We need to lift the mood.
It was a relief to get that equaliser at the City Ground and the midweek results were favourable, but I haven’t felt good about a Wolves performance for ages.
In the earlier games of the Lopetegui era, there were positives to extract even when we didn’t win and a vibrancy about the squad that fostered enthusiasm.
The last three performances have stamped much of that out and the stock of many of these players has never been lower. Some will disagree, but I don’t think they’re as bad as they’ve made themselves look.
Even so, I’d rate our current chances of survival no better than 50/50.
Chelsea
If you’d told me Frank Lampard would be sitting in the Chelsea dugout tomorrow, I’d have assumed they’d reached desperation in their search for a goalscorer. But no, he’s back as manager for a second spell in one of the more surprising twists in this strange old season.
I can’t imagine he’ll have a significant impact in such a short period of time, but you’d have thought someone will eventually get a decent tune out of this stacked Chelsea squad.
The jury is out on all of their recent signings, but the familiar names are now returning (James, Chilwell, Kante, Kovacic, Sterling and a few others), which should help them establish consistency.
They’ve only scored six goals more than Wolves (just to underline how bad they’ve been) and profligacy killed them again in midweek with plenty of chances created against Liverpool but none taken.
They’re marooned in midtable so a push for Europe seems fanciful but are still in this season’s Champions League and head to the Bernabeu on Wednesday for the first leg of their quarter-final.
Wolves
I’ve given up trying to guess who Lopetegui will pick and have no idea who I’d pick so I’m not even sure what this XI represents.
Is Cunha a better choice than Costa or Raul? Is Hwang going to have more impact than Traore or Sarabia? Should Podence be in over Neto? Who can really say?
Similarly, in the midfield, Joao Gomes didn’t do a lot wrong against Leeds so could fill in for Ruben. Boubacar Traore is also knocking around too. It could be any combination.
Chelsea are in a similar boat, especially with a new manager with his own opinions, so at least we won’t be the only team spinning the wheel this week.
Predictions
Well done to Woodend wolf, Ben Rasmin, PeteRobbo, Pete Dunbar, Aussiewolf, vicsmith, Ash k and Rich who all predicted the 1-1 scoreline at the City Ground last weekend.
Rich remains four-points clear at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 29.
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.
You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.
Up The Wolves!
I will go in hoping for the best, but I’m smelling defeat.
Even though Chelsea have been dross I’m concerned about some of their more proven players returning to the fold and I don’t have faith in us after the last few lightweight performances.
I hope we come out strong, as we did in the win over Liverpool and get on top of them. The first goal could be crucial so it’s imperative we try and get it. We’re not good enough defensively to just sit in and counter so must be proactive.
I feel the same as you, Thomas, on team selection. I do think that this is a game for a proper striker. Cuhna isn’t that player.
Of late, fixtures have been nail biting and poor watches against lower teams.
In spite of their form, Chelsea are a top club. Several of our mercenary Iberian players are looking for their next big pay packet as Mendes moves them on. So, they will want to give a good account of themselves if they have any sense.
This will be a very different game from our recent ones. There will be no fruitless 70% possession . Chelsea will be dominant and attack. We will have to look for a goal on the quick break, which will require the likes of Bueno, Neto, Traore.
I do believe that we have more chance of gaining points against teams currently above us in the table .
At some stage, I would expect to see Costa ruffle some feathers , however I would like to see Jiminez appear too.
A really good performance and a well deserved victory.
If we continue with that level we will be fine.
Can’t see us scoring enough goals between now and end of the season unfortunately
All we can do is support and hope
Exactly. Need ten points minimum… let three come tomorrow please
.
Chelsea will win under 2.5
It would be such a change if they walked out of the tunnel looking positive and actually opening their mouths shouting encouragement to their fellow players.
It would be difficult to muster any confidence given the rather limited ability of our team to show any of their own. However, Chelsea themselves have been a shadow of their previous selves and their fans must be praying for the summer window to open so they can throw another few gazillion quid around to cure the latest malaise.
Is Lampard the answer? I can’t see it myself but I guess they can’t actually get any worse. And besides. No doubt the ‘officials’ will once more have a big say in proceedings. And that never bodes well for us.
So Podence has been charged for spitting. If he did, a 6 weeks suspension is too short, we don’t want any of that disgusting behavior. However, forgive me if I ask the FA for what evidence they uncovered as neither the referee nor VAR found any evidence. After seeing some of biased decisions against us this season, I cannot help being anything but suspicious!
Maybe we are the bad boy team, with a bad boy manager, with bad boy players, but they are our team, our manager, our players, and we will support them, flawed or not! The hell with everyone else. We will pull together and we will survive! It is us against the world!
Chelsea is my brother’s team and he always lets me know about it whenever we lose to them, so really hoping for at least a draw. A change of manager usually means an instant improvement, but with a Champions league game next week, perhaps some of their star-studded team may be rested! Hope they continue to misfire!
I agree with Thomas, I do not have a clue which team will be picked, but I do think we should start with a back five. We shall see!
The FA will judge on the ‘balance of probabilities’ which is a lesser standard than ‘beyond all reasonable doubt’. But unless the Forest player Johnson gives evidence that it was a spit, there is no case to answer. Podence could have been blowing a kiss in jest. VAR shows nothing. Trouble is, bad decisions aside, we have been more sinners this season than sinned against. Just look at the Fair Play League. We are not bottom for nothing. Time to rein in our emotions and keep our cool. Lopetegui included. Otherwise refs will just think, here we go again, and a card comes out! Keep it cool if we are to survive.
Not feeling great about this one… Neves not playing is a major blow.
Got to keep the faith though.
We still have games against Leicester, Palace and Everton to come which are far more important so losing to Chelsea isn’t going to relegate us.
Having said that, I’m not sure I back us to get any points against those teams either…
Chelsea may be goal shy too, but at least they’re creating plenty of chances. Without Neves and with an ever changing frontline low on confidence, sadly I can’t see us getting anything out of this one. UTW
Right at the end of the previous blog v Forest I posted a stat . Since the resumption of the premier league after the world cup Chelsea have taken 18 points from 15 games. Wolves 18 from 14. So Wolves are in better form ! Last 3 games ok. Forest got of jail with a point. But tgey still couldn’t beat us. Leeds we created a lot of chances but an inspired keeper kept us out (admit shsmbolic defending). At Newcastle the cheating Ref VAR was one thing. But we were on top in that game most of the second half. Got the equaliser and then J Lo maybe made a mistake in going deep again with a defence reshuffle and we paid the price. So it’s not complete doom and gloom. If form since xmas counts for anything I am going for a low scoring draw tomorrow. 1-1. And I wish Fat Frank all the best on his return……..Honest.
I have watched both of Chelsea’s last two games and they have missed so many gilt edged chances that it’s ridiculous. Don’t we just know that it won’t happen against us, particularly without Ruben?
If Chelsea hadn’t sacked Potter, I’d be confident of us getting all three points here as we tend to fare better against this sort of opposition. While I don’t rate Lampard as a manager, I do think they’ll be a new manager bounce to contend with which might just give them the edge. Hope I’m wrong though!
I would like to know how we are on are third manager yet it still takes 50 passes in are own half to get the ball forward. Maybe get the ball moving quicker might give us a better chance of scoring but won’t hold my breath.
We’re a bit all at sea at the moment, as are Chelsea but starting with a higher tide.
I’m hoping home advantage and a partisan Molineux will help us limp over the line with a point.
My preference upfront is having Traore, Costa (or Jimenez) and Podence (if available). That goes also if none are starters, but all come on later in the game. Traore would be a waste if he doesn’t have a CF to cross to.
And yes, with the calibre of the Chelsea attack, I wouldn’t mind a back 5.
I am being hopeful if once again I predict a draw. But geez, would I love all three points.
We were very fortunate to get a point last week and a point tomorrow would be a good result, although we need all three. Chelsea create loads of chances but are very wasteful in front of goal. At some point they will start to convert these into goals and someone is going to get a hiding. Hopefully not tomorrow. Our best chance is to get at Chelsea from the start, so I’m hoping we start with Traore, Neto and Jimenez.
Well, this match has 2 teams with the same problem – they both really struggle to score goals. Given that, I’m predicting a match which won’t contain any.
We’ve always got the propensity to pull one out the bag but Frank will get a small new manager bounce and with Frank playing his players in their best positions I’ve got a bad feeling,at some stage those chances Chelsea produce will start going in
We’ve got to start scoring goals.
Start with Jiminez and Cunha up front with Traore and Neto supplying the ammunition.
For the rest, perm any seven from… the others.
Unfortunately, due to family commitments, won’t be there to see our new strike force firing on all cylinders.
Going for close win. No good guessing what might happen or who might score.
Think we get all three points out of this one.
It is about time we started with Raul with Cunha alongside him. Neto or Podence given a free role behind and alongside them. A combative midfield trio of Gomes, Lemina and Boubacar Traore and wing backs of Bueno and Adama. I would start Tuti Gomes and Kilman at the back. I’ll be at the game but fear we might be in for a pasting, so as has often been the case recently a couple of pints with my bro’ after the game will be the highlight of the day before the journey back to London – thus hopefully avoiding the jubilant Chelsea fans. Nevertheless I hope my pessimism is totally misplaced so I’m going for an exciting 3-2 win. Come on!
I think Frank will look to play his best team from the start in readiness for the Champions league game next week. They have the talent to blow us away, on their day, and we will need to pick a side with 11 players who can run and defend – no more postulating and beating the grass when a decision goes against you.
That said, we are resilient and have a squad who can change a game, late on.
442 formation for me- Raul to have a striking partner in Hwang with Neto playing deeper first half, Adama second half.
A point will be a major achievement and let’s have some discipline on the touch line, please:
I no longer know what to expect, but I do know we are in deep relegation mire.
Will be at the Mol in hope (read desperation) rather than in real sense of positivity, and all without our only real star player, Reuben.
Please bloody start scoring…….someone, anyone……..
Tell you what Thomas, on current form with either team, Lampard would be favourite to score. We might have been better signing Lampard as a free agent instead of Costa!
I also rate our survival chances as no better than 50/50 although I read recently we were only 20% odds of going down. The Everton 10-man performance against Spurs during the week displayed a skillful fighting spirit way beyond our overpriced and overpaid Iberian imports. In fact, Everton made Spurs look woefully like Wolves of late. We cannot go on playing this badly, surely? That’s why I think we will get at least a point. 1-1.
Still a bit queasy about staying up and I don’t think that tomorrow will help
Chelsea have to be focused on their Madrid game But sheesh they have collected some players not least Mudryk and Felix
Let’s play five back and Neto then Traore providing ammo to Raul
Expect us overrun in midfield tho
Bugger
Oops. Forgot to put the score in the box.
Based upon on previous results against our opponents in the upcoming fixtures, if we repeat these results we will manage to get 5 more points.
Chelsea:- Lost.
Brentford:- Drawn.
Leicester:- Lost.
Crystal Palace:- Lost.
Brighton:- Lost.
Aston Villa:- Drawn.
Manchester United:- Lost.
Everton:- Won.
Arsenal:- Lost.
On recent team performances I’m beginning to feel that only Southampton will finish below us at the end of the season.
What a great post, you must be a great Wolves surporter, what a negative person you are,, it’s a football match not the end of civilization, get a life, have a drink and enjoy the uncertainty of football.
yep … got to agree really , we have some good footballers , a top manager
tomorrow we will all be feeling much bette after we wipe the floor with this posh london shite
cmon u wolves
Loads of em. J Lo has actually got us from a point of no return to being in with a chance of survival. Fucking rejoice. Take the positives. Fuck sake.
With Neves out it seems an impossible task he is the only one who knows what it would mean to the fans if we were to go down.
I’m sorry but bar 1 or 2 others I would bin the rest because they have shown a total lack of respect for the fans and the shirt with there half hearted performances some dreaming of home and others of a move to bigger clubs…….but don’t they understand who will want them on there performances so far Jota got his move because he played with desire and showed his skills that’s why Liverpool came knocking.
I’m fearing the worsed. J Lo: is IMO out of his depth he has a squad he doesn’t know his best 11….I do have some sympathy with him there but…..he has fell in to the trap many a manger has done before him by playing players out of there best position when you do that the result is no cohesion. His formations are not suited to the players he has picked.
Cannot see where our next win is coming from. And as we know any team coming to Molineux on a bad run leaves having ended it.
Couldn’t agree more with your sentiments. This is probably the least committed bunch of mercenaries I have seen in over 60 years of watching Wolves. I would particularly highlight Semedo, Nunes, Cunha, (Guedes), Adama Traore and latterly JIminez (with mitigation, probably shouldn’t be playing football at all) as the most culpable.
Might scrape a low scoring draw today with Chelsea having one eye on the CL.
We’ll lose, but Chelsea will make it look harder than it should be…
I fear the worst without Neves for this one.
We were awful against Leeds and truly dreadful against Forest so I am struggling to see where a goal will come from never mind a win.
After last weekends display I now fear the worst for the first time this season and tomorrow could turn nasty if we perform to the same standard as we have in recent weeks. We need a performance to match the reputations of our highly paid squad but I am not hopeful.
I’ve not been too impressed with the team selection over the last few weeks and can’t see how anyone can be confident in any result, sadly.
The Chelsea team will be anxious to impress a new manager.
Our boys must be really just awaiting the officials attempts to put us in our place. It may just be paranoia but I suspect it’s at least unconscious bias.
I’m feeling very down as to our survival chances but a lot can happen in a week ; hoping for the best, but I can’t see us winning this game.
2-1 to Chelsea.
Well Hairy Potter couldn’t produce any wizardry with their lot (ouch). They played Tuesday and need to save themselves for next Tuesday, so …
Yes, I’m expecting the new manager effect but he won’t lamp us ‘ard (ouch). A draw will suit everybody … and me.
We can’t keep a clean sheet and can’t score more than one ourselves. Gotta be 1-1
After two large glasses of wine, I’m going for the win however would take a point now if it was on offer, if I hadn’t had the wine I’d be going for defeat………
Make those glasses of wine a regular pre-match routine please Liz.
I like our chances with a draw. No Neves means no opening up space, means a very dull game for Costa to chase up route 1.
We’re hardly the form team going into tomorrow.. and we have dreadful form that hardly inspires a result against a Chelsea side lacking too in confidence.
I’ve been totally wide if tgd mark with my predictions of late .. thinking we’d win here and win there… certainly not I’m afraid .. and I’m resigned to taking another one on the chin.
We’re just completely flat at the moment and I just can’t see anything other than defeat tomorrow… stand up and be counted you underperforming lot and show me your worth …
I’d certainly start with a back 5 with Jiminez up front… Neto and Traore in support …ie pace… and see where we go … Beves of course will be a miss but he’s been missing before and we’ve coped …
Please don’t buckle …
Andy Madley on VAR tomorrow…
He couldn’t properly referee at Anfield .. so no chance with him at Stockley Park …..
Same bloke at Newcastle who failed to give a penalty and send Pope off. And yes he is on VAR tomorrow. Expect of ‘soft’ penalty award to Chelsea and there won’t be any VAR overturn.
I found the FA Charge versus Forest for haranguing the ref affable …
Let’s count the number of occurrences tomorrow of players getting in the refs face… I bet now there won’t be any FA clamp down involving top 6 teams…
You’re right Cheesey about Newcastle away .. another Madley blunder…
If we somehow manage to score first I’d be optimistic for a scrappy 1-1 draw.
Hard to be optimistic with wolves at the moment though so I can’t see anything other than a loss and if other results don’t go our way tomorrow a drop down to the bottom three.
Mamma Mia ! Here we go again. Another Saturday. Another “must win game”.
No idea who will start, the formation or the result.
Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
Let’s hope it’s more Super Trouper at less SOS come 5pm Saturday.
UTW
Was so disappointed last week at Nottingham where we spent most of the match laboriously passing the ball backwards and forwards across the back. The only time we looked good was when we moved the ball quickly. We may as well take risks lose the ball further up the field as we will never score if we don’t get the ball in the box.
It was also the first away game where the fans were quiet for nearly all the match. This won’t help the players but I can understand as it was so painful and frustrating to watch.
No idea what team will play. Wish Lampard had not been appointed until next week. Hope their focus is on the midweek European match.I
Hoping for a win but fearing the worst and praying we don’t get thumped.
Father Frank has left the grime encrusted ghetto smurfs of Goodison for the high heeled, fat walleted, spivy smurfs of Stamford Bridge. It’s a lose -lose situation for Frank.
He must be brickin’ it.
Failure against an, eh-hm, inconsistent WWFC isn’t an option. But what Wolves is he going to get? And what Chelsea buns are we getting, considering their only chance of Europe next year is coming up on Tuesday?
Costa up front should strike appropriate dread into a flimsy 2nd string defence. Traore feeding him nuggets into the box. Damn it chuck the lot on, Jimi, Hwang, Serabia, the lot. Girding of loins to be done, goals to be scored, points to be won. Red cards to be avoided.
C’mon J-lo, none of this late season Nunoesque twatting about in the ‘Horseshoe of Misery’ (cheers Thomas). Give it some beans.
Costa hatrick.
1 lv & COYW
Poor form, poor confidence, bad “luck” with refs/VAR, missing our star player… what could possibly go wrong?
Desperately wishing for a shock like v Liverpool.
Everything is telling me Chelsea win this. I have watched their last two games and they should have won both convincingly scoring a number of goals, which tells me they are on the cusp of scoring goals. Add the fact that we were awful against forest and now play without our best player. I also have no idea what impact Lampard will have on this squad I don’t rate him but he has some fabulous players at his disposal.
Massive underdogs for me but this sometimes suits us. I don’t know why maybe too much chocolate but 1-0 wolves
Back 5
Park the bus
Traore and Neto on the break
Simples
Grey clouds part sunshine over WV1
…… and then I woke and my PG Tips was cold ….
Hoping for a win fearing an absolute batterin
COYW
Just watched the first half of Perth glory v Newcastle jets in the Aussie A-league , a 26 year old refereeing his first match could certainly show a few prem league refs how it’s done, but then again he hasn’t got to put up with players throwing themselves to the floor or rolling around as shot by an elephant gun, plenty of hard tackles and a few shoves and trips but the common denominator is the player gets straight up.
So my sad conclusion is most of what we get in the prem is who’s the best acrobat/actor,,and do the refs need a degree in psychology to decipher the bullshit.
I would consider following one of these teams but 55years a wolves supporter I would regard myself as Judas
Just an observation I thought I’d share
Watched Luton v Millwall yesterday. A tough, physical match reffed by a “Premier League” ref. No faking.
I don’t really know why but I’m feeling more confident this week than I was going into the Forrest game. Chelsea are on thier 3rd manager of the season and are mid table for a reason. They are definitely beatable we just need some confidence back and end this poor run of form.
Time is tight today so just enough time to say I shall be glad when this season is over. And I really don’t mind of all of the present squad leave at the moment.
Narrow win – please!
Tough one to call and you can see all outcomes happening. But this is the worst Chelsea team for years and they’re 100% beatable, as their record has shown. Since the World Cup, we’re above them in the form table.
The worry of course is they have individually world class players who can hurt anyone so we’ll have to be switched on, and defend better than we have done in recent games.
BREAKING NEWS: Police confirm a 50p coin thrown at the WBA directors box during recent protests is officially a takeover bid.
Matheus Nunes MOTM today. Massive display. Great lad.
João Gomes. What a find!
Amazing what a bit of sunshine can do. 1 lv