Wonderful Wolves

After the last month of going through the mill Wolves did it once more before relief filled Molineux were aloud to celebrate.
The first half is probably best not talked about with no belief or passion we went down 3-0 with some terrible defending and probably the worst 45 minute performance of the season.
Going into half time we were as good as relegated in our biggest game of the season but after a bollocking at half time by Mick Wolves came out a completely different side.
When Jamie O'Harah got the ball in miles of space in the box to riffle Wolves a vital goal. News from elsewhere was mixed with Blackpool doomed it was us or the Blues with the message that we needed one goal. After nearly being substituted Stephen Hunt AGAIN came to our saviour with a lethal strike which swerved around the Blackburn keeper to make it 3-2. The news was clear we had made it and Molineux was bouncing once again to do that to Blues after all these years will be black country folktale for years to come. With the result good enough for both sides the last few minutes were sent partying with some anxious questions of whether were safe or not. But it was good enough and a pitch invasion at the end showed the fans delight that the pressure was off and all the doubters were wrong.
Some big questions have to be asked over the summer however. Is Mick capable of moving the team on so we dont get into another scrap next year? One thing is clear there is a big need for more quality in that side. But lets not wreck the moment of safety I think we need two months just to calm down.

D-day for Wolves

Could Sunday be any bigger for the Molineux men?
After another solid performance last week we come into the game in charge of our own destiny.But if news is bad from Old Trafford, The Brittania or White Heart Lane we could find ourselves again in the middle of the fight for safety. But firstly we need to worry about our performance, both us and Blackburn come into the game off the back of very good performances. Wolves seem to have hit a great bit of form right at the last minute who would have thought we would be in this position before the Albion game.Mick would be silly to change the winning side from the Sunderland game but the difference is we have re-enforcements now with Doyle and Blake both fighting to knock Ward out of the team. Blackburn were very good last Saturday against Man United and a repeat performance could cause Wolves a lot of problems. But I don't think they will be good enough to spoil the Molineux party and come quarter to six tomorrow I fully expect a safety party.

Wolves make another stride towards safety

Another vital three points for Wolves in an end to end encounter at the Stadium of Light.
Wolves took an early lead after a bullet of a strike from Jody Craddock after a succession of corners from Stephen Hunt.
But we threw away the lead after falling asleep from a corner at the opposite end in front of the away fans.
Wolves started much brighter in the second half and saw themselves back in front through a Steven Fletcher drive to add to his impressive run of form.
Big George Elokobi finished off a brilliant second half performance with a header from close range to give us the three points much to the delight of the following fans.
Other results didn't go our way with Blackpool getting an unexpected win at Bolton and Wigan coming back against West Ham.
This means we are not yet safe although will Birmingham really win at Tottenham and Blackpool win at Old Trafford.
Personally I think we have got enough points to keep us in the Premiership but if we don't win on Sunday it will be very tense.

Sunderland v Wolves – by Ben Goddard

Sunderland v Wolves, Stadium of Light, 12.45 kick off

After the relegation battle turned on its head last weekend what will this weekend’s fixtures bring?

Sunderland have had a poor run of form recently after their Premiership safety was more or less assured some weeks ago. Their poor run of form has seen them defeated five times in their last six home games and they seem like they can’t wait until next weekend. But their morale will have been boosted after a 93^rd minute winner against Bolton last weekend. The last two games will see them help decide the destinies of Wolves and West Ham with the privilege of themselves sitting in 12^th. A major injury crisis has recently sit Steve Bruce’s side with seven first team players currently out. They will definitely be glad next Sunday for the chance to rejuvenate over the summer with a few new signings.

Wolves are still in the middle of the relegation dog fight even though fans will be sleeping easier after a fantastic win against West Brom last Sunday. Their first win in six matches saw them jump above Wigan and Blackpool out of the bottom three by a point with two games left. Away from Molineux they have been poor this season with only two wins but they have improved recently with five points picked up In the last six games. Mick Mcarthy will have nearly a full squad to choose from for the first time in weeks but they are likely to start with the same side as Sunday with the in-form Steven Fletcher being the main target man. This could be a big opportunity for them to put big pressure on West Ham and Wigan before their showdown on Sunday.

My opinion is that Wolves will get their third away win and beat Sunderland due to their desire to stay in the Premiership. With Sunderland not having anything left to play for they haven’t shown any desire at home and I think they will be out-battles at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland v Wolves – by Simon Hodgkinson

Wolves make the long trip to Sunderland this Saturday, in search of the three points that could yet secure a third consecutive season at English football’s top table. Currently sitting in 17th place, a point above the relegation zone with two games to play, victory up at the Stadium of Light would be crucial in the quest for survival.
Mick McCarthy’s men go into this crunch game on the back of a vital and morale boosting 3-1 win over rivals West Brom. Following a string of poor performances, Wolves lifted themselves off the canvas to produce a stunning display of character, and no little quality, to secure three vital points in the pressure cooker of a Black Country Derby. A similar display will be required to topple the Black Cats this weekend. Mick McCarthy will surely keep faith with a winning side, even with the return to fitness of record signing Kevin Doyle. He may have to settle for a place on the bench, as will Matt Jarvis, who has gone off the boil in recent weeks. His replacement, Stephen Hunt, had arguably his best game in a Wolves shirt against Albion, and should retain his starting berth. The striking partnership of Steven Ward and Steven Fletcher looks very promising, with Fletcher in particular hitting his best form just at the right time. Wolves have shown that playing 4-4-2 can work, and this will hopefully be a winning formula on Wearside.
Sunderland also approach this encounter having won at the weekend, with a somewhat fortunate 2-1 victory at Bolton. The Black Cats have now secured their Premier League future, and it remains to be seen just how Steve Bruce will view their final home game of the season with the pressure off his team. Despite their win on Saturday, Sunderland have been in wretched form of late, taking 7 points from their last 12 games. This has not been helped though by a major injury crisis at the Stadium of Light, with key players like Asamoah Gyan, Titus Bramble, Lee Cattermole, Danny Welbeck, Craig Gordon, Kieron Richardson and Anton Ferdinand all on the sidelines. It is therefore likely to be something of a shadow side that take on Wolves this Saturday.
The Stadium of Light is never and easy place to visit in search of points, but now may be the perfect time to tackle Sunderland. Undoubtedly, Steve Bruce has quality in his squad but the loss of such vital figures is bound to hamper his team’s chances. It is for this reason, plus the confidence running through the ranks after Sunday, that I am tipping Wolves to snatch a vital victory against the Black Cats. It will be far from easy, and another huge shift will be needed, but Mick’s men are more than capable of taking the points from a weakened side who may well have their minds on the beaches.

A day to remember for a long time

In the build up to yesterday's Black Country derby nerves were obviously high although there was an unfamiliar buzz around Molineux after the past few weeks. Straight from the brief walk from the pub to the ground the atmosphere was electric with the usual animosity between the two sets of fans evident although the police and stewards seemed to have it covered. Inside, the South Bank was rocking with a few people questioning another big decision to leave out Matt Jarvis to be replaced with Stephen Hunt. Wolves started brightly and looked like they really wanted the match then with a great touch in the box Steven Fletcher sent Wolves 1-0 up and Molineux was rocking. With the sound of the south bank rallying the Wolves players the ball was again whipped into the box from another corner for Guediora to volley home in miles of space. Molineux was again in ruptures with the chant of "The Black Country’s ours" being heard from miles around. At half time Wolves went in on the up after a great display and this was reflected in the mood around Molineux with chants being sung throughout the concourse. The second half started brilliantly with Albion leaving Fletcher unmarked and he slotted it coolly into the bottom corner in front of the South Bank who couldn’t believe their eyes. After this the game swung back towards Albion after they gained a penalty which was put away by Odemwingie. But Wolves stood solid although there were chances at both ends the game ended 3-1 with the fight for survival definitely on. My man of the match was Stephen Hunt he ever stopped running for the cause and was back to his old self with niggerly tackles and really got stuck in. But as a whole Wolves were excellent and much deserved of the Black Country bragging rights.

Wolves v West Brom

Could this midlands derby be any bigger? Wolves are fighting for Premiership survival and these three points could be the difference between top flight football and a Championship promotion race next year.

Wolves come into this vital encounter off the back of a 1-1 draw away at Birmingham last week which was seen to many as two points dropped. After a heavy defeat against Stoke, Wolves reacted with a much better performance which leaves them a point from safety with three games to go. They play on Sunday again meaning that their relegation rivals will have the chance to increase the gap on Saturday but it could work to their advantage if results go their way on Saturday. But they will again be without Sylvain Ebanks Blake and Kevin Doyle who won’t be fit for the game. Steven Fletcher will again start up front either on his own or alongside Steven Ward after a good performance on Sunday Mick Mcarthy could re-jig the squad again. If they are going to stay up their form will have to improve after just one win in their last six games.

West Brom come into Sunday’s game full of confidence after a fantastic run of three wins in their last six games after another good performance to beat Aston Villa 2-1 after being behind. A chance to increase the relegation threat over neighbours Wolves will finish of their season nicely after securing safety. They will be glad to have secured safety after being hit by an injury crisis and will be missing nine players for the trip to Molineux. Peter Odemwingie will be West Brom’s biggest threat after scoring 15 goals already this season which is the 5^th highest in the Premiership.

My prediction for the game is for a Wolves win after a big improvement against Birmingham. It is guaranteed to be a feisty encounter with Premiership survival on the line how much the game means in the relegation fight may not be clear for three weeks but a loss will set Wolves back massively.

A vital point but should it have been three?

Well after Tuesday's display it was a much improved Wolves side that took a point from a feisty encounter at St Andrews.
A change to the line up saw Mancienne come into the side to try and steady the back four with Elokobi back from injury.
A change to the forward line saw a 4-4-2 formation with Ward playing alongside Fletcher which seemed to have paid off when Ward was sent through only to be took to the floor by Foster.
The resulting penalty was put away by Fletcher with the composure of a pure class striker and the roof was lifted above the Wolves fans at the opposite end. 
Kevin Phillips started upfront and was treated to boos every time he touched the ball by the Wolves faithful behind the goal.
Then just as Wolves were starting to settle down Mancienne played a header straight into the path of Sebastian Larsson who slotted it past Hennessey in front of the traveling fans most of which had their heads in their hands.
Would Berra have made the same mistake in that position?
Hope was renewed for Wolves after Craig Gardner got a second yellow after a dive outside the box with the ref making a good decision despite the disbelief between the home fans.
From here we should have kicked on for three points but the chances never really fell our way with Jarvis causing a threat and Hunt as a substitute caused Birmingham a few problems.
On a positive note it was a much improved performance after the Stoke game and could be the confidence boost we needed ahead of the biggest game of the season.