Scruffy wins they may have been, but three in a row has given us momentum.
There’s an opportunity now to press forward and put points on the board to firm up a position in the top half of the table.
Given the disastrous start to the season, it’s been some turnaround and for the first time in a good while it feels like we can go into a game feeling confident about our prospects.
The Premier League is always ready to turn around and slap you in the face though and despite our good record at Elland Road in recent times and their poor form, it’s still a tough place to go.
Leeds
Marco Bielsa’s side aren’t in a good moment and there are signs that Second Season Syndrome is threatening to claim another victim.
Injuries to key players coupled with modest summer transfer business has left their squad looking thin and there isn’t the same zip to their play we saw in the previous campaign.
With everyone fit, they have more than enough quality to climb the table but if you take away the goals of Bamford and the presence of Phillips in midfield, they’re nowhere near as convincing.
It’s already been confirmed both of those players won’t feature tomorrow but the excellent Raphinha will return having missed the defeat at Southampton last weekend.
The Brazilian is a real talent and caused us plenty of pain at Molineux last season with his dribbling and dead-ball delivery. How we kept a clean sheet that night I still don’t know.
The home end
Some comments lifted from the pre-match thread on the Marching On Together forum:
Incoming defeat I’m afraid, only Wolves won’t be as profligate as Southampton as they have better quality players up top. Another gaping hole in midfield that becomes a black hole when KP is out, and Ruben Neves and co will have the freedom of Elland Road to stroll around and enjoy themselves. I expect MB will go with the same old stuff, why would you change anything when these guys put in such a great effort and performance at winless Southampton? Opposition fans seem to frequently be saying “Ooh, that’s the best we’ve played for ages” and the common denominator is they faced Leeds United.
Can’t really see us getting anything out of this one with all the injuries. Maybe if we have a Struijk/Llorente partnership at the back and give Bate and Geldhert a go who knows, we might have a chance. I know Raph is back but what’s the point if he has no one to play the ball to? I’m despondent already.
Well I’ve already said that if we have one or two of Phillips, Raphinha or Bamford missing then we are going to struggle so it looks as though we are going to struggle! All teams have injuries, of course they do, but this year we certainly seem to have had more than our fair share. Obviously Raphinha hasn’t been injured and will be back which will hopefully give us more attacking momentum than we had on Saturday (there couldn’t be much less) but Phillips is pivotal for not only the defence but especially the midfield. He seems to be able to be in the right place at the right time to close down the vast open spaces that, for example, Southampton were able to exploit on Saturday and I don’t think Struijk is able to read the game half as well as Phillips does. Well football is a funny old game and sometimes Leeds lose when I’m expecting a win and sometimes they win when I’m expecting to lose, I just the latter is the case on Saturday. Come on Leeds!
Likely Wolves XI
Even though we emerged with the victory, I don’t think you’d call Bruno’s experiment at Villa Park a success. It was only when he introduced Podence and Fabio that things began to turn in our favour.
I would therefore expect a return to 343, but he’s got a real dilemma about who to pick with five or six players staking a claim for three positions.
Raul would be nailed on to come in you would have thought. Hwang was awful last weekend, but he showed in the Newcastle game that he can link up with Raul coming in off that left side.
Podence was the spark that turned the game in our favour and Traore also had a big role to play in a couple of the goals. You’ve also got Trincao, who, despite his faults in that Newcastle win, helped us play with great fluidity in spells.
A word too for Fabio who came on and made his presence felt at Villa. He’s lower down the pecking order but the competition will hopefully drive him on to a better level as he continues to develop.
Last time out
We won both games last season without conceding, which is some achievement when you consider Leeds were scoring plenty of goals with their kamikaze football. I remember the game at Elland Road being horribly one-sided for the first 40 minutes, but having weathered that storm, we did enough in the second half to earn the win courtesy of Raul’s deflected strike.
In the game at Molineux later in the season, Adama Traore won it with a great run and strike that came back off the bar and went in off the keeper. We had plenty of good attacking moments in that game, but Leeds missed some seriously good chances from set-pieces and Patrick Bamford had a goal ruled out for a microscopic offside.
Predictions
Well done to Balsall Heathen Wolves, Franski, WOLFSTROKER and spikeyboy for claiming maximums with outrageous 3-2 scoreline predictions.
AveburyWolf still leads the way at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 8.
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!
We should really fancy our chances tomorrow with the confidence of last weekend flowing through the veins coupled with Bielsa’s injury problems. There’s no reason we can’t go there and get another win.
But I’ll temper that confidence a bit as they’ll still have plenty of good players capable of hurting us, not least Raphinha. I think he’ll get a mega move when he eventually exits Elland Road. I expect them to explode out of the blocks and it’s one of those games where we’ll need to hang in and wait for our moment.
As we haven’t had a draw, I’ll predict one here, which would still be most satisfactory for us and continue the little run we’re on. It’s very winnable though.
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Four wins on a row? As a prediction that would have seemed hopelessly optimistic a month ago. But … moving on from ‘scruffy’ my crystal ball sees beautiful, free flowing football pending this afternoon, no defensive fiascos, and a brace for whoever wants to step forward in our newly free scoring team of musketeers!
Second Season Syndrome is real enough. Ask Sheffield United and others. I don’t see Leeds going down but they are getting a reality check. If there exists such a thing as Third Season Syndrome, we looked like falling victim at times last season under Nuno. Biesla is famed for his ‘murder ball’ approach in training, but I don’t think Bruno is far behind the curve in this method. Perhaps we are also a bit of a bogey team for Leeds. I’m going for another win to make four in row, and sticking money on as well. I don’t know when we last achieved such a run, but probably a long time ago. Bruno is getting the measure of his squad and this division. We may be playing badly and winning, but just wait till we really click. 2-1 tomorrow.
Appantly we haven’t won 4 on the bounce since returning to the top league so there can be no better time to claim that 1st than tomorrow.
It’s set up to be an exciting game but hopefully we should have enough firepower to come out on top.
BL has a dilemma in who he starts, given the competition for places we now are starting to enjoy , but what a great position for him to be in.
Clean sheet? Let’s go for it.
NIL will flatter dirty Leeds
Hoping that Bruno get a tune out of Mr Podence like the banger he got in the last 20 last Saturday….Whole lotta Love !!
Given Leeds injuries to key ayers this is definitely winnable
When is Boly going to get a start?
Marcel remains our weakest link
Boly out of tomorrow with injury Paul and I think his persistent problems with that hamstring explain why he hasn’t featured more.
A shame but we have only conceded 8, which ranks us as one of the best defences in the league so far. Not sure what we’re planning to do with both Boly and Saiss leaving for the Afcon in December mind.
Had all intentions of going for a 1-1 draw but I can’t ignore the guts and determination showed by our team last week so have upped it to a 2-1 win. COYW.
Another win
Mmmmm tough call this one
hmmm,,,another thriller perhaps?
Hope I’ve got this the right way round
Every game, I want us to win, but this one, I really, really, want us to win! Not because it is Leeds, but because 4 on a trot and 5 out of 6 wins is top four form! I want to dream, even if only for a week! As Nuno often said, dreams are for free!!
Probably did a Lawro and jinxed us, and we will have a nightmare game.
Bruno may even opt to keep Dendonker in midfield to stop Leeds running through us, playing a 3-5-2 and leaving either Tarore or Hwang on the bench. Who knows? Bruno knows, I guess!
If we get a good start, feel we will get a comfortable win, but the longer it goes the more I will worry, although I just read somewhere that a large percentage of our goals have come in the last 15 minutes of the game.
Anyway, I will be roaring us on from afar, and hoping that my dreams can come true!
We have a great chance of a win with Leeds injuries 2-1 to the Wolves
Sooner or later, we’ll draw. Not this game, though, provided our rearguard is on its mettle and the boys up front do the business.
Once again I’m hoping the analysts have done their job properly and watched Leeds’ s previous games. They were wide apart at times last week even in the highlights shows and this should be key to our gameplan. Should being the operative word. Traore must play from the start and be stationed on the shoulder of the last defender with very simple instructions to leg it when Ruben gets the ball. (NOT wait until there’s a queue in front to stop him).Then aim for the bits of the goal that the goalie can’t cover. You see Adama, it’s that simple!
Would be nice to take the lead for once and manage the game with a clean sheet.
I’ve been wrong every week so why change?
A very winnable game but I have a feeling that we will have to settle for a draw.
Me too Cannock but feel there may be more goals
UTW!
The Villa result was more than any of us expected, given the state of the match on the 80th minute mark. For me, there’s no pressure on Bruno’s Wolves for the Leeds game. I’ll happily take a draw, but a win will be a very early Christmas treat.
Now that I’ve mentioned the ‘C’ word, on the evening of the Liverpool match (4 December) Barbara and I are going to Lupo Lounge in town https://thelounges.co.uk/lupo/ . We would be delighted if it turns into a mini Bloggers’ Ball. There is what looks like a decent selection of food – three courses @ £25.95, two @ £20.95. I’m sure we can also accommodate those who are just there for the beer. From there, it is a short stroll to the Hogshead (my preferred hostelry).
I’ll need confirmation of numbers before the weekend is out, to secure the booking – say Monday lunchtime. A £5 deposit is required from those eating (I’m sure I can catch up with most of you in the next few weeks).
As I’m here, is anyone else doing the Molineux Sleepout 2021 on 12 November? Any generous souls out there might be interested in the link below https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dougie-singh
Good thinking about Traore. Leeds have been consistent admirers of Traore, so I guess they will commit players to him tomorrow, leaving gaps elsewhere. Jimenez feeding Hwang through the lines is a mouth-watering prospect. Traore could well go through the entire season causing havoc but not actually scoring or directly assisting and still be worth his weight in gold.
Its chaos but the goals are coming
Fully expecting a tough game, as they all are! With Leeds missing a couple of their stars, I’m expecting, or should I say, hoping, for a narrow win.
Buckets. Buckets emerged on these isles in the 13th C. Normally cylindrical or square. There are lots of nice buckets. Ceremonial buckets were often found in medieval cultures and people probably danced around them with sticks and T Rex bones or something. In modern times the crusher bucket is often attached to an excavator on construction sites. My favourite bucket is the vistula found in Germany in the 2nd C. It was made of bronze. Of course, there are some s**t buckets as well. Like the one Marcello Bielsa often sits on. I often wonder if the stress of the game is causing him to have a dump. And true to form this is what will happen tomorrow. For there will also be a toilet roll next to his bucket. Just in case. To be fair. Marcello might as well put the bucket on his head as he will not want to witness the carnage unfolding on the pitch before him. A refreshed Raul back in partnership with Hwang will simply rip the Leeds back line apart. Marcello will hurl his bucket on to the half way line. The ref will trip over it and he will send Bielsa to the stand. The rudderless Leeds side dismayed by the loss cave in and WWFC canter to a 4 goal win. After the game Bielsa said ” The day started badly when my window cleaner accidentally took away my favourite bucket. I knew then it was not going to be our day. The bucket I did used belonged to my great Uncle Sergio who died in 1876. It must have been cursed. Gutted”. Leeds 0 WWFC 4.
I’d be getting splinters in me bum by sitting on the fence and going for the draw if it wasn’t for their injuries.
I’m not convinced Phillips will be out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the bench at the very least.
However with the disruptions to their best ll I’m getting some confident vibes.
Agree with those expecting a tough game. As already pointed out even in our first two seasons back we never enjoyed four wins on the spin. So tomorrow’s unknown territory. But Leeds have been struggling and will be missing their two most influential players and showing symptoms of second season syndrome. Wolves should be on a high and full of confidence. So going for a win (fingers crossed).
Incredibly difficult to predict how we will perform let alone a result.
We’ve played well against Leicester, Tottenham and Man U and lost, poorly against Villa and won, poorly against Brentford and been humbled.
Raul to start and the likelihood of us scoring goes up.
That said, Leeds poor run and our good run have to come to an end eventually.
Hopefully not tomorrow.
Four wins on the spin – now that would crack a smile on the face of even the most “glass half empty”fan !!
UTW
Always tough at Elland Road with a few knuckle draggers in evidence, but a noisy ground when things are going well.
Trarora given license to run, hopefully will be the decider. One to win this one, not just because its a record, not just because we are in- form, because its Leeds.
Every games a lesson learnt for bruno and he’s no mug so is he seeing the late entry of his subs is a little too late as we all think so c’mon bruno have a look at your watch a bit more often.
That said we now have goals in us from all over so expect a win regardless of whether dirty leeds have a full team out or not .
Expect podence a little earlier than last week … i like that guy he’s got guts and determination
Wolves win solid defence.
No one has yet mentioned one of the North Bank Choir’s fave songs from back in the 70’s,
We all f…. n ‘ate Leeds!
They had some great, great players, but Revie’s cynical tactics pissed off the rest of the football world.
So, I have no problem in watching them squirm and suffer and hopefully get relegated.
And why doesn’t their manager invest in a proper chair, or seat, or bench, instead of a plastic bucket?
Elland Road is and always has been a shit hole, and hopefully this will be the last time we go there
Now’s a good time to be playing Leeds.
We ought to pull it off although they have pace out wide which could trouble us.
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The return of Raphinha for them tells me that Rayan Ait Nouri should be bought in. Inexperienced he may be, but he has pace and that’s vital against a class operator like Raphinha.
Otherwise, the same line up as against Newcastle should suffice against a Leeds team with two of their best players out. That levels it up really as we’ve two of our best players out too.
You’d leave Raul out??
Still trying to work out how we won last weekend but as great as the comeback was the performance left a lot to be desired. We looked toothless for large parts of the game so Raul comes in for Dendoncker for me and the left side of the defence must be close to being changed.
Call pessimistic but Leeds are due a win and can we really win 4 on the bounce
Same reservations as myself Matt. Clearly I’m desperately hoping for a win, but I fear that Leeds might find a way to return to their own winning ways.
Spot on Matt and Pete but I can’t predict a loss, particularly after watching us ‘dismantle ‘ Villa last week. Saiss over Mings any day of the week.
Still gutted. Leeds less than an hour from my house and I can’t get a ticket.
Anyway. Leeds are so identifiable in the way they play and Bielsa the Bucket is too thick and stubborn to change that makes this so easy to predict.
Still have my version of Clive’s shit eating grin on from last week.
Given the injuries Leeds have at the moment for once I am feeling reasonably confident of a win.
Not too much to say about this one really.
With Boly out, the central defence picks itself.
Ait Nouri would be my choice instead of Marcal at left wing back.
Then I’m with Thomas with the rest of the selection, with Podence and the Donck to come on with half an hour to go if needed.
With their injuries and lack of results there will probably be no better time to play Leeds.
Three points are there for the taking.
Let’s do it!
We should really be aiming to take advantage of leeds injury crisis, but I still think we’re too vulnerable defensively and wasteful going forward. I’d happily take a point.
We have one of the best defensive records in the league.
This a definitely an easy prediction to make….
Just like last week when the Villa imploded…. because they couldn’t handle the thought of us being the Pride of the Midlands….
Well tomorrow we’ll be going for the ‘Cock o’ the North’ mantle too.
Leeds have been rumbled after a creditable first season…. and we are going to Elland Rd to avenge that semi final defeat at Maine Rd all those years ago…
hurt .. it never goes away ….
So a comfortable fourth victory in a row.. with Jimi, Neves and Saiss on the scoresheet.
I was there in ’72.
Bastards.
But, Big Mark Davies did save the life of a vicar.
Yes, there is a story there.
Maybe I’ll tell it one day, if y’all beg enough!
Wolves will do their usual: go behind, catch up, then nick it at the end!
I’m glad to find that Phillips and Bamford are out so confidently predicting at least 2-0 to Wolves.
Golden mettle
Golden win
We all hate Leeds
I see it being closer
Gotta love the arse nil
Free kneel
Lol
At 0-2 on saturday, I thought I had been a tad optimistic with my 3-2 prediction but I had to get one right at some point.
With Raul back in form and Podence also looking back to his best, hopefully we can manage a historic fourth win.
Thanks so much for the donation, Franski. It’s greatly appreciated.
We’ll score more than them…
Loving that Fabio is growing into the player that we were hoping for…
This is a definite three pointer… for us!
Would love a win but will accept a draw….
I’m going for a win 3-0 because we’ve done well recently when being off colour and at some point soon everything is going to click for us.
In September 1956 I watched Malcolm Finlayson’s first game at Molineux and it was against Leeds. We had won three on the trot going into the game, John Charles was in his prime and playing for them – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player who could jump like him. MF was awful, JC was beating him to the ball head v hands. In the end we lost 1-2. MF was called Fumbleson by some South Bank regulars and we didn’t get four in a row. In the long run it mattered not one jot. MF went on to give several years of excellent service and played a very large part in our double championship winning seasons, often being the only defence when the offside trap failed. One columnist described watching Wolves defending as being like watching the start of a cross-country race.
So, although I think we have a good chance of winning and although I’d love us to win – it’s LEEDS isn’t it – it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we don’t. Things have started to turn for us and if they really click who knows where we might finish. I tend to agree with those suggesting second season syndrome.
I also remember my one visit to Elland Road, not an experience I’ve ever wanted to repeat, once was more than enough!!
COYW
Can’t disagree with any of the Leeds hating comments above. So I think we’ll put the boot in on Bielsa’s bucket.
BTW he must of learned the English for ‘bucket’ by now. I mean I’ve just googled the translaton into Italien which is ‘La Benna’ and would feel confident about using it in day to day conversation were I the manager of Naples for example: ‘My team without Bamfordino and Phillipino are as much use as UNA BENNA with two holes in it’.
Traore unleashed for a further 90 should be enough to give them sleepless nights. Gotta be a score and 3 more top rankin points.
1 lv & COYW
Looking to keep the momentum going.
KA/TNs
Roy of the Rovers stuff last week but we can’t rely on that amount of luck going for us again, not for a while anyway.
Hoping we have enough to sneak it for 4 in a row.
Wolves 2 – 1 Leeds
Lorimer, Clarke, Bremner, Cherry and so on. Revie, your lads will take a hell of a beating
Like Mildenhall, I too have decided to change my opinion. A 1-1 seemed a cert to me. But on reflection, I think we will hang on to a 1-0 scoreline. The more the merrier as long as it is another win.
Traore and Raul up front is a must. The question is the third attacker. Hwang, Podence or Trincao ? After last week’s performance, one would say Podence. Maybe Hwang missed Raul and that is his excuse for a terrible game. But please let us not mention Fab Fab in the same breath as these other forwards. Having seen his lack of effort in the Under 23 side against the bottom team, I cannot see him featuring there either. He was absolutely shocking !!!
Shame about Boly, but maybe that might stop him going away in December, where we really need him.
Sticking with the tried & tested prediction.
Wolves away win please lads.
COYW
Hope Leeds 2nd season problem’s continue
I’m terrible at this prediction business. The brilliant Raphinha may be back but, after Villa heroics, I’m saying Wolves to go mad this week!
A winnable game, hope we continue our progression and use the confidence building nicely to see off a poor Leeds side.
The options Bruno has up top is great its a real selection headache. If we’re expecting a win and they’re expecting a loss you can guarantee it’ll be the other way around. He’ll need adama for this one to hit Leeds on the break
Munro, Dougan, Bremner…
Leeds and Leeds and Leeds still hate them from Revies time ..let’s stuff them on their own patch.. without Bamford I feel confident..
Traore off the post from 40yards and a goal off the ref..
Can’t see any other result.
This is 3-2 all day long
Jimmy- chan- traore
Four on the bounce
Come on you wolves
I have bobbled between 1-1 and 1-0 all day.
Still don’t know…
Hope we can take advantage of a Leeds side short of a few good players and will go for a 2-1 win…
Late 60s I discovered that the police escort away fans to Elland Road. Never been back since, and not wanted to.
Don’t buy this they due a win, from some pundit I shan’t name. NO THEY ARE NOT.
Still not confident to predict a clean sheet, but happy to be wrong, so it’s the trusty old 2-1 to us.
An interesting insight into the workings of Bruno and the new Wolves management team in The Telegraph today.
Well worth a read.
Thanks for the article Mr. Gooder. It changes my mind. I was expecting a slip-up this weekend but now expecting a big win!
Dan
A really significant game for Wolves.
I’d take another scruffy win for sure. Leeds have lots of injuries, so this is a banana skin game for us and a chance to build some real momentum.
I hope we are more positive, in the first half, than last week and play with attack in mind. We have the players to do Leeds some real damage if we are on top of our game.
Wolves unbeaten run to continue, no problem.
That was rubbish.
WTF!
We nearly did a Villa!
It wasn’t that rubbish. And, in hindsight, a point away is good even though when you are leading it feels like 2 points dropped.