Would I have taken a defeat against Newcastle to keep Pedro fit?
Probably.
If it takes our star man longer than November to regain fitness and get up to speed again, we’ll lose more points without him.
Pessimistic maybe, but I read somewhere that every Premier League goal Wolves have scored so far has either been scored or assisted by Neto or Hwang. Some impact.
That isn’t to say I don’t think we can collect results in his absence – it will just be a lot harder.
Sheffield Utd
Most Blades fans saw the worst coming after key players departed following promotion, but I doubt many of them thought it would be this bad.
A solitary point at home to Everton is the only result they’ve managed. They’ve scored the fewest goals, conceded the most and generally had very little to celebrate.
Still, the three teams above them haven’t completely moved away and with games on the horizon against Burnley and Bournemouth, there’s a chance they could still make a fist of things.
Putting the 8 goal whooping they took from Newcastle aside, they’ve been more competitive at Bramall Lane and came close to taking points off both Man City and Man Utd.
I think a few of their summer recruits – namely Hamer, McAtee and Archer – look bright players, but clearly there are issues with the balance of the side.
Coming into this one on the back of another heavy defeat last weekend, I wonder how much respect they will give Wolves? Will they sit deep and break or look to be more proactive?
Wolves
Bellegarde is the natural replacement for Neto but I’ve seen no evidence of him training this week, which doesn’t bode well for his inclusion tomorrow.
If he’s not ready, then I think you pivot towards Sasa, with Cunha operating deeper. The Austrian has been unlucky not to get more minutes up to now, so this would be an obvious opportunity.
Central midfield is another area to keep an eye on. Any individual or combination of the four could start and I don’t think too many would be disappointed. That’s a nice dilemma for Gary O’Neil to ponder.
Predictions
Well done to Prawny, Graham from Horsham, Dirty South Wolf, DebenhamWolf and AgentCyan for correctly predicting the 2-2 scoreline against Newcastle. Repeated apologies for the lack of updates on the overall table, which still needs to be repaired. Working on that this week so will hopefully update in the next preview.
I’m going for a draw tomorrow – 1-1. That’s maybe negative given our recent upturn and the struggles of our opponents, but I’m concerned that Neto’s injury will destabilise the team and with no like-for-like replacement the opposition can look to step onto us. Hopefully Gary has spent the week cooking up a plan to combat this issue and we can pocket another big three. We could go as high as 8th with a victory and moving into the top half would be a superb achievement.
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!
Losing Neto is a big worry for sure, but as many have noted before, Sasa looks dangerous and he looks unlucky not to have gotten more minutes. If he is utilized it may be a different look but I am still hopeful that we can keep up our unbeaten run, as well as our run of games having scored.
Perhaps our biggest risk? – GON decides to play Fabio instead.
Meanwhile Sheffield look in deep trouble already. They have come close to getting something from games against 3 of the traditional big 6, but have also received heavy thumpings from just as many other opponents recently too. They also have a long list of injured players.
If they can’t pick up some points in the next few games, Heckingbottom can’t have much longer left. This thought playing on the back of a manager’s mind never seems to help.
Losing Neto may cost us for future games, but I will be disappointed if we don’t come away with the three points for this one.
What’s really sad is, If VAR worked properly, we would be 5th, Going into this game.
Depressing.
These lot have the most injuries in the league, including all there defenders.
There should be nothing but a win, regardless if Neto is playing or not. We have the quality, and the players to expect nothing but a win.
It is depressing just how much Wolves have been affected by VAR decisions, not just this season but in every season it has operated.
But to be pedantic for a minute, it is not VAR that is the problem – it is PGMOL. VAR is employed across the elite layers of the game, of course, and is not perfect. There have been controversies wherever it has been used.
But in terms of the number and severity of the controversies associated with Premier League games it just seems to be on another level. There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with how PGMOL operates. Such have been the gaffes that is difficult sometimes not to think that it can only be due to either gross incompetence or, dare I suggest it, corruption.
I feel it important to make the distinction between VAR and PGMOL being the issue here, because VAR as a concept is not going to go away. We might argue about how to apply it, but we are never going to succeed in getting rid of it.
PGMOL on the other hand is an organisation, and they can be changed. They can either be replaced, reformed or the individuals that make it up replaced. I feel that, as supporters, this is where we should be demanding better and that our voices might make a difference.
Sorry, I went all serious there for a while.
I reference VAR because it’s the entire system. From the Technology to the people running it.
The point being, the technology is meant to take mistakes out of it. But it just highlights them more.
I would separate the 2 if the premier league used the AI version like the Champions League. But they don’t.
They misuse the technology, they have incorrect lines, they freeze frames for refs.
The buck stands with the PGMOL but the whole VAR system is broken. It is too keep the gap between the top 6 and the rest of us, exactly where they want it.
It is complete corruption through and through – and nothing will change, until the technology changes
I do agree with your assessment WW and would want to add just a couple of thoughts….
While (great) improvement of PGMOL is clearly urgently needed, there will always remain the issue that they can only ever be the successors of a long line of referees dating back to the very earliest days. From my experience most were pretty good, there was the odd howler – mercifully many before the days of televised videos – and there were certainly one or two prima donnas who strutted round the pitch as if the whole thing was about them. People will always make mistakes, the aim should be for clear way of working which minimises them.
VAR would ideally work as well as the goal decision system. The only reservation I have is to think that just because distinctions can be made, it’s not always the best thing to make them. For example, I find it difficult to get excited when an athlete beats an existing record by 1/100 of a second, my reaction is normally “So what?” The difference is too small to be significant. If two horses in a Grand National need the camera to identify that one was half an inch ahead as they crossed the line then, for me, the race was a dead heat – in fairness to both the horses and the punters. The difference is again too small to be significant. Although offside decisions can be measured to millimetres, I don’t believe they should be. For me offside should be judged based on the players shirts incorporating something like an RF tag – effectively a point which would be the same for all players, could be measured precisely and would stop all the nonsense about whether a big toe was played onside by a fingernail.
I think GaryGalatico will come up with a master plan and snatch victory with a super sub.
The mighty Wolves are on there way back.
Would probably start with Doyle and play a midfield 3 with the wing backs giving us our width. Cunha and Hwang as a front two. Traore or Gomes a bit of a toss up. Would probably edge towards Gomes.
Can i have my points for the Bournemouth result please Thomas, just checked the prediction league and it says i only have 2 points which is impossible if i got at least one right.
This game has the look of a typical Wolves banana skin but we are not that Wolves anymore, we are a slick outfit that gives the better teams a game and puts lesser teams to the sword. All hail King Gaz the new messiah, he bringeth forth the good times again. There’s a case for starting Doyle if they’re gonna sit back. Disapointing if Bellagarde is still not available though as he looked to have some pace on his debut and could possibly fill Neto’s boots (as big as they are!). 2 nil the Wolves.
Please read the comment at the bottom about the PL.
ah yeah, ok no worries.
Surely a very winnable game even without our only real star player.
Get fit soon Nets we are going to need you!
I agree with Thomas -start Sasa down the middle as a real centre forward with Hwang + Cunha/Bellegarde either side.
Excellent if pessimistic preview Thomas ….I looked up the stats of S Utd home form from the same view point as yourself and considered whether they could take the 1st exit off the defeat highway against us on Saturday with our star man sidelined ?
If we turn up, don’t underestimate them and play Doyle, Cunha and Lemina in midfield with Sasa leading the line surely we cant lose against this injury ridden second string team.
In some respects I can see that this scenario is perfect for a Blades backs to the wall scrap for glory in front of their home faithful…. but GON has instilled belief again in both this teams abilities and with the fans (me for one )
Like yourself I initially thought draw …..but the only point they have won at home so far was against Everton ….. albeit on penalties they lost to Lincoln in the EFL cup, and even Palace took 3 points away at Bramall Lane …. its a win
COYW
Away to the Blades on Saturday. And to think that the knives were out for Gary O’Neil a few weeks ago.
The rule of thumb for a successful league campaign is win at home and draw away.
No game should be treated like a forgone conclusion, and our journey to Sheffield Utd is no different.
They are having a disastrous start in their return to the Premier League. 1 point from 10 games and 29 goals conceded are the worst stats since the league started.
However, they have to start picking up points sooner or later.
Gary O’Neil’s challenge is obvious. How to respond to the loss of our most dynamic and dangerous attacking player, Pedro Neto.
He will need to make adjustments with the players at his disposal, and perhaps the player who fill the void left by Pedro is Jean Ricner Bellegarde. His explosive power and speed over short distances make him a dangerous proposition, but he’s been out through injury and suspension since the Luton game 23rd September.
It’s almost certainly too soon to be considering the 18 year old Gonzalez for a first team start, Fabio has fallen down the pecking order, Sarabia too, and Kalajdzic’s fitness is a consideration. His strength at the moment is coming on as a super sub.
Hwang and Cunha must start but who will join them?
We have options in terms of midfield and forwards, but it will be fascinating to see what changes O’Neil makes.
For every one of our 12 Premier League goals, either Hwang or Neto were involved.
Big boots to fill.
Time for someone else to step up.
UTW
Yes, measured and calm comments as usual. Thank you. I’m optimistic about this one.
Hopefully Neto’s injury isn’t too serious, his Instagram post earlier this week was encouraging. He’s a massive loss for us though, even in the short-term. Fortunately this is a very winnable game, even though Sheffield will fancy their chances of getting some points on the board. I agree with your call to start Sasa, and I think Doyle has done enough to earn a start too. His delivery from set pieces could be crucial in Neto’s absence.
I hope that Matt Hobbs will make a strong formal complaint about the incorrect decisions we have suffered this season. There may even be a case for a judicial review of some kind. I think Wolves’s lawyers should look at this very, very carefully. There are clearly situations where the VAR operators don’t want to ‘offend’ the on-field referee. Mike Dean was involved in one situation where the VAR official held back because the referee was his friend and he didn’t want to ‘criticise’ his friend by referring him to the monitor. I also suspect that VAR didn’t want to ‘offend’ Anthony Taylor last Saturday! This is the height of nonsense on stilts, and grossly unfair to one of the teams on the field (usually the ‘smaller’ one). Let’s beam VAR from neutral Europe for PL matches.
I’m more optimistic than you Thomas about tomorrow. Gary seems able to avoid our well-known achilles heel of slipping up against the bottom teams. (Huddersfield’s double over us in Nuno’s heyday painfully comes to mind). We have, or should have, a good enough squad to cope with Neto’s absence. It’s up to Gary to show his coaching and leadership skills. Tommy Doyle played virtually a full season for the Blades last year and should be aware of their capabilities. He should start tomorrow. A tight 2-1 to us.
This has got banana skin written all over it..
I’d fully expect Sheffield to sit deep and hope to catch us with a dead ball opportunity.
I’d like to see us play 3-5-1-1 with Cunha sitting just behind the Korean guy and get the wing backs forward with Doyle coming into midfield.
All that said, if Gary thinks differently I’m good deferring to him.
On previous records, this could be a difficult game for us. That said, we’re even playing a decent game these days when we’re on TV; so maybe, just maybe, we’re ridding ourselves of past bad habits.
I see a really quick goal for us tomorrow, thereby setting us on the way to take all 3 points.
Gary O’N is making a mistake. The Wolves management are making a mistake! The Wolves owners are making a mistake! They are not being vocal enough about the obvious wrongs of VAR decisions being applied to Wolves!
They need to get vocal. Very vocal. When Liverpool was disallowed a goal, Klopp insisted on a replay, and even though everyone knew that was never going to happen, it made the VAR operators squirm. But that was Liverpool, not Wolves, and so the responses may be different! Who cares, we have got to call a spade a spade! It is either inherent bias, extreme incompetence, or outright corruption!
FIFA has had many allegations of corruption against them when Sepp Blatter was in charge. The recent series of events that is leading to a Saudi World Cup bid in 2034 reeks of interference. Barcelona have recently been accused of having a “cosy” relationship with one of the referees in La Liga. A few years ago, Sheffield United were relegated when West Ham illegally signed those two players, one being Carlos Tevez, and survived in the premier league and only got a gentle slap on the wrists. Manchester United got 27 penalties in one season a couple of years ago. That’s 27 penalties in one season! This is football, and can we say with any certainty that the PL and the VAR officials are squeaky clean? That debate is ongoing!
The Wolves team manager should list all the obvious VAR errors against us over the past few months prior to every game, and demand more transparency, such as the discussions be broadcast live on the t.v. . Unless pressure is brought to bear then nothing will change. And we not in the big six, now big seven, so we will continue to be shafted. We must speak out as a club, on every occasion to pressure the officials to get it right and get it right now! There can be no excuse for these constant VAR failures and obvious errors.
Oh, sorry, I got off on a rant there! For the Sheffield game, 3 at the back and perhaps Bellegarde if fit, for Neto. Will be a tough game, but we should just have enough —— if VAR does not interfere! And keep 5 at the back to start!
Wolves to win this one, just!
I believe there were reported instances of referees being treated to generous hospitality at Old Trafford. When off duty of course…
This has to stop.
Agree on the ‘rant’. Wolves should be submitting a formal complaint.
It wasn’t just any old bog standard ref at Barca St Kitts, it was the head of Spanish referees. Where there’s money there’s dirt!
I think we’ve got enough to beat these even without Pedro
We’ll be up 2 to 0 with 5 mins to go, but VAR will intervene to give 3 penalties to SU in the last t mins to ensure a loss is recorded.
utw.
We have got to best SU even with out Neto 3-0 to the Wolves just play the way we have should be comfortable afternoon.
A cautious win for me.
Not much to say that hasn’t been said already.
VAR is a joke and always will be vilified by all and sundry for ever, except the refereeing fraternity.
COYW
Not really too sure where the creativity is going to come from in Neto’s absence so its a bore draw me.At least I’ll be correct straight after kick off.
It’s futile to try and guess how ‘Gary Galactico ‘ will overcome Neto’s absence.. but ‘with some difficulty I would add’ …
The team pretty much picks itself and I believe he’ll go for Sasa .. if only to defend the inevitable aerial onslaught that the Blades favour. … we do have some good back up options though in Doyle, Gomes and Bellegarde if fit.
The Blades shouldn’t be underestimated though, they’re at home, will have a raucous crowd and Robert Jones to help them along…
I just hope that Matt Hobbs doesn’t have the need to speak a few home truths again ..
Come on Mike, one one.them days are gone. Please please let them be gone. In Grand Canaria for the weekend hoping to find a telly tune in to the game of the day
?
Have a great time El Toro .. the beers are always cold in the canaries…
I was trying to be level headed Mr Witley .. Neto is a big component for us as you know .. I think The Blades will play the roughhouse card today …
Good luck with finding a stream tv mate …
No excuses.
I like the proposed front three of Sasa, Hwang, and Cunha. Will need to make sure the wingbacks provide the width if moving forward with that front three.
Every away game is difficult in this league and the home games aren’t that much easier. It should be a hard match and the Blades will see it as one they could get something from.
However, I think, with the right attitude, we should at least edge this game.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Doc forward of Semedo to start with although I realise that may seem a little ‘left field’.
There would seem to be a few permutations to try to cover Neto’s absence, but only one guy knows what the approach will be.
Good luck, guys.
Well our opponents this week are clearly the weakest team in the PL this season so far. That might well suggest an easy 3 points for us, but we also have to factor in the impact of not having Pedro available. He’s been responsible in one way or another for practically all of the goals we’ve scored so far.
Therefore, while I was contemplating a 2-1 win for us as my prediction, I’m going to temper my optimism because of Neto’s absence and suggest a score draw.
Headline from Express & Star:
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil not interested in apology after controversial penalty decision
Boss Gary O’Neil joked officials must be careful when refereeing Wolves or face getting relegated to the Championship.
It’s not only the officials at risk of relegation to the championship! It’s the victims of those officials at risk of relegation.
Three referees from Wolves matches have been demoted this season alone. How many points have these jokers cost us? It’s outrageous.
I think they’ll still manage a couple goals without Neto and come away with 3 points, but I can’t say I’m overly confident in that.
If we show up then it will be fine, but I do recall getting the run around at Luton and the Blades have to be thinking they can swarm all over our right hand side, especially if Semedo starts.
I like the suggestions that we start with Doyle and Sasa. Why I do I feel a bit queasy?
First game without Neto, that’s why.
We will see..
COYW
Neto is definitely a loss but I think we should have enough to win this one provided the team follow GO’s strategy for the game and maintain concentration (particularly if SU score) and discipline.
I am still waiting for a BIG Wolves score. I doubt it will happen on Saturday but I would love to be proved wrong.
Feel a draw on this one.
Got a soft spot for sheff Utd after living there for a few years but I don’t want to drop points this weekend. I suspect it will be tight and ugly especially given the weather. I wouldn’t be surprised if wolves gave them there second point (I wouldn’t be shocked if we shipped all three I’m still hurting from the six points we contrived to give Huddersfield all those years ago) but I’m going for a solid away performance leading to a scrappy 1-0 with Sasha doing the business again.
Let’s go Wolves!!
They say ref decisions even themselves out over time. After 4 years of VAR Wolves have had more than their fair share of bemusing decions go against us. The list is too long to go on with. From the Moutinho handball which hit his back at Man City resulting in a penalty to the mysterious no TV camera at Anfield . The Raul wipe out at Newcastle to the Sasa wipe out at Old Trafford. Just to name a few. Alas things won’t change tomorrow for WWFC will have 3 goals ruled out by VAR. The first will be because VAR were unable to establish if the Alien off the For Mash get Smash advert was interfering with play for a Hwang offside. The second is ruled out because a noisy tram was going past Bramhall Lane driven by a Giraffe called Klaus and the noise put off the Sheff U keeper. A third is dissalowed because even though Sasa was attacked with an axe by the Sheff U defender VAR were unable to see the incident as a large albatross was obscuring the camera. Despite these set backs WWFC still find 2 goals through Sasa and Mario during a VAR black out as Next Door Neighbours Cat cut the electricity supply to Stockley Park rendering VAR as defunct for 38 minutes. And despite the referee finding 33 minutes injury time despite only 1 injury WWFC survive to take the game 2-1. After the game Gazza said ” what can you do about VAR? They make it up as they go along don’t they. The Alien one was particularly amusing. What will it be next week v Spurs ? A poltergeist called Nigel headbutted Maddison ? ” Blades 1 WWFC 2.
Just when you start to enjoy watching wolves and think we are a half decent side again ping goes Pedro’s hamstring. Massive blow if he is fit I would go with Bellegarde and surely Tommy Doyle deserves a start. Always nervous playing a winless team.
Greetings fellow bloggers,
Cheers Thomas for outlining the situation at the Blades. Yes, a shockingly bad start by them, the worst ever. Whatever, we’re not in this league to be handing out charity points, we know how hard they are to come by. So Neto or no Neto it’s 3 in the bag from where I’m sitting.
An opportunity for others to step up and prove we have a bit of depth to the squad. Let’s aim to finish the match with a full compliment, VARse permitting. Bringing the game into disrepute at every turn.
Keep smiling,
1 lv & COYW
Pedro will be a big miss. On paper we should win this but then I thought that at Huddersfield and Ipswich.
Hoping we can keep the momentum going to maintain the confidence.
3 points and a couple of goals
At some stage we will revert back to being wolves 1-1
Don’t think this will necessarily be straightforward. Sheffield are a physical side and will scrap in front of their own. Would love to see Bellagarde, but have a funny feeling it might be Sarabia in for Neto. Draw I reckon. UTW
I do wonder if A Taylor is in the chumpionship this week because he refused the VARs suggestion that he take a look at the screen! Otherwise it would be the VAR to be demoted? Of course we will never know due the lack of transparency! In other news a tidy 2-0 win for us marred by a late set piece goal for the blade runners.
Wolves should force an enquiry if there are whispers that Anthony Taylor declined to look at the monitor. Like in rugby and cricket, we need to hear the deliberations of the adjudicators ‘upstairs’ as it happens in real time.
Surely they can’t decline to view the monitor? What is the point of VAR if a ref can overule them.
If Ruben is unsettled and wants to get back to the Premier League, Wolves should try to get him on loan.
But I guess they can’t afford the wages.
I don’t trust us in matches where we’re the better side on paper. over and over again, it feels like we lose the fight we have when playing a stronger side. that being said, rooting for our Korean guy to grab another!
It ain’t going to be pretty, but I hope we can sneak the winner
Feel this is going to be a tough one.
Let’s Go Wolves!
FOWB
No complacency lads, even without Pedro we should have the quality to win this, even though the Blades will be scrapping for their lives.
UTW!
Hoping we can keep the positive run going. Let’s face it, if we can beat Man C, we should be able to win at Shaffield.
I would really like to see more of Tommy Doyle on the pitch. He has been a breath of fresh air. I think he could also be our best dead ball specialist (based on vids I’ve seen of him).
Going for a clean sheet. … 2-0
Neto being out is a big loss and we’ll definitely miss him. Bellegard would probably be ideal so I’m hoping he can slot straight in, otherwise Gaz will have to change the setup and that’s been working well recently. If we’re up for the fight we’ve still got enough for a positive result.
Interesting in olden days we would really struggle to beat teams in this situation while getting a better result against the better teams (spurs)
Has anything changed ?
Think it as but today we will see if anything has changed, see Toti is warning against complacency
Yes we beat everton and boormouth this season and should have won at luton.
Heading homeward today after a few weeks searching for sun,so it’s Mikey Burrows for me.
It’s a fact that since we left home, our heroes haven’t lost and we’ll be home before they play again so, for me, another cracking performance and a resounding 3-0 win.
Even without young Pedro.
I hope Wolves have recovered from the loss of their talisman. Fingers crossed for an early return for Pedro Neto.
In the meantime, my heart tells me an away win, but…
Nearly missed this……
.
Hopefully sneak a win.
On that performance Siva might have played his last few minutes in a Wolves shirt.