think Nunes is gone and agree that he doesn’t seem to want to be here.. I’m okay with that.. I think we score 2 and Sa keeps the clean sheet.. let’s turn this season around!! Time to score goals and have fun!!!
Expecting it to be tight, and not pretty. But we showed enough at Old Trafford, and glimpses against Brighton, to prove there is a good team there on our day. Not having Nunes, whether he wants to be here or not, is a blow to a side sorely lacking creativity but I have hope, partly because Everton have been even worse than us. It’s a big one, early in the season.
That red card against Brighton has taken on a new dimension now. It raises the question of ‘character’. In the early days of Nuno’s reign, the requisite character of incoming players was carefully considered, and look at the dividends gained by this approach. From the off, Nunes never seemed a good fit. I fully expect Podence and Nunes to be gone next week. My hunch is that we might get about £50mil for Nunes, plus a player like Tommy Doyle as makeweight, or £60mil plus. And I expect O’Neil to sign more defensive cover and a striker. By the match against Palace on 3rd September I think O’Neil might be a bit more comfortable with his squad.
We need at least a point tomorrow, but I’m expecting three. 1-2 Wolves.
First win of the season I reckon. With all of their injuries Everton are in a tough position.
If we sell Nunes it will be game over……….if we had sold him weeks ago and all the money gone to O’ Neil even then depending on who would want to join our now cancelled completely project club it would still be a massive task to stay up.
And that’s the thing now with Jeff and FOSUN’s stance now and the self inflicted damage down over J.Lo’s exit what players would want to join us even if we had a decent budget the damage has been major add to this we are second bottom of the League it’s hardly surprising no decent pro or young up and coming player would run a mile at the thought of joining Wolves……and who can blame them
Question CHW.
How much of this incoming cash mountain might be being directly channeled from WWFC whatever Ltd to (legally) repay loans from our parent company and principals? Fire sale as a prelude to Administration and to hell with he football consequences is the nightmare scenario. Because this seems to be a very strange way to run a Pl football club if you wish it to remain a PL football club.
Is this really all just about FFP? I hope so!
Shadows of the dark days of Tommy Doc, Sammy (who?) Chapman and Bill McGarry mk2 are very familiar though.
At best we are in for very tough times in the short term.
I think we’ll go up 1-0 early, play conservatively to hold the lead, and end up conceding very late for a disappointing 1-1 draw.
Wolves will have 25 shots on goal. So, as you can guess, I am predicting a 0-0 draw.
A loss for either team is just not needed so it’s going to depend on who is ready to fight for the cause and who will lie down and expose their underbelly.
I have no doubt we will be up for the fight!!! It just depends on if we can find the back of the net when we have the chance to.
God only knows what the result will be.
It wont be easy away from home against an Everton side desperate for points. hope we get an early goal and get the crowd scritchy.
Ait got the winner here last season and I would start him again tomorrow. I’d also start Silva – I think we need to show a bit of faith. Sasa to come on after an hour if he isn’t doing it. Sarabia for Nunes.
i thought Nunes deliberately got sent off too
this Man city thing hasn’t just come out of the blue .
sell him and let’s get some players that are good all the time and not one that is exceptional sometimes
you have your big club now so Fuck off !
Everton v Wolves
Memory lane – its been a while but hopefully a few Bloggers will recall these Goodison encounters…
Playing truant from senior school in Sedgley in February 1967 we missed the coach to Merseyside for the FA cup 4th round replay won by Everton 3/1 in front of 60,020 which would have been my first visit to Goodison Park. Wolves were in the second tier whilst The Toffees were FA cup holders and title chasers. The 1/1 draw at Molineux (53, 439) was shrouded in controversy after Duggie Woodfield was alleged to have fouled Alan Ball and the referee awarded Everton a penalty from which Ball equalised. A ludicrous dive by Ball.
However, in January 1970 travelling by Don Everall as usual and with Wolves back in the top flight, we descended on Goodison probably more in hope as Everton were at the top of the pile and eventually won the title by 9 points from Dirty Leeds – no mean feat considering in those far off days it was 2 points for a win. In front of 45,000 Wolves, having been reduced to 10 men after Derek Dougan was taken off with a fractured cheekbone and with the one allowed substitute already deployed, battled on only to succumb to a scrambled goal by Joe Royle who appeared to foul Derek Parkin on the goal line. Quite ironic this as The Doog was side-lined for 8 weeks. (A few weeks previously in October 1969 v Everton at Molineux, Dougan had been sent off in an incident that sparked some of the worst crowd violence ever seen in Wolverhampton which prompted FA chairman Len Shipman to instigate an immediate investigation into the trouble. The Doog was banned for 8 weeks – I believe he called the linesman a cupid stunt). So my first visit to Goodison ended in defeat.
However…….
Fast forward to September 1979 and a right humdinger of a match. Having sold Steve Daley to Manchester City for £1.4 million and acquired centre forward Andy Gray from Villa for £1.5 million Molineux was buzzing with transfer fever and the fact we had a new stand (although it was nearer to Cannock than the pitch itself).
Gray was making his debut vs Everton at Goodison and I drove to Merseyside in a Morris Marina accompanied by Tony Taylor – our no-nonsense Sunday league left back who actually reminded me of former Wolves full back Joe Wilson in that he tackled anything that moved including his own team mates, a bloke walking the dog over Fowlers Park and even the groundsman after he called a match off once! Ron “Chopper” Harris had nowt on Tony Taylor.
Back to Goodison – former Liverpool stalwart and now Wolves captain Emlyn Hughes who was utterly detested across Stanley Park in Everton Vale – got into an altercation with Everton number 9 Andy King. King was sent off, sending the Evertonians into a collective apoplectic rage. How we chuckled at the seething masses baying for Hughes to be hung drawn and quartered. In a titanic game of football the excitement continued unabated and with goals from Peter Daniel, Gray and John Richards Wolves triumphed 3/2 in a breathtaking finale to send the away following in fits of delight alternated with mass goading at their home counterparts.
Of course exiting the stadium and trying to find the car parked somewhere off Walton Lane was quite a drama as we were doing our best to remain emotionless amongst the blue and white Scousers whilst they were wanting to kill anybody remotely associated with WWFC – or more specifically Emlyn Hughes.
Having located the car (tyres still intact which was unusual for Liverpool) and driving en route to the M6 along the East Lancs road, Tony and I stopped off at a boozer in St Helens to quench our hoarse throats. How we laughed and chortled and talked non stop whilst aglow with excitement at our new “hero” – Andy Gray. A memorable day out indeed and one of the top 20 of all time away matches for me.
Question – how many hat tricks did Andy Gray score for Wolves?
Tomorrow – 3/2 to Wolves naturally!
Bedfordshire Old Gold
BOG
Thanks for the memories BOG. That 3:2 win at Everton on Andy Gray’s debut is one of my favourite away matches as well.
Great times BOG, just love the way you take me back to sixties and seventies.
Awesome re call, you tell it like it was only last week.
Got a good feeling that the good times might start again, starting with a win over the Toffee’s this afternoon.
Its time to win a game or 2
Toffees tomorrow Eagles next week
Fabio is moving into a new property in Wolves next month ….here for the season
Feet on the ground roof over his head that will score 3 at Goodison
A third game six pointer? Of course not, it only feels that way…
Sasa to score a headed goal. Assist from Sarabia.
Fortune has to favour on us sooner or later and given Everton are a bigger sh*t show than we are at the moment now would be a good starting point.
Thank you BOG…brilliant stuff as ever, just a bit disappointed you didn’t tell us the cloud formations over Molineux when we scored. Joe Wilson…..now that name brings back some memories….wasn’t he the ‘enforcer’?…and good for a few OG;s a season?
Ah well, meantime we need to put some early nails into Everton’s coffin. Play the giraffe and bring on the Young Prince when they are tired….could/should be a good day at the office.
I think we will stay up without Nunes and the 60 million or thereabouts we get will surely cover FFP needs. Hodge needs some time and space to show his stuff and Traore too
I thought the Brighton game highlighted our lack of steel and fight in defence- both fullbacks are lightweight. Three of the goals were rank poor defending- Solly March commented post match that his coaches had said he should ‘ bust a gut’ to get into the box- if Semedo and Ait had ‘ bust a gut’ they would have prevented 3 goals.
So I would play Toti and Doc at fullback against Everton, this will be no game for the faint hearted. Semedo and Ait are simply not good enough defenders at this level.
We will always be a feeder club for the big six whilst Mendez is pulling the strings.
If we tighten up at the back we can win but I’m not confident unless we do.
My annoyance with the nunes transfer is it’s lateness, had he gone early like neves we could be approaching this game with Alex Scott in midfield, alongside Lemina and Gomez and a new centre back. Also we likely would have kept lop. But instead we run the risk of ending the window with no incomings and a big risk should we get any injuries in the team. Is that wolves backroom teams fault or a player angling for a bigger contract?
This is already a must not lose game for me. With the mess off the field confidence must be fragile and a defeat here after the humbling manner of the defeat at Brighton could set us on a spiral.
I think he may be going now because Man City need a replacement for some injured player.
Alex Scott is still out injured
Well, 38 shots at goal in the first two games is far more exciting than at any time last year. Granted, most of them were not on goal, but if Fabio and RAN had put away a couple of chances…..!
We need to score in this game so would start RAN and consider starting 3 at the back. Use wing backs
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This will be a close and scrappy game as both teams will fearing losing and need to win to relieve some of the pressure.
Wolves just have been keep battling and we will get our just reward.
Well J Lo booked out after the Celtic friendly so why did the lads perform so well against S Rennes ? Were they in relief unrestricted mode because for me we played the best Wolves display I have seen for ages ?
Will GoN tinker and change the system too much ?
Comments that we need a young defender, we had Collins who is deemed good enough for T Franke at Brentford who are playing attractive football.
Rumours we have been sold or receiving investment ?.that we are not under ffp problems ? Semedo bid from Man Utd ? Podence playing with u21’s ? Nunes started really well this season but was it just to get a transfer ?
Ohh the joys of being a Wolves supporter
Anyway think Sasa and Sarabia (corner and free kicks) should start desperate for the points against Everton because Crystal Palace are never easy to beat.
Give us a win
I only hope that we have some players lined up if Nunes goes. We haven’t seen the best of him and if Man City are prepared to pay around £47m , we should take it.
Not sure m’colleague. I think we should hold out for more. As for my scorecast for tomorrow?
The euphoria of a great start versus Man U was quickly extinguished last week and the news of more possible outgoings has added further pressure to an already fragile situation.
In fairness O’Neil is trying to play it cool but tomorrow’s aerial onslaught could prove difficult.
The Everton gorillas foul anyone in the box at corners and freekicks, including the block technique (taught by the Neanderthal Dyche) that an Everton goal is inevitable … can we score .. yes .. but it’ll be backs to the wall for long spells ..
I’d certainly include Docherty in tomorrow’s team , along with Traore and also Toti as a third central defender ..
it’s a must not lose game as with Crystal Palace and Liverpool next up .. we need to get some points..
Time for a win.
And for Doherty to start, otherwise why is he back? He will bring some experience and maturity to the team.
Nunes? If he’s gonna go he should go now. But only if we get a decent sum. £60m at a pinch but should be more given some of the outrageous sums of money being flung around.
Hacked-off with late Nunes likely transfer and the tiny window it will leave to add anything to our ever dwindling squad. Lot of rumours swirling round about a possible sale of the club but, in all honesty, who knows what Fosun’s thinking is these days. Love the fact that we are least upping the shot count, but have a horrible feeling it might get worse before it gets better.
Everton are desperately poor. We are just a bit loose and unlucky. First win or I’m off to support Brentford for the rest of the season
Over the years we have become familiar with loveable characters on our TV screens. Like snookers Steve ‘interesting’ Davis. Stu Francis off Crackerjack going ‘I could crush a grape’. Rod Hull and Emu. Brucie saying ‘Nice to see you. Nice to see you. Nice’. The Chuckle Brothers ‘ From me to you’ and of course Ken Dodd from Knotty Ash going ‘What a beautiful day to throw a tray of ice cubes down Michael Fish’s trousers and say ‘how’s that for a cold front”. Scoucer Doddy was famed for his 96 hour marathon shows and tickling stick. And the scoucers at Goodison are going to need a ticking stick to make them laugh because there won’t be much smiling going on tomorrow. After a tough week on the training pitch Gazza will have WWFC firing on all cylinders and the goals will finally come as the blue air turns toxic. In fact it could be a battle of which fans are most toxic depending on which way it goes. But ultimately it goes our way as Dyche turns in to a helium baloon and quite literally explodes in the techical area. The toxic atmosphere turns even more toxic to such an extent that fans and all present have to wear a gas mask to prevent severe illness. This all helps WWFC as we romp home by 3-1. After the game GON said ‘ we came to quiten the home crowd and did a great job as they became very toxic. I watched as the toxicity caused a passing seagull to become very unwell. It landed on my head. But I am pleased the lads survived the toxic fumes and glad to get our season off the mark. I was sorry to see Shaun Dyche explode in the face of such toxicity’ . Shaun Dyche was unavailable for comment. He is currently being stitched back together in hospital. Everton 1 WWFC 3.
Have you heard the track Toxicity by System of a Down? Its a great record. I don’t know why it just popped in my head. I think I will play it alot tomorrow in the hope that all the toxicity is then totally spent from our side and the toffees are the only ones swimming in a toxic wasteland of despair.
No mate i haven’t heard that but it just made me laugh the last few seasons on the number of times Goodison has been described as ‘toxic’. And with our fans not in the best of moods at the moment thid could easily be ‘The Toxic Derby’ !
imagine getting covered in shaun dyches gibblets.
No thanks.
We’re going to do a Brighton on them this week,,’, but hang on this is Wolves
so maybe it only going to be 3-1
Silly boy
I’m going to this one. Haven’t been away for years. I just fancied seeing the old ground for perhaps our last visit.
Wish I was more confident but the negative news and rumours have got to me. I’m expecting neal maupay to find his shooting boots unfortunately.
On our side though we of course have forwards in Neto, Sasa and Silva who should also be desperate to score so maybe we will be ok or hwang will continue his good form.
So on balance yes a draw is likely.
Whatever happens they better not throw the bloody towel in. This is our club and we love it. I hope that is the noise that is in the players heads, non of this negative rubbish. You would assume Evertom will be up for the battle so please to god let us match them at least.
Everton have been poor but if there’s one team for them to play well against it will be us, we will score one out of 20 chances and they’ll score 1 out of 1 in the 110 minute
Hoping for a performance like the one against man utd.
Very upset over Nunes and think the sending off was deliberate. To avoid injury before the transfer window closes. Not a team player if you do that to your mates.
Oops and suddenly it happens!
Toffees 1
Wolves 3
too important not to win
wow, what a big week. Points are desperately needed from the lads. Hoping to see Hwang and Neto on the wings, with the same lineup as last week. Don’t think Sarabia should start in the 10. I think Fabio should be given another chance because of the amount of chances he had.
Seeing a lot of people saying we shouldn’t play as aggressive as we did last week. I believe we should. Aggression and energy is what this squad feeds off of. I think the goals will come with the floodgates opening tomorrow. Wolves 2-0 (Cunha 24’, 62’). Cunha makes the difference and finds the net twice. COYW
Hello chaps. Last game at Goodison. I saw Rooney play for them against us there. If I remember rightly, they gave us a bit of a pasting that day.
BTW, did anyone listen to Free Thinking on Radio 3 last night. Great programme on the Black Country.
Oh, and it’s a win for me …
So much has been written and said about Nunes. Unsurprising and understandable considering the enormous amount of money we’re likely to receive.
Club record etc etc. Say what you want about Fosun, but we are trading in £40-£50m players now. Shame we haven’t had value for money, due to an awful recruitment strategy, but I’m hopeful the lesson has finally been learned. Too late perhaps, far too late, but what can we do?
I’m certain Nunes’ red card was premeditated. He believed it would be his last game.
I’d rather have a £7m valued central midfielder (Tommy Doyle), who will no doubt be chomping at the bit for first team football, than a talented player who treats us like something he’s stepped on, and not a stone. £55m and player …. let me think ab………. YES!!!!!!!!!!
Starting line up aside, losing today doesn’t bear thinking about. Everton are missing 2/3 key players and I’m not sure that for them, being at home, is currently an advantage.
If we can avoid conceding early and score ourselves, I’m pretty sure the mood at Goodson will become very dark, very quickly.
I’m (optimistically perhaps) going for a 2-1 win for us.
A draw is the minimum requirement.
UTW
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Due to some very inept management we find ourselves with little leverage in player transactions either in or out. As its for long been clear that Nunes has no respect for our club its time to say ‘good riddance’. Go and join Calvin Phillips ( he eats what he wants , you know!) on the bench at Citeh! Cash up front only though as we all know how we were shafted with the Jota, part Hoever and instalment deal!
For today’s game we need to find a place for the Doc and Fabio from the start. If we don’t give Fabio a proper run he’ll be forever dwelling on the Brighton miss and never build confidence. Ait Nouri and Sasha to come on later if needed to pose a few questions for a tiring Toffee defence. Heart says we’ll scrape it 2-1 but head says a draw is more realistic, so 1-1 for me.
I don’t understand this report that “he’s already agreed terms with City”. How does that work?
Simply must win. Can’t see us winning many. Dyche will no doubt tell the toffees how they can undo us but this time he is going to fail.
I’m hoping for a 2-1 win without any real confidence.
We still badly need experience up front and at centre back as over the last few seasons to confidently survive imo.
We have created so many chances that, with a good result we could kick on more confidently. A loss would be really depressing.
I hope to be convinced by GON but am worried by the team’s reaction just after the half time talk. But then, although the match was lost, we finished well. I don’t know quite what to make of it all despite my niggling worries regarding our owner’s real intentions.
Things should seem clearer over the next month.
Good luck to the lads; COYW.
I’d love a win but I’d settle for not losing!
It would be good to see some progress from the last two games, less of the bad stuff and more of the good play we’ve seen these players are capable of. I’m not expecting miricles though, although it’d be nice to be wrong. I wouldn’t complain if Wolves won 5-0, but I really don’t think it’ll happen.
First win predicted for the year. Cunha to finally put one away and Huang off the bench
As far as Nunes is concerned 60 mil would be brilliant as long as the money is reinvested
. Make more use of Hodge and Boubacar in the midfield and Toti in the defence.
A lot of use of the fact we are now a 16 man team so when heavy legs are apparent we should not be afraid to swap for fresh legs and ideas
I feel there are at least 4 or 5 teams worse than us but with good reinvestment the team could make the top half
Let’s quit the negative vibes and get right behind the team. COYW
Greetings Mob,
Perhaps Gazzbo could have taken Nunes off after the 1st yellow, seeing how it was going at the time? Nevermind, it was a shambolic defensive 10 minutes, no one comes out of it smelling sweet.
Enter Papa Doc. Can he still put a cross in? Who knows, but with Sasa to aim at it’s got to be worth a shot.
The sight of a bristling Dyche (pronounced Dick) in the opposition dugout is always cause for concern. Half expecting him to run on the pitch, pick up the ball, destroy a few defenders and then punt it into the goal. As he rams the refs whistle down his throat on the way to crowd surfing the jubilant Smurf contingent. Ginger Nuts.
Anyway with DCL off receiving facial reconstructive surgery, chances are he’ll park the biggest blue bus he can find in Toffeeton up the home end and taunt our profligate attacking force by waving white sticks at them.
Great to see 2 ambitious Homegrown management teams battling it out for a point at the bottom of the table. Not.
C’mon lads, you’re better than them. Which, of course, means nothing.
1 lv & COYW
No idea really.
A lot of pressure on both teams and clubs.
A lot of pressure on us bloggers too with win, loss and draw all able to be rationalised.
Will it be decided by defensive error/s or a moment of attacking inspiration – or luck?
Tough un
A performance approaching the quality of last week should win us three points. A performance approaching the quality we oozed against Manure wins the game, no question.
Really hope your right but I’m concerned our fullbacks ( Bueno and Semedo) are going to get battered today….
Hmmmm . Difficult. I hate to admit but I see 1-0 to Everton. We cannot score. The squad is painfully thin and unbalanced. Also if players want to go…let them go. Overall , and I’m in a minority , I think Fosun are a busted flush and selling ‘assets’ in a fire sale. Sorry guys. I’m defo not blaming fans, players or managers. It seems quite a toxic place to work. As noted my head says 1-0 to Everton, heart wants a wolves win….IF ….someone can poke, head, shoulder,chest,blow,bicycle, thrasher,muller or waltz the round bag of air into the net.
Shoulder about right.
The catastrophisers are out in force again, seems like a never ending source of fodder is dished up for them to speculate on the club’s demise. Personally I don’t think for a second Nunes got himself sent off on purpose, I think you’re giving him more credit than he deserves. Yes he was a dickhead but players lose their heads occasionally, Nunes has done it before. He doesn’t make himself more attractive to Man City and less attractive to Wolves by getting sent off, nobody gains from that situation. Gardiola has stated that Man City won’t overpay for players so that would mean they won’t pay an inflated price for Nunes which for me would need to be upwards of 55/60m looking at some of the prices paid for Southampton and Leicester players.
Dyche has a good record against Wolves but I reckon we’ll do em 2-0 today. It’s too early to call it a relegation battle so I’m calling it a mid table obscurity tussle, no three at the back from GoN so looks like he’s sticking with his aggressive approach. UTW
Forgot pred
Glad to see Fabio Silva starting. Hopefully he and Cunha can get an understanding together – and quickly.
Wolves need to be up for it from the beginning.
Phew!!! Well done boys and away fans. Sasha, you diamond…
Well bugger me…….
2 minutes.
Sasa came on 85th min
Scored in 87th minute
3 years and 2 minutes waiting for a centre forward.
Indeed Jim. He’s a handful. Difficult to mark and beat in the air.
At last. A Centre Forward.
Imagine how he must be feeling following a year in the treatment room.
Mossive ay it. Me Babbies !!! Who could doubt them. Seen lots of predictable stuff like ‘if it wasn’t for Sa’ or ‘lucky offside’. But we got nothing at Man U and should have got least 1 point. So stop complaining and drink up the 3 points !
At least you got the correct score.