You know the pressure is building when the manager starts yammering on about things beyond his control.
And Gary O’Neil is dropping beats left, right and center about key players leaving, lack of preparation time, the dire situation he inherited, etc. Yawn.
I don’t see how that’s doing him any favours. Supporters know already and let’s be honest, he only got the job in the first place because of all those things. Better to shift the narrative towards things being done to put us on a better path. Look forward, not back.
We did do better against Liverpool in our last home game and have shown promise in spells in all the matches, so the manager can clearly coax something out of this disparate group. Putting it all together over a full 90 remains the problem.
Man City
They might be coming into this on the back of their first defeat of the season, but it’s been perfection in the Premier League so far.
Six games, six wins so far for Pep and co. The fixtures have been somewhat favourable though. Not that this is any different. They’ll be licking their lips coming up against opposition who’ve conceded 7 in two league games at home so far.
Maybe that cup defeat will plant a seed of doubt and it’s Arsenal away next Sunday, so there might be a tinge of pressure to keep the ship on course heading into that one. We can only hope, right?
With Rodri suspended, Matheus Nunes will be in the City team and can look forward to a hero’s welcome. He’ll do well for them, but I hope to see him fall on his face this time. He didn’t need to act like a baby to get his move.
They have a squad jam-packed with quality but the team isn’t as good without Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri. Of course, they’ve got enough to put Wolves to sleep but there’s a glimmer of hope with those two missing.
Haaland got 4 goals against us last season – as well as scoring 5 more in the league than our entire team – so hopefully we can find a way to shut him down more effectively.
Wolves
Gary deployed a back three at Ipswich and I think that’s the way to go, albeit without Jonny filling in on the right side.
We need to stop Haaland plundering headers at the back post and without the insurance of a third centre half, I worry we’ll be exposed in those areas.
With Bellegarde out I don’t think we have an alternative to fill that position between midfield and attack effectively so we might as well try to tighten up defensively. We can’t keep conceding 3 or more.
If you’ve still got the three attackers and wingbacks that can get forward, we can carry a threat. The above team would also have good opportunities from set pieces if they’re prepared to scrap it out to earn those chances.
Predictions
Well done to Sea Pigeon, Wokywolf, Portuguese men of Wolves, Rich, PJB, Aussie Wolf and Ash K for getting the score correct against Luton. And Wokywolf takes the lead at the top of the leaderboard at the end of Gameweek 6.
Logic dictates a comfortable defeat but how bad is it likely to be? I’ll go for the same score as Liverpool – 1-3. They should be more vulnerable without Rodri holding down the fort but they’ll get through us unless something changes.
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!
.
No hope
I’m going to be optimistic and suggest we will score.
If we can get at them and see the game out then we have a chance . newcastle seen them off in the cup . I don’t really believe we have a chance but it’s 11 against 11 and its football. I’m wolves to the bone so
I’m starting to regret my not coming to the game… if only because I would love to show Nunes the contempt I hold him in.
Pep seemed to think he was one of the best players in the World.
In the World maybe, but certainly not in The Golden Palace.
I would almost sell my soul for a victory.
But I don’t think that even the dark lord himself would be able to arrange it.
Sell your soul Doogooder! What’s the starting price? ? Nunes Nunes what’s the score!!
I remember quite a lot of Wolves managers stroke coaches, getting their DCM,s in October, the sacking month. Look out Gary, there behind yoooou.
Come on Wolves make my day, Pep to get red card for slagging off Var.
Thought Doherty did well Tuesday
Ait nouri anonymous so agee with defensive line of 5
Lych gate tomorrow mate ?
Absolutely Matt, eleven prompt.
Greetings Troops,
I was bracing myself to comment on Ipswich Reserves 3, Wolves The Lot 2, so Cheers Thomas for for saving me that ordeal. Kilman looked a bit of a carthorse when that whippet the Tractor’s had on the wing went past him for their 3rd. John Peel would be pleased if he was alive. We move on.
Regret that the Mugpies benefited from Rodri’s sending off, but perhaps we can too?
Nah, only joshing, its hard hats on and dig the trenches, weem in for a Tsunami of something in pale chalky blue and ponytails.
All I can safely say is we haven’t lost yet. Reality says we’re lucky to let in only 5.
Disturbingly The Cherries have found a manager who can win games. Sorry Gazzbo, get the oilskins out, it’s looking stormy.
1 lv & COYW.
Result?
No wonder Kilman looked slow. He was sat on the beneath the time.
bench!! Predictive text ffs.
Utw
I think a 5-5-0 formation is yhe way to go. As soon as the ref starts the game the entire team retreats and stands across the goal line. And doesn’t move for 98 minutes. We can lay Sasa across the top of the other 10 players to block any gap between the lads heads and the cross bar. The Citeh battering ram will relentlessly fail to find a gap in our defensive line. Meanwhile Edison will become entirely bored and fall asleep on the edge of his 18 yard box. In the 97th minute a final hoof off our goaline from Hwang gets caught up in the remnants of Storm Agnes and the ball blows over the head of a suddenly awakened Citeh goalie for a famous WWFC 1-0 win. A furious Pep threatens to take WWFC to the United Nations for ultra negative tactics. Gazza said ‘ Lots of people said I don’t know what I am doing but that was a tactical masterclass. I think I might play the 10-0-0 against Villa and hope for another ex hurricane to help the ball into the net’ WWFC 1 CITEH 0.
This could get ugly fast. Hoping we put in a good performance!
I don’t expect city to do us any favours and take the foot off the gas once they have a few. It’s the first time in the Fosun era I have felt so down about our chances. The fixture list and var haven’t helped, but the biggest factor in all this was mucking JL about. Now GON has about 5 games to get us away from the bottom of the league or he has to go.
Our biggest drubbing ever.
Surely not….
Not the biggest drubbing and my name is not Shirley.
False flag coward.
Ugh.. I hope the lads gel and keep there spirits up.. going to be a long season but still talented group of guys!!
Moving on…
The stars have aligned!
We have scored in every game except the Man U., game where VAR cheated us out of a clear cut penalty!
Their team has major injuries, have played a few days ago, and big games coming up next week! They are tired.
What does that mean to Wolves? It means that we are still going to lose!
The question is how long will we turn up for? Like 80 minutes against Man U, 45 minutes against Liverpool, 20 minutes against Luton and 15 minutes against Coventry?
Just play long enough to get a good hard old fashioned crunching tackle against Nunes. Yeah!
Either way I hope we get it together for at least one half, and to score a goal. No expectations! And it does not matter what team we pick or formation we play, it won’t change the result.
Prove me wrong Wolves, prove me wrong!
Oh no. Do not like those press conferences. Sounds ?
Oh no. Do not like those press conferences. Sounds ?
All the ingredients of a complete drubbing, man city without at least 3 big names leading us into a false sense of we got a chance ,but we can’t even say we were unlucky against crap opposition Luton and high flying efl Ipswich reserves ,be interesting to see who turns up ,if city only get 4 I’m sure VAR will make it 6
Ruh Roh, this could be fugly…but I can’t predict against ’em.
FOWB
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Predicting the worst hoping for the best as usual. One result could turn the mood entirely but I doubt it will be this one.
Ever the optimist keep it tight hit them on the break 2-1 to the Wolves
Not much to say.
Oh dear…..
Not the best team to be playing at the moment ?
There’s enough quality (somewhere) in our squad to do something to stop Cunhas new best mates?
It’s just a question of how many they’ll score, for me. I’m expecting an afternoon of watching the opposition have the ball.
If we can’t beat Ipswich reserves, then tomorrow’s game is a no brainer.
I do hope the boys play well, but not sure how GON’s going to handle it selection and substitution wise.
Realistically, it’s a City goal fest…
COYW
Best team in the world coming to Molineux smarting from being kicked out of the game by Newcastle ( according to Pep who is a very bad loser) so I expect the officials to have taken note and we will have at least two red cards.
We are circling the wagons and need divine help but hang on – did we not beat City from 2 down with the help of a jet heeled winger and a lanky, International centre forward only a couple of seasons ago. A game for the underdogs to relish.
I wouldn’t be too hard on Nunes , his transfer did at least unlock funds to bolster our squad.
Definitely 3 at the back with Toti in the middle to man mark Haarland.
No point showing them respect, adopt the attitude shown against Liverpool from kickoff and let’s enjoy a famous win.
If you can’t dream big what’s the point of being a fan?
So glad I didn’t see any wolves fans on twitter laughing at Sheffield united’s capitulation against Newcastle last week.
Probably because we all know we’re in for something similar here! Just hope it doesn’t get into double figures!
As someone else has said nothing to say
Me too Liz
After last 3 games it has felt that this shambles of a season was going from bad to worse. Then I see that we have the Citizens coming to town. Been here before with the perennial favourites in this encounter and down the years have witnessed quite a bit off egg (‘74 especially) being wiped from those smug manc faces.
They are due a bit more egg slinging and I feel Saturday is the day that pundits will be saying “After that display could Wolves be heading back to Europe”………
I hope that is not GON’s poker face he is using on the touch line because I don’t think I have seen a manager (not since our greatest ever Deano) look so confused and panicky. I can only hope it is all part of some bigger plan, that work is going on in the background where they will unveil the real contender to take us forward because I ain’t feeling it at the moment from this gent.
We could lose every game of the season and even if this game was the final one I would still put us down for a win. I can’t put us down for a loss. Just can’t do it, it goes against a deep seated refusal to face facts, logic, common sense, moon cycles, football pundits (who let’s face it have just the same amount of knowledge and chance as your mate sat next to you in the pub) and anyone else who wants to point out the obvious can continue to do so. Wim stubborn, Wim loyal, Wim a Big Club We Am, Wim Wolves…..have great day watching us put the first frighteners up Citeh for their first league loss of the season
I’m just going to savour being top of the Prediction League for a minute. It hasn’t happened before and I don’t suppose it will last long.
… (sigh)
Just to endear myself to you all even more, my success in the league has come from being largely negative with my predictions. I hope I will start to fall down the Prediction League soon.
No-one will blame me for being predicting doom this time out though. You’ve got to be braver than I to predict we’ll get anything from this game, especially as Stockley Park is likely to chalk off anything good we might produce.
We have been playing some good stuff in patches, scoring of late though and City are not infallible at the back. You never know in football. A point or more here could kick start our so far difficult campaign.
Three wheels on my wagon and I’m still rolling along.
The Cherokee are after me.
They look mad, but I’m not sad.
I’m singing a happy song.
lol
I don’t really think it matters what formation we play or the personnel involved .. it’s going to be a long 100 minutes …
City aren’t unbeatable but they’re not far away .. Newcastle could only resort to the physical stuff .. unfortunately VAR won’t tolerate too much of that from us.
I’m afraid it’ll be a case of heads dropping early on .. and I’m hoping heads will roll a few days later .. this malaise and talk talk can’t go on ..
It’s only worth changing the manager if a top class coach becomes available.and by some miracle ,agreed to come ! Sack GON and you know that we will only get Rob Edwards . If JLo gets a job at Chelsea , however , then someone like Poch would be good but someone like him wouldn’t be interested in wolves. I think some of the players should take some blame . We’ve been better than this with mainly the same team .
I agree LWL .. but my tolerance with O’Neil is running on near empty now …
I honestly think we’ve gone backwards with his appt.
Of course it’s not his fault.. the club asked him to take the job .. and who wouldn’t… but it’ll be the club that swings the axe and it’ll be harsh .. but maybe necessary..
IMO the axe should be aimed a lot higher ..
I still worship you though ..
Football is all about moments. Deflections, half chances flying in, divots. Anything can happen. Remember the beach ball incident? If you don’t believe in miracles, you’re wasting your time heading to the Golden Palace for this.
We’ve done ’em before, we can do ’em again.
Steve Mardenborough 1984 Liverpool away won 1-0. One of the biggest miracles ever! They do happen.
And off his shoulder too! Don’t you bloody know VAR would have come up with hand ball.
Wolves have conceded at least three goals four times already this season. Given that O’Neil was a defender (‘bog standard championship defender’ apparently) it surprises me that the main problem now seems to be in defence. There have been some good periods in every game so far this season but we’ve managed to fail to win after going ahead in the last three games; something that rarely happened under Nuno. That points to a lack of effective game management both on and off the pitch. We have to give O’Neil some time but we need a different captain. Saturday could be a humiliating and a demoralising heavy defeat. I hope not but if we go two down by half time, I have absolutely no hope that we’ll come back and win, which we did a few seasons ago, although that seems a very long time ago. I simply cannot see us winning and know we’ll concede, but can’t predict defeat, therefore I’ll say 2-2
At least we are playing well in most first halves. Never used to happened under Nuno – we were usually a second half team.
We seemed to always hang on and if we went into halftime 0-0, we had a decent chance.
Thing is, the result happens at the end of the second half.
Hate to predict a loss but we are just not up to it at the moment.
You’re right Thomas. Gary is getting his excuses in early. He’s sounding an awful lot like a bloody politician expecting to lose an election and blaming everyone but himself. Pathetic.
By rights we’re in for a thrashing, almost Southampton-Newcastle style, but still I hesitate to cast the first stone. We can’t sleep-walk into certain humiliation. Maybe Gary is playing mind-games though? Either he’s at the end of his tether, having bitten off more than he can chew or he has a cunning Baldrick plan. Or he’s just a novice who got lucky.
Me, I’m going for the mind-games theory. I don’t think Gary has a cunning plan in him, or not one that will work against Citeh. He didn’t have one that worked against the Tractor boys either. So, we’re gonna switch on the psychology and psyche Citeh out. They will think we’re crap and will be relaxing. Every Wolf will play his part. 2-1 us.
Not sure if any of you have had chance to read the Lopetegui interview that’s on The Athletic, but it makes for a depressing reminder of our current plight. I don’t like the way he conducted himself over the summer, but he is an infinitely better coach than the one we have now and only left because of Jeff Shi’s shambolic management of the club.
Nonetheless, we must look forward and not backwards. Unfortunately, doing so means we have to ponder fixtures against two of the division’s most in-form sides. City are the best team on the planet and will make easy work of us irrespective of who they put on the field. It’s the Villa game that could turn the tide against O’Neil – I’m fearing the worst, even with our excellent recent record against them.
Still, they’ve put some flags in the North Bank for us to wave before kick-off, so every cloud.
I’ve read that too Ben .. and there are some extremely worrying innuendos… regarding ‘the project’.
My interpretation of it is that The Wolves Management (presumably Shi) have completely changed the direction and ambition of this club ..
make no mistake.. we’re shopping in Poundland and heading for McDonald’s rather than Fortnum and Mason or the Ritz…
worse still .. it’s not how it was sold to supporters either …
I read that also and my interpretation is that as a football club we are now in a state of managed decline. I made the comment a couple of months ago that we are like a mini Man Utd – continuing soap opera, too many mistakes in the transfer market, crumbling stadium (Steve Bull in particular) and owners purely interested in the balance sheet.. Fosun have no industry expertise and have relied on Mendes to provide that. Almost 4 years ago we beat City in an absolute classic . With the exception of an in form Neto would any player from our current regular line up make the team that started that night? O’Neill and his coaching staff would be more suited to the under 21’s . Nuno and his staff (same as JL) are way ahead of what we have now unfortunately. Shi doesn’t make the real decisions any more than Moxey did under Morgan. He just follows the owners instructions. JL said it is impossible to develop the project and criticised the energy of the club. The first part is down to Fosun and the second to Shi. Sadly if Fosun can’t or won’t sell then without an owner that recognises and meets the challenges of the PL and has the ability to invest both in infrastructure and the product we’re all going to have to reduce our expectations. Our club is no longer upwardly mobile.
Dont think any wolves fans want to predict a loss but sometimes you need to be realistic. With hopes of top 4 finish in the prediction league, our current form and the opposition I can see us on the arse end of a tanking.
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Our defence whether it’s a 3 or 5 lack a combination of pace or mobility. (In one or two both are missing)
Our midfield is ok and up front we have one player who might get a sniff around their squad.
So all in all I’m not hugely optimistic and worry we’ll be on the end of a reverse Clive!
I’m getting a good feeling for this game.
Oh dear!
I seem to remember that when Gary O’Neil was first appointed we were told that one of the things that attracted Wolves to him was his ability, while in charge at Bournemouth, to adjust his tactics to counter the opposition’s strengths. If I’ve got this right then tomorrow’s game would be an ideal time for him to show his talents.
Thats 10-0-0 then.
Hopefully it will be Kalajdzic against Haaland. (I had to look up how to spell both of their names.) Did you know Haaland was born in Leeds and could have played for England?
https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/de-bundesliga/2021/04/why-sasa-kalajdzic-is-the-perfect-replacement-for-erling-haaland
https://www.getfootballnewsgermany.com/2022/sasa-kalajdzic-emerges-as-the-favourite-to-replace-erling-haaland-at-borussia-dortmund/
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/sasa-kalajdzic-dortmund-west-ham-b1827840.html
We all know this is going to be a shellacking.
Get it out of the way and move on.
GO’N don’t play Semedo, don’t play Bambi Fabio if you have one ounce of sense.
Y’all are going to boo Nunes every time he touches the ball right?
-DSW
You’ve probably never been so right in your life. You’ll probably hear it over there.
The awful truth is, that we don’t have a single player who would make it into their squad. I know this because if we did, they’d have bought him already.
So, to win, we have to want it more. And believe.
O’Neil for me is a dead man walking it’s only a matter of when not if.
The biggest problem the board face is getting someone in who is half decent. Even if Fosun had a massive change of heart and wanted to really take on the Premier League not manager worth his salt would come near us.
Read interview the Athletic did with J.Lo: and Jeff told him that there is no project anymore as if we didn’t gather this. And Fosun aren’t interested in Wolves getting into the top half of the League.
The biggest question is then……WHY….WHY don’t Fosun sell up only they can answer that mean while we have to suffer while our club limps from one disaster to another.
O’ Neil for God sake play the big man and the Doc
Much as Fosun have cocked it up big time of late, it’s extremely dangerous to think that a sale will improve things. The football world is littered with disasterous sales. Just ask the stripey lot down the road.
Yeah…..it is risky but where do we go from here., and there has to be someone out there who can take us forward…..I know there are lots of bad owner but there are also a few decent owners.
Even if they don’t but millions and millions into the team just a constant level of investment to keep us moving forward and just as importantly up graded the stadium.
I’m not expecting an owner on the level as City…..although that would be great but someone with a little bit of ambition and foresight would be nice.
We were 28/1 to beat them at their place in 2019 and I had a few bob on it. Shorter odds tomorrow but it’s so difficult to see other than a Man City win even though they are bound to miss Rodri to some extent as a result of MGW rolling around as if hit by a sniper after Rodri blew him a kiss.
Best result tomorrow will be Nunes breaking down in tears with all the Danny Millsesque hatred resounding around the ground. Ugly spoilt brat!
In my wildest of dreams, I cannot see us getting anything from this game. GON should pick a very defensive team for this match. 5 at the back, 4 or 5 across the middle. My fear is that GON will not play a different formation and we could be on the end of a drubbing. If that happens GON is GONe.
Like your prediction m’colleague so I’m going to copy it!
I mean, what the hell… could happen:
A loss 1-4, I’m afraid.
We have an awful set up to how we set up to defend in my opinion; allowing too many one on one situations. Setting up as Thomas says makes the most sense but I will be surprised if we do…
Another VAR howler during the week. I was at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea v Brighton. A Chelsea goal by Broja was given offside. But, he received the ball in his own half, and therefore could NOT be offside! Don’t they know this? Poch got booked for protesting. This was every bit as bad as the penalty we didn’t get at Old Trafford, where GON also got booked for protesting.
Incredible.
Didn’t actually see it but where was he when the ball was passed? If that’s his own half then that’s bad.
Damage limitation is our only approach
It let’s try out Sasa and hwang … maybe a goal from a free kick??
Carnage at the other end
Only happiness comes from golfing today with my American buddies
A Ryder Cup whupping!!
A massive whupping!
Worst possible time for this game, though there probably isn’t a good time to play city.
Tough times. Can’t see beyond a sound beating. Hope I’m wrong, we’re overdue a miracle, but who can provide it.?
In a period where we desperately need a result the run of fixtures is not very kind at all. I get people calling for O’Neils head but I might support this if I had any confidence in the club getting his replacement correct. Letting Lopetigui leave was a damming indictment the direction the club is heading. All we can do as fans is support them for 90 mins and vent at the end if you feel the need.
Tough one tomorrow
I think it could get ugly if heads drop. Get it out of the way and in to the next game.
Feel sorry for oneil. Not sure whether the players were behind him from the start. They must have been affected by Julens departure and the sale of good and promising players. The ones from last season must also be frustrated that the “project” is no longer happening.
Another issue is the lack of backroom staff so Gary is having to do a lot of the work himself. Even if using existing presumably inexperienced junior staff, he will need to get them to understand what he wants as well as the players. No wonder they did not look like they had a clue on tuesday.
Not looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully not double figures. Still can’t predict a loss so as always I live in hope…
Also concerned ‘re His press conference as he sounds out of his depth. Big problem is that he is inexperienced and does not have a good boss who can advise him on the best approach to take in the current situation. Unlike Jeff and Did in he can’t shut himself away and hide.
Looking forward to turning up and see what happens.
Masochists aye we.
Yep, a 3CB formation is the way to go, for sure. I think the formation above is the best combination. Will it be enough? Doubt it – but one can never tell. I have said (many times) that this is probably the hardest 10 games at the beginning of the season that wolves have had. Most of the home games (where we should do best) are mostly aginst the top teams from last season. And this one seems to be the hardest.
I would love to see us get a result but there is no positive expectations from me and most Wolves fans. All I would like to see is the team showing we can fight even when we are playing against the best, We did it a couple of years ago, against City, in their ground. Fingers crossed.
I’ll take the positives out if the game if we can keep the score down
Hoping for a miracle, expecting pain.
I’ll be behind the sofa for this one. I just don’t see a squad with enough fight to give any hope.
Having seen Sasa at Ipswich I understand why GON benches him or leaves him out of games all together. He needs to up his fitness. Well so do most others I suppose.
I’m expecting a good few minutes from the lads but little more. The ManCs will be out to trump the Newcs score of last week. They won’t be eight past us but I won’t be surprised by seven.
So Rodri had MGW by the throat and was rightfully red carded FOR LETTING GO!
Live In hope —- — ——
Pretty sure I know the script. Traore will come on and use his pace and strength to score a brace plus a Doc header.
Of course VAR will find a reason to wipe out every goal, and for good measure red card a Wolves player. They’ll start us two goals down too just to make sure we know our place.
.
Well thats just about fucked it for me this weekend ive had to have my little dog spike put to sleep this morning now the vile put 6 past brighton and we are about to get hammered.
Fuck it im going to get pissed as a fart ! at home cause the pub is full of those twats !
Well I hope that result eases your pain.
I’m an American who really started following English football around 2015. And, one thing that is fascinating is how impatient teams and fans are with their managers.
In the US, it’s rare that a coach is fired after only one season. And, you can count on one hand the managers who don’t complete a season (and, there’s usually a reason other than results when a coach doesn’t finish a year).
I don’t know which model is better. I honestly used to think American owners were impatient. But, European fans are much worse.
I think it may be bc the season is so much longer in England – and, there is more to play for (not to mention relegation – which I love).
Just an outdoor thought.
SPIKEY DID IT FOR US !!!!
GOD BLESS HIM !!!
WHAT A DAY !!
I said earlier on this thread miracles can happen. Never write our beloved Wolves off. Let’s pur this one in our pocket and shove it up the Vile next Sunday!!
Chuffed to say I predicted 2-1 win in the prediction league , and had money on a Wolves win and also a Wolves win with BTTC. I’m a three-way winner today.
Reversed psychology ,always knew my 0-4 prediction would wind up Gon and the players once he’s read the blog.All down to me folks ?
That’s what happens when you play the full 90’.
Well done lads! Well done.
Hwang taking his chances literallly and figuratively!
Good on GO’N , tactically brilliant today.
Hey there, You have done an incredible job. I’ll definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this website.