If there’s any justice we’ll get completely outplayed and win it with the last kick of the game.
That’s how Spurs got it done at Molineux back in December in what felt like the most painful defeat of the season – simply because it was so unjust.
It served as a reminder though that to really compete at the top end of the Premier League you’ve just got to find a way to win.
Spurs to their credit hung in there and when the opportunity presented itself – snaffled up the points. It was ugly, but it was streetwise and effective.
Wolves need a similarly effective performance Sunday.
Spurs
The combination of injuries to key personnel and faliure to bring in a striker in January has left Jose short.
Without Kane or Son they’re relying on wingers and attacking midfielders to fill the void up front, which is a significant handicap when you’re chasing the Champions League.
It already looks like it will cost them their place in this season’s competition after losing 1-0 to Leipzig in the home leg of their last 16 tie.
They followed that up with a meek 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, meaning the performance and result of this game will be well and truly under the microscope.
My gut feeling is Mourinho will adopt the mindset of trying not to lose rather than pushing hard for the win, so it will be interesting to see how he sets them up.
They’ve won 8, drawn 2 and lost 3 at home so far in the Premier League, with mediocre away form being the root cause of their problems.
The home end
Some thoughts lifted from the pre-match thread on The Fighting Cock forum:
Jose is getting battered on every media platform going and rightly so. This defeatist inferiority complex has to stop. Yes we have key players out but it’s his job to instill a belief into the other 22 players. I’m expecting another shit show, low block and zero coaching or game plan.
There won’t be much between the quality of the players, but they are a much better coached side, we might have the home ‘advantage’ so I will go with a draw.
They will wipe the floor with us Like they did in the reverse fixture , how we won that match i’ll never know. You could say that about every win we have had this season barring two or three
Wolves are a bit tasty just now, or so I’m told. I’m really not looking forward to this one especially as it’s at home and they are flying. Yesterday’s performance did not inspire any confidence which is why I’ll be happy with a draw. Harry, Son, and Deli injured will cost us both fourth and the CL I’m afraid. It’s another: JUST DON’T LOSE!
We’ll be exposed by wolves even at home. Jota is on fire atm. I’ll watch it but not confident.
Wolves
The obvious question is: will Nuno start Traore? Spurs resorted to rugby tackling him at Molineux, but I think they’ll be spared on Sunday.
Nuno has favoured the 352 in the last week or so and if that is the shape, it’s hard to see where Adama slots in. More likely he’ll be off the bench later on.
Although that would frustrate many I’m sure, Jota has shown repeatedly that when on form he’s very much the main man and playing through the middle gets the best out of him.
Jonny left Molineux in a protective boot after Norwich and didn’t travel to Spain so I suspect Vinagre will start in his place. That’s a blow because his link-up play with Jota is a big feature of our play, particularly away from home.
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Predictions
There was an avalanche of points scored in the Prediction League following the 3-0 win over Norwich last time out. Well done to BG, Dek, Pauluswolf, Dorset Wolf, PeteRobbo, Wolfstroker, Steppenwolfe, Corbywolf, The Dodgster, Mildenhall Wolf, theDooGooder, JazzWolf54 and Tipton Exile who all netted a maximum. View the full PL table here.
If you’d like to join in this week simply leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided.
That’s where you’ll also find my best guess for this one.
Up The Wolves!
Would be a massive win for both sides. As I said above, I suspect Nuno will adopt the more cautious 352 and Spurs – without a forward – will also be sitting deep.
I think we’ve got the more balanced team, so it’s just a case of them executing the performance and our big players doing the damage.
Mourinho will have something up his sleeve though and coupled with home advantage, it’s enough to get me hedging my bets with a score draw.
We just cannot miss this opportunity. Let’s go Wanderers! Let’s settle the score.
Hopefully the team Nuno puts out tomorrow will be a bit less generous than Thursday’s. I lost count of the number of me spliced passes.
Even a below strength Spuds will punish that profligacy .
Hope at some point to
See Podence and Traore torturing a tiring defence and Jimenez Showing how HE can do
a hat trick too
UTW
A win here should boost our chances of CL football next year, and our confidence going forward! Mixed feelings if Tarore should start as he destroyed them last time, but 3-5-2 sets up for an in-form Jota. Saiss will have to be careful with Vinagra ahead of him.
Just hope we keep up our consistency and play well for both half’s of the match and not wait until the second 45 minutes. Cautiously optimistic for this one!
Hopefully we can make our superiority tell in the final score, because superior we are. Their despicable treatment of Adama at the Mol proves that they have few answers to our big players. I’m sure the rebirth of Diogo over the last few weeks will put another thorn into their side and our pace and movement will leave them gasping for air.
I always want to do well against what used to be called the ‘Big Six’, and I don’t feel I’ll be disappointed on Sunday.
Great write up Thomas revenge game and revenge for the poor Wolves fan who had his wallet lifted by a low down Spuds fan at West Park.
We will be up for this with Diogo Jota smelling blood.
343 or 352 is a real conundrum, with Dendoncker being the key to the latter. When Donk puts in one of his all-action displays (tackling, intercepting, passing, bursting forward) 352 is effective. But when he goes missing and Neves drops deep, the midfield is miles away from Raul/Jota and we’re devoid of creativity.
Neves has excelled in the 343 and it allows Traore to play in his best position on the right, although he’s been quieter in recent weeks. Plus, Jota is best playing in a 352. It’s a hard one. While the 352 is working then stick with that.
Watching Vinagre last night shows how far he’s still off Jonny’s levels. I actually thought Vinagre was having a decent game until stupidly giving the ball away, which led to Kilman conceding the penalty. Still so inconsistent. At least he’ll have Saiss alongside him.
Spurs are one of the worst teams I’ve seen at the Mol in recent memory. It was like watching a limited Championship side – sitting deep and lumping it long. Frankly ridiculous that Mourinho is stealing a living with such negative tactics.
Interesting that Lampard set up with a back three which Spurs were unable to deal with. They struggled against Wolves at The Mol with the same set up and fluked and fouled their way to a win. This time I’m expecting a win for us.
A nice win hear and people will be saying the Mighty Wolves are defo’ back.
Matt will be in The Lych Gate for pre match refreshments, be great to catch up as they say.
I wonder what the Spurs line up will be…
The one for fouling Traore I mean.
Or, if we play 3-5-2, substitute Jota for Traore.
Spurs under Jolly Jose are one of the most cynical teams in the Prem and will try every method of bending and twisting the rules to stop our quick men.
At least Harry Kane isn’t adding his swallow dives to the occasion.
I’m sorry, I went all bitter there for a moment.
Better now.
They say when you get done:- “Don’t get mad, get even”.
That’s the spirit.
I forecast a win for Wolves.
Good points. My old boss would add ‘don’t get even, get ahead’ to that saying. Refreshing objectivity from the Away End, Mourinho is cunning and will be planning another ambush on Sunday. If we keep our composure and with effective use of our subs – Neto and Adama to win the game in the last 10 minutes. Hope Jonny is back soon, his defensive qualities allow the Doc to rampage forward. With him and Diogo back to last seasons form, I don’t think we will lose another match this season. Hope they play Zorba’s dance at the Mol after our aggregate win in the EL next month.
All the pundits have this game as a score draw…not so me thinks….With Jota on fire and the pace of Adama , Neto and Danny Boy we are really gonna cause their defence some problems !!
Revenge for the game at the Mol when clearly Wolves were the better team….COYW
Changing the subject entirely…our away fixture in Athens . I have heard a rumour that we are only getting an allocation of 1600 tickets ffs . Does anyone know what the situation is ? (before I start booking flights etc) TAR
I think 1600 was all that the Gooners were allocated
On another subject, I’ve been trying to arrange my visits to Wolves until the end of the season.
We are scheduled to play Olympiacos on the 19th March and yet the Bournemouth game still appears to be on the 21st.
Is that right?
We don’t need more than a two day break to stuff that lot of cheating toe rags!!
A senior moment I’m afraid. Of course it’s going to be moved to the Sunday.
Mothering Sunday!
That’s a bugger, we’re taking the ma-in-law out for a meal.
Doog treat her to the Balti wagon outside the subway. Then you can see the game.
Sure she will be thrilled and totally understand . Hope you and Sue are well.
Sir Jack’s restaurant it is then!
It’s a six pointer with spurs in the battle for a top 4 thru 6th finish (enjoy that feeling for a moment).
Therefore – it’ll probably be a draw.
I can see us winning it but I bottled out of predicting 0-0 for both the Man U and Leicester games. As it’s not hard to see Spurs being particularly defensive here and, good though it is to see Jota finding the net of late, I still worry about our conversion rate. So rather than risk not predicting a third stalemate, 0-0 is what I’m going with.
I don’t want poetic justice, I want to completely dominate them from start to finish.
Not saying that is going to happen but that is what I want.
That’s what happened last time Tim, but they somehow left Molineux with 3 points. Sod the domination, just a little bit of good luck this time round will see us allright.
Just heard that Moutinho twat say Nuno should be at a bigger team than Wolves. That gives him the choice of Barca or Real then.
To be honest, with the money Man United spent in January and are rumoured to have available in the summer, it sure looks like they have more ambition than Wolves.
Maybe it is often poorly spent but you can’t fault the amount that is available to a manager who can select the right kind of players.
And yes, I know Mourinho is with Spurs and not United.
Oops, Freudian slip. I meant Mourinho obviously.
assume you meant that Jose, not Jao ?
I think the whole team, staff and especially fans will be up for revenge.
Nuno or someone needs to remind the ref before the game that he is allowed to review anything he wants pitchside, and is actually in charge of the game, not the faceless baboons in var town.
If we have injustices aplenty yet again, Stockley Park aint far away, so a small post match invasion could be on the cards.
Jose is not now nor never was anything special, he just got lucky with a Russian mobster’s money.
Nuno has proved himself a tactical genius and will do so again on Sunday.
He knows more than us what he’s a doin’, and I are sure he’ll get it right on the night, or afternoon, or morning in Texas.
Fowb
JM will set up not to lose. Can see a draw possibly 0-0 or 1-1.
Fortunately our players aren’t obliged to follow his instructions not to score.
Just back from Barcelona and looking forward to going to the Spuds dreadful new ground on Sunday.
Wolves are unbeaten in 8 visits to London since we returned to the top division – 3 wins and 5 draws – having scored 1 goal in each of seven of those games and conceded 1 goal in each of 6 of those games. Logic would therefore suggest a 1-1 draw.
However my lifelong hatred for Spuds easily trumps any logic so we will be celebrating like last season after wiping the floor with Moaning Maureen’s toothless and feeble diving charges.
OODCL
The ground looks fairly ok on TV to me and at least they have real ale on tap. New song: real ale on tap, real ale on tap but your team’s total crap, doo da doo da deh. Up yours, Mourinho.
Did anyone catch the reruns of the UEFA final in 1972 which BT put out? There were some great players on show in gold & black. Didn’t we used to sing “Chivers.. the bush kangaroo”. How PC is that these days?
We were sloppy in the game on Thursday night and I’ve never seen Boly and Moutinho lump it down the pitch before. Hopefully Nuno’s has been in their ears today and winding them up for Sunday.
Spurs 2
Wolves 3
My solution to the Coronavirus crisis is simple. Infect the Coronavirus with the Influenza virus. The Coronavirus then gets the flu and is too ill to infect anyone else. Anyway. On Sunday there will be 2 West Midlands clubs playing in London. A few miles from each other. One will be GIVING a football lesson. One will be RECEIVING a football lesson. One team goes in to the top 5 of the Premier League and looks forward to European glory. The other looks forward to the Championship and Hull away. Spurs 1 WWFC 3.
Cheeseburger.
This one is for you, we were on the way to the ground in Barcelona via the Metro, when this popped up on the station indicator board.
Didn’t see any sign of the cat.
Thank you very much Stu. I like it. We must be twinned with our Spanish cousins. Bet they doe talk prapper tho.
Going for a win in London. That would really put us amongst it in a great place.
Donk and Jimmy to score – clean sheet and 3 points.
With Spurs injuries we can get revenge here. They should never have beaten us at the Mol.
As exciting as our Euro campaign is and I can see it lasting a while longer yet we have a great chance of finishing very high in the league. Spurs have been badly hit by injuries so i expect Mourinho to look to contain and pinch something pretty much like the home game against them. Interesting to see what shape Nuno goes with. 3-5-2 helps Doc and Jota but Traore had been magnificent this season and 3-4-3 gets Neves further up the pitch. Still great to have options. Think I will leave it to the real special one.
Cannot get there. Is it on the telly? I cannot see it anywhere.so many times from way way back we are due to stuff them – let’s hope Sunday is the day.
It’ll be on BEIN Sports. I ay very technical but it is a stream from Saudi Arabia or summat. Some folks say they can get it on a fire stick. I am off down a local pub which shows it illegally. So hope to see it live. If any of that makes any sense then good!
I’d love is to get the win against Sperms, just love it…….
Maureen would press us high tomorrow having not played for a week and put us under pressure,
He knows that would be a gamble though with our counter attacks and if he doesn’t get the goal before half time then wolves become big favourites as the game gets long
The problem spurs have is actually Maureen is pretty negative whilst spurs fans want attacking football
This could be a great game, 3-2 or 4-3 but will probably end up as a battle of the coaches and their tactics
Nuno will win this battle, and the war
We need to get into top 6 ASAP because it’s going to get harder as the season progresses with our European games so this is a win for me
Utw
There’s no doubt that we were very unlucky to lose at Molineux. With their key injuries and our expanding pool of talent vis-a-vis the additions of Neto and Podence, I’m going to risk a positive outcome here….
I feel that after our stroll around Espanyol on Thursday, lot’s of players will be rested and up for this. We feel we wuz robbed at Molineux, so you can bet your sweet bippy that the players do too.
I think we will take this and move upwards, we deserve this although the press don’t recognise our efforts, we fans do.
Spurts 0
Wolves 2
Whilst I like a wager or a little flutter, I suppose I would bet most things but my “sweet bippy” no way José
If we can get over the first 20 mins without conceding a goal, I think we can overcome our opposition. I am going for a 1-0 win. They have their most influential players out of action, whereas we are in the great position of wondering whether to start Traore or bring him in for the last 30 mins. Same with Pedro.
Score first and we cant take the points, but will we?
Wolves 2 – 1
Kiwi good point but if a tree falls in the forest and no one is listening does it make a noise?
Still in Barcelona, travelling home this evening, then getting the train to Spurs in the morning. Who would have thought we would have been saying this sort of thing 4 seasons ago with Kenny Jackett and Paul Lambert.
What a journey this has been, sitting 5th tomorrow at 4 pm would cap it all off.
Win and we’re in the thick of the Champions League hunt. Lose one it becomes very difficult.
It’s a good time to be facing Tottingham. If we can replicate our performance from our last encounter they’re there for the taking.
Think it’s going to be a draw but really really want to win this do against my gut prediction I’m going with a win! This is obviously key match to decide CL place. Great to still have two routes to CL qualification in March. Never ever been able to type that in 48+ years of following WW!
This has got a draw written all over it. Two managers with a no lose first mentality. A point away at last season’s champions league finalists is a good result but with their injury list we’ve got to be looking for a win. Really looking forward to getting down there tomorrow come on wolves!
spuds are a jammy lot of late so someone has to upset their apple cart and we are in form and firing on all cylinders .
wont even be a close game .
Thomas, with all due respects, I don’t want us to get totally outplayed and then win it with the last kick of the match. I want to totally outplay them from start to finish. Sadly I have the offer of a ticket tomorrow (not in the away end) but have to decline as I have a bad cough. I don’t want to be responsible for bringing the entire Spurs fan base down with a virus named after a lager! 3-1 to Wolves tomorrow. I’m gutted I forgot to post a prediction for the Norwich match. Obviously I was going to post 3-0. Not!
I just read an interesting post that threw light on the rather unexpected departure of Thelwell. Looks like a difference of opinion in signings, but in Nuno and Mendes I trust: Here it is:
“As recently as last month, when fans were baying for new signings, Thelwell, John Marshall and his recruitment team were believed to have put forward Hwang Hee-chan and Dani Olmo as viable transfer targets. Nuno, who has the final say, preferred to go in another direction and the two most high-profile additions of the window (Daniel Podence and Leonardo Campana) were both Mendes clients.”
Where that theory about Thelwell doesn’t seem to make sense is – how did he get a job lined up so quickly?
We can only guess Tim. My guess is that this has been brewing since the summer transfer window last year. If so, the theory would make perfect sense. Thelwell might have known the writing was on the wall months ago.
Revenge for that home defeat will taste very sweet indeed. And after we win I will have a very happy grandson again.
Looking forward to this one
am going for the same score as last year
COYW
If we can score more goals than them, I am confident that we can take all three points.
PS. Is the 5 minute editing window gone intentionally or was there a technical reason for that?
Tim I have to assume you are being ironic.
Speaking of irony Colin, guesting on Gillete Soccer Saturday just said “I don’t understand football anymore” . Could n’t make it up.
If we score more goals then them, we will take all three points?
No shit, Sherlock!
That’s “Captain Obvious” to you!
Tim, av u eva thought about going on mastermind reading “the bleeding obvious”?
BTW, three more points will get us that much closer to Leicester.
What did I say a while back about Leicester getting more points than their xGoals and xGAs indicated they should have and how they were due for a fall back to the rest of the chasing pack?
Their xPoints is currently around 45 .
How many cans of his IPA did Clive send your way, Tim?
I don’t think it will surprise anyone to hear that, as of now, I have received 0 cans of IPA, which I assume is India Pale Ale.
My apologies to Clive if the cans are in transit.
The cans are in transit, Timmo, but the beer is safely in my belly!
Strangely, with the drugs I am on after knee surgery, I haven’t touched alcohol for a week.
I’ve looked longingly at the bottles, in neat tidy rows inside the fridge, but been a good boy and have abstained.
Roll on a drug free evening!
FOwb
Any beer you haven’t drunk since the surgery can you please send it Morgan Gibbs-White? My theory is he will drink it like the ‘gangsta’ he seems to think he is and turn up at training three sheets to the wind. Nuno will then finally realise that he is useless and nowhere near good enough for a place in our squad and so send him out on a three year loan to Albania after which his ‘huge potential’ that we’ve been hearing about for the past three years might come to fruition but by then we will be Champions of the World and so won’t need him. We can then sell him to Walsall for a couple of quid.
Deal?
OODCL
I was gutted at the end of that match with Spurs in December. If there is any justice Wolves will bag all three points tomorrow.
Just need to have a little ‘me time’ tomorrow afternoon amidst Barbara’s birthday celebrations.
Many happy returns, Barbara.
Going for a draw, another of those games where any result would not surprise.
Think the players will be out for revenge in this one
Will be interesting to see if Podence starts. Apparently he ran Spurs ragged in the CL group games and many of their fans were suggesting they should sign him. Thursday night didn’t do his chances any harm. Opinion has it that currently Spurs play a ‘low-block’ defence (or as my Spurs supporting nephew puts it, they ‘park the bus even at home’). Need to be wary of Lucas Moura and the new Dutch lad, but no reason why we can’t exact full revenge for the injustice of the result at Molineux.
Seems like a good time to play them – their strikers out of contention and ours getting back into the swing of things. Thursday was all about rotation but we still could/should have won it had it not been for Neto’s unfortunate moment. 3-0 served me well last week and so am going for the same again as the lads pick up the pace for the final run in. I’d certainly like to see our Pedro get a goal to keep his confidence up.
COYW
Can only go one way for me., however Jonny will be a significant miss
Come in Agent Cook. Agent Cook. Mission accomplished. Agent Cook. Mission accomplished.
And special mentions for agents Byrne, Evans and Jacobs too.
Absolutely. There is a load of the sad b*******s in our local pub right now. Meks me loff. Divided city Dudley. Wolves ay we.
No more draws
No more defeats
Just clean sheets
… with goals
Suspect a draw, but hoping for a narrow win.
They’ve got so much to worry about … if it’s not Adama , its raul .. if not him then pedro .. if not him then podence , not to mention Jota.. Fuck my best Sunday Braces
Tottenham who ?
0-1 or 0-2. Then again it could be 1-1 or 1-2. But we could keep a clean sheet so 0-1 or 0-2 seems more likely. That said, if on fire we could score a lot more. So could be 0-2 or even 0-3.
That is if we don’t lose.
If we do lose I won’t get any points.
Brompton,
Love it. Your prediction is one of the only ones not in your post. Lmfao
Yeah, I even stuck a 3-2 win in a post above lol. This one will count though.
Brompt,
I reckon you should have stuck with that 2:3
And had you put some pennies on it you may well of win some pounds.
Lmfao COYW COMB FWAW
Brompton you’ve confused the hell out of me.
Logic is a draw, but heart says a narrow win. Gotta sit on my hands for 90 minutes as I’m in the Spurs’ end hoping for a repeat of last season at Wembley.
COMBs!
Reckon it’ll be a reversal of that sad day in December, but I’ve recognised Sperms are always missing sumot:
Last year – when we should have played em, their own ground
This year – a credible manager
At all times – humility.
Hoping that Adama starts as they’ll have twisted blood before halftime and probably loose 2 players from their efforts to Scythe him down.
Well done Leeds-scum please overtake The shadow dwellers as I don’t want em up ere wid us.
COMB FWAW FOwb
Would love the revenge win, but things rarely work out the way “justice” deserves. I am sure Man City wanted revenge for their first loss against us this year… but they didn’t get it.
The converse argument to “we are due so that we get even” is that history repeats itself, so we may dominate again and lose again.
We can do this
Predicting a win but will be happy with a tie.
Will take a draw but think we can get the win.
COYW
I had a wry grin on my face when I saw Brendan Rodgers on telly yesterday complaining about VAR. It’s the only reason he is on 50 points now instead of 40!
Yeah it made my smile at the irony, he is a complete knob head.
Feel really confident that we will not concede a goal today.
First half hour will be pretty tame affair with neither side wanting to over comitt.
But after we score they will have to come at us more, opening them up for conceding a second or third.
Goalscorers, Jota Raul and Neto.
If we have real ambiti on of finishing in the top Give we need to win this one, its a six pointer plus the damage to Spuds morale would be massive.
It also seens after regarding The Spuds view the honey moon is over with Jose.
What a brilliant team we are.
NUNNO IS KING
REVENGE IS SWEET!
Gotta be happy with that.