If this game had gone ahead back in December it would have been a midtable side (seemingly coasting towards safety) against a team struggling to keep their head above water at the bottom.
And even though Wolves remain firmly entrenched in the relegation zone we now find ourselves within touching distance of an Albion side that have only mustered one win in their last ten Premier League outings.
In fact, a two goal victory for Mick and the boys at the Hawthorns on Sunday will see the old gold leapfrog the Baggies in the table, ejecting us from the bottom three in the process. Do we even dare to contemplate such a dream scenario?
Given Albion’s form, you have to say it’s possible.
But given that seemingly anything is possible when it comes to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the outcome of the first ever Premier League Black Country derby becomes painfully difficult to predict.
Or you could say it’s ‘beautifully balanced’.
Either way, I’m bricking it.
You just can’t help but feel that this will be one of the defining game of our topsy-turvy season and if Wolves are going to dig themselves out, now has to be the time to start. This is the moment.
Much like ourselves, Albion’s home form is decent, considering where they find themselves in the table. They’ve won five games at the Hawthorns this season and will be hopeful of making that six against the team with the worst away record in the league.
Still, they’ve conceded more goals than anyone else in the Premiership and that’s got to give Wolves hope of finding the net at least once come Sunday.
I’m expecting to see the same eleven that lost to Arsenal last Saturday, which would mean a team of:
Hennessy
Zubar
Stearman
Berra
Elokobi
Jarvis
Henry
Milijas
O’Hara
Hammill
Doyle
That would also be the team I’d pick.
However, it really wouldn’t surprise me if Mick pulled a rabbit out of the hat and played 442, bringing SEB, Fletcher or even, dare I suggest it, Ward, back into the starting lineup. Stephen Hunt could also feature if he manages to recover from the calf injury he picked up against Stoke a few weeks back. Without question, he’s perfectly suited to this type of encounter.
Prediction League
Well done to thornedog, Philly Pete and Rich for all correctly predicting a 2-0 Arsenal win last time out. You all pick up 3 points for your efforts. A handful of others also got the outcome without the score.
When this game was originally scheduled back in December, I said Wolves would win it and I’m sticking to my guns now.
Sure it’s Roy Hodgson’s first game but that doesn’t necessarily give them the boost everyone’s anticipating. Wolves only away win to date came against Hodgson’s Liverpool, so perhaps that’s an omen that we’re destined to grab another three points on Sunday.
I think if Wolves can hold it together at the back, not make any suicidal errors and get players like Jarvis, Milijas and Hammill into the game, we’ve got a brilliant chance.
I really believe we’re going to do it. 3-1 Wolves.
If you’re entering the dragon’s den on Sunday, have an amazing time, get right behind the lads and lets bring home the points. A victory at the Hawthorns is long, long, long overdue.
Up The Wolves.
We’ll probably start in a 4-5-1 formation. If things go wrong and we’re 0-2 under, I’m sure we’ll make adjustments with Ebanks or Fletcher. It is nice to have different strategies/formations in the sleeve. A shift to 4-4-2 probably manifests in the same way as against Arsenal, In with Blake or Fletcher, playing two central midfielders with defensive qualities (Foley and Henry) in the middle of the park. If we starts the match in 4-4-2 I would like to see (O’Hara/Milijas teamed up with Henry/Foley).
A 3-3 thriller me thinks. Both teams leak far too many goals and are also capable of scoring a couple on their day.
To come away without being beat will be a good result. To win would be fantastic and hopefully set us up for a home win against Blackpool the following weekend.
Fingers crossed!
Wolves 5 West Brom 2
For some reason I booked a flight at 8am (3pm GMT) on Sunday so this will be the first game I’ve not been able to watch this season – bloody typical!
Anyway this game will be tight and the odd goal will win it – Wolves to win 1-0
2-2 and then some text so my comment isnt too short
This is definately a game to keep a clean sheet – if possible. Really there is nothing in it, I`m sure they see this as a very necessary and winable game. I don`t know what MM is going to say pre match or what formation he will set us to play as, BUT we are bottom and have to win this game and improve our away stata. I`m golfing at midday with a couple of mates, one a neutral Leicester fan, the other a baggies fan, we`ve agreed whover loses the derby buys the drinks, and I pray that I can leave my wallet in my back pocket, win 2-1 please lads.
Win, Win, Win – NOTHING IN THE WORLD MATTERS, MORE JUST WIN!
What you playing at Thomas? A Kevin Phillips photo really? Where’s Jay Bothroyd? I suppose a crumb of comfort we can take is that he isn’t playing for them anymore.
We’re in a much better position to get something than in December (or should that be them worse?) much like West Ham, and we went there and hammered them (pardon the pun).
Which of course means the same will happen again in Sandwell. So WBA 1-3 Wolves. Doyle, Zubar and Jarvis
Surely the gap toothed iwan roberts would have been even better?
4-5-1 Nooooooooooooooo! We are doomed if we play 4-5-1.
This is the time to be brave; to seize the opportunity to escape the bottom 3. we need a 4-4-2 formation with Doyle and Fletcher in front on Milijas and O’Hara.
Arsenal or not, we were awful last week creating not a single chance until we switched to 4-4-2.
Yes, we beat Manchester United with a 4-5-1 formation with two rare goals from set pieces; be honest we didn’t have that many chances.
4-5-1. I see an awful performance, with Henry giving away possession for the first goal; the second with us being hit on the break chasing the game. West Brom 2-0 Wolves.
Sound familiar? 6 pointer, great optimism followed by deep despair… Wigan 2-0 Wolves; West Ham 2-0 Wolves.
Here we go again…
We’ll probably play one up front, be over run in midfield, hoof and hope, and pass the ball back to Hennessey 100 times or so….claim we were unlucky, that’ they all put a shift in…..but, as ever… more derby day misery
WBA 2 WOLVES 0 ( we won’t score in an away game, just for a change)
before the last two away games i have predicted on here daniel sturridge and RVP and the men to watch and my words have come back to haunt me.
i dont claim to be mystic meg but would hate for an unwanted hatrick. for this reason alone…
wba 0 wolves 3 Doyle (44, 81, 90)
West Brom 1 Wolves 2 (O’Hara, Zubar)
4 4 1 1
Ewok stears berra zubes
Jarvo milijas foley hammill
O hara
Doyle
In henry plays he should be on the pitch to stop dorrans.
Berra needs to whack odemingie
Jarvo needs a performance.
WBA 0-6 Wolves.
Pub for opening at 9, full English with a mixture of mates from both sides then to the game. All going for a drink after… It will be ok as we will have won 2-1 by that point…….
WBA 0-0 Wolves. Scrappy (on the park).
As I previously said, the season starts here.
We’ve played the best, now lets fuck with the rest!!!
I hate the shit more than I hate Leeds, and I really fuckin’ hate Leeds!!!!
Wolves to win 4 – 0
Ward to come on and score the last one in stoppage time.
Me tio shag Miss World.
The dream goes on!!!
FUCK OFF W… B…
This is probably Wolves most important game in recent history and the result may go a long way to prove who’s been right this year, the happy clappers or the misery guts like me. A win and we’ve got a great chance of staying up. A defeat and we’re six points from safety and with a huge mountain to climb. A draw would be ok but we really can’t afford to lose. I’ll go 2-2.
Its only a lack of foresight that fuels the happy clappers Martin. Those incapable of seeing the waterfall ahead happily play about in the boat.
There is nothing, absolutely nothing to suggest we will take anything from the next two games, the overwhelming majority of our points this season have come from the top 4 or 5. Either Mick cant motivate them for these games, or when pitted against teams of similar quality and styles of play, they just defend and attack a helluva lot better than us.
Another point to ponder is that mick is guaranteed employment no matter what, if we dont score another point or even another goal all season long he will still pass begin and collect another seasons salary. I dont think that is much incentive.
However, we all have to agree that the long term future of Wolverhampton Wanderers is indeed rosy, we have a good nucleus of young and talented players who will do the business in 3-5 years time. Unfortunately, it means that between now and then we will have to try and hold on to them whilst we do an albion and yo yo in and out the prem.
Im happy that we are on the right track long term, Im unhappy that we are in the current position we are in.
I’m just waiting to see how the rest of the seaon pans out Ad so im keeping my powder dry at the moment. I just hope Mick proves us doubters completely wrong but i wouldn’t like to have money riding on it that’s for sure.
Wolves to sneak it 2-1. Hammill to have a blinder
1-1 I reckon. Scrappy game. Doyle to nod us in front, but Baggies to scramble a late goal in the last 10 minutes.
2-2 (O’Hara, Doyle)
wba 0 – 3 wolves and we demonstrate the real capability of this team and steam roller albion off the park. Its time it all came together and the team delivered what we all know it can, as well as a good result in the only game of the season that really matters on its own, a win at the shitehole!
Long Live Super Mick
Would you like to register your dismay at our club deciding to play music every time we score at Molineux. The playing of this music makes us look like tourists from the league below and needs to be ended as soon as possible. Our goal celebrations are from the heart because we love The Wolves – we do not need this ‘Americanisation’ of our goal celebrations. Please, please stop the goal music; we know how to celebrate a goal.
Click on the following link to sign the petition [URL=”http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthegoalmusic/”]’Stop the goal music at Molineux'[/URL].
Up The Wolves…
M’mmm…link seems not to have worked. If you are interested paste the following into your browser address bar:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthegoalmusic/
Cheers
WBA 1:0 Wolves – Stearman or Zubar mistake = heartbreak for all of us!
2-1 to Wolves. Not quite enough to get us out of the bottom 3.
Gonna say if he plays 4-4-2 its 3-1 to the wolves ..Doyle..O’Hara..Hammill.
But got a feeling he will play 4-5-1. then who knows what the score will
be…come on you wolves.
0 – 0
Scrappy, nervous and poor quality. I’d take a point and a win at home. Lets roll those dice!
Wolves 1-0 win against the baggies, we need a minimum of 4 points out of the next 2 games
Mike Dean is the referee for tomorrow’s game…any thoughts?
I dreamt we were cheated by the ref when Doyle had a goal disallowed for no reason. It was so vivid! We were battering them,men against boys and 1up through Doyle,when the 2nd was ruled out. With mins left, horsefield got the equaliser (in front of terraced brummie rd end?!) All very random! But back to the ref…I’m concerned about him. My prediction for tomorrow is 1-0 win as horsefield won’t be playing!
Didn’t have the funds for a ticket today…anyone know of a good link to try watching it on? Nerves are building…..COME ON WANDERERS
I’ve just signed up to LiveOnlineFooty.com to watch it on there, never tried it before so can’t recommend or otherwise. £2 for 24hrs or £6 for 60 days.
I’ve used that site to watch games I can’t get to for the last 6 months and it’s been superb. Works perfectly 95% of the time. Very occasional dropouts but on the whole far, far better than most sites I’ve come across.
it’s a derby so there’s one rule….. always bet on a draw!
so 2:2 is my prediction
Absolutely gutted!!!
I must say though that it was coming all throughout the game. We gave them too much time on the ball on the edge of our area and gave away possession far too easily.
Henry is a liability! I lost count of the amount of times that he gave the ball away with sloppy passes and school ball hoofs in the air! He wasn’t the only one though!
What could have been a fantastic victory feels like a defeat!