Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Birmingham City: First goal could decide this
Three big derby games on Sunday, starting in the west Midlands where Black Country Wolves take on Birmingham.
Wolves currently lie second bottom, four points from safety and as a result can't escape from the bottom three even with a win. But on current form that seems unlikely as the last eight games have seen five defeats and three draws. But all bad runs come to an end and a derby day can be a blessing for a team that is scrabbling for some purchase in the season. Wolves are usually scoring - with the Chelsea game the first blank since the first week of October; but defensively Wolves have been poor - with a solitary clean sheet back in the opening week in the season. Perhaps Kevin Doyle's week off after 'that' defeat to France will give him a boost to score a goal or two for his manager. Mick McCarthy could do with a boost as when the only team below you sacks their manager, the press will always be looking for a successor; and McCarthy's pre-match comments could be portrayed as negativism:
"We are in a relegation fight and I've said that to the lads ... they might as well understand that now, the fact is we look like a team that could get relegated."
Wolverhampton Wanderers last 5 league games XXXLL
Everton (a) 1-1
Aston Villa (h) 1-1
Stoke (a) 2-2
Arsenal (h) 1-4
Chelsea (a) 0-4
Birmingham have certainly perked up since the takeover was confirmed and that despite having to play four top 10 teams in Sunderland, Man City, Liverpool and Fulham. It was a timely run as eight points in four games have only moved Blues three points and three places from relegation - but it does go to show how motivating the thought of an active transfer policy can be on players. Lots of attention on Ryan Giggs for rolling back the years recently - but Lee Bowyer and Barry Ferguson are demonstrating that passing 30 is no barrier to the top flight - but Blues desperately need to buy a goalscorer as Bowyer cannot be expected to be that 10-15 goal man that the club need to stay out of trouble.
Birmingham City last 5 league games LWXXW
Arsenal (a) 1-3
Sunderland (h) 2-1
Man City (h) 0-0
Liverpool (a) 2-2
Fulham (h) 1-0
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Birmingham City; Kick Off 12:00pm 29 Nov 2009
Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).
Dave Blackburn : 0 - 0
Chris Cox : 2 - 1
Graham Enwright : 0 - 0
Sue Gardener : 0 - 0
Chris Goodwin : 1 - 2
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 1 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Peter Lee : 0 - 1
Don McMahon : 1 - 0
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 1 - 1
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 1 - 0
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 2 - 2
Peter Rendle : 0 - 0
Dan Taylor : 1 - 1
Nick Tomkins : TBC
Bill Urban (sqf) : TBC
Andy Wakeman : 1 - 1
Isaac Williams : 2 - 2
Mark Williams : 1 - 1
Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a low-scoring draw, with 1-1 favoured over 0-0.
Home: 3; Draw: 12; Away: 2; TBC: 5.
* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!
