Match Review - Wolves bite back to beat Leeds at the Death

J was in attendance at Molineux on a glorious Monday evening to witness a spectacular match that encapsulated this madcap Championship season.

Wolves 4 - 3 Leeds



Wolves have been on a great run at the moment, but if this season has taught anyone in the Championship it is that there are no easy games (except Blackpool) and that one result can change so much (see Middlesbrough's fall from 1st to 4th with one result on Monday).

Wolves came into the match unbeaten in 5 and having won their last 3 games and sitting just outside the playoff places. In contrast, Leeds were languishing in mid-table, and had lost their last game to Blackburn. Leeds have been again mired in controversy off the pitch - Neil Redfearn said that he was considering his position after his assistant, Steve Thompson, was fired in the week; Redfearn had also been requested not to play striker, Mirco Antenucci in their game against Blackburn as it is reported that he will be automatically given a new contract with 2 more goals this season; and there have been more rumours about takeovers from Red Bull amongst others.

However, at this stage of the season the pressure of a promotion chase can either make or break teams (note: Derby for 'break'). This pressure appeared to get to Kevin McDonald. He allowed himself to be pressured into slamming his clearance straight into Richard Stearman right in front of his own goal in the 11th minute, gifting Charlie Taylor his first senior goal for Leeds with a relative tap-in.

The goal came completely against the run of play and Wolves seemed confident in their game and continued to play as they had before, dominating possession and constantly looking for their deadly trio up front - Dicko, Sako and Afobe.

This paid off in the 19th minute as Afobe got the ball from the adventurous Dominic Iorfa on the right hand side. Afobe took his man on and flashed a shot across goal which was going wide until Dicko stole in at the back post to finish from an extremely acute angle.

J has been to a couple of Wolves games this season now and a key feature in their game is the directness of the passing that looks to feed one of Sako, Dicko or Afobe. When there is pace to burn in all 3 it is a very effective tactic. Just before half time a similar through ball from Sako played in Dicko. He was one on one but still around 20 yards out but chose to hit it early hard and low at the goalkeeper's near post. It took him by surprise and it flashed in off the post. Silvestri will probably think that he should have saved it, but it meant that Wolves went into the break in high spirits.

This showed from the outset and they scored again 3 minutes into the second half. A cross caused mayhem in the Leeds box and it looked for all the world that Danny Batth would score when he struck a shot from about 12 yards out until it hit Dicko in the six yard box, luckily the ball rebounded to Benik Afobe who gobbled up the rebound for his 29th goal of the season.

Afobe now has 10 goals in 16 games for Wolves and has been worth the money spent on prising him from Arsenal. Wolves upturn in fortune has coincided with his capture and he now has more goals than Harry Kane in total this season. According to whoscored.com he has 2.4 shots on average per game for Wolves, proving he has a keen eye for goal with a goal in every other game for them so far this season on average.

At this point in the game it looked like Leeds were there for the taking, but Wolves seemed to be struck by nerves and sat back. They invited pressure from Leeds who duly obliged with Alex Mowatt seemingly at the heart of all their good moments. Mowatt was based in the middle but also on the right hand wing with licence to roam inside as and when he wanted to put the ball on his favoured left foot. One such foray inside the pitch brought Leeds a way back in as his cross was turned into his own net by Batth. Carl Ikeme in goal must not have given him a shout as he came out to collect the cross and it was a comical own goal that invigorated Leeds.

They pushed forwards in search for an equaliser and were getting increased control in the middle of the park. Kenny Jackett responded by throwing in Dave Edwards to go into midfield in place of Dicko. It was a bold choice and Jackett clearly wanted the numbers in midfield and added defensive protection that Dicko just wouldn't provide.

It didn't stop Leeds equalising when Mowatt again cut inside on his left foot taking on the defence before curling a glorious left footed strike into Ikeme's right hand post, sending the travelling Leeds fans wild.

The game was then anyone's and it seemed like Wolves were happy to settle for a point having weathered the storm. But then on 88 minutes up stepped Dave Edwards to gloriously flick a header into the far corner sending Molineux into raptures. Kevin McDonald atoned for his earlier error with the beautiful in-swinging cross which was begging to be headed in. This was McDonald's 11th assist of the season meaning he has the joint second highest number of assists in the division.

Wolves held on for the win and look like they are peaking at precisely the right moment for a tilt at the play-offs. But then again, we all know how quickly things can change...

Man of the Match - J will give this to Dicko for his brace with special mention to Afobe who was given MOTM by whoscored.com. Leeds couldn't deal with Nouha Dicko in the first half and his finish for both goals showed that he has a lot of quality. Wigan should be kicking themselves for offloading him given their travails this season!

J

Weekend Review: Anything the League Cup can do...

Well the FA Cup has had to up it's game this year just to compete with the unexpected marvel that has been the Capital One Cup this year. It was hard to imagine anything being able to top Bradford City's phenomenal run to Wembley this year from the fourth tier of English football but the FA Cup did spring a few surprises on fourth round weekend ...


Norwich 0-1 Luton: we've always heard about the famous giant killings of the FA Cup like Sutton v Coventry, and Hereford against Newcastle and this Luton Town victory certainly ranks up at the top with these results. There are 85 places and four divisions between these 2 sides. Just to reiterate Luton are a non-league team, and they've just beaten a Premier League side who at the moment are the 13th best side in the country. This is an amazing result and I feel a little bit sorry for Luton as their story would be given so much more limelight had Bradford not got to the League Cup final in the same week. Here are some of the stats about this result: this was the first victory for a non-league side against a team in the top division since Sutton in 1989, it was the first time in 27 years a non-league side have beaten a top flight team away from home, and it was the first time a non-league side have beaten a team in the top tier since 1949. What an achievement. This match would probably fit the definition of a smash and grab victory, which you would expect in these circumstances. Luton only had 32% possession throughout the game and had just two shots on target, but they outgunned Norwich on that stat that matters: goals. They also put in 18 more tackles over the 90 minutes than their counterparts (11 to 29). Luton were hungrier, pure and simple. The goal emphasised that as Scott Rendell bust a gut to nip in front of Norwich's defence to turn the ball home. It is a great story for a team that have had little to celebrate in recent years (similar to Bradford really). In 2005 Luton were a Championship side, but three consecutive relegations from 2006-2009 has seen them in the Conference ever since. The side took an incredible 4000 fans to Carrow Road and it would take a cold hearted man not to feel pleased for this club, they deserve their moment in the sun and long may their journey continue!

Brentford 2-2 Chelsea: one of the bigger shocks this weekend occurred at Griffin Park. Amid amazing scenes little known striker Fernando Torres actually scored! Seriously though this was another genuinely shocking result in reality when a £50m striker has to rescue the European champions from losing to a side in the third division in England. The pitch at Brentwood was definitely a leveller and with the fervent crowd packed into this historic ground this game was clearly not one that some of Chelsea's highly paid stars relished. It was clear again that it simply meant more to Brentford than to Chelsea. This was billed as the Bees against the Honeypot, and Brentford played extremely well. It is easy to see why Uwe Rosler is a highly rated manager as he seemed to get his tactics spot on in this game. He pinpointed Chelsea's lack of pace in defence with the likes of Terry and Ivanovic and geared his side up to counter attack, particularly using the pace of Harry Forrester who was always a thorn in Chelsea's side. Rosler has been linked with Championship jobs such as the vacancy at Barnsley and its not hard to see why. His star will only continue to rise if he can show such tactical nouse again in the replay at Stamford Bridge.

Millwall 2-1 Aston Villa: what a terrible week to be an Aston Villa fan. Two defeats inside of a week to lower league opposition. Their side sit just one place above the relegation zone and have now exited both domestic cup competitions within a week. This loss will arguably sting less than the Bradford one but its still a big blow and can do nothing but damage to their already brittle confidence. Worryingly for Villa this was not a game they bossed and were unlucky to lose either. They had slightly more possession than Millwall over the 90 with 51% possession but they had just 4 shots during the entire game compared to the Lions' 12. They conceded yet again from a corner to a Danny Shittu header and eventually succumbed to an 89th minute winner from John Marquis. You have to wonder what is next for Villa and its hard to see them bouncing back quickly from this week. They have a young side and really could have done with a confidence boosting win against the Londoners. Instead Paul Lambert is now left with the unenviable task of trying to pick his players up off the floor and instilling in them the grit to succeed in their relegation dogfight this season. Villa fans are beginning to call for Lambert's sacking but the question is: is there anyone that could do a better job with that group of players? We're not sure but it seems unlikely. It looks like being a pivotal week in Villa's season though either way we will find out what their character is like.

Other results: as we're sure you can appreciate it was hard to put in a mention for every shock result this week. Plaudits have to go to Oldham for their brilliant 3-2 victory over Liverpool as forward Matt Smith starred in a bullying performance that put Coates in the centre of Liverpool's defence to shame. Leeds for their 2-1 victory over Spurs and also to MK Dons for their sensational 4-2 victory away at QPR (which will be mentioned below in a bit more detail). Macclesfield Town's dream run was finally ended by Wigan in a hard-fought 0-1 victory at the Moss Rose, while Brighton  ran Arsenal extremely close in an excellent cup tie that ended in a 2-3 victory to the Gunners.

We know we've harped on about it a lot but it really does seem like this year, underdogs have been spurred on by what we'd like to call the 'Bradford Effect'. Bradford have shown other lower league clubs it is possible to beat Premier League teams combined with the performance of promoted teams like Swansea and Norwich as they've stepped straight up to the Premier League has shown teams that the gap is closing. We say long may it continue!

Round up of our teams

J was at Old Trafford to see Man Utd canter to an easy 4-1 victory over a timid Fulham side in the FA Cup Fourth Round. United never looked back after a third minute Ryan Giggs penalty. There was enough time to show Sam Allardyce that contrary to his beliefs, he's not always right, and United don't always get penalties at Old Trafford for anything as Damien Duff clearly handled the ball again in the box not long after the first penalty was (rightly) awarded against Aaron Hughes for another clear handball. United controlled the game from start to finish and Fulham rarely threatened as Phil Jones in particular impressed in a dominating game at centre back as he won every header he seemed to compete in. Wayne Rooney's goal just after the break killed off the game and showcased him at his powerful best, while Chicharito's double further emphasised the depth of United's striking options. All in all this was a powerful performance from the Red Devils, and one of their better performances this season, arguably.

As mentioned above C's QPR suffered a humiliating 2-4 humbling at the hands of League One side MK Dons. Dons had just 6 shots to Rangers' 20 and had less possession of the football and still managed to show up their troubled opponents. This game showed Rangers' dearth of viable options in the side as high paid stars like Anton Ferdinand were shown up time and again. This game looks like being Ferdinand's last for Rangers before an apparent loan move to Bursaspor in Turkey and I'm sure C and many other R's fans will not be sad to see him go. Judging by 'Arry's scathing criticism of his players after the game, he might not be the only player to see the exit at Loftus Road this week. 'Arry has a lot to do before Deadline Day, you feel.

Crewe lost disappointingly to Bournemouth at  the Goldsands Stadium. A Brett Pitman hat-trick saw off the Alex in a 3-1 loss. The result wasn't a huge surprise considering Bournemouth have only lost 1 game in the 18 they've played since Eddie Howe took the reigns over again, and that loss was against Wigan in the FA Cup Third Round replay. Crewe however, haven't won in 3 and could do with reversing their slump sooner rather than later.

Once you've caught your breath enjoy the round of League games this week and we'll be back soon!

C&J

Weekend preview: Super, Magnificent, Phenomenal, Hype Inducing Sunday Is Nearly Here...!

It's a classic Sky Sports double bill this weekend as 'Super Sunday' © ® ™ returns to our screens with two big matches between Liverpool & Man Utd and Man City & Arsenal. 

I’m sure you’re all sick of reading about it and we’re sick of saying it but here is a little note to say that we really hope that there is no offensive chanting at the Liverpool – Man Utd game at the weekend. Let’s hope that we’re talking about the football at the end of the game and not the actions of some mindless few.

Anyway on to the football…as a United fan I can’t help but be pessimistic about our chances in this match as we haven’t won at Anfield in the League at the last 4 attempts and no matter how badly Liverpool seem to be playing at the time, the game against Man Utd always seems to spur them onto a good performance. Liverpool will press the ball quickly and high up the pitch which won’t suit United especially if the likes of Carrick or Scholes are playing (can’t see Scholes playing though after 2 games already in the last week). These players prefer space and time and they won’t get it at Anfield. Liverpool’s possession game may also be tricky for United to deal with. Unlike Liverpool, the Red Devils don’t really have any ball winners in their team to upset this which could mean long periods of possession for Liverpool. The duel of Raheem Sterling against Rafael also looks like an opportunity for Liverpool, as Rafael is more known for his attacking play than defensive capabilities (this is assuming Rafael will play but with Smalling injured and Phil Jones I can’t see him going with Valencia there in this game after the Everton debacle). That said Liverpool’s possession this season has not amounted to wins largely due to the fact that their front line is not very clinical and this hasn’t changed. I can see Liverpool having more chances and it may depend on whether Suarez or Borini have put their shooting boots on or not. United will be more likely to be clinical which could give them an edge. They will need to pass the ball better in midfield than they did against Galatasaray though if they are to stand any chance of avoiding defeat. Reading an article by The Secret Footballer it seems that Brendan Rodgers may be under fire if Liverpool don’t win this game, and you have to wonder if their hunger to win the first game of the season at the expense of their bitter rivals will see them win out in the end.  All in all this is a tough one to call and I’m erring on the side of predicting a loss but then it could be a draw.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Man Utd

Immediately after the Liverpool-United game is another humdinger, which obviously Sky won't hype to the hilt promising it is the most important match since one Anthony McPartlin met a certain Mr Declan Donnelly on the set of Byker Grove. I think that this one is the most interesting game this weekend to be honest. It is the acid test for just how good this Arsenal team is and maybe even can be. A lot of people are talking up Arsenal’s chances of challenging for the title this season and we will begin to get an idea of how serious we should take this talk by 6:30 on Sunday evening. I'm sorry but I don't consider that Liverpool game to have been a serious test, I'm talking top 4 really at the moment (as in Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea mainly). Arsenal have looked really good so far this season they seem more balanced and Santi Cazorla looks like an outstanding player. But the 6-1 against Southampton wasn't that impressive to me since Saints defence has been very leaky, and they scraped past a Montpellier side which is languishing in 16th place in Ligue 1 and is a shadow of the title winning side last year, which was picked apart by the vultures (such as Arsenal, taking Giroud). Therefore, this is the time when we can hopefully see if Arsenal have the ability to challenge this season. As much of a cliche it is to say it, I think this game could all hinge on the first goal. Arsenal's ability to keep clean sheets looks like it has come back again after going missing for about 7 years, so if they go in front it may well be that they will keep hold of it. But if City go in front it will be interesting to see if the fragile nature of Arsenal's confidence comes to the fore again or if that is now a thing of the past. I think Arsenal will get a lot of chances in this one. City have conceded 9 goals in 5 games in all competitions so far this season, but then they have scored 11 in 5 as well. In short, Arsenal's defence will have its biggest test to date this weekend! Overall, I can actually see both teams settling for the draw if they head into the last 20 minutes on level terms. It would be a decent result for both teams and this early in the season I think that both will go in with the objective of avoiding defeat.

Prediction: Man City 1-1 Arsenal

Leeds v Nottingham Forest - We've picked out this game as all the signs point to there being goals, goals, goals galore at Elland Road on Saturday. Last year this fixture Forest ran out winners in an amazing 3-7 match. Furthermore, in the last 3 league games between the two sides there have been over 3 goals every time. This sounds promising you say? Well to add to this excitement, there have been 16 goals in Nottingham Forest's 6 league games this season (scored 9, conceded 7), and a phenomenal 21 goals in the same amount of games for Leeds (scored 10, conceded 11). Forest are unbeaten in their last 6 games whilst Leeds have lost their last 2. But Forest have been drawing matches away from home rather than winning really. All signs point to either a high scoring draw or a Forest win essentially. Leeds are sitting in 14th in the league and were booed off against Hull in midweek, so you have to feel that if Forest can score early Leeds fans could get on their players backs and the away team could run out winners.

Prediction: Leeds 0-0 Forest...Only joking! We're going for Leeds 2-3 Forest

For QPR this weekend it's another London derby as attention turns to 'The Lane'. Spurs will want to make up for a poor run of form at home of late which has seen them find the net just twice and pick up draws against Norwich and West Brom in the league. Both the Canaries and the Baggies will have been viewed by Spurs fans as cannon fodder before their respective match ups but, encouragingly from QPR's point of view, both sides were able to provide more than a match for the home side and will have left the Lane ruing missing out on what might have been three points. Having said that, the R's will have to play arguably the paciest right hand side in the football league and one of the best left midfielders on the planet without a recognised left-back (I don't count Onuoha or Hill in spite of their apparent 'ability to play anywhere across the back line') and with just two recognised centre halves due to a spate of injuries. Still, as long as we go there and play more positively than we did in last season's trip in the first half, then we should at least see them put up a better fight than the 3-1 reverse suffered a year back. AVB will no doubt be out for revenge as it was ultimately the QPR v Chelsea fixture almost a year ago that ruined his excellent start at Chelsea manager and saw the wheels begin to fall off of what looked like it might have been a decent campaign (what a shame, eh?!). Much has been made of the fact that QPR haven't won at Tottenham for 18 years but, in their defence, they've only been there three times since, so it's hardly a surprise! Still, I'd suggest there's a strong possibility of that number becoming 19 come 6pm on Sunday...

After picking up a creditable back to back away draws at Stevenage and Carlisle, Crewe host the QPR Reserves (better known as Leyton Orient) this weekend at Gresty Road. L'Orient are on a good run themselves (although having watched their 1-0 win over Brentford last weekend, they seem to be having some good fortune along the way!) so this will be an intriguing encounter. It was pleasing to see Max Clayton pick up League One's Young Player of the Month accolade, a deserved reward for a player who has really stepped up to the plate so far this season in spite of having had the burden of filling the void left by Nick Powell departing firmly placed upon him. We can only hope that his form continues but also that this isn't a precedent for the vultures to start circling around him too.

Finally I am delighted to bring the news that on this very evening 1. FC Union Berlin claimed their first league win of the season at home to struggling 1. FC Köln, themselves also still seeking a first league win since being relegated from the top flight (they are in fact winless since 10th March!). Silvio and Tuschi (Torsten Mattuschka) scored the goals for the boys from East Berlin in a 2:1 victory. An excellent start to the weekend indeed! Here's hoping they've finally turned the corner - St Pauli away up next in the league.

C is off 'daan the Lane' on Sunday afternoon and a match report will follow along with the usual weekend roundup.

Enjoy what will arguably be the best weekend of the season yet.

C&J