Brighton

That’s what I call a hard earned and thoroughly deserved point.

If we were in any doubt of Gary O’Neil’s credentials, they were rubber stamped tonight.

We’ve become a tactically astute, entertaining side under the former Bournemouth boss, pressing teams high and taking a direct approach to goal.

But tonight we saw a different side to Wolves versus a slick Brighton outfit. The Seagulls huffed and puffed but ultimately O’Neil had Wolves perfectly set-up.

One of his biggest achievements is giving Semedo the ability to sniff out danger. On a couple of occasions at the AMEX we had Nelson to thank with a couple of last-ditch interventions.

A minor gripe would be the lack of a final ball in the first-half, and some rusty finishing in the second.

But Neto and Cunha ran themselves into the ground, and the former was a particular menace on the break.

Tonight confirmed O’Neil’s and Wolves’ progress against one of the best footballing sides in the country.

You’d have to say we’re in the European conversation.

But there are other matters to attend to first.

There’s something about Albions.

We’ve managed a few narrow wins over Brighton in semi-recent history, but have also experienced plenty of chastening defeats.

In one of the more harrowing stats I’ve unearthed, the aggregate score is 16-3 over the most recent four straight losses to the Seagulls. Gulp.

Then of course there’s our abysmal record down the road against that other lot. More about that next week.

It’s about time we started doling out some pain I’d say, but as always against this oppositon, I don’t expect an easy ride.

Brighton

It’s damaging to us that Hwang is away at the Asian Cup, but I’ll happily accept the trade-off with Mitoma missing for them. He has been a constant thorn in our side in the three games we’ve faced him.

As you’ll be aware I’m sure, they’re far from a one-man team. In fact, Roberto De Zerbi has probably rotated his starting XI more than any other coach in the Premier League, such is his faith in the collective group.

And overall, you’d have to say they’ve delivered, with European glory still a realistic possibility and consistent enough league form to keep them in and around the top six.

Can they keep pulling rabbits out of the hat with their blend of near-perfect recruitment and elite coaching? It’s hard to think they won’t get stung eventually if top talent keeps getting harvested by the elite, but in the age of FFP where player trading is essential for everyone, they must be in the most robust position of any top-flight club.

Last time out they came back to progress in the FA Cup with a 4-2 win at Stoke and will be nicely rested up for this one.

But others who will miss out for them on Monday (through injury and the pursuit of international glory) include Solly March, Joel Veltman, Julio Enciso, Ansu Fati and Simon Adingra – all fine players, so that’s helpful to our cause.

Wolves

Our own squad is stretched by international duty and the suspension for Joao Gomes, but I expect to see a strong XI on Monday.

Dawson has to come back into the side in my opinion and then there’s a decision to be made at left-back between Hugo Bueno and Doherty as well as who plays across that front three.

Pedro must be close to getting a start now, so it should be him and either Sarabia or Bellegarde operating on the other side around Cunha. That decision might be made on a tactical basis to combat Brighton’s unique style of play.

We could really do with getting through this one unscathed with our options from the bench significantly reduced without Gomes, Boubacar, Hwang, Ait-Nouri, Fabio or Kalajdzic to call on. Four of those should be back in a few weeks, but if we aspire to greater things over the second half of the season, I think we could do with one or two additions, even if the likes of Hodge and Fraser can do a decent job in the interim.

Predictions

Only Steve K was bold enough to predict a 3-0 victory in our last league game against Everton. Well done to him for that unbridled display of optimism.

There’s no reason we shouldn’t have our say in this game, but we have to respect Brighton and they’ve only lost once in the league at home this season. A draw would be a solid result for us and I’ll back us to collect that point in an entertaining, high-scoring contest – 2-2.

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!

I’m more upset about the one than the four.

Yes, it was horrible to see us taken apart at the start of the second half, but Brighton are so good on the ball that any cracks in the resistance will always be exposed.

Gary O’Neil has to work out what exactly went wrong after the break to allow them such easy entry and turn an intriguing game into another bloodbath. They might argue it was always going that way, and they could be right.

Semedo can’t live with Mitoma, we knew that already. But right across that front line, their pace, technique and movement off the ball is on a different planet to anything Wolves can offer.

We got slapped by Chelsea at a similar time in the season under Nuno a few years back but I would say this Brighton team is even better. I’ll be surprised if we see many superior sides visit Molineux this season.

That being said, if Wolves had taken even half of the clear chances they created themselves, we could have easily stayed in the fight.

Fabio and Ait-Nouri were the main culprits today before the game sprinted away from us but plenty of others fluffed their lines when opportunity came knocking.

It’s even more frustrating than last season because some of the pacey, direct build up play is really quite encouraging. Cunha in particular was sensational again, but when he opens up the game, those ahead of him just aren’t cashing in.

Nunes was another to impress with some penetrating runs from deep, but two acts of pure petulance mean he now sits out the next game. How stupid.

The rest of the midfield struggled in and out of possession. Lemina got robbed in bad areas and Gomes was similarly wasteful at times. But again, Brighton are so aggressive and organised in the press, it means possession is always being taken in dangerous positions.

Part of that second half collapse was a result of our midfielders getting caught on the wrong side of the ball and seeing them both strolling back as Brighton made it four isn’t something I’d like to witness again.

Once the damage had been done, I credit the team for keeping on, getting us on the board with a goal and showing we can at least continue to ask a few questions of good teams.

I didn’t get too swept along with the good feeling post Old Trafford – we did lose. But at the same time, I’m not over thinking this one. Brighton are a lot better than us and the result, while unpleasant, can’t be viewed as unexpected.

The next two will tell us more.

We’ve got legs.

That’s not something you’ve been able to say about some of the static, plodding Wolves teams we’ve seen in recent years.

Man Utd certainly looked surprised at how quickly they were closed down in possession, with the ball transported up the other end in double quick time.

The obvious disappointment – aside from another robo-ref howler – was the continued profligacy in front of goal.

Sarabia, Neto and Cunha all should have done better and if we don’t address that issue, it will be another long old season, regardless of how many yards are covered.

Brighton

There were no such problems for the Seagulls in their opening day slaughter of Luton. It was 4 and it could have been double.

I think there’s a suspicion their form will eventually drop off when they get drowned out by all those European fixtures. And can they really keep selling all these top players and maintain a level? They’ve managed it so far.

Another £150m of talent has headed out the exit over the summer with about a third reinvested into the team. Cash was splashed on forward João Pedro, a player many of the top sides have reportedly coveted but it’s Brighton who’ve made the move.

Fellow attacker Evan Ferguson is another to watch. Still only 18 and already looks to have everything you’d want in a number 9.

It’s too early in the season to say with confidence how this latest incarnation will fare but I can’t see them being any lower than midtable.

Wolves

Before anyone shouts at me, I don’t have access to my computer for a new team graphic so I’m using last week’s again. Terrible I know.

But other than Ait-Nouri for Doherty, I think the above is the team I’d pick. We’ve got to play a number 9 and for me that should be Sasa.

He’s going to be a magnet to incidents like we saw in the dying stages of the Utd game because defenders (and goalkeepers obviously) don’t know how to handle him.

I know Fabio is flavour of the month but my worry there is we get even more running and enthusiasm but still no end product. Hopefully I’m proven wrong if he does get the nod and maybe it’s too early to be starting Kalajdzik anyway.

Predictions

Plenty of people correctly guessed we’d lose at Man Utd but nobody got the scoreline. You can view the early table here.

This week I’m feeling more optimistic having enjoyed that opening weekend performance, but I have a lot of respect for Brighton. Their away form was exceptional last season and coming hot on the heels of another great win, they make me nervous.

I’ll go for an entertaining score draw, which would do for me. We just want to get on the board. 2-2.

Up The Wolves.

The kindest thing I can say is that I didn’t see this coming.

Brighton are good, but boy, were we bad.

A totally spineless, idiotic performance littered with some of the worst individual errors I’ve ever seen from a Wolves team.

Matheus Nunes can’t have played a worse game of football in his 24 years on earth. He was personally responsible for at least two of the goals and I cannot fathom why Julen Lopetegui kept him on the pitch. It was borderline masochistic.

He was the headline act of this seaside horror show but well supported by a stellar cast including Sa, Collins and Kilman who all chipped in with comical mistakes to contribute to the emphatic scoreline.

I suppose the manager has to take a hefty old dollop of blame for a tactical setup that seemed to create the type of open game that Brighton dream about. Time and again they played through our midfield and exposed our backline with penetrating runs. It probably should have been more.

But even with the best game plan in the world, you can’t account for some of the giveaways his players offered up. They simply have to do better.

Predictably, we couldn’t make anything of the oceans of space they afforded our own attackers on the break with Podence, Neto, Hwang and yes, that man Nunes, all squandering good positions to at least put us on the board.

I would extend credit to Pedro Neto for a typically industrious performance, but it can’t be ignored that his inability to convert good positions into goals has been a problem whenever he’s been fit in this challenging season.

I’m not sure why Matheus Cunha wasn’t used at all having played a key role in our recent successes while the hapless Podence went through his usual routine of running into people and rolling around on the floor.

He is one of a number of players that must be hanging by a thread if Lopetegui is intent on building a more robust, consistent side to compete in the Premier League.

Based on this laughable effort, we’re still a long way off.