Preston North End

Alex Neil believes his team probably would have won this game had they kept 11 men on the pitch.

He might have a point.

They certainly nullified our attackers for much of this scrappy contest and deservedly got themselves ahead.

A turbo injected start to the second half saw them strike the post before powering home the opener from a set piece. Wolves were wobbling and it looked a treacherous road back.

But the fact Preston didn’t finish with a full complement of players isn’t the result of some hard luck story.

Our front three were routinely chopped and hacked all afternoon so when Ivan Cavaleiro’s breakaway was deliberately halted by John Welsh, the midfielder got exactly what he deserved.

That’s not necessarily a criticism.

Preston got themselves into the ascendancy by pressing high and tackling hard to restrict Wolves space to play, but that is always likely to encourage punishment from the referee. The point being you’ve got to live and die by the sword.

Credit to them for digging in after the red card to deny the league leaders a fourth successive win.

Had Helder Costa not bundled his way through to score an equaliser minutes later, it could have been even better for the hosts.

That’s two in two for last season’s player of the year, whose best form is still yet to fully bubble to the surface.

Nuno threw on Benik Afobe in search of the goal that would have extended his side’s lead at the top, but after the keeper smothered his only clear sighter, that was pretty much that.

Neves tried his luck from distance and an ever growing contingent of gold shirts camped out in the attacking third, but nothing was getting through.

You can question the coach’s tactical choices, but as he said afterwards, once Preston were down to 10, they surrendered any and all attacking intent in favour of keeping every body behind the ball. In that instance, there’s only so much you can do.

Invariably at this stage of the season when you don’t get the maximum, attention turns elsewhere and with Villa coming unstuck at Craven Cottage and Derby losing to Sheffield Wednesday the other night, this wasn’t an unsatisfactory outcome to the week.

It’s another of the more difficult fixtures checked off the list, one game closer and still nothing but clear road ahead.

Our previous encounter with Preston should serve as a reminder about the ever present danger of this competition.

Wolves had that game won – three goals to the good midway through the second half – but it ended up being uncomfortably close in the final moments.

It was similar against QPR last weekend.

If you let your guard down for a moment, expect a violent slap in the chops. That was literally the case for Diogo Jota of course.

I am as certain as you can be in football that this team will be promoted well before the start of May, but they owe it to themselves to finish as they started, which is to say, miles ahead of everyone else.

Preston

I did a podcast earlier in the week with a Preston fan and admitted to him I was surprised they’d managed to remain in play-off contention.

Not only do they have one of the lowest budgets in the league, but they’ve had to endure various injuries and cope with the loss of their star player in January.

Yet they’re still there, hanging onto the coat tails of the top six and scrapping it out for every point available. They could easily have won at Brentford last time out, which would have left them only a point below Bristol City.

Alex Neil is up against it again tomorrow with a couple of their better performers suspended. Skipper Greg Cunningham and influential midfielder Ben Pearson the two to miss out.

They’ve won six, drawn six and lost three of their 15 games at Deepdale. That puts them midtable in terms of home form, but underlines how difficult they are to beat.

Betting

No surprise Wolves are odds on to win this one at 5/4 with Bet365. Preston are 13/5 and the draw is 23/10. And if you are looking to place some wagers make sure to check the best sportsbooks to get the best return on your initial stake.

Wolves

25 minutes of spellbinding play and some backs to the wall defending was enough to see off QPR.

I did feel it was one of very few games lately that Wolves have surrendered control to the opposition. Hopefully they dictate better and for longer at Deepdale.

I’m loathe to change a winning team but maybe this one might be a good opportunity for Benik Afobe? His pace and physicality on a tight pitch will come in handy.

It would be nice to have Romain Saiss back even if it’s only on the bench. He’s good at calming the momentum when the opposition get on top, which is something we could have done with last weekend.

Predictions

Sometimes you get a particular fixture at the right time and with their suspensions coupled with the loss of James Hugill, this looks like a good opportunity for another maximum.

It’s never easy at Preston so I’m not expecting a cruise, but I think we’ll do what’s required.

2-1.

Up The Wolves.

If last week’s victory was a demonstration of Wolves’ ability to win beautifully, then this tempestuous fixture was the opposite.

Whether or not it had anything to do with the old adage of foreigners not liking wet and windy weather, many of our continental stars were off colour in the opening half.

Enough stray passes were played to make an untrained eye think that this was Paul Lambert’s Wolves side on display, and not the Nuno incarnation that has had us all purring of late.

Our own shortcomings aside, there’s no denying the credentials of our opposition.

Preston came with a gameplan and, much like Cardiff, executed it to perfection, though admittedly they were fortunate to have the mind bogglingly incompetent Stephen Martin on refereeing duties.

Questions were asked of Wolves, and for large parts of the game it was difficult to remain steadfast in the belief we would answer them.

Alas, this team appears to be capable of conjuring goals at will and did so at the death of a first half in which we had been second best.

The rejuvenated and oft celebrated Ivan Cavaleiro showed a striker’s instinct to tap over the line after the ball had ricocheted around the box, notching a goal which revitalised an otherwise sluggish home team.

One might argue that Leo Bonatini’s ensuing brace and the subsequent three goal advantage flattered Nuno’s side, but the majority of the 27,000 plus crowd cared little for justice at that point.

The Brazilian loanee is really starting to look the part and has proven the frivolous concerns of some regarding his ability to score goals to be just that. His nimble footwork, deceiving strength and excellent reading of the game makes him a key cog in our feverish front three and I’d like to see Fosun make his stay at Molineux permanent come the summer.

Our healthy cushion was not to last long, with the Lilywhites providing a perhaps timely reminder that, for all the resolve of the new look back three, we are still capable of conceding needless goals.

First, the impressive Jordan Hugill was given the freedom of Molineux and headed home a teasing cross before Roderick Miranda then conspired to miss a routine clearance and allow Preston to force home a sloppy own goal.

I’m a fan of Miranda, believing him to be one of the more underrated of our summer acquisitions, but he was our weakness for much of yesterday’s game. He’ll need to improve his concentration levels if he’s to fend off the returning Willy Boly’s claim for a place in the starting eleven.

What ensued after that carnage was an acid test of our resilience, with Preston dominating the ball and invoking some real backs to the wall defending. Connor Coady and Romain Saiss were particularly brilliant during this period, both using their gangly frames to help prevent disaster.

After we rode out a spell of seemingly endless pressure, the aforementioned Martin decided to allow the game to descend into farce by instigating a mass brawl between all sets of players. This culminated in the just sending off of Alan Browne and his hilarious ‘Where’s Wally?’ like efforts to find him after his quick trudge down the tunnel.

Some comic relief on an otherwise stressful, but no less gratifying, afternoon.

Though Nuno’s unlikely to have enjoyed this one quite as much as he did the Villa game, his team have nonetheless proven that they can win games one of two ways. History will tell you that’s an essential characteristic for any promotion chasing side to have, and whilst it remains early days it’s hard to contest the view that Wolves are looking ominously equipped to achieve their ambitions.

Top of the league and deservedly so.

But to echo Nuno’s sentiments, it’s just the beginning. We’ve had a week to bask in the glory of defeating an average Villa side, but it’s imperative to back that up with another solid result.

If I wanted to put a downer on things – and believe me I don’t – I’d point out that the teams currently sitting in second and third both deservedly beat us.

And while I wouldn’t back against Wolves to out pace the likes of Cardiff and Sheffield United it’s a timely reminder that we haven’t had it all our own way in the first quarter.

Fifth place Preston arrive with a reputation for ruffling feathers so this promises to be another useful test of promotion credentials.

Preston

Alex Neil is doing a splendid job at Deepdale. I thought they were overachieving under Simon Grayson, but the former Norwich coach has taken them up a notch.

They’ve already walloped Cardiff 3-0, drawn away at both Leeds and Middlesbrough and last weekend came within seconds of beating Fulham at Craven Cottage.

In fact, had it not been for the concession of that 96th minute equaliser they’d be coming into this game knowing a win could take them top.

They’ve conceded the fewest goals in the league (8), they press high and they’re full of beans. In short, a nightmare for a team who like to play out from the back.

I’m looking forward to seeing Jordan Hugill after we sniffed around in the summer. He’s got 6 goals already this season making their decision to pull down the ‘not for sale’ shutters appear wiser every week.

Wolves

Why did we need a forward again? Only Hull (23) have racked up more than our 21 goals and there isn’t a player in old gold who doesn’t look like he’s capable of finding the net.

It won’t work every week but I like our three interchanging little wasps up front. All that movement must be a nightmare for heavy legged Championship defenders.

And if it’s not clicking, you’ve got Bonatini locked and loaded to offer a more substantial presence. The Brazilian has two in two starting from the bench.

Miranda isn’t everyone’s cup of of tea, but I like his style. He’s skin tight on forwards and that Italian-style defending is something we haven’t seen enough of in my time. Yes, he gives away free-kicks and can be loose in possession but I think his contribution is under rated.

For the record, I still think our best back three combination if Boly, Coady and Miranda, but it’s difficult to argue with Batth’s consistency of late. He scored the winner in this fixture last season.

Predictions

This one will be all about moving the ball intelligently and not allowing their high press to knock us off our stride. Cardiff and Sheffield United have already done this effectively so Preston know the blueprint.

Villa didn’t do this. They were content to drop deep and let things unfold, but I think that played into our hands. This will be something different.

Hopefully though, quality will win out and as the league leaders, playing at home, with confidence high and backed by a buoyant crowd we should expect to win and I think we will.

3-1.

Up The Wolves!

* I’m still on the scrounge for people to come along to a charity film screening I’m putting on at the start of November. Details here for anyone who is interested. Massive thanks to Clive, David (Bedford Wolf), Mark (theDOOGooder) and my trusty colleagues Ben & Rasmin for your support so far. You all have my love and gratitude.

After finishing last season in midtable with 58 points there was insatiable appetite for change.

New owners, two managers, circa £30 million of investment, endless recruitment and where did it get us?

58 points and a midtable finish.

Change it would seem, isn’t always for the better.

Success in the Championship relies on building up incrementally over time, not constantly sweeping the decks and starting from scratch.

History supports this stance. Only two managers have won promotion to the Premier League with Wolves and both of them accomplished the task in their third season.

Dave Jones and Mick McCarthy were given resources to sculpt their teams and more importantly time to get things right. They both wobbled and faltered at times but ultimately succeeded.

Learn the lesson.

Every manager will annoy you at some point. Every manager will pick players and choose formations you don’t like. If it’s not Paul Lambert it will be someone else, but the revolving door strategy seldom pays dividends.

It’s for this reason I banged the drum for keeping the faith with Kenny Jackett last season and it’s why my opinion is the same this time around.

Back Paul Lambert, afford him the resources and I’m confident we’ll get there quicker than the alternative path.

This was a decent enough performance to sign off on. Yes, it was a dead rubber against an average side, but there was plenty to feel good about, especially when you consider most of our key performers were absent.

Helder Costa, Ben Marshall, Ivan Cavaleiro, Matt Doherty and Carl Ikeme all sat it out and not many Championship teams could lose so many influential players and still be able to play with a degree of fluency.

Silvio, Graham and Enobakhare were all able deputies, resplendent in the Molineux sunshine and getting bums off seats with slick, incisive football.

Jordan Graham in particular was excellent in the first half, ruining Preston’s full-back at will and bending dangerous crosses into the box. His perfectly placed corner gave Danny Batth the ammunition to win the game.

The great thing about our returning winger is that his game is centered on finesses and footwork rather than pace and power, so unlike Nouha Dicko he probably isn’t as encumbered by his long stint on the sidelines.

What we don’t know about Graham just yet is whether he can give us a whole season at the level we’ve grown accustom to. If he can get anywhere close, then the team can be built around his considerable talent.

Enobakhare’s performance will be remembered for two gilt edged misses with an open goal at his mercy, but his potential remains undoubted. Find that killer instinct and we do have one hell of a player.

I’d give Silvio a contract extension if we can feel confident he’s over the worst of his injury problems. As with the aforementioned players, he obviously possesses the talent but must overcome his personal demons.

These three individuals highlight that there is talent at Paul Lambert’s disposal and coupled with those sidelined, not mentioning academy prospects like Ronan, Gibbs-White and Wilson, we should feel confident about our prospects.

Retain as much of the talent as possible, select carefully from the water carriers that give them a platform to shine and add the necessary steal and we certainly won’t be far off.

It might be all that wonderful May sunshine going to my head, but I’m already feeling good about next season.

Have a great summer. Up The Wolves!