Prediction League: Chance to win a signed Wolves football!

Yes, it's finally back. After a winter break the prediction league is up and running again.

It was an ultimate low scoring weekend due to the snow effecting all but three of the Premier League fixtures, so the top scorer this weekend was Merlin with a whopping fifteen points.

Here is the league table:

  

And here are the fixtures:

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

Good luck!

FA Cup Preview: Doncaster v Wolves

Our cup adventure begins here!

We travel to the Keepmoat stadium confident, and with a relatively strong team supposedly lining up. Matt Doherty will be making his debut and this is a huge opportunity for the young defender. He's not one of the more talked about youngsters on our books but he was signed in the summer from Bohemians and is clearly rated by Mick.

Doherty (left) will make his senior debut tomorrow

As expected, Marcus Hahnemann will start in goal. He will try to seize his chance and give Mick some headaches, as will David Jones. In a full strength side, I wouldn't expect Jones to play much of a part but he's forced his way in before and he can do it again. He starts alongside Milijas in what is a very attacking midfield. Jarvis and Edwards start on the wings. Why Jarvis is playing I do not know, what's the point of Geoffrey Mujangi Bia if he's not going to get a chance at all? He's a young winger who needs games and he's not getting them.

Doncaster are a side that all neutrals like. Good to watch, under a good manager and working their way up. In Billy Sharp they have a clinical striker, who we were linked with many times, give him half a chance and we are in trouble.

Our team:

Hahnemann

Doherty
Stearman
Berra
Elokobi

Edwards
Jones
Milijas
Jarvis

Doyle
Fletcher

It looks like we are really going to go for it, most likely because Mick isn't entirely bothered about the cup at this stage. However, a Doyle and Fletcher partnership up front with Jarvis out wide cause the best teams in the country problems and perhaps we might get a few goals in this one. 3-1 Wolves.

That's your Lotti: Wolves 1 Chelsea 0

It was just one of those games that we seemed destined to win against Carlo Ancelotti and his struggling champions. Misplaced passes, wild shots and plenty of vented frustration were telling signs from the beginning.

However, it could have been a completely different story had Wayne Hennessey not produced a stunning save with his foot. Solomon Kalou's slow, trickling shot looked to be going in until Hennessey stuck out his right foot and Richard Stearman followed up with a clearance. The return of the Hennessey is proving to be a good choice by McCarthy, with the young Welshman keeping his third clean sheet in seven games.

Moving slightly forward, I thought the defence were outstanding. Ronald Zubar's first half performance was the perfect antidote for an own goal and disappointing performance at West Ham. Solid defensively, and exciting when attacking. Who knew he possessed that power in his left foot, with the shot that forced the corner which we scored from? Richard Stearman and Christophe Berra shackled Didier Drogba all night, with the Ivorian only once going close when he hit the post. The pair are forging some partnership.

The stand out defender and man of the match for me though was George Elokobi. After the West Ham, I was certain that we needed to invest in a left back but now I'm not so sure. Never did Big George look amatuerish, it was a cool and assured performance. If he can maintain some kind of consistency, then we won't be needing to replace him.

There were mixed performances in the midfield. Matty Jarvis had a quiet game, only bursting forward on a few occasions with decent effect but he did a good job supporting Ronald Zubar and stopping Ashley Cole. In the middle, I was surprised to see Dave Edwards paired with Kevin Foley. It seemed a little weak. Neither kept the ball well, Foley especially and they were carved open a couple of times but you can't ever fault them for effort and they did their off the ball jobs efficiently. Stephen Hunt was well, Stephen Hunt. Is their a more annoying little footballer? He gets soft freekicks, pulls shirts and withholds the ball from the team when it's theirs but he is ours. This was his best performance in a Wolves shirt, full of industry and quality on the ball. He's a valuable player, and he's going to get better and better.

We finally got to see what a Doyle-Fletcher partnership might be like, and it was promising. Neither looked competely fit, the work was there to see and we did see some good bits of link up play. We will surely get to see more of them together now.

Hennessey - 8

Zubar - 8
Stearman - 7
Berra - 7
Elokobi - 8

Jarvis - 7
Foley - 7
Edwards - 7
Hunt - 8

Fletcher - 7
Doyle - 7

Although it wasn't a great game, there were some memorable moments I will remember for a while to time.

• After John Terry picked up the ball and it put it down for Hennessey at a goal kick, Wayne just picked it up and took it over to the other side. 

• Ashley Cole trying the Gary Neville trick of stealing ten or more yards at a throw in. He failed and we were given a throw in right near their end. It also wasted at least a minute. 

•  Free kick in the final seconds to Chelsea. Up steps none other than freekick master Dider Drogba. Shoots weakly into the bottom of the wall.

When we have and stick to a game plan, we are always in a game. Even against the top sides, who we face next after the cup this weekend. Rest the lot I say!

McCarthy and Wolves show heart in relegation battle

Here is an article sent to me by Thomas, if you'd like to get involved feel free to use the contact me page.

It would have been a lonely Christmas for Wolves manager Mick McCarthy. After seeing his team commit, as he described it, “football suicide” in the 2-0 defeat at West ham, the manager could be forgiven for feeling a tad down.

A look at the league is unlikely to help the disposition of even the most committed fan wearing their Wolves football shirts either – eighteen points from twenty games, a hugely negative goal difference and recent losses against relegation rivals West Ham and Wigan does not indicate a successful season for the Midland’s club.

Time for Mick to fall on his sword and sacrifice himself for the good of the club? Those who have even the faintest indication of the hardened northerner know he is made of sterner stuff. This is the man who Wolves fan’s still feel is the right person to be in charge.

Despite what has gone already this season, Wolves do not see themselves as relegation strugglers, more a team struggling to find its feet while suffering with the dreaded “second season” syndrome.

Last year they were a revelation – roughing up clubs with an aggressive style while the guile and craft of Kevin Doyle provided a sharp edge to the blunt object used to bludgeon opponents to death.

Fast forward to this season and Doyle is missing and is one of an ever increasing injury list which continues to harm Wolves’ progress. McCarthy is right to bemoan his luck this season; his side’s performances have been far better than their results and luck has been against them for the most part of the season.

But amongst the gloom came a ray of light; a helping hand which looks to have lifted Wolves for the remainder of the season. On a wintry night McCarthy and Wolves shocked struggling giants Liverpool to pick up a precious away win.

While Liverpool are clearly struggling the magnitude of the victory must not be underestimated. At a time where rivals around them were picking up points around them Wolves came good with a performance which more than merited the 1-0 score line. It was reminiscent of the Wolves of old.

Pressuring their opponents on the ball and effective direct passing rendered Liverpool’s game plan obsolete as they took the much needed points - Stephen Ward’s goal offered some hope of salvation.

With a crucial game coming up against Chelsea tonight, Wolves must now use this win as a springboard to achieve much greater things and be only the second club to avoid the drop having been bottom at Christmas.

Wolves fans are right to think they have the right man for the job. McCarthy is oblivious to pressure and will fight as hard as anyone to protect the side he has built. Such is the nature of the bottom of the league this season that a win over the Blues could see them move out of the relegation zone. All is not lost for Mick McCarthy and Wolves, all is to play for.

Half time report

Just over half of the season has gone now, and I want to know your views on how we have done and what you think we need to do.

I took part in the half time report for the observer on Boxing day, I had been meaning to put it up before but I haven't had the time. Here is my piece:

How has the season gone so far? It's been a weird one. We started quite well but a run of poor results and horrible fixtures has kept us in the bottom three for most of the season. But this is the best football we've played in a while.

Seems a bit more unlikely now

Stars/flops? It's a joke that Matthew Jarvis hasn't made it into the England squad. Kevin Foley has been consistent, Nenad Milijas has a bit of class and, despite limited appearances, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake has done well too. As for flops: Jelle Van Damme lasted only six games and Steven Fletcher has found it hard to get into the side.

Happy with the gaffer? Yes, he's doing a good job and he's doing it the right way.

Who should he sign? Joleon Lescott. It sounds unlikely but he hinted at a return not long ago and hasn't been playing. We could also do with a box-to-box central midfielder.

click here to see the whole thing

Agree or disagree, copy out the questions and fill in your own answers!

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I was also in the observer yesterday for 'the verdict', here is what I said:

LOUIE SILVANI, MyWolvesblog.com Their first goal was really unlucky but if we don't take our chances that's what happens. Before both goals we had strong spells but didn't take advantage. Green really was important in keeping them in it before they scored with some good saves, and Scott Parker's doing a lot to help them too. Overall, though, they didn't look a better team than us despite the score. Foley and Milijas really ran the game for us - very strong. Fletcher looked good too and I think he'll earn a start on Wednesday. We've got to sort out our defence, but with our best striker, Doyle, and Karl Henry coming back we'll look better.