Birmingham 2 Wolves 1

That match left me feeling very depressed. I couldn't believe we had lost that game.

OK, we had rode our luck(only in first half) a little but after we had taken the lead we became the better side. Moments before the goal I didn't think they looked like scoring at all. To have equalised it could only have been Phillips, the pain in Wolverhampton Wanderer's arse.

When will he retire?!

Our defence, until we decided to hand them a couple of goals, were pretty solid across the back four. Craddock and Berra continue to battle away but a lack of pace is quite worrying. Zubar looked OK, although he needs to stop trying to give away penalties. Ward again was good. Many will blame him for allowing Carr to go all that way but who is supposed to mark the right back? The winger. He couldn't commit himself and had to try and jockey him.

If we do stay up, we will still struggle to keep the best player for years at Wolves. Doyle was magnificent again, he is simply too good for us.

Again, Nenad Milijas was excluded from the squad. What he has done wrong is beyond me, was it the performance against Palace. If so, drop everyone else too. We needed his kind of quality when we were one nil up to get a second but we had none.

Hahnemann - 6

Zubar - 6
Craddock - 6
Berra - 6
Ward - 6

Foley - 7
Henry - 8
Jones - 6
Mancienne - 7
Jarvis - 7

Doyle - 9

Subs: Guedioura -7, Ebanks-Blake - 6, Surman - 6

Doyle was our best player AGAIN. Keep it coming Super Kev!

Birmingham v Wolves Preview

Our last meeting with Birmingham brought the worst performance of the whole season so far. That performance was then matched with the abysmal showing at Selhurst Park last Tuesday in the cup.

Yet, I am still positive about the game on Sunday. I think we can carry our last two league games into this one. In both those games we showed some fighting spirit, the reason we lost neither of them.

Birmingham have had an unbelievable season so far. They have lost one game in seventeen, when was the last time a promoted side did that? Obviously the plaudits have gone to McLeish, and his almost unbeatable defence. Joe Hart, Roger Johnson and Scott Dann have all staked their claim for a place in the England squad and eight clean sheets this season gives a very good reason for them to be in it. We came so close to signing Dann, and we were definitely interested in Johnson.

I think the side will be the same as Hull, unless Mick decides on two upfront which I think will see Iwelumo, sadly, start. When we played them in November a lot of the game was about the two centre backs beating Doyle and Ebanks-Blake to every ball. Iwelumo, if started, will be in for that very reason.

Hahnemann

Zubar
Craddock
Berra
Ward

Foley
Mancienne
Henry
Jarvis

Milijas/Iwelumo
Doyle

If we get that all important first goal, we could get a win. I'm happy with a 0-0 draw.

If you are going, roar on the boys. Come on you Wolves!

Shocking

The performance was shocking, the result was shocking, Danny Butterfield's six minute perfect hat trick was shocking and even more shocking, Karl Henry scored!
From start to finish we didn't perform. Never looked like scoring, and didn't play the football I know we can play. The amount of defender's in our team says it all really. Why are we not scoring very much? We have centre backs playing full back, and full backs playing on the wing. The continuing exclusion of Greg Halford, a more natural right midfield, makes you think something behind the scenes isn't going all too well. Kevin Foley, as usual, was one of our better players. Calm on the ball, hard working and good defensively but it is unfair on Kevin and the right midfielders not playing. Another option at right midfield, who played in the league cup against Swindon, could have been Mendez-Laing. The perfect opportunity, yet Mick sticks with his more defensive eleven.

Give Crystal Palace some credit though, they really took the game to us. The right back who refused to talk to us on deadline day gave us problems with his menacing runs down the right hand flank. Alan Lee won everything and Ambrose showed why he is too good for the Championship. You could see how much it meant to them, and how little it seemed to matter to the Wolves players.

Not to get too down though, as we have much bigger things to focus on (the league and our battle to survive).I keep saying this side bounces back well, and they keep proving me right.

Hennessey - 6

Zubar - 5
Craddock -5
Berra - 5
Stearman - 5

Foley - 6
Henry - 7
Mancienne - 6
Milijas - 5
Mujangi -6

Vokes - 7

I thought Vokes did well, just had no-one to support him. A starting place on Sunday is a possibility.

This performance was strikingly similar to the one against Birmingham, who we play next. But, as I keep saying, this side is especially good at bouncing back and I hope they can continue to prove me right.

Crystal Palace v Wolves Preview

Back to the FA Cup. We were just five minutes away from being one of the shocks of the round, but Zubar's sublime overhead saved us from any embarassment.

Despite Palace's recent troubles off the field, they are in great form. They won again last Saturday and with the home crowd behind them, we could be in for a tough match. Minus Victor Moses though, we will see what they are like.

Bearing Sunday in mind, Mick will certainly make a lot of changes. It wouldn't surprise me if Mick made eleven changes but I think there won't be that many. Jarvis and Doyle are definitely not playing I hear, and why not rest Craddock, Ward and Berra. Give some others a chance to make sure they are match fit and some to prove themselves. Hennessey, like in the other cup games, should start and Vokes looks set for a starting role.

I think a big decision will be on Ebanks-Blake. He likes this ground, especially as he put us back on course here to win the league. His penalty decided it in the seventy fourth minute. I hope he starts, and more importantly that he get's a couple of goals.

I reckon:

Hennessey

Foley
Mancienne
Zubar
Elokobi

Mujangi Bia
Milijas
Jones
Surman

Ebanks-Blake
Vokes

We should beat them, but that's what I thought last time. One nil to the Wolves, a ninetieth minute Vokes goal.

Not good enough

If at the end of the season we look back and say, 'why did we go down?' we will all know the answer. Dropped points against the likes of Hull, Portsmouth, Wigan and Balckburn will cost us.

Our peformance wasn't terrible, but we didn't do enough to deserve all three points. Again, Jarvis and Doyle were left to try and get us something from the game which we can't afford to rely on. Even if we do not make any signings in the next half hour or so, Kightly, Edwards and Keogh will be like new signings to us.

Luckily, Hull were just as bad as we were. They defended all over the place, a shambles at the back and that is why we were able to score two, when we hadn't scored for quite a while (in the league).

Out on the right wing, despite his best efforts, Kevin Foley is not comfortable. He set up the second equalizer but I would much prefer him back at right back. I think Mick will do this against Birmingham because of Zubar giving away that stupid penalty. It was stupid what he did but penalty? I'm not so sure. As soon as Altidore felt him he went down like he had been shot. Of course, it was Hunt that had to take it and score.

The only positive thing in that game was the brilliant free kick at the end. When I saw Henry's signal, I knew what it meant after I saw it against Southampton last season. We did everything right, but Myhill made a great save form Mujangi Bia.

Also, why can't Milijas play more than an hour a week? He is an international footballer, if he doesn't play at Birmingham I will be furious, will he play v Palace, and would that hint at him not playing. He has done nothing wrong.

How many changes will Mick make for the Palace game, I wouldn't be surprised with eleven. It is not something to worry about, we just need to focus on sunday.

Hahnemann - 7

Zubar - 7
Berra - 6
Craddock - 6
Ward - 7

Foley - 7
Jones - 7
Mancienne - 7
Henry - 7
Jarvis - 8

Doyle - 8

He saved the day, so Jarvis gets my MOTM. He gave McShane a torrid time, he will be having nightmares about it.