Southampton

The advantage of having a squad is that you can adapt to any situation. You can also right the wrongs of your initial team selection.

And I do think Julen Lopetegui got it wrong today by choosing Moutinho to fill the void left by Hwang’s hamstring injury.

Wolves were too slow, too passive, too lacking in any sort of attacking adventure.

Southampton probably couldn’t believe their luck, especially after getting ahead and seeing Lemina sent off for apparently running too aggressively towards the referee.

It was a bizarre decision but Mario has to be smarter having already been booked for a clumsy tackle minutes earlier.

Credit to the Lopetegui for acting swiftly and making the changes at half time that gave his team a chance of salvaging a result. All of the substitutes were an improvement on the players they replaced.

Bueno was a clear upgrade on Ait-Nouri in both directions and setup the equaliser with a penetrating cross. Predictably none of our strikers could put the ball in the net so Jan Bednarek’s impression of a giraffe in roller skates was just what the doctor ordered.

Cunha looks a talented player but seems more eager to link the play than be the headline act.

Diego Costa did a better job of occupying the Southampton defenders which allowed others to profit and drive Wolves forward.

Fellow substitute Adama Traore enjoyed one of his more effective cameos, most notably getting in the middle to help bundle in the equaliser, but he was a constant thorn in their side throughout the second half.

That set the stage for João Gomes to take the headlines with a composed finish after seeing his initial effort blocked.

I was impressed with the Brazilian even before he’d won the game and felt he added a bite and intensity to the midfield we’d been sorely lacking.

Nunes, for all his quality, doesn’t look like he enjoys the grittier aspects of the game and it proved a masterstroke from Lopetegui to haul him off in favour of Gomes with the game in the balance.

By the end the , this result, much like last week owes to work done in January. New faces and competition for places are driving the team towards safety.

There’s still a lot of work to do, but the signs are promising.

Things have gone swimmingly against Southampton in recent times.

They did put us out of the FA Cup a few years ago but we’ve won six of the nine Premier League matches since promotion, losing only once.

We’re also on a four-game winning streak against the Saints, finding a way to edge them out in games that have all gone right down to the wire.

From their perspective, it’s imperative they break that sequence tomorrow or it’s looking like the beginning of the end. For Wolves, it’s just ‘more of the same please’.

Southampton

Nathan Jones was appointed around the same time as Julen Lopetegui but they haven’t seen results improve since he took over from Ralph Hasenhüttl.

Six defeats in seven Premier League games isn’t the bounce they’d hoped for and the former Luton manager is already under pressure.

It did seem like things were picking up a few weeks back when they got a vital win at Goodison Park while progressing in both cup competitions, but that momentum has since evaporated.

There is hope in the shape of expensive January signings with giant centre forward Paul Onuachu (heavily linked to Wolves in the summer) arriving with 17 goals in 22 games from Genk.

Wingers Orsic and Sulemana and midfielder Alcaraz are others to watch out for in what will probably be a new look Southampton tomorrow, following last weekend’s 3-0 beating at Brentford.

Wolves

Hwang gets a lot of criticism but I think he’s proven repeatedly that when the team is on the front foot, he can break the opposition’s defensive line. He did very well against Liverpool before the all-too-familiar hamstring injury forced him off.

Surely Podence is going to come into the side with Hwang now ruled out? It already felt like a luxury leaving out a guy who’s bagged 33% of our Premier League goals this season.

With Dawson, Lemina, Sarabia and Cunha all integral to last weekend’s victory, this already feels like Lopetegui’s Wolves. It will be a big surprise if he doesn’t stick with the same players tomorrow.

Diego Costa and Toti Gomes were the two senior players left out entirely against Liverpool and with Joao Gomes on-board and Pedro Neto closing in on a comeback, competition for places in the 20-man squad is fierce.

Predictions

Only the perpetually positive Mutt1eigh was bold enough to predict a 3-0 victory against the scousers. Well done that man.

Rich remains clear at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 21 but his lead is now down to 3 points.

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.

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

Up The Wolves!

I’m only dealing in positives.

With this being the first win in 13 attempts in the Premier League, it’s about time we were able to look on the bright side.

The decisive moment in the game was pleasing for a couple of reasons beyond the simple fact that Wolves scored a goal.

That driving run and delicious ball across from Nunes were precisely why we broke the bank to get him in a gold shirt.

And when it did arrive in the penalty area I was rubbing my eyes in disbelief with an actual overload in the middle and both Kalajdžic and Podence waiting to pounce.

There was a balance of good fortune and good judgement about the finish but who cares right?

For all his shortcomings (no dig intended), Podence is effective. The numbers always support his inclusion and with two league goals to his name it’s now impossible to leave him out.

He produced another lovely bit of skill that ended with Pedro Neto screwing a good opportunity wide before his goal and there were plenty of other flourishes in one of his better overall outings in recent times.

Ait-Nouri was just as industrious on his return to the side, riding out a tough examination from Walker-Peters in the early exchanges to turn in a solid performance with plenty of his usual flicks and tricks.

Jonny too caught the eye in the second half, showing a lot of composure in and out of possession and driving through the Southampton midfield a few times. We haven’t seen enough of that this season.

With Collins and Kilman so reassuringly consistent it gives us a platform to hopefully be more progressive in possession as the season unfolds.

That said, we did need Ruben to get back and help out a few times, which he did with aplomb. His efforts without the ball are increasingly impressive and vital to the team’s success.

Yes, we could have conceded a few times in the second half, but we also could have added to the lead had we made the most of some good counter attacking positions.

Southampton are a good side with a good coach and this win is a feather in the cap for Bruno Lage who, let’s be honest, needed it a lot more than his counterpart.

We can’t get too carried away with the horrendous fixtures to come but can at least now see them as bonus opportunities rather than just an ongoing extension of the misery conveyor belt.

I’ll take it.

Podence, Neto, Guedes, Traore, Jimenez, Hwang and Kalajdzic – not bad options for a team routinely described as the Premier League’s most boring.

Bruno Lage must find the goal-scoring formula in the coming weeks or it’s going to be his neck on the block.

Had we scraped a win in either of the last two, the pressure wouldn’t feel so intense but the fact is that unlike last year we’re not getting the performances or the results.

We dominated the ball against Bournemouth and probably should have taken one of the few chances that were created, but it was only in the final 10 minutes that Wolves showed the urgency or intensity that was needed from the start.

It’s got to be better tomorrow or this dangerous Southampton team will punish us.

Southampton

The Saints are marching in hot after a brilliant midweek victory over Chelsea. I watched some of the game and they were good value for the win and should have added to the two goals they did score.

Like Wolves they’ve completely reshaped their squad over the summer with 10 additions and 7 first-teamers heading out. Interestingly, four of their recruits are from Manchester City’s under 23s squad with a clear strategy of investing in the very best potential.

Two formers Wolves targets were signed-up yesterday too with Ainsley Maitland-Niles joining on loan from Arsenal and defender Duje Caleta-Car coming from Marseille.

That’s decent backing for Ralph Hasenhüttl and having retained the key personnel that helped them hit the heights at times last season, they’ll rightly feel they can do better this time.

Victories over Leicester and Chelsea have given them a solid footing. They drew with Leeds and lost to Spurs and Man Utd in their other games, but overall you’d have to say 7 points from that start is impressive.

Wolves

The one thing I have liked about Wolves so far is the partnership in defence – I think both Kilman and Collins can feel good about their performances. We need them to stay fit with no experienced cover to call upon now Boly has left the building.

I would have started Dendoncker tomorrow too and I do think his departure to Villa is a bit of a head-scratcher given that he could fulfil several roles in a squad that remains light.

If Sasa Kalajdzic is eligible, he should go straight into the team. Raul hasn’t looked great so far. I would also drop Guedes in favour of Podence or Traore. I find him and Neto too similar and that combination has looked a bit predictable.

I’m not sure if Semedo is fit after hobbling off against Bournemouth but either way, I’d bring Ait-Nouri into the team.

Predictions

Well done to wishfart for being the only one wise enough to correctly predict a stalemate on Wednesday. He collects a maximum.

PeteRobbo takes the lead at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 5.

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.

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

Up The Wolves!

I think they’d call that a good game for the neutrals.

But it was a good game for Wolves too with more evidence that the Bruno revolution is well and truly in full swing.

No Saiss? No Neves? No problem.

Toti Gomes sauntered in from the cold and looked strong, capable and ready to go. He’ll face sterner examinations but I was impressed with his aggression, aerial ability and composure in possession.

His fellow deputy Leander Dendoncker kept things moving nicely in midfield and any creativity we lost in Ruben’s absence was more than made up for by Podence and Trincao dropping into the pockets and getting things going.

Prior to Raul’s nonchalant penalty they’d got into a few dangerous positions and threatened to play through a shaky looking Saints defence.

But there’s no doubt we were riding our luck at the other end with Sa getting through plenty of work including one point blank save and the defence seeing off a barrage of set pieces.

They came after us big time after the break too so it was pleasing to get that second goal and stroll through to the final few minutes.

If you’re going to get pegged back late on you might as well concede a worldie and that missile from James Ward-Prowse was something special. Hats off to him.

Had they got the equaliser and not hit the bar moments later it would have been hard to begrudge them the point.

But their all or nothing approach continued to leave them exposed at the back and Adama should have taken his first glaring opportunity before converting a more complex second.

Even if he is heading for the exit door I was happy to see him get that goal because his stats continually play down his contributions and he deserves more respect.

But it’s not about one player and today underlined that clearly.

Wolves are a team and based on everything we’ve seen in recent times, a very good one. Underestimate them at your peril.

Halfway through. What now?

Things started to cave in at this point last season with the team looking vulnerable all the way to the finish line.

It’s still a small squad and injuries may trip us up again, but there’s a vibrancy and a purpose to what Bruno is doing that feels more sustainable.

59 points is the best Wolves have managed in a Premier League season and that’s not a bad target to shoot for between now and May.

Since losing the first three games of the season, we’ve averaged 1.75 points a game, which is top 6 form and mightily impressive when you consider many were ringing the relegation alarm.

Southampton at home and Brentford away represents a presentable opportunity to start the second half of the campaign strong.

Southampton

The Saints have comfortably surpassed my expectations. I thought they were certainties to be in and around the bottom three, particularly after selling Danny Ings.

But smart business on a limited budget and a strong team ethic has seen them firmly establish themselves in midtable.

Two players have caught my eye whenever I’ve watched Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side.

Armando Broja, the big striker on loan from Chelsea looks a real handful and has five Premier League goals to his name already and seven in all competitions. There are noises that Southampton want to make his move permanent so it will be interesting to see if Chelsea are prepared to let another young talent leave without getting a sniff of their own first team.

A player Southampton have cultivated themselves is skipper James Ward-Prowse and from the outside, it looks like he’s having the season of his life with five goals already. I’m surprised none of the top sides have looked at him because he has the quality, character and application to perform at a higher level.

The Saints come marching in unbeaten in their last four PL games, having also progressed in the FA Cup courtesy of a 3-2 win at Swansea. It was of course they who eliminated us from the competition at Molineux last season.

The away end

Some comments lifted from the pre-match thread on Saints Web.

We owe them for the smash and grab raid at ours. 0-1 the goal coming in the last 15 mins.

I’d be more than happy with a draw. They seem to be one of the teams we have really struggled against in the past few seasons. 

Although we have done well recently and relegation is very unlikely to happen the only consistent thing about SFC is their inconsistency. Hoping for a decent performance but will be unsuprised if invidual errors leads to a result which I will not like. Brentford lost because of their errors lets hope Wolves do the same.

Wolves are on a very decent run so I’d happily take a point now, although we could end up with a surprise result like West Ham away which would be nice.

A game we should lose, but I have positive vibes for this one (normally a bad thing) so I think we will get a result here, of some sort. Three across the middle as said by others here. Make us stronger and able to survive the 90 minutes better. We can also better nullify any of their threats. 

Wolves

Who starts in the back three? That’s the major dilemma Bruno Lage is facing for this one as we try to maintain the airlock without Romain Saiss.

I’d probably lean more towards Dendoncker than Marcal. Although that means making two changes and shifting Kilman to the left, I suspect it will make us more robust.

I saw one or two things in that first half against Sheffield Utd that made me question Marcal’s positional play and his ability to make the right passes from that inside role.

Other than that, I think you’ve got to keep the same side that played so well at Old Trafford in the hope we can keep moving the ball intelligently and enforce our game on a decent Saints outfit.

Last time out

The 1-1 draw at Molineux in this fixture last season seems an eternity ago, with Pedro Neto coming off the bench to get us an equaliser after Theo Walcott had given them the lead.

Earlier this season, we won 1-0 at St. Mary’s courtesy of Raul Jimenez’s first goal back after his injury. He’s got a good record against Southampton so hopefully that continues tomorrow.

Predictions

Well done to pauluswolf, AveburyWolf, Dan from Dublin, Corbywolf, MARNHULL WOLVES, DeptfordWolf, WOLFSTROKER, Lord Twix, Woodend wood, Franski and Aquilador who all scored a maximum by correctly predicting the 1-0 scoreline at Old Trafford.

AveburyWolf takes over at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 19.

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.

Which Blogger Quiz Results

Here’s Lord Twix reporting on the results of his festive quiz…

The results and placings of the ‘Which Blogger’ quiz are now finalised and I’m pleased to say that the following bloggers are deserved PODIUM occupants…

1st Place…….. Bedford Lone Wolf   63%
                       ————————
=2nd Place … The DOOGooder.     60%
=2nd Place … Spikeyboy.                 60%
                       ————————
=4th Place … West Parkian             56%
=4th Place … BOG.                          56%
=4th Place … Wolfstroker.               56%
=4th Place … Newark Wolves.        56%
=4th Place … Brompton Wolf.         56%

Thanks go to everyone that took part both in doing the quiz but also in sending some of the fascinating and funny questions.

Up The Wolves!