And so on Saturday 23rd December we arrive at the mid-point in the season and it’s perhaps fitting that to mark the occasion Wolves welcome back to Molineux ‘Marmite’ Mick McCarthy and his Tractor Boys. McCarthy was of course the last manager to lead Wolves to the promised land of the Premiership and a penny for his thoughts as he watches the current Wolves side go about their business would be a penny well spent indeed!
Under the circumstances, threadsters are free to comment about Mick as much as they wish without fear of censorship.
There will be a sell-out crowd for this game and around 28,000 Wolves fans will, as always, give MM a warm reception but would any one of them, given the choice, swap McCarthy for Nuno Espirito Santo? Not many for sure.
Wolves sit atop the table with a 4 points cushion over second placed Cardiff, 8 points clear of third placed Bristol City and 15 points clear of 7th placed Leeds. Now beginning to create records along the way, last Fridays defeat of Sheffield Wednesday means that Wolves have now won four successive away games without conceding a goal for the first time in the club's history.
Wolves also have a very impressive home record too, having not lost a game at Molineux since August 19th.
Ipswich, in 8th place and 16 points behind Wolves have taken 9 points from their last 5 games. Nevertheless, only Wolves have scored more goals this season. An impressive home win against in-form Reading sealed 3 points for Ipswich last Saturday. Despite having only 28% of the possession, the Ipswich defence managed to soak up the pressure from a determined Reading side.
Only 6 teams have conceded more goals than Ipswich (all below them in the table) and their defence will again, need to be at their best to neutralise the firepower of the Wolves front 3.
Now unbeaten in 8 games, Wolves will be the bookies favourites for this one but for sure Ipswich won’t make it easy for them. Being the first of 3 games in 8 days for both clubs, the managers will doubtless be looking for ways to utilise squad players during this period to minimise the physical impact on the players who cover the most ground, so some changes to the normal line-ups is a possibility.
Gem’s prediction: 2-1
Wolves v Ipswich Match Preview [LIVE]
posted on 22/12/17
Reports in some of the media that Arsenal and Man Utd are ready to make a big money offer for Rúben Neves in Jan
posted on 22/12/17
Not good news, Neves is an integral player but can’t see why Fosun would sell now and as we know they need to buy other equally integral players like Jota and Bonatini
Has Neves brought his family over yet? Would like to think he is settled with us
posted on 22/12/17
Don't really see any leaving in January given the clout Mendes has among all the club's, would imagine he would have it that they finish the job even if he was lining up deals in the summer for them.
posted on 23/12/17
John Richards was my first footie hero too. And not just because my first and middle names in the real world are actually John Richard. When my nan died last year my mum found a picture I'd drawn of JR when I was about 10. It was like one of the Shoot mag posters!
posted on 23/12/17
That front line of Richards, Dougan and Wagstaffe was certainly a special one and at one stage age possibly the best forward line in the country
posted on 23/12/17
70's claptrap .........if you truely believe they'd live with today's athletes, then you clearly deluded ?!!
posted on 23/12/17
Sir Halfy is right. There is no way that Dougan and Wagstaffe would live with Jota and Cavaleiro as they are both dead, however Richards would still score as many as Bonatini and probably be more mobile, even at 67.
posted on 23/12/17
Load of Bollax
170
posted on 23/12/17
What a witty retort. I didn't realise that Sir Halfy was actually Bob Monkhouse.
posted on 23/12/17
comment by Duffy (U21403)
posted about 3 hours ago
What a witty retort. I didn't realise that Sir Halfy was actually Bob Monkhouse.
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They laughed when he said it was his ambition to be a comedian. They're not laughing now.