Back in May, this was a Premier League fixture and after a disappointing 1-1 draw, Birmingham ended that match 5 points ahead of us with only 3 games remaining.
Wolves went on to win 2 of their 3, while Blues failed to pick up a single point and were relegated by the narrowest of margins.
That predictably led to financial woes, a fire-sale of players and even a manager jumping ship to bitter rivals.
While all this was happening, I could only muster one thought – it could have been us.
It could have been us waving goodbye to our best players as the vultures circled.
It could have been us heading directly back to square one and joining the scrum to get out of the Championship.
It could, very easily, have been us.
So it many ways it’s apt that the two sides once again come together just 6 months down the line.
Credit to Blues, they seem to have kept things together remarkably well considering their plight and under Chris Hughton, they’re a decent outfit.
Their home form is particularly impressive and they’re yet to lose at St. Andrew’s in 11 league matches, boasting 7 wins and 4 draws.
Anyone else smell a banana skin?
The Team
It will be very interesting to see what sort of team Mick puts out for this one, but I hope he takes it seriously as a repeat of the 3-1 thumping we got against Crystal Palace two years back wouldn’t be greeted kindly, especially in a derby.
This is something like the team I expect to see:
Man, that was difficult.
I tip my hat to anyone who can correctly predict the lineup for this one as Mick has a considerable number of options to choose from. I changed my team 2 or 3 times.
Here’s my rationale for each player’s selection.
de Vries – given a run out
Foley – needs minutes after injury
Johnson – desperate to play against former club
Elokobi – given a run out
Jonnson – debut
Frimpong – needs game time and to assess in a 442
Edwards – needs minutes after injury
Guedioura – given a run out
Kightly – assessed after loan period
Doyle – needs a goal
SEB – Mick won’t want to play 451 so second striker needed
Prediction
There’s no Prediction League points up for grabs this weekend, so purely for fun.
Cup matches are difficult to guess as you never know what sort of team either manager will put out, but I’m expecting this to be close.
Blues will be up for it so it’s up to Wolves to match them.
We’ve got more quality, even with our second string so I reckon we’ll just come out on top.
2-1.
If you’re at St. Andrew’s for this one, have a great time and roar the lads on.
Up The Wolves.
I can see it being a draw and resulting in a reply we don’t really want. 1-1 I’ll go for.
2-0 wolves. I think Johnson will be keen to keep a clean sheet for this one.
The last time we played Blues in the cup we won 2-0 and Keogh scored, before he started the next 10 games or so while 15 goal BCI kicked his heels.
Couldn’t happen again could it? One scuffed shot to bobble in the corner and he’ll be starting at White Hart Lane, you watch!
2-2 draw i go for.
What?!?! Is Keogh back from loan?
*puts shotgun in mouth*
Indeed he is and wouldn’t surprise me to see him start tomorrow!
Yep, it seems that the penny has now dropped with Grayson, many months after most sane managers would have sussed him out.
This, after being bombed out of Bristol City and Cardiff.
Robin is probably right. He’ll start tomorrow, despite being proven (both empiracally and objectively) to be a substandard championship striker. 4 goals in about 40 appearances all told?
Somebody write Jez Moxey a cheque for £2.5 million!
As a Leeds fan – along with the old Black and Gold – I must admit to being pleased with Keogh. Granted, he didn’t score too many, but he had some excellent hold-up play and supporting roles that complemented Becchio and McCormack nicely. It would be interesting to see him play alongside Fletcher – especially as I don’t rate Doyle at all.
I agree with much of the team. Hopefully Frimpong will be given the chance to settle in, and others will get a good run out.
Shame your manager doesn’t see things the same way! Maybe we could swap him for McCormack and some cash?!
Groundhog day! Cant believe we’re in for a diet of special K again! After £49m???
Not feeling confident about this at all, 2-1 to brum unfortunately.
I will however be at my local sipping guiness and shouting at the tv whilst the rest of the locals think im crazy and the only wolves fan in london.
Didn’t even realise that Eggert could play LB! Oh dear I’m really behind D:
We’ll win 3-1 you’ll see 😉
Tough one to call this one.
I’m with Sam as i’m not too confident but then again i can’t remember the last time i was confident going into a match! It’s a good opportunity to rest the regulars and give the youngsters and newbies a run out but it’s also a match we really don’t want to lose.
As there are no points up for grabs, i wouldn’t be surprised if we turned out the performance of the season and got a 4-0 win!
I for one, would love to see Kightly get a run out with the hope that he could return to his glorious best.
Although some may see it as just a 3rd round cup tie, anyone think this could be the game to make or break the season!?
Mick is in a bit of a no-win situation to be fair. We win (you know it will be narrow if we do) and everyone will kind of accept it, as we are meant to beat N-Power fare, whoever it is.
We lose, and it is more ammunition to ping the manager with.
I just want a win, featuring whoever it takes to get the win! It is a habit, and one we need to get back to feeling ASAP.
Also, players on the fringes could stake a pretty big case for a first team call up (even if Hammill and AG did this at home to Millwall in the CC and were STILL ignored!!)
With it being a local derby, we could generate a bit of a feel good factor around the place too with a win, so for that reason alone, we should do our damndest to get a result.
Imagine the week leading up to Spurs away with another defeat to pick the bones out of?! I shudder at the thought.
2-0 Wolves repeat of last time in the cup. I for one wouldn’t be surprised to see a few of the kids get on at some point in the game.
Does it matter?
Do we need a cup run?
We need to focus on staying up….
I go for a 2-0 victory – Kightly and Keogh to score.
Also very much hope Milijas plays against Spurs and in reference to the previous post, think he was a much better signing than O’Hara.
Just had coffee with my Sunderland supporter mate, who is so overjoyed by O’Neil’s effect on his team.
“Bruce bought the right players, O’Neill has got them to play, like a team,” he said.
It is amazing how he has gone from hoping not to be relegated, to talking of Europe in less than a month.
I have to say that anyone who thinks we should stick with MM has misplaced loyalty.
We have a good set of players but a manager, who doesn’t know how to get them to play together properly.
It is a shame we do not have a board, who care enough about the club, to make the obvious change……
But you have to ask why we focus on the premier league? Why? What is the point of saying it’s all about survival? Whether we finish 17th or go down what is the big deal? Hope has gone that we will ever be a force hence McCarthy still there and an atmosphere at home that is flat to say the least. I never ever thought I would say this but i would love a nice cup run as this is sadly it for us now as far as league performance goes. I used to dream as a kid that once we got to the prem the glory days but sadly with the way the game is combined with a substandard management team the league offers little or no hope except 1 win in 5. The cup could bring back some fun.
Another defeat coming imo and then we concentrate solely on losing our league matches. 2-1.
The picture in the post is freaking me out a little. It looks as though Johnson is strangling Henry at first glance, but then you notice that it’s a right hand and that Johnson has his right arm down. For a moment I thought there was something up with his hands, like they were on backward or something. Then I noticed the bald fella in the background. It’s all ok now.
2-0 to us. Kightly to show off and SEB to score a screamer from 30 yards
now thats keen observation!
Frankly I couldn`t care less, the only saving grace is for at least another week we will still be out of the bottom three in the prem.
I only went to the match last year because my misses wanted to go shopping in the Bull Ring. i`d have thought after being unable to beat 10 men for over an hour last season, someone would have been asking serious questions of the manager. Those issues get more vocal than ever as this season stumbles on from defeat & abject displays, I hope for the players sake they get a win to boost morale. Lucky 2-1 win so my curry tastes a bit sweeter Sat night.
Finally got to see the goals from the Chelsea debacle last night, and didn’t our wonderful left back mark well for their first goal?
And a fabulous attempt on goal with a really difficult free header from 5 yards out, he did extremely well just to get his head to it!!
what a complete and utter waste of skin that bloke is!!!
Anyway, onwards and upwards, as they say….as if we could go much lower.
I don’t give a rats arse about a “cup run”. The FA Cup is now a pretty meaningless competition, especially as the semi finals are played at Wembley, might as well play all the ties there, so everyone gets their day of glory.
This whole thing lost it’s appeal for me when they decided to rebuild Wembley, instead of putting a national stadium somewhere in the midlands, more accesible to most fans, instead of catering to the southerners.
Maybe they should have done away with a stadium all together, since the England games seemed to be better and more passionate when played at various stadia around the country.
Tomorrow I have the dubious pleasure of watching my beloved team live at 6.30 of the a.m.
I want us to win, but I want us to lose so the noose around McFuckwads neck gets tighter.
I would love to see a team sheet without the names of Berra, Ward, Elokobi and Henry, but we all know love child will be there somewhere, Mr. fuckinversatile.
We should win, but who gives a flying fuck really???
I just want the manager fired.
FOMM
OK, I’ll bite.
For starters, you didn’t even mention the fact Ward scored, which immediately voids your analysis as anything near credible. Not that you probably care.
Yes, he missed a sitter in the first half and yes he got his feet in a tangle for their first goal, but why pick on him and him alone? He wasn’t the only one at fault.
What about Stearman giving possession away for their first goal and letting Cole in down his side for the second? If either of those things had occurred down the opposite flank, can’t help but think you’d be giving it a mention.
I do agree with you that the cup has lost it’s sparkle and playing the semi’s at Wembley has contributed significantly to that.
Still, wouldn’t complain at a day out if we were to get that far.
I can’t pick on the whole team, there’s not enuff time in the day!!!
You bit Thomas, but you were still far too polite, even in biting! Give it to the fatboy full welly. He can take it.
Ward is a top performer this season Clive. Come on, admit it…You know you want to!
(I have, and I have berated him more times than I can remember)
Maybe Ward could challenge Obama for presidency, in the absence of one single credible Republican candidate over there.
Never in a brazillion years will I admit Ward is a footballer, let alone a good one!!
You may pull my fingernails out, call me fatty, make me eat custard, but I would watch the shit from the crem regularly sooner than admit love child can play!!!
Not now, not never, no, no no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And there is a credible Republican candidate over here, Big Newt.
I used to have a pet newt, called him Tiny, coz he was my newt.
Bad.
FOMM
Okay, whatever you say… Fatty!
I was talking to Ben.
I know Ben, and he knows me.
You don’t.
When you are growed up and can listen, your mamma will tell you to respect your elders.
Until then dont call me fatty.
Width challenged, perhaps, but never fat.
Got it, baby Hamsterlet?
…I’ll go wait in the naughty corner now, shall I?
I’d wear my Dunce hat too but I appear to have burnt it in a mad act of insanity! 🙂
I didn’t say you were a dunce, you must have a modicum of intelligence, you support The Wolves.
Haha, so very true!
…Okay, I’ll take that ‘fatty’ comment back – I humbly apologise, Clive from Houston! 🙂
You bit with exactly the same ‘bite’ as I had last week!
“Yesterday, yes, Ward got into a very bad tangle for their first. And he also made some other unpunished howlers (although they were redeemed by his goal). But he had nowt to do with Chelsea’s winner, which was worked down the opposite flank.”
(https://wolvesblog.com/3995/wolves-1-chelsea-2/comment-page-1#comment-19390)
I didn’t realise Clive hadn’t seen the game at that point though.
PS. Oh yes, a preddo: Blouse 0-0 Wolves. Because we really need a replay like a hole in the head.
At least he scored, which is more than the rest of our team did. And he’s still had an overall good season.
Don’t start the “Ward is playing out of his skin” thing…..again.
As much as some on here are sick of me saying it, I’m sick of writing it, he’s better than prior seasons, but if there is a pile of dog turds, and you are the top turd, you are still shit.
FOMM
No matter what I feel about the team or manager Clive I never want my team to lose. I’d rather see people come good than hope for some unknown factor miraculously changing things!
Absolutely hilarious Clive!
I have to agree too.
The best bit of business Wolves can do this January transfer window is replace McCarthy.
The most tells phase on this blog Thomas is where you say ” It could, very easily, have been us.”
It still can.. and probably will be…
We will win tomorrow, 2-0.
Looks like Big George might be departing us for the Championship then?
I’ll be following his progress because he’s a beast, but I for one won’t be missing him.
His goals against United will be forever with me.
Elokobi? Nooooooo!
Banana skin.
Does our second string possess more quality than brum?
We’ll probably lose, but I don’t care.
Keeping the players fit and focusing on staying up should be the priority, so use this game as practice for rusty players.
Can’t wait to see Kightly again, hope he makes it back into the first 11.
Here’a my team,
Hennessey
Ward
Jonnson
Johnson
Foley
Kites
Henry
Frimpong
Jarvis
Doyle
SEB
We’ll win 4-0
God I’d love to win the FA Cup.
Yeah – if you offered me a cup win at Wembley and relegation, I’d take it. But if you offered me a glorious semi final defeat and relegation – no thanks.
Any takers for a glorious semi final defeat (down to another bent ref!) and prem survival?
I heard that Bent was on his way out of Villa, possibly, but becoming a ref???
Nah.
Breaking news Clive… Liverpool sign Bent!
http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/big-picture/2012-01-06/breaking-news-liverpool-sign-bent
Formation – 4-4-2.
GK – De Vries
RB – Foley
CB – Johnson
CB – Craddock
LB – Elokobi
RM – Hammill
CM – Guedioura
CM – Frimpong
LM – Kightly
ST – SEB
ST – Doyle
Result: 2-1 to Wolves, Hammill and Kightly.
All I’ll say is that Mick better include Jonnson in this line-up – he mentioned he won’t make wholesale changes but if Jonnson doesn’t get his debut then when WILL Mick play him!
6-0 to Wolves! Yeah, I know, but I’m feeling recklessly optimistic! 😛 Would love it if RoJo scores tomorrow!
On another note, I’m really excited to see Kightly play for us again! 🙂
Absence makes the heart grow fonder!
Apparently kightly is going to start he has come back from Watford sharper and half a yard quicker – for a long time i have wondered if our fitness coach gets the best out of the players in this area.
No.
Our fitness coaches and the management do not get the best out of our players.
However Kightly made a substantial difference at Watford plus got on the score sheet a few times.
As long as the great Terry Connor doesn’t make him lose that half yard and his fitness I, like others, am interested to see him perform tomorrow!
Yeah it is all down to the coaches at wolves and nothing to do with the fact he dropped down to a lower league with weaker opposition!
It may be that and he will come back to Wolves and play like a championship player.
Hopefully not and he will be our ‘best’ signing this January!
I’m not really bothered about the cup but we all should be its the first real cup of the world football, the thing is if we where in a good position in the prem i would be really plugging the
cup so i’m going for a 1-1bore draw. it would be nice for us to be playing some of our young
starlets instead of the reserve team and get a look at what we have in store for our future if
they ever get a chance. anyway thats never gonna happen is it with McIdiot in charge..
I’ve tried to predict clean sheets in the past but failed! It’s now obvious that we are unable to do this. However, I was tempted but changed my mind. I think we’ll win 3-2. Looking forward to see Kights again & hopefully Jonnson plays and looks the part.
It’s a strong first team lineup you’ve suggested. I don’t know if O’Hara is fully recovered from injury. Anyway, we should win this one. Birmingham, according to a fan site, is going to start with youngsters and rest some of their best players.
1-3 victory to Wolves
wolves to win 2-1
I am going to go for a draw. Looking forward to seeing Kightly, Jonnson and Frimpong playing in this one. Playing a youngster, even as a sub, might be a good idea.
H-T sounds another dire first half why is he persisting with this 4-4-2 (4-2-4 ?) cant get the ball or keep it.
One of the worst games i’ve ever had the misfortune of watching. More shots of fans looking bored in the stands than there was action. One kid was playing with a yoyo. I didn’t even know they still made those. I bet he went home to get it on the 60 minute mark.
On the plus side; Kightly is looking fit and Jonsson will certainly replace Awkward Adlene in the squad.
God we were aweful though.
Yet another abysmal performance. Mick, please leave and take your deluded band of happy clappers with you!
Well, that was 2 hours I’ll never get back. 🙁
When are we going to play some bloody football???
Wonder what Steve Morgan made of that…
just about our level that.. Championship…
Rubbish, what a start to the FA cup. Boring, I been at work all night and got up for that!!
Should have stayed in bed.. dreaming of glory instead.
The only two people who enjoyed the match must have been the young Blues supporter with his dad, when Ridgewell gave him his shirt, when he limped off. Absolutely abysmal !!
Mick’s prefered one dimensional formation just isnt working -we dont score enough goals -we lose the midfield battle -the defence gets caught on the counter.
By all accounts a very disappointing match,did’nt expect anything else though its just about
our level, even when he decided to put the big guns on it was’nt a lot better.Can’t wait to hear
his summary it’ll go something like we played well, b,ham very good side,thought our lads put
a shift in can’t ask any more of the lads..could do without the replay but i bet Moxey’s rubbing
his hands with glee.
http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10307~2569461,00.html
Cue the jokes on Mick’s suggestion that Wolves are a PL team…