So Wolves did no significant business on the final day of the transfer window, adding only goalkeeper Adriano Basso to the squad.
And whilst I find it deeply frustrating that Mick failed to draft in defensive reinforcements, I’m glad the circus is leaving town until the summer.
On the plus side, Adam Hammill and Jamie O’Hara could prove to be valuable additions so it’s certainly not all doom and gloom as many would have you believe.
Lets also not forget that we felt suicidal at the end of last year’s January window, but it all turned out fine and dandy come May. A repeat of that scenario isn’t completely out of the question.
Mick will no doubt want his squad to justify the faith he’s consistently shown in them and tomorrow’s game at Bolton would be a good place to start.
Back in December, we looked at the home game against Owen Coyle’s side as the chance to kickstart our faltering season, only to find ourselves 3-0 down after an hour. And despite the fact we fought back admirably to within a whisker of nicking an unlikely point, the performance was greatly disappointing.
We’ll need to do much better this time, particularly at the back if we’re to get anything at the Reebok. Their home form has been solid to date, winning five, drawing five and losing just twice.
They’ve struggled of late though and are without a win in their last five league games, which has sucked them back into the midtable scrum. So they’ll be keen to address that slide against the team with the worst away record in the league.
I’m expecting Wolves to stick with the 4-4-2 and I reckon the team will be something like:
Hennessy
Zubar
Berra
Stearman
Elokobi
Hammill
Henry
Milijas
Jarvis
Doyle
Fletcher
Hunt came off against Stoke with a calf injury so perhaps that will open the door for Adam Hammill to show what he can do from the start. Assuming Doyle’s fit, I’d expect his partnership with Fletcher to continue up top.
Personally, I’d sacrifice one of the forwards, probably Fletcher, in order to bring in another midfielder. That could be Jones, Edwards or even O’Hara, but I think the extra man in the middle of the park is necessary. Bolton overran us at Molineux, particularly Muamba who I thought was outstanding on the day and we can’t have that happening again.
Prediction League
Most people went for a win against Liverpool a fortnight back, hence a low scoring week. Nobody went 3-0 Liverpool but Rob, Jed, Super Kev Doyle and t’OM all got a point for predicting defeat.
Tomorrow’s a tricky one.
Bolton will be well up for it and licking their lips at the prospect of another home win. They’ve brought in Daniel Sturridge on loan from Chelsea too and he’ll inject some real pace and trickery into their attack.
Still, we’ve deserved more than we’ve got on the road this season and the players will recognise the importance of this game with Man Utd and Arsenal to come. I’ll sit on the fence and say draw.
2-2.
If you’re going to the Reebok tomorrow night, have a great time and get right behind the lads.
Up The Wolves!
Bolton haven’t won in five, here we go again, ending another team’s losing streak.
Bolton 3 Wolves 0
Bolton haven’t been great recently – not won in last 6 league games and only scored twice in that time – so I don’t think it’s as straightforward a home win as it may seem.
Given our continued ability to mix unexpected wins with depressing defeats I’m going for a 0-1, thanks to an early goal from Doyle.
Really looking forward to this one, rather foolish optimism you could say, but i’m going for a 1-2 Wolves win.
As we’ve signed Torres…..oh sorry that wasn’t us was it….
As we’ve signed a decent centre half……oh no – sorry I mean…
As we’ve filled that problematic left ba…
Bolton 2 Wolves 0.
PS – I loved the Pic of Danielle Lloyd in the E & S.
The sign above her head said “hot dog” and “pork roast”…..
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/01/31/britains-most-famous-wag-danielle-lloyd-turns-heads-at-molineux/
Mrs Sizzle!
Ha, lovely stuff.
I thought O’Hara bore an uncanny resemblance to a trained assassin in his polo-neck, suit and leather gloves combo?
I think they refer to that as ‘Del boy-chic’ in Landan.
You got me thinking on his Landon fing styling. He looks more like O’Hare (of Mulligan and O’Hare fame) than O’Hara with his turtleneck sweat!
New month, new confidence, Bolton 0-2 Wolves. Let’s facing we owe them a beating in their own yard. Still F*****G hate McGinley the fat C**t.
Me too – (although I felt like punching David Kelly at times!!!)
Bolton 3- 1 Wolves (we take the lead early on and then our defence does the rest)
Bolton 2:0 Wolves with Stearman and Ward at fault for the goals! Groundhog day!
I think Wolves will play 4-5-1, O’Hara in the hole
2-0 wolves, fletch and hammill
It’s about time Wolves scored 4 goals in the premier league,
Bolton 5 Wolves 4….
No no, lets be positive,
Bolton 1 Wolves 4!!
The blog is quite right to say that Boltons exceptional 3 man midfield outplayed our two man midfield in the mnatch at Molineux. Bolton were on fire then and we just were not good enough and with MMs crap formation we got well beaten.
However, as with all teams during the full season, Bolton are in their mini slump. Can Wolves take advantage of this loss of form. Well for me it depends on our formation, and 2 midfileders is just not enough. Bearing in mind Bolton have two huge centrehalves before they bought Wheater, whats the point in 2 wingers banging in crosses aganist those guys. Play 5 in midfield and keep the ball on the deck, and I reckon we could get away with a 2-1 victory.
I will be seated in the posh executive leather seats in the top tier full of Bolton fans, so protocol and good manners dictate I can`t wear my colours except for the tie, socks and boxers, so I can resist exuberant celebrations if we score 2, I may not be able to resist the full celebration if we score any more. So 2-1 for me Come on you wolves!!!!
“… full of Bolton fans”. That will be a first! 🙂
2-1 wolves. would love to see the return of 4-5-1!
Bolton 1-0 Wolves. We play 4-4-2, create nothing, get overrun in midfield, and Mick gets sacked before midnight shock horror massacre, etc.
Can’t see him picking a team without Ward in it myself, he’ll play left back i reckon. Therefore no clean sheet but if both Hammill and O’hara figure, i can see goals. Let’s try 3-2 to the Wanderers.
When i say THE Wanderers, you know who i mean.
0-2 in a sobering experience.
bit concerned daniel sturridge will get off the mark tomorrow night. good signing i think.
1-1
With Henry back in as a regular I see what has happened in 10 out of the last 11 games he has played in – defeat. The guy is utterly pedestrian yet like Berra, when fit, he plays and we lose. Thanks for the stat Adam B.
Bolton 1-1 Wolves. Hammill to get his first goal
1 – 1 (Fletcher)
Steven Ward overlooked for Ireland again – I wonder why? Is it because he is sh*te? and because Giovanni Trapattoni would never stupidly play a poor centre forward at left back?
Not considered even as good as an ageing division one player but first choice for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Trapattoni must be a right NUMPTY.
Ward is sh*t Martin – Trapattoni wants to win games.
Absolutely agree Stourbridge, i was being ironic. Trapattoni is confirming what an inadequate left back he is.
Hey Stourbridge wolf – you beat me to this one. AND you`ve said it absolutely right. Ward is not good enough to play in any position in a premiership team. Its a pity our dinasaur manager has not realised that yet.
Just went to the Bolton website, and I see that the Korean winger is back from his international duties. Ward stood so far off him in the game last year, he could have been sitting in the bloody stand. Lets pray Big George gets the nod at No 3.
Hey Mark – Glad you agree! The Bolton home game was a low point for me this season, can ponly see Wolves ending their bad run tonight!
3 – 0 notlob – too big too strong and too direct for our defence. All the goals will come from crosses from our left. Sorry to be negative……..
Bolton 3-1 Wolves.
No win in 5 for Bolton, so they’re bound to end that streak against us!
Bolton 1-1 Wolves.
Thats all we can hope for,
Pitty we can’t sell our tickets,but what can you expect the way the club is
being run…or not!
While I’d love to see us win, I expect a 1-1 draw.
Wolves to win 2-0 and confound their critics…UTW
A standard 2-0 away defeat at Bolton
Bolton 2 (lots of shots at goal) Wolves 0 ( another dire showing)
Lovely quote from McDinosaur on the sanitized site…………….
I thought our 2 centre halfs played extremely well on Sunday against two big centre forwards.
Pardon me, but didn’t we lose, 0 – 1, and the goal was scored by a big powerful centre half, who was completely unchallenged????
How many would we have lost by if they had played badly?
Or was I watching the wrong game again, as I must have been doing all season, as my opinion of how we play seems to differ slightly from McDopes.
FOMM
Fletcher can’t even be arsed to turn up for Scotland now!
What’s that I hear? Oh its the sound of his value dropping either further!
Bolton 2 Wolves 1
And to add to our expectations, Manchester United, who we just happen to be playing on Saturday, have equalled their best ever unbeated run, and will be looking to break that record, at our expense.
Of course, our beloved management will assist them, just like we have done all season with other opponents, and to make matters even better, a certain Mr. Rooney appears to be on the start of a goal scoring spree, not to mention Mr. Berbatov, who has been on one all season.
If we put eleven dustbins out on Saturday, they will probably get a better result than the other loads of crap we normally put out.
Despairing in Houston.
And now, to make me eat my words, we will probably win tonight at Notlob.
On a completely separate note, a guy from FourFourTwo magazine has been in touch to ask if we can help them with a feature they’re putting together about the greatest Wolves XI of all time.
So if any of you want to share your thoughts on players who should be included, that would be great.
To get the ball rolling, this is the eleven (and manager) I’ve jotted down so far:
Bert Williams
Derek Parkin
Billy Wright
Frank Munro
Bill Slater
Kenny Hibbitt
Mike Bailey
Peter Broadbent
David Wagstaffe
Steve Bull
John Richards
Manager: Stan Cullis
Can’t argue with much of that Thomas but i’d have to include Peter Knowles even though he finished so early. And Derek Parkin was left back wasn’t he? Those who can remember the glory days would probably go for a few more of them i would have thought.
Yeah, I’ve had to take some artistic license with one or two positions.
I might drop Parkin or Slater, go 3 at the back and add another midfielder or forward (The Doog maybe? Or potentially Knowles)
I can’t drop Bully or Richards though. Too many appearances and far too many goals.
What about Keane and Ince on the bench? Two of the best in my time as a supporter!
Ward at left back anyone?
How dare Thomas leave him out, and why not Mghee or Hoddle for manager????? Or, dare I say it…..McDinosaur??
Peter Knowles was the most skillful player I’ve ever seen in a Wolves shirt (apart from me!!!)
You could make a case for Ron Flowers, Malcolm Finlayson, Jimmy Mullen, Steve Daley, The Doog, Geoff Palmer, and weren’t Alan Ball and Bob Wilson on our books once upon a long time ago?
Absolutely, Richards and Bull have got to be in. Sad to say i’ve laid in bed thinking of my best Wolves team more than once and i’ve never been able to think of a really good right back in my time.
2:1 to Notlob, we always lose to notlob
and I still haven’t forgiven J*&n M(G!nley for the playoffs…..
After our p*ss poor performance in the transfer window I see Kightly has made the squad of 25! I wonder what odds I can get on him not seeing first team action this season? Guedioura in there too!
Interesting that all of the comments posted on the E&S about the lack of transfer activity are fairly nagative – even the happy clappers seem to have changed their mind now. There seem to be more “numpties” around then ever!
Anyone heard anything about Hunt’s latest injury? How long is he out for?
Rest of the season, with a bit of luck
That’s all folks. We. Are. Not. Good. Enough.
Gut-wrenching.
Speechless.
For decades there has been something wrong at the club, the same sort of thing that is wrong at Everton, (except they are rather better at staying up). My concern is that over the years the powers that be have become satisfied with being a big fish in a little pool, let’s face it, we cannot compete on level terms with Wigan, a small club with no tradition, fighting off Bolton, Blackburn, Man U & Man C for their support. It is true to say that if every team in the division played like Brazil there would still have to be 3 relegated and it doesn’t mean that the manager is crap, but in our case I’m afraid it does.