It’s hard to say whether we’ve really progressed since Paul Lambert took over.
But I do know I feel an awful lot better with him in the dugout than Walter Zenga.
And anyone who might accuse the Scot of lacking his predecessor’s passion obviously didn’t witness our head coach leaping over the advertising hoardings to retrieve the ball on Saturday as Wolves hunted an equaliser.
He cares alright and I reckon once he’s able to get some of his own bodies into the side come January, we’ll see an upturn in fortunes.
In the here and now, this is a big game. We’re not quite at the point of calling it a relegation six pointer, but it’s one we could do with winning or at the very least, not losing.
Cardiff
It says a lot about Neil Warnock that my immediate thought upon hearing of his appointment at Cardiff was ‘they definitely won’t go down now’.
He’s not many people’s favourite character but you can’t question his credentials at Championship level. Not just his promotions with Sheffield United and QPR but also the rabbit he pulled out of the hat at Rotherham last season.
You need only look at how they were doing before he went there and subsequently after he left to realise the impact he made. Astonishing really.
Cardiff were in similar strife and he’s started digging them out. Three wins, three draws and three defeats might not seem remarkable, but that’s midtable form from a team who were anything but back in October.
They’re still in the bottom three heading into this game, but a win would take them above Wolves and possibly a few others.
Scoring too few and conceding too many is not an ideal combination and the statistics show them to be among the weakest in the division on both fronts.
The free transfer additions of forwards Ricky Lambert and Junior Hoilett and big Sol Bamba at the back have helped, but the latter is suspended for this one after getting sent off at Ipswich at the weekend.
Wolves
I think Fulham exposed our biggest frailty at the weekend, which is the center of midfield.
We’ve got problems at the back for sure (big problems), but we’re not strong enough in the middle of the pitch and that’s leaving the defence vulnerable.
Conor Coady was the weak link for me. His obvious deficiencies with the ball mean he has to cover the ground and make tackles to justify his selection and he didn’t do enough against Fulham. That said, he won’t encounter better technical opposition this season.
I think Oniangue would be the obvious replacement, but I’m not sure he’s up to speed just yet. Playing both Saiss and Price is another interesting idea but one I’m not convinced Lambert would entertain.
Stearman should return in my opinion and I’d also be tempted to make a change at full back, possibly bringing in Silvio or Cameron Borthwick-Jackson. The above would be my preferred eleven.
Paul Lambert
Predictions
This one looks tougher than the league table suggests. They’ve got some good Championship performers in their group and a manager who can get the best out of them.
They don’t score many goals, which bodes well for our leaky defence and I just wonder whether the absence of Sol Bamba might tip the scales in our favour?
Whoever Paul Lambert plays up front has a big responsibility. We can’t afford our strikers to go on being so wasteful.
I’m playing it safe with a 1-1, which wouldn’t be a terrible outcome.
Up The Wolves!
I sincerely hope PL abandons the 433 system he has been using in recent games. It is a dreadful system and leaves us wide open down the middle for teams to attack our brittle defence at will. On Saturday Fulham had 26 efforts on our goal which is outrageous and a recipe for disaster. The system also makes our central striker completely isolated. To make matters worse the central 3 that PL has been using are all ‘workers/runners with very little in the way of flair or creativity which also means that we tend to misfire.
The best system for us given what we have at our disposal has to be a 4231 which means that we are much more compact down the middle of the pitch and our central striker is supported properly. We need two holding midfielders to protect our back 4 and throw up a defensive screen to stop teams attacking us at will. We also need a creative/flair player in behind the central striker.
Whilst not in any way trying to compare us with Arsenal (if only!) but think of the way they line-up. They have two holding midfielders protecting their back 4 – usually 2 from Coquelin, Xhaka and Elnenny – then 2 wide players, currently Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, and a flair player (Ozil) floating behind the striker (Sanchez). We need to try and emulate that system – also the same system Man City use as well as the majority of Premier League teams. The two holding players protecting the defence could be any two from Saiss, Coady, Price and Edwards. The wide players and central sriker pick themselves at the moment (Costa, Dicko and Cavaleiro) so we just need someone with a bit of flair and creativity to float behind Dicko. teixeira maybe? Enobakhare? Sadly the system PL is using means that we have in effect 3 Coquelin’s in our central midfield spread all over the pitch which is of no help either to our defence or our forwards.
My team for Cardiff would be ;
Ikeme (if fit or Lonergan or Burgoyne)
Silvio Batth Iorfa Doherty
Saiss plus one from Coady/Edwards/Price
Costa Texieira (or Enobakhare) Cavaleiro
Dicko
As I said on here recently at the moment on away from only we would be 7th so two away games coming up gives me a lot more hope than if we had 2 home games – on home form only we would be 24th!
UTW!
Have you ever been a Championship coach or are you just a coach driver ?
Did you play Championship football with your feet or are your comments, based upon playing Championship football on your computer ?
Let the manager be and fail his way rather than offering your expert management nous.
Have you personally communicated with Lamby, as to using your preferences ?
What is it with you Amanda? What’s this blog for if not to exchange views on tactics and the manager’s decisions?
I learned everything I know from that master tactician Tony Clueless Pulis of the Sandwell Shadow Dwellers. What I mean by that is that whatever that atrocious apology for a man does, says or thinks I do, say or think the opposite. Did you see them on TV on Sunday? I tuned in just for a laugh. What an embarrassment eh? Imagine supporting a pile of you know what like them whose sole ambition was to not lose by too many! How soul destroying it must be to be a sad little SSD supporter with all hope gone, all excitement wrenched away from you by year on year mind-numbingly tedious non-football served up by a rag-bag of not very good journeymen interspersed with the odd comedic cameo from the likes of the dire Yacob or the odious hypocrite McLean. I am sure you will agree with me. Lucky for us we support a REAL football club like Wolves eh?
Well said that man.
I refuse to watch the scroats on tv when the grandchildren are around as I have no intention of giving them nightmares.
They are all fecking wankers – 22,000 for a Prem fixture last week. Disgraceful.
Thank god I no longer have to exit the M5 at junction 1 and see those mocking half cut floodlights peering out of the Sandwell / West Birmingham gloom as they lord it over us in the top flight. I simply would not piss on em if they were on fire – any of ’em.
I see our U23 beat the pigs last night…..
Let’s me thankful for small mercies.
BOG
Come on BOG, don’t hold back, say what you really mean!!!
Like you Clive and probably every Wolves man worth his salt, it runs very deep in our phyche.
Even going back to 1968 when the unmentioned won the FA cup with a left foot mis hit from Deaf Astle, a number of us were carpeted for brawling in the school playground.
We don’t like them and they don’t like us and never the twixt shall meet.
Years ago I asked my beloved dad about the fictional story that Wolves and Albion fans used to attend each other’s fixtures when their team was away.
“Load of bollox” was the blunt reply.
Maybe some did but not my old man.
I will be in the States again soon – unfortunately not Texas but in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
As you always end off with Clive
Fuck Off West Brom
BOG
Grow up you nasty men.
A football team that represents the Black Country at the highest level, that you hate and abuse in the shadows all because Wolves are second rate.
Many of my family, friends and work colleagues,who are typical of the Black Country, either support Wolves or Albion in harmony, without the pathetic emptiness that you spout.
When old people are vicious and repugnant over such a wonderful game, what chance have our innocent children, from you examples of sad nasty old men ?
Mark McGhee 2 cannot move Wolves on until he drags Blackburn averageness across to Molineux in January.
Another defeat the League 1 reaper awaits Wolves yet again.
Hello Amanda.
How nice to hear from you.
Before putting your typing into gear you really must engage your brain.
I will never ever enter into personal insults from a keyboard and I have no idea who you are or indeed if you are using a non de plume and you are in fact a bloke or the butch element of a lesbian partnership or indeed a die hard Wolves supporter.
However I suggest you come along and meet some of your fellow bloggers prior to a home fixture and maybe we can have a sensible chat about all things WWFC.
Being a relatively new contributor to this excellent medium I have only met a few fellow bloggers but I can assure you they are not in any way “nasty” whatsoever. Indeed charming would be the correct description.
Regarding the Black Country rivalry please allow me to explain.
Way back in August 1967 after a 4 1 defeat at the Hawthorns we were “ambushed” by Albion supporters the size of brick outhouses as we were making our way to Don Everall coaches parked on Webley Guns at the rear of the Birmingham Road terrace. Unlike now as I am around 6’3″ I was a stripling 14 years old, 5′ 4″ and weighing about 5 ounces.
Apart from being at “you Wolves bastard”, almost breaking my cheek bone and blacking one eye the most upsetting aspect was having my scarf pinched. Fortunately this was not the gold and black scarf my beloved grandmother knitted me in 1964 but some college type design.
When I finally arrived home about 11.30 (it was a night fixture ) my dad was on nights but mum had waited up and she was horrified when I walked through the door looking like I had done 10 rounds with Sonny Liston.
Up until that point I had never really considered Albion as a team or supporters to “hate” as I probably never understood what the word meant.
Nevertheless as a Black Country born and bred geezer please don’t give me that patronising clap trap about Wolves and Albion supporters having a bonhomie relationship as you imply.
Yes when it comes to work issues and maybe family gatherings it is important to try and put aside such matters but underneath you know (that is assuming you are a Wolves supporter) and they know that come the next fixture between the two clubs the venom will reappear and local pride is all that counts.
That is the way it is Amanda despite your protestations to the contrary.
As I said earlier try to meet up with some of the guys. They are top notch intelligent guys and none of us are in any way remotely nasty.
BOG
BOG/Toilet exactly. A 14 year old who never grew up, hating other idiots just like you because they wear different coloured shirts.
Says it all about you really.
Top notch intelligent guys My Arse.
Right with you Bedford on two holding in front of back four. As striker with flair behind would Bod with Dicko playing deeper work?
Nice post Bedford. I agree with just about all of it.
Agree with most of what you have said, Bedford, except I think there will be a few more goals, particularly with our porous defence plus the Warnock factor.
Still, I’ve had two really enjoyable games at The Loft and The Mol and am hoping we can carry on at Cardiff tomorrow (I’ll have to sit on my hands as I’m going with my mate from Cardiff in their end – wish me luck!)
COMBs!!
Yes, good luck tonight. If I was going I would also have been in the Cardiff end. As it turns out I have other things I need to attend to.
Hi Exiled,
Thanks for the good luck message.
You made the right choice in attending to your other things!
i am still incandescent with rage about last night and need to calm down before I even think about posting anything!
UTW!
Edwards is our only consistent goalscorer at the moment (!) but I don’t see how he fits into the 4231system or any for that matter. Fulham passed it around beautifully going forward on Saturday, so for the players they have 4231 is for sure the best… I don’t think Coady/Saiss/Price can cope with such tempo and accuracy.
I don’t have a better suggestion though… maybe play Edwards up front with JDB (and everyone else win the ball and hoof it) until we can totally revamp the team come January.
And drop Iorfa.
Oh yeah the game! Colin W*nker is a canny manager and may get one over PL tonight.
We have the 7th best away record in the league and the worst home record. I reckon had we won just 2 more of those home games we would be sitting just a couple of points outside 6th spot. We concede a goal a game away from home and score a shade above. Cardiff don’t score many but we can’t keep a clean sheet so I’ll go with Thomas 1-1. That would not be a terrible result. Good luck to those of you making the trek to south wales.
How can anyone predict a score at the mo
Hard to tell.prob won’t be a classic after Saturday
I’m going for a 14 11 away win
Na a score draw Away from home I reckon
Start with cav the more he plays the better and more adjusted he,will.become to this league. Look at costa
Cmon the wolves
I reckon that the second half on Saturday will provide a lot more confidence going forward and we will not be playing a team with anything like the skill and ability of Fulham.
Confident that we have ‘turned a corner’ and I predict an way win.
OODCL
“….But I do know I feel an awful lot better with him in the dugout than Walter Zenga….”
Maybe you are a bigot.
And frankly, I feel an awful lot more bored with him in charge.
No probs we’re going to win this one – simply because I can’t stand either Cardiff nor Warnock.
I agree with much of what Bedford Wolf says above in terms of team system – though can’t see Tex as the answer to our creative midfielder. Perhaps Bright can do the job, but we know that Dangerous Dave will get the nod as attacking midfielder particularly after his recent goal scoring. I also agree that Iorfa is steadily going backwards and needs a break, so in reality I’m pretty certain that Thomas has got the right team sheet above.- Jack Price plays!
I’m a little more optimistic that Lambert will sort out our problems in the Jan transfer window, cut out the dead wood, bring in experienced Championship defenders and another striker. Williamson is now not far short and will make a big difference, and Nouha needs to get a flukey goal the sooner the better.
I am quietly confident in Paul Lambert. The previous owner’s rabid insistence on the youth policy is exposed for all it’s worth. Lambert will buy experience in January. Hopefully Iorfa will be off to West Ham and if they rely on him they are going down.
That said I don’t think we’re a million miles away. The goals are beginning to flow, even against the best teams in the division. We know we’re shite in defence but we will do something about that. It’s telling that we are crying out for Stearman’s return. Even a one-howler-a-game player is an improvement! I predicted a 2-1 win against Fulham against my better judgement if we could keep Macca quiet, but our comeback is proving my point that we can score against the best. If you can score against the best, you’ve got hope.
I expect our better away form to help at Cardiff, so I’ll go for a 2-1 win again.
We’ve got goals in us; just a shame our strikers haven’t put one away since September, is it? Anyhow, that will change on Tuesday evening – Dicko to break his duck.
It should be happy fans returning home tomorrow night.
“Cast your mind back ten years” so the lyrics went by The Move and their 1968 hit “Fire Brigade”.
Well fellow bloggers I am inviting you to cast your mind back over 61 years to first September 1955 for Wolves record away victory. The venue? Ninian Park, Cardiff… The score? 9-1.
The attendance that day in Cardiff was over 40,000 with Hancocks and Swinbourne both netting hat tricks, Broadbent grabbed a brace and Mullen the other.
The photograph below is of Swinbourne back-heeling the sixth goal. Oh for another team like that guys!
Amazingly we netted 7 vs Cardiff in September 1966 when Peter Knowles famously sat on the ball and invited the Cardiff team to try and retrieve it.
Cardiff City was formed in 1899 and joined the football league in 1920 and actually came second in the top flight 1923/24 season.
In 1927 Cardiff became the only club to take the FA cup out of England when they beat Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley in the “goalkeepers’ jersey” final. The Arsenal goalkeeper Lewis wore his jersey for the first time and he blamed the goal on the fibres being new and greasy as the ball slipped through his grasp into the net. Ever since then goalkeepers have apparently only ever worn washed kit….(Today’s useless bit of trivia).
The 1927 final was the first to be broadcast via radio, which coined the phrase “back to square one” as the Radio Times editors inserted a picture of a football pitch divided into 8 squares in that particular publication so the listeners could follow the game as the commentator referred to the square where the ball was being played which in turn coincided with the grid in the Radio Times – quite clever really.
It was also the first final where “abide with me “was sung before kick-off which is a tradition to this day. There was trouble before the game when police were called to quell Cardiff supporters who had been sold fake tickets. Blimey – nowt changes guys!
Amazingly by the quarter final stage Cardiff and Arsenal were the only two top flight teams remaining in the competition which I believe has never been repeated. In the semi-finals Cardiff faced Reading at Molineux in a tie which attracted nearly 40,000 spectators. The Welsh side won 3-0 in a canter.
In the head to head Wolves have won on 25 occasions, Cardiff 16 with 13 drawn games.
One fixture I remember particularly well occurred at Ninian Park in April 1977. Wolves were heading for promotion having been relegated the previous season. Two special trains departed Wolverhampton with around 1,200 on board and I travelled with Andy McCheyne (who later joined Wolverhampton Fire Service – wonder if he reads this blog). We were met by the usual Welsh welcoming committee at Ninian Park railway station, which was opened in 1929 for the specific purpose of transporting football fans to and from the game, so it was typical 1970’s football violence.
Well the welcoming committee chucked all sorts of crap at Wolves fans exiting the station so we retaliated in kind before the local plod arrived to restore some semblance of order.
The game itself was all Wolves. Cardiff were in the relegation zone and we were top with Chelsea second. With just minutes to go we were coasting 2-0 with goals from Daley and Hibbitt when the defence inexplicably went to sleep (no change there then) and Cardiff scored twice to grab a point.
In the wider scheme of things it actually mattered not as Wolves finished in pole position and were promoted as champions
Usual nonsense after the game as hundreds of Cardiff yobs tried to attack the Wolves yobs and the Wolves yobs attacked the Cardiff yobs with plod doing his best to keep the nutcases apart.
(In the sidings at Ninian Station was a line of wrecked carriages – the result of Chelsea fans as they had visited Cardiff a few weeks earlier).
Subsequent visits have been along similar lines with the home fans playing up.
Anyhow we need three points tomorrow guys, sorry if the record has stuck, but we are in the shit and a loss tomorrow could plonk us in the bottom three, subject to results elsewhere.
If you are going have a good trip and remember to shove some bricks up your jumper.
Wolves to win 3-1
BOG
Thanks for the reminder of past glories. As you say “Oh for another team like that”
I remember going to the return fixture expecting – in common with a lot of fans – to need a crib board to keep in touch with the score – in the event it was a 1-1 draw. Exits left up Molineux Alley in some disappointment.
Don’t fancy 9-1, but I’m hoping we’ve got the scoring habit again so am going for a reasonable win.
The return match in 55/56 might have been 1-1 in your head, but, in reality, we beat you 2-0 – the game was played six days before I was born.
You lot seem awfully confident given that you are winning so few games, but we are as bad at Cardiff City Stadium as our record suggests – based on all of our previous home matches, you’ll keep a clean sheet if we’ve not scored by half time.
Judging by the comments here, we’ll cause you problems at set pieces, but we average less than a goal a game and, amazingly, our only clean sheet since the opening day of the season was against Brighton, so I’ll go for a 1-1 draw.
Welcome tobw, glad to have some input from the other side. Best wishes for the rest of your season starting Saturday, have a feeling with Warnock your going to need it. He is a charmless egotist with poor vision and no class. Will never forgive him his comments when we beat Sheff Utd in playoff final you would think his lot were Brazil, and we kicked their lot off the park.
I’m thinking this is probably a game both sides would happily take a point given where we are. But I think your going to need to score 2 to achieve that, and I’m hoping that you don’t have the quality to do so, but then we have to factor in our defence which is a colander with no metal just one big hole.
So all in all a 2-2 draw would be fine as long as Nouha gets both one off his knee and the other a screamer from the edge of the box so we have the start of better things to come.
“We’ve got problems at the back for sure (big problems), but we’re not strong enough in the middle of the pitch and that’s leaving the defence vulnerable”.
Couldn’t agree more. That is why we will always struggle with two up front as it leaves us lightweight in the middle of the park. I would like to think Lee Evans can make a difference when he returns to full fitness. Like our much maligned defenders he is young and has the ability to improve and to carve out a decent career for himself.
For this one Rick Lambert could prove a handful for our young defenders but they will only improve by being exposed to decent players. They get some stick but if we signed two England U21 defenders right now most fans would probably be delighted.
I don’t know who we play up front. Dicko and Bod look about as likely to score as Siggy and Alf did last year. I’m counting on Deadly Dave to nick us one in a 2 – 1 win.
Christ! BOG is a veritable mine of match information. Hope we never meet in a pub quiz. Can’t disagree with all the summaries above but for me I would give the Iceman another go at the front of Thomas’s team.
With service he will score.
What’s this about you driving a coach . That’s great news ! I ll drive to yours and hop on from now on .
And I can get that goldfish at the same time
Wolves to win two nil
UTW
Clearly the atmosphere is good in the group at the moment. We need this to pull away from the bottom teams. As Thomas hints Cardiff shouldn’t pose the attacking poise of Fulham. If we can score twice on the road we should do it.. Dicko to keep his place and do the damage.
Well, our Amanda has reared her fuck-ugly head again, spiteing off total gibberish, as usual.
If you are such a good coach, dearest Amanda, why don’t you remove your false teeth and install fifty or so seats.
I’m positive there is room inside that cavernous gob of yours.
On to important matters.
I remember us stuffing Cardiff at the Mol by some enormous score, whilst I was helping (badly) Scooped install some kitchen lino.
He had persuaded me we were gonna lose, and that pleasing his wife was much more important.
Ha.
Little did he know.
All I got was a shamefaced apology and a bottle of beer.
I hope he got more. Maybe that was the night Ben was conceived??
Anyway, Wolves in Europe tomorrow!!
Easy 5-1 thrashing, I really didn’t need to put the score in, its bleedin’ obvious.
And a big thank you to Diego Costa for getting the winner in their last match.
FOwb
I’m almost as optimistically as you Clive. Stearman returns for us and Bamba is out for them. Our attacking trio and David Edwards scores one goal each. Up the Wolves. Hopefully the game is broadcasted on welsh tv.
I’m afraid it clashes with the omnibus edition of Pobol y Cwm!
I do see this as a six pointer there in the bottom 3 and if we want to pull away from them we need to win.
Everyone seems to think come January we are going to buy our way out of trouble it doesn’t work like that. Even if Fosun are willing to stump up some cash who is going to want to come here…….if we are still in or around the bottom five, its ironic now we have some decent dosh we are not in a position ( League wise ) to take advantage of our new found wealth.
Some bloggers appear to be quite flippant re: relegation I for one don’t think we can take it for granted everything will be ok come January.
If more players do come in how long before they settle…? April may be.? it could be all over by then .
A win is a must a draw wouldn’t be a disaster but lose and we are back in the mire again.
After Saturday any prediction is likely to be rubbish, but who knows.
My team would be
Ikeme (or Burgoyne)
Doherty Stearman Batth Silvio
Saiss Price
Costa Enokobare Cav
Bodvarsson
That should give us some speed and maybe just a small amount of guile ( Or just get me some crap of Sandwell Amanda)
Anyway onwards & Upwards
The Taffs will be up for this one but we should shade it two one. COYW.
Warnock will have them fired up for this one, but there’s no reason we can’t hit them with pace on the counter – provided we defend properly as at QPR (until the last 10 mins).
I thought that as it was approaching the Season of Good Will, a certain ex toe nail clipper and facial hair remover would ease up a bit on the bile.
But no, no Glad Tidings of Comfort and Joy from Mrs Scrooge, just a boring repeat of the normal Bleak Mid Winter refrain.
I wonder if she’s like that at home?
I really feel for any partner that has to put up with that every day.
I don’t dare put forward a view on team selection, tactics or result for tomorrow’s game so I’ll just wait to see what she says and then agree with it.
Oh! Yes. And if she could give me the odds on an away win and which Betting Company she would like me to give my money to this week, that would be good.
I don’t mind Warnock, I’ve always thought he’s a bit of a closet Wolves fan with his comments over the years and how he always enjoys coming to Molineux.
As for the score, I’m sticking with 2-1, it worked last time I was on here!
As for Amanda, you bloggers shouldn’t get so wound up by her….she makes me laugh. And no, I’m not!
UTW
Ikeme-Doherty-Batth-Stearman-Iorfa-Saiss-Price-Edwards-Cavaleiro-Bodvarsson-Costa.
Warnock teams are always, at least, competitive, and we will need to be at least as competitive to get the required three points.
Stearman to return as he does seem to stabilise our defence somewhat. I know we conceded 4 against Flum but a couple of those you just have to give credit to the opposition. But there was some rank defending too, and I like to think Stears’s experience can help reduce those gut-churning moments.
Defenders aren’t the only ones responsible for defending though and Saiss and Price together at the heart of our midfield would surely solidify the centre of our team. Saiss too can pick a pass, as evidenced by his beauty to Costa for his stunner against QPR.
We surely can’t drop Eddo. The very idea is ludicrous.
With Bamba out, I think Bodvarsson could be an ace in our pack, with Dicko an able second half replacement against tiring defenders if it ain’t working.
I realise I am completely unqualified to make these suggestions. No coaching badges. No football experience at all except in a 5-a-side league 30years ago. I’m definitely not suggesting
‘Lamby’ should take any notice of these ramblings. I just had to get these thoughts off my chest and you all, as friends, have a duty of care to listen.
So there!
I hope you feel better for it, mate! No complaints with selection…apart from Iorfa, I reckon he might need taking out the firing line for a while….just don’t ask me who I’d replace him with!!
I’m going for a even steven,1-1.
Don’t know what to expect with this wolves side anything could happen.
changes needed though,Iorfa needs benching and the young keeper did well but I hope Ikeme
gets the keepers shirt,i would also keep Saiss in the side.UTW.
Can’t see a win but maybe another score draw? 2-2.
My view on formations and styles is simple..I leave to the experts, those who are well paid to make choices and decisions….however I find it very enlightening when my blog colleagues grace this site with their well thought out tactical football ‘arguments’.
With tomorrow in mind I’d prefer Ikeme to Burgoyne…simply because of his wider experience,, not that H did anything wrong btw.
Regarding the back four …Stears should come back and I’d be tempted to switch Doc to the right and put Hause at LB. (OR Borthwick Johnson.)
Up front I’d choose Bod and Dicko from the off.
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves … Cardiff away will be tough but there’s no reason why a win isn’t possible.
we are due another Newcastle like performance, often do better away, so, hoping for Bod and Dicko up front. I’m going for a good win against Warnock’s team.
They’ll probably look at their fixture list and see this as their best chance of getting out of the relegation zone. They will be motivated. Our defence will be porous. I fear the worst.
Hope I’m way off with this prediction, obviously.
Nah. You’ve all got it wrong.
It’s going to be another corker. 4-3 to the lads.
If we finish with eleven on each side I shall be surprised.
Narrow home win I’m afraid. Warnock will have them fired up and we will be knackered after the weekend.
Obviously hope I’m wrong.
Amanda Cape’s babbies got stuffed good an proper by the 10 man Wolves Babbies 1-0 last night at Aggboro.
So stick that where the sun doe shine Clive and they had Mr slap in a transfer request (Berriheeknow) playing.
I’m 90% in agreement with Wolfstroker with just Hause in for Iorfa.
So a clear 5-0 to Wolves for me.
If we can put 4 past Fulham with K Mac in the middle then we can score at least 3 goals against the sheep sh***ers..
It’s the other end the problem with us ,my record is now playing again…I await the commentary with reluctant expectancy….
‘Oh no’ etc..
A sort of tortuous knowing that we will gift them a goal or two..good old DB and co..
So ..our goalie to play a blinder (I hope our youngster plays again) and I pray for a win …
(and a Dicko goal..)
9 points out of the nxt 4 games will do it ..ready for the massive record spend in January..
http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2016/12/13/mike-williamson-set-for-shock-wolves-injury-comeback/
One for your eyes Steve. Enjoy the thought buddy.
Another draw would seem frustrating as we all want to see wolves start winning and moving up the table. I’m one of the few people who likes Neil warnock and I know that whoever he’s in charge of will be tough to beat. A point away from home given our current form wouldn’t be the end of the world. Edwards to score!
I like the idea of a 4231 formation too. Would love to see Bod and Dicko on the field at the same time though. Has anyone suggested trying out Saiss at CD with Stears? Price and ed at CM and our dynamic foursome of costa, Cav, Bod and Dick on the front line (Diamond formation I suppose). After all if we can’t play attacking football against a team in the bottom three zone, when can we do it?
I quite like that idea vicsmith. Just not sure away from home is the place to test it out, even if they are in the bottom three.
Am I crazy to predict the following, bizarre, unlikely events?
– one of our strikers to score
– we keep a clean sheet
Clueless in Marin checking in
Didn’t see anyone claiming the prize for 4-4 prediction but now there’s a faction thinking it will rain goals wherever we play
Guess where I’m thinking that PL will be focused?
King tides are forecast here so factoring that in to my machine it’s spitting out an anti climatic, no good to man nor beast if you’re down the bottom, draw.
Climactic… But maybe it’s climatic too?
Wow, I didn’t factor in the tides when I made my prediction Marin. May have to have a rethink.
For me it’s
Ikeme (Burgoyne if not fit)
Iorfa,Batth,Stearman,Doherty (CBJ sent back to MU now p–s of Mourinho, not shown anything while been here)
Price,Saiss
Edwards
Costa,Dicko,Cav
Dicko to get 2 and Bod to come on later and get a third, Costa/Cav to get 4th. How annoying that Costa’s wonder goal was in the championship as if it had been done in the Prem people would still be talking about it.
Wolves have always been an attacking team first and foremost so lets go for it from the off
It doesn’t matter which midfielders we pick,none of the current lot are good enough to protect that defence.However, we generally have a bit more space going forward in away games because the home teams are expected to take the game to us.
Players seem to improve when not playing, especially defenders (Williams is now a legend in defence) so whether PL picks the names out of a hat or after deep analysis I predict an unpredictable performance over the 90 minutes and at least one change of formation.
I well remember that 2-2 draw at Ninian Park in April 1977 when their goals came in the 89th and 92nd minutes. At least in these days we know how much injury time we have to hold on for – but that didn’t help on Saturday.
Travelled on ‘Doreen’s coach'(anyone remember her or what happened to her and her friend May?) so missed the station shenanigans.
4 points out of the last 6 shows improvement if not spectacular its steady..
If we can win this one that would 7 out of 9 and thing would be looking upwards…
Would love to see Nouha score tonight, I think he’ll bag two.
I see that Prince Onion was a late addition to the Under 23’s last night, maybe an indication that he will be in the squad tonight or even starting. I would prefer him to Runabout Coady. Apart from that change I would expect the rest to start, although Ikeme may be fit and come in to replace Harry.
I used to dislike Neil Warnock with a passion but I stood back, looked at him and his record and decided I was being a knob. I now realise what a good manager he is, his record speaks for itself.
….However tonight I hope to see him crying into his post match glass of wine……….
🙂
nah, you were right first time Warnock is a first class tosser, and his gob is bigger even than Amanda’s…….. and he talks like the tesco lot play shite
Is that the old trout Amber speaking ?>
Eventually I must get a prediction right ……….
Great Preview and first post from Bedders (i never met a coach driver who didnt know everything). I am in prediction league rehab and can only predict the unpredictable.
Thanks Colin – but what is your prediction? The unpredictable? Maybe 4-4 as no games ever end up 4-4. lol
We beat them 9-1 away once, maybe we could replicate that.
A win, but not for the faint hearted
Feeling nervy about this one, not least because I work with a number of City fans and the banter tomorrow morning, if Cardiff win, will not be enjoyable.
A draw and I will be content (a win and I’ll be ecstatic).
I’m still not exactly convinced, but if we can start to grind out a few results over Christmas then hopefully that will take us into the January window in a positive frame of mind. I reckon we might just nick it.
Wolves away and November finished and playing the sheep sha**ers goto be a win
Team news is anyone’s guess but i think we’ll win this one.
If I was going to predict a score it would be this.
Despite last weekends score, I’m sticking with 2 – 1
And why oh why do I dislike Warnock so much? I could have put up with him if he’d have got the nod in helping us get out of this division. But still don’t like the bloke
Think we might be a bit flat after the week-end.
I’ve just received my Wolves Motoring Club membership details plus a voucher for free entry to the Museum and a hand signed picture of someone who could just turn into a bit of a star for us.
Fingers crossed.
Surely not Amanda C…?
I think warnock will have them fired up for this one. Hope I’m wrong I just don’t have much faith in our back 4. Roll on January
I hope I’m wrong but this is normally the sort of game we lose. Midweek, flat atmosphere, two poor sides. Hopefully Cav and Costa can work their magic.
Who knows what’s going to happen tonight? Predicting a loss but hoping to be proved wrong.
Oh no – Saville’s playing!!!!!?????
Obviously bloggers are now not allowed to have opinions on players, teams or tactics!
We seem to play better away from home I going for the win we’ve started to score now we need to defend COYW
Gonna be a tight one !
Disappointed to see Saville playing. Utterly clueless as to what the score may be, so going to sit on the fence.
Cardiff 5
Wolves. 1
Anyone got a stream for this ??
must be blockbuster telly in China……
Same old, same old. Scoring early and losing late. Can’t hold a lead, and why can’t any of our strikers score goals, just defenders and midfielders ….. we am shit ay we. 4 feking shots on target against their 15 or so.
Got to Blame Lambert for this…
1.Picking Saville
2.Trying to defend a 1 goal lead for 88 mins.
3. Replaced the entire front 3 taking away any chance of winning.
Very very poor… just look at what Monk has done at Leeds Bruce at Villa and McClaren at Derby…
Need to start laying some blame at Fosuns door now money or not they haven’t got a clue..
One step forward two steps back. Saville missed a sitter why the fuck is he playing him we have not won a game when Lambert has picked Saville.
Anyone still think we are not in a relegation battle…? Bottom five that’s really going to help recruitment come January.
Lambert has to except some blame for this result, his subs haven’t worked and neither has his formation and Saville……!
They sounded very poor until the second half when they discovered they could just come forward at will. One way traffic after that. Dont like to just pick on one individual but how many managers are going to mug themselves off with Saville it buggers belief.
Oh no!
Cor score for toffee.
Cor defend for toffee.
Corby arsed!
It’s going to take a couple of days to get over this!
I can’t remember a more important transfer window for wolves for many years than the one coming up. Get it wrong and I genuinely fear where this may all end. 10 wins from 26 to be safe and I think this squad has won one in eleven? I hope fosun are planning to invest very heavily as they are already being left behind by other clubs in the race to the PL. I hope thelwell proves the doubters wrong otherwise he will surely be out of a job come the end of the season. Lambert please be absolutely ruthless this squad is shot.
Sutton, Left behind make no assumption, in that racen we are still in the dressing room.
Merry Xmas fellow bloggers see you boxing day, maybe scrape a draw. Have a good one!!
Totally bewildered. What on earth is going on?
Handed the initiative to a fellow struggling Cardiff side after taking the lead which should have provided a springboard to go on and win.
So disappointed – why did we try to defend for virtually the whole game. WHY?
Cardiff 16 attempts to our 4 for Christ’s sake! Cardiff for Christ’s sake!!
Would appreciate a thread from any blogger at the game tonight.
Bollox shit and double fecking bollox.
Hate the game, off to bed in disgust, why do I take it so much to heart? WHY???
BOG.
Problem is going to be who the fuck is going to come in January? Certainly nobody who is any cop that is for certain. What a mess!
Thommo and the other guy on the radio could not believe the defence.
I cannot believe the defence.
Stevie Showcase wants to scrap the defence.
Paul Lambert cannot defend that defence.
What an undefendable result, we were up at 16 spot at one point in the game and if that Tit Saville had scored on tne line we would have gone above Forest too.
FFS
Lambert moaning to the press that the lads were physically and mentally tired after Saturday..
(Cardiff played Saturday as well with a much smaller squad)
Last week he was moaning about too many players in the squad….
You cant have it both ways Paul…Your paid to sort this Shit out…
Pathetic result, dreadful performance.
Poor team selection for me – a defence who conceded four on Saturday are bolstered by….. Stearman. A midfield of willing runners and workers but without flair or creativity are reinforced by…….Saville. What?
Remember on Saturday Fulham had 26 efforts on our goal even though they were the away team. Tonight as the away team we managed just 4 attempts on goal.
Our defence is poor and our midfield offers nothing either defensively or in support of the attackers.
Broken record time but 433 does not and will not work.
Why am I going to Forest on Saturday? Aaaaaaagh!!!!!!!!
We have serious issues here. Lambert isn’t looking too clever at this point. Five games in and just one win and almost two goals a game conceded. Where do we go from here?
Lambert went for the same players and formation that did for Zenga and Rob Edwards chances WHY ? Is Thelwell really running the club and picking the team ? ls Saville his lover ? Sorry just struggling to make any sense out of this.
Forgot to post this link in my previous post worth a read..
http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/12/13/nicolas-otamendis-manchester-city-move-should-warn-wolves-about/
Shit defending, then Lambert’s defending that shit, get a grip you bunch of losers, if you give players that much space then your’e going down, down, down.
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/wolverhampton-wanderers/10695179/cardiff-2-1-wolves
We’re in a dog fight,no matter who we bring in come January ,if anyone wants to come.
1 win in 11 that’s relegation I’m afraid.not sure Lambert can turn this around,as said perhaps fosun made the wrong choice,time will tell.??
A mate of mine who went said Iorfa got a backlash from the fans after the game,saying he wasn’t interested,he just wants away to West Ham.??
How not to run a football club Wikipedia: Wolverhampton Wanders.
When the manager starts making stupid excuses and comments you know you are doomed. After match comments from Lambert are total rubbish. Maybe he is trying to protect the players but surely even they know by now that they are shit so I wouldn’t try and hide it if I were him.
The problem lies higher up here. Many bloggers have said this numerous times but we have no footballing nouse on the board – Thelwell is useless and has no qualification to hold the powerful position he does and the influence of Mr Mendes is detrimental to our club given he is only interested in fleecing Fosun for as much as he can.
Only one way this is going and that is down as far as I can see.
DB both their goals…quite capable to relegate us on his own..situation back to being very serious..
It’s all on January….if we can hold out that long..
Is it time some on here admitted just how good a job jackett did with what is frankly a weak squad and no funds. We’ve spent £14 million and if anything we worse off. If jackett had been given that kind of money we would have at least got some quality solid championship players.
A lot of our problems are still rooted in last season. KJ pushed some quality players towards the door while bringing Saville back into the fold and spending good money on the likes of Wallace Mason and Coady.
When I saw the team sheet with Saville on it I expected the worst, and boy did I get it.
What the F*** does Price have to do to get a game, if Saville is better than him I will show my arse by the Billy Wright statue.
This form is relegation stuff no doubt about it. We should be very worried and I supported the appointment of PL.
Was I wrong? I HOPE not but maybe I was.