Man Utd

It seems almost cruel that after such a momentous victory over Spurs on Saturday, we have to travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday, for another massive test.

The way I see it is, there’s three ways you can look at the timing of this fixture.

1. Man Utd look vulnerable at the back with so many injuries, so it’s a decent time to play them. They’re confidence will also have taken a hit following the loss to Villa on Saturday and hopefully they’ll be feeling the pressure.

2. Man Utd will be smarting from the defeat to Villa and a backlash is likely.

3. There’s never a good time to play Man Utd.

Whichever view you subscribe to, one thing you can certainly say is that Wolves should be able to go there full of confidence and play freely. Those bonus points at White Hart Lane have put us nicely back on track, heading towards a big match against Burnley on Sunday, whereas United desperately need the win. Could that maybe play into our hands?

Even after Saturday’s heroics, I don’t expect Wolves to lay down and die. That performance is sure to have taken a lot out of the players, but we need to summon more of that same resilience if we’re to leave Manchester with anything on Tuesday night.

I don’t really need to say anything about our opponents. They’re a wonderful side, packed full of talented players that can change a game in a heartbeat. In saying that, the loss of Ronaldo and to a lesser extent Carlos Tevaz, has undoubtedly hit them hard and in my opinion, they haven’t replaced those two with like for like quality. Valencia is a good player but far from the finished article and question marks remains as to whether Michael Owen still has what it takes at the very highest level.

But even if United aren’t quite the same force they were last season, they’re still a top side who really should wipe the floor with us if they perform anywhere near their best.

We’ve had a taste of Old Trafford already this season with that narrow 1-0 defeat in the Carling Cup. How we failed to score in that match I’ll never know, given that we had at least three clear opportunities and played most of the game against 10 men. I don’t expect us to carve out as many chances tomorrow, but if we’re lucky enough to get even one, we’d better take it.

It’s a real shame that Mick can’t name the same starting eleven for the third match on the spin, due to that terrible injury to Dave Edwards. I’ve been critical of the Welsh midfielder at times this season, but his energy and enthusiasm are unrivaled, so he’ll certainly be missed. Hopefully it’s not as bad as first feared.

Anyway, here’s my predicted lineup:

Hahnemann

Stearman
Berra
Craddock
Ward

Foley
Henry
Milijas
Jarvis

Doyle
SEB

So that’s just the one change with Foley slotting in on the right side of midfield. I think Mick will want to pick a player he knows will work hard and fill the gap left by the workhorse Edwards and Foley is the obvious choice. Halford is probably still in his bad books after the tantrum he had when taken off against Blues and I don’t think he’s too keen on Surman.

Whatever our manager chooses to do though, I just hope he doesn’t tinker too much with the shape of the side. Our players are beginning to understand their roles and disrupting that would be a big mistake.

In terms of a prediction, I think it’s too big an ask for Wolves to get something from this match, following the exertions of Saturday. Confidence will be sky-high, but I believe we’ll be on the wrong end of the final score, probably something like 3-1.

I just hope that whatever the outcome, we remain confident and upbeat for Sunday’s six pointer against Burnley.

If you’re making the trip to Old Trafford, have a great time and roar the lads on. The support at Spurs on Saturday was again phenomenal by all accounts and more of the same is needed.

Up The Wolves.

I don’t know about you, but I just found this performance (particularly the second half) immensely frustrating.

You’ll never be given a better opportunity to go to Old Trafford and register a win, so Wolves must be kicking themselves this morning that they didn’t make their advantage pay.

Of course you could argue that the sending off was the worst thing that could of happened to us. Before Michael Kightly was cynically hauled to the ground, we’d actually looked bright on the counter attack and capable of causing damage. When United went down to 10 men, suddenly the impetus was with us to take the game to them and we simply didn’t have enough in the final third to get the job done.

There were a few Wolves players that disappointed me; Milijas offered very little in his second half cameo and I was perplexed by how deep he was playing, particularly when we were chasing the game. The Hoff put the effort in, but there was very little quality.

Hahnemann was also very poor and lucky not to cost us goals when nearly robbed of possession twice. Anyone thinking he’s a challenger for Hennessy’s shirt should think again, on this performance at least.

The reason we lost though was a poor collective team performance that lacked any real spark or imagination. I was just waiting for someone in a gold shirt to take the game by the scruff of the neck and turn it our way. But it just never happened.

There was the odd positive. Kightly looked sharp, particularly in the first half and he must have played himself into contention for Sunday. Doyle did very well when he came on and looks every bit a £6.5 million player at the moment.

The return of Foley and Craddock is also good news. They both performed well and offer much needed defensive options to the squad. It will again be interesting to see if either of these players get the nod for Sunday. I personally expect the same back four that started the Fulham match.

But none of these little pluses disguise what ended up being a disappointing night for Wolves.

It’s funny really because had we gone there and been soundly beaten, we all would have dismissed the match as a training exercise. But because we were presented with this marvelous opportunity to throw the holders out in their own back yard, we’re left frustrated thinking what might of been.

Who’d be a Wolves fan hey?

Whatever your thoughts might be about the League Cup, a visit to Old Trafford for a match against the champions is always going to get you interested.

Of course, the United side that will take to the field tonight will be much different to the one that pulled off that dramatic victory over their city rivals at the weekend. But however many changes Ferguson makes, don’t expect an easy ride.

Michael Owen will almost certainly start the match, as will players like Nani and Valencia, who have been in and out of the Red Devil’s side so far. With that kind of quality on the pitch, I expect Wolves to be under the cosh for much of the game.

There will undoubtedly be one or two stars sitting on the bench as well, ready to come on and change the game should Wolves have the audacity to make it a close contest or dare to cause an upset.

But enough about United, what can we expect from the boys in old gold?

Well, it’s already been confirmed this morning that Kightly, SEB and The Hoff will all start tonight giving us some good attacking options, even if two of those players are lacking sharpness. Alongside them, you’ll probably see players that didn’t figure against Fulham or those that haven’t really been given a chance in the league.

Here’s my predicted lineup:

Hahnemann

Foley
Zubar
Berra
Hill

Milijas
Jones
Kightly
Edwards

SEB
Hoff

Of course I’m not sure on a few of these players, but I think Mick will have to start one or two that figured on Sunday due to injuries. It’s a shame as I would have liked to have seen Surman play. But it’s a great chance for the likes of Milijas and Zubar to show what they can do and maybe force their way into contention.

The outcome of the game will probably come down to how strong a team Sir Alex fields. If it’s a particularly inexperienced side, I expect we’ll give them a good game and could possibly sneak the result. However, the addition of one or two more established names will make it a much different proposition.

With Mick stating openly that we’re going there to attack, I think this has the potential to be an entertaining contest.

Based on the fact I think we’ll face a much changed United team, I’m going for a 3-2 win with SEB to score the opener.

If you’re one of the people rich enough to afford the ludicrous £41 ticket price for tonight’s game, have a great time and roar the lads on.

Up The Wolves.