Here’s a crushing stat for you: Wolves haven’t beaten Birmingham in the league, home or away, since March 2002.
Ouch.
Still, what better way to kick-start a climb up the table than with a much-needed and long overdue win against one of our bitter rivals?
It won’t be easy though, with Mick McCarthy officially having to cope with more injuries (8) than any other manager in the Premiership. Throw Greg Halford and Jelle van Damme into the mixer too, on loan and sold, and you begin to realise the extent of the crisis.
At the time of writing this, we still don’t know whether one or both of David Jones and Michael Mancienne will recover from their respective injuries. Should both fail to make it back in time, our options in the center of midfield are embarrassingly limited, with only Nenad Milijas and the returning Dave Edwards available for selection.
Perhaps this lack of personnel will force Mick’s hand to revert to a 4-4-2? Or maybe we’ll see a 4-5-1 but with players shifted around to fill the gaps? If I was a betting man, I’d expect the latter. Here’s my guess for Sunday’s starting XI:
Hennessy
Zubar
Berra
Mouyokolo
Elokobi
Hunt
Foley
Edwards
Milijas
Jarvis
Doyle
So that would mean Foley slipping into the holding midfield role and Hunt returning to the right wing. Milijas would perhaps play slightly deeper too, with Edwards given the freedom to roam and get up alongside Doyle.
Birmingham will keep things tight defensively, so we’ll be looking for our most incisive players, Jarvis and Milijas, to open them up. Even with restricted numbers, I feel we’ve still got more than enough to cause them problems going forward.
At the other end of the pitch, we simply can’t afford to give away anymore goals. Our defence owes us a strong performance and a cleansheet, so lets hope they finally deliver. I’m skeptical that they will.
Blues have failed to win any of their eight away games to date, so make no mistake about it, we’ve got a great chance in this one.
Prediction League
Well done to Dazza in Brisbane for hitting the nail on the head with a 3-0 defeat for Wolves at Blackburn. Our Aussie-based friend was the only person to pick up all three points.
Jed, Stourbridge Wolf, Rob, Philly Pete, t’OM, These are the days, Mark Davies, Hallam and Clive all added to their totals by a single point for guessing the outcome without the score.
This weekend, I’m going with my head and plumping for a draw.
I think both sides will score so I’ll go for 1-1.
If you’re going to Molineux on Sunday, really lift the roof off for the lads. I don’t know about you but I’m absolutely desperate for a local-derby win.
Up The Wolves.
Let’s just hope Kevin Phillips stays on the bench!
Wolves 1-0 B’ham. The fightback starts here.
Well done mate! For what its worth I reckon we’ll win 1-0 too. Possibly hunt?!
Wolves 0:2 Birmingham
No clean sheet in 23 games, another nail in MM’s coffin, doomed to relegation!
Hope I am wrong, but we never seem to get anything against Blues (or in any local derby, or “must win” game!).
Come on me babbbiieess!
Wolves 2 – 1 Brum. Fingers Crossed.
Wolves 1-0 Birmingham, including an excruciating 5 mins of stoppage time to endure. Im with Kowloon – the turnaround in fortunes begins on Sunday!
Thomas, your team doesn’t have Ward in?
Are you crazy?
Love child/daughter shagger is bound to be on the pitch, wandering around in midfield ( or goal) with a map.
Prediction.
WE WILL WIN.
Why, do you ask, am I so confident?
Coz,
1, it’s on Sunday.
2. I get to see it live.
3. I get to wear my lucky away strip shirt from 2 years ago, when I wore it for the only time, in a rare visit to England, when we played QPR.
4. IT’S ABOUT FUCKIN’ TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And, as I need to get up the prediction league table, I also predict we will lose, coz brum havent won away all season, so guess who is going to give them an early Chrissie Present? Yeah, us.
FOMM
2-2. Don’t know why I think this but I’m going for it
I think it’s about time we had a clean sheet. 1-0 Wolves.
I really hope i’m wrong as usual but I’m thinking thats unlikely. A repeat of last year and a one nil defeat with C Jerome pouncing on an error. Lets just hope if i’m right it has the same effect as last years result and kicks us into gear!
1-0 Wolves…somehow! (SEB to come on late and grab it 10 mins to go, cue some heroic defending, heart attacks etc etc etc)
Heroic defending?
By whom?
Has John Wayne signed for us?
I cant even remember what a Wolves clean sheet looks like!
It seems your side was picked before the Express & Star let us know Moyoukolo is supposedly out – maybe Ward will get a game at centre half. he`s been absolutley shite everywhere else, he may as well have a go at no 5.
Blues are a really solid side, very professional, not too many championship runners up team members still in the side I bet – note that MM. As for the score, well Blues will be too quick, too slick for us I reckon and they a Serbian P.Crouch, far too tall for our defenders to play against, particularly with their 2 big centrehalves also, Wolves 0 Blues 2. Hope I`ve got it the wrong way round though.
Jarvis a doubt now too – we’re f*cked!
“too slick for us”
Birmingham and slick don’t go together.
Wolves 1 Blues 2
Doom and gloomer.
No clean sheets will continue….oh and the Serbian will be all over MOTD.
Not our Serbian…..their big lump of a Serbian.
A few things are certainties in this game –
1. Ward will be in midfield
2. Birmingham will score
3. We’ll have all the possession
4. We’ll lose 2-0
5. McCarthy will keep his job so he can steer us to a richly deserved defeat next week as well.
6. I’ll have a massive argument with the Missus, again
7. Louie will say how unlucky we were and we deserved to win.
8. MM will be given a vote of confidence next week after the defeat?
I’m the one who makes up stuff!
I give what I saw in the match. If we’ve played crap, I will say it. If I think a player played badly I will say it. Your problem with me is I’m the only one who dares to say that I don’t think players such as Ward/Edwards are crap. I don’t pick on the easy targets when we are doing badly.
0-0 by the way. Brum are tough to break down, and will take a draw. Kevin Phillips to miss an open goal too. Do I get bonus points if that happens?
Calm down Louie, or you will be in the running for clockwork mouse of the year award!!!!
You kmow as well as anyone, if tht little twat philips comes on, we be doomed.
FOMM
Haha, says the clockwork mouse himself. The man who went into a rant when I said one sentence!
Be careful, sonny, you don’t wanna mess with the maestro.
Who would that be then?
Not you, whappersnipper!!!
Blues to get two early goals and dominate first half. Blues will sit back and we’ll have possession and get a scrappy late goal. Mm will say we should have won.
Can’t see us getting anything from this. Brum will get their 1st away win of the season.
I just can’t see a win for us with our squad dropping like fly’s. I really really hope I am very wrong, else the long trip home down the M5 will feel much much longer. 3-1 Blues.
The last Wolves v Blues game I watched was the epic back in 96′. 2-1 down in the 89th minute. Bully the legend scoring the winner in the 93rd minute! More of the same would be nice!
If all our “first team” are poorly bad, surely now is the perfect time to blood some of our youngsters.
Lets face it, they can’t do any worse!!
And, hopefully, they would play their hearts out, hoping to keep their places.
Think about them onions, McCowardly, or are you too scared you will get another $ 25,000 fine?
(sorry, we aint got pound signs on these American ‘puters)
FOMM
Clive for Gods sake stop talking sense!
yeah Clive, please stop!
The following was taken from the Electronic Telegraph, so I make no apologies for them mis spelling the word “shit.”
Wolves v West Bromwich Albion
According to a survey by The Football Pools published in 2008, the Black Country derby is the fiercest rivalry in English football – but not since 1984 have they been in the top flight together.
Aggro rating: 5/5
Eat your hearts out Liverpool, Everton, City, United, and all you posers from dahn sahff.
So, roll on next weekend, eh???
Wolves 1 blues 1 can’t see us winning this one,after all , it is a local derby
wolves 2-1. no idea why im doing this
Wonder if Mujangi’s in with a shout? 2-0 brum I’m afraid
Mujangi in with a shout? You must be joking. He’s quick, direct, scores goals-no chance.
1-0 Wolves! Milijas free kick.
Yoda, please predict the same again for next weekend! Great prediction!
Can’t see us scoring so if they go 1-0 up we’ll get hit on the break as ever,0-2
2:1 to Wolves and I really need to remeber to post my predictions because it’s not doing my league position any good!
Who knows? I’ll pump for 2-1 to Wolves, another SEB winner
2-1 wolves win :/
2-0 to the blues.
optimism.
sorry i meant to the blouse.
IN ADDITION
has anyone else heard that Jarvis is injured?
First game I’ve not watched in a very long time and we win! So by my own superstitious rules it means I can never watch wolves again – bugger!
Just got back from a Punk/Metal festival (for the Punk). Great way to finish the evening. Bet the **** and we’re in business.
Edwards was immense.
*Beat them, not bet them.
Same here Jed! Laid up on the sofa with my knee in bandages and we win. And I also missed sunderland, so I’d better give molineux a wide berth. Very proud of the lads and the biggest highlight is the rise and rise of Hunt? Must admit to some major concerns when I heard the team, but Mick pulled a masterstroke!
Well I have in my possession your S*** tickets, not sure I want to give them to you now….
If I knew that me not going would seal the win, i’d pay u 80quid and stay at home. Seriously! How u getting there?
I had to miss the game as well mate, we’re all going to have to stay away. Chuffed with the win, gutted I missed it. Can’t wait for MOTD2.
I’ve never rated jarvis or doyle anyway, always thought we’d be better without them. (That’s a joke clive before you start crying)
Gonna brave it and make my own way, most likely on the bus from Dudley. There’s me and Weaver plus about 6 S**T fans. After today Dale is really regretting agreeing to sell you his tickets!!
If u want a dirt cheap and good mode of transport then try http://www.wolvestravelaway.com/ we’ve used them a few times and its same as travel club but they always do it cheaper and normally have a pub stop on way which is arranged in advance so they have adequate staff. I can meet you at the ground with the tickets??
Fantastic result, dominate them and keep a clean sheet.
Didn’t get to see, heard good reports about Sylvan on his own. Berra said to have a good game, Hunt and Edwards and the ‘W’ word which I can’t name without Clive’s permission all excellent too.
2 wins out of 3, let’s make it a happy christmas and get something at Albi*n.
Good point Louie – a point at the *** is now looking quite inviting.