[Archived] Wolves Preview 04/11/10

[OhmiBRFC]

After Saturday’s disastrous result this weekend’s game takes on higher importance. Don’t want to talk about it too much though it is still frustrating losing in that manner. The players need to pick themselves up and bounce back with three points. A win will give us 21 points and should see us climb in to the top half of the table. If at the end of the season we are in the top ten – I will be happy.

December is a month where we should achieve 12 points. With a fixture list which reads of:

Sat 4 15:00 H Wolves

Sun 12 13:30 A Bolton

Sat 18 15:00 H West Ham Utd

Sun 26 15:00 H Stoke City

Tue 28 15:00 A WBA

I would hope that we get a minimum of twelve points. All the home games are winnable. Bolton and WBA are both tricky matches – but Sam has never been beaten when going back to a team he has managed. Hopefully this run will continue.

Our first win of the season came against Wolves last year and they are a team I really expect us to win, anything less than three points will be a disappointment. The away match also yielded a good point and humorous when the Wolves fans thought they had stayed up and did a pitch invasion. Must be something in the water down there as Midlands teams always seem to invade the pitch. Although Wolves staged a gutsy 3-2 fight back at the weekend, they are still second bottom and without a win away from home and have lost four of their previous five games. Ewood was a fortress last season and these are the sort of games we won comfortably.

We will have key players back in contention with MGP and Givet being available for selection. MGP has been in an amazing run of form recently and we will need him at the weekend if we have any chance. Chimbonda has shown himself to be a liability on several occasions this season and we will be a better side with Givet at full back.

I wanted to do this over the weekend. But I just couldn’t face it after the result on Saturday. I don’t usually predict scores and won’t be changing that. Nothing but a win is good enough though. A good result on Saturday should carry us through nicely in December.

[philipl]

Wolves have the worst away record in the PL so we know what will happen....

[jim mk2]

According to the thread title the match took place on November 4. Did we win ?

[OhmiBRFC]

Whoops!

[ABBEY]

Wolves have the worst away record in the PL so we know what will happen....

my broncos lost last night to a team thats won 5 games in 2 seasons and who have not won on the road for two years

prediction 0-2 !!!- head

heart- resounding attacking on the floor football 8-0

[Paul]

12 points in December would be a fantastic return. Personally I'd be delighted with what I think is a more realistic 10 - three home wins and scrape a point away at The Reebok or The Hawthornes.

After the Utd defeat I see Wolves as a crucial game. Losing at OT was always the most likely result, the manner of the defeat was the shock. Failing to bounce back with a win over Wolves will ring alarm bells as this is a match we should win. Lose this and then at Bolton and I feel we will be right down in the relegation battle.

A Rovers win would go a long way towards making us look a good bet for safety.

[philipl]

I am not looking beyond this one which is firmly in the must not lose category. Lose and the bottom is racing up to meet us.

[K-Hod]

I know Chimbonda has shown himself to be a liability, but to be fair so has Givet!

Even though he is a resoundingly better defender!

I fully expect a home win in this one, I thought Wolves were one of the poorest teams I saw us play at home last year!

[TimmyJimmy]

Must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must win!!! Zero excuses. Nothing less than 3 points. If we lose or draw this Sam will be out the door before the transfer window.

[tony gale's mic]

Must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must win!!! Zero excuses. Nothing less than 3 points. If we lose or draw this Sam will be out the door before the transfer window.

Christ. We go from the back of 3 wins in 4, including victory at St James' which Chelsea failed to do and victory at home to Villa, a decent league position... straight to talk of Sam being a game away from the sack on the back of one (very poor) result.

I love some of our fans.

[m1st]

The crucial thing on Saturday is how the team and the management respond to last Saturday. Hopefully, they can't but be aware of the depth of feeling that scoreline induced in us.

The words, "must" and "win" [with a hyphen between] are crucial; but the omens are mixed on the way in which Premier League teams respond to maulings like we suffered on Saturday.

When Ipswich Town lost 9-0 at Old Trafford in 1994/95 season, they also lost their next game, away to Spurs, by 3-0.

Similarly in the 1998/99 season after Nottingham Forest lost 1-8 at home to the club which beat us last Saturday, they lost their next match, away to West Ham United. The other fact which links those two clubs was that at the time of their heavy defeats, each was in the relegation zone.

However, when Wigan Athletic lost 9-1 to Spurs last season, they responded by winning 1-0 at home to Sunderland the following Saturday. And they weren't in the relegation zone. Which is, of course, where Wolves are at present.

So, hopefully not clutching at too many straws, I hope for a repetition of that wonderful first match of the 2003/04 season when we beat Wolves 5-1 and Brett Emerton had a wonderful game. 5-1 again would be wonderful; but I'd settle for having scored one more than Wolves when the final whistle's blown.

[Amo]

It's not a "must win" game, especially with a series of winnable games coming up. However, after the absolute mauling and humiliation at OT, we want a big response from the manager and the players. I hope we get out of the traps early and give the players a shot of confidence for the rest of the match. My only fear is that after such a defensive horror-show, Sam will tighten the reins even more and insist on winning ugly at all costs. Let's try and win with at least a degree of style.

[Jackson]

Christ. We go from the back of 3 wins in 4, including victory at St James' which Chelsea failed to do and victory at home to Villa, a decent league position... straight to talk of Sam being a game away from the sack on the back of one (very poor) result.

I love some of our fans.

I think he's alluding to what will happen given the new owners, and I think he's right.

[tony gale's mic]

I think he's alluding to what will happen given the new owners, and I think he's right.

Sadly it's what a lot of our fans want to see happen too.

I think unless we have a terrible December the owners will give him until the summer at least. He deserves the chance - he's done a very good job with us.

[Steve Moss]

I think he's alluding to what will happen given the new owners, and I think he's right.

And I think your right. Everything to date indicates that the new owners see Rovers as an adverting platform. That means the new owners want fans and others to get exciting about watching the Rovers. They need eyes on our matches. It doesn't mean play like Arsenal or Barcelona, but it does mean giving viewers above and beyond the existing fan base a reason to watch.

If Sam can pull off a series of good results this December, and then transition the team into fighting against the Big Boys so the match becomes a contest as opposed to a one sided whiping, then I think the new owners will be content and he should get a new contract. If he doesn't, then I think that they'll be looking for a new manager come summer. This worries me as in Sam's hands were safe, if not the most exciting match on the screen.

So let's get off to a good start and smash the Wolves this weekend.

[LeChuck]

Must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must win!!! Zero excuses. Nothing less than 3 points. If we lose or draw this Sam will be out the door before the transfer window.

Three wins out of five and that's how you respond? You look a tad ridiculous now.

[patrickvalery]

Three wins out of five and that's how you respond? You look a tad ridiculous now.

To be fair Le Chuck, i think it was more of a prediction than a wish. He/she usually talks sense so i'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. The new owners have hardly offered resounding support to Sam. He has done a sterling job, but i do suspect he might be on borrowed time.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Rovers will need to bounce back from what was a disgraceful performance against United with a convincing and comfortable win. Let's be honest though there is not enough creativity and goals in this side to really produce that sort of performance.

I think we will sneak a 1-0 win from a set piece.

[chocky]

I know Chimbonda has shown himself to be a liability, but to be fair so has Givet!

Even though he is a resoundingly better defender!

I fully expect a home win in this one, I thought Wolves were one of the poorest teams I saw us play at home last year!

At least he's on his way out thank God..

[TimmyJimmy]

Three wins out of five and that's how you respond? You look a tad ridiculous now.

Bit harsh LC.

Christ. We go from the back of 3 wins in 4, including victory at St James' which Chelsea failed to do and victory at home to Villa, a decent league position... straight to talk of Sam being a game away from the sack on the back of one (very poor) result.

I love some of our fans.

TGM it's not a comment simply about the game and the three points it's the fact we are playing Wolves at home. If we cannot win this match then the the deep do-do awaits us IMO.

I think he's alluding to what will happen given the new owners, and I think he's right.

Correct Jackson, thanks, that's precisely what I was meaning. Everyone on here has been speculating on the Chair's comments and what it means for Sam. Losing 7:1 and then losing at home to 'fellow' potential relegation candidates would put massive pressure on Sam's position. If Venky's decided it was time to look for a replacement would they then let Sam spend on his players in the transfer window thereby saddling any new manager with someone else's player selection? I think not. Given the transfer window is weeks away it would mean Sam, if he was going, would be going sooner rather than later!

LC/TGM, I'm a Sam supporter and if you read my posts you will know this, also that I am not one for knee jerk reactions. I'm NOT calling for his head. I'm saying that IMO this is a must win match and that if we don't win I personally don't give much for Sam's chances. I want him to stay with us, certainly for the rest of this season, but I bet Kentaro are discussing the options right now.

Why shoot the messenger, even if you think his opinions are ridiculous.

[tony gale's mic]

Bit harsh LC.

TGM it's not a comment simply about the game and the three points it's the fact we are playing Wolves at home. If we cannot win this match then the the deep do-do awaits us IMO.

Correct Jackson, thanks, that's precisely what I was meaning. Everyone on here has been speculating on the Chair's comments and what it means for Sam. Losing 7:1 and then losing at home to 'fellow' potential relegation candidates would put massive pressure on Sam's position. If Venky's decided it was time to look for a replacement would they then let Sam spend on his players in the transfer window thereby saddling any new manager with someone else's player selection? I think not. Given the transfer window is weeks away it would mean Sam, if he was going, would be going sooner rather than later!

LC/TGM, I'm a Sam supporter and if you read my posts you will know this, also that I am not one for knee jerk reactions. I'm NOT calling for his head. I'm saying that IMO this is a must win match and that if we don't win I personally don't give much for Sam's chances. I want him to stay with us, certainly for the rest of this season, but I bet Kentaro are discussing the options right now.

Why shoot the messenger, even if you think his opinions are ridiculous.

Fair enough. But I'd like to think that they won't base their decisions on Sam based on this one match and look at the bigger picture.

[92er]

I would hope that we get a minimum of twelve points. All the home games are winnable. Bolton and WBA are both tricky matches – but Sam has never been beaten when going back to a team he has managed. Hopefully this run will continue.

Has Allardyce managed WBA?

[Doaksie]

Fair enough. But I'd like to think that they won't base their decisions on Sam based on this one match and look at the bigger picture.

I really fear that our new owners won't and will have itchy trigger fingers if we see a bad December.

I think we may see a typical Big Sam performance against the Wolves. Solid defensively and rely on the ever-improving MGP to rescue us with his set-pieces.

2-0 Rovers

[RibbleValleyRover]

Has Allardyce managed WBA?

Assistant Manager.

[colin]

No worries, I'll wear my lucky shirt.