I don’t like to blame defeats on decisions but it’s not unfair to suggest we didn’t get the rub of the green in midweek.
Stearman’s tackle that resulted in Bournemouth’s second half penalty was outside the box.
That decision came at the worst possible moment after Wolves had fought their way back into the match and appeared to be in the ascendency.
In a league where the margins between victory and defeat are wafer thin already, sheer misfortune can be more damaging than anything to do with performance levels.
This game now takes on epic proportions for the remainder of Wolves’ season. They need a win, but they daren’t lose.
Watford
The Hornets are flying. 8 wins in their last 10 matches have propelled them to within a point of the Championship’s summit.
It’s been goals galore all season at Vicarage Road. They’ve scored 70 in 35 matches and when you’re averaging 2 goals a game, it’s tough for the opposition to cope.
They’ve got three good strikers all sky high on confidence in Troy Deeney, Matej Vydra and Odion Ighalo. Keeping them out will in itself be a tough ask.
That said, Wolves managed a cleansheet in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day and deservedly brought home the three points.
Watford
You certainly can’t accuse Kenny Jackett of not going for it against Bournemouth. He picked a pacy, attacking side and went all out to try and get the win.
The major plus was another goal for Benik Afobe, showing he can score in the big fixtures, which might come in handy as Wolves enter the home stretch.
Tomorrow promises to be a fascinating contest as Watford certainly aren’t the type of side to park up inside their own half. I think they’ll be quite open, so it’s just a case of how the manager chooses to combat that.
In the last home match against Fulham he sacrificed a winger and played Jack Price tucked in on the right. It wouldn’t surprise me if he repeated the trick again.
The gaffer
High5it
I had an email this week from tomorrow’s main match sponsor ‘High5it‘, which is an app (available on Android and iPhones) that collates votes from fans on which players have performed well.
During and after the matches you can (as well as voting yourself) keep track of who the fans generally feel is having (or had) a good game. It’s a great way to see if your views generally tally with that of other supporters.
To incentivise Wolves fans to get involved, if they use the app during a Wolves game and ‘High 5’, they’ll be entered into a competition to win the chance to play at Molineux when the season has finished.
I’ve got the app and will be giving it a whirl tomorrow and I encourage you to do so too. Technology is gradually influencing events on the pitch and I think this is a neat idea for fans to use it in the stands. Find out more on their website here or search your app store for ‘High5it’.
Predictions
I said 4 points would be a good return from the two matches against Bournemouth and Watford, but realistically 3 points is probably the minimum requirement now.
A draw tomorrow wouldn’t be a disaster but at some point we have to beat a couple of the teams above us to claw back the ground and at the same time drive a dagger into the heart of their progress.
I think it will be an open, free flowing game tomorrow and goals seem inevitable. We’ve generally fared pretty well in the more open games, but we may have met our match.
Sitting on the fence with a 2-2.
Up The Wolves!
Really disappointed on Tuesday with the overall performance and Kenny inexplicably sticking with the ineffective RVLP for the full 90 mins.
Let’s hope for a bit more luck with the officials tomorrow.
So it’s 2-1 for me with Afobe and Sako to score.
COYW!
Stearman’s tackle (though on a freeze frame it appeared outside the area) was definitely a penalty, unfortunately. What grated more was the penalty we were denied in stoppage time
It was a poor performance, and anyone else who was there would agree that if Edwards plays in midfield behind mcDonald again we will get hammered. McDonald literally had to play on his own in that game and was outstanding.
Iorfa and Golbourne also need to come back in, whilst I wouldn’t be against Henry starting either.
Watford are on fire at the moment and we really need the win. But I have an awful feeling that they will do to us what we’ve done to many others when playing away this season. We need to push on and go for goals and with their potent forward line, opportunities for them are bound to appear.
As ever, but more so in this game, the first goal will be crucial.
Hoping for the best but fearing the worst. 🙁
Re-instate Iorfa and Golbourne and stick with it.
I’d personally like Price in midfield as I feel we’re too exposed in a 4-4-2 with Edwards.
This is a must win but also a must not lose. If we can stay solid then I’m hopeful we can win at home. The first goal is crucial.
We need another good run starting Saturday.
Well my reverse psychology crap didn’t serve me very well.
Thomas, love the team this time but I would still like to see Golbourne instead of Edwards and Hause keep his spot as he played well Tuesday. That gives us a defending and attack minded midfield and a solid tall back four.
Put Dangerous on the bench and bring him on when fatigue sets in to rush their legs off.
More importantly, irrespective of what set up we have, we must run at them and close them down like most teams are doing so successfully to us, shut them out and they can’t score, Simples…….
Anyway, play to your potential Wolves and your’e unstoppable.
COMB’s
If he plays Price, I think we will win 2-1
However, without Price, we will lose 1-2
I don’t think Price will play, hence my prediction…
We have to win tomorrow to have a realistic chance of making the play offs.
Another season in the championship will be okay, if we can keep the nucleus of the team.
My fear is that M&M will put cash flow before footballing success.
Goals galore tomorrow cant see anything else. Very hard game but home advantage will just see us through. Is our season going to go to the wire?
We need the win and the three points. I`m sure you are right Thomas – the opposition will go for it, leaving us for once at home with space to play in our speedsters.
Entertaining it should be and definitely squeaky bottom time in the closing stages. But get the points first second and third, everything we want and need will follow if we keep winning.
A must win game. So I reckon if we sneak one in -we’ll park the bus!
We just have to win this one, but I suspect that the best we can hope for is a draw.
Agree with the sentiments about Price he should always be in the team.
Backing the lads to keep our hopes dangling by a thread for another while yet.
Can see a squeaky bum, nailbiting 90+ minutes. Believe we will make up a few points on the top teams. Come on lads, show us what we know you are capable of.
Huge game and very difficult to call. We murdered them at their place but since then they’ve won 9, lost 3. I suspect they’ve been playing ‘kitchen sink’ football in an effort to reclaim a top 2 spot, so they may well come looking to attack. I’d like to see us line up 4-5-1, giving us better options to counter-attack. That means 2 defensive midfielders, so Edwards or Afobe on the bench. Ighalo worries me – like Afobe he’s got the lot.
Will be a thight match, but we are at Molineux.
So one more goal scored than Watford will do asolutly fine. 🙂
what i’m thinking is…
1. They’re on fire, 8/10 wins, scoring loads goals
2. we must win to realistically be able to claim we’re able to handle play-offs let alone potential premier league – so we have to go for it
3. so in order for 2 to happen, it’s time for a bit of luck. no lucky: no likey our chances, but fortune favours the brave and it’s time for us to stand up and be counted (or lay down and get out of the promotion clamour)
optimistically going for the win
I can see crap yourself time at the end coming.. this could be the most significant game of the season..
Early goal needed as if we don’t attack then we will go into pass it back to them mode..
However…Super Mac is back and what a difference.. that guy is pure class when he’s firing and any of our forwards could get a pearler of a through ball..
Afobe must fancy his chances but we also have Sako and Dicko..it all looks good on paper..
If KJ can get 90% out of some of them then we should win..could he please Instil some confidence…
On our day we are the better team..
COYW
A season defining game
Park the bus?
These are two teams who don’t know how to, so goal feast at The Palace of Gold tomorrow.
Totally unrelated, but I would welcome opinions.
It seems that the gorgeous Dr. Eva Carneiro, the Chelsea team doctor, has been getting sexist chants and comments from various opposition fans, and there are those who think its bad, inappropriate, wrong, their heads should be chopped off, etc. etc.
Taunting, ridiculing and downright insulting treatment of the opposition is a time honoured tradition, and will never be stopped, and will always be part of the fun and entertainment at a footie match.
There are few better at quick wit than a football fan reacting to some aspect of what is going on, and instant, funny chants have always been part and parcel of the game.
All these present day do gooders ( and I mean no disrespect to the one and only true Doogooder of Wiltshire ) would have heart attacks if they could have heard the obscene, racist, sexist and downright crude stuff we used to sing back in the sixties and seventies.
Anything that can be done verbally to put off your opponents and help your team win is fair game in my book.
Players scream abuse and expletives at each other and referees all the time, so why not the fans?
Beautiful though she may be, Dr. Carneiro must take it on the chin like the players do.
Lets face it, she must be well paid, and treating all those young, lithe, super fit athletic types, unless she is not that way inclined, must be a dream job.
And the irony is, it is Chelsea who are complaining, when their fans were filmed being slightly biased against a certain, darker skinned Parisian gentleman recently .
Get over yourselves is my advice, and show us yer tits!!!
FOwb & tp
I couldn’t possibly comment.
I got enough stick from the PMDG’er when I sniggered during the reporting of the incident on the news.
There are some very strange things going on at the moment :-
Papiss Cisse is being suspended for 7 matches for spitting.
Figueroa is not even charged for rearranging the back of Stephen Ireland’s leg.
You couldn’t make it up!
Pity it wernt Shawcross, he’s the dirtiest animal at Stoke, reminds me of Hughie Fisher or John McGrath of thuggy Southampton fame
Ah, John McGrath, bollocks to getting the ball – just make sure you get the man.Out of the same mould came the likes of Tommy Smith,Norman Hunter,Ron Harris.The press termed them ‘ the hard men’.I just thought they were a bunch of dirty bastards.
Ooooo Clive,
Not like you to be controversial.
News coming out Wolves have approached Liecester for 24 year old Midfielder Danny Drinkwater, he used to play for Man U and is being kept out of the team by new guys at Liecester. We can but hope.
Need someone for Christ’s sake.
🙂
I’m no tactical genius, and I haven’t got a great football brain, like Robbie Savage or one of Jez Moxey’s meat pies, but I have made no secret of the fact that Dave Edwards would be in my starting eleven every week.
He scores goals, which we are finding are in very short supply, and he has a great engine.
But it seems whenever team changes are discussed on the blog, he is often the one that gets to draw the short straw.
If we are over run in midfield when we play 4-4-2 then stick another midfielder in there. Price brings a different game to the table but why sacrifice the running of Edwards when they can both play?
Two quick strikers are great, but if they don’t get the ball they might as well have the pace of the aforementioned Mr Moxey.
My solution would be to load the midfield, play with two strikers and give Sako licence to swap wings.
He is often double teamed so could cause havoc dragging defences around and leaving spaces for Dicko, Afobe and Edwards to run into.
I’ll go so far as to say, if we play that way tomorrow, we’ll win.
Eat your heart out Robbie Savage!
Doog
The wish would be to be able to play 12 a side.
If we are serious about Danny Drinkwater and he appears, I’ll put £100 smakers on who sits on the bench to make way for him.
I really like him too, but I would put him on the bench to get Golbourne in there beside MacDonald, and Hause hold his place.
:-((
I think I’ve just been insulted!!!
What right have you to lump me in with that twat moxey?
I seem to remember a guy named Moxey who was a character of doubtful ethics in “Auf Wiedersehen, Pet”
If the cap fits………………….
As they say in Wolverhampton.
“If the cap fits…..
Nick it”
COMB’s
Ironically Moxey (in Auf Wiedesein) was a scouse grabbing, conning, and scheming scallywag….
Can you draw any comparisons Clive ? ….
Watford in a rich vein of form but it has to end sometime. Hoping tomorrow.
This will be a tough one with all to play for. I’d settle for a draw but I’ll be positive & go for the win.
UTW
It’s definitely a goalfest tomorrow. Scotty back on the left and Edwards left out for me. Can’t help but think it’s win tomorrow or Championship next year for us.
My partner has gone for a weeks respite today so without my usual caring duties I can head to Molineux tomorrow for the first,and only, time this season.
Not too hopeful for the result we need as Watford look pretty tasty and my rare visits usually bring the kiss of death.I also seem to have lost my 35 year-old Wolves scarf,perhaps a new one will bring us luck.
Good luck to the lads.
Huge game. Make our break for season. Sako x1 afobe x2. Expect an open and free flowing game
We are struggling to win when it matters. Same tomorrow
can see this being a high scoring game going behind early on but winning in the last minute.
Another tricky game that could go either way,but being at home and if KJ picks his best side including Price and Golbourne I think we are in with a chance in taking all three points.UTW.
And here’s the Millwall Day shirt from Texas!
How the f@$k did you get that .. Brompton boy is swanning around the Caribbean ….
The Wolves fairies have been busy………………………..and now all the comments will come rolling in!!!
On another topic, there is a useless twat of a “journalist” working for, or getting paid by anyway, the Electronic Telegraph who has just published online the most useless boring article ever, but which contains the following priceless line:
” According to the ONS, West Bromwich isn’t a town in its own right, it’s just a subsidiary of Sandwell (or the Democratic People’s Commonwealth of Sandwell, to give its official name).”
You cant make this shit up, can you??!!!
You’re right .. it’s there in black and white .. there is no such town in the west mids as West Bromwich. .. it’s known as Sandwell Town..
I want mine sending to my NZ residency ….!!
Two high scoring teams – bound to be a nil – nil
Come on me babbies
The next two games are simply massive for us. Yes, I know we’ve heard that many times before. Happy to put Tuesday behind us, but time to kick on.
Still believe we will catch Bournemouth & Brentford to get Top 6 finish. I think Bournemouth will lose tonight to Fulham. Oh yes, I haven’t given up on Top 2 yet, either.
Would be more confident if we had strengthen midfield in the loan market. Why are we waiting?
Despite there position in the league l think Watford are an average side,with an exceptional player in Abdi,Gomes is a good shot stopper,but along with the back four are vulnerable to crosses into the box.l watched them recently and Imo they as a team haven’t improved as much as we have since the game on Boxing Day.So,it’s all about the Wolves.4 4 2,attack,attack and for this game I’m sitting in cullis to witness Benik adobe score his first hatrick,and headed goals from Edwards and Bathh.Anything less will leave me disappointed,as l will obviously been looking through gold tinted glasses.
Great test of where we are… we have the pace, but do we have the spine?
I’ve a feeling KJ will up to his tinkering again and will get the result. Another win for us.
Moment of truth for our play off aspirations.
Doom and gloom for me I’m afraid, goodbye playoffs.
Think it’s a good draw tomorrow but hoping we’ll pinch a win.
Silly question, does anyone know why the Hornets have a moose/elk/stag on their badge? Watford supporters or knowledgeable Wolves fans please enlighten me.
According to wilipedia,
They used to have a badge with a Hornet on and that’s where the nickname comes from.
They re-badged to a Hart “male Stag” as they are a Hertfordshire club and the Hertfordshire logo is a Hart (male Stag)
But they decided to keep the nickname Hornets.
I thought being so close to Barnet they might be called the hairnets.
Sorry couldn’t resist it.
Must win game to stay in contention, were capable provided we have a decent ref and don’t bottle it.
Please play the team shown by Thomas
UTW
Hat-trick for Guediora. Jackett’s changing the team to make sure we stay just below the play-offs but keep the fans interested enough to buy the early-bird. We’re going nowhere now especially as we can’t beat the teams above us. Over a third of our remaining games are against teams above us and we won’t win any of them, starting tomorrow, but we will beat Brighton and Wednesday to keep it mildly interesting. No Premiership millions for us next season, which will create incredible strains on player loyalty and retention.
Matey boy,
As conspiracy theories go yours is very plausible and I sign up to your thoughts.
Watford won’t relish a trip to the Mol tomorrow. They’ll still be mindful of their mauling over Xmas.
As long as we show the same determination as the Vicarage Rd meeting well be fine…
Experiencing corporate hospitality at the Wolves for the first time, in the Stan Cullis.
Three course meal, few pints and a Wolves victory would do nicely thank you.
Afobe to bag a brace.
Sony’s good Bobba .. hope the day ends on a good note ….
S/B sounds not Sony .. predictive txt !!
A bad day at the office tomorrow.. Watford plays a fast, precise game. Their passing is good and what I’ve seen their counter attacking is excellent. We have to stay very disciplined tomorrow or the game could get out of hand quickly. My score is hoping the reverse. Every time I say a win we lose. When I say lose we win or draw so, here’s hoping for a Win. Don’t care of the score.. Just 3 points please….
A win just because we have to. That said even if we end up outside playoffs this is a solid first season back in championship for a young squad.
I can see Watford cutting our defence to pieces, but then again, I was at Vicarage Rd on Boxing day and saw our team deservedly win, so why not ? We’ve got goals in us too
Watford blow hot and cold so we should do the double over them
I have no idea so going for an optimistic win.
Think they will have a little too much for us !
With all the scoring potential in both teams I can see bullyisagod being right at 0-0, but on the other hand let’s hope ….. and lets hope for no poor decisions from the officials.
Got to win this one!!
Squeaky win Sako getting the goal
Can’t agree with Clive F-H re the chants. Not that nice, not that funny – bit sad really.
Anyway, onwards and upwards tomorrow.
Anybody Watching the Fulham v Bournemouth game….
We are a million miles away..
I’m all for attacking football but I think Tuesday was a little too attacking. I think it shows we still need that ball winning midfielder someone to do the ugly stuff. Maybe we can loan one this season or buy in the summer then I think we can genuinely challenge.
Tomorrow as goals written all over it gonna be close but hope we can edge it.
Car’nt see any other result there front line is on fire and our defence is wel, shaky at the best of times.
Best performance of the season, Macca, Sako and Vanla loading the bullets, Dicko, Afobe, Davo and Doylee firing them in. Yipeee!
Tough to predict this one, but need to win.
Squeaky bum time – the Hornets to score with 10 mins to go……..
I think we’ll get stuffed tomorrow. Sorry. Hope I’m wrong!
Neither team wants a draw but thats what they will get..and Watford will be happier and we won’t make the playoffs,….but seriously we’d be cannon fodder in PL
I like Thomas’ team. The season isn’t over yet. The “Early Bird” conspiricy is interesting, though it sounds too far-fetched even for M&M, isn’t it?
I’m currently in Singapore, but managed to log on to get my prediction in. Important things!
I’m going for a 1-1 draw. I’m not sure it’ll be too great a result for us, but Watford are flying and will be a tough team to beat, even though we’ve done it once before this season.
The very most we can hope for is a spot on the play-offs, which we will probably lose. All the same, it would be nice to reach the play-offs. If we somehow manage to get promoted this year, it will be a disaster. We haven’t remained in the same division for two seasons straight in four years. Another season in the Championship could be a great thing, especially with some investment. It’s a more wide-open and exciting division, and a promotion next season seems more likely. We haven’t had a draw in a while, and a draw with Watford in their current form seems realistic.
Just for the record to go up in the play offs it would be worth £100m to us even if we went up and then went back down……
Who said its better to stay in the Championship?
Agree with Steve the Premier would be a disaster too good to refuse. Have to concede doesnt look like Morgan is going to spend much of his vast fortune in the transfer market. Will go with a hard fought win but if we lose cant see us breaking into the top 6.
Completely outplayed them in the reverse fixture. Think we may just have the handle on this lot.
or possibly nil nil definitely somewhere in between
Does our season rest on this result? No, I don’t think so, BUT to loose this game would make things that much harder.
We are at home, we have beaten them once this season and I expect us to do it again, albeit by a closer margin.
Watford have a lot of pace and a very decent strike force. With that in mind KJ may put an extra man in midfield to try and stop Watford from running through us.
A tough game but then they all are in this wacky division.
Onwards & Upwards
🙂
Season defining game? I’m not so sure. I think that was last Tuesday night.
Really not sure we have it in us to make the playoffs.
Hoping I’m wrong though.
If we play our best 11 in their best positions to suit an attacking Watford we should win.
Question is whether the tinkering continues.
Not overly confident today.
Big six point game. Hoping that the team performs.
KJ knows how to play Watford, another goal fest from both teams
I believe we can see off Watford
Another must win game – aren’t they all around this time. I think the Wolves will do it…….just.
Bouncebackability. Come on wolves
Surprisingly tight game, 1-0 to sako
Correction.. play off final worth £134M
(Last seasons figs) quite astounding..
COYW !
Well there’s certainly plenty of firepower in both teams at the moment! It’ll take a much improved performance to take anything from this one, would be shocked if either side kept a clean sheet and unfortunately don’t see us having quite enough to squeeze out the win.
Hope I’m in time. Really disappointed with Tuesday result and know we need to bounce back now.
Playoff here we come. COYW
We’re a young side and I expect the occasional hiccup. I think we’ll bounce back today. Come on me babbies!
All logical predictions (is there such a thing?) now out of the window as results go all over the place and the emotion of ‘must win’ creeps in. Recent results and openness suggest this is Watford’s game. And my brain’s addled by a night in a box raising money for homeless young people ( a disgrace in this largely affluent society – well, affluent for the ‘top’ 1% – in life as in football!). So….a narrow win in a wide-open, sunbathed Spring game.
Back on track…
I’ve just realised that I logged on with a different email account – not trying to boost my predicition league score, honest! (BTW I think I am in the top 30 with only 20 or so predictions!) Anyway here’s my prediction from my usual account: We’re a young side and I expect the occasional hiccup. I think we’ll bounce back today. Come on me babbies!
New FA Chief Executive Martin Glenn has told Wolves justice will be served when they appeal against Bakary Sako’s Red Card at Molinuex today. As a season ticket holder he will have no Bias what-so-ever towards our appeal. He feels we could easily get it overturned. He has stated we may as well put in to have the definite hand ball against Bournemouth awarded in our favour and he will ensure we get a penalty to be taken behind closed doors at Molinuex to save us travelling sll the way down there again, if we want to use Kuszack or what ever his name is that would be ok as the Bournemouth goalie would probably complain at the distance to travel.
I like this bloke, he has already ordered an investigation into the standard of refereeing at Wolves games in the last six Months, in his opinion there have been some harsh decisions mooted out to our team and he wants complete fairness now he’s in charge.
I call him our 12th man.
🙂
If you’re nature is a slimy, lying, cheating scum of the earth then when you show off your nature in style, infront of the cameras to the population to witness time and again (especially with replay) then I’m sure both a certain footballer will be feeling rather embarrassed, especially when his (Mrs?, Kids?) Folks, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Siblings… They must all feel rather proud of how he behaved. In years to come his kids friends at school will watch his actions on YouTube and his kids will be treated with distain by his repulsive actions.
If he does not get a ban himself, (which he won’t), then I hope Watford do the right thing and fine him.
If he has any sort of respect for his fellow professionals then he will apologise to Sako, then to both sets of fans, then to all football fans in general.
I hope it affects his game (if he plays again) with embarrassment eating away at him, however as a cheat, I expect no reservations from him at all.
Fair play to all the Watford fans that are backing Sako and going against their own…. they don’t want to be associated with cheats and no one wants to be on the end of it. FA needs to start taking action.
On the flip side, it’s the ultimate accolade from a fellow professional to show how scared you are.
Rant over…
I’ll second those comments Shrews Wolf, sums up the feelings of all those fans who witnessed that disgraceful display of play-acting by Forestieri against our man Sako yesterday. Now it’s up to the FA to do the right thing for football and fans by rescinding that ludicrous red card. Let’s see justice prevail here – for all our sakes!
If the FA have got any testicles they’d add a yellow for his simulation and that combined eith his yellow for the bad tackle (hack from behind on Sako) should be good enough to make a RED ..and therefore qualify him to a BAN … little shit …
I heard that Villa have been considering a standing area in the visitors end… The Villa CEO would like pass on his thanks to Alshitbion fans that have helped in removing the old seats and distributing them within the rest of the ground for Villa fans to dispose of.
Forestieri should get the 3 match ban that he was trying to get for sako
That should be automatic and the minimum
Did someone just say have the FA got testicles?
Are you talking Bollox.
No chance, not in our lifetime.
Sako deserves all he get’s he can’t even land a decent punch, he must have been tired, he couldn’t get his hands up high enough to touch the Bastard.
🙂