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.