Wolves Blog

It's a blog. About the Wolves.

Thomas

Arsenal 5 Wolves 0

Arsenal, Blog

I don’t want to talk about the five.

When you play a good side in an open game there’s always the possibility you’ll take some punishment.

Raul’s demise personifies the ongoing issues in front of goal

That’s not to forgive the comical defending – Kilman slicing the ball into the path of Xhaka for the second and Sa letting the fifth slip under his body being the most egregious examples – but it’s our repugnant, ineffective attacking that continues to infuriate.

Once again we’ve finished the season averaging less than a goal a game and failed to score in 38% of our matches.

It’s bad enough losing half of your games (today was defeat 19) but all those blanks have made it a slog from start to finish with little to cheer between all those ground out narrow victories.

I’m grateful for the results Julen Lopetegui has delivered but the style of play hasn’t improved since his arrival and I struggle to see what they’re working on during those frequently photographed sessions down at Compton Park.

We have no set piece routines, no patterns of play through the midfield and, on the rare occasions the ball makes it to the penalty area, no bodies in the box.

Plenty will say the coach is working with a bloated and busted group of players and maybe they’re right, but my instinct is they should still be producing greater output.

Whoever is sat in the dugout come August, I just pray to the footballing gods that they’ve found a way to end the three year drought.

If it’s Lopetegui, then great. He’s earned the right to properly rebuild the team and show what he’s about next time.

But if he exits, I won’t be as forlorn as others. It can be tough to find a capable pair of hands, but with Potter and Rodgers both on the open market and proven architects of teams that play attractive, attacking football, there are avenues to explore.

We’ve spent the last three weeks getting misty eyed over players that are past their best or no longer want to be here. Good luck to them wherever they end up.

I’m looking forward to the clear out and have every confidence we can come back better with a motivated group all pulling in the same direction.

Work hard and work fast. Best of luck Jeff.

Arsenal Vs Wolves Preview

Arsenal, Blog

If you want a poetic spin on a dead rubber, how about this one?

Julen Lopetegui arrives in November with Wolves at rock bottom and watches from the stands as Arsenal cruise to a 2-0 victory.

Is Arsenal the start and the end for Julen?

Six months on, with the salvage job complete and rumours persisting about his possible departure, where do we close out the campaign? The Emirates of course.

So, if it is the end, it would be the most appropriate finale to what’s been a turbulent spell under the charismatic Spaniard.

Nobody wants him to leave – not least because of what that says about the club’s plans for the summer – but it’s better to be having these conversations now than in August.

Arsenal

It’s been a season of considerable progress for the Gunners but it’s ending in disappointment.

9 points from their last 8 Premier League games is the type of form that keeps teams in the Premier League but their objective was somewhat loftier. Talk about deflating.

Mikel Arteta has to make sure this sluggish finish doesn’t creep into next season because the competition at the sharp end isn’t going to ease up.

Defeat at the City Ground last weekend was a soft way to concede the title

Injuries have pinched them with the most damaging loss being William Saliba. His partnership at the back with Gabriel was one of the most important factors in their title charge and without him, they’ve really suffered.

Zinchenko, Jesus and most recently Martinelli have also missed games and their squad wasn’t deep enough to cope. That’s something they’ll look to address in the months ahead.

On the plus side, they’re back in the Champions League so that will help with their recruitment plans. They also know that their best XI, which is a young group of players, gives them a fantastic platform to build.

Wolves

It’s been away from home that we’ve missed some of the stalwarts of previous years. The leadership of Coady, the bite of Saiss, the towering presence of Boly. These foundational players gave us some backbone and we haven’t replaced these qualities, hence why we’ve been like a piece of paper.

No, I haven’t gone crazy and I know this won’t be the team on Sunday, but the above XI are players that might be here next season if all the obvious ones leave.

Nunes is another who might seek a move but Joao Gomes could come in there to create a physically imposing midfield.

Either way, what this group has in common is energy. I think they could press high and play at a tempo with the ball that creates more chances.

The point I’m scratching at is that even if Lopetegui walks and we dispense of Raul, Jonny, Ait-Nouri, Moutinho, Traore, Raul, Costa and one or two others, we’d still have the foundations to build something.

Keep in mind we haven’t even talked about Kalajdzic, Chiquinho, Fabio, Giles, Hoever or several others that could come back and make a difference.

I think the squad needs shaping in the right way and a clear style of play introduced, but there’s plenty here for someone to work with and the right additions will bring out the best in some of the existing talents.

Predictions

Well done to Ben Rasmin, Rich and BigNachos who all correctly predicted the 1-1 scoreline against Everton last weekend.

Rich has now established a phenomenal total of 58 points to further underline his status as 22/23 Champion. There’s a battle for second heading into the final day with Ash K, Matt Cook, Ben Rasmin and WishFart all in contention.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Thank You

Well, that’s another 38 Premier League previews in the bank so thank you to everyone for reading them and contributing your own views in the comment section throughout the season. The diverse opinions in there before and after matches really help make this site a worthwhile destination and I hope even more people will join in next season. We need the happy clappers, the misery guts, the statisticians and everyone in between, so if you read but don’t contribute, please do consider making your voice heard. Equally, if you’d prefer not to, that’s also fine. You’re appreciated all the same.

Next season we’ll be into the 15th year of Wolves Blog and I’m looking forward to making it one to remember. There will be content over the summer when someone feels inspired, but if you’re taking a break, have a great holiday and see you in August.

Up The Wolves!

Wolves 1 Everton 1

Blog, Everton

The fans arrived in a sentimental mood but Julen Lopetegui wasn’t having any of it.

With no Moutinho or Jonny in the squad and Raul left working the touchline as an unused substitute, this wasn’t the fond farewell many had anticipated.

Chaos throughout and a 99th minute equaliser

But Adama reminded us all of the good old days with a full length sprint that ended with Hwang slotting in the opener and with several sumptuous Neves passes to appreciate, the crowd at least got some of what they wanted.

It sort of fell apart a bit for Everton after a good start. For a while it felt inevitable they’d open the scoring with Wolves unable to retain the ball and crosses raining down on Dan Bentley’s goal.

But Traore’s super break and a couple of injuries really set them back and from that point it was Wolves’ game to lose.

We should have punished them in the second half but as usual we squandered the few chances we created and when we did finally manage a good effort from Matheus Nunes, Pickford was there to keep it out.

The Toffees were on their knees, relying on long punts into the area and set pieces as their only route to goal with Wolves defending superbly to repel the bombardment.

But when the board went up showing an almost inexplicable 9 minutes of additional time, it felt inevitable that something would develop.

We came within one cross of seeing it out but credit to Everton for keeping at it and getting what could be the most precious reward.

Did Lopetegui learn anything from the multitude of changes he made to the team? Probably not.

Collins worked hard and won his share of tackles but looked nervous at times and seems too error prone to be consistently relied upon.

Podence drifted in and out trying all the usual flicks, Hwang scored his goal and covered the ground while Sarabia struggled to adapt to the pace of the game.

With such indifferent attacking options it felt cruel for Raul not to get at least a token few minutes but I trust in the manager’s judgement.

We should respect the past but look to the future.

It’s time to move forward and hopefully find some new heroes.

Wolves Vs Everton Preview

Blog, Everton

This is a massive game – for Everton.

How much resistance Wolves can offer is anyone’s guess.

The last minute win at Goodison Park gave Julen Lopetegui the perfect start

We’ve seen some papery performances from this team but, to their credit, they’ve been excellent at home and won the last four without conceding a goal.

Signing off with a fifth successive home victory would be splendid and further underline the good work Julen Lopetegui has done since Christmas.

There are already noises about FFP issues and worrying lines from the manager seeking assurances. Whatever happens with the playing staff we must retain him at all costs.

Everton

One win from the final two should be enough for Sean Dyche’s side and the fixtures look kind. Wolves away and Bournemouth at home is favourable to the challenges facing the sides around them.

But it’s still perilous. Lose tomorrow and Leeds would only need a draw at West Ham to seize the initiative going into the last day. Leicester have a job on their hands at Newcastle but a shock result there could also spell trouble, particularly with the Foxes having a superior goal difference.

Dwight McNeil was excellent against Brighton and has caused Wolves problems in the past

Forest aren’t out of it completely, mainly due to having the worst goal difference of all the clubs down there and Arsenal to come. 34 might be enough for them but it’s right on the edge.

My best guess is Leeds and Leicester to drop but I’m looking forward to seeing how it unfolds over the next two weekends and getting a front row seat tomorrow.

The Toffees smashed Brighton 5-1 in their last away game and looked a really good unit. Sean Dyche says he’s happy with the consistency of their performances and I would agree they look a lot more competitive.

Wolves

I think Julen saw a different game to me at Old Trafford. In his post match comments he suggested Man Utd didn’t have that many chances, but I thought they missed several sitters even before they went ahead and should have won by a bigger margin.

But it was our meagre attacking play that frustrated me most. Nobody took any risks or played with purpose in the final third and consequently we didn’t create a single chance.

I’ve gone with the same XI but only because they’ve done so well at Molineux and I’m hoping we can repeat that success tomorrow.

It might not be a bad game for João Gomes with the combative qualities he brings to the midfield. Toti has to play because we need the three big defenders to combat the obvious and very real threat they pose from set pieces.

Will Daniel Bentley retain his place or will Sa come back? The former certainly couldn’t have done any more at Old Trafford. I was impressed.

Predictions

Well done to Rich, Prawny, Sea Pigeon and Pete Dunbar who all correctly predicted the score against Man Utd.

Rich now has an unassailable 7 point lead at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 36 and is the Prediction League champion for 2022/23. Well done mate.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Man Utd 2 Wolves 0

Blog, Man Utd

In case you didn’t know, we’re in the age of artificial intelligence.

And if you asked a computer to imagine a standard home victory in the Premier League, it would almost certainly spit out something resembling this sun-drenched kickabout.

David de Gea – stood between the posts and watched the game

A predictable defeat at the Theatre of Dreams that followed all the familiar algorithms.

Utd squandered several chances before they eventually got ahead while Wolves enjoyed their share of the ball without ever threatening.

After a couple of shaky outings for David De Gea, he’ll have enjoyed not having to make a single save in the entire game. I can’t even remember him holding the ball in his hands.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Daniel Bentley was our Man of the Match on his Wolves and Premier League debut. He made three top-class stops to keep his team in the game before that final breakaway sealed the deal.

Others were tidy in possession and diligent in their work, but nobody was able to summon anything in the final third to make a fairly average Man Utd team sweat about seeing the game out.

Hwang had one good run in behind and Podence produced a cross that wouldn’t quite drop for Raul, but those nearly moments have too often been all we can muster.

The job for the summer is clear – sweep the decks and re-imagine the entire attacking unit. Nobody should be safe because nobody has produced the goods consistently enough to be overlooked.

That’s the only way we can avoid these familiar shutouts and end what’s been three years of steady decline in front of goal.

Fortunately, today’s result doesn’t matter and for all the frustration over our meagre output, that’s still worth celebrating.

But we must learn from what we see and take appropriate action. Even a computer can do that.

Man Utd Vs Wolves Preview

Blog, Man Utd

It was good to hear Julen Lopetegui talking about the hard work required over the summer.

Outgoings are inevitable but I am concerned that the favourable points return since the manager’s arrival might translate to minimal recruitment.

Julen knows what’s required

The 1.5 points per game average we’ve achieved in the Lopetegui era would place us comfortably in the top half if extrapolated over a full season, but I think we all know that pleasing statistic masks what has been a long hard slog to safety.

None of our victories, with the possible exception of Liverpool, have been achieved with comfort and in between the good results we’ve seen some awful performances.

It needs to be foot to the floor again between now and August so the squad is battle ready from minute one next time.

Man Utd

We’ve taken care of our business and can enjoy this one, but Utd have come unstuck lately and Liverpool’s resurgence means they badly need to pocket a result.

Fortunately for them, three of their remaining games are at Old Trafford, which has reclaimed fortress status under Erik ten Hag. They’ve dominated there in all competitions and won 12 of 16 in the league, with just that single loss to Brighton right at the start blotching their record.

Rashford – off the bench to win the game at Molineux

It’s their away form dragging them back with two defeats to Brighton and West Ham coming after they surrendered a two-goal lead to Tottenham. Winning just one of those games would have made a top-four finish close to inevitable.

Injuries and suspensions have at times pinched a thin-looking squad and it’s likely some of their better players are feeling the strain coming down the home stretch.

The goals aren’t flowing quite as freely for Marcus Rashford these days but the 29 he’s got in all competitions still makes for an exceptional season.

He came off the bench to win the reverse fixture at Molineux earlier in the season with a goal that showcased his capabilities but was way too soft from a Wolves perspective.

Wolves

Will Julen stick with the team that’s delivered the goods or use these final games to give others a chance?

We certainly don’t want a repeat of the Brighton game so best to start with the tried and tested and go from there. The lop-sided 442 has worked nicely at home and given us good defensive shape but hasn’t yet translated to success on our travels.

Cunha was sacrificed at Brighton to get another body in the midfield, which has a certain logic, but that failed experiment must come into the manager’s thinking.

It’s certainly no coincidence that the players he’s marginalised lately – Ait-Nouri, Raul, Sarabia, Podence, and Jonny are all those that haven’t looked physically up to the challenge. Any or all of those players could leave in the summer.

The above XI plus Bueno, Collins, Gomes, Adama and Hwang seem to be the squad he’s relying on to see us home. I’m not sure what’s happened to Boubacar Traore? He was reportedly back in training a month ago and Lopetegui said he’d be a useful player, which he should be in this system.

Predictions

Well done to Pauluswolf, vicsmith, Matt Cook and Sea Pigeon who all correctly predicted the winning scoreline against Villa.

Rich still holds a 4-point lead at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 35.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

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