The Challenge

By Wolves
November 12 2022

So... as Wolves new Manager Julen Lopetegui arrives in Wolverhampton, the team face another huge challenge this evening when they welcome League leaders Arsenal to Molineux

After the joy of beating Leeds United in the Carabao Cup it's back to the reality of this season's Premier League competition today, and Wolves once again seek to overcome the odds and get some more points on the board, against a team enjoying their best season so far for many years, having topped the League from the off.

Today will be the last game in charge for Steve Davis and James Collins, who have achieved one win, one draw and four defeats in the league plus the midweek Cup win over Leeds. Julen Lopetegui will take charge of his first game for the next round of the Carabao Cup at home to Gillingham in December, before going to Everton for the next Premiership game on Boxing Day.

Wolves did not have a good time against Arsenal last season, losing at home to a solitary Gabriel goal, then surrendering a lead to lose 2-1 at the Emirates, unlike the previous season when Joao Moutinho's Goal of the Season was the winner for Wolves at Molineux - although Arsenal were down to nine men for the last 20 minutes!!! 

Wolves will be hoping Matheus Nunes will be fit to return to first team action this evening, although Boubacar Traore must also be in the reckoning for a start after his cameo performance on Wednesday. Jonny went off injured with hamstring issues against Leeds and must be considered a doubt. He was replaced by 19 year old Dexter Lembikisa who did well, and must be in consideration considering the poor recent perfomrances seen from the alternative - Nelson Semedo. Rayan Ait-Nouri also put in a strong showing against Leeds, so it will be interesting to see whether he or Hugo Bueno start today.

Infuriatingly for those of us who already have prior engagements, and most unusually for a Saturday, today's game does not kick off until 7:45pm, but it will be screened live by Sky Sports. Our referee will be Stuart Attwell with the now retired Mike Dean on VAR duty.

Our good friend Ivybridge Wolf is fortunate enough to have seat for tonight's game at the Mol, whilst Cheshire Wolf is also fortunate enough to be watching Leo Sayer on the final night of his UK tour at the Liverpool Philharmonic Theatre, so neither will be able to offer any commentary on this game. However board members as always are encouraged to post their own observations and create a conversation on the progress of the game.

Match Thread: Wolves vs Arsenal

Discussion started by Wolves , 12/11/2022 11:26

Wolves
12/11/2022 11:26

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:12:02:11:22:17 by Cheshire wolf.

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Cheshire wolf
12/11/2022 14:42

Brentford have just turned Man City over at the Etihad which will certainly encourage Arsenal in the knowledge they can open a 5 point gap at the top this evening. Wolves now need to do what Brentford have done and show what they are capable of!!

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Cheshire wolf
12/11/2022 16:58

Notts Forest have just beaten Palace 1-0 (after Zaha missed a penalty) so that puts us bottom of the pile. So if our lads actually needed any more incentive there it is.
A win would put us back above them and Saints on goal difference!!

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Lupy
12/11/2022 17:02

I think that tonights match will serve to demonstrate just what a task Lopetegui has taken on. I'm sure that there will be lots of effort but there is a tremendous gap in terms of organisation and winning mentality. Would be a fantastic result if we are able to wring something out of the match but it's a tall order. Nonetheless Cmon lads.

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Ivybridge Wolf
12/11/2022 18:05

Looking forward to tonight but expecting little. Nevertheless with Forest winning we need summat tonight even if it’s just a point! Like many I’m worried that with each weekend we become further adrift from 17th spot.

I’m currently enjoying a pre match pint and a cheese and onion cob in the Combermere in Chapel Ash, my regular haunt on match days. If you’ve not been here, it has a great big tree in the men urinal!! 😂 Great beer though.

All the best, fingers firmly crossed 🤞 for the match tonight, surely the Arsenal juggernaut will lapse at some point? Why not tonight ……. Like Man City this afternoon!

UTW

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Cheshire wolf
12/11/2022 18:59

A return to a three man defence for this game - very brave considering. Line-up: Sa, Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Toti, Bueno, Boubacar, Neves, Moutinho, Adama & Gudes.
Nunes on the bench



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:11:12:19:00:40 by Cheshire wolf.

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essington wolf
12/11/2022 21:58

The team worked hard and gave 100% but it's the same old story we are absolutely toothless up front, we are heading for the trap door if the new manager can't get us scoring come January.
Could of been a different game maybe as we should of had a stonewall penalty in the first half with guedes.
Always said attwell and dean are the worst officials in the premier league, think they both hate wolves.
After dean retired God knows why they let him go in the var room.
Julen got a big job keeping this team up, he's got to find a couple of strikers who can find the net to give us a chance. Good luck to him he's going to need it.

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Ivybridge Wolf
13/11/2022 10:02

Pretty much ended as expected. A spirited Wolves performance where we worked hard especially in the first half but created little. It was another one of those matches. Yet another one.

Second half I felt we fell flat and at times I was infuriated with the lack of movement and sometimes apparent effort (in particular Guedes with his body language) up front.

Some positives from certain players, Bueno had another good game, but never enough against superior opposition, who whilst not at their best had the clear quality we lacked.

Haven’t yet seen the highlights but the goals looked somewhat chaotic from a Wolves perspective and the lad Dexter was caught out badly in the lead up to the second. In the same way, I’m not able to comment on the penalty shout , nobody really went mad around us at the time, but received a screenshot of the incident at half time and obviously reading above and the Davis comments, clearly something could have been there for us. Having said that, ultimately we weren’t good enough, yesterday or the previous 14 matches. The trend is well and truly there and with regret, the table is not lieing.

Lopetegui received a fine reception pre match, good to see. I wonder what he thought of our performance? My god, he’s got his work cut out. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope he’s told Jeff who he wants in January.

UTW

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An angry wolf
13/11/2022 14:28

I had the match on the radio but have to admit, Ive lost a huge amount of interest in it all. Even if we stay up, so what? The aim next season will be presumably a mid table finish and a run in a devalued domestic cup. It's like groundhog day each season and incredibly boring. Its basically like the same film repeated ad infinitum with a slightly different cast and a similar mundane plot of nothingness. Even if Lop works wonders as manager, in 18 months he will be poached by a bigger club and we will be back to another transition period looking for survival.

In the current footballing setup, we have probably reached our full potential as a football club and whilst we occasionally replace the furniture in the house ( managers/ players) we wont ever be competing with the bigger clubs (mansions). I'm not really sure what the long term aims are...presumably just staying in the prem year after year never winning anything is " the plan". No blame attached to fosun, but it doesnt set the pulses racing does it.

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Lupy
14/11/2022 05:42

Like a lot of things in life it is about the hope and the challenge.

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An angry wolf
14/11/2022 15:57

I suppose it is subjective lupine. I had to stay in Gateshead 1 night at this run down " hotel" and met a couple who spent their main holiday there. To them it was exciting and challenged their low bar of what constituted a holiday..on the other end of the scale there are people who travel round the world staying in exotic locations never happy. Routine bores me and the goal of mid table finishes every season is the same monotony of the Gateshead hotel. A pointless objective of stagnation and repetition. It wouldnt be too bad if there was something else going on like stadium expansion, but no word on that.

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