Brentford

If the Premier League is one big party, Brentford remain the unpopular uncle who nobody wanted to see in the first place, cracking the same old tedious joke that you hoped you’d heard the last of.

Exchanging pleasantries with Thomas Frank, Neal Maupay and co requires exhausting levels of patience that would turn the most outgoing of souls to an anti-social hermit.

And so it proved.

‘Boring, boring, boring’ echoed a chant from the South Bank masses, who could be commended for at least staying awake as Brentford eclipsed their 2021 annus horribilis for levels of timewasting and general skullduggery.

As was the case three years ago, they won 2-0 and just like back then, they thoroughly deserved it, however soul destroying it was to watch.

In truth, Wolves were 45mins late to their own party and should have been put to bed by half time. In any league, a no show for an entire half creates a mountain to climb but in this one, the task is virtually impossible and we can only have ourselves to blame.

Sluggish, reckless and careless from the off, we looked the antithesis of a team that won 4-2 at Stamford Bridge the week before with a dead-cat-bounce replacing the spring in the step we all hoped for.

The ominous opening was only compounded when Cunha left the field to a muscle injury.

Jose Sa endured what must rank as his worst performance in any goalkeeping shirt, never mind a Wolves one, and gifted Brentford their opener with a Dracula-like aversion to a non-descript cross.

His kicking before this aberration was even more ghastly, gifting possession through brainless passes that should have been punished way before we were.

Lemina looked leggy, Gomes half asleep and man-for-man, Brentford looked like a side with a point to prove having lost the reverse league fixture 4-1 and being booted out the cup when we were initially down to 10 men at the Gtech.

They appeared to want it more and it took us too long to react. Even the worst Astropay half time efforts in the history of Astropay half time efforts were less chastening than the thought that this Wolves squad really is paper thin, with the loss of Cunha exposing us as the threadbare side we feared we would be if we sustained an injury.

Now it’s happened as many predicted it might, we can only hope that Hwang steps into the breach and Cunha’s absence isn’t as lengthy as feared.

Because on today’s evidence, Nathan Fraser isn’t ready and Bellegarde simply isn’t good enough; a case in point when Neto fizzed over a wicked cross in the first half, with the Frenchman making no effort to meet it and tap into an empty net, much to Pedro’s chagrin.

It’s not that we didn’t improve in the second half, but Brentford’s reversion to ‘Uncle Dickhead’ mode and referee Simon Hooper’s gleeful indulgence of it made the deficit an insurmountable one.

Were there a footballing god, then Dawson’s toenail would have been the right side of the red lines and a 1-1 scoreline would have punished the away side’s activation of ‘Operation Anti-Football’ (rather than the progressive approach that deservedly put them ahead).

The moment it wasn’t, the opening had passed and Bees reverted to type before Ivan Toney had his say.

Another Sa kicking error was made to look all the more horrendous as the striker dispatched unerringly.

What we’d give for a number 9 of his ilk, even more so having released the two we had in the window without so much as a replacement.

It summed up a result that might be a sign of things to come.

Either that or just another game against Brentford.

Prior to our relegation to League One in 2013 it had been over 20 years since we’d played Brentford.

Ever since we’ve barely been apart and thanks to the FA Cup and the weird Premier League fixture system, this will now be the fourth game between the clubs in a little over six weeks.

Given their struggles and the wounds inflicted in the three other matches, the Bees will feel there’s a need to win and a score to settle.

For Wolves this represents an opportunity to get another three points on the board and cement a position in the top half.

Brentford

I’ve watched a few of their recent games and they made life uncomfortable for Man City and Spurs despite not picking up any points.

Toney has made a difference and is bringing the best of Maupay, who is better than his form over the previous 18 months has shown. There’s a good partnership there.

Other important attacking players will come back and they’ve got the necessary organisation and fight in the other areas of the pitch to get their results. I don’t think they’ll go down.

It’s probably unfair to put them in Stoke/Burnley category but they do maximise all set piece opportunities and look to get it forward as quickly as possible.

Even against City on Monday, the goal kick routine that produced their goal looked well rehearsed. I respect that type of ingenuity and it’s one of the reasons Thomas Frank is well respected.

Wolves

The same again please lads.

Assuming everyone is fit and available, there’s no logic to changing the team. The shape and balance of that XI just looks right to me.

Brentford will offer a completely different challenge to Chelsea and the goal will be to frustrate, contain and disrupt. We’ve got to play a smart game, get around them and find the spaces.

Hwang should be back on the bench and joined by Bellegarde, Doyle and Boubacar to give a stronger and more senior feel to the squad.

Predictions

Nobody went for 4-2 at Chelsea and t’s definitely harder to second guess this more free scoring Wolves side.

As Chris Sutton said in his own weekend predictions, how can I not back Wolves to win?

I know there’s a real threat there with this Brentford team, but there’s vulnerability too and if we play to our maximum I think we’ll win. 3-1.

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.

Up The Wolves!

Given the near sub-zero conditions, I think many of us were treating this replay as more of an exercise in duty than anticipation.

And yet, in the latest in their long line of magical acts, Gary O’Neil and his team conspired to deliver an enjoyable FA Cup tie.

Our exploits in football’s most fabled competition have been nothing to write home about since our heartbreaking trip to Wembley in 2019. However, with the team performing above expectations in the league, the magic of the cup has been palpable around Molineux in recent weeks.

Throw in the prospect of a fourth round tie with our old enemy and O’Neil’s charge had all the incentive they needed to put Brentford to the sword.

As is always the case with cup games, it wasn’t that straightforward. Say what you like about Nathan Collins, but he’s usually a talking point whenever he plays. After his kamikaze display in the league game at the Gtech, he profited from some shoddy Wolves defending to bag the Bees an undeserved opener.

The goal disrupted our early rhythm, so credit to the lads for drawing level thanks to Semedo’s Doherty-esque strike. One of the most frustrating things about the Portuguese wing-back has been his lack of attacking output in contrast to his predecessor, so it was great to see him add that to his ever-improving game here.

After that leveller, the stage was set for a routine turnaround victory, so it was unsurprising to see that fail to unfold. I suspected Maupay’s initially cancelled strike was onside, and so wasn’t too incandescent when our old friend VAR intervened in support of the away side. That’s not to say that either the officials or VAR had a good evening, with their frequent dilly-dallying frequently interrupting the flow of the game (although Thomas Frank’s unlikable side were also guilty of that).

To counteract such shenanigans, O’Neil was always going to have to get his substitutions right, so kudos to the gaffer for his decision to throw fledgling striker Nathan Fraser into the mix. His equaliser was one of the moments of the season, and enough to suggest we might have a decent prospect on our hands.

It’s a shame that we couldn’t wrap the game up in normal time, especially given that man of the match Cunha was visibly struggling towards the end of the game. Credit to the Brazilian for soldering on, and his winner from the penalty spot was the icing on the cake of yet another highly influential performance.

The striker is one of many increasingly key players in this Wolves side, and it’s tantalising to think about how the second half of the season might unfurl if we can keep everyone fit.

But first, it’s onto the small matter of ‘The Albions’ Brighton and the B*****s.

How’s everyone’s nerves?

I do hate that sky blue away kit.

But if it helps Tommy Doyle channel his inner Man City with Champions League level howitzers like that, all is forgiven.

What a hit. What a goal.

He might have had another minutes later had that poor chap not put his face in the way.

Still, the moment of magic that counted keeps us in the FA Cup and provides something more positive to reflect on after another bungling display from the officials.

I’ll accept the Gomes red card – we’ve seen lots of those given this season – but when their man does the same, it’s just impossible to not reach the same conclusion.

Then right at the death their man grabs Semedo by the throat and somehow both end up getting equal punishment. I advocate for technology but I do not advocate for incompetence and it’s the latter that’s the problem.

Given everything against them, I extend great credit to the team for hanging in there and forcing the replay. We came back at Shrewsbury a few years ago to salvage a second bite and went on to that Wembley semi final. Let’s do it again.

A special mention for Matheus Cunha who I thought was sensational, particularly in the second half. When you’ve got a man less, having a player that can move through tackles is a real bonus and boy, did he move through some tackles. He must be the best ball carrier in the Premier League.

Another plus was getting those minutes into Pedro Neto who looked sharp and ready to go. I can’t seem him being left out of the side against Brighton.

Hopefully we can get a few of the walking wounded back for that one – along with Mario to come in for the suspended Gomes – and if Sasa Kalajdzik is really heading to Germany, someone to fill that significant gap would do nicely.

We’ve been playing against 12 this season with all the crappy decisions handed down by the eye in the sky ref.

So thanks go to Nathan Collins for giving us the extra man tonight with his finest performance for Wolves.

Three awful passes directly contributed to three goals for his former side in an evening to forget for the £23 million defender.

Credit to Hwang for capitalising in the most ruthless manner possible – switched on and rapid for the first, calm and clinical for the second. Thank you and goodnight.

That’s 10 Premier League goals already for the South Korean. Hopefully that sore back doesn’t keep him out for too long. Finishing like that is so often the difference at this level.

I thought Lemina was excellent again too. Not just the goal, but his power and composure all over the pitch was exactly what we needed in another open game.

In the absence of Craig Dawson it took a while for Santi Bueno to get up to speed and he might have done better in the build up to Brentford’s solitary strike. But he improved as things went on and made some good blocks and interceptions. Hopefully he can grow as his understanding of the league develops.

There are plenty of others I could praise – Cunha for his running with and without the ball, Ait-Nouri for the trademark sexy footwork (if not often followed up with the right pass) and Gomes for another two thousand tackles. It all contributed to the result.

Brentford had never conceded four goals at home in the top flight and even with Nathan’s charity factored in, it’s still an achievement worth celebrating.

But for Chelsea’s late penalty in their win over Palace, we’d now be sitting pretty in the top half of the table at the halfway point of the campaign.

Still, plenty to savour after consecutive Premier League wins for the first time this season to complete a highly satisfactory opening to what was widely dubbed by many – including me – a season of struggle.

With Neto to comeback and the potential for January reinforcements, the season of struggle is fast becoming the season of hope.

We haven’t managed back-to-back Premier League wins yet and that’s mostly because we’re cack away from home.

There’s been some misfortune and VAR calamity mixed in but we’re too open defensively to give ourselves the chance of collecting results.

I don’t know if the lads are not quite as vigorous in the press, not quite so sure of their positioning or just lacking the courage to impose themselves – but whatever the cause, it’s creating a glass ceiling to the top half of the table.

Four wins and three draws from our last seven at home – against some formidable opposition too – is a sensational return and shows this team can hurt anyone when they play to their maximum.

Brentford

I was just looking at the players missing or potentially missing for this one. It’s nearly all of the individuals I’d name if you asked me to list Brentford players – Ivan Toney (obviously), Bryan Mbeumo, Ben Mee, Kristoffer Ajer, Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade, Frank Onyeka and Josh Dasilva.

That long and influential list of absentees must be giving Thomas Frank some sleepless nights, particularly as they come into this game on a run of three consecutive – albeit narrow – defeats.

They should be fresh tomorrow because they didn’t have a game pre-Christmas with their match against Man City postponed due to the champions playing in the Club World Cup.

There’s no doubt they’ll look at our soft-centered away form and smell an opportunity to win by keeping things tight and exploiting us through set pieces and percentage football – I know I would.

Nathan Collins – having just come back from injury himself – is likely to play and will feel he has a point to prove. I’ve seen plenty of good and bad in his Brentford performances, which fits with the idea he’s a decent but inconsistent performer.

Wolves

Gary O’Neil was right that we did well to get that win against Chelsea with nearly every fit and available senior player having to contribute.

The bench was looking thin and you’d have thought with the quick turnaround the head coach might want to rotate a few players, so he’ll hope the likes of Bellegarde and Traore are back to swell the ranks.

Craig Dawson going off was a blow and I don’t think our defence would have parted like the Red Sea to allow Nkunku that free header had he still been on the pitch. Gary said there’s a chance he could play tomorrow and I hope he does given the likely bombardment we’ll be facing.

Pedro, Pedro, wherefore art thou Pedro? I don’t want to be too hard on Sarabia and Bellegarde who’ve done plenty of good things in his absence, but Neto’s energy and pace across that front three would be just the ticket. I hoped he’d get minutes against Chelsea with a view to a more substantial role tomorrow but fingers crossed he’s at least among the subs this time.

Predictions

Well done to The Witley Wanderer, Aquilador, CHEESEBURGER OF DEATH, Dek, Woodend wolf, Marney, Dallas Bob, Steppenwolfe, Marin Wolf, BigNachos, Rich, Happy Claptrap, Steady Eddie, Liz, DeptfordWolf, CanadaWolf and West Parkian for all making it onto the good list by correctly predicting the 2-1 win against Chelsea.

I’m backing us to win tomorrow. It’ll probably be a slog and I’m anticipating another frustrating watch, but we have enough about us going forward – if we can offer more robust resistance than we’ve shown on our travels lately – to go there and win against a depleted Brentford side. 3-1.

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.

Up The Wolves!