We can manage

I was watching when Kevin Doyle first hurt his knee and then aggravated it minutes later. You could instantly tell that he would be out for a while.

It's a massive blow, but as the title suggests I think we can manage.

Now is the chance for Steven Fletcher or Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to prove they can be top dog. Neither of them have had much time on the pitch this season, but both have a pretty impressive goalscoring record.

Sylvan had a tough time last season. He was never fully fit, he looked sluggish and his goalscoring instinct seemed to have deserted him. But this season when he's been given the chance he has put in a good performance. He looks stronger, his pace has returned and on the ball he has improved massively. He's often been brought on ahead of Fletcher, which is why most people expect him to start at Newcastle.

Fletcher is already being considered a flop, a waste of six and a half million but in my mind this is the reason we bought him for. You need to have strength in depth to progress and we have that in abundance attacking wise. He's an excellent footballer, with that eye for goal. He's also a harder worker than he is given credit for.

I've got a feeling Mick will go with Fletch. All of a sudden he has an opportunity to justify the huge fee we paid for him. Whoever it is that starts, I have every faith that they will perform.

I pass the question on to you. Which one would you pick, if not both, and who do you think Mick will go with?

Jarvis makes England squad!

This weekend probably couldn't have gone better for Matt Jarvis.

After making a couple of preliminary squads, our flying winger has now been selected for the full squad and I can't think of someone who deserves it more.

He's made it impossible to be ignored this season with his winner yesterday sealing his place in the 26-man squad.

It's a great story for someone who has gone from League One to Premiership in just a few years, someone who had raw ability but not all the end product. He's improved so much, and every plaudit he gets is fully deserved. 

There's a good chance he will play at some point, most likely in the friendly against Ghana. And what a sight it will be, especially for the younger fans (like me) who haven't seen a Wolves player in an England shirt. If he does play, he'll be the first since Bully in 1991.

Now we have to pray he doesn't get injured!

England squad:
Goalkeepers: Ben Foster (Birmingham), Robert Green (West Ham), Joe Hart (Man City).

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Man City), John Terry (Chelsea, capt), Kyle Walker (Aston Villa).

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Man City), Stewart Downing (Aston Villa), Matt Jarvis (Wolves), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Man City), Scott Parker (West Ham), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

Strikers: Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd).

Aston Villa 0 Wolves 1

Eveything seems to be turning in the right direction for us now. Four games unbeaten, one defeat in six and a point off of 13th. It really was a good day for Wolves.

It was a another impressive display, and the three points we got were fully deserved even if we did have a couple of bits of luck. But they have been long overdue and we'll take them. Villa should have had a clear penalty that was inexplicably given as a free kick and I thought it was a goal when Ashley Young's effort crashed against the crossbar.

We took full advantage of their make-shift back four, our two wingers always caused panic in the Villa area and Kevin Doyle was well, Kevin Doyle. It was great to see Matty Jarvis get another goal, and take his chance so well. His alround performance was superb, nullifying the threat of Kyle Walker from right back and creating chances at the other end.

Our trio in midfield did an effective job, rarely were they allowed space in our half. I thought it was another excellent performance by Karl Henry. He does what he usually does, to great effect. Nenad Milijas produced a great alround performance. It was a relatively quiet performance from Jamie O'Hara, but his class is still there to be seen. His effort from distance was another sign of what he adds, but he looked sloppy. He hadn't played for three weeks mind.

Hennessey - 7

Foley - 7
Stearman - 6
Berra - 7
Elokobi - 6

Hammill - 7
Milijas - 7
Henry - 9
O'Hara - 6
Jarvis - 9

Doyle - 7

Subs: Ebanks-Blake - 6, Ward - 6.

We've got the momentum with us now, a trip to Newcastle us next for us and if we can win that one it drags another team into the relegation battle.

The Verdict

Every now and then I'm in the Observer for 'the verdict'. Here is my bit, you can see the full article here

LOUIE SILVANI, MyWolvesblog.com We hadn't won at Villa Park in more than 30 years, but we were strangely confident. The fact that they weren't playing Petrov, and were without two central defenders, meant this was going to be the best chance we had to get something here for many years. Matt Jarvis has taken a lot of stick recently after missing a couple of chances for us, but he got his goal against Blackpool and he took his goal brilliantly. Not only that, but he also tracked back really well, and he had to because Walker was lightning fast at full-back. We've lost one in six now, and we've got a big game next at Newcastle.

How do Wolves beat Villa?

With the West-Midlands derby just around the corner Wolves will know that a win against Aston Villa will not only secure bragging rights for the rest of the season but three crucial points in their fight against relegation. Bigfreebet see this one as too tight to call and with so much at stake this is not one for the faint hearted. A late Emile Heskey goal meant Villa took the spoils last time round, but with passion and tension running equally high, what can Wolves do to not only stop Gerard Houillier’s side, but overturn them?

Remain disciplined

As with all derbies the tension will be palpable and passion has a tendency to overspill into indiscipline. Finding the balance between the two will be vital is Wolves are to emerge the victors. Last time around only Jody Craddock was booked for Mick McCarthy’s side, quite an achievement given the amount of quick players Villa have on the counter-attack hoping to induce a tackle. The Wolves boss has an image as somewhat of a disciplinarian and he will have to draw up all his experience to keep his men calm and not be tempted and drawn in by a pacey Villa side. The temptation to negate their speed is to get tight but this leaves you vulnerable to being turned and leaves little margin for error, so Wolves may be advised to drop off, remain patient and use Kevin Doyle as an outlet. Free kicks are also a speciality of this Villa side and there are some good dead-ball specialists on both sides, so Wolves will have to be wary of committing silly fouls around their own area.

Watch the wide-boys

If there is one area Villa are undoubtedly strong in it is the wide areas. Not only with Ashley Young and Stuart Downing who pose their own threat, but with Gabriel Agbonlahor and his tendency to drift wide from central positions. Of course waiting for this ample service is Darren Bent, one of the finest goal poachers in the league, and McCarthy will have to watch this threat carefully. Wolves and their own wide men will have to do their fair share of graft to get back and help the full-backs out, but cannot be pinned back by the threat, leaving no men available to shift the ball quickly when they need it. With Mark Albrighton thrown into the mix the task only becomes harder, but Houllier’s side are light in the centre of the park, so with Nigel Reo Coker trying to get forward as much as he can there will be gaps through the middle for Wolves to exploit.

Play the right way

Against opposition that have such a distinctive style it can be easy to be sucked into to playing a way that suits the opposition. Wolves must play their own style and win on their own terms. The potential return of Stephen Hunt will give them a little bit extra in midfield and going forward, and they will look to mix a good passing style with some direct balls into Doyle. Big free bet have installed the Irish forward as the main goal threat for Wolves and he must put himself around and show some of the finesse he did last season. Wolves have struggled to get on the scoresheet away from home this season and will have to remedy this if they are to get three valuable points.

Get lucky!

One thing that has blighted Wolves all season is downright bad luck. Even in their last outing against Spurs a goal was wrongly ruled out, and most will agree that Wolves are in a false position. But this will count for nothing come Saturday afternoon at Villa Park. They cannot curse their luck, they must get forward, get the ball into dangerous positions quickly as they have done all season and gamble. The old saying “if you don’t buy a ticket you won’t win the lottery” holds true, especially in a derby and this game could be won on a slice of fortune rather than good play.

Aston Villa v Wolves preview

Wolves travel to Aston Villa with no wins over their midlands rivals in seventeen, since 1980 and even longer since a win at Villa Park. So why are we all quite confident?

Villa boast an attack containing Stewart Downing, Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Marc Albrighton, and Darren Bent that is amongst the best in the league, a worry for any defence anywhere. We will have to be wary of the counter attack, which is why it will be vital that Karl Henry plays as well as he has in the past couple of games. It's a type of game he usually excels in, I see him as the most important player for us tomorrow.

They will have to be aware themselves of our own attacking options. While we don't have the kind of big names that they possess, we have pace and a make shift back four is clearly their weak link. Richard Dunne, James Collins and Luke Young are injured, and Ciaran Clark is missing through suspension. They'll have a  young back four out there, we need to take advantage. Kyle Walker likes to bomb forward, leaving Matty Jarvis with plenty of space to attack.

Jamie O'Hara will be back in the team, offering us something different going forward. With him and Nenad Milijas in the side, we have enough graft to go with flair. I have a sneaky feeling Ronald Zubar will be restored to the side, with Kevin Foley pushing forward to right midfield instead of Adam Hammill.

That means this team:

Hennessey

Zubar
Stearman
Berra
Elokobi

Foley
O'Hara
Henry
Milijas
Jarvis

Doyle

On a massive pitch this will be tough for us, but Aston Villa have had a dodgy run of form and this isn't a bad time to play them. I have no doubt we will play well, but will that be enough?

Up the Wolves.

Prediction League: Chance to win a signed Wolves football!

Once again, it's time to get predicting!

Wolfie tops the table, but there is plenty of time left for that to change, there are plenty of others still in it.

It's easy to predict, just copy the fixtures out from below and guess your score and scorers.

Fixtures:


Tottenham v West Ham

Top 20

Aston Villa v Wolves
Blackburn v Blackpool
Man Utd v Bolton
Stoke v Newcastle
West Brom v Arsenal
Wigan v Birmingham
Everton v Fulham
Sunderland v Liverpool
Chelsea v Man City

Predict away.

Like a new signing

I don't apologise for using that phrase, as I'm starting to get quite excited. The recent return to training of Michael Kightly has got me a whole lot more confident.

Not that I expect him to have a instant comeback, with a fairytale winner or anything of the sort. However, just having him on the bench is a boost. Finally it seems he is pain free (he wasn't in his few Premier League games last season), and the winger we love and know could be back.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Michael Kightly, this isn't the first article on him nor will it be the last.

I'm glad Mick said that he won't be sending him, or any of our fringe players, out on loan. If he's fit enough to go and play in the Championship, he's fit enough to be on the bench or play for us.

Another player who I think could have an impact between now and the end of the season is our Algerian midfielder Adlene Guedioura. With Dave Edwards getting injured so often, could Adlene be a step up from him? He certainly runs as much as him, and has the ability to beat players and importantly have a shot. He was a breath of fresh air last season, and he can be again for the run in until the end of May.

With players returning from injury, our squad looks very impressive and Mick should have a nice selection headache.

Agree that Kightly and Guedioura can make an impact? Don't? Comment and share your view!

Wolves refusing to go down without a fight

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Mick McCarthy must be wondering just what they have to do to stay out of trouble this season. Despite some memorable results this term – including an away win against Liverpool and home victories against Manchester United and Chelsea – they remain in the relegation zone despite having accumulated more points at this point than they had done at this point last season. Last year, 31 points was the magic marker for ensuring survival but given the unpredictable and open style of the Premier League this time out, it looks like a tally closer to the traditional 40 points will be required to avoid a spell in the Championship. Not many people made Wolves betting tips to stay up just a few weeks ago, but now they really seem to be pushing on.

However, with Wolves currently sitting on 29 points, that means that Mick's boys will require a further eleven points to be able to enjoy their home fixture on the final day of the season against Blackburn Rovers – although having said that, given Rovers' horrendous away record and Wolves' recent fine attacking displays, they should enjoy fixture regardless.  

Looking at their run-in, the Molineux faithful will be more than hopeful that they can drag themselves up the table, instead condemning one of their fellow strugglers to contemplate their Premiership futures. West Brom certainly have a tough run of fixtures, and with Arsenal, Liverpool, Sunderland, Chelsea and Tottenham their next five opponents, Wolves will be hoping that their relatively easier run will see them leapfrog Roy Hodgson's outfit, having already been put through a similar run of fixtures this season. The Premier League odds indicate they have every chance of doing so.

Wolves however, have no more fixtures against any of the top six, and with their opposition consisting mainly of relegation candidates and mid-table ditherers, McCarthy will be quietly confident of accruing sufficient points to see that they enter the development stage of the proposed expansion and redevelopment of their famous stadium as a top-tier outfit. 

Following their impressive showing against Spurs on their last Premier League outing, the Wolves fans must believe that they can get something from their next encounter – a local derby against Gerard Houllier's Villa side – and if they do then they will be well on their way to celebrating a third consecutive term dining at the top table of English football. 

Robbed: Wolves 3 Tottenham 3

How many great games have we seen this season? The entertainment keeps getting better and better, as do the results.

We kept the momentum from last weeks win going, and probably deserved more than the solitary point we got. Who knows what would have happened if Alan Hutton had been given the red card he deserved?

It was a fantastic game for all, a fitting tribute to the late Dean Richards but I still can't help feeling robbed. Not only the incident with Hutton, but the fact that we had a perfectly good goal disallowed. Halsey, the ref, has a clear view of the "foul" where Gomes grabs Stearman by the neck, and lets the ball slip into the net. Unbelievable.

The tempo we played at was quite something, we didn't let Spurs play at all and were just as much threatening going forward as they were. The return to form of Matthew Jarvis was a key part of that, Hutton had absolutely no idea what to do with him. He has had problems before with Jarvis, earlier this season and at home to Sunderland on the final day of the season (where he conceded a penalty). On the opposite flank we have a winger in Hammill who reminds me of Michael Kightly a lot. Tricky on the ball, an excellent cross and the desire to win the ball back once it is lost. He can only get better, one would think. 

When Mick threw on the two forwards, changing to a four two four formation I was worried. Credit to the manager, it worked perfectly and we rarely looked over run in the midfield. That was partly down to skipper Karl Henry, who was my man of the match by some distance. He did the work of two men in thee middle, allowing a tired Nenad Milijas to do his stuff further forward. People laughed at him being a potential England player, but a performance like that just shows why Fabio Capello likes him.

Hennessey - 6


Foley - 7
Stearman - 7
Berra - 7
Elokobi - 8

Hammill - 7
Henry - 9
Ward - 7
Milijas -8
Jarvis - 8

Doyle - 8

Subs: Ebanks-Blake - 7, Fletcher - 7

It's a performance like that, with heart and hunger that makes you proud to be a Wolf. 

We get a more than deserved two week rest now, with four tough games coming up. Perhaps we should be more confident then, as we certainly have a knack of picking up unexpected points.



Wolverhampton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur
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Prediction League: Chance to win a signed Wolves football!

So, another week of predicting and still plenty of time with twists and turns still to come.

This weeks top scorer is leroythewolf, well done that man!

It's easy to get involved, just copy the fixtures below and post your predictions with scorers.

Here are the fixtures:

Birmingham v West Brom
Arsenal v Sunderland
Bolton v Aston Villa
Fulham v Blackburn
Newcastle v Everton
West Ham v Stoke
Man City v Wigan
Liverpool v Man utd
Wolves v Tottenham
Blackpool v Chelsea

Predict away!