Wolves 0 Spurs 2

It's hard to be disappointed after a flying start to the season, but there is still a feeling that we could have got something from yesterday's game.

For most of the game we competed well, kept possession and if anything looked the better side. This however, as we all know by now, is a cruel league and two moments of quality knocked the stuffing out of us.

With the chances we had we perhaps could have taken more from the game, maybe even three points. It wasn't to be, and the only noticeable difference between the two sides was the cutting edge Spurs had in the final third. Too many times we would build our way up to the edge of the area and look a bit clueless. Certainly something to work on. 

Michael Kightly was handed his first league start of the season. I had my worries when I saw his name in the line up, but he was a lot fitter than I expected and only seems to be a couple of games away from having the sharpness required. It was an encouraging display from him.

In the middle of midfield, Karl Henry and Jamie O'Hara can be fairly pleased with their performances overall. At times, both were sloppy and gave away the ball in dangerous areas but they have the makings of a strong partnership and there were more signs of it today. How fantastic would it have been if Henry's dribble and shot had resulted in a goal?

Richard Stearman is growing with confidence in every game. Many would consider him our weak spot in the team yet he was our strongest performer today. He never looked troubled, and handled Gareth Bale well as did Stephen Ward.

Hennesey - 7

Stearman - 8
Johnson - 7
Berra - 7
Ward - 7

Kightly - 7
O'Hara - 7
Henry - 7
Hunt - 7

Doyle - 7
Fletcher - 7

We have a good opportunity next week to bounce back against QPR, another home game. It could be a good test of how much we have improved, and to see how we handle the games against the teams we would expect to beat.

Wolves v Tottenham preview

This international break felt like the longest there has been, our game v Villa seems like it was ages ago!

Wolves face a confidence drained Tottenham side, with an unhappy Luka Modric and zero points on the board. We know what that means then!

Or do we? It feels like this year we are ready to take advantage of other team's bad luck or poor form.

But even an understrength or less confident Spurs team is still a dangerous one. Gareth Bale is one of the world's best wingers, and he now has a proper target man for his crosses. For all his height, Peter Crouch is not as good in the air as Emmanuel Adebayor and Wolves will have to be wary of him.

As much as Mick claims Jamie O'Hara has nothing to prove, I'm sure Jamie will want to stick a goal or two past his old team. He may feel that he was never given a chance under Harry Redknapp, which I think is an advantage for us. It's going to be vital that him and Karl Henry are at the top of their game.

It's very likely that we will go with the same team for the fourth game running. I'm not sure when the last time that happened, but for me it is a good thing and if we can resist altering the side then we can go from strength to strength.

Hennessey

Stearman
Johnson
Berra
Ward

Hunt
Henry
O'Hara
Jarvis

Fletcher
Doyle

We've had some entertaining games against Spurs in the last couple of years, I expect this to be similar. We will try not to open the game up, be patient and careful. I think if we can get plenty of crosses in, then we have a chance as that is where Tottenham have had problems so far this season.

Post Hoc, Ergo, Propter Hoc‏

Once again, here is Phil Chell with another article for the blog. 

For anyone reading this that knows me you will know that my favourite tv program of all time is The West Wing. Now, forgive me for saying that I don't believe the average Wolves fan will know what it is but be that as it may and truer words have never been spoken. The American political system isn't something that appeals to many.

There is an episode when the amiable, likeable and folksy President Bartlett played brilliantly by Martin Sheen, comes out with the saying 'Post Hoc, Ergo, Propter Hoc'. This is Latin and means 'after, therefore, because of it'. Roughly put in lamens terms it means one thing leads to another. However I don't always agree with it.

Case in point; our current league position. As I write this we sit 5th which is our lowest position this season. We have topped the table and held Champions League positions. We have 7 points from 3 games, and are unbeaten. Now even the most optimistic Wolves fan would see this as a good yet somewhat fortuitous start and we will soon find ourselves in the bottom half. Or 'after our little purple patch we will lose key players to injury and we'll slip down the league as usual'. After, therefore, because of it. 

Well I don't think so.

I think our squad at the moment is as good as, or even better than teams like Fulham, Bolton, Stoke and Albion all of whom I'd class as a mid table teams.

Last year we didn't really have a settled line up. This year the same team has started the 3 league games. Also, when Mick made 11 changes for the league cup game, there were 4 or 5 players who were in our best line up last year. I agree that injuries could be a problem, especially if we lose either Johnson, Jarvis, Doyle or Fletcher but I think we have enough strength on depth to survive this campaign easily. 

But there are 35 games to go. In the words of President Bartlett 'what's next?'

Aston Villa 0 Wolves 0

Well done Wolves. Another good away point that takes us to seven points from three games.

It was the type of performance we have lacked since returning to the Premier League. A tight game, where neither side looked like scoring. Last season we were a bit guilty of keeping the game open when maybe we shouldn't have. Against a pacy Villa team we did well to stop them from creating very little openings.

Credit for that goes to the manager. I was annoyed when Mick took Hunt and Jarvis off, for Elokobi and Foley but it was an excellent decision. After twenty minutes of pressure, we finally started to keep the ball better. Ward and Foley as the wide midfielders did that excellently.

Wayne Hennessey put in another confident, solid performance. He made a very good save from Gabby Agbonlahor after he breezed past Roger Johnson. He also made important punches from dangerous crosses, one in particular at the beginning of the game.

It's quite hard to believe, but our best player over the last three games has been our left back. Stephen Ward was assured at the back and intelligent going forward. In fact, I would go as far as saying he was our most dangerous player attacking wise!

It's a good sign that we didn't play particularly well and yet still managed to take a point away from home. In a situation like this last year, we may have crumbled under the pressure and lost the game by two or three goals.

Hennessey - 8

Stearman - 6
Johnson - 7
Berra - 7
Ward - 8

Hunt - 7
Henry - 7
O'Hara - 6
Jarvis - 6

Doyle - 6
Fletcher - 7

We have two home games coming up now, where we have been very strong in the last year or so. Can we maintain our unbeaten run going, it's a scary thought.

Aston Villa v Wolves preview

Until last week, the best all round performance I could think of was Villa away last term.

If Wolves could replicate something like that performance, and the one against Fulham then this is a game we can look forward too.

When Alex McLeish was appointed as Aston Villa's manager, my immediate thought for them was a relegation battle. not only would he be coming from the enemy, but he would also bring a brand of negative football that any fan would find hard to sit through. So far though seems to have escaped criticism from the fans and they have had a pretty decent start, taking four out of a possible six points.

This is a good opportunity for Wolves to turn the fans against him, as anything less than three points in the eyes of Villa fans will be a bad result. If Wolves can frustrate Villa from the start, just like last time,  the fans and then the players will start to get anxious.

We will need our defence to be strong once again, with the likes of Charles N'Zogbia, Gabby Agbonlahor and Darren Bent all likely to start. That is a very quick, and skillful, attack to deal with. So far though, Roger Johnson has had a great impact on our defence, we look twice as solid. he will need to be at his best to give us a chance of getting a clean sheet.

I honestly can't see Mick changing the team from the last two games, I can't see a reason to either!

Hennessey

Stearman
Johnson
Berra
Ward
Hunt
Henry
O'Hara
Jarvis

Doyle
Fletcher

It's going to be an interesting game. It's one we could definitely get something from, but a tough test for our team no doubt. I'm going for 1-1.