Match Day Thread Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leeds Utd

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Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leeds Utd
Saturday 18th March@15:00hrs | Molineux Stadium

Leeds travel down to Wolves at the weekend, in search of just their second away victory of the season, as their quest for top flight survival goes on. You have to go back, all the way to last October, when Rodrigo and Summerville pulled off something of a coup by recording a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in their own back yard.

Few would have expected that nearly five months on, Leeds have yet to replicate a league win, away from Elland Road. By comparison, Wolves had a worse start to their season than the Whites. By the time the World Cup took place, Julen Lopetegui's side were bottom of the table, and odds on favourites for relegation. Going into the New Year, they only fared slightly better, but since then, the Wanderers have picked up 14 points, lifting them to 13th place in the table.

Leeds will be seething, having lost the services of anchor man Tyler Adams. The 24yo picked up a hamstring injury in training, and will be missing for an undetermined amount of time. Fellow USA International Weston McKennie is expected to fill the void, playing alongside Marc Roca. Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw and Liam Cooper all remain sidelined. Javi Gracia will be heartened by the return of Patrick Bamford, Luis Sinisterra, Rodrigo and Archie Gray in recent weeks. All (except Gray) are expected game time on Saturday.

Wolves will be without the services of Sasa Kalajdzic (knee), Francisco Oliveira (knee), Hugo Bueno (thigh) and Diego Costa (knee). Boubacar Traore and Pablo Garcia face late fitness tests, but should at least make the bench.

 

If Wolves score first expect their usual time wasting tactics aka cheating ably supported by the usual inept ref. If that happens it’s difficult to see anything other than a home win, so Leeds getting the first goal is vital.

No excuse for only having one away win so far this season. I’ve had to sit in the home end a few times and the locals are amazed at how loud and passionate the travelling Leeds fans are.

Second to none, and they deserve to see a few more victories on the road.

 

As mentioned the other day Cooper is in the Scotland squad so you'd think that makes him available for the bench on Saturday.

Tough game to call, although Wolves will certainly be favourites.

Just imagine what a win would do for us though

 

I watched (on the telly) Wolves last week at Newcastle. They are neat and tidy on the ball but lack any threat in the final third. They are very tame and look to rely on a mistake or something spectacular from their wide men to score a goal.

If we set up well, keep our shape, make it difficult then there's no reason to think we can't hurt them on the break. Their centre halves are big and slow so get Jimmy and Gnonto in and around them.

Key to this game is discipline. Javi looks like he's making us more solid defensively and this type of game is a good test of that.

Wolves will have plenty of ball and will try to pass us to death but I reckon that we might create a chance or two on the break ourselves.

This is a game we might get something from. Possibly a 0-0 bore draw but I genuinely think we'll get chances. We might just sneak a result here.

 

When I did the predict the final league positions thing yesterday, I had this one down as a draw, so a win will lessen the need for nervous finger biting

 

Wolves new signings have not started well.

In the 'WhoScored' ratings, Cunha scores 6.39, and Costa is even worse (6.19). Imagine splashing out circa £35m on crap!!!!

 

Imagine signing Dan James on loan and paying his wages and not playing him.

 

you just got the site sponsored by whoscored Matt?

If so, after the cheque’s cleared obviously, tell them their ratings suck and only an imbecile would quote them

 

I resemble that remark

 

Their data is used all across football and leading bookies to adjudicate discrepancies.

 

… so how much are they paying?

 

Not enough....

 

But do they have the yen to push it through.

 

estate agent in underselling shocker!

I use whoscored, Ell, their data’s from opta so nothing wrong with their ‘facts’.

… and It’s not just their player ratings that suck… it’s player ratings in general. The algorithms aren’t sophisticated enough in my humble opinion... unless anyone thinks that pascal struijk has been our best player this season? And Rasmus our 4th best?


Now as for that stat that can’t be mentioned - you know the one I said I’d never use again, (as no one apparently understands it )… the one I’d never dream of referring to … That is a genuine team performance measurement tool used by coaches, bookies etc as an indicator of how well a team is playing… by factoring out the element of chance that’s inherent in goal scoring.

Anyway, you won’t find me randomly bringing it in to threads at every opportunity. I’m done with it

 

Not sure why you've got such a downer on xg Milky.

Just look at Brighton from a couple of seasons ago and where they are now for example. Any idiot who knows his xg from his elbow could have told you they were a team on the up

 

indeed buddy… and so I did but no one listened to me .

Did anyone listen when I said wolves and Leicester would struggle this season? No. Did anyone bet on boro and West Brom for promotion when they were in the champ relegation spots earlier this season, like I advised? I doubt it… and sorry if you did as the west Brom bit looks a bit flakey.

I try to help and all I get is ‘xg is a pointless stat’ and ‘I don’t understand it’

it’s heartbreaking to a stat nerd

 

I reckon whoscored must use a similar method to that used by OFSTED to grade schools

 

Both have strikers

 

Given that round here the OFSTED rating corresponds directly to the fellatio talent
of the headmistress.. I sincerely hope not

 

Why have the Headmistresses got to be Shakespeare gurus?