HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Molineux by delving into their forums.

“Thank God this season is nearly over. This has to be one of the worst Wolves sides I can remember, just terrible”, “There is such a lack of quality”, “We know that the season has been over for months”, “It has become clear that we are a solid mid-table team”, “It is what it is, a season of transition.”

“Let’s just call it a work in progress.” Wolves went into the international break unbeaten in three games, drawing at Burnley and at home to Birmingham and beating Bristol City at Molineux. Fans are unhappy at their failure to push on in this campaign after just missing out on last season’s play-offs.

“We all know we aren’t particularly good at the moment”, “A team of steady Eddies with no match-winners or spark.” The West Midlanders are 14 points off a top-six place. With little riding on the campaign’s remaining games, fans would like to see more flair than the side have recently displayed.

“If nothing changes this team will produce predictably dull football and another mid-second division finish next season. We are way off producing a top-two team”, “We are playing survival percentage football that has kept us up this season but there is no future playing like this if we want promotion.”

Kenny Jackett

“A team is like its manager”, “Jackett’s negative, boring, dull and unimaginative tactics are soul destroying. In every game it is the same with the team set up not to lose”, “I cannot believe Kenny’s style of football for most of this season. For me it has echoes of Mick McCarthy’s at its worst.”

“One side of me knows that Kenny has got us to the fringes of the play-offs with things going against him this season. The flip side sees a coach who doesn’t know how to solve problems, fails to utilise his players wisely or correctly and seems so limited he can’t see what is staring him in the face.”

“Kenny fails to react when things go against us. He is late with his substitutions and has a lack of real intent to win games”, “One of my biggest issues with him is that he seems too rigid, almost fixated on a certain style. Even when it is blatantly clear it isn’t working he can’t or won’t change things.”

“Even when we have nothing to play for, he still has the handbrake firmly on.” The former Millwall boss has been hampered by injuries and the departure of key players this season. Fans have criticised his tactical inflexibility but they have been most frustrated with his brand of over-cautious football.

“The season is dead now so grow a pair Kenny and try to win some games”, “We have nothing to lose but he is still overly worried about losing”, “We are safe so at least try to have a go”, “The mentality under this manager is beyond depressing”, “it will be just as turgid next season.”

Playing the Kids

“We have an incredibly young side”, “The average age of the outfield players at the end of the Bristol City game was 21.7 years”, “The youngsters will benefit from games like this. We’re going nowhere so it’s vital game time for Kortney Hause, Dominic Iorfa, George Saville and Sigurdarson.”

“We would probably see a different team is we had all our players fully fit”, “It’s getting to the stage where Wolves have the best part of a whole outfield team injured”, “Injuries right, left and centre just sums up our season”, “I cannot recall a season like it for players dropping like flies.”

Wolves recent injury list has included defenders Mike Williamson and Ethan Ebanks-Landell, midfielders David Edwards and Jed Wallace, widemen Jordan Graham and James Henry as well as striker Nouha Dicko. Jackett has also had to manage with losing striker Benik Afobe to Bournemouth in January.

Formation

“We are quite solid these days but we lack pace and are toothless”, “I get the impression our only tactic is to frustrate opponents for the first half and then come out in the second to try and nick it.” Fans welcome the team’s defensive solidity but feel it has been paid for with a lack of creativity.

“The over-emphasis on shape it taking its toll. There is very little movement so players on the ball don’t have many options. They get used to hitting it long or play a safe ball back”, “What I did notice against Birmingham was that for the first 10 minutes the ball spent about 20 seconds on the floor.”

“Hey ho, no midfield creativity”, “The central midfield is one of the reasons we are so dull. Three defensive midfield players with little attacking creativity”, “We lack anyone from midfield to hold it up and bring other players into attacking positions and our options going forward are so limited.”

Wolves have started out with one striker and three midfielders in each of their last three games. Three different frontmen have been used to lead the line in each game, Michal Zyro against Burnley (above), Bjorn Sigurdarson in the Birmingham derby and Joe Mason against Bristol City.

“Huff and puff with the striker isolated as the rest of the team encamped in our own half”, “It’s one thing playing one man up front. It’s another when balls are repeatedly hoofed up to that one player. What is he supposed to do?”, “We need to play higher up the pitch with speed and intelligence.”

Supporters complained in each game about each striker being starved of service. The system of using three midfielders with nobody acting as a playmaker has severely blunted the team’s cutting edge but fans believe their current midfielders lack the pace to play with just two in the centre.

“We switched to 4-4-2 to grab the equaliser at the end.” Jackett did alter formation (above) as his side went in search of an equaliser at Turf Moor and was rewarded with Danny Batth’s stoppage time equaliser after former Wolves striker Sam Vokes had put the hosts ahead on 68 minutes.”

Burnley 1 — 1 Wolves

“A decent point all things considered, well done Wolves”, “Today was much, much better”, “A great result, I didn’t expect that”, “Perhaps the best performance of the season, certainly for a long time”, “Burnley fans after the game thought we were the better team and that they weren’t at their best.”

“Goal for Danny Batth.” The defender’s late header from a corner kick earned a point which many felt was the least they deserved away to the league-leaders. Sam Vokes’s earlier headed goal came against the run of play. “We were by far the better side in the second half. A pity about their goal.”

“Today shows we can be good when we play on the front foot”, “The defence marshalled most of what Burnley threw at them and never looked fazed. The midfield was solid, hard-working and quite productive for a change”, “Delighted to see we went for it with the formation change at the end.”

Wolves 0 — 0 Birmingham

“I won’t complain about a hard-working draw”, “An interesting match to watch, full of excitement and passion from the players”, “The football wasn’t great from either team, but it was an enjoyable match. We were better in the first half and they were in the second so a draw was a fair result.”

Having had the better of first half exchanges, Wolves struggled when Birmingham upped the tempo after the break with the introduction of the dynamic Jacques Maghoma. Poor finishing from Clayton Donaldson and Jon Toral meant that a typically tight, hard-fought derby ended in a stalemate.

Wolves struggled to convert their early possession into meaningful chances. “We had possession in the first half where the Blues wanted us to have it, before our halfway line. We have no movement or creativity in the last third. We are very one-dimensional but the game is there to be won.”

The mood among fans was far more anxious after the interval. “The midfield three of Price, Coady and Saville are too deep and add nothing to our attacking play”, “City should be clear, we dropped right off late in the game”, “The number of times we were carved open on the flanks was shocking.”

Wolves 2 — 1 Bristol City

“Awful, an absolute shambles and don’t anyone try and dress that rubbish up”, “A win is a win but that was a rank poor performance against a wretched City side”, “Two very average sides battling it out for 95 minutes of pretty dull and uninspiring football. Slow and tedious just about sums it up.”

Nathan Byrne opened the scoring for the hosts on 47 minutes bundling the ball home before Robins’ centre-back-cum-marksman Aden Flint levelled from Joe Bryan’s freekick on 77 minutes. Matt Doherty won the game for the hosts when he headed home a Jeremy Helan stoppage-time freekick.

“My word, I cannot describe how bad that first half has been.” Wolves’ half-time comments were scathing. “I have no idea what we are trying to achieve here”, “We sat deep, camped in our own half with little threat”, “A totally shocking first half, the same as usual, no tempo, organisation or plan.”

“Boring”, “A shocking performance and we stole the points in the end”, “It was more of the same backing off, not pressing incredibly slow rubbish we have had most of the season”, “It was a rancid first half, up there with some of the dullest rubbish [former manager] StÃ¥le Solbakken served up.”

Goalkeepers and Defenders

“Carl Ikeme looks far more assured commanding his area”, “Happy with him between the sticks.” The 29-year-old youth product’s command of the box and shot-stopping have been praised. “Ikeme is no Manuel Neuer at the back but there are never any panic stations when he is on the ball.”

“I’m struggling to think of a throw or a kick which kick-started an attack against Brum.” Many blame his inability to start moves quickly on the team’s shape. “When Ikeme does catch a cross or corner, it’s one striker versus three defenders when he looks up. It’s ludicrous to think he could do more.”

The news that Ikeme was considered a doubt for Saturday’s game - although he is now expected to be OK - having picked up a bug last week while on international duty with Nigeria was not well received. “I feel very nervous with [Arsenal loan signing] Emiliano Martinez between the sticks”, “I just hope Martinez isn’t rusty.”

“Dominic Iorfa has looked a better player lately and is definitely keen to produce some barnstorming runs”, “The parts of his game that are weak, delivery and positioning, can be coached. The parts that cannot be coached are where he is immensely strong with his pace, distribution and athleticism.”

“Iorfa didn’t attack the ball and they scored.” The 20-year-old youth product and right-back was blamed for his part in Aden Flint’s equaliser for Bristol City. “I’m not sure about him defensively”, “He can’t head a ball and is spatial awareness is appalling but he covers for this through his pace.”

“Danny Batth does lack a bit of pace and I don’t think he would be in the team if Mike Williamson found form and fitness.” The 25-year-old centre-back and youth product “makes vital blocks and tackles but he spanners a few balls out of play in every game”, “His distribution is largely dreadful.”

“Did anyone teach Batth to trap and ball and pass it?”, “Every time he tries and move the ball with his feet it is either shinned or scuffed. He never gets a clean contact”, “He may not be very good on the ground but he can head a ball all day long”, “It was a superb header to equalise at Burnley.”

“Kortney Hause handled Burnley’s strikers with assurance and composure beyond his years.” The 20-year-old former Wycombe centre-half “has the potential to be a Premier League defender”, “He has put in some mature performances for someone so young”, “It’s encouraging to see him do so well.”

“Hause was superb against Birmingham, really composed on the ball and he dominated Donaldson in the air. The only chink in his armour is his timing. He thinks he has ages on the ball when he hasn’t and other times he rushes when there is no need. That will improve with experience and coaching.”

Matt Doherty

“Doherty has been a revelation at left-back.” The 24-year-old one-time Bohemians youth product “has certainly made the most of moving over from right-back”, “I have always like him and he tries to get forward although he often has to cut back on to his right foot to distribute the ball.”

Fans have praised his recent good form. “I have really enjoyed Doherty’s surging runs into the box. He looks more dangerous on the left”, “He has continued his excellent form, constantly overlapping Helan on the left. Defensively he kept Cotterill in check against Birmingham and defended sensibly.”

“A revelation”, ‘The Doc’ was many fans’ man-of-the-match in the Bristol City win. “Huge credit to him. I rate him genuinely now. He gives his all and has been magnificent in the last few games”, “The only one with skill and determination to drive forward with the ball and make something happen.”

Central Midfielders

“George Saville is supposed to be a box-to-box player.” The 22-year-old former Chelsea youth player “does his defensive work well but isn’t getting on the ball enough”, “He is often half a second late to the ball, spending huge chunks of the game chasing shadows”, “He can prance around ineffectually.”

“Saville demonstrated against Birmingham how shockingly one-footed he is, losing the ball a number of times so he could bring it on to his left-peg. He even seems unable to tackle with his weaker foot”, “He tracked runs and made good tackles but Maghoma had the beating of him when he came on.”

“Please take Kevin McDonald off. I have had enough of him.” The 27-year-old former Blade has not featured in the last two games. “He has been left out because he has been ineffective. Blame it on the lack of quality around him but that doesn’t mean he can stroll through games like he does.”

“McDonald is a quality passer of the ball but had no options and we ended up going backwards and sideways against Bristol City”, “His passing wasn’t direct enough and he wasn’t bringing the right players into the game”, “On his best form he can be a cracking player but it is as if he wants out big time.”

Having been recalled after a successful loan spell at Millwall, former Pompey man Jed Wallace picked up a thigh strain in his first game back for Wolves at Turf Moor and is likely to miss the rest of the season. “I really feel for the lad. He has a superb first touch and was running with such purpose.”

“Conor Coady is up for it”, “He always shows for the ball and seems to be developing into a real box-to-box player. His final decision just needs to be better.” The 23-year-old ex-Terrier “has improved greatly over the last few weeks. He started the season well but then had a terrible patch of form.”

“Coady gets up and down well and contributes in defence and attack, covering a lot of ground. He just needs to work on when to release the ball. At times opportune moments to slide someone in just come and go”, “Great effort if not quality, he needs to work on his ability to read the game.”

Jack Price

“What an utterly fantastic player Jack Price is becoming.” The 23-year-old youth product “is coming into his own and maturing into something very special, even turning into a leader”, “He controlled the tempo and kept the ball moving forward and at pace in Burnley game from his pivot position.”

“Price was excellent at Turf Moor, passing the ball superbly and looking very assured. It’s a shame not to see him higher up the pitch trying to thread crucial passes to our attack. I wonder if he is a little lightweight to enter that fray at the moment”, “He’s calm, assured and rarely loses possession.”

“Get Price on and play it on the deck”, “He is very effective at what he does. He played one superb ball to release Mason near the end of the Burnley game”, “He sees plenty of the ball and recycles it well”, “If we have possession, the opposition don’t. He is our best midfielder with his distribution.”

Wide Midfielders

“Nathan Byrne is energetic and technical but lightweight and too easily brushed off the ball”, “He seems out of his depth. He looked good in the third division but his physique lets him down”, “He looks like a school kid asked to make up the number but his corner led to Batth’s Burnley header.”

The 23-year-old ex-Swindon right winger “is not a world beater but has delivered some excellent balls into the box in this run of games. Byrne will do well for us if the ball is played in front of him so he can get a run with it. Lumping it to him with the full-back right behind him is a problem though.”

Jeremy Helan

“I’m not convinced by Helan. He dithers on the ball and his decision-making is poor. He would make a better left-back if we had another left winger but at least we look more balanced with someone left-footed who stays out wide”, “A classic run fast and hope for the best player with no real craft.”

“Helan is okay as a squad filler but he’s not an out-and-out winger”, “He athleticism and willingness to run with the ball have looked good but his deliveries are average and he can be casual on the ball. He’s an important player because he offers the strength and pace which we don’t have elsewhere.”

The 23-year-old is on loan from Sheffield Wednesday where he often featured in the left-back role. “Bringing Helan in has allowed Doherty to steam forward knowing he has cover whenever he does and Doc has become our best attacking option since this partnership came into being.”

Strikers

“Michal Zyro is something of a threat in that he can win a ball and will have a shot.” The 23-year-old Poland international and former Legia Warsaw right winger “holds the ball up superbly and always looks for the positive option when offloading possession”, “Strong on the ball and hard-working.”

“Zyro is an intelligent player. He seems very aware of all that’s going on around him and he could be a very influential player”, “When he came on against Birmingham, he naturally slotted into a number 10 role, linking play nicely”, “He looks better centrally, winning the ball, linking play and lining it up.”

Bjorn Sigurdarson

“I don’t understand this formation with Sigurdarson. He never looks like scoring and loses the ball every time”, “Nor me. It is bordering on McCarthy-esque bloody-minded stubbornness”, “He offers more physicality than Mason but I’m dumbfounded he is starting against Birmingham.”

“I know Bjorn is not great in the system we play as a target man but he much faster and has a better engine than Zyro.” The 25-year-old ex-Lillestrom frontman “does what he’s asked to do, winning the ball up top and winning it well. Nobody is close enough to feed off him and the flick-ons he makes.”

“The problem with playing him in a 4-5-1 is that he naturally plays as a support striker, making great runs across the length of the pitch, controlling the ball excellently and winning headers but without someone to run on to his hard work he is wasted”, “He gets stick but works tirelessly up front.”

Joe Mason

“Good luck Mason. You might need it if we decide to rain balls down on you while you’re all on your lonesome”, “He is diminutive up against the giant Aden Flint. If we play hoofball against him I shall scream”, “He had no support against Bristol, no surprise there. I bet he wishes he was still in Wales.”

The 24-year-old arrived from Cardiff in January after Benik Afobe’s departure and struggled in a rare start against the Robins, having regularly featured as an impact substitute. “I am bemused by the way he has been used, or rather not been used. Up front we are so incredibly poor without Dicko.”

“Why does Mason only feature as a reserve and very often after we fall behind? We could have won against Burnley with him in the team from the start”, “Once he came on against Birmingham we were more adventurous in attack”, “He could be a great fit for us. I hope he gets played more often.”

Wolves’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“The best manager that's been at Wolves in the last 12 years will win”, “We have yet to beat Mick since he took over Ipswich. We haven't played well against his team at all”, “It will be 3-0 to Ipswich, more mundane useless stuff to look forward to.”

Prediction threads have been quite pessimistic for a home team, with only 41 per cent predicting a Wolves win and 29 per cent forecasting a Blues triumph. Most think there will be goals with a 2-1 home victory and a 1-1 draw the two most popular forecast scores.

“I am going for 2-2 if Kenny picks a positive side and Mason starts, otherwise 2-1 or 2-0 to Ipswich.” The consensus is that they have to start on the front foot to get anything out of the game and ideally play as they finished the game at Burnley. If they sit back as they did against Bristol, they will lose.

“We should get the better of Ipswich same way we got better of Burnley and same way we should have had better of Ipswich last season. My concern is without Wallace allowing us to have forward wingers, we'll revert to sitting back and giving possession away rather than taking initiative.”

They are very pleased to see that last season’s leading marksman is likely to miss the game. “I think Daryl Murphy got injured playing for Ireland on Friday so he'll be unavailable. We have an unerring knack of making him look good.”

“Only one side has anything to be up for, unfortunately that's not us”, “They're probably slight favourites as they have something to play for and are a bit more battle hardened at this level”, “I can't imagine it being a great spectacle with two defensive teams.”

Websites

The busiest Wolves message board is the well-informed and knowledgeable Molineux Mix, while Wolvesforum.co.uk also has also some insightful contributors.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

12th_Man added 11:16 - Apr 1 This has draw written all over it
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Bluejake added 11:24 - Apr 1 Reading what the Wolves supporters say about their manager is almost word-for-word what many people on here say about MM!
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Bluebell added 11:31 - Apr 1 Thanks as always Harry. Reading that sounds very familiar, could be some of our fans writing it! On paper, and reading that, we should beat them easily but didn't most of us think that about Rotherham and that was at home? Bearing in mind that a couple of months ago our away form was better than most teams, hopefully we can get back to winning ways. I just hope Mick has learnt by his mistakes against Rotherham (which he admitted to) and starts with Feeney and Pringle. With Murphy out injured, hopefully there will be no-one for Bart to 'hoof' up to and we will play on the ground. Would be great to see Didzy having 60 minutes or so. Two home games after tomorrow which we should be able to win.

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LankHenners added 11:50 - Apr 1 Thanks Harry, a welcome return to domestic football and a welcome return to your notes! A potential to be a dull scrap this one if Wolves don't look up for it and we continue to play like we have done recently. Hopefully we'll take the game to them and the absence of Murphy may be a slight blessing in disguise - forcing us to get it into the feet of Pitman, Sears, Pringle, Feeney etc. It's getting to crunch time and we're going to have to be getting wins with regularity now - starting tomorrow would be good to help us on the way to a promising position for that potentially make-or-break Sheff Weds game.

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ericclacton added 12:03 - Apr 1 Wonderful Harry top drawer. If only we had performed better against Cardiff, Brum, Wolves, Bristol City, and the last home game we would be sitting pretty now, overall our home form has been pants all season. Wolves away, I'm going for a 2-1 to us fingers crossed.COYB!!!!
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jas0999 added 18:16 - Apr 1 Another enjoyable read. We are certainly favourites and need to win.
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