Burnley

This probably wasn’t what Amazon Prime had in mind to launch the first round of their Yuletide festival of football.

There was more than a touch of midweek Championship football about this forgettable fixture, which saw Wolves conspire to win despite being well off the pace for the most part.

Still, winning when you haven’t played well isn’t a bad habit to master and is in stark contrast to what we’ve gotten used to in seasons gone by. 

I was initially surprised by how effusive O’Neil was about his player’s efforts at full-time, especially given his agitated touchline antics throughout the game.

However, in hindsight, I can understand why the gaffer was pleased to get through this one unscathed. Burnley had their tails up after routing Sheffield United last time around, meaning this bout had ‘potential banana skin’ written all over it.

Indeed, the script may have read differently at full-time were it not for a solid performance from the Wolves rearguard.  

Bentley deserves credit for the terrific double save that prevented the Clarets from opening the scoring, and Dawson and Kilman were both terrific throughout. 

We were less impressive in midfield, where both Gomes and Lemina were both well below their usual standards. Although both improved after the interval, they were completely overrun in the first 45.   

Up top, I thought Sarabia was mightily impressive. The Spaniard is definitely one to file under the ‘luxury player’ moniker but made the most of his opportunity last night. 

Cunha and Hwang were less inspiring but still combined well for the winner, further underlying the burgeoning potency of their partnership.

All in all, we got the job done and are a tidy 11 points clear of the drop zone heading into the congested festive period which, given the gloomy pre-season forecast, isn’t to be sniffed at.

Four games before Christmas, three at home – please don’t do anything stupid lads.

What’s an acceptable return?

Five points would probably be alright. Six or seven better. Certainly no less than four.

Of all the fixtures in the sequence, this is the one you don’t want to lose; seeing that distance between ourselves and the bottom three eroded.

I’m nervous, but instead of fearing calamity, let’s frame it as an opportunity to lay down another marker.

Burnley

I think Vincent Kompany will also recognise the value of this match. Battering Sheffield Utd – as important as it was for morale – will only count for something if they can follow it up with another result.

They couldn’t do it after they won at Luton, embarking on another five-game losing streak to plonk them right back at the foot of the table.

The Clarets have only beaten the two teams they came up with and taken a point from Forest. It’s 11 defeats from their other matches and 32 goals conceded in the process.

I’d be interested to know from a Burnley fan’s perspective whether they’re actually a better team now than they were in the Championship because, from the outside, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. The likes of Amdouni and Koleosho have looked decent in flashes though and it will be good to get a proper look at them tomorrow.

Regardless of what they do in this fixture, I think they’ve got their work cut out to survive. They’re better than Luton and Sheffield Utd, but from what I’ve seen so far I wouldn’t back them in a foot race against Everton, Bournemouth or some of the other teams in the immediate vicinity.

Wolves

I don’t think Dan Bentley did much wrong after coming on at Arsenal, but I’d still prefer to see Jose Sa back between the sticks tomorrow.

Hugo Bueno did some decent things on his return to the starting XI, but personally, I’d lean on Doc’s experience for this game.

Lemina and Gomes should be nicely rested so hopefully we can get big performances out of them.

Matheus Cunha has two in two and those are the kind of returns we desperately need, particularly with Pedro Neto still ruled out.

Predictions

Well done to PeteRobbo who was the only person to correctly predict the 2-1 defeat on Saturday.

I’m going for a draw tomorrow – let’s say 2-2. I’d like to go the whole hog, but I’m concerned about our inability to keep clean sheets. We get forward and create chances, but need to tighten up at the back. A point wouldn’t be awful, just to address the slide after losing the last two.

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!

We’ve got to sort this attack out.

There are some good footballers across that front line but none possess the required aggression, devilment or penetration to consistently score goals.

Even if Bruno goes to a back four next season I’m not convinced an extra body further up the pitch will solve the problem. The personnel isn’t right.

Prior to Burnley going ahead in this game with the only chance they created there were a few nice passages of play but every time, without fail, it broke down around the penalty area.

Jonny and Semedo were the only players in gold shirts to register meaningful efforts on goal which tells you everything about how passive our strike force has become.

Raul, playing deeper behind Fabio, typified the performance, occupying some neat positions and looking creative in moments but seeming to forget the ultimate objective was to score a goal.

And Fabio himself was energetic and persistent but again on the rare occasion a cross did come into a good area he was nowhere to be seen.

Pedro came on with enough time to make an impact but again looked a couple of yards off the pace. I’d have liked to have seen Chiquinho who at least plays with energy and purpose. If we didn’t get him to disrupt games like this, I’m unsure why we bothered at all.

What’s frustrating is we were having the same conversation a year ago and two transfer windows have passed where this obvious deficiency has not been addressed.

Maybe it was fair to believe Raul returning and Trincao and Hwang coming in could offer a solution but unfortunately these are all technically sound footballers that largely operate on the periphery of the game and lack any sort of physical power.

A bonafide number 9 must arrive in the summer and maybe, just maybe, we won’t look quite so inept when teams are sitting deep and the onus is on us to force the issue.

The woeful attempts to do anything after Burnley scored (combined with the Goals For column) should at least serve as a timely reminder about the importance of this matter.

Sometimes an extended break comes at the right time.

Wolves needed a reset after that meek outing at St James’ Park and hopefully, they can now attack this fixture with more energy and intent.

Results elsewhere were positive for the most part with the gap below still substantial and West Ham unable to cement their position above.

If the lads can rouse themselves to collect six points from the next two, they’d give themselves a wonderful chance of finishing seventh.

We’ve yet to win at Turf Moor since returning to the Premier League and now would be a handy time to improve our record.

Burnley

If sacking Sean Dyche was supposed to give them a bounce, it worked. Four points from the last two games has put them right back in contention for survival and might even make them slight favourites given Everton’s difficult run-in.

Southampton were routinely swept aside on Thursday so morale in their camp should be high for this one. They know a draw would be enough to lift them out of the relegation zone ahead of Everton’s trip to Anfield.

Scoring goals has been a problem for the Clarets again this season, with just 28 in the league so far. Only Norwich have managed fewer.

Defensively, they’re still strong with a better goals-against record than both Man Utd and Leicester. They’re always competitive and that always gives them a chance.

A home record of won four, drawn six, lost six isn’t particularly intimidating but they’ve won the last two at Turf Moor and scored five goals in the process so the danger signs are there.

Wolves

With Neves, Podence and Kilman all out Bruno is operating with limited options, but at least a few of the senior players are back.

The above is the team I’d like to see, which I think has the physicality to combat Burnley’s direct style and inflict enough damage when we’ve got the ball.

Semedo down the right and Jonny down the left is an experiment I feel Bruno has to attempt at some point so it might as well be now. Both are too good not to be in the side.

Raul should be hungry after a couple of weeks of clicking his heels and maybe Pedro might have enough football in him now to be more effective from the start.

News that Moutinho reportedly wants to stay and Wolves want to keep him is encouraging, so I hope they get that worked out. He’s once again been a major part of our success this season.

Last time out

Although we couldn’t break Burnley down at Molineux earlier in the season I felt the approach was right and we did a lot of good things. Traore smashed the underside of the bar in a typically frustrating night in front of goal.

We lost 2-1 in this fixture last season, which already feels a lifetime ago. They completely bullied us and the only shining light was Fabio who came on to win and score a penalty on an otherwise horrible night. It was even worse at Molineux when they drummed us 4-0 later in the season.

Predictions

Nobody thought we’d lose 1-0 to Newcastle so that’s nice and easy.

Brompton Wolf remains clear at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 32.

As always, if you’d like to join in, 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.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

Polite request – when commenting in the preview article after the game has finished, can you not place score predictions in the boxes, please? It confuses the system. Many thanks.

That’s the most frustrated I’ve felt after a match under Bruno.

Burnley are well drilled by Dyche but Wolves’ slow build-up play, poor output from the wing backs and dearth of quality in the final third was excruciating to witness.

The inevitably of a goalless draw for much of the contest rather sums up why Wolves have only scored 12 goals in 14 league games. Two attempts on target tonight from 16 shots is a similarly painful stat.

We’re at our best under Bruno when the ball is moved quickly and Raul, Hwang, Podence and to a certain extent Trincao are operating between the lines and on the ‘inside’.

So, Bruno’s pre-match comments about this being the perfect match for Traore were baffling. There was no space for Traore to operate and even when he did move into dangerous positions he unsurprisingly fluffed his lines. Adama will never fit into the intricate style Bruno is building.

Traore’s inclusion also meant a heavy reliance on us playing it out wide. It just doesn’t work. Ait-Nouri and Semedo continually cut back on themselves, either giving it away or producing woeful deliveries.

Wolves looked at their best when Hwang was getting on the ball between the lines at times in the second half.

But Moutinho needed a major helping hand from Neves to ensure the endless amounts of possession resulted in a constant supply line of pinpoint passes into both feet and space. Poor Joao had a thankless task of running the midfield alongside a running-through-treacle Dendoncker.

We’ll be ok this season and more than likely finish midtable. It’s just a shame that Fosun don’t recognise what Bruno could achieve at this club if provided with the proper tools to form a top-quality squad.

The away form has been a problem but at Molineux, I’ve really enjoyed our last three performances.

Playing out from the back, fluid through the midfield and elite-level interplay in the final third.

Case in point, the superb winning goal against West Ham that capped the best all-around home performance since I don’t know when.

Bruno Lage has to find a way to emulate this style on our travels. Of course, it’s harder away with teams keener in their press and better placed to force their game on us, but there’s considerable room for improvement.

For now, though, it’s back-to-back home games against teams at either end of the table, both of whom we’ve taken little from in recent years.

Burnley

The 4-0 drubbing in this fixture last season did not flatter Burnley. It probably should have been more.

That humiliation made it three defeats in our six games against the Clarets since returning to the Premier League, with just one measly victory in that sequence.

So far this season, Sean Dyche’s boys have only managed one victory themselves in 12 matches and are unsurprisingly below the dotted line.

I doubt that will faze them though and they’ll keep going about their business as Burnley do – grinding out results with hard graft and consistent performance levels.

They haven’t lost any of their last four matches and that run included a point at Stamford Bridge and a thumping victory against Brentford. Under-estimate them at your peril.

Their game against Spurs was postponed on Sunday so they’re coming in fresh, but James Tarkowski, Ashley Westood (suspension) and Ashley Barnes (injured) are all ruled out. That is tremendously helpful to us.

Chris Wood loves a goal against Wolves though and Maxwel Cornet has been a revelation since joining from Lyon, scoring 5 in 8 appearances.

Wolves

Trincao was the punching bag for our shortcomings at Carrow Road. He was poor but I think it’s unfair to suggest he was the only problem.

I expect Traore to be given a chance tomorrow and I think this is the right game to use him, particularly with Ruben Neves suspended.

Without our maestro pulling strings in the midfield, it’s going to be much harder to play through Burnley so having that direct option will be very handy.

What we lose in playmaking we gain in height with Dendoncker and that’s no bad thing in this fixture. Hopefully, they’re also weakened at attacking dead balls without Tarkowski and Westwood who I believe is their chief corner taker.

Last time out

The less said about our performances against Burnley last season the better. I’ve already referenced the Molineux meltdown that was screened live on the BBC for added misery so read the report if you want to re-live that one.

It wasn’t much better at Turf Moor. It finished 2-1 thanks to Fabio Silva’s late penalty but in truth we were just bullied out of that one too with Nuno fielding a weird, experimental side that included Owen Otasowie as a false 9.

Predictions

Well done to BG who was the only person to predict the blank scoreline against Norwich and collects a maximum.

Brompton Wolf leads the way at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 13.

As always, if you’d like to join in, 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.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

Polite request – when commenting in the preview article after the game has finished, can you not place score predictions in the boxes, please? It confuses the system. Many thanks.