Where can this Wolves team be improved?
Gary O’Neil is correct in identifying the need for a number 9 – as he’s clearly not interested in using the one he’s got- and another winger that can go at people.
We’re overloaded with full backs but a more defensive minded option on either side would be a good addition and make playing a back four more sustainable.
If the profile of some or all of these players could make us more physically robust that would be ideal because we still look a bit lightweight at times, particularly in those attacking and wide defensive areas.
The more agricultural attributes of the team are certainly going to be tested in this one.
Everton
If they hadn’t received a points deduction, the Toffees would be coming into this just ahead of us in the table.
I don’t have a huge amount of sympathy though when you consider they were given considerable warnings and failed to take action. Maybe 10 points was harsh, but then again, maybe it wasn’t when you consider the teams that were relegated by fine margins in recent years. Hopefully our own summer fire sale keeps us away from the guillotine.
On the plus side, they now look a robust and competitive outfit. Even with that considerable handicap, I don’t see them going down.
Early in December they reeled off four consecutive wins without conceding a single goal. A couple of defeats and an agonising exit in the League Cup have derailed that progress a little, but they do look formidable.
They’ve got bags of strength and power but also have players like Garner, Harrison, McNeil and Gomes that add craft and finesse. It’s a decent blend and when they enforce their game, it’s tough to combat.
Wolves
As I said before Brentford, I think you want Dawson back because he wins so many headers. Bueno did alright the other night, but I’m not convinced just yet about his reliability in the long term.
Hwang is the other casualty and it will be a blow if he can’t play because we’re already light on options across the front three, unless Gary fancies bringing Sasa back from the dead.
He could play Bellegarde and Sarabia either side of Cunha and Pedro is an option too, but I’d be surprised if he was given a start after a few months out.
Predictions
Nobody predicted 4-1 but a few (cough, cough) were bold enough to go for 3-1.
I’m going for an entertaining 2-2 in this one. Someone mentioned we’re the only team not to concede a goal from a corner this season so hopefully that continues after this stern examination. But they’ve got something about them at present so I’ll be happy to just extend our unbeaten home record.
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!
Tough side Everton at the moment… i will be happy with a point … amazed by 3 , but i was amazed at how good we were in the first half against Brentford
we are just a couple of steps / adjustments away from being a real force . i hope the people that know football at that level get the tools to work with.
i also hear that Everton Fans helped fund some of the Var protests so fair play to them . i hope Everton rub the premier league crooks faces in it …. but not at our expense!
Happy New Year
UPW
FOWB
In the Lynch gate Matt, will we be graced with your presents today?
Tough game, we often struggle against the more physical sides but then we came through the Brentford test the other night. I can see this being a tricky afternoon, Dyche has got them playing well and they’re now a decent side with some dangerous players. They have a good away record too, I believe.
Agree it’s going to be tough
Particularly if Mario is not back – fingers crossed that his Dad’s health improves
It’s been a good Xmas so far for Wolves and molineux has become a fortress so a 2-1 win here we go.
Whether it’s down to football now being a 100 minute game or defenders are too scared to tackle I don’t know but 1-0 matches seem to be the exception rather than the rule these days. It all gone a bit cavalier which is great to watch.
Personally I’d have given Everton a straight demotion after sticking two fingers up at the rules we are currently at pains to adhere to. I’m not sure many Leicester, Southampton or Leeds fans would disagree.
Nevertheless we are where we are and the Bullfrog seems to have done what a series of more “cultured” managers couldn’t and turned them into a team again.
It’ll be close but I’m hoping home advantage will see us through.
Difficult one to call; aren’t they all!!
What a fantastic Christmas it’s been for us and l hope it continues tomorrow.
I said that l would be very surprised if ‘daws’ was available for the Brentford game, and l’m a little bit of the same mindset for this game. GON was reluctant to use him due to the possibility of the wound opening up and l really can’t imagine any great healing only 2 days later.
I would be really happy having totalled up 7 points over the Festiv period; however, I’m greedy and want 9.
Tough one not knowing the injuries outcome.
Difficult to predict this one as a couple of key players may be missing. I’ll go for a 2-2 draw…
Excellent and insightful preview Thomas – as always.
I think a draw is perhaps the most likely result but I desperately needs points in the prediction league if I’m to make a late burst – so going for a risky, close fought win.
Whichever way it goes its going to be physical.
It’s my birthday tomorrow so I hope the Wolves give me the present I have asked for, namely our third win in a row.
I am a bit baffled why Sasa never gets a game, though. He did well off the bench earlier in the season, scoring match-winning goals against Everton and Bournemouth, but Gary just doesn’t seem to rate him. If Hwang is out I’d like to see Sasa up front with Cunha playing off him. It’s got to be worth a try, hasn’t it?
Anyone know why Sasa never gets a game?
Well .. it’s a Happy Birthday from his LORDSHIP Catford Wolf ..
Have a great day ..
Everton are not a bad team, and if we are careless, they can hurt us! I must say I thought that we really rode our luck against Brentford with 3 goals gifted to us, and they really should have scored several times when the score was 2-1. Against Everton, we may not be so lucky.
But we are at home, playing well and with fanatical fans behind us and I think gives us the edge. That edge may be dulled by the fact this is our third game in six days! We shall see.
Agree with Thomas’s team, assuming both Dawson and Hwang are fit! Hopefully, Neto can get a run out towards the end of the game and maybe one of the juniors from the bench!
I see Fabio is on his way to Rangers. I think that is an excellent move as Rangers create an awful lot of chances and I predict he will do well. He has generally done well when playing for the Portugal under 21 team, and last season on loan twice. He is not suited for teams that play on the break. I wish him well, and this should really prove what level and what league he belongs!
Wolves to win to cap a fantastic festive season!
I agree with your first two paragraphs. Everton are playing with confidence . We have home advantage and have confidence from the last two games. We had a massive portion of luck against Brentford however.
I hope Sarabia plays. He has a sharp brain with the skills to go with it, and he improves with every game.
As for Silva, I am not sure Glasgow will be suitable for him.
He will need more pairs of gloves and undergarments and he won’t understand a word. But good luck to him. I hope he gets a bag full of goals.
A Happy 2024 to all….
What a win! I really expected a much harder game against Everton.
To a man Wolves were impressive and as the game progressed it seemed like wave after wave of attacks. Chang is so sharp . Ait Nourris’ close control is blissful. Cuhna is becoming top notch. The defence was solid and Doyle got such valuable experience acquitting himself well. Neto gave a glimpse of what is to come. What’s not to like?
Looks like Mario may be missing tomorrow. Can only assume his Dad has taken a turn for the worse.
If that is the case I can only send him my very best regards.
He’s a huge player for us but sometimes there are things more important.
3rd game in six days with no rotation so far, I fear this will affect the players a bunch. Think a win will be tough in this one.
Looking for a hard-won pont.
Hi all – my first post here; offering greetings from the US and thanks to Thomas and the other managers for creating this Wolves-friendly community!
Everton tomorrow will be an interesting challenge; it’s funny how we seem to overperform against top sides and underperform against lesser ones, which is one reason the Brentford result was so satisfying.
Lemina is out for a good reason but he’ll be missed; he helps bring the fierceness to our midfield that’s been such a surprisingly bright spot this year. Glad Dawson and Hwang are fit; Daws always seems like a stabilizing force in the back.
My head says a 2-2 result sounds about right, but I’ll follow my heart, envision a stoppage-time winner from an unlikely source (Doyle? Sasa?) and go with a 3-2 win.
Hi NW.Welcome and can you post your address on here and clear out your spare room. It’s a New tradition that we hold the bloggers ball round at the newest members house 😉
Ha, sounds great, thanks Prawny! What’s the preferred beer among Wolverhamptonians?
I’d especially welcome the opportunity to learn more of the supporter songs, which are one of my favorite parts of the sport. I like the “Gary O’s Barmy Army” chant but a proper successor to “Nuno Had a Dream” would be nice – that was a strong one.
There have been some classics over the years from the Tennents Super song in the 90s, Jackie Gallallaghers’s “ he’ fat, he’s round, he’s worth a million pounds. Fat Jack. Fat Jack” up to Si Signor for Raul.
I’m sure others can re a more classics.
The good news – Hwang and Dawson should be fit to start. Neto on the bench seems likely.
The bad news is Super Mario is almost certainly unavailable. His father is receiving treatment in hospital in France, having been unwell for a couple of months.
We are a team. We can and will adapt.
So very best wishes to Mario and his family.
Football is important to us all, but family comes first.
Enjoy the game!
UTW
Back now on the West Coast so its a 7 am kick off tomorrow. Still glowing from the GTech experience and love checking the Table…hah!
Meantime for want of needing something to watch to beat jetlag I looked at recording of Toffees vs Citeh last night. … Toffees stack the midfield like we do and Calvert- Lewis is a threat once again, Don’t expect Tarkowski to do a “Collins” for us so I think its going to be a battle vs Everton. Its been said already and I have form here,,,why not play Sasa? Every penalty box looks a chance for someone to grab a goal from deflections and he could create plenty…if not stick it in the net. At least lets find out?
Good luck meantime to the Boy Prince..clearly not wanted at the Mol even with Hwang gone. Ah well a point a game keeps us safe.
No Darkness to fear
It’s ironic Marin that Laura, our daughter , has just flown in from LosAngeles to Heathrow and you’ve gone back to San Francisco I’d guess ..
The world is so much smaller nowadays..
I’m looking forward to catching up with you in May .
Greetings,
If Gazzbo helped the Boy Wonder pack his thermal pyjamas and sox for the chilly ride to Ibrox, Jeff must have sat on the case to get it closed.
One door closes another one opens. Good luck kid, do us proud, eat your porridge and come back stronger.
WWFC are doing very well, stellar stuff against Frankenfurter’s Nylons. Channy finding the back of the net, but his own back bent. Get some ointment on it. Lemina wish you well.
Papa Doc putting on a show, time for him and Sasa to get some minutes.
Yes its Mutton Chops, keep him caged in the dugout. They’ve scrubbed his name off that pub in Burnley, That’s ‘Vincents’ now. But we’re going to have to be on our toes as they’ve pulled off a few good results.
1 lv & COYW
Three back to back wins would be REALLY good!
Definitely a home win for me… 2-1.
Hopefully Dawson is back as it’s important to have our best header of the ball against these. Lemina if not available will be a big miss but family above everything so he can take as long as he needs for me.
It would be nice to end the year with a little cameo from Neto
The news of Lemina being absent and coupled with the possibility of Dawson not being ready is a worry.
Everton have some muscle men to contend with and whilst not being Dyches’ biggest fan I can’t help but be honest to say what a creditable job he’s done there.
It’ll be like the Alamo tomorrow and we’ll need to show sone better and stronger characteristics than Wednesday versus Brentford.
Basically it’s going to need attrition mode.
I regrettably feel that a draw will be the best we can achieve tomorrow.. which won’t be too bad given the 3 games in 6 days ..
Seems like Everton’s financial profligacy is finally paying dividends, and not before time. They have suddenly become a real force in the division and this promises to be easily as tough as the Chelsea game.
Our team’s confidence must be sky high after the last couple of games and we do tend to do well at the Mol. So, with Pedro scrabbling to get into the action and the home crowd roaring ’em on, a third win on the bounce is a distinct possibility.
Have a bad feeling about this one.
Our lack of depth is a major concern.
Injuries to Dawson + Neto still borderline.
Lemina home in France with ailing father.
We will be fielding raw kids in the bench again.
Hope we can sneak a draw.
Sending best wishes to Mario and his family. A tough game against the toffees will be even tougher now but I’m hoping we can continue to make home advantage count. Lets score the first then hit them on the break to squeeze out a tightly contested win.
I expect this to be a dreadful game. I suspect it will be dire football and weather. Dyche will come with a low block and punish us on the break. We will struggle to do anything but play it sideways again and refuse to put a target man up front.
Hoping for better but this wolves team can’t cope with teams that come to defend!
After 1.5 seasons of making these predictions (usually poorly), I don’t think I’ve ever predicted 3 goals for the wolves. Fuck it, why not?
Third game in short succession and no Mario – could be a tough ask.
.
Will be tough without Lemina but hope we can still manage a win if Dawson can play.
Think this will be a bit of a struggle with our injuries and lack of squad players to step in to the team ,and now Mario has gone back to France .
So a draw for me will be fine but hoping for a win if we’re not to knacker after our last 2 games and unwrap the Toffees to make it 3 in a row
Hopefully there has been a swift loan deal and Nathan Collins starts for Everton. That way we will have at least 2 goals on a plate. I also observe that a Raccoon has a high pitched voice so I have arranged for one to be installed by the Everton dug out. Thus the instructions barked by Dyche will be suitably convoluted and cause confusion in the Everton ranks. Despite attempts to remove the Raccoon by the Everton staff I have trained Next Door Neighbours Cat on how to imitate a Raccoon in case of emergency. So the state of confusion will prevail. Thus resulting in a 2-1 victory for WWFC. After the game Shaun Dyche said ” I am disappointed that a rare form of wildlife for Wolverhampton was prevalent inside Molineux. Just my luck that it sounded exactly like me and caused such confusion amongst the lads. It’s not my fault I sound like a fuckin helium balloon “. Gaz said ” Next Door Neighbours Cat has been instrumental in our great Xmas results. I am going to get him a beer. ” WWFC 2 TOFFEES 1.
I really have no idea what to predict this season.
Some stout hearts and strong legs needed tomorrow. I hope the boys are recovered from their exertions at Brentford.
Mario is going to be a big miss, but there is an opportunity there for someone else to shine.
Pulling for a clean sheet!! Let’s go Wolves!!!
Everton too had exhausting games against spurs and city chasing equalisers,but we’ve usually got a problem against Dyches sides so I’m back in negative mode,
Like I ever got out of it ,normally only a goal in it
I think this is going to be a very difficult match and am hoping for a point. Prediction League is another matter.
Happy New Year to all!
It seems to me that the 10 point deficit awarded by the FA to Everton has been used by their manager to incentivive them (that another word for sticking two fingers up the FA). Yes I think it will be tough for us and Mario will be terribly missed. However, let’s not forget the game is being played at Fortress Mol. Hopefully our 12th man will play their part (as always). Let’s make it a great end to the year.
I think I read that Everton was the only team we did the double against last season. Can’t see it happening again this season…
Think the Everton points deduction was not severe enough if they really want to stamp down on ffp
Timing on deduction for them gives them most of the season to claw back the points – who decides what time in the season the deduction is announced ?
On to the game Super Mario will be a big miss but he has more important things to deal with, hopefully Doyle will step in but has not shown any of the enforcer signs that Mail possess
Another stiff challenge against a Dyche team who are in quite good nick. I hope we get better protection for Bellegarde from the Ref- the thug from West Ham should have been sent off.
Who will GON trust in the key role in Mario’s absence- that’s the key for me and I would look to Boubacar.
I refuse to be negative and am going with the lads to again bring home the bacon.
.
It will be a very tough task for our small and tired squad if we don’t have our 2 most important disciplined defensive leaders missing in Dawson and Lemina.
If our leading scorer is also missing, that makes trouble at both ends
I expect that most of us are always optimistic going into any game. I certainly am.
However, the absence of at least one top player is a blow , and possibly two others will render us so under strength that that will be a relief to Everton.
So, thinking objectively, and having watched the last two Everton performances,
I cannot see us getting much out of this game.
Losing to Everton will put a real dampener , for me, on going into 2024.
There will be high pressure on those who replace our missing players.
A great opportunity for them and I earnestly wish them the best of luck.
Three points would be just brilliant!
And so they are…three points and a superb performance.
What a great way to end the first half of the season.
Brilliant.
Everton are solid but I’m backing our home form.
Tough game that will need concentration, discipline and stamina to get through (and that’s just from the fans). But we should get at least a point, hopefully all 3.
BTW whilst I accept Everton would be above us if they had not had the points deduction, we would be ahead of them if not for the acknowledged VAR errors.
All good wishes to Lemina and family.
(And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one hoping for a ‘Clive’ against Brentford.)
What I do know-
I’m somewhere on the ocean between Australia and nz
The sun is going to come up tomorrow
Wolves are going to win .
What I don’t know
How I’m still getting reception ( the game is on live in my cabin from 4 am)
How I’m going to get up in 4 hours after an evening full of ‘ drinks package ‘
Happy new years to all you crazy wolves people
Love
Happiness
Marney
Utmw
I’m not good at this.
utw.
All these games are difficult to predict arn’t they and this one’s no different. But I’m still in the festive spirit so it’s a win for me.
So sad about Mario’s dad.
To lose a parent at any time is devastating. To lose one at a time of celebration and good will is doubly so.
Our thoughts are with him and his family.
Let’s make it a win for Lemina today lads.
Come back soon mate!
I’m optimistic about this one. Winning is a habit hard to come by and easy to lose, but we’re clocking up the wins. Everton are a solid mid-table side at the moment and always a tough gig for us. We don’t have Super Mario but we have Dawson and Hwang fit. And Pedro lurking on the bench. I’m going 2-1 for us.
Good to see the Boy Wonder pack his bags for Glasgow. That will either be the making or the breaking of him. Sensibly it’s a loan till June with no option and they are paying his wages in full. I wish him luck but, sadly, I fear the physicality of the SPL will blunt his skills. I see that his dad commented on his failure at Eintracht, saying that he’s not Cristiano Ronaldo and needed better service! Funny, I could have sworn that he was described as the new Cristiano Ronaldo when he joined Wolves, so maybe his dad was having a dig at that whole sorry episode. In my opinion, if he had come through the Wolves academy at nil cost, he would have been quietly moved on long ago, but we’re obviously trying to claw back some of his massive cost.
I’m loving Luton’s two late goals against Chelsea. Ex-Wolves’ Rob Edwardes is another young English coach with a big future.
When I posted this I didn’t realise that Mario’s dad had passed away. So sad. RIP.
Wolves 3-Everton 1