Man Utd

The anatomy of a bad Wolves performance has always been the same under Nuno, particularly this season.

Huddersfield (home and away), Watford, Burnley – they were all quite similar in the concession of a soft goal and the lack of decisiveness in the final third.

But it’s never ‘that bad’ when you compare to some of the dross we’ve suffered in the last 30 odd years, so I’m still counting my lucky stars even after an afternoon to forget at Turf Moor.

Regardless of the result tomorrow, it would be good to see a more effervescent performance ahead of the big one on Sunday.

Man Utd

By all Utd lucky to beat our semi-final opponents at the weekend. Watford peppered their goal with 20 shots and should have got something.

But the result was all important and moved them temporarily back into the top four.

Looking down their remaining fixtures, they’ve got some horrible ones to come against Man City and Chelsea before finishing with more hospitable games at Cardiff and Huddersfield.

On paper, Arsenal and Chelsea probably have it easier but it would be foolish to count out Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team given their form since he took over.

After tomorrow’s game they’ve got a week to prepare for Barcelona’s visit to Old Trafford so they themselves could be guilty of looking ahead.

Romelu Lukaku could be a key addition to their attacking lineup. He was sorely missed in the FA Cup defeat.

The away end

Some comments from the match thread on The Red Cafe forum:

Did Wolves play their full strength team at Burnley? Wouldn’t surprise me if they rested a few given they have Cup semi on the weekend. Cup is probably once in a lifetime opportunity for them while if they keep this group together they can have another top half finish next season. One of the toughest fixtures left in Man. United run in but I do think them just before the helps as I don’t think they’ll quite play with the same intensity they did a few weeks back. 1-2.

Must win. Can’t afford to drop points if we want to make top 4. Wolves are good but we are better if we play as well as we know we can. Just hope the players are up for this one.

Really think they will be focused on the at the weekend. We need to use the width much better this time. I would start Fred, Dalot and maybe even Periera. We need real energy and zip in our play. Herrera and Matic are too slow at the moment.

The same way I knew we’d lose when we went to West Ham in 2016 for a crucial top 4 game because we had beaten them in the cup a couple of weeks earlier, I’m confident of winning this as we lost to them in the cup a couple of weeks earlier. That’s the way it has always worked for us.

We have been extremely poor in the two games we have played against them this season. The midfield been bossed by both Neves & Moutinho. Need to take the game to them and don’t allow them to settle down and start controlling the game like we have done in the previous two encounters.

Wolves

I think Nuno will play something close to his best team, but maybe swap another few out.

Probably worth giving Bennett an opportunity to stake his claim for a place in the semi-final and I’d rest Dendoncker given his exploits for Belgium last week.

Vinagre is always worth a go and I’m a bit surprised he wasn’t used at Burnley anyway.

As the semi-final isn’t until Sunday, there’s plenty of recovery time so no real reason to make major changes.

I really enjoyed Traore’s performance at the weekend, but different ball game against Utd and wouldn’t fancy him defensively tomorrow.

The poll

Predictions

Only Mildenhall Wolf and AshK correctly predicted defeat at Burnley so not much change at the top of the Prediction League table.

As always if you’d like to join in, simply leave your prediction in the comment section below, which is where you’ll find my best guess.

Up The Wolves!

For a wilderness generation who has to take their parents’ word for it, Wolves weren’t put on the footballing map to make up the numbers.

Aside from a dogeared ticket stub from a 4^th round replay in 1995, I’d only had evidence to the contrary, where Molineux would echo to the shrills of the players on the pitch, and the biting wind would make you wonder why you even bothered.

Dad would be with me throughout, carefully cooling my Bovril. The days when his loyalty wasn’t measured by points, but Golden Goal tickets he’d buy in forlorn hope and fanzines he’d fumble for when he couldn’t feel his fingers.

He wasn’t there last night, when all those indelible memories assumed greater poignancy, as Nuno realigned the stars and told the world that Wolves weren’t put on the footballing map to make up the numbers.

This was a win for all ages, with the oldest generation finally content that things were how they should be.  Our rock and roll elders basked in the Led Zep revelry (been a long time, eh?), while my own son stood open mouthed in wonder, his eyes shimmering off the light show that genuinely took his breath away.

I just sat there dumbstruck, carefully cooling his Bovril.

This wasn’t so much a win to eradicate the miserable days of old, but to carefully store them away in the archives, once and for all.

In beating Manchester United to reach Wembley, we entered a new paradigm so enticing that we should no longer look back with anger. Nor should we define this win as the pinnacle, as Fosun’s millions and Nuno’s alchemy suggests that this is just the beginning.

My only regret was that my Dad wasn’t there to see it, having braved the elements on my behalf for so many years, precisely for this moment. He was holding Grandma’s hand in hospital, as she took another turn for the worse.

She could recount the good old days with the best of them, when the Sporting Star was printed in old gold hue. As Diogo Jota smashed home gloriously to scenes I’ll never forget, she’d have seen her great-grandson leaping for joy.

She’d have been very happy.

Josè Mourinho had been waxing lyrical about Wolves in the buildup to this game, and rightfully so.

It must be incredibly gratifying for a manager to see one of his old players doing such fine work in the top flight.

But United’s infamously cantankerous manager was a little misguided in his post-match comments, in which he said Wolves played the match as if it were a World Cup final.

Anyone who has been watching Nuno and his team’s early season exploits will know that they approach every game in exactly the same way, regardless of the opposition.

This trip to Old Trafford was no different, with Wolves in the ascendancy from the get-go.

David de Gea foiled our attempts at an opener on multiple occasions, as the raucous away support roared the team on with little opposition from a muted home end.

Typically, United took the lead not long after as Fred plundered his first goal for the Red Devils thanks to a cute tee-up from Paul Pogba.

My initial view was that Rui Patricio could have kept the Brazilian’s effort out, but replays show it was expertly steered beyond the reach of our Portuguese keeper.

The goal did little to change the tone of the game, with United’s dominance of the ball failing to prevent our threat on the counter.

Joao Moutinho ensured we got the equaliser our efforts deserved, curling a sumptuous strike beyond de Gea after enterprising work from an impressive Helder Costa.

How we managed to get a player of Moutinho’s obvious quality for as little as £5m is beyond me, but he’s already looking like one of the buys of the season. He simply oozes class in everything he does, and complements Reuben Neves brilliantly.

The same could be said of Jonny Otto, who once again operated solidly down the left hand side. He and Matt Doherty are absolutely key to how this team operates, and were unrelenting in their efforts to get up and down the flanks.

Costa and Diogo Jota are also deserving of praise for their performances, with both looking closer to their vintage than they previously had this season. The former was a particular menace right up until his withdrawal, giving a performance reminiscent of his stand-out display at Anfield two seasons ago.

Pandemonium is the best way to describe the away end after the goal, with the travelling support drowning out Old Trafford completely. One can only imagine the scenes if Adama Traore had managed to net one of the two chances he spurned during another enterprising cameo.

The noise continued despite a winner evading us though, with the familiar refrain of ‘Nuno had a dream’ ringing true from the stadium to central Manchester.

Continue playing this way and we’ll have to begin changing the lyrics to our favourite ditty, however. Because at this rate, Wolves aren’t on their way back to the glory days.

They are back.

Media

Results at Old Trafford in my lifetime don’t make for pleasant reading. Played 7, lost 7, scored 4, conceded 17.

I suspect it may have been significantly worse had we been Premier League participants for a few more years at the peak of their dominance.

The losing sequence was nearly broken in 2010 after Sylvan Ebanks-Blake netted a second half equaliser but Park won it for them in Fergie time.

There’s no Sir Alex these days though and the Theatre of Dreams doesn’t intimidate like it once did. Utd haven’t won a title since the great man called it a day and Jose is yet to convince he’s the man to deliver.

I don’t like the term ‘free hit’ but after two straight league wins, Wolves travel with confidence and everything required to have a right good go. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they perform.

Man Utd

As I write this, the Red Devils are preparing for a Champions League fixture in Switzerland as their season begins to gather pace.

Mourinho will be annoyed they’ve already suffered two bad defeats before the imposition of continuous midweek football further stretches the squad.

They were limp against Brighton and fell apart against Spurs having gone a goal behind, but bounced back with two solid away wins against Burnley and high flying Watford.

If they overcome Young Boys tonight, which they should, they’ll return to Old Trafford with renewed energy and a desire to put things right after the mauling from Spurs.

Romelu Lukaku has notched 4 league goals already and will be keen to continue that strike rate after only netting 16 in Premier League last time out, which is low by his standards.

The big striker could be the key performer as he offers the type of physical menace Wolves have yet to really encounter this season.

The Home End

People of my generation all know at least one Utd fan, so I’m pleased to say my good pal Jason agreed to answer some questions for us ahead of the game.

1. Utd have bounced back from those two defeats to Brighton and Spurs with two solid wins against Burnley and Watford. How would you assess the season to date?
We’ve started the season as I would have expected. We’re still trying to find a winning formula and I don’t think our manager knows his best 11, which is showing in the results to date.

2. Mourinho has come in for a lot of criticism over the last year. Do you think that’s fair? Should Utd be doing better or has the competition just got stronger?
Utd are still in transition. Just when we feel like we have the side to compete, the competition spend another 75-100m and change the game. We are getting there but it will take longer than we expected to reach our goal of being champions again. I think Mourinho brings a lot of criticism on himself. He’s the managerial equivalent of Pogba as he doesn’t know how to stay away from the camera and always has to say something controversial. He gets a lot of stick but he has been around for a very long time now and his record speaks for itself. The job is bigger than a lot of people think it is and with his experience he will turn things around. I’m not sure if he will get the time though when success needs to be now not later.

3. What do you think constitutes success for Utd this year?
The Premier League is the most competitive it has ever been. Any of the so called Big 6 could win the league. Utd are progressing more and more every season and finishing second last year was under estimated by a lot of people. I still think we lack the consistency and squad depth to win the league, but I’d be happy with a top 4 finish especially when looking around at the teams that will be competing for those places.

4. Who do you view as your key players?
We rely on players like De Gea, Valencia, Matic, Young (Shaw this season) and Lukaku who’s started the season well. The rest of the players I haven’t mentioned are rotated quite a lot or like Pogba don’t perform consistently enough. Losing Matic to suspension for this game is a massive blow. With a weaker central defence his strength is key and he can also bring the ball out. He is massively underrated.

5. What have you made of Wolves this season? Have any players caught your eye? And where do you think we’ll end up come the end of the season?
Wolves have made a solid start and bounced back well from the Leicester defeat. Moutinho has impressed me the most – he’s a really tidy player and keeps the game flowing. Generally all the players fit the system well. I had Wolves to finish in the top 10 at the start and I’m going to stick with that. Speaking to the majority of Wolves fans I know survival is key but on the other hand a lot expect higher so saying top 10 seems a realistic call.

6. Do you think any of the Wolves players would get into the Utd team and if so which player would you take?
That’s a tough question, but if I could have a player it would be Neves due to him being so consistent and disciplined. Close second would be Moutinho.

7. How do you view this fixture? Are you confident of a good result?
This will be the toughest game Utd have had at OT against Wolves. They’re a very confident side and the results are reflecting that so I expect something really positive from Wolves. Losing 3-0 to Spurs in our last home game was disappointing so I’m hoping Utd step up and don’t under estimate the opposition. Playing in Europe Wednesday won’t help, especially as it’s away, but we have no excuses to play so poorly at home again.

8. What’s your score prediction?
Going 2-1 Utd with Wolves to score first. Lukaku with both goals and Jota to get his first.

Wolves

It’s difficult to predict anything other than the same starting lineup Nuno has fielded in every Premier League match so far.

I thought he might finally give into the temptation of starting Traore after his goal at West Ham, but as someone astutely pointed out to me on Twitter ‘Nuno favours control over chaos’ and so it proved against Burnley.

Wolves completely smothered the Clarets and controlled the entire game. You could see that when Traore came on that while he adds dynamism and a very direct threat, he’s not quite folded into the style of play just yet.

I’m really hoping the team don’t give anything away in the early parts of the game and move the ball around as impressively as they have done in recent weeks. The above XI will give them the best chance of achieving that primary objective.

The Poll

Predictions

You’ll all be pleased to know I registered the maximum against Burnley to move myself off the bottom of the Prediction League table – so there. Well done to my fellow losers who also got some points to ensure nobody has zero from 5.

Dr. Phil is still leading the way with 9 points from 4 predictions, but LukeW and Shready are right there with him. Special mention too for guest contributor Paddy, screaching up the table with 7 points from just 3 predictions. You can see the full table here.

As always, leave your predictions for the game in the comment section below, which is where you can also see my forecast.

Up The Wolves!

It must have been within seconds of the fifth goal flying in when that unfathomable thought entered my mind.

The brilliant South Bank in full song, the players in brief remission and some glorious gallows humour to numb the last remaining dol of pain left.

‘I am having my season ticket again,’ I declared.

The cathartic change in emotion as we capitulated to our third consecutive Sky Sports thrashing is what our CEO might describe as the ‘Wolves DNA’ kicking in.

It is only ironic that Jez Moxey’s definition of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ gene pool is the very antithesis of every indefatigable Wolves fan stood singing in the Jack Harris.

Like the subsiding levels of bile in those South Bankers’ tummies, there are similarly few bland platitudes left to do justice to this entire debacle anymore.

There is barely any ink left in Tim Nash’s biro for a start, let alone pages in his shorthand book.

In this unprecedented season of sin, the notion of aspiration was replaced with pragmatism months ago.

We can barely stomach any resistance to our tragically preventable decline to the depths of despair, so we are left with our chromosomes, a good old sense of humour and eachother.

The days of berating our chief executive’s salary defying amateurism, our owner’s twisted rationale and our manager’s weak submission can wait for another day.

Until that day, we will continue to shuffle into Molineux in much the same manner we did back in November with the ever sobering thought that our team is a lost cause.

We will watch Stephen Ward make the same mistakes that Steve Coppell gleefully exploited with Jimmy Kebe four years ago, witness incompetent defending from set pieces and groan at a flagrant disregard of the very notion of ‘possession’ in between.

When quicker, more athletic players like Danny Wellbeck sidefoots home a third goal before half time, we will shrug our shoulders in much the same way as our error-prone goalkeeper did at the time.

And when Ronald Zubar assumes clown like proportions befitting of our comedy club to get sent off, we won’t even bother arguing that it would have made a difference.

Any in-depth analysis of a passage of play – let alone the game itself – is as pointless as a ‘Scouse Mafia’ banner in the grand scheme of things.

Wolves have become a laughable rudderless ship, complete with the leadership skills of Francesco Schettino.

But when our battered wreck is pulled from the depths of the Premier League in time for more familiar voyages back to N-Power, one look at those weathered, wonderful souls in the South Bank will be enough to satisfy a numpty’s DNA like mine.