Prior to our relegation to League One in 2013 it had been over 20 years since we’d played Brentford.
Ever since we’ve barely been apart and thanks to the FA Cup and the weird Premier League fixture system, this will now be the fourth game between the clubs in a little over six weeks.
Given their struggles and the wounds inflicted in the three other matches, the Bees will feel there’s a need to win and a score to settle.
For Wolves this represents an opportunity to get another three points on the board and cement a position in the top half.
Brentford
I’ve watched a few of their recent games and they made life uncomfortable for Man City and Spurs despite not picking up any points.
Toney has made a difference and is bringing the best of Maupay, who is better than his form over the previous 18 months has shown. There’s a good partnership there.
Other important attacking players will come back and they’ve got the necessary organisation and fight in the other areas of the pitch to get their results. I don’t think they’ll go down.
It’s probably unfair to put them in Stoke/Burnley category but they do maximise all set piece opportunities and look to get it forward as quickly as possible.
Even against City on Monday, the goal kick routine that produced their goal looked well rehearsed. I respect that type of ingenuity and it’s one of the reasons Thomas Frank is well respected.
Wolves
The same again please lads.
Assuming everyone is fit and available, there’s no logic to changing the team. The shape and balance of that XI just looks right to me.
Brentford will offer a completely different challenge to Chelsea and the goal will be to frustrate, contain and disrupt. We’ve got to play a smart game, get around them and find the spaces.
Hwang should be back on the bench and joined by Bellegarde, Doyle and Boubacar to give a stronger and more senior feel to the squad.
Predictions
Nobody went for 4-2 at Chelsea and t’s definitely harder to second guess this more free scoring Wolves side.
As Chris Sutton said in his own weekend predictions, how can I not back Wolves to win?
I know there’s a real threat there with this Brentford team, but there’s vulnerability too and if we play to our maximum I think we’ll win. 3-1.
As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, 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.
Up The Wolves!
Points of interest.
Last weekend Fabio Silva scored for Rangers and was man of the match. He did not start in the next match!
After no goals against us from set pieces at the start of the week, we now have two direct goals against us from corners in the last two games.
We are averaging almost two and a half goals a game over the past 9 games or so. A far cry from the previous two seasons!
We are third in the league table with points earned over the past few games.
GON has immensely improved the existing crop of players. He has not bought any of his own yet. It will be fascinating to see who he chooses and how they develop under him.
Wolves are now respected, and dare I say it, almost feared by the other teams, and the big six are especially weary, a testament to how far we have developed this season.
Fosan are looking for additional investors for around 80-100M pounds. That could be good and bad. Maybe they don’t want to incur any additional capital investment as football clubs usually lose money. Good in that they are looking to raise funds for player investment.
What has the above have to do with Brentford? We shall see!!
Being at home will give us the edge, but do not underestimate Brentford as they have not become a bad team overnight and Ivan Toney is back. It is not implausible they get a couple of chances early on, and score. Our comeback powers would then be really tested. Nonetheless, if we play like we have in the past few games, we should win!
Silva was playing against Livingston, the worst team in the league and probably comparable to a National League side in this country, if not worse. Just some important context!
S-k-w
I heard the investment was to grow our e- sport stuff?
We’re pretty good on that apparently but I don’t understand any of it ( old fart)
Perhaps someone could explain how we benefit as a club from something that’s apparently massive in Asia ?
I think probably through brand awareness in the far East Marney. ?
I’m sure you’re probably right wolfstroker,
Utw
At this minute it looks like I’m first up in comments. Unfortunately that’s because I’m still in hospital and bored beyond belief. Been through the mill, as a second operation was needed on Wednesday. Fingers crossed I’ll be out early next week.
I’m pretty much with Thomas on this one. Great that Hwang will be back. The sight of him coming on as a sub will be a tonic.
4-1 Wolves.
Blimey dances, in the time it took you to post- two more jump in front of you!
You need to be a bit more ‘Steve bull’ and just hit it .
Always enjoy reading your stuff so keep on posting if you’re bored , oh and a very speedy recovery too .
Utw
Sorry to hear your return has been delayed Dances. What a bummer, if you can pardon the pun. I understand what you are going through.( See my message in the previous , blog re the Chelsea game.).
Hope you are soon home and your convalescence goes well.
All good wishes, Kendal.
They’ll try and make it difficult for us and in Toney they have a real threat again. I can see it being a frustrating game at times but hopefully we stick at it and break them down.
Brentford will definately give us a game, the 4-1 win was handed to us on a plate by a Collins shitshow, they achieved 1-1 with the lucky early dismissal of Gomes and took us to extra time in the replay. With Toney back in the side they will be a much tougher challenge, still we have super sub Channy Hwang back so i think we’ll shade it. Another 3-2 victory! UTW
Who????
We’re playing Brentford? Never heard of them.
Laugh
Out
Loud !!!
I think they’ll be sick of the sight of us by now.
Having beaten them 4-1 away after Christmas, they faced us a few days later in early January. Gomes was red carded on 9 minutes and Maupay scored before half time.
They were at home, 1-0 up against 10 men and must’ve thought the game was in the bag. Until Doyle’s absolute rocket.
Then they came to Molineux and we won 3-2 after extra time thanks to a Cunha penalty.
We really must be starting to feel like a bogey team for them.
With 9 goals in the last 3 games and Channy potentially back, Gary should have a full squad to pick from.
Confidence will be high but football is a funny old game and the Bees will be out for revenge.
They have Toney back, but their form is not great, having only won once in their last 10 Premier League games, although their performances have improved.
We should go into the game without fear but need to start quickly. The second half against Utd and our superb win at Stamford Bridge should stand as our benchmark, but even if we fall behind, we’ve shown we never give up and will find a way to get back in to a game.
Cunha and Neto are formidable. Brentford know they need a plan to deal with them.
It feels as though we are still surprising some teams with our improved performances, but if that’s the case it won’t be a problem to Brentford who will be playing us for the 4th time in 6 weeks.
We will be favourites at the bookies and with most pundits, but this will not be a straightforward game.
However, play as we have been recently and our confidence will be justified.
UTW
We’re on a roll and confidence is high, but measured.
Yes, we should win this one. Contain Toney and Maupay and hopefully it’ll be plain sailing with another 3 points on the board.
l’m going to this one if, that is, the trains are running – the rains been Biblical in these here parts. Come on boys …
Don’t let this lot score first ffs.
If they do, we’re all in for a fun night of time wasting shenanigans.
Score first though, and as delboy used to say “ the worlds our lobster “
Going for a Clive
Come on you mighty wolves
To say the opposition will be up for this is an understatement of magnitude…..proving his worth will be the primary objective of their Willian Hill account holder with his gobby sidekick applying a renewed enthusiasm for his second spell at the club
As for the route to our own continued success
Gomes will most likely be targeted following his dismissal in London and the Asian Cup exit will hopefully spur on our participant showing the world again what a great player he’s become again under the leadership of an English super tactician…..
They will score but we’ll score more
If their goalie has the sort of game he had against Citeh, they could win. If not we should win…
Toney and Maupay will need restraining but sure GoN will have a plan
No doubt , Basherbaz, they will be saying the same about Neto and Cunha!
Who will have the best plan!
Tomorrow is the Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon. Apparently in Chinese astrology the dragon represents, among other things, good luck and success. A good omen for the game perhaps. It won’t be an easy game, Brentford will want their revenge, but hopefully we’ll have too much for them. So here’s to a Happy New Year and let’s hope we all have something to celebrate after the game.
Let’s keep the good times rolling
Strenghtening an already strong team, I hope we can win this one. But as mentioned above, the return of Toney for them could result in a goal for them. But seeing we have been scoring quite freely, I am going for a high scoring win of 3-2
Can see it being close, even a draw.
Toney dangerous, their set pieces worrisome. I’m not entirely convinced by our defence – too slow – Toti cumbersome.
However, the midfield is excellent and in Neto/ Cunha
we have 2 real stars.
Overall a close win 2-1.
Next concern is the future and selling our star asset Neto to fund further transfers and squad strengthening.
How many goals would we have scored this season without Neto’s speed, skill and assists?
How many pointd has he given us?
Expect a close game. Toney is a menace and Keane Lewis-Potter is a player with real potential whose direct running can cause difficulties, but ultimately expect us to come out on top.
Sorry for being late Thomas got to be another win for Wolves and with Whang back it gets better.
Looking at recent results between us may give the impression that there can only be one winner. Oh if life were so simple.
The return of their talisman has given them a massive lift and since he came back, the two defeats they’ve had have been against Citeh and Spuds. Their performances though have improved markedly and I’ll be both happy and relieved to win by the odd goal.
Good to have the internationals back in the fold, but it’s hard to see a starting role for either at the moment.
I’ll be heading up the motorway bright and early in the morning, my mind fully focused on the Balti pie which has my name on it in the concourse of the Steve Bull Stand.
COYW
I think I’ve been predicting a lot of 2-1 Wolves wins lately, and they keep winning but not by 2-1.
Having now played them a few times over the past month one would think they’ll have got the measure of us by now , and with Toney putting down his betting slip and Ladbrokes pencil there maybe a case .. but I’m having nine of that ..!!
Toney will only be as good if he manages to get out of Dawsons pockets.. which will be unlikely and besides his decoy Mbueno is still mussing (I think).
Factor no2 is the ever reliable..“charitable Collins” who kindly put his stamp on the away league game .. with a couple of softees ….
In addition with Cunha and Neto in National Grid mode (electric) I think the very thought of Hee Chan adding to his woes will be too much ..
Let’s cement our return to the top10 with another solid win ..
Cunha and Toti on the scoreboard.
It’s interesting how the mood of Wolves fans goes up and down, and the general feeling is certainly up at the moment after the Chelsea result. However, given how we started the match v Man Utd, I’m a little bit more cautious, particularly as two of our goals at Chelsea came from deflections, and they should have scored a couple more with sitters for Sterling and Jackson going wide of the post. Had they gone in, it could have been a different story. But confidence is a wonderful thing so I’m going for a narrow victory tomorrow.
Tough game for us against the masters of the dark arts bolstered by Toney’s return to link up with Maupay.
Still think we have enough in the tank, but praying that they don’t score first.
COMBs!
We can score now but our defence is prone to the occasional brain-fart so I can see their “new signing “ giving our back 3/4/5/whatever a bit of a torrid afternoon
There’s goals in this game.
By the way Thomas, is it just my predictions that are stuck on game 15 or is it the same for everyone?
2 goals against the Baggies, 3 against Man U, 4 against Chelsea. I know i am far from the first to try to predict a Clive. But the trend is clear. Its going to be a result originating from Houston.
These are a decent team with all their players back. They are also the kings of time wasting and winding up the opposition.
They will be really up for this game and we will need to be at our very best, I think.
We could win this if things go right for us, but the law of averages makes me wary. I’m going for a 2-2 draw but hoping our defenders are absolutely on their defensive game and we get a good win. COYW!
I’ll be happy with 3 points whatever the score
Think a 2-1 is a good result.
I live 7 mins walk from Brentford’s ground and have season tickets. Normally I’d back WW but I’m keen to continue to see premier league football so close to home and Bees need the points more . So, apologies to all but
Anywhere near the Express Tavern? My favourite pub around those parts.
As long as it’s not a question of. “After the Lord Mayors show” and the ref doesn’t get taken in by Toney’s blatant cheating I think we’ll do fine although Toti has looked a little of the pace lately but should come right after the new contract signing and extra Lolly in his back pocket, 3-3 after 70 mins then a Hwang hat trick
The Danish Architecture Centre has an interesting picture of something resembling a large greenhouse with a bloke climbing on top of it. This is the sort of structure that Tomas Frank would find enlightening. I hope the geezer on top of the greenhouse wasn’t Jan Molby because if it was a massive catastrophe can only follow. Dull Danish greenhouses. Dull time wasting tomorrow. Dull Tomas Frank. And then Maupay. He will get his head caved tomorrow by a couple of seagulls having a scrap over a discarded bit of burger. With the one seagull dropping the bit of burger on Maupays head and the other swooping down, landing on his head and pulling a tuft of his hair out in an attempt at retrieval. Thus causing Maupay to scream in agony and get carried off for treatment and a new haircut. The upheaval creates substantial panic in Brentford ranks and WWFC take full advantage with a 2-1 win. After the game Frank said ” I blame myself. I should never have let my players see a Danish greenhouse with Jan Molby on top of it. It’s enough to put anyone off”. GON said ” It’s football. The influence of a Danish greenhouse is a well known factor in how a game goes. Luckily for us it worked in our favour. Don’t forget we had Robert Taylor back in the day and he made Jan Molby look like Twiggy”. WWFC 2 BEES 1.
Another win for us.
We need to consolidate ourselves in the top ten, so off we go boys!
Much has been said of Thomas Frank’s dubious mastery of the dark arts ( cheating by any reasonable fan’s benchmark) and he must be as sick of meeting us, as we are of playing them.
They will be desperate to end their poor run and get one over us.
I don’t think it will be as open as previous games and our patience will be tested. Ait is the key for me, his ability to beat his marker and turn the defence will be decisive.
The Bench now has players to change the game and with Cunha’s confidence being sky high, what can possibly go wrong? Hoping for a win, as always but would not be surprised by a hard fought draw,
Greetings,
Give Toney credit, never seen the ‘Move the refs foam’ trick before. And how many times in the future? I suggest we put a Ball boy on ‘foam watch’, and I would like to see Neto move a bit of foam himself, in ironic comment on the whole shoddy, 3rd division affair. C’mon, you’re better than that.
Moving the fucking foam, ffs. How low can you go?
Clearly with the Franklefurter in charge, master of the dark arts he, we are beginning to see the corrupt heart of this Nylons side.
With Clive watching over us, we can send them packing back to their hovel under the M4 flyover, after Toney is foiled in his plot to dig up the penalty spot, we score freely.
1 lv & COYW
Wouldn’t be surprised if this lot turn us over and snatch all the pts, but with a fast start and get at them like the way we play at Chelsea then we should take 3pts.
The PMDG’er has an assistant at her place of work (that sounds posh doesn’t it) who is an avid Liverpool fan.
He has told her that GON is in the mix as a short term replacement for Klopp until they can get a proper manager.
That says a lot about the arrogance of Liverpool supporters and quite a bit about what Gary O’Neil has done for us since he was dropped in without a parachute two minutes before the start of the season.
Maybe they could take Pedro Neto, Matheus Cunha, Mario Lemina, the boy Gomez… etc etc etc as well, as stopgaps until they can get some decent players.
I’m looking forward to a win tomorrow.
Not the Nylons again!? Welcome back Collins but this time we won’t need your help, we’ve moved onwards and upwards. Must get on front foot right from the start though so none of this mickeying about like we did in first half against Manure. Shackle Toney and Maupay and the game is ours though I still expect them to score. Another 4-2 maybe?
Gonna go with an away win purely out of superstition now. Wolves look very good but brentford with Toney can offer a much different challenge to brentford without. I suspect it will be tight and hopefully wolves can edge it again.
We will win again. We are good now
Tricky one this. On paper, Wolves should win this. But as the great Cloughie once said, the game isn’t played on paper, it’s played on grass! And Brentford will want blood tomorrow. I’m calling this one a draw and we beat the Spurs next week. (But what do I know. ?)
This game will be a good indicator for how the rest of the season might go we have a few winnable games at home on paper but we all know these are the ones we normally struggle in. Also if you factor in this is the 4th time playing these in a short period and we are yet to lose and they are stronger now than the previous times we have played them it could be a tricky fixture. Team news surely it’s the same 11 only possible change might be Doyle for Gomes as I expect us to have more of the ball. It will also be good to have Hwang and Boubacar back to increase our options of the bench. I’m backing us to win just and we can really start to look up
This Wolves team has me believing (rather than my normally pessimistic self)!
My guess is Saturday this game is 11 vs 10 plus Toney
Whereas at Christmas it was 12 vs 10 … thx dear Collins
So???
Not a walkover
But we should win as per pundits
Happy days??
A frustrating game given all their time wasting. Worried about Toney but hope we can keep the momentum going. Don’t want Chelsea to go back above us.
With Chang and Traore back, our bench looks a lot stronger so Gary has more options to change if needed.
utw.
There’s no real reason why the goals should dry up. We’re playing with such a fluid style it’s getting the best out of our best players. We look well balanced in all areas. I’m pretty sure they’ll score so it should be a entertaining game. I’ll back us to get the 3 points with a 2 1 win. Neto and Cunha with the goals
Took this from another site.
Stats point to a win for us, but we all know its never that easy, as Clough has been referenced above the games not played on paper.. and they’re a different animal with Toney, nervous but cautiously optimistic ?
Definitely goals in this and going for 3-2.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Wolves and Brentford meet for the fourth time in the space of 45 days. Wolves won 4-1 in the reverse Premier League fixture on 27 December and by 3-2 after extra time in an FA Cup replay at Molineux following a 1-1 draw.
Brentford’s solitary victory in the past 11 meetings in all competitions was by 2-0 away in the Premier League in September 2021 (D3, L7).
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves, in 10th, begin a matchround in the top half of the table for the first time since they were eighth heading into the final day of 2021-22.
They have taken 13 points from their past six league games and their only defeat in nine matches in all competitions came against Manchester United.
Wolves have scored in each of their last 18 Premier League home fixtures since a 1-0 defeat against Gary O’Neil’s Bournemouth on 18 February last year. It is their longest top-flight home scoring streak since a run of 22 from April 1965 to April 1968.
They are the only team not to have scored from outside the penalty area in this season’s Premier League, despite 90 attempts on goal from that range.
Matheus Cunha has been directly involved in 12 goals in Wolves’ last 12 league games, scoring seven and setting up five.
Pedro Neto has provided eight Premier League assists in 2023-24, one shy of the club record for a season set by Adama Traore in 2019-20, despite only making 14 appearances so far.
Brentford
Brentford have led in 16 of their 22 Premier League matches this season but dropped an unrivalled 26 points.
Each of their last 11 league wins were in London: seven at home, four away. They have taken only two points from 10 games outside of the capital since a 2-0 victory away to Southampton 11 months ago.
The Bees have lost seven of their past eight Premier League fixtures.
They can become the first club this season to lose six consecutive top-flight away matches.
Brentford haven’t suffered six away league defeats in a row since a run of nine from October 2006 to January 2007 in League One.
Neal Maupay has scored in all five league and cup appearances in 2024, the longest run of his career in England. It equals the combined number of goals he managed across 64 games in 2022 and 2023.
After the deluge of goals and rain lately I expect a largely dry afternoon with just a little precipitation and goal action late on. Another penalty for Wolves and a late headed equaliser from you know who.
Wolves 1 Brentford 1
We’ve had a good run against Brentford recently of course, but they’re still a dangerous side with a good manager.
Ever Mr Conservative I’m going for a share of the spoils with a score draw…….
Wolves v Brentford part 4. This will probably be the trickiest of the lot, particularly with Ivan the Terrible back for them.
Let’s keep the momentum going lads.
While I think about it, saw this today https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/hwang-hee-chan-wolves-rise-2861463
I got it completely wrong last week. I expected a defeat after the disappointing result against ManUre. I’m now expecting a decent result against the Bees so that’s probably the kiss of death.