Match Thread: Wolves v Nottingham Forest KO 8pm 6.1.2025
City ground screamer
By Ivybridge Wolf
January 6 2025
As the Christmas and New Year celebrations close, Wolves start 2025 with this premier league home fixture versus high flying Nottingham Forest. Vitor Pereira leads his team for the second time at Molineux having taken 7 points in his first three matches and looking to extend his unbeaten run as Forest search for their 6th league win in a row to leave them on equal points with Arsenal and 3rd on goal difference. It’s the first time they have been in the top four at the turn of the year since Cloughie was in charge! A win for Wolves would pull us up above Everton in the fight to avoid relegation and further distance from Ipswich who drew 2-2 yesterday (thanks to Raul Jimenez for that!). Stark contrasts, the opposition having made remarkable progress under the stewardship of Dr Nuno. Nevertheless a Wolves win would return more points under Pereira in four matches than GON managed until his departure.
Confidence will be high in both camps and should lead to a fascinating contest likely to be hard fought despite the margin in league positions. Forest last defeat was a 3-0 away to Manchester City, however since then they have gained home wins v Villa and Spurs and aways wins at Everton, Brentford and Manchester United. Wolves appear to be getting back on the rails after the Ipswich debacle, with wins versus Leicester City and Manchester United and a creditable draw at Spurs. During this period, Wolves have shown greater team organisation and improved defending, though still susceptible to set pieces and the odd bit of chaos. The Spurs game demonstrated that point well and with Forest, Wolves will have to deal with Chris Woods, a player who loves playing and scoring against us, as indeed he did in our 1-1 draw at the City Ground in late August.
Following FA punishment, this will be the first of a two match ban for Matheus Cunha and he will be sorely missed. Pereira passed comment on the situation ahead, however would not condemn Cunha, instead focusing on learning lesson and the team being able to effectively operate both with him and without him. This key message got its first examination in the second half at the Spurs ground last week with some success. Everything crossed for this game now.
What side will Pereira pick? He has indicated that Lemina still has a knock and said he has a role in the team, despite not featuring of late saying "He is our player in this moment - it means he is in my plans at this time." Interestingly he also said, when asked about The Doc and his role "I want to play with three defenders, not three centre backs. My defenders, I hope in time, have the freedom to attack the lines, attack the opposing players [and] to open space for other players”. It means sometimes I need him open as a full back [and] other times closing as a centre back.". In terms of defence, there are strong rumours that Wolves are about to sign 27 year old centre back Emmanuel Agbadou from Reims.
Wolves have a good record versus Forest and in the premier league we are unbeaten in the last five, however that includes four draws. You may remember the wonderful long range effort from Bellegarde at the City Ground this season in another draw. Happily, for the time being at least, Wolves are no longer top goal conceders as Leicester and Southampton have risen to 44. We’re on 42, so another clean sheet would be most welcome for any number of reasons! In another quirky fact, Wolves are only the second team to score at least 30 goals and concede at least 40 at the halfway stage of a 38-game Premier League season since Sheffield Wednesday in 1997-98. The postscript is that the Owls were NOT relegated that season.
The match is on Sky with a 8pm kick off, and I’ll be viewing with the Ivybridge Wolves crowd. It will be good to see Nuno back again, I’m sure the crowd will pay him great respect, though perhaps a little less for MGW! I wish Nuno continued success at Forest, though will be willing our boys and new manager to put one across him this time around. Confidence breeds confidence and even without Cunha there is renewed hope that the recent standard of football can be maintained …… just sort out the corners and keep Woods on a tight leash.
Let’s hope it’s a great match with the right performance and importantly the right result, it’s sure to be a difficult game and will still desperately need the points. Please leave your comments in the thread below. All the best.
UTW!
PS as with no Premier League matches on New Years Day, why hasn’t this weekend been dedicated to the FA Cup 3rd round as it would in previous seasons?
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:23:20:13:20 by Ivybridge Wolf.
A real test tonight so cmon lads, big hearts and plenty of effort required and we are capable of getting something out of this.
Good luck lads!
Wolves XI: Sa, Lima, Bueno, Doherty, Ait-Nouri, R Gomes, J Gomes, Doyle, Guedes, Larsen, Hwang
Subs: Lemina, Sarabia, Forbs, Bellegarde, Meupiyou, Cundle, Pond, Okoduwa, Johnstone
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood
Subs: Miguel, Morato, Awoniyi, Ward-Prowse, Moreno, Jota, Yates, Sosa, Boly
Huffed and puffed most of the game and got no where against a decent forest team.
Forest 3 shots on target and score 3 goals, tells you everything about our pathetic backline.
We don't sort this defence out quickly we will go down.
Next few games look daunting to say the least.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:06:21:56:23 by essington wolf.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:06:22:20:39 by Andy Pandy.
Second half Nuno and his team just snuffed us out, organised and compact and reminded me of Wolves about 5-6 years ago. To be honest we weren’t great in that second 45, no real ideas and as said above huffed and puffed without much effect. We missed Cunha.
After the cup on Saturday, it’s Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal next up this month ….. it’s not going to get any easier and tonight represents a big missed chance. So disappointing.