Middlesbrough

They’ve been shoved, kicked and assaulted.

They’ve been accused of cheating while the great injustices have continually been at their expense.

They’ve been told they’ll freeze in the winter and fold down the home straight.

They’ve been condemned for over celebrating while the opposition leap around at the merest hint of success.

They’ve been challenged, doubted, expected, disrespected and let’s be honest, downright cheated at times.

Yet still, still they produce when it truly matters.

There can be no debating that Wolves have benefited from their unique situation off the field, but on it, they’ve continually been fighting the odds.

This was 96 minutes to crystallize an entire season with all of the above neatly and predictably checked off the list as promotion moved another giant step closer.

The referee will steal the headlines for losing the plot as he ultimately shaped the narrative of the game.

Disregarding the expected heavy treatment Wolves received in the first half when greater action should have been taken, Stuart Atwell made vaguely logical decisions up until the moment Helder Costa was upended on route to goal.

Was it a deliberate trip from George Friend? Perhaps not. But it’s a foul and a straight red all the same. Nobody would have bothered disputing.

And if he gets the game’s pivotal decision correct, all that followed is avoided.

Yes, Wolves should have dealt with that injustice better and several late tackles were correctly punished with yellow in the immediate aftermath.

But the phantom card for Neves and the suggested elbow from Doherty turned theatre into pantomime and it didn’t need to be that way.

The man in the middle simply did nothing to calm the situation which is exactly what any good official would have done.

Had Boro got the equaliser their meagre efforts against nine men barely warranted the sense of injustice would have been intolerable.

Mercifully, with a two goal head start and the best defender the Championship may have ever seen in Willy Boly, not even that considerable handicap could deny the league leaders.

A well worked opener, the notable feather in the cap of a set piece goal against a Tony Pulis side, and that defiant rearguard action all bore the hallmarks of champions.

Should that come to fruition, nobody can say it isn’t richly deserved.

Here’s one for you: When was the last time Wolves won at the Riverside?

The answer is never.

Admittedly I may have trotted that little gem out once or twice before.

This has actually been a home banker since the days of Ayresome Park, with Boro undefeated since April 11th 1951.

We were a good team in the 50s I’m told and we’re good team now, so an opportunity if ever there was one, to break the curse and force me into coming up with some original material next time around.

Middlsbrough

When we kicked off on the opening day of the season I don’t think many people expected Wolves to be 20 points ahead of their opponents come the end of March.

But it could have been worse. They spent a chunk of the season languishing just above midtable despite spending millions in the summer and that mediocrity was enough to cost Garry Monk his job.

Tony Pulis has since lifted them into the top six, but it’s hard to see Bristol City, Sheff Utd and Preston all going quietly into the night. In fact, lose this game and they’ll almost certainly drop out of the play-off places.

The goals of Patrick Bamford and the supply line from Adama Traore have been paramount in their recent surge and they present the most obvious danger.

Wolves

Assuming no international duty disasters, team selection should be automatic.

Hopefully the pace of Benik Afobe can give us the attacking edge the team lacked in recent defeats at Fulham and Villa.

The Saiss and Neves combination in midfield could also be pivotal. We didn’t have them playing together in either game and their ability to retain and circulate possession will be imperative in what will likely be a tight contest.

The odds

Wolves are 9/5 to get the win, with Boro priced at 83/41. The draw is 11/5. All the latest bookies offers from the best betting sites can be found at that site to maximise your returns.

Predictions

Although we have far easier fixtures (on paper at least) to obtain the points necessary for promotion, it would be nice to make a statement.

We could easily win if everything clicks, but I suspect Middlesbrough will be well organised and uncompromising.

I’d take a point and I think that’s the most likely outcome.

1-1.

Up The Wolves!

I contacted the lads at OneBoro to get the lowdown on what’s happening at the Riverside, their aspirations for the remainder of the season and their take on Friday’s game. Big thanks to Boro fan Matt Strachan for answering my questions.

Boro have really come good lately and are looking a strong bet for the play-offs. What’s triggered the upturn in form?

The main factor, pure and simply has been the fact Tony Pulis is beginning to get his methods across to the team.

When he first arrived, you could tell he wasn’t sure who he could fit into his system, but he’s made some subtle but effective tweaks to the team. Pulis is renowned for preferring a larger back four, so Fabio has been swapped for Ryan Shotton and former Wanderer’s fullback Friend is back in and playing like his old self.

The last six games or so we’ve looked a lot more solid at the back and we’ve actually been scoring a fair few goals, especially (as you’d expect from a Pulis team) from set plays.

Bristol City, Sheffield Utd and Preston are also pushing hard for the top six with Derby continuing to wobble. Do you think you’ll make the play-offs and would you fancy your chances against the likes of Fulham or Villa if they miss out on the top two?

In my mind, a play-off place this season would be a massive bonus considering there’s been a lot change around the club over the last season and a bit. Relegation, Karanka leaving, Monk coming and going, 40m spent on a lot of players that have already moved on in January and the arrival of Pulis.

Personally, I feel as if it’s a season too early for us. Next year under Pulis I could see us really having a go for an automatic place, but considering our record against teams in the top 8 I’d be skeptical of us navigating through the lottery of the play-offs.

Villa are a strange outfit, comfortably beating Wolves then going on to lose to QPR and Bolton, but on their day they’re a good outfit under Bruce who knows how to get the job done in this league. Fulham in my mind are the best team outside the top 2 so I definitely wouldn’t want to play them! Mitrovic is on fire and with talents like Sessongon and Cairney, you’d back them to go up.

Your chairman usually gives managers time, so why do you think Garry Monk was so hastily discarded?

I think over the last decade Gibson has sometimes given managers too much time when it clearly isn’t working and after last season’s disappointment he knew he needed to act. I think Pulis becoming available also was a factor, knowing an experienced Premier League manager could be tempted to Teesside.

I wasn’t thrilled about the appointment myself, but on a wider scale, Monk never seemed to create a rapport with the fans. His pre and post-match press conferences became alarming robotic, he couldn’t seem to find his best system or XI and what was the best defence in the Championship last time around, looked very shaky under him.

Tony Pulis has a reputation for negative, anti-football. Were you happy with the appointment and what has the style been like so far?

I was very happy with the appointment, I think Tony is the sort of manager the team needed at this moment in time. We’d had Karanka then Monk who were two gambles because of their limited managerial experience, so an old head has certainly given the players a clearer picture of what’s needed.

One of the things I like about Pulis is that there are no grey areas, he’s very vocal and firm in press conferences, he seems to give you credit if he sees you’re working hard but he’s also rigorous on the training field.

In terms of the style, I wouldn’t describe it as boring anti-football it’s actually been pretty good to watch. Yes, there are some Pulism’s like set-pieces and long throws but he’s surprised a lot of Boro fans I think, I think people easily forget the way his Palace side played.

It’s been Patrick Bamford and Adama Traore grabbing the headlines. Are those the two players we should be fearing most in this game?

It’s remarkable to think under Monk, Bamford could barely get in the squad let alone the bench and Adama was largely starting here and there.

Adama over the last few months has been nothing short of a revelation and I’d be very surprised if he was wearing a Boro shirt next season. When we first signed Adama you could see his blistering pace was a huge weapon but his crossing and shooting was pretty appalling. Slowly but surely Pulis has transformed his game, overall his crossing and decision making is much better and he’s even adding some great goals to his repertoire.

For Boro fans, it’s great to see Bamford playing well again and with a smile on his face. He’s still thought of very fondly from his first time on Teeside, but when he returned from various loans he looked a shadow of his former self.

Strangely enough, until Gustede got injured he’d been playing wide left but after being moved up front he’s really taken the No9 shirt now. Not the strongest player, but he’s pacey and technically gifted, should keep the Wolves centre halves busy.

Another player who deserves a lot of credit since his loan move in January is Mo Besic, a very agile box-to- box player.

What’s been your general take on Wolves this season? Have you been surprised by their success?

By and large very impressed, there’s a nice balance to the side and obviously the Portuguese influx makes Wolves very good on the eye. From a neutral point of view, I’ve really enjoyed watching the likes of Neves, Jota, Bonatini, and Costa when he’s on song.

I haven’t been too surprised with Wolves, you’ve been putting in some great building blocks season after season. What surprised me more was to see Cardiff slowly eat up what looked like an unassailable lead but I still back you to go up as champions.

We’ve got a horrendous record in this fixture and I don’t think we’ve ever won at The Riverside. What do you see as Boro’s weaknesses and how can Wolves exploit them?

Well if it gives you any hope we had a similar Riverside record against Derby and they came up and thumped us 3-0!

We were under Monk at that point and we’re a much more solid outfit. In terms of weaknesses perhaps fullback, Friend, and Shotton aren’t the fastest so that could give your wide players some joy.

How do you think you’ll line up (formation and personnel)?

We’ll start most likely with Randolph in goal, back four of Shotton, Gibson, Ayala, Friend, three central midfield players in Besic, Howson and either Clayton/Leadbitter, out wide Downing and Adama then up front Bamford.

How do you see the game panning out and what are your predictions on the outcome?

If we’d played this fixture end of last year when we were under Monk and Wolves were flying I’d be very worried (lucky we played you first game of the season before you hit your stride!).

We have a pretty poor record against high flying teams this season so I think this maybe a bridge too far, I’d be delighted with a draw but I’m going 2-0 Wolves.

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Thanks again to Matt and the boys at One Boro Middlesbrough FC Forum for helping line this up and good luck for the remainder of the season (after Friday).

It’s fitting that a goalkeeper, as much as anyone else, helped Wolves secure this precious opening day win.

Embed from Getty Images

While Carl Ikeme was in our thoughts, John Ruddy’s faultless performance between the sticks ensured the big occasion went poignantly to plan.

The former Norwich man’s starfish dive was enough to distract Martin Braithwaite from equalising just before the break and he was quick off his line in the second to sniff out the threat of Britt Assombalonga.

Much of the attention surrounding the construction of this Wolves team is focused further up the pitch, but he could yet prove the most valuable addition.

I was impressed with the defence in front of him too which looked organised, compact and tough to breakdown.

Yes, Boro got through a few times in the second half, but the three center halves, the wing backs and two holding midfielders generally snuffed most things out.

Boly is a huge acquisition in more ways than one, towering over everyone and continually dominating in the air. You couldn’t get a more perfectly suited Championship center half.

Miranda found life harder up against the busy Assombalonga, but I liked his tenacious, no-quarter-given approach. He never let up once.

Coady, Neves and Saiss forming that defensive triangle in the center of the pitch were all disciplined and effective.

Neves played several sumptuous passes, was tough in the tackle and even got forward to occupy decent shooting positions.

There’s more to come from our record signing though. Some teams will come and sit deeper and I expect him to excel in those contests.

Saiss is a player I’ve never been convinced about, but there’s no doubting he’ll thrive in this system and the Moroccan was as good as anyone today.

Bonatini looked very useful for an hour and I was disappointed to see him go off so early.

He was prepared to put his body in the way, scrap for the ball and then demonstrate the kind of touch you’d expect from a Brazilian to bring others into the game.

The goal looked simple but he still had to show composure to slot it away and lord knows we’ve seen Wolves players miss those over the years.

Comparatively Dicko was a yard off the pace in his thirty minute run out so it’s good we’ve managed to reinforce. One more to come you would expect before August is done.

Enobakhare did what Enobakhare does, teasing you with all those silky twists and turns but ultimately failing to deliver.

He was unlucky with that second half dribble and toe bunt that the keeper got down to save, but could have played smarter passes from good positions on several occasions. I like him but I want to see that potential fully realised.

Jota was just as nimble, gliding past people and playing neat give and go football all afternoon. Again, he should come to the fore against lesser opposition.

The wing-backs were both rock solid defensively but didn’t bomb on as often as I’d hoped to give us that much needed width in the final third.

I like both Doherty and Douglas though and think they will be tough to dislodge on the evidence of pre-season and this morale boosting win.

There are 45 tough challenges to navigate and things can go sour all too quickly in this division.

But at the very least, this was a very good start.

Even by Fosun standards, it’s been a manic summer.

Someone on Twitter said it had flown by, but to me it’s felt like a marathon of fanfare and speculation.

I’m just happy to see some actual football and like everyone else, hoping that the club’s considerable efforts over the last two and a half months are rewarded.

Those hopes are high I must admit. I think the players Wolves have recruited are of a good calibre, there’s a clear system of play and the head coach seems to have landed on something close to his best eleven.

That said, it’s a very tough start against the team all the bookies are tipping for promotion. Defeat may temper our optimism. Victory would send it sky high.

Middlesbrough

Given that Boro were air tight defensively for much of last season’s Premier League campaign, but incapable of scoring it’s no surprise to see Garry Monk splurging on strikers.

Britt Assombalonga arrived for some serious wonga from Forest and former Man Utd man Ashley Fletcher was hot on his heels in another big money transfer from West Ham.

Danish international Martin Braithwaite has also been recruited for £9 million to further swell the numbers.

When you consider they already had two proven Championship forwards on their books in Rudy Gestede and Patrick Bamford, they now have some serious strength in depth.

They’ve got a good chairman there in Steve Gibson who always back his managers with time and resources. In Monk they seem to have the right manager too, so what could possibly go wrong?

Perhaps their biggest obstacle will be the considerable weight of expectation with everyone seeing them as likely pacesetters.

Wolves

I always used to chuckle when people would phone into Radio WM and say ‘Franksy, we need six or seven new players’, believing they lived in some sort of fantasy world expecting a new team to magically materialise.

Well, the egg is well and truly on my face as Wolves will line up at Molineux on Saturday with a side that scarcely resembles the one that finished last season with a 1-0 win over Preston.

The big question is whether Nuno will thrust new forward Leo Bonatini straight into action? If Nouha Dicko is ruled out with injury as expected, it seems likely the Brazilian will start.

Other than that, it’s the same team that performed impressively against Leicester last weekend.

If the above eleven does click, it’s exciting to think that the likes of Costa, Cavaleiro, Marshall and several others will all be pushing hard to get in at some point.

Despite the many glamour signings, I’m particularly happy with Barry Douglas at left wing back. The balance that he and Doherty bring to the team is important, particularly for this system.

Neves is a very exciting addition. We’ve been so desperately lacking in central midfield since Kevin McDonald left and I hope we’re building a team around the Porto man’s undoubted quality.

From the away end

Some words from Middlesbrough fan Rob, from OneBoro: After the disappointment of last season in the Premier League, it’s been a summer of change. From the recruitment, to management and playing staff: there’s been significant upheaval.

Boro chairman Steve Gibson, carried on his tradition of giving new, up and coming managers a chance. Garry Monk ticks all of the boxes and signed on as Boro manager in June. With the promise of funds to spend on new players, Monk focussed on buying players who are familiar with the division and will hit the ground running. 

Howson had been tipped to be the next Norwich captain, Christie was a regular for Derby and Assombalonga knows where the net is. The only relatively unknown addition to the Boro squad is Martin Braithwaite, who arrived from French football.

The most important achievement for Boro this summer has been appointing the right manager and building a squad capable of returning to the Premier League at the first attempt. With a tough opening game against Wolves coming up, it’s crucial for Boro to hit the ground running though it may take a couple of games until the players and manager fully gel.

Predictions

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I’ve been speaking to various Boro fan sites in the build up to this one and have offered a 2-2 prediction so can’t really change now.

If we stand toe-to-toe (or better) I’ll be very satisfied. We want to get some points on the board early in a difficult looking August.

2-2.

Up The Wolves!

We could do with winning this.

I think a victory would extinguish any lingering fears of a relegation scrap and in stark contrast to last week, history is on our side.

Much like Boro’s stranglehold over us at the Riverside, Bristol City haven’t won at Molineux since 1931 according to the BBC.

That’s 18 matches undefeated at home against the Robins. Now would be a bad time for our reign of dominance to end.

Bristol City

There’s no doubting things have been looking up for City since giving Steve Cotterill the shove.

A run of three successive wins came at just the right time, elevating them away from immediate danger.

They’ve since sandwiched a win over Notts Forest with defeats against Cardiff and Brighton, meaning they come into this fixture on mixed form, but still with a five point buffer to the drop zone.

As well as Scott Golbourne, they also recruited Lee Tomlin on loan from Bournemouth in January and he has match winning ability at this level.

From the outside looking in, I get the sense they’re on the up, so this fixture is a tougher challenge than the league table suggests.

Wolves

How much of Friday was Wolves playing poorly and how much was Boro just being better? They obviously had more quality but it was disappointing that they were quicker to every ball.

McDonald had a poor game and invariably if he’s not firing, the rest of the team struggle to get into a rhythm. Hopefully he can do better tonight.

I wouldn’t abandon the shape because I still think it offers us the best chance of being successful, but I would throw Mason on in place of Sigurdarson.

We keep hearing he’s not really cut out to play the lone forward role, but he did it for Cardiff against us a few months back and I seem to recall they did rather well, so why not give it a go?

Hause for Ebanks-Landell represents an upgrade to me, so I’m not too despondent, but the sheer volume of injuries is a concern. We have hardly any defensive cover.

The gaffer

Predictions

I’m playing it safe and going for a draw, which would just about suit us I reckon.

The thing about the Championship is it’s not really about the league table, it’s about what sort of form the team you’re playing are in because the difference in quality is usually negligible.

At present, I don’t think there’s anything between these two sides on paper (they might even be better), so it’s more or less anyone’s guess.

And my guess is 1-1.

Up The Wolves!

* I’ve also managed to update the PL table (finally), so hopefully this is right as of the end of the Boro game. Check it out here.