Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

By: DJ | 6 Comments

There are 16 league games remaining in the 2011/12 season now and for Wolves and the only issue on the agenda is whether they will get enough points from those games to remain in the top flight next season. They are two points adrift of 16th place and 7 points behind 15th and with QPR showing signs of improvement under Mark Hughes and with new signings to come there, Wolves will need points soon to make sure there are clubs in range for overtaking. And if the cut off point is around the usual point a game average then 20 points will be needed from the last 16 games, and they have only got 18 from the first 22.

So its all about avoiding the drop now when the early season target was to progress towards mid table so a disappointing season is on the cards now but that needs to be put to one side as all the focus is on staying up. The stadium development has been stalled and the Steve Bull stand will not now progress as planned in the summer. And while other reasons have been put forward for that postponement, including the general economic position in the country, an increase in the spend on the development of the academy facilities and the slightly reduced attendances. But the prospect of losing the Premier League status is clearly a big factor. So there will clearly be some disappointment from fans and the board at the current predicament.

But ironically Wolves have dropped into the relegation zone having produced some of their best football of the season in the last two games. The draw at Spurs was an excellent performance and was much more than a backs to the wall performance and it was a fully deserved point against one of the best teams in the country on current form. And then on Saturday the 35 minutes leading up to half time was as well as Wolves have played at this level this season, and possibly for many years. Villa started each half well and although Wolves completely changed things in the first half, they didn’t manage that after the break. But the injury to Frimpong and then the sending off of Henry were massive factors in that and as the injury happened only 9 minutes into the half we will never know whether Wolves could have got their game going again. One thing is for sure and that is that if Villa had lost two midfield players in the same way then they would not have won the game.

The improved showing of the last two games is down to McCarthy having found the best blend for the midfield, arguably in three years. The 4-2-3-1 with Henry and Frimpong in front of the defence has worked well and the Arsenal loanee is mobile enough to also get forward to support the attack. And under that formation the front three in midfield can focus on supporting the attack and as a result the lone striker is not isolated as was so often the case in the first half of the season and in the previous seasons.

So in one sense at their lowest ebb of the season but in another way signs of progress. Who knows how it will go from here onwards. Frimpong seems an excellent signing, Kightly was like a breath of fresh air on Saturday, Johnson has now found good form, Foley has made a good return to the team, and Hennessey, Ward, Berra, Jarvis and Fletcher are all doing well. So the task in hand looks achievable but the current form shows two wins in the last 20 league games and none in the last eight and that clearly needs to change soon. The next game is against Liverpool at Molineux on the 31st January. Henry will be serving the first of a three game suspension and O’Hara is not going to be ready after his hernia operation. But it does look like Frimpong will return to training at the end of this week and he should be ok.

Just one week left in the transfer window and Wolves are evidently hopeful of bringing in at least one more new face and have said that will only be someone that can make an immediate challenge for a first team place. So we wait and see who that will be and for what position. The short term concern is to cover Henry’s suspension and the Wolves midfield player certainly let the club down with his senseless sending off. There are plenty of options for cover. There might be a chance for recent signing Eggert Jonsson. or recalls for Milijas or Guedioura, or a change in position for Foley or Ward with Stearman or Elokobi then covering the defence. Alternatively the 4-2-3-1 could be abandoned with Doyle or Ebanks Blake back in for a two man attack alongside Fletcher. My choice would be to keep the shape of recent games and bring in Jonsson if ready, or alternatively Milijas.

So we wait to see if a new face arrives and then for the Liverpool game, and we do so with mixed feelings with a worrying league position occupying one part of the mind and the excellent play we saw for half an hour on Saturday another part. Lets hope its the positive thoughts that win the day over the coming months cause the potential consequences of losing the treasured top flight status is something we dont want to contemplate just yet.

By: DJ | 3 Comments

Frimpong visiting Jack Wilshere in hospital today – swollen eye and all

By: DJ | 7 Comments

After playing some of their best football of the season in the first half at Molineux on Saturday, Wolves fell to a costly defeat that has seen them fall into the relegation spots for the first time this season. They were on the back foot early on then came back in sparkling style only for it all to go wrong after the break and a relegation battle is going to be the fayre for Wolves fans for the third year running for the remainder of the season. As expected it was an unchanged Wolves team from their last Premier League game at Spurs last week;

Hennessey
Foley, Johnson, Berra, Ward
Henry, Frimpong
Kightly, Edwards, Jarvis
Fletcher

It was Villa who started the brighter and they should have been ahead in the first minute when Gardner headed wide from close range. The visitors were causing Wolves problems down both flanks and were getting cross after cross into the danger area but they were ultimately able to take the lead with a bit of a Wolves giveaway. When the ball was played to Berra in his own penalty area he had the chance to clear but took a touch too many and Bent nicked the ball away from him and the Wolves defender felled the striker who got up to convert the penalty to put Villa ahead.

But the disappointment of going behind did not dominate Wolves thoughts and they fought back in sparkling style. They may well have had a penalty of their own as Edwards went down under a challnege from Collins and proceeded to dominate the next half an hour of the game. It was like the days of the Championship winning team with Kightly in sparkling form on the right and Jarvis also causing problems from the left, and new boy Frimpong was dominating things in midfield. Fletcher had a shot saved by Given before Wolves drew level with an excellent goal. Frimpong won the ball for Wolves and burst forward before releasing Kightly on the right who cut infield before curling a low shot into the far corner of the net. And then there was a good chance for Edwards but he shot straight at Given.

Wolves then won a corner and there was a bizarre moment as Kightly’s attempt to take the kick quickly was blocked for no apparent reason by the linesman standing in front of him. When the linesman moved away Kightly’s cross found the head of Johnson and his header in turn found the head of Edwards who directed the ball into the roof of the net. The lead was no more than Wolves deserved after playing some fast and exciting football that was ripping their opponents apart.

But it was all to change after the break. Villa introduced Warnock at left back and that stemmed the supply to Kightly and Keane dropped deep and was finding space to get an impact on the game. And when Jarvis failed to clear the ball effectively it fell to Keane who slotted home from 20 yards. Wolves were still in the game but two incidents then construed to turn the game against them. When Frimpong got in a diving header from a corner he was caught in the face by the boot of Petrov and had to leave the field on a stretcher with facial injuries. And then after being fouled by Albrighton and seemingly having his leg held by the winger, Karl Henry kicked out and caught him in the chest and was sent off. Losing these two players completely disrupted Wolves who never really looked like winning the game from that time on. And ten minutes from time their former star Robbie Keane rubbed more salts into the wounds by converting with an excellent shot from 25 yards to win the game. Wolves threw men forward to try to rescue the game late on but Villa held firm to get the points.

Hennessey – didnt have a great deal to do but might feel he could have got to Keane’s first goal
Foley – another decent return to right back after a slow start. Was moved to midfield when Wolves went down to ten men before being taken off late on
Ward – another to make a slow start before settling to have a reasonable game albeit probably better going forward than in defence
Johnson – Wolves best defender and all the clearances seemed to be coming from him for long periods
Berra – at fault for the first goal but otherwise did ok
Henry – had a steady enough game before letting the side down by getting sent off
Frimpong – excellent for an hour and will clearly be a massive asset to Wolves as long as his injury doesn’t keep him out of the picture for long
Kightly – quite sensational in the first half and scored a great goal before Villa cut off the supply to him after the break
Edwards – usual busy game, scored one and was close to another
Jarvis – had the beating of Hutton and a constant threat to Villa
Fletcher – no chances came his way but had a good game as a target man
Milijas – replaced the injured Frimpong and had a decent game
Stearman – came on as right back after Henry was sent off with Foley moving to midfield and Edwards going off
SEB – came on late for Foley as Wolves pushed for an equaliser but hardly got a kick

After playing so well in the first half this result was a real body blow for Wolves. The injury to Frimpong and the sending off of Henry were unquestionably massive factors in how the game changed in the 2nd half and they will both, especially Frimpong if his injury keeps him out, be big losses in the forthcoming games. The defeat was compounded by wins on the day for Bolton and QPR and a draw for Blackburn that has sent Wolves below all those teams down to 19th place. No more games now until Liverpool come to Molineux on January 31st but its very much a survival battle from now on, which is somewhat depressing after 30 minutes of outstanding football today before it all went wrong.

By: DJ | Add Comments

Wolves meet Villa at Molineux on Saturday afternoon keen to put Wednesday’s FA Cup tie out of mind and instead carry on where they left off in the Premier League last Saturday at Spurs. Following the Spurs game there was the feeling that Wolves had found a good formula with the 4-2-3-1 formation and its difficult to imagine anything that happened on Wednesday will persuade McCarthy to move away from that formula this weekend.

Villa come in 13th place and in reasonable form and if anything have been getting better results away than at Villa Park in recent times. They won their cup tie at Bristol Rovers and have also won away at Chelsea and Bolton and got draws at Stoke, Swansea and Sunderland. Their only away defeat since October was at Spurs. But the home form has not been so good and their draw against Everton was their first point at home since November 5th having had successive defeats against Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and Swansea. And that pattern of being better away is reflected in recent games against Wolves. The last three games at Villa Park has seen Wolves win one and draw two. But at Molineux, Villa have won 6 and drawn 4 of the last 10 games and the last time Wolves beat Villa at Molineux was in 1978. Robbie Keane who joined Villa on loan from LA Galaxy will probably make an appearance from the bench.

For the Cup tie in midweek a number of players were left out of the Wolves team with minor injuries but it seems they will all be available for selection this weekend. So that will likely see the same 11 that did so well at Spurs turn out again;
Hennessey
Foley, Johnson, Berra, Ward
Henry, Frimpong
Kightly, Edwards, Jarvis
Fletcher

There were certainly signs at Spurs that Wolves had what it takes to improve their league position but they are still in a precarious position at the moment and their record of not having been in a relegation position all season will again come under threat this weekend if they fail to get a result. QPR are at home to Wigan and will pass Wolves with a win unless Wolves also win. And a failure to win would also give the chance to Blackburn at Everton, and Bolton at home to Liverpool to improve their position.

So its still very much a season that could go either way for the men in old gold and black, but if the promise shown at White Hart Lane can be replicated in the coming weeks then the momentum can definitely be upwards.

By: DJ | Add Comments

Wolves FA Cup campaign ended at Molineux on Wednesday evening with a display that was highly depressing to watch and although Birmingham did little to justify winning the game, the truth is Wolves did even less. It was no more enjoyable to watch than the first encounter at St Andrews and when the clock was turning round towards 10:00 pm it was difficult to know whether to wish for a Wolves equaliser and extra time, or for an end to the punishment and a trip home or to the pub.

McCarthy made 10 changes to the team that drew at White Hart Lane on Saturday with Christophe Berra being the only one to hold his place and he was made captain for the evening;

De Vries
Doherty, Stearman, Berra, Elokobi
Hamill, Jonsson, Milijas, Hunt
Ebanks Blake, Doyle

There were a couple of bright moments early on when Hamill and Doherty produced dangerous crosses from the right that were close to creating clear cut chances. But as the game wore on the passing and the urgency of the Wolves team seemed to fade into the night and although Blues were creating little they were at least holding the ball more efficiently. After a clash of heads between two Birmingham players they were down to 9 men for a while when they both went off for treatment but Wolves were not even good enough to dominate at that stage.

Things did not get better after the break although when Guedioura replaced Jonsson he hit a pile driver that was not far wide. But then George Elokobi was within inches of scoring at the wrong end when he turned a low cross inches wide of the post. And from the corner there was a scramble in the Wolves area and Elliott hit the post and when the ball came back to him he was able to turn the ball into the net for what was to prove the match winner. Wolves created only one opportunity after that time and that came in the 88th minute when an Ebanks Blake shot was deflected into the path of substitute Fletcher whose effort was blocked by keeper Doyle who was also able to turn Hunts follow up effort over the bar.

De Vries – made a couple of good saves and could not be faulted for the goal
Doherty – had a steady game at right back before going off with severe cramp late on
Stearman – generally decent first half but made some loose clearances in the second half
Berra – as good as anyone on the Wolves side
Elokobi – had a steady first half but made some elementary mistakes in the second half
Hamill – made some good runs and probably Wolves brightest players but the end product was rarely there
Jonsson – steady but rarely effective
Milijas – rarely found a Wolves player with his passes all evening
Hunt – another to not do himself justice in what has become a very disappointing season for him
Ebanks Blake – worked hard but not able to make the most of half chances
Doyle – looking a shadow of the player that has been Wolves outstanding player in the previous two seasons
Guedioura – one good shot and some good passes in his sub appearance
Fletcher – livened the attack up a little but wasn’t able to add to his goal tally with his one chance
Ward – replaced Doherty late on

A game that will certainly not stay in the memory for long. Only 10,000 came to watch and about 2,500 of those were Blues supporters. So not many spectators cared enough about the game to leave their armchair view at home. Not many of the players looked like they cared that much either. The management and the board will doubtless feel there are more important days ahead. So the only mugs on the day were the 7,000 or so Wolves fans that came out and paid to watch yet another poor cup game at Molineux and there have been a few in this Cup and the League Cup in recent seasons. Wolves may struggle to get this many to come to cup games next season if this is the standard of fayre they can expect.

By: DJ | Add Comments

Wolves face Birmingham City at Molineux on Wednesday evening in their FA Cup 3rd Round Replay and then welcome Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon for another derby clash. And they will do so with positive vibes after their draw at White Hart Lane on Saturday that was gained with a performance that was much more than just a backs to the wall draw and one that left their fans feeling more confident than they have for some time that a rise up the Premier League table can be achieved in the coming months.

What Wolves found on Saturday was a successful formula with the 4-2-3-1 formation giving the defence the cover that they have been lacking for much of the season, but also gives good support to the lone striker. I think its odds on that injuries permitting it will be a shape that Wolves will use home and away in the forthcoming games. The signing of Frimpong can be a key one for Wolves because him and Henry can provide the backbone to the team in front of the back four. I have felt for some time as Wolves were regularly conceding two goals a game that it was the space ahead of the defence that was the main problem rather than the defenders themselves and this new line up can rectify that problem. And Frimpong is a mobile player that can get forward and join the attacking players when the opportunity arises.

The defence also benefitted from the return of Kevin Foley. It seems a long time ago that he was voted Wolves player of the season in the promotion season and at that time he seemed one of the bankers to go on and be successful at this level. It hasn’t really worked out that way as he has been in and out of the team and has had his fair share of games as a defensive midfield player. Also McCarthy has usually opted for the additional height that Zubar and Stearman can give to the back line from a full back position. This is an option regularly used by Stoke successfully as they usually play three or even four centre backs across the back line. But Foley is an orthodox and highly efficient right back who can cut out threats from the wing and the dangerous Bale/Assou-Ekotto partnership that has done so well for Spurs this season rarely got a look in against him.

And it was also great to see Michael Kightly looking fit and ready to make his mark at this level. The cult hero who made the remarkable step up from Grays Athletic to become a Championship star has had his Premier League career destroyed by a succession of injuries but he is ready now to make the step up to the top level and if Saturday is anything to go by he has lost little through his injury battles. With Fletcher continuing to find the net it all seems to be coming together for Wolves now and players like Johnson and Jarvis are finding their best form to go alongside the continued impressive showings from Hennessey, Ward and Berra. O’Hara will soon be fit to add more to the team and although the likes of Doyle and Hunt are out of the team at the moment it would be no surprise to see them make a valuable contribution before the end of the season, as they will wish to do in preparation for their part in Ireland’s squad at the Euro 2012 tournament in the summer.

Wolves remain in 16th place after the weekend fixtures but will be conscious that Blackburn have found a couple of good results recently and Mark Hughes will be expected to bring some new faces in to QPR to improve their fortunes. No signs of real progress yet for Bolton and Wigan but its tight between the bottom 5 and Wolves will need to get some more points on the board soon if they are to maintain the record of not having been in the bottom three all season. There is a four point gap above Wolves to Albion but the Baggies are at Molineux in a months time so thats a gap that could be narrowed then. In fact the next seven games can be a key period when Wolves look to put a bit of gap between themselves and the drop zone. The next two league games are both at home against Villa then Liverpool, and thats followed by QPR away, Albion at home, Newcastle and Fulham away then Blackburn at home. Its a 7 game spell that could set Wolves on the road to a better place if they can find three wins.

To add to the Second City theme for this week, the reserves are due to be in action on Monday evening away against Villa at the ground of Hinkley United. I am planning to make that my first ever trip to a reserve away game and will put an brief report on the site if I go but following overnight frost that game is subject to a lunchtime pitch inspection.

But otherwise its Wednesday’s FA Cup game next with Wolves and Blues playing for the right to visit Sheffield United in the 4th Round on January 28th. That will doubtless see a few team changes with the likes of De Vries, Stearman, Elokobi, Craddock, Jonsson, Hunt, Guedioura, Hamill, Doyle and Ebanks Blake looking for some first team action.

By: DJ | 1 Comment

Wolves faced the daunting task of visiting the team being rated as the best in the country on current form and one that has emerged as genuine title contenders, but they rose to the occasion and gained a well deserved point with a disciplined and hard working display. It was a day when Wolves closed down their talented opponents all over the pitch and rarely allowed them to show the skills that have blown away some good teams this season, And although Spurs dominated possession, such was the organisation of the Wolves rearguard that a draw always looked on the cards.

With O’Hara ruled out for two more weeks with his hernia injury, McCarthy opted for the 4-2-3-1 formation and it looked like a formula that can hold them in good stead in the coming months;

Hennessey
Foley, Johnson, Berra, Ward
Henry, Frimpong
Kightly, Edwards, Jarvis

There were plenty of injury stoppages early on with Berra falling awkwardly on his shoulder, Assou-Ekottu hurting his ankle then Van Der Vaart completely flattened by a Frimpong clearance that hit him clean on the jaw. They all continued after treatment and the game settled down with Spurs dominating possession but Wolves were closing them down all over the pitch and Frimpong, Henry and Edwards were making life hard for the Spurs midfield and Foley was holding up well against danger man Bale. And there was a real shock for the title contenders when Wolves went ahead midway through the half. From a Jarvis corner Johnson got in a header that was blocked on the line but the rebound fell to Fletcher who turned the ball home.

Frimpong was booked for Wolves and Bale and Modric brought saves out of Hennessey but it wasn’t all backs to the wall for Wolves and Jarvis set up a chance for Edwards who should have done better with his shot from the edge of the box and then Frimpong set up Kightly who shot over. Hennessey had to make further saves from Kaboul and Van Der Vaart, and then Spurs did have the ball in the net but Adebayor was offside.

After the break Bale was high and wide with a half chance but Wolves almost doubled their lead when a Jarvis cross found Kightly who hooked the ball to the edge of the area where Frimpong hit an excellent volley that brought a good save out of Friedel. The value of that save was doubled soon afterwards when Spurs equalised. The ball fell to Modric on the edge of the area and hit a low shot through a crowded area and past an unsighted Hennessey. And the Wolves keeper then did brilliantly to stop the home team going ahead when he blocked another Modric effort and also saved Lennon’s follow up. Frimpong was guilty of a couple of fouls and he was wisely substituted before he got a second yellow card with Hunt coming on.

Referee Jones had not been endearing himself to the Wolves followers and he made an astonishing decision late in the game. A cross from the left towards Adebayor saw the striker challenged in the air by Johnson but Hennessey came out and caught the ball above both of them. Hennessey and Johnson required treatment after the collision and despite the ball having been safely in Hennessey’s hands when the trainers came on, the ref restarted the game with a drop ball 10 yards from the Wolves goal which fortunately came to nothing as Adebayor was penalised. Johnson was booked contesting the decision. 6 minutes time was added on at the end but Wolves were holding firm for a deserved point.

Hennessey – another sound performance with some good saves
Foley – excellent return to the first team against challenging opposition in Bale and Assou-Ekotto who never bettered him
Johnson – right back to his best form
Berra – another solid display in his 100th league game for Wolves
Ward – some miscued clearances but generally another good performance
Henry – one of his best performances of the season
Frimpong – man of the match for me. Won lots of tackles, nearly scored and never gave the Spurs midfield a minutes peace. The axis that him and Henry provided ahead of the defence looks a real winner for Wolves
Kightly – looking really fit and a good comeback. Even in the 94th minute was looking a good outlook for Wolves
Edwards – worked his socks off and looked completely shattered when substituted late on
Jarvis – looking really bright again nowadays and created Wolves best chances
Fletcher – I doubted his ability to do the lone striker role but he proved me wrong with an excellent display and yet another goal
Hunt, Milijas and Elokobi used as subs and did their bit

A real morale boosting result and performance and it would be a major surprise for me if it wasn’t 4-2-3-1 all the way for Wolves now this season. Frimpong and Henry look a great match for the defensive midfield roles and it was great to see Foley and Kightly coming back and doing so well. Its a second city double for Wolves now with the cup replay against Birmingham on Wednesday and Villa next Saturday. And Wolves will be moving forward with confidence after this.
Fletcher

By: DJ | 4 Comments

4 months, 18 games and maybe an FA Cup run remain in the 2011/12 season for Wolves and it could go either way from the position they are now in. 16th place in the league is a healthy enough position but they are now 5 points behind 15th place and only 3 points ahead of bottom team Blackburn. A lot can change over the course of 18 games but its all a bit close for comfort for Wolves again, as it has been in the previous two seasons at this level.

If survival is the target, and we were hoping for progress away from that this season, then the target has to be to get 38 points from the 38 games and that looks like it will be plenty to stay above the drop zone this season. And to get to 38 points, Wolves will need to find 21 points from the remaining 18 games. Or in simple terms they need to win 6 or 7 more games. At home the 9 remaining games are against Villa, Liverpool, Albion, Blackburn, Man Utd, Bolton, Arsenal, Man City and Everton. At least 3 wins are needed from those and I guess the obvious targets would be to beat Albion, Bolton and Blackburn. But Wolves rarely earn their points in the obvious ways. And it would be good to get the momentum going with a win in one of the remaining January games against Villa and/or Liverpool.

Away from home the 9 games are at Spurs, QPR, Newcastle, Fulham, Norwich, Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea and Wigan. There looks to be more winning opportunities there than in the home games but Wolves have only won 1 of the first 10 away games so they will need to produce more from now on. But they managed 4 away wins in 2009/10 and 3 in 2010/11 so we are not looking for more than previously achieved.

As we look ahead to Saturday’s game at Spurs there will at least be plenty of options for McCarthy’s team selection. Defensively there will be some doubt over the fitness of Roger Johnson who went off with an ankle injury at Birmingham but he is expected to be fit. If he is ready then there is a choice to be made between Stearman and Foley at Right Back, with Foley looking in excellent form when he came on at St Andrews. In midfield there will be some creativity available with Milijas having completed his suspension and O’Hara probably being fit. And there is the possibility of a Premier League chance for Michael Kightly after his promising showing at Birmingham. I can see a 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday with Henry and Frimpong in the deep midfield positions, then Kightly, O’Hara and Jarvis in the attacking roles, and Fletcher as the lone striker.

Its all gone quiet as far as transfer speculation goes except that it appears there is plenty of interest in taking Christophe Berra away from Wolves. Bolton will be selling Cahill and Blackburn selling Samba and both would like Berra as the replacement, and Newcastle are also reportedly interested. But it’s hard to imagine Wolves being prepared to sell the Scotsman who has become their most reliable outfield player and is due to make his 100th appearance for Wolves next weekend. The likes of Andy Keogh and Sam Vokes will likely be sold if reasonable offers come in while Griffiths at Hibs and Batth at Sheffield Wednesday have had their loans extended to the end of the season. David Davis is back from Inverness where he received positive reviews and he will likely now be loaned out to an English club to further his development. And Ashley Hemmings has been getting rave reviews at Plymouth where has scored a couple and created a few for a team that have improved since he went there.

The Molineux redevelopment is continuing and the new North Bank will be fully finished in time for next season. And a decision needs to be taken soon on whether the next phase which is the replacement of the Steve Bull stand (previously John Ireland stand, previously Molineux Street stand) will commence in the summer. It would be sad if this didn’t go ahead with one stand looking somewhat out of place with the rest of the stadium and with the facilities no longer up to the standard of the best modern stadium. But there is concern at a small fall in attendances and a question on whether that will improve in the current economic climate. That is added to by the increased showing of games for free in local pubs who are picking up satellite coverage from foreign broadcasters at little cost. In hard times it is inevitable that people will be attracted to that route of watching games, not to say the internet streaming of games, rather than pay £25 a time to buy a ticket for the games.

The prospect for an FA Cup run has increased with an away draw to League One team Sheffield United in Round 4 if Wolves can win the replay against Birmingham. United will be difficult but beatable, as will Birmingham in the replay on Wednesday 18th January in a game to be shown live on terrestrial tv to give Wolves a few more pounds in the bank. Although we will probably see much changed teams in those cup games as they sit in the middle of vital league games. But if they overcome Birmingham and Sheffield then Wolves will be only two games away from a Wembley Semi Final which would be a nice bonus to the season.

But first its the trip to White Hart Lane on Saturday to meet a team that are level on points now with Man Utd in 2nd and 3rd place in the league after their 2-0 win against Everton on Wednesday evening. Hopefully that will have tired the legs of the Spurs and open the door to Wolves getting a result, as they did on this ground in 2009.

By: DJ | 1 Comment

Well this was a game that could certainly not be described as a thriller but Wolves will go into the hat for the 4th round after playing out a goalless draw with Birmingham at St Andrews. Against a very limited Blues team, Wolves looked to have more quality at their disposal but nevertheless rarely looked like scoring but will be happy to have secured their first clean sheet since their League Cup success against Millwall in September, 17 games ago. There was a debut for Wolves for Eggert Jonsson and a welcome return for Michael Kightly;

De Vries
Stearman, Johnson, Berra, Ward
Kightly, Henry, Jonsson, Hunt
Ebanks Blake, Doyle

There were plenty of empty seats at in the home support areas of St Andrews with a crowd of just over 14,000 including 2,500 from Wolves. It was a pretty grim game in the first half with neither team stringing passes together or causing problems for the keepers. Redmond was looking the Blues most likely player on the left wing with Kightly brightening things up whenever he was in possession for the visitors. Wolves however were looking secure in defence but were given a problem after 35 minutes when Johnson fell awkwardly after an aerial challenge with City striker Adam Rooney and was clearly in a lot of pain when substituted with Foley who went to right back with Stearman moving into the centre. Wolves threatened right at the end of the half when a clever ball by Jonsson split the Blues defence but SEB and Doyle were unable to take advantage.

At the start of the 2nd half Jonsson was in action in the defensive area when he blocked a Rooney effort but then Wolves had a golden chance to open the scoring. Foley and Kightly combined on the right and Kightly’s low cross picked out Ebanks Blake who shot over from a very good chance. The introduction of Foley had removed the threat of Redmond on the left and Blues were looking a team well short of what will be required to return to the top flight. Kightly was continuing to look lively for Wolves but there was no creativity in the centre of midfield from Henry and Jonsson, Hunt was ineffective on the left and the two strikers, Doyle and Ebanks Blake were both having disappointing games. Jarvis came on for Hunt and then Fletcher for Doyle as McCarthy went looking for the winner.

Three minutes injury time was added on at the end and it proved to be the most exciting three minutes of a poor game. Redmond had a shot for Blues that De Vries needed two attempts to stop and then Wolves produced their best attack of the game in the last minute. It ended with Jarvis cutting in from the left and hitting a cross shot that Blues keeper Doyle pushed onto the post with the ball rebounding out to Fletcher whose header was well saved by Doyle again.

De Vries – not a busy afternoon and stopped what came his way albeit not always cleanly
Stearman – given some trouble by Redmond early on before having a decent last hour at centre back
Johnson – again looked in good form on his return to St Andrews before picking up a painful injury
Berra – another sound game from Wolves most reliable player
Ward – did well defensively and was often Wolves best attacker
Kightly – a very promising return to action with some positive runs from midfield and looks fitter than for a long time
Henry – sound enough defensively but one of those days when he was always looking to pass sidewards or backwards and was often pressured by the Blues players due to being slow getting the ball away
Jonsson – one or two nice touches but looks a defensive midfield player and the combination of him and Henry lacked creativity
Hunt – its turning into a disappointing season for him and his place looks under plenty of threat from Hamill and the returning Kightly
Doyle – looked well short of his best here and needs a goal or two to restore some confidence
Ebanks Blake – not at his best and missed a really good chance in the first half
Foley – marked the dangerous Redmond out of the game and maybe the time has come for him to recapture his position as first choice right back
Jarvis – Wolves looked more dangerous when he came on and close to winning it late on
Fletcher – a quite 15 minutes before almost winning it in the last minute

So the two teams will meet again at Molineux on Tuesday 17th January where Wolves will be hot favourites to progress. They will find out their 4th round opponents on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile Wolves will wait on a fitness report on Johnson although the initial after match prognosis was that it was not as serious as it first looked. Next action for Wolves will be next Saturday when the travel to North London to meet Spurs.

By: DJ | 1 Comment

Wolves visit Birmingham City for the start of their 2012 FA Cup campaign with a 12:30 kick off on Saturrday. It’s a welcome break from the pressure of regular vital games in the Premier League and a chance for a few of the fringe players to get an outing in the first team.

Birmingham sold most of their best players when they were relegated from the Premier League last May including of course Roger Johnson to Wolves. And they also lost their manager Alex McLeish to local rivals Villa and replaced him with Chris Hughton who has steadied the ship at St Andrews but not got been able to get them in contention for a return to the top flight. They currently lie in 14th place in the table but are on a decent current run having won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 6 matches. And they are unbeaten at home in the league having won 7 and drawn 4 with their only defeat at St Andrews coming in the UEFA Cup when they lost to Braga in September. They are now out of that competition and by looking secure in the league they can focus on trying to have a Cup run. League matches have been pretty even between the teams in recent years with a similar number of wins for each team and a fair few draws. And the teams have met twice here before in the FA Cup and those have both ended well for Wolves. In 2009 Wolves won 2-0 and in 1996 the games was a 1-1 draw with Wolves winning the replay at Molineux.

With a week before the next league game McCarthy may well field a reasonably strong team and he has already confirmed there will be a debut for the new years day signing from Hearts, Eggert Jonsson. But it is unclear where he will play as he can function in midfield and defence. And there will probably be another start for the other new man Emmanual Frimpong as he settles in from his loan from Arsenal. But arguably there will be even greater interest from Wolves fans in a return to their colours of Michael Kightly. The winger who was a revelation in the Championship after signing from Grays Athletic has had cruel luck with injury for the last three years but has now had a successful loan spell at Watford and now returns to hopefully belatedly start his Premier League establishment. Now that he is fit and match sharp he could be like a new £5m signing and be quite a boost to the squad. The rest of the team on Saturday is likely to be largely the usual squad although Kevin Foley will be another one on the comeback trail looking for a game. But Roger Johnson who left Blues for Wolves last summer is a doubt for the game having picked up a minor ankle injury in training.

An intense rivalry built up between these clubs as they battled to survive in the Premier League last season and it wasn’t until the final minute of the season that it became Wolves and not Blues that stayed in the top flight. So it will be with some bitterness that Wolves will be welcomed to the second city and Wolves will be out to rub a little more salt in the wounds of their local rivals on Saturday lunchtime.