Ok, we’ve made the worst start to a Premiership campaign ever. That means we can now only get 105 points ;-)
Andy Gray is already saying that if we lose to Portsmouth tomorrow that we are relegated. The Football Association must have slipped in some new rule this week then!
Sure, tomorrow’s game is vital.
We do need to get at least a point but the thing is that after the two-week break we’ll have the services of Mss Kennedy, Miller, Ndah and be able to once again call on a fully fit Matt Murray. So that’s effectively three new signings.
Add to this new loan signing Joey Gudjonsson. He may or may not be able to help the cause tomorrow depending on international clearance going through in time. Emerson is on his way to Rangers – good luck to him.
Also, despite his finishing, Henri Camara came in from nowhere on Wednesday at Old Trafford. We’ve still not seen Isaac (apart from on the touchline) and Silas is ‘acclimatising’ to the Premiership. Not sure where Luzhny has disappeared to though!
These two weeks will help our new signings further settle into the surroundings, get fitter and grow in confidence. It always takes time for things to gel.
Therefore, we aren’t as desperate as you might first think.
As for tomorrow’s opponents, hats off to them, they’ve made a fantastic start. A Man City mate said that they were very organised when they played at the new ‘City of Manchester Stadium’ the other week and could have taken all three points.
Redknapp knows his stuff and Berger and Sheringham are playing supremely well and they’ll be full of confidence in taking the three points.
However, they are going to have to earn them that’s for sure.
Last season there wasn’t much to choose between the teams in the Nationwide fixtures. At the Molineux, Pompey targeted Blake as the danger man and took him out after 15 minutes (for two months as well as it transpired). The remainder of the match saw a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
At Fratton Park the hosts won 1-0 but Wolves were fielding a patched up side that day so we left with credit from the game.
They have a strong team that has flair as well. They beat Villa on the opening day of the season and looked like the Premiership wasn’t as big a difference as is always stated.
Unlike ourselves, they’ve decided to bank roll the players to keep them in the division for more than one season. The chairman must be paying big bucks for Sheringham. We’ve decided on the more modest ‘Albion’ approach but we won’t go bankrupt if the worst happens.
It seems likely that Jones will stick with the formation employed successfully at Old Trafford. I doubt there will be personnel changes unless there are injuries we are unaware of. Gudjonsson will be on the bench to start I feel.
If we can match Pompey in midfield, make no mistakes at the back then I can see us scoring. Blake will be looking for revenge for last season and he does look sharp. He’ll need better support from the midfield to craft the openings though.
I’m quitely confident we can get something.
Fingers crossed!
E-mail me with any comments/feedback to: dave@wolves-mad.co.uk