Villa

[Dire Wolf]

It's still relatively early in the season but it is obvious that if we can maintain our current form we will finish top. We are currently and on paper the best side in this division and are nationally recognised as that. Almost every opposition manager has said it, the national media have said it and Colin Murray on Five's coverage is effusive in his praise of how well we can play. We just have to keep doing what we are doing. The good thing is, I believe, that should players suffer a dip in form we have enough talent in the squad to bring people in without a massive drop off. In any position. And best of all we have a manager who is intelligent, thoughtful and well prepared. Easily the best manager we have had in my 35 years supporting Wolves. He won't let it slip, he's too thorough. So what Villa do, to quote Linkin Park, in the end it doesn't even matter...

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Villa are now up and running after a dreadful start. I think anyone finishing above them will go up automatically unless they get a lot of injuries. Win tonight and there is a nice gap between us and them which I think they will struggle to bridge.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

I remember similar comments when we were in League One, we were clearly the class team of the division but Brentford and Peterborough just wouldn't go away. We had a great defensive record, the class forwards of the league and a midfield who held everything together but still there were some who would say "ah but we aren't walking the league"... We went on to grab a record points haul and, in the end, were comfortably promoted. I see a lot of similarities between then and now. Us and two unfancied teams battling at the top but I truly believe that, again, class will overcome

Same in 2009 when ourselves Blues and Reading were all going very well before Christmas, heard comments along the lines of "knowing our luck we will get a record number of points for finishing 3rd and still not go up", as it was, even with a fairly middling spell in the spring we went up very comfortably in the end.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Fairly middling is kind, we won 1 out of 11!

 

[lemonjelly]

Villa are a classic Bruce Championship side, fair bit of graft, defensively solid enough, not a lot of flair, built to do well in the Championship, but will need a complete overhaul if they go up. I think they'll be Top 4, maybe even Top 2 and will probably go up either way.

Rowett is doing a decent job at Derby, but the core of that squad is still the serial chokers, but as per his Blues side, they are well coached, know their jobs and are strong and competitive, but there is little flair in that side They'll be Top 6 as well.

Both are classic play off or finishing second Championship sides and will get a points haul in the early to mid 80s I'd guess, but if either of them finish above us it'll be because we've fucked up rather than because of anything special they've done. We are the class act of this league and have proven that over the first 3.5 months of the season, we need to continue to do so over the next 6. I think the next 2 games will be telling as from the position we are in a really top quality side will win both and take the league by the throat. Do that and I think we'll stay Top to the end of the season, don't and it could be tight all year.

This is pretty spot on. I said a month ago (after the villa game) that we wouldn't fall out of the top 2 through the rest of the season. We have too much, in depth.

For me, villa are a better team in the division, but vulnerable. They'll struggle to have anything like a 12 game unbeaten run, & if they do achieve that, it'll be more draws than wins.

Cardiff depends on how long Warnock can keep up the momentum.
Middlesboro also appear to be making themselves tough to beat.
Win our next 2 games, we could be relatively clear, and into a position where we don't really have a challenger, and the division becomes a race for 2nd place.

 

[Kenny]

Middlesboro also appear to be making themselves tough to beat.

Didn't on Sunday.

 

[AndyWolves]

Compare our squad to villa's - that tells you everything you need to know

Which Villa player would you have over a Wolves player?

They maybe in a good run of form at the moment, the difference is even when we're below our best we're still winning games. When Villa are below their best they lose

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Teams they've beaten this season: Norwich, Barnsley, Forest, Burton, Bolton, Fulham, Preston, QPR, Sunderland. Only two of them in the top half at the moment.

 

[Jinky]

Regards Villa, they're finding some form - but we made them look very, very ordinary not too long ago. I don't think we have to worry about them. Other teams have given us harder tests.

Wolves have the best squad in the division and probably the best Manager. If we are winning games while we're not playing well (which we are) it's the other sides that should be very worried. I've read a lot of comments from opposing fans saying we're the best side they've seen in this league in a number of seasons. If they're commenting like that when we haven't yet hit top form, they should have more to worry about than us!

 

[Siggy]

January is key, if we can find 2 players that improve our starting 11 and Costa finds his feet again we will go up automatically, this is by far the best Wolves team I have seen in any division and unless we fall to bits I just can't see Villa or anyone else catching us.

 

[b3h]

Fingers crossed we make it to Jan with no more injuries and then yeah a couple of buys perhaps. Don't think we will sign anyone of high caliber though? Hopefully I'm wrong

 

[Hereford Wolf]

January is key, if we can find 2 players that improve our starting 11 and Costa finds his feet again we will go up automatically, this is by far the best Wolves team I have seen in any division and unless we fall to bits I just can't see Villa or anyone else catching us.

I agree with this. We need to be in the automatic promotion spots at the end of January and we need to avoid two long term injuries that could upset the side.
I am an optimist but still really nervous (although confident). I hope that I will be even more confident around April time!