City ground screamer

By Ivybridge Wolf
January 6 2025

As the Christmas and New Year celebrations close, Wolves start 2025 with this premier league home fixture versus high flying Nottingham Forest. Vitor Pereira leads his team for the second time at Molineux having taken 7 points in his first three matches and looking to extend his unbeaten run as Forest search for their 6th league win in a row to leave them on equal points with Arsenal and 3rd on goal difference. It’s the first time they have been in the top four at the turn of the year since Cloughie was in charge! A win for Wolves would pull us up above Everton in the fight to avoid relegation and further distance from Ipswich who drew 2-2 yesterday (thanks to Raul Jimenez for that!). Stark contrasts, the opposition having made remarkable progress under the stewardship of Dr Nuno. Nevertheless a Wolves win would return more points under Pereira in four matches than GON managed until his departure.

Confidence will be high in both camps and should lead to a fascinating contest likely to be hard fought despite the margin in league positions. Forest last defeat was a 3-0 away to Manchester City, however since then they have gained home wins v Villa and Spurs and aways wins at Everton, Brentford and Manchester United. Wolves appear to be getting back on the rails after the Ipswich debacle, with wins versus Leicester City and Manchester United and a creditable draw at Spurs. During this period, Wolves have shown greater team organisation and improved defending, though still susceptible to set pieces and the odd bit of chaos. The Spurs game demonstrated that point well and with Forest, Wolves will have to deal with Chris Woods, a player who loves playing and scoring against us, as indeed he did in our 1-1 draw at the City Ground in late August.

Following FA punishment, this will be the first of a two match ban for Matheus Cunha and he will be sorely missed. Pereira passed comment on the situation ahead, however would not condemn Cunha, instead focusing on learning lesson and the team being able to effectively operate both with him and without him. This key message got its first examination in the second half at the Spurs ground last week with some success. Everything crossed for this game now.

What side will Pereira pick? He has indicated that Lemina still has a knock and said he has a role in the team, despite not featuring of late saying "He is our player in this moment - it means he is in my plans at this time." Interestingly he also said, when asked about The Doc and his role "I want to play with three defenders, not three centre backs. My defenders, I hope in time, have the freedom to attack the lines, attack the opposing players [and] to open space for other players”. It means sometimes I need him open as a full back [and] other times closing as a centre back.". In terms of defence, there are strong rumours that Wolves are about to sign 27 year old centre back Emmanuel Agbadou from Reims.

Wolves have a good record versus Forest and in the premier league we are unbeaten in the last five, however that includes four draws. You may remember the wonderful long range effort from Bellegarde at the City Ground this season in another draw. Happily, for the time being at least, Wolves are no longer top goal conceders as Leicester and Southampton have risen to 44. We’re on 42, so another clean sheet would be most welcome for any number of reasons! In another quirky fact, Wolves are only the second team to score at least 30 goals and concede at least 40 at the halfway stage of a 38-game Premier League season since Sheffield Wednesday in 1997-98. The postscript is that the Owls were NOT relegated that season.

The match is on Sky with a 8pm kick off, and I’ll be viewing with the Ivybridge Wolves crowd. It will be good to see Nuno back again, I’m sure the crowd will pay him great respect, though perhaps a little less for MGW! I wish Nuno continued success at Forest, though will be willing our boys and new manager to put one across him this time around. Confidence breeds confidence and even without Cunha there is renewed hope that the recent standard of football can be maintained …… just sort out the corners and keep Woods on a tight leash.

Let’s hope it’s a great match with the right performance and importantly the right result, it’s sure to be a difficult game and will still desperately need the points. Please leave your comments in the thread below. All the best.

UTW!

PS as with no Premier League matches on New Years Day, why hasn’t this weekend been dedicated to the FA Cup 3^rd round as it would in previous seasons?

Match Thread: Wolves v Nottingham Forest KO 8pm 6.1.2025

Discussion started by Wolves , 06/01/2025 12:11

Wolves
06/01/2025 12:11

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:23:20:13:20 by Ivybridge Wolf.

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Lupy
06/01/2025 18:28

Should be a good match under the lights, in front of a full house. Both teams have a certain momentum so I expect some goals and a whole hearted approach from both squads. I'm sure Nuno will get the reception he deserves but not so much love will be shown towards MGW, expect boos at every touch.
A real test tonight so cmon lads, big hearts and plenty of effort required and we are capable of getting something out of this.

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Ivybridge Wolf
06/01/2025 19:07

Changes abound and a debut in the starting line up for Lima! Also Larsen, Doyle and R Gomez back in the starting line up XI. No Dawson at all, nor Andre. Very interesting 🤨

Good luck lads!

Wolves XI: Sa, Lima, Bueno, Doherty, Ait-Nouri, R Gomes, J Gomes, Doyle, Guedes, Larsen, Hwang

Subs: Lemina, Sarabia, Forbs, Bellegarde, Meupiyou, Cundle, Pond, Okoduwa, Johnstone

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood
Subs: Miguel, Morato, Awoniyi, Ward-Prowse, Moreno, Jota, Yates, Sosa, Boly

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essington wolf
06/01/2025 21:55

To many changes to the team tonight.
Huffed and puffed most of the game and got no where against a decent forest team.
Forest 3 shots on target and score 3 goals, tells you everything about our pathetic backline.
We don't sort this defence out quickly we will go down.
Next few games look daunting to say the least.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:06:21:56:23 by essington wolf.

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Andy Pandy
06/01/2025 22:16

Absolute rubbish tonight. I was happy to see the back of Gary O'Neil but if we had performed like that under him he would have been slagged off left right and centre. We all know it. Three good results before tonight but let's get it right, two were against pi55 poor sides (Leicester and Manchester) and one against Spurs who were bang out of form. As soon as we come up against a decent side who are in form look what happens. Apart from a shot by Strand Larsen in the second half that the 'keeper saved we never looked like scoring and Forest should have had a penalty in the first half for hand ball by Ait-Nouri. Blatent. Gibbs-White is an obnoxious individual who I hate but I wish he still played for Wolves. Lima may go on to be an excellent player but on this showing he clearly isn't ready. Hopefully better against Newcastle next.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:06:22:20:39 by Andy Pandy.

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Ivybridge Wolf
06/01/2025 22:30

We should have scored two or three in the first half with the chances created, particularly Larsen but we didn’t. Not a bad first 45 but poor defending in an (in my view) experimental back line up was the difference. Pereira knows what he wants but that line up failed tonight, having said that overall 7 points from his first 4 matches isn’t too bad ….. just so frustrating that when we had a great opportunity to put distance between us and those below we blew it - typical Wolves.

Second half Nuno and his team just snuffed us out, organised and compact and reminded me of Wolves about 5-6 years ago. To be honest we weren’t great in that second 45, no real ideas and as said above huffed and puffed without much effect. We missed Cunha.

After the cup on Saturday, it’s Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal next up this month ….. it’s not going to get any easier and tonight represents a big missed chance. So disappointing.

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Ivybridge Wolf
06/01/2025 22:37

Regards MGW, I think the crowd need to stop giving him the bird, it seems to bring out the best in him. Also Chris Wood ….. another game v Wolves, another goal. Awful!

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