Few could ever forget our last meeting with the Seagulls.
The final meek surrender of the Dean Saunders era that saw Wolves relegated and Brighton sail into the playoffs was a low point in the history of our great club.
But while Wolves have since regrouped and come back stronger, things haven’t gone to plan for the other Albion.
Gus Poyet couldn’t guide them past Crystal Palace in their semi-final that year and Oscar Garcia suffered the same fate last term.
This year just staying in the Championship looks like the best they can realistically hope to achieve.
Brighton
There’s a smidgen of irony that Brighton arrive at Molineux managed by Sami Hyypia.
Only because the season that ended with Wolves relegated at The Amex, started with the appointment of an untested Scandinavian manager.
When will the Championship learn it’s not a formula for success?
Perhaps Hyypia will ultimately succeed where Solbakken, Berg and Solskjaer failed, but 1 win in 10 suggests he’s not far off being added to that less than illustrious list.
In fact, the former Liverpool defender has only presided over 3 league victories from his 21 matches to date on the south coast. They’re teetering on the edge.
Wolves
That season we went down, I remember Solbakken picked up a win against Blackpool and with festive home fixtures against struggling Peterborough and Ipswich to come, I thought we’d be back near the play-offs by new year.
So it’s with trepidation that we should approach what looks like a highly winnable fixture that could elevate Wolves back into top six contention.
I don’t think Kenny will make any changes to the team that saw off Sheffield Wednesday. That should mean a home debut for Kortney Hause who I’m looking forward to seeing and a third straight start for Dominic Iorfa who I hope will impress again.
Leon Clarke might be pushing for a start after his late winner last weekend and there’s a chance Nouha Dicko could return to the bench, so forward positions could be rotated over Christmas.
The gaffer
Predictions
Wolves need to play with confidence and intensity from the start. If they can do that against a struggling team, then I see no reason we shouldn’t win.
With two youngsters in the back four, there exists a greater risk of individual error, but both players look strong and capable so hopefully that won’t be the case.
Brighton have brought in Darren Bent of course and he’s already found the net. If we are charitable defensively, I suspect he’ll punish us.
Still, I’m going for a semi-comfortable home win.
3-1
Up The Wolves
I am excited by the prospect of hitting a few past Brighton.
And if the team clicks I think we will.
Darren Bent is a possible stumbling block but I think we will have enough to see this lot off.
So, for me, it’s going to be an early Christmas celebration.
COYW!
I agree with the Doog surely we can’t bugger this one up?
Fancy another clean sheet with our new back four.
Hope this will be a perfect start for det Christmas period
Easy win and a march back up the table.
I was at the Amex stadium two seasons ago, the day we were relegated. I was lucky enough to be in corporate hospitality and sitting next to me at lunch was a good friend of a Wolves director. No names should be mentioned. We had a good chat. I enquired what the board thought of Dean Saunders and the answer was that they were bewildered. He was a goner and the board were absolutely determined to get it right next time. Funny how ‘the board’ had to carry the can for rash and impetuous decisions by one man, Steve Morgan. Sacking McCarthy was a Morgan knee jerk reaction when we were barely in the PL relegation zone. Appointing the next three managers was again the work of Morgan. Finally he realised the error of his ways and allowed the decision to appoint Saunders’s successor to be properly discussed and decided. I think we’ll reverse the 2-0 defeat of two seasons ago.
There is a lot of confidence going around, given that we’ve only just made it back to winning ways. I hope everyone is right though, and I’m hoping for a win as well, although not sure it will be quite as emphatic. I’d take a 2-1 win.
Agreed Bagsy, let’s hope we can put a few more in the old onion bag at the right end!
UTW!
I fancy us to carve these apart like a Christmas Turkey. Here’s to that festive feeling Saturday afternoon.
3 quick back-to-back wins coming up and back in the promotion zone by the New Year.
Hoping we can build a bit of momentum up after last weekend’s result. With Clarke scoring last time out and Dicko back in contention we should hopefully have a bit more of a cutting edge in attack.
Can’t see anything other than a comfortable win here.
Merry Christmas – hope you all have a really good one.
Thomas, thanks to you and your helpers for keeping the blog going – simply the best there is with the most informed comment from its clientele. I just wish M&M would listen to us 🙂
As my plans have once again changed, I am now no longer required to carry out certain chores in the Biles’ household. Therefore, this morning I got my smartcard uploaded and will be at Molineux tomorrow, stopping off at our “watering hole” around 1200 hrs.
If anyone wants to meet up prior to the game – see you there.
As for the result tomorrow, I see us being able and competent enough to take 3 points, so I predict:
Wow after predicting some bad results for us, all we needed is one win and we are all on the up and up again … and why not. I too fancy a Wolves win after last week and going for a score no one has gone for so far 🙂
We’re all full of enthusiasm suddenly : 2-0.
I can’t see us losing, but there’s no easy games in this league and we ain’t really wupped anyone since promotion. It’ll take more than one win to calm my shattered nerves but I’m hopeful of a second this Saturday. Nouha to play 30mins second half to stretch his legs ready for Boxing day. Sami sacked in the mornin’.
After two confidence enhancing performances, its time we scored a few more at home. The main stumbling block here could be the Bent man. So long as Dicko or RvLP play, their pace should mean our midfield have enough space to dominate the ball and cut off his supply lines.
A lot tighter game than most think, we had a decent win last week. Hopefully they don’t start strong. If they do we’ll see if where we really are at the moment , and what may lay in store for the future . Pivotal game in my opinion.
I fancy this one more than any so far this season, bit between the teeth and all that. Love the team again, but I fancy Kenny to spring a surprise and give Ibriham Keita a run out at some point if were cruising. More ammunition in the box if he’s an instant hit like Iorfa and Hause.
Brompton, I am meeting the two guys we had a beer with at Leeds at 2 pm in the North Bank bar if you fancy me buying you a Christmas Drink. If you’re down here tonight give me a call and if you fancy a few beers at my house tonight I will come and fetch you and you can get a cab back, it’s a couple of miles from your brothers.
🙂
Might be popping up to Telford to deliver Xmas cards (bad admin this year!) but depends on what time I get back. Thanks for invite I will call you when I get back to Wolvo mate.
Dear Santa.
If you happen to be passing by the Stripy place and you see another one of these please may we have one, you can forget all my other presents, this will be sufficient.
COYW
Nice to see this Blog brimming with confidence again, hope that is a good sign. Darren Bent and an inexperienced defense has a goal written all over it so I’ll settle for 2 -1 here.
Certainly Brighton have lost a few STARS since they beat us to send us down (Bridcut, Lua Lua and Ward .. only joking in his case!!) and the way they played versus Millwall on the recent tv game was pretty average.
So I’m predicting a tight game of few chances and a comfortable win for us, albeit by the only goal of the game .. matters not by how many ….
Think it’ll be a home win hopefully with a few more goals if Dicko plays.
UTW
Tomorrow is a bit of a red letter day inasmuch that we were relegated to League One when we last played Brighton in the Championship. I was delving into the thoughts of fans just after the sacking of Mick McCarthy when we were in the Premier League. Here’s one, quoted in full, that really stood out, from “sheffieldwolf” on 13/12/2012, and it contains a gem of a last paragraph:
(Start of quote)
“I share your concern, for me it relies on two principles do the club hire someone they think stands a fighting chance of keeping us up i.e: someone who just through their presence and personality can get a team going again (ala O’Neill at Sunderland) for me Curbs is the only man who fits that bill unless we can persuade Keegan out or retirement lol.
Or do we take it that staying up is becoming less likely and therefore look to a manager who can rebuild and get us promoted first time for instance Warnock or Holloway (arguably in which case why sack Mick as he’s probably got one of the best records of building promotion chasing teams).
I think we can probably read a lot into the mentality of the board in this next appointment. As JM and SM are involved I fully expect us to announce the we have appointed Terry Connor permanently and spent the money saved improving the corporate facilities for next season”
(End of quote)
Bloody hell. I’d forgotten that I apologise for giving them the idea!
Still even I didn’t see the idiot Saunders coming.
I wish Wardinho was still with them, we would have had a cricket score.
Still, Bent will be cock sure of bagging a few, since he is/was an England International superstar, who only has to show up to score. And that is all he does, show up.
Never in the field of football conflict has so much promise been shown by so few, and not delivered. Or something like that!
Brighton and Hove shit are on the downward spiral to the oblivion of the Third Division
( except when we are there ) and we will happily help them on their way tomorrow.
An easy 5 – 1 victory to put smiley faces on all and sunday.
There is still a few days to go, and as I’ve been naughty all year I do not expect a chimney visit from the fat man in red ( not greasel ) but may I take this opportunity to wish all fellow bloggers, and the unheard from Wolves fans who read this blog but do not write on it, a Very Happy Christmas and Merry New Year from deep in the heart of Texas.
And of course, special seasons FO to the shit
Clive, love your comments as usual. Happy Xmas and Merry New Year from all of us to you and yours. Lets hope its a bad day for all the stripey teams this weekend 🙂
As for the result, when you lot get so positive I feel worried, so hoping we get a 5-1 but will predict a nightmare and pray I am completely wrong. Lets hope that both Fat men the one in red and the froggy looking horror we all wish would do as Clive requests of our enemies each and every week are smiling down on us Wolves fans over the festive period.
You’ve been naughty all year Clive?
If you’d have been on your best behaviour, we’d have had you committed to the asylum. Or bought you a cough cough stripy shirt…..
You too mate – have a great one!!!
Confidence all round..I’d love to see an early goal as expectantcy is high..this is another must win to fulfil play off hopes and keep us up there…
We can do it, and my personal interest is that K Mac gets back again to (full) flamboyance and take control..
Dicko in theory should come on and add to Sako (due a goal) and Grahams goals or at least that would be a good plan….
I’ve noticed KJ is smiling again on interviews…l trust we can share our own ones after this match..its a bit political after the drop etc and we need to put the record straight…
COYW
a nervy start after a quick Bent goal, but a quick response with an equaliser, the backing of the fans and a wolves winner early in the 2nd half see us start to climb back up the table. a few other results in our favour wouldnt go amiss either. Merry Christmas to all.
Not quite as optimistic an my mate Clive, but any team which has Albion as part of their name has to be severely dealt with and given a good thrashing. Stearman will be too quick for Bent, and if KJ gets the lads up for this one, it will be very happy drive back to Chesterfield. Could be a very Happy Christmas footballwise this tear.
Confidence seems to be returning, but I still think this game will be a battle. depends if Brighton players want to keep their manager.
lnteresting thoughts above . The confidence of the fans at least is back . l agee with Mick above . Do the Brighton players really want Hypia to stay ? From talking to a good mate of mine ( Brighton season ticket 20 years plus ) the team are all over the place . The fullbacks are being asked to be wingbacks …midfield to cover them ..leaving huge holes . A situation where their players are mostly out of their best and natural positions . l reckon that they are there for a taking through the middle . KMac time !!
However they are probably one of our worst bogy teams ..hence my narrow prediction . Hoping for a lot more though ! Both the Brighton fans and the players wont worry too much though if it spells the end of Hypia .
UTW
Another tight one, these fixtures are never easy.
Looking forward to this one.
its been a while for me and the lads.
On the back of last week, at home, with hopefully the availability of Dicko off the bench, I can only see a win.
Can’t wait to see the new defensive talent after all that has been reported.
Come on Me Babbies!
Getting extremely concerned with all the press headlines about Leon Clarke being Wolves’s answer just because he got one goal. This is not going to end well. Mark my words … this is build up for lack of signings in January.
Nervous.
But we should win this.
GoWolves!
Wolves bright youngsters to beat the Brighton bogey. I fancy VLP to do well in this one and wouldn’t be surprised to see Clarke come on and bag another. COYW
Why not its Xmas!!!!!!
Both iorfa and hause got better as the game went on at sheffield wednesday and hopefully kenny will soon have Ebanks landell in alongside batth. We might then have the start of a strong and quick ( with exception of batth ) defence that can start shutting out teams on a regular basis.
think seagulls will dig in and see us as a one point opportunity…
I hope Clarke’s tap- in hasn’t fooled anyone, and we stick to Graham and La Parra, assuming we’ll ease Dicko back in gently, saving him for Watford.
We must win this to shore up the confidence before Boxing Day.
New fullbacks should help. Bent is a donkey.
We should have enough confidence from last week to see off the Seagulls but Wolves being Wolves I don’t think it will be an easy ride. Having Dicko back in some capacity will be a boost but I agree with others that Bent could be a threat and I am not convinced our young defence will cope with him.
That said, it is a home win for me.
Massive bogey side over the years not just beating us but beating us well even when we were favourites to win. But I will go with all the optimistic views on here and predict a home win but not without some anxious moments along the way
Calm and careful and another 3 points won
A comfortable win.
Another nervy win! Hopefully we can play a bit more football.
Think we need another creative midfielder to take some of the pressure off McDonald in January too many teams have worked out how to stop our passing game by kicking him off the park. Striker would be great to replace dicko while he is at the cup of nations.
After a decent win last week the last thing I wanted was a team with a worse recent record than us.
Past experience ( 55 years and counting ) suggests another potential banana skin……..I think we’ll win really but was too frightened to predict it!
will be tight, but we will just sneak it.
Hope we’re back on winnig ways after last week and with Brighton struggling I can see us winnig so COYW
Earwigo……all our troubles clearly behind us and we’ll be in the Prem next season…….ummm! Well, it does show what a well of goodwill there is towards the team and manager, sorry, head honcho, in huge contrast to the last time we played the ‘gulls. And there have been enough signs in the last two games to suggest we can take the points here. Not sure we’re quite settled for a comfortable win yet, though.
Last week will have given the lads some much needed confidence. Hopefully we can go on from there.
Another win only just tho.
Come on Wolves. ..
Could well be another 3 points.
It’s tough this prediction lark… I was thinking of five one earlier on today but I’ve been up and down all afternoon. Decided to match Clive after all, stick to my guns and all that. Begone foul doubts!
Last time we were all so positive it was before the ‘Udders match.
Sage words Thomas. I agree with your assessment. . And your prediction. Now Lads, make it so.
Hopefully with our talisman Dicko fit and ready to go again to the goals to move us back up the table,
Here’s hoping for a fruitful Christmas & new year ..UTW
Leon strikes again. Come on me babbies!
All things being equal this match should be a cruise but this is Brighton and do we ever beat them? Maybe I have selected memory but it always seemed to be a 3-0 defeat (Peter Ward hat trick). I do remember being delighted with a nil nil once.
As an aside I went on a Santa tour of the Millennium Stadium and they had all the football shirts on hangers in the dressing room everyone was taking photos of the number 11 Bale shirt while I was on my own taking photos of the 14 Edwards and 2 Rickets shirts. Good value for adults and children if you have little ones (less than £25 for 2 adults and 1 child.
Ricketts……now there’s a man who doesn’t seem to me to be being treated like the club captain and leader that he is. What’s all that about?
Defense to come up big and win by a narrow margin
A score draw for me
What are the South Bank going to sing?
You’re getting sacked in the morning, perhaps?
Might not even make it back from the 4 hr journey before he’s sacked…….
Someone said earlier. Brighton are a massive bogey team. 5 wins from 35 or somethin. I remember being froze to death on the south bank on a friday nite when peter ward put us to the sword in a 3-1 reverse. Beware.
I don’t think this will be easy. Brighton are a big bogy team for Wolves and they will be very aware of it.
I’m sure they’ll look to make the home fans nervy and get on the players backs.
Never the less i’m going to be optimistic and predict a win and all so a clean sheet.
With our wobbly form of late I think it’s up in the air what the result will be, but after turning the corner last time out I’ll be personally gutted if we don’t gain the 3.
Please Santa, can Dicko come back into the team?
Competition for forward places will bring results.
Goo to see our young fullbacks being given a chance.
Straight forward win please
Up the wolves, Van la Parra with the brace. Missed a few last time.
A Wolves win by a whisker
Back to back victories for me.
Really not sure which way this one will go. Another Bogey side that I would love to see us beat (Bolton being the other one)
Going to be positive and let’s win this.
COYW
Just as we win at Hillsborough, even when form suggests we shouldn’t, Brighton causes us trouble…
Bah humbug 🙂
About time we had a cracking Christmas run of results.
hopefully confidence is up and a home win will do us the world of good. Anything less than a win is a poor result today
My Best memory of Brighton was 31/8/91 away. 3-3 draw with 4 goals in 10 minutes in first half. Bully & Mutch both on scoresheet that day. Brilliant sunshine made it hard to see during the first half and resulted in many a burnt head!
Hope for same starting 11 today. No need to rush Dicko back against these, bench will do for me.
Looking forward to a very productive Christmas from Wolves.
Come on me babbies
Hope I’m wrong…..
Yep – you were wrong! Just.
Let’s be realistic….
Unfortunately, we are being found out.
I shall be happy if we stay in the Championship.
I think those believing we can make the play-offs are overtly optimistic.
Jackett, like Poyet, is a ‘Head Coach’, although I think Poyet is a better one.
Time to push on, this could be a moral booster before the Watford Game.
UTW
Humbug, I have a feeling we’ll get a point
though Sako is due a goal
On the other hand ……
All this talk of a bogey team…
I’d be happy for a clean “2 ply” sheet.
A comfortable win would be nice.
Reckon the combination upfront is due to score. Wouldn’t be surprised if Dicko comes on for half an hour and scores as well. Come on me babbies!!!
Is there time before k.o. for this prediction?
Am I too late?
2-1 the lads
UTW
Wonder if anyone predicted that.
A few did. But not me, I thought we would have won.
Hey ho – we move on.
StuWolf. Great seeing you and your young bird (dont believe what you told me), and your two mates. Not too bad a pint in the North Bank Bar. My round next!! (Clive is bound to comment now!)
Hope everyone on here has a great Chrimbo. See some of you in the New Year.
Brompton.
Nice way to wind down and lead into the Christmas Spirit, enjoyed the chat and it’s such a shame the shite on the pitch hadn’t been better.
Hard to believe two years ago she was a bloke on a building site, the wonders of modern surgery.
Merry Christmas to you matey. See you soon.
🙂
I take it you got money as an early Chrissy gift, otherwise your hands would be superglood in your pockets!!!
At least you make me smile mate. Hope you have a good Chrimbo too pal.