Aiming to Rule Britannia

 Wolves travel the short journey up the M6 on Saturday 3:00 to take on a Stoke team who have done well since joining the Premier League on the back of very good home form.  It is set to be a full house for this derby and this will be a battle where Wolves will need to be strong on the ground and particularly in the air defensively but recent performances have increased confidence that this is a game we can get something from.

Stoke won 10 and drew 5 of their 19  games at the Britannia Stadium last season and have won 3 of the 5 played so far this term. They are particularly effective from dead ball situations and Wolves will not be wanting to give away unnecessary free kicks and corners. And we know that that the long throws of Delap have become something of a legend in North Staffordshire. And the signings of Beattie and Etherington have made them a decent attacking unit to add to an already strong defence. But they are not as good as Everton and Villa who Wolves have matched in recent games.

The style of Stoke’s play will be a test for Hennessey who was weak last season coming off his line to deal with crosses. But he has clearly worked on this part of his game and he is developing into the top class keeper we hoped he would be. The back four that have played the last couple of games have done well and will surely be unchanged. Foley remains unavailable and it is unlikley Mancienne will be recalled given how well we have played in his absence.

The partnership of former Stoke midfielder Henry and Castillo (photo above) in central midfield has all the makings of being key to Wolves season. They offer protection to the defence, close down the opposition midfield, and give the security for us to get forward wide to support the strikers. Kightly will be getting closer to full match fitness now and will hopefully start making his impact. But it is the other midfield position that offers the most debate for team selection. David Edwards work rate is unquestionable and he may be asked to continue in this away game despite not playing well last week. Halford is an alternative to give more defensive security. Conversely Milijas or Jarvis offer much more of a creative and attacking threat. And although the recent draws have been encouraging, maybe we need that extra creativity to turn draws to wins. Personally I would like Milijas to be recalled.

Up front Doyle and SEB give Wolves a real threat to any defence and their ability on the ground might give them some joy against a Stoke team more renowned for aerial ability. Plan B could be to call on the likes of Halford, Maierhofer and Iwelumo  and take Stoke on at their own game.  It might prove to be useful to have that change available from the bench.

With Arsenal and Chelsea on the horizon for the next two games, Wolves will probably need to get something from this game to avoid falling into the bottom 3 in November. It might be daft to feel confident about visiting a team that has such a good home record, but I don’t think we will be losing this one.

Category: Team News

Tags: Team News

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