I was at this fixture the last time it was played, back in the Premier League in January 2010.
Mick McCarthy had just begun deploying Kevin Doyle up front alone in the 451 shape that would ultimately keep us up.
We drew 2-2 that day, an important result, but not before the manager had come in for considerable flack from sections of the Wolves support for what were perceived as negative tactics.
I make this point now, because I feel our current manager must also be given time to show that his system and preferred style of play can be effective.
Ståle’s been honest in his assessment of our recent poor performances and I remain unflinching in the belief, that given time and the right backing, he’ll take us where we want to go.
Of course, Hull manager Steve Bruce could very easily have been the man in the away dugout tomorrow night.
He was central to the pantomime of Jez and Steve’s infamous recruitment drive back in February, and if you believe his version of events, was custard pied by the Wolves hierarchy, believing he was going to be offered the job only to be left waiting by the phone for a call that never came.
No doubt he’ll take some relish from the fact his side come into this game 4 points and 4 places above us in the table. On the surface at least, it looks like he’s doing great job at the KC.
They’ve won 5 of their 7 home matches to date, so this promises to be another difficult night for Wolves.
Winger Sone Aluko, signed on a free from Rangers in the summer, has grabbed headlines in recent weeks and he’ll be the sort of player to no doubt cause us problems.
Wolves
The gaffer has vowed to ring the changes after a meek surrender at Burnley on Saturday. But will he change the shape of the side or just the personnel?
I wouldn’t mind seeing a team like this:
From the back, there’s an argument to say maybe Zubar, Stearman or even Margreitter should be given a game. The defence was anything but convincing at Turf Moor.
I’d like to see a 5 man midfield too. Give Edwards a license to get forward and support a lone forward. I’d like to get Sako in that role, but can’t find a way to make it work.
Doyle and Ebanks-Blake were both poor on Saturday so Sigurdarson surely deserves a go? Or what about forgotten man Frank Nouble? At the very least, he’d offer a physical presence.
Your guess is as good as mine as to a) what we’ll see and b) whether the team that does go out will be effective.
Opposition view
I lifted this from a Hull City forum on Not606.
The Tigers are looking strong lately and have shown that they can be just below par and still get the result. Signs of a strong side, however the lack of depth due to the lengthy injuries to Joe Dudgeon and Matty Fryatt means City don’t have many replacements, especially on the left.
Wolves aren’t in a position that most people expected them to be, and having some seriously inconsistent form under Stale Solbakken. They have been defensively weak lately and that’s an area City need to be exploiting their new attacking prowess. Forwards Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Kevin Doyle have only 9 goals between them but have been spurred on form midfield maestro Bakary Sako who has also nicked in with 5 goals himself. Should the Tigers be able to keep Sako quiet, there shouldn’t be much threat at Amos’s goal.
Another difficult game and a hard test for City’s squad in terms of quality and fitness. City have been showing signs of fatigue lately and need to at their best to take 3 points as Wolves can be very dangerous on their day. Ebanks-Blake and Doyle are big, strong presences on the field, and whether McTorres can handle the power and pace and aerial battles is one to debate. Although, should City turn up and play confident with their passing, flowing football, it can easily be another 3 points at the Circle. I’m going to go for a 2-1win for the Tigers.
Predictions
11 people said we’d lose at Burnley but none got the scoreline correct. So it’s a point each for all.
Losing this game would be a real bummer and put clear daylight between ourselves and the play-off places.
I think we might up our game and get a point.
But in reality, anything could happen.
2-2.
Up The Wolves.
Well Thomas, I’ll be one of the first to give it a go..
We really need to win this, for nothing else then it lifts the gloom felt around the place at the moment.
No idea of the team but I really hope we can steal all 3 points.
Hull City 1- 2 Wolves
Hull 1 – Wolves 0
I’d love to see the 4-2-3-1 formation deployed. I always feel it’s a really strong formation both going forward and defending with your two holding midfielders, henry and doumbia keeping checks on the back 4. (They certainly need it). I also agree siggy needs a start. Doyle and SEB have been uncreative for me and Sigurdarson is certainly a creative talent. Whether he can cope as a lone striker remains to be seen.
1-0 to the wolves, siggy to score. It’ll be a close one no doubt.
I like your starting line up Thomas however is like to see Doumbia in that advanced midfield role and bring Davis in next to Henry. We will break the trend of disappointment soon but I doubt it will be tonight
Hull 2-0 Wolves
I would make 2 changes. Sako in behind Sigurdarson and Forde on the left.
A 2-1 victory to Wolves
Fancy our chances with a few changes to the team 0-2 Wolves. KEEP THE FAITH.. IN STALE WE TRUST!
Has anyone got the phone number of Ipswich Town?
Give the tractor boys a call, and offload all the shit we still have left over from their new messiah’s days at The Mol.
Only then will we have a prayer of winning another match.
Solbakken should not be expected to retrain those clowns he’s been left with.
New faces in the team, new ideas and tactics from the coaches.
It’s not brain surgery, for fuck’s sake.
Let’s face it, most of them dont have a brain in the first place!!!
Prediction?
Wolves to lose if the same team is picked.
At least Houston has a winning team, The Mighty Dynamo!!
Yeah, about as exciting as watching paint dry, but at least winning!!
And an especially big FOwb tonight.
not feeling to confident another defeat looks very possible, 0-1
hope i’m wrong
I think we will see a much more determined and energetic Wolves tonight… until the first goal goes in.
Hull 2 – Wolves 0
While there are worrying echoes of the comments made during our dismal run last season coming from the team, the management and the supporters, I can see us breaking out of this run and quickly.
A few changes will hopefully wake up those that remain in the team, Stale will have given them shit ever since the Burnley game and a few of those in the team that were starting to think that this season was going to be easy will begin to work for results again.
With Hull’s recent form, I’ve got my doubts about this game but will go for a 2-3 Wolves win in hope more than in belief. They’re likely to score against us, who wouldn’t, we can’t defend! Of late we’ve looked unlikely to score either but it will click so I’m hoping that’ll happen tomorrow.
Undeserved win with a headed goal from a corner (Berra), a scrambled finish after a bunch of mis-kicked attempts to clear (Doyle) and a last minute screamer following a surging run to end a period of sustained Hull pessure (Sako).
Tbis fixture is tougher than the previous 4 – 2-1 hull with a slightly improved performance. Could be changes at the back Stearman may come in for Foley i would also like to see the patient Danny Batth in for Johnson.
Reckon stale will have put a rocket up their arses so im going for an energetic 1-3 wolves win.
Missed the last few predos, anyhow, I think we will lose this 3-1, but performance wise we’ll improve.
Tom
It could be worse we could be where Birmingham are…. To be honest unless we buck up we will be by Christmas!
Time is often deserved but alas in this case its a luxury we don’t have. Major changes in playing staff where needed in the summer and they didn’t happen and we are now paying the price of losing our best and retaining medicority
Nouble is worth a try, as their guy said they could struggle with power up front. Let’s bring some more physical presence to a physical league. Why are we making token signings?? Margereiter ? 500,000 to shut us up bout a new centre half,another m and m classic. Really can’t see us getting anything without a drastic shift in lineup or intent. On the upside we are always one win away from a good run …..staying grounded 1-1
I reckon we’ll see 3-5-2 (or 5-3-2 depending on how you spin it): Ikeme, Berra, Batth, Stearman, Ward, Henry, Edwards, Doumbia, Foley, Sako, Nouble. From what I’ve seen Nouble doesn’t look up to it but, then again, we’ve got to try something different because the same old, same old plainly isn’t working. On paper, it sets us up to play for a 1-0 win, which will sppeal to SS. In practice, we are Wolves so we can’t do that and we’ll lose either 1-0 or 2-1, probably in injury time.
Well, I can’t hit a barn door from five paces with my preddos in this mad league. So, I will hazard at a big defeat, and trust that I am as hopelessly wrong as usual!
Hull 3-0 Wolves
I’m not too sure about the Hull fan’s appraisal of the Wolves team. Worrying about SEB and Doyle in terms of ‘big, power, pace and aerial battles’ doesn’t ring any bells for me.
Sounds like Hull are playing fluid, passing football and scoring lots of goals, though. You can see why Moxey didn’t want any of that.
I’m worried that we’ve not only got a team of very average players, but they are now trying to play a style of football they don’t understand.
Standing back and making an objective appraisal, i can’t see any reason to predict other than another defeat. Hull have a good home record, apparently play a passing style and score plenty of goals. Hull 4 1 Wolves.
Hull 0 – 1 Wolves, I can’t helpmyself!
After Saturday I can only see a defeat, but who knows, it’s a strange league. Hull 2-0 Wolves.
Hull are much better than burnley so cant see a wolves win. Hull 2 wolves 0
4-1 Hull. Edwards to score a late consolation goal that will excite his lone supporter.
He doesn’t know his best formation, he doesn’t know his best starting XI.
Bruce out for revenge.
Hull City 2 – 0 Wolves
Hull 2 Wolves 0 and hoping I get it totally wrong.
I predicted a 1-0 defeat last Saturday, hoping I was going to be wrong of course. I do`nt agree with keeping the same defence, give Danny Batth the chance to show if he can do it, can`t be worse than the two centre halves from the weekend.
We are so short of options – nothing on the bench for me, and with Bruce having 6 months start on us in getting his side sorted, I predict another uncomfortable night and another 2-0 loss.
I’m always the optimist but I just can’t see us coming home with anything unless we tweak the system. Hull play neat, attractive, high tempo stuff at home so we don’t need two strikers watching the proceedings from the halfway line. 4-2-3-1 and I can see us getting something from the game. 4-4-2 and I can see us getting comfortably beaten. First formation 2-1 Wolves. Latter formation 2-0 Hull.
Can’t see a win or draw. Chickens home to roost.
Hull 3 Wolves 0. Dross Out.
As mentioned anything can happen… especially with the schizophrenic dross from Muppet Mick’s regime still in the majority … that said, its a back 4 we all know (and hate) well so no clean sheets, but we still possess threat going forward so 3-1 Burnley
I predict a 1-1 draw. We’ll score early on, hang on until about the 70th minute and then defend on our own six yard box for the last 10 mins. Ikeme might even save a pen.
BTW, sounds like the young bucks were thumped by Liverpool. Also sounds like Hennessey was god awful, so I can’t see him getting anywhere near the first team for a while yet.
Yeah, read that, what a blessing that Ikeme has been on fire thus far !! Far from Wayne being poached, if we dont go up I can see someone coming in for both him and Sako …
oh well, if anyone can drag these numpties up to the level needed for a promotion push, Stale can. UTW !
Hennessey made a mistake leading up to one of the goals, might have done better for another goal (where the ball was going all over the place in the box) but can’t be faulted for any of the others I don’t think…all the same he doesn’t look up to his best yet
Anyone fancy the chance to win £150 at tonight’s game?
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A WOLVES FAN TO TAKE PART IN THE ‘CONVERT FOR CASH’ CHALLENGE COURTESY OF CASH CONVERTERS, SPONSORS OF HULL CITY AFC.
IT INVOLVES DRIBBLING A GIANT INFLATABLE CASH CONVERTERS BALL AROUND A NUMBER OF OBSTACLES AND INTO THE GOAL.
It will be a straight race between a Wolves fan and a Hull fan to win £150!
Clive’ll do it!
Providing he consents to it? How can I contact him?
Send a very fast jet to Houston, Texas!!!
I’m sorry Martin for being totally unhelpful.
I don’t know anyone who’s taking the trip to Hull.
I thought someone would have taken you up on your offer by now.
Best of luck in finding your phantom dribbler.
as long as the players dont hasve a go ..theyd miss
Great picture on the blog Thomas.
I didn’t know Les Dawson was managing Hull.
The way we are playing, I think even if he was we’d still lose.
It hurts me to say this but I think Les will take great pleasure in thumping the team who spurned us.
Hull to win 3-1.
If the back four are once again
Foley Berra Johnson Ward we will lose.
They have no confidence and have a losing mentality. 2-0
If he plays Baath and Magareitter we might win….
As for Pennant, so far a complete waste of space.
Hope I am wrong
Looking for the usual uptick when manager mentions a shake up 2-1 to us.
I also expect quite a shake up in the squad anyways
Going with a 1-1 here, hope im wrong as we really need to end this poor run of results with a win, Doumbia to score for the Old Gold, UTW! /\_/\
Also got to thinking that its some of the donkeys out there that are impeding youngsters in more ways than one. Reasonable teams can always take a risk with a youngster and cover for him, but our lot cant cover for themselves
The Burnley DVD should have screamed ‘get real’ to the players, I expect a more competitve performance for this one. 2-1 Wolves, SEB gets another chance and bags a goal.
We seem to have hit a rough patch and I’m not sure we’ll get anything from the KC. Our defence has also returned to the shaky form of last year. With that in mind I’ll go for 2-0 to Hull, although I’m doing rubbish in this season’s prediction league, so hopefully I’m wrong again. UTW.
We certainly are in a blip at the moment, but it is just a blip and I think we will turn it around…but just not tonight. I would like to see some change to the side at the weekend, and it will be very interesting to see just who Stale shuffles…especially with all of the rhetoric that’s been coming out of Molinuex…not that that is anything new! If only we were as good at football as we are at pointless PR releases!
Bruce has a score to settle…and settle it I’m sure he will. Hull 2 – 0 Wolves.
Totally agree about pointless PR. I have been ranting about a lock of statement and plans from the Board. The fans deserve this.
I know many will not agree, but I just read the press release about us taking a look at Cassidy in January. This is exactly the kind of PR that pisses me of. This is the type of thing I expected to be happening all the time behind the scenes, it looks like they have now got SS coming up with these pointless banal statements in the hope it keeps us happy.
Frankly it is embarrassing to hear that we have a guy scoring for fun at the top of the league just below ours and we have only had our scouts (who are gone) checking him. Given our current injuries and lack of goals I am amazed SS has not got in his car to go take several look sees. Maybe he is not ready but I am not happy he has not taken a look and that we think what should be routine day to day stuff worthy of press release.
Please Mr Morgan tell us your plans!!
It’s becoming something of a dilemma as the Championship demands physical presence which our passing game does not offer. We certainly need some aggression up front and I’m not sure Sigurdarson will provide that on his own so would have Nouble on the bench to change or beef it up in the second half. Foley’s confidence is shot so I would bring Stearman in. Johnson was back to his sloppy worst on Saturday and should be rested for Baath.
I don’t think any of these will happen and, with the north sea wind whipping in, I fear another lacklustre performance. Hull 2 Wolves 0
Hull City 3 Wolves 1
I have predicted a 2-0 loss if the back four remain the same.
However if he alters it I’m going for a 1-0 victory.
Maybe Zubar or Stearman instead of Foley and either Johnson or Berra dropped for Baath.
We miss Pesko and that Boukhari both of whom add another dimension, which so far Pennant has failed to do. Sigurdarson should be given a go upfront or even Sako as he scores the most goals. Love to see something radical occur….Radical is a barely used word these days…..
3-0 Hull. I wouldn’t be surprised to see us get dismantled by Bruce’s boys.
Hope the Burnley game was a timely
reminder that the physical battle must
be won first . I predict a much more
energetic wolves with ziggy up front .
Hull 1 Wolves 2
It has not been good enough for some time now. Our last win is far away and the team has performed well below par even for the players we have available.
But I will never understand the fans around the web who are already calling for Ståle’s head. It makes no sense at all! Ståle’s must be at the end some flak – that it is fair enough, things have not been good enough but he must be given time to make his changes.
I expect Ståle and the team to step up their game now. They must show what they are made of and I expect a win although it is a difficult game. We are among the best in the league and it is about time that we show it.
Hull 0 Wolves 2
Cant stand Hull City
Hull 0-2 Wolves
Gut feeling a draw is on the cards 1-1.
Not the best time playing Hull away.
1-1
Sorry but looks like a Hull win . 2-1.
hate to say it
I’m with the pessimists again and can’t see any hope of a turnaround until Peszko is back. I’m getting slaughtered in the prediction game (who does that remind me of?)
Hull 4 -1
What was so disappointing about Saturday was that it was the type of result that you used to pick a mile off during the dark days of second-tier mediocrity.
It’s sad if we haven’t moved on from that, but the fact is that we’ve had distinctly average players over-achieving for a number of years now. Players like Foley, Edwards, Ward, Henry, SEB, etc., picked up from ‘lesser’ clubs have plateaued and aren’t going to kick on again now and establish themselves in the Premiership, regardless of who the manager is.
And the ‘quality’ that has been brought in for money in the shape of Zubar, Johnson, and you could say Doyle even, simply haven’t been good enough and are again getting found out even at a lower level.
I’m reserving judgment on Stale, as I love what he comes out with and his philosophy could be a breath of fresh air for the whole club. Did you read the E&S exclusive at his home when he talks about the excessive cost of attending games? The man gets it. I bet he got a written warning from Mox£y for saying that though…
I would like to have seen more youngsters given a chance though, especially with the injuries his signing have picked up. Namely Forde given a run of games to build his experience, and Batth. If they’re not going out on loan then let them play, especially if players in their place like Berra don’t want to be here (regardless of the form he’s in). Ikeme’s certainly taking the opportunity with both hands (in light of DDV’s reported attitude), but maybe this is because he’s being overworked?? ;o)
So this is quite unlike me, as it’s a somewhat negative view. I’ll continue in the same vein with my prediction. Again back in those dark days of Championship/first division/2nd-tier mediocrity, what was so frustrating was the inconsistency, as we could bounce back from a bad defeat with a great win that would leave everyone saying “why didn’t we do that in the last game.”
So I’m going for a 0-2 away win (4-5-1 please).
2-2 – yeah, not sure on this one…
I’m goin for a sneaky 0-1 win tonight. Don’t know why, but I am. So there !
hull 3 wolvercampedinourownhalf 0
After four wrong predictions I’m still optimistic so 2 1 to Wolves
Can’t see us winning just yet so it’s 1-1 for me.
Because I’m expecting us to lose this one I predict a 2-1 victory for the mighty Wolves.
Steve Bruce is obviously gonna have them fired up for this one… 3 changes for us tonight – so Doyler & Bjorn upfront, Edwards in for Pennant & ohdearman in for (used to be great) Foley. Sorry but don’t see much for us against a side playing much better than us. 2-1 to Hull; Siggy to get his second for us, a small chink of light then…
At least its a start J. Couldnt go with same team as Saturday again. Hope Sigurdarson can show us why Stale bought him. All I can say is that is Frank Nouble cant even get on the bench there is something seriously wrong with him.
Good point, I dodnt think Nouble has put a foot wrong for us on the pitch, but now he has just gone.
We may up our game tonight and beat Hull 3-0. I’ve been expecting Stale to give Siggy a start for a week or two and tonight should be his chance to show what he can do from the start. 3-0 to Wolves.
we have gotta get a win 2nite after what the gaffer has said we have to go for a wolves win to get ourselves back on track! we gotta keep the faith were still right there in the mix, anyone can beat anyone in the championship, this isnt like the premier league were 2 or 3 bad results push you right down the table, we need to kick of now bedding in time is over time to start making a point to the boys around us that we r a force to b reckoned with, 2-1 wolves come on boys!
Im gutted due to my phone being a bag of cack I could post my prediction of a loss at burnley. im gonna predict a 2-0 loss again tonight, think we are in for a long season. 2-0 loss
Just heard mcShane & Koren start for Hull – we’re definitely fucked. At least one will score… Bloody scourge of the tesco’s…
at this rate wolves will be playing at an empty molineux…….even a great sense of black country humour is wearing bloody thin!!!! me thinks moxey should be made to sit in the south bank!!
The slide continues.
Awaiting the report with interes. I could only follow on Beeb Text. From what I read we had no one in the box who could win the ball, sound familiar. Seemed johnson got his head on a couple but………………………
Unless the report tells me we played brilliantly and wuz robbed, it really is time to hear from Jez and Morgan about us being still on track.
Rubbish… Rubbish and More Rubbish..
Cant beat Burnley, Hull, Carlton… Absolute rubbish…
We are going nowhere fast.
Looks like we got some lucky wins early on. But this team is now relegation fodder
Well we dont need to worry about further development at the Mol, in fact they can mothball a stand for the time being. Maybe Jez can reduce taxes.
I am sorry it is absolute incompetence. Still not blaming SS although the fact that he clearly has not bothered to go see Cassidy up the road wrankles with me.
Our CEo has repeatedly got it wrong and i dont care what anyone says there is absolullrly no reason for us to be where we are, or in fact to really expect anything more with Moxey around.
I dodnt know if SS will make it or not, but he needs a chance. Moxey has this MM atitude that if i say or do it it must be right. What is his job spec, what objectives is he challenged to achieve, becasue success on the filed is clearly not one of them.
NY Wolf
I suspect Moxey is Challenged to Deliver a profit like any other CEO.
He will do that again this year easily due to sales of Jarvis, Fletcher, and the parachute money.
Success on the field does not come into it. They are both business men not Football men.
The Bank Balance is always more important than the Points tally…
That will not change while they are in charge.
The key to success is finding a happy medium between the 2…
I hate to say it but The s**t up the road seem to have found it..
Moxey couldn’t find it if it hit him in the fat face…
Agreed Nige,
Sad thing is that success on the filed is what created the profitshe is now declaring. He is on the road to diminishing returns.
I am in business and in most situations it is not difficult to wring out cost and show some returns, as you say the trick is not destroying the business at the sdame time