Preview: Leicester away

As most clubs are drying the ink on Deadline Day transfer deals, Wolves go into battle at the King Power Stadium as they take on high-flying Leicester City. Manager Dean Saunders will hope to have some new players in the ranks before kick-off - although they of course wouldn't feature in tonight's clash which is live on Sky.

Stearman scores against former side Leicester in September

It's safe to say Saunders would give anything to have a repeat of the last time the two sides met, back in September. Back then, goals from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Richard Stearman (against his former club) gave Wanderers a 2-0 lead before half-time, before a screamer from Paul Konchesky with 20 minutes remaining set Wolves' nerves jangling. For the lost 20 minutes, Wolves were put under extreme pressure by The Foxes - who hit a post through David Nugent - but stood firm to record their 2nd League win of the season. But the omens for tonight's trip to Leicester aren't good. Wolves haven't done the double over the East Midlands side since 1958, whilst they have also only won 1 of their last 20 visits to Leicester - that sole success coming in a 4-1 win in May 2007 that sealed Wolves' place in the play-offs that season. We have lost 10 of our last 20 trips to Leicester overall, and given The Foxes' League form at home this season (won 10, drawn 2 and lost 2), it is highly likely to see that continue tonight.

Chris Wood: Had a flying start at Leicester City

Indeed, Leicester's home form is rather frightening on paper. Not only have they won 10 games, they've scored 33 goals at the King Power Stadium - the joint highest home scoring in the division. They average 2.35 goals per game at home, whilst the club also boasts the best defensive record in the division - conceding just 23 goals. When it comes to playing bottom-half sides, Leicester are purely lethal. They're scored a division-high of 34 goals, whilst conceding only 9. There is, indeed, very little to give Wolves hope tonight. Leicester have conceded the first goal only 11 times this season (although Wolves have conceded first only 12 times). The signs do point to the first goal being crucial - in the 11 games when Leicester have conceded first, they've only come back to win twice, whilst Wolves have lost 10 and won 0 of the 12 games they've conceded first in. The Foxes are looking to secure a 5th successive win, and hoping to defend being the only Championship side with a 100% record in 2013. What Leicester have in their side is quality - Anthony Knockaert (who faces a late fitness test) pulls the strings in midfield and is one of the early contenders for Player Of The Season, whilst upfront Leicester have the Championship's form-partnership. Between them, David Nugent and Chris Wood have 6 goals in 3 Championship games and will cause no end of problems for the Wolves backline tonight.

Zubar: Surprise departure / SEB: Surprise potential departure

We have finally seen some transfer activity at Molineux this week - however they have all taken the shape of departures. The defence has cleared out, with Richard Stearman loaned to Ipswich, Ronald Zubar released to AC Ajaccio in France, and Steven Mouyokolo released on a free too. There's also been huge speculation over the future of Ebanks-Blake and Stephen Ward - the club rejecting offers for the pair from clubs such as Crystal Palace, Hull and Nottingham Forest. On the pitch, Wolves come into tonight's fixture on the back of 0 wins in 8 games in all competitions. Interestingly, Leicester are actually the only top-half club Wolves have beaten this season, losing 10 and drawing 2 of our 13 clashes against top-half sides. The Black Country club find themselves in a real mess, with midweek results going against us to leave us 19th (our lowest position of the season) and just 5 points above the bottom 3. However fans try and dress it up, we are in a relegation battle and need to do enough to keep our heads above water. In terms of personnel, Dean Saunders is without the suspended Roger Johnson for 3 games, which should see Danny Batth finally get a chance to show what he can do. Stephen Ward should also be fit again, which will no doubt see Kevin Foley moved back to right-back now that Zubar has gone. Ebanks-Blake should start too, provided he isn't sold off before 7pm and will most likely partner Kevin Doyle again (who has been linked with a deadline move to Celtic).

Our recent record at Leicester isn't too impressive, nor is our current form a beacon of hope for those travelling up the M69 tonight. But this is the Championship, crazy results can happen - just look at Peterborough United over Christmas. That is the belief that Wolves and their fans must go to Leicester with tonight. But make no mistake, this is going to be an incredibly hard task.

Prediction: Leicester City 3-1 Wolves

Wolves Face Big Week As Blackpool Get Revenge

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Blackpool

(Ebanks-Blake 15, Ince 45, 78)

Tom Ince equalises for Blackpool on the stroke of half-time

Blackpool handed Dean Saunders his first defeat in charge of Wolves on a gloomy afternoon at Molineux. As has often been the case for Wolves on home soil this season, the game started so brightly. Zubar and Peszko were causing Blackpool all sorts of problems early on, while stand-in left-back Kevin Foley (in for Ward who injured himself in the warm up) looked comfortable against Thomas Ince. And it was down our impressive right-flank that we took the lead - the rejuvenated Ronald Zubar marauding down down the wing before playing in an early cross for unmarked Ebanks-Blake to nod home his 11th goal of the season. And for the next 30 minutes, Wolves looked comfortable. Blackpool never really threatened and it looked like Wolves were going into half-time with a deserved lead. Indeed, they could've added to it, with Kevin Doyle clipping the crossbar with a header. But disaster struck at the end of the first-half when Johnson and Ikeme suffered a real communication breakdown. The centre-half attempted to shield the ball from Blackpool for Ikeme to collect, but mysteriously seemed to pass it back to the goalkeeper too. Because of Johnson's touch on the ball, Ikeme hesitated in coming out to gather it, for fear of giving a free-kick away, and Ince nipped between the two to level for the visitors. It was a goal completely against the run of play but, due to the nature of it, one that looked to have broken Wolves.

Blackpool celebrate Ince 2nd, and winning, goal

Wolves, understandably still shell-shocked, started the second half on the back foot and it took them about 15 minutes to get going again. But despite that, all they really had to show for the second-half was a golden opportunity for Ebanks-Blake to regain the lead. The ball fell to him about 6 yards out, but all the striker could do was blast the ball straight at the feet of Gilks. If the Ince equaliser broke Wolves, this well and truly shattered them for that afternoon and Blackpool saw their chance for revenge (after Wolves stole the pre-Christmas points at Bloomfield Road). And so, 12 minutes from time, Ince was given far too much space to cut inside and shoot from 25 yards. The ball swerved, but Ikeme will be disappointed not to have got a stronger hand to it. With that, the fans knew it was game over and Wolves, despite a few corners seemingly building pressure, never really threatened Gilks. To compound the Molineux misery, Roger Johnson - who harked back to last season with a dreadful game - got himself deservedly sent off for a ridiculous clash with Angel Martinez in the 90th minute. The pair seemed to tangle with each other, tugging each other's shirts before Johnson lost his temper and swung an arm at the Spaniard's face. It was foolish of him to get involved and react, and means he misses the next 3 games against some very tough opposition.

Roger Johnson foolishly sent off for clashing with Martinez

In truth, this was a game of two sides who rarely threatened the opposition goal but yet who both could've won. For all their good play, Blackpool seemed to be carried by Thomas Ince (who, by the way, looks a fantastic player. If Zaha's worth £15m, then Ince must be at least £20m) while Wolves looked like they had the potential to carve the Tangerines open, but that final ball was all too lacking. Again, I fail to see what Kevin Doyle brings to the team as all too often he played the wrong pass, or ran himself down blind alleys. What we need is a striker who can score goals and that is why it baffles me that Jake Cassidy isn't given a chance. It baffles me even more that, as of this morning (Monday 28th Jan), we appear to be selling Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to Crystal Palace for £1m. When a club is in the mess we're in, it makes no sense to be selling off the only player who seems to be scoring. The loss of Johnson for the next 3 games is a blow too, although hopefully it will now see Danny Batth given a chance - not that he has much hope of success alongside Christophe Berra.

Ebanks-Blake: Only one who looks like scoring right now

The team's failure sparked angry chants from the stands, with fans asking the board where the money from the Summer transfer sales has gone. The answer will have to be given this week - hopefully in the form of new signings (and quality ones at that!) otherwise the backlash from the fans if we suffer another home defeat to Leeds in 2 weeks time could be nasty. What worries me the most is that these players don't seem to want to play for the shirt, there's no real passion or drive there. Even players like Karl Henry seem to be meandering through games now. There's a lot of deadwood at the club and if we can clear some of it out this week then that's great. However, selling your top goalscorer and only real goal-threat is not really the answer to this. It is going to be a long 3 days for the fans, and a difficult 3 days for the manager and board - who know they must get this right to have any chance of some success when the Early Bird Season Tickets go on sale. It's do-or-die for Morgan and Moxey.

My Wolves MOTM: Ronald Zubar. For the second week running, the full-back stood out amongst the dross. Looked good going forward, whilst he kept the tricky Matt Phillips in his back-pocket for the entire game.

Wolves In A Word: Lacking.

Preview: Blackpool home

Wolves welcome Blackpool to Molineux tomorrow, with the Tangerines looking for revenge for a pre-Christmas defeat to the Midlanders at Bloomfield Road. Dean Saunders is also looking for his first win in charge, having overseen a 1-1 and a 0-0 so far.

Carl Ikeme: Had the game of his life at Bloomfield Road

As I said, Blackpool will be coming to Molineux with revenge on their mind - following Wolves' 2-1 away win at the seaside just before Christmas. On that night, two Sylvan Ebanks-Blake goals - including one from an incredibly debateable penalty decision - secured the points for Stale Solbakken's side. But it was the performance of Carl Ikeme - the performance of his life nonetheless - that caught the eye of the watching Sky cameras and earned him the deserved man of the match award. He pulled off save after save to deny almost all of Blackpool's 15 shots on target. On that night, Tom Ince single-handedly tore Wolves to pieces, but just couldn't beat the giant Brummie stopper. And, as mentioned in the last preview blog between these two sides, the last time Blackpool visited Molineux they were on the end of a 4-0 thrashing, with DJ Campbell making things harder for them as he was sent off on the stroke of half-time. Again, Ebanks-Blake got himself a brace to help record Wolves' biggest ever Premier League win. Speaking of meetings at Molineux, Blackpool haven't even picked up a single point away to Wolves in their last 7 visits here, whilst they have only tasted success once in their last 16 trips here - a 2-1 win in 1964.

Steve Thompson has struggled in caretaker charge at Blackpool

That Wolves win at Bloomfield Road was Michael Appleton's first defeat as Blackpool manager. However, it is not the former-Pompey boss who will be in the dugout at Molineux tomorrow - Appleton having hopped across Lancashire to take the daunting job at Blackburn Rovers on the day we drew 1-1 with Rovers. Blackpool's caretaker manager, Steve Thompson, has taken charge of the 3 matches since Appleton's departure and all of them, interestingly, have seen the Seasiders slip to 2-1 defeats - away to Charlton and at home to Fulham (in the Cup after extra-time) and league leaders Cardiff. Blackpool actually find themselves in a similar position to us - they're only a point ahead of us (and 2 places above us) and are bottom of the division's form table, having only got 2 points from their last 6 games. Given our tendancy to throw points away, we must be wary of Blackpool late on - they've scored 16 goals in the last 15 minutes of games this season, more than any other club in the division. Even though I said it last week and it finished 0-0, I do predict there will be goals this week. Blackpool are the 6th highest scorers in the division, while at the other end they've only kept 5 clean sheets. A concern for Wolves is that Kevin Phillips is back fit and ready for selection - the striker looking to keep up his impressive goals tally against us.

Wolves struggled to impress in all areas at Hillsborough last week

For Wolves, this Blackpool fixture kicks off what is supposed to be quite a busy week for the club. With Saunders keen to get players in and out over the coming few days, and a trip to high-flying Leicester on Thursday, it's going to be all hands on deck at Molineux. So far under the Welshman, Wolves have had two very distinctly different performances. Against Blackburn, they were full of energy, creativity and hunger. But against Sheffield Wednesday last week, that same team looked as bad as they had during the darkest defeats of the Solbakken era (i.e. Peterborough and Ipswich). There was absolutely no invention going forward, no creativity, no passion, not even a solid defence (despite the clean sheet). Nope, all there was was 11 players clinging on to a point with the tips of their fingernails. By all accounts, we were greatly let off the hook - Wednesday's poor, poor finishing saving us the humiliation of a deserved drubbing. To not even have a shot on target is embarassing. The fans will be demanding a response back on home turf and Molineux might be an ugly place to be at full time if the same dross as last week is served up.

David Davis: Has begun to show his best form of late

Wolves can at least count of the now-fully-fit Jamie O'Hara to spark some life into them, while Dave Edwards will be a welcome sight back in the squad as we've greatly missed the energy he gives us. Kevin Foley, surely, cannot be allowed to continue in the side given his horrific season and I would love to see Peszko start in his place - whilst allowing Ronald Zubar to build on his impressive showing at Hillsborough last week. Danny Batth too - why he isn't picked ahead of Berra is beyond me. Clearly these managers must be seeing something to not pick the Dudley defender because I certainly can't see what he's doing wrong to be behind the abysmal Scotsman. Kevin Doyle, too, looks spent at Wolves and I'd like to see Cassidy and Ebanks-Blake link up at Molineux tomorrow, whilst the sight of Sigurdarson returning to the bench is sure to warm hearts on a cold day in Wolverhampton. And finally, as much as I am a die-hard fan of Karl Henry, I can't help but feel we would be better served pairing O'Hara with David Davis - the young midfielder showing his Premier League form in recent weeks. He looks oh so comfortable on the ball, has shown he won't shirk a tackle, and provides us with more energy in the middle of the park than the skipper currently is.

I must be honest here - I'm really not looking forward to this game. I'm struggling to really get excited about Wolves at the moment. I hope tomorrow proves me wrong and ends up being the most exciting game we've seen at Molineux in ages but, if truth be told, I can see it being one of those games where we all go home and say "I wish that had been called off". Saunders certainly has a task on his hands to stop this rot and it will take him a while to do it. A win would certainly go a long way to helping that but, despite Blackpool's poor record at Molineux, I can't see it happening tomorrow.

Prediction: Wolves 1-1 Blackpool.

Wolves Draw A Blank In The Sheffield Snow

Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Carl Ikeme punches clear a first-half attack

So I predicted goals, and produced a stat that indicated Wolves would either win or lose this game... so of course it makes perfect sense that Wolves would pick up their first 0-0 of the season. In truth, however, the draw severely flattered Wolves who were battered for almost the entire 90 minutes and, for the first time this season, failed to muster a single shot on target. We started relatively brightly, with Ebanks-Blake causing problems for Llera and Gardner by showing some neat touches. He shot wide from outside the box, but that was all we really had to show for the first-half. Apart from that, it was the Wednesday show with Reda Johnson having a header saved brilliantly by Ikeme on the goal-line, and both Jermaine Johnson and Michail Antonio both seeing efforts creepy inches wide of the post. Wolves just couldn't get in the game and were carved open far too many times - particularly through the middle. Occasionally Wolves got forward - mainly down the right with Kevin Foley - but every time the ball was played into the box, there was normally only Ebanks-Blake in there to aim for and Wolves failed to get anything positive from it. Indeed, the only high point for those in Old Gold behind Ikeme's goal in the first-half was Jermaine Johnson, who was a thorn in our side all afternoon, was smacked in the face by Ikeme's goal-kick from close range. It was a cheap thrill for the 1400 travelling fans, but on a day of such little action, they can be forgiven that. Amazingly, though, Wolves clung on until half-time without any damage done to the scoreline. Something had to change in the second-half.

Jermaine Johnson: Caused Wolves problems all day

Unfortunately, nothing did change. Saunders made the move to 4-5-1, but that only made Wolves look worse as Ebanks-Blake was totally isolated and looked hopeless as long-ball after long-ball was played to him up against the tall and powerful Llera. Again, the pace and movement of Jermaine Johnson, Antonio and on-loan winger Jeremy Helan were causing the Wolves back line all sorts of trouble - although the Owls never really had many clear-cut chances, often finding that their final pass let them down. In fact, the second-half plodded along until the last 15 minutes, when Helan got into a good position but could only find the side netting. Then Jermaine Johnson flashed a ball across the box that nobody could get a touch to. At the other end, Wolves fans had to wait til the 85th minute to see their side register a real threatening strike at goal - a left-footed volley for Kevin Doyle from just outside the box going over Chris Kirkland's crossbar. But the biggest chance of the second-half again fell to the home side as, with just 2 minutes of normal time remaining, Jeremy Helan jinked his way into the box before curling an effort over the bar with Ikeme stranded. That was to be the last real threat either team made, and the game petered out to see Wolves steal a grossly undeserved point at Hillsborough.

Ebanks-Blake: Tried hard against Llera but struggled

This match has served some purpose for those in Old Gold, however. It's emphasised the point - yet again - that it was not Solbakken who was the real problem here. The players are the problem - particularly Foley, Berra, Ward, Doyle and to a lesser extent Henry and Sako. The midfield and forwards are far too static, whilst the only way our defenders seem to know is hoofing. I must ask - how is a striker who is 5ft10 supposed to win headers (and retain possession at the same time) against two centre-backs who are 6ft4 and 6ft5 respectively?! It is seriously worrying just how poor we were today. We never looked like scoring - and that is backed up by the appalling stat that we had no shots on target at all. Indeed, we only had 2 shots all game. That is horrendous and something that has to be looked at in great detail. And for those who say "at least it's a clean sheet" - I put to you that Sheffield Wednesday themselves only had 2 shots on target. Today we have been saved by (as I predicted) the Owls' lack of finishing, rather than our own impressive defensive display. How Kevin Doyle is still allowed to start is beyond me, as he looks disinterested compared to someone like Cassidy. Whilst in midfield, I would actually like to see a partnership of Davis and O'Hara as that would give us a lot more energy in the middle of the park. And as for Christophe Berra... either he really impresses in training, or Danny Batth/Richard Stearman are that abysmal in training that the Scot somehow starts every week. Because, on a match day, I don't see one redeeming feature about his game that would make me want to put him anywhere near my side.

New and Old: Dave Jones knows how tough the Wolves job is

These next 2 weeks of the January window are make or break. Saunders must be given money to spend - with no exceptions (you hear that Mr Moxey?!). Unless there is serious investment in this side, we are in real trouble for the forseeable future. By some miracle, we are 7 points clear of the relegation zone. I cannot fathom how because, by all rights, we should be a lot closer to the drop given our recent performances and results. I never thought I'd see a season like last season - nor did I ever want to see another season like the last one - but it is getting to the point where if the opposition score, it puts me out of my misery. I'm going to matches expecting to be let down, to be coming home without a win. It's an exact replica of last season, and it hurts a lot. It's truly demoralising, and surely it cannot carry on like this. One thing is becoming clear, however - there's something truly wrong at this football club. And it needs eradicating fast.

My Wolves MOTM: Ronald Zubar. Often criticised by myself, I can hold my hands up and say he was our best player today. Looked solid at the back, and got forward well to support Foley and Doyle. Hopefully a sign of things to come from the Frenchman.

Wolves In A Word: Worrying.

Preview: Sheffield Wednesday away

Hillsborough is the venue for a big clash at the foot of the Championship tomorrow, as 21st place Sheffield Wednesday host a Wolves side currently sitting in 18th. The two sides are seperated by only 4 points and a defeat at Hillsborough could spell real trouble for Wolves. However, a win for Dean Saunders' side could see them go up to 15th and put some real breathing space between them and the bottom 3.

Sako's free-kick won it for Wolves in September

The recent omens for Wolves are good. Our last meeting with The Owls, back in September, was one of the highlights of the season as a 1-0 win at Molineux saw Stale Solbakken's men in the dizzy heights of 3rd. It was a game Wolves controlled from the 10th minute onwards, with Bakary Sako's re-taken free-kick the difference on the day. But in general, Wolves have a fantastic record against this weekend's opponents - winning their last 6 meetings and indeed only suffering 1 defeat in their last 20 meetings. Indeed at Hillsborough, you have to look even further back for the last time Wolves came away empty handed - September 1964 to be precise. Since then, Wolves have travelled North 14 times and come away victorious 7 times. Our last trip to Hillsborough was back in our promotion season and it was part of the run that kickstarted our season - a 1-0 win courtesy of a 5th minute Ebanks-Blake goal in March 2009.

Sheffield Wednesday's disappointing Cup exit to MK Dons

Since that sunny afternoon in September, Sheffield Wednesday's season has almost mirrored Wolves' - only the decline hasn't been as noticeable. The 1-0 defeat at Molineux was part of a run of winless League run of 8 games to ruin the good start to their season and crank the pressure up on Dave Jones. They eventually won again at the end of October - a 3-0 success away to Ipswich Town. That was followed up by a 2-1 home win over Peterborough, but since then The Owls have only won 4 League games as well as being dumped out of the FA Cup 3rd Round this week after a 2-0 replay defeat at MK Dons. As bad as the long-term picture is looking for Wednesday, the recent form makes the situation look so much better. They are joint top of the Championship form table, winning 4 and drawing 1 of their last 6 games to lift the pressure surrounding former-Wolves boss Jones. However, it is their away form that's keeping their heads above water. They have only won 1 of their last 6 home games (losing the other 5) and only scoring 5 goals in that period whilst conceding 11. So it's safe to say home comforts haven't been a feature of much of Wednesday's season. Goals, too, haven't been a regular occurence for them, with Wednesday being the 3rd lowest scorers in the league, average 1.14 goals a game. However, they've only conceded an average of 1.59 goals per game - 6 teams have a worse record - indicating it's their lack of goals that costs them, rather than letting too many in. Nothing backs this up more than the fact that they have failed to score in more games than any other team in the division - 10 times in all. But there is some good team news for Wednesday, with Chris Kirkland and Anthony Gardner set to play whilst cup-tied midfielder Jeremy Helan and suspended midfielder David Prutton both available for this weekend's clash.

Johnson gets the crowd going after scoring against Blackburn

As for Wolves, they'll be looking to build on last weekend's credible draw at home to Blackburn. The team will be encouraged by just how much they dominated the game at Molineux last Friday and that should spur them on to success at a ground they've enjoyed visiting in recent years. This weekend's clash highlights just how severe our collapse has been this season. Since that 1-0 win that lifted us to 3rd, we've only won 4 times and 3 of those wins came in December. In short, it's been a truly horrific season. Whilst Wednesday are joint-top of the form table, we're joint-bottom with only 4 points from our last 6 games. Given that The Owls find scoring a problem this season, Wolves can feel confident of keeping their first clean sheet in 7 League games. The Midlanders have conceded just 1.44 goals per game this season - to leave them sitting firmly in the middle of the table for that particular stat. However, there's one very interesting stat that stands out to me - Wolves are the only side in the entire top 5 divisions of English football (Prem to Conference) to not draw an away League game this season. So whatever happens tomorrow, it's unlikely to be a point apiece.

Danny Bath had a fantastic time on loan at Hillsborough

On the team news front, Jamie O'Hara is likely to make his first League start of the season tomorrow after impressing as a substitute in last Friday's 1-1 draw with Blackburn, whilst Jake Cassidy and Kevin Doyle are both expected to be up front together again. Saunders has also hinted at the possibility of playing Kevin Foley on the right of midfield again, something that has created great unhappiness amongst fans. It is clear to all watching on that Foley is uncomfortable on the pitch in general, let alone on the right-wing. Slawomir Peszko is still returning to full match fitness, but the Polish winger is fans' clear preferred choice on the right-side. The Pole seems happy to stay at Wolves too, despite the departure of Solbakken, and for a fee of £500k he could be ours permanently. From what I've seen of him, I urge the club to sign him up asap. At the back, Danny Batth makes his first return to Hillsborough since his promotion-winning loan spell there last season. He's sure to get a hero's welcome from fans who regard him as one of the best centre-backs they've seen there in recent years. Sadly (and bewilderingly) he's unlikely to be in the starting line-up as yet another Wolves manager persists with the shocking Christophe Berra.

With both sides having a mixed bag in terms of recent form, and their respective seasons in general, there's no telling which way this will go. The weather conditions will only heighten the unpredictability that comes naturally with Championship football. But don't be surprised to see Wolves invigorated after another week with Saunders, and it's that extra spark that I think will see Wolves continue their good recent record at Hillsborough.

Prediction: Sheffield Weds 1-2 Wolves

Saunders Makes His Point As Wolves Bite Back

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Blackburn Rovers

(Johnson 74, Rhodes 26 (pen))

Dean Saunders reign at Molineux began in slightly controversial circumstances, as Wolves came from behind to claim a deserved point against Blackburn. The new manager received a fantastically warm welcome from Wolves fans as he was introduced before kick-off but will be disappointed at how his side failed to claim all 3 points, despite having the best of large periods of the match.

Rhodes tucks away the controversial penalty

Saunders only made 2 changes to the side that had started Stale Solbakken's last League game away at Palace, with Jake Cassidy making his first league appearance for Wolves in place of Ebanks-Blake, and Ronald Zubar surprisingly being brought in in place of Stearman. And the game started brightly for Wolves, who threatened Blackburn several times as they piled on the pressure in the opening 10 minutes - Kevin Foley and Jake Cassidy going closest. At the other end, Rhodes nicked the ball past the on-rushing Ikeme but, with the goal-gaping, Rhodes touch prodded the ball far too wide and Wolves were able to clear comfortably. But with Wanderers on top, the game-changing moment arrived. A soft-free kick was awarded to the right of the Wolves penalty box and, despite everyone expecting it to be whipped in, the ball was played short to Ruben Rochina. The Spaniard weaved his way into the box without any real challenge, before Bakary Sako foolishly dangled a leg out. This was just the invitation Rochina needed and, despite there being minimal contact (indeed Rochina was already on his way over before he clipped Sako's trailing foot), the penalty was awarded. In fact, the referee had ignored the dive, and waved play on. But it was the baby-faced linesman who was conned far too easily and flagged furiously. As Saunders put it after - "It was a young linesman on the far side and he’d probably told his family that he was running the line on Sky Sports...he might have thought ‘If I give a couple of offsides, the camera will go on my face so at least the family will know I was there,’ and he couldn’t wait to give the penalty". It was an abysmal decision but credit to Jordan Rhodes - he had to wait a long time to take the spot-kick, but when he did, it was brilliantly tucked away and even though Ikeme guessed the right way, the big keeper stood no chance. From that moment, Blackburn were in the ascendancy and Rochina again went close - testing Ikeme from range. But Wolves went in at half-time hugely unfortunate to be behind.

Johnson celebrates the equaliser

The manner of Blackburn's lead did appear to knock the stuffing out of Wolves slightly, and in the second-half Blackburn started the better side - with Rochina again proving to be a thorn in Wolves side, forcing a slightly scrambled save from Ikeme. But Wolves eventually found their feet and started to get into the game a bit more - Johnson having an effort cleared off the line by Murphy and then heading one only just over the bar from a free-kick. But these were to prove sighters for him and with 15 minutes to go, substitute Jamie O'Hara picked the ball up on the halfway line with his first touch, and with his second, played a sublime ball in for Roger Johnson to head home. After that, there only looked like being one side who would go on to win it, although neither side had any real clear-cut chances to score - Wolves perhaps coming the closest when Sako flashed a ball across the face of goal with nobody getting the vital touch.

Referee wanted to be centre of attention with some odd decisions

It was difficult for either side to really take full control of this game, as it was such a stop-start affair with niggly fouls and free-kicks conceded by either side. The officials seemed determined to be the centre of attention and none of them looked like they knew what they were doing. Several times one of the linesmen gave throw-ins the wrong way, only to be overruled by an unsure referee. Then there were incidents such as David Davis' unusual booking for the most minimal of contacts as a Blackburn player appeared to go over easily again. But, bar the penalty, the two most amazing decisions of the night were the failure to send off 2 Blackburn players. Firstly, after Colin Kazim-Richards had been rightly booked for lunging in at Karl Henry, the winger then went studs-first with a high boot on Ronald Zubar. Not even a free-kick was awarded and Kazim-Richards escaped without a second yellow. But even more bizzare events were to follow in the second-half when Martin Olsson, already booked on the hour mark, smashed Slawomir Peszko down on the right of the Blackburn area with 2 minutes to play. It was a needless challenge and it looked certain the Swede would be shown a red. But to everyone's amazement, he walked away with no further punishment. Admittedly, for Wolves, Karl Henry rode his luck occasionally, the midfielder having little nibbles at Blackburn's midfield despite having been booked.

Saunders may face FA charges for his comments about the officials

Now I've seen some dreadful officials watching Wolves down the years - Uriah Rennie, Mark Halsey, Howard Webb, Darren Deadman just 4 names that spring to mind over the years that have had more than one dreadful game officiating Wolves. But Friday's performance of Northamptonshire referee Dean Whitestone was by far the worst, most incompetent I have ever had the misfortune to witness. We all thought the standard of refereeing in the Premier League was bad - I think we can all agree it's nothing compared to how bad Championship officials are. Half the time it's like they've just pulled blokes off the streets and put a Football League outfit on them. Dean Saunders will surely face FA discipline for his comments about the linesman, but the simple fact is the Wolves boss has hit the nail firmly hit on the head. Something needs to be done about the standard of officials in this country because it is flying downhill at the moment.

Cassidy looked promising on his first Wolves League start

One thing's for sure at Molineux, it's not just the manager that's the problem this season - be it Solbakken or Saunders. Yet again we saw players backing off from the opposition, losing possession far too cheaply, and hitting it long and hoping for the best. As has been the case for the last 3-4 years, it is blatantly obvious that it is the players who are limited and not good enough. They are exposed by much cleverer footballers and become like headless chickens. Foley, Berra, Ward, and to a lesser extent Zubar, Henry, Ebanks-Blake and Doyle, all look like they're struggling and youngsters like Doherty, Batth, Davis and Cassidy must surely be pushing for a first-team spot now. I know it's seen as risky to put youngsters in in a relegation battle (just look down the A41 towards Villa) but sometimes it can be a source of fresh impetus and with the amount of deadwood at the club at the moment, this could be just what we need to get us out of the mess we find ourselves in.

My Wolves MOTM: Roger Johnson. I'm becoming like a broken record now, as yet again he held the defence together and took control at the back. And when the strikers couldn't score, he took that job on himself too! Another impressive showing from him.

Wolves In A Word: Unchanging

Preview: Blackburn Rovers home

New manager Dean Saunders takes charge of his first Wolves match tonight, as they take on managerless Blackburn Rovers at Molineux. To add to the pressure, it will also be beamed to the country on Sky (you wait 5 years for a Friday night match on Sky, then 2 come along in 3 weeks!) - although our record on Sky this season is actually quite remarkable. In the 5 games shown live on Sky so far this season, Wolves have won 4 (only suffering an opening day defeat to Leeds United on TV).

Solbakken's jubilation at Blackburn will live long in the memory

Whilst Wolves go into this game under new management, it was, ironically, the reverse fixture between these two sides that left us with the most famous image of Stale Solbakken's reign. The fantastic celebrations seen by the manager at the end of the 1-0 win (thanks to a Bakary Sako beauty 12 minutes from time) have stuck in the mind of Wolves fans who were at Ewood Park that day. Given the amount of injury problems the side were suffering at the time (11 players were missing) it was a fantastic result and one that looked like it would take Wolves forward in their quest for promotion. However, it wasn't to be and that win was followed by a run of no wins in 9 games - a run that proved to be the very first nail in Stale Solbakken's Molineux coffin. That win against Blackburn was one to be savoured given Wolves' previous recent history against them. Before this season's meeting in the North-West, Wolves had only won 1 of their previous 10 meetings with Rovers (a 2-1 win on the opening day of the fateful 2011/12 Prem season). Particularly in the Premier League, games with Blackburn weren't particularly enjoyable for Wolves, suffering 5-1, 3-1 and 3-0 defeats at Ewood Park, while the 3-2 defeat at Molineux on May 22nd 2011 will surely go down in the Wolves history books as a truly remarkable day. Historically, there have been 45 Molineux meetings between the two sides, with Wolves winning 25 of those - although those stats are actually quite misleading, with most of those wins coming before the 1950s. Indeed, in the last 10 games between them at Molineux, Wolves have only won once (a 2-1 win in April 2000).

Berg - sacked after only 10 games in charge at Ewood Park

That 1-0 win for Wolves earlier in the season was against a Blackburn side playing their first home game since Steve Kean's resignation - something Blackburn fans had been waiting months for. But just 3 months later, Wolves again face a Blackburn side without a manager after Kean's replacement (fans' favourite Henning Berg) was strangely sacked after just 57 days (and 10 games) in charge. Granted, the Norwegian had just won 1 of his 10 games in charge, but it was still an insane decision that has once again left huge questions marks hovering over the Indian owners. Whilst earlier in the season, Eric Black was caretaker manager, this time it's reserve-team manager Gary Bowyer taking charge. And the signs during his spell in charge have been positive. Blackburn have won all 3 games under Bowyer, scoring 8 goals and conceding only 1. Blackburn actually have a decent away record coming into this game - of their 13 away games they've only lost 3 (though they have drawn 7) and they've only lost twice in their last 5 away games. One thing to note about Blackburn is they don't concede many, with an average of just 1.32 goals against per game - the 6th best record in the division. However, everything else about them is distinctly middle-of-the-road, holding mid-table positions on goals scored, points per game and scoring first.

Paul Robinson - Big miss for Rovers tonight

The news coming out of Ewood Park over the last few days, however, is that Blackpool manager Michael Appleton is set to take over and may potentially be in the stands at Molineux tonight taking in a watching brief. It would be an unusual appointment, given that Appleton only left Portsmouth for Blackpool in November. But he looks set to be the man tasked with getting the one-time Premier League winners back to the top flight. With the squad he has on paper, that should be a doddle. Rovers have the best on-paper squad in the division, with former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson (who will be sidelined tonight with a back injury) protected by a back four that includes Martin Olsson, Gael Givet and Roger Johnson's former-Birmingham team-mate Scott Dann. It is in midfield where Rovers are perhaps most impressive - star names like David Dunn, Mauro Formica, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Danny Murphy and Markus Olsson all regular sights on the Blackburn teamsheet. Up front they have some impressive options too, with Leon Best, Ruben Rochina, Nuno Gomes and Colin Kazim-Richards all familiar names, whilst £8m signing Jordan Rhodes is Rovers' top scorer with 13 goals.

Saunders - Already winning fans over at Molineux

Wolves begin life under a new manager yet again - the 4th manager at the club in the last 11 months - with Dean Saunders promising a clean slate for all of his players. I must admit that, whilst being unhappy and skeptical about the appointment at first, the Welshman has begun to win me over heavily. He certainly talks a good game, and puts a heavy emphasis on fitness, desire and work-rate and has made it clear that he wishes to trim the squad down. He certainly says all the right things but, after what I've heard from Doncaster fans, I would rather wait and let his football do the real talking. What Dean Saunders will bring is a lift in morale coupled with a strict team policy - the Welshman describing football "like being at war". If two or three soldiers let you down and don't pull their weight, the entire unit is facing being killed. Likewise if two or three players don't put in maximum effort, the team is never going to win matches. The new manager has come out today and given striker Kevin Doyle a huge boost by stating that he will be the first name on the teamsheet tonight, after impressing heavily in training. Saunders will also be able to call on the services of the hugely impressive Slawomir Peszko while Bjorn Sigurdarson should also be back to full fitness after missing the Cup exit at Luton. Midfielder Tongo Doumbia has joined up with Mali for the ACON but is injured and will look for a return to Wolverhampton to be treated by the club.

With an eager home crowd, plus an intrigued nation watching on the telly, all eyes will be on Dean Saunders to see how he will begin life at Molineux. He can't do much worse than how his predecessor ended life in front of the home fans - two pathetic displays (and defeats) to Peterborough and Ipswich respectively. But one thing the new man has brought back to Molineux over the course of this week is excitement, with fans desperate for this game to kick off and see what Saunders has brought to the table. With a passionate home crowd behind them, and with the players wanting to put recent embarassments behind them in front of the watching nation, I think Wolves will just about scrape this one.

Prediction: Wolves 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

From Solbakken To Saunders

Wolves today unveiled Dean Saunders as the man tasked with keeping them in the Championship. The 48 year-old former-Villa striker joins from joint-top of League 1 side Doncaster Rovers, taking over at Molineux following the dismissal of Stale Solbakken. The appointment of Saunders is one that has drawn a mixed reaction from fans, with many fans feeling that there are better options out there.

Saunders had guided Doncaster to the top of League 1

I must admit, I am one of those fans. Personally I would have liked Karl Robinson to take over, or even Sean O'Driscoll or Owen Coyle. Three men who like to mix hard work with passing, technical and progressive football. However, one thing these managers would've wanted is money to spend - something I think our board seem reluctant to give lately. One thing that cannot be disputed is Saunders success on a shoestring budget. He got Wrexham to the top of the Blue Square Premier on very little money, and has done the same with Doncaster in League 1. But he's done it, according to fans of both clubs, through a style of football I thought we'd seen the last of at Molineux. It would appear Saunders favours a direct, almost hoofball style of football. This will suit the likes of Berra, Johnson and Ward, but I do worry that some of the more ball-playing, cultured players in the side (particularly in midfield) would struggle to fit in to this style of play.

Cassidy will surely relish the chance to work with Saunders

One thing that can never be levelled at Dean Saunders, however, is a lack of goalscoring nous. At his peak, the Welsh striker 22 goals in 59 games for Oxford United, 42 in 106 for Derby County, 37 in 112 for Aston Villa and 15 in 27 for Galatasaray. That's around an average of just over a goal every 3 games - a good scoring rate for a striker. His knowledge could help spark some life into struggling frontment Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, while young striker Jake Cassidy must be licking his lips at the prospect of working with a man who must've been among the Welshman's heroes growing up. Regardless of the football played, one thing you can be sure of is that Dean Saunders will have these players fighting for the shirt again - otherwise they're out. It should see more passionate performances coming from players who seemed to have lost their own personal sense of pride under Solbakken. And if Saunders can bring in some of the young players like Cassidy, Danny Batth and Matt Doherty, to name a few, then he will instantly begin to win me over.

Heads Down: Wolves have suffered a relegation hangover this season

Saunders has already had his "Merlin the Magician" moment it appears. In his first press conference this afternoon, he announced "What Wolves players have had is they've been to the greatest party ever and woken up with a hangover". The message to the squad was clear - get over your relegation hangover, accept you're in the Championship, and fight damn hard to get back to the Premier League. He certainly won't take any crap from players and if there's something they're doing wrong on the pitch, he will make it very clear to them - something Solbakken didn't appear to do. He does talk a good game and says he likes to have a Plan A, B and C as you never know what the opposition will do. He will drill in to the players exactly what those plans are, aiming to make it second nature to them. Those who don't fit in will be gone - particularly as Saunders feels the squad is too big and needs cutting down. This should see a lot of the deadwood leaving - something that has needed to happen for at least 18 months now.

Whilst I am personally uninspired by the appointment, I will give Saunders time because every manager deserves (and needs) that. I will gladly be proven wrong about him, and if I am I will openly hold my hands up to it. But right now I am still very unconvinced he is the man to take Wolves forward long-term. He may talk a good game, but it's whether he plays one that matters to me. But the proof, as always, will be in the performances and the results.

Over to you, Deano.

Stale Solbakken Sacked: Reaction

Solbakken walks off the pitch for the last time as Wolves manager

At around 8:45pm on the 5th January 2013, Wolves announced that after only 6 months in charge, Stale Solbakken has been relieved of his duties. This afternoon's embarassing exit to non-League side Luton Town proved to be the final straw - although if some rumours are to be believed, the decision to sack Stale was taken before today, but he wasn't informed of it until after the match. Apparently he was sacked via a phone call too. If these are true, in all honesty it wouldn't surprise me. The Norwegian has been hung out to dry by messers Morgan and Moxey, and the attitude of the players has been disgraceful. Clearly this is a squad that is so used to having its tummy tickled by Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor that when someone new came in, they didn't like it.

The 2-0 win at Peterborough was part of an enjoyable winning run

If I was to have one criticism of Solbakken (and this is my only criticism), it's that he tried to change things too fast. He should have played to the players strengths and slowly phased those players out, before bringing in his own players and having the team play his way. But he seemed to be too stubborn for that, and insisted on the players playing his style of football - something they were never going to manage. It looked to be working, with early wins over Leicester, Ipswich, Peterborough and Sheffield Wednesday that saw Wolves up to 3rd in the table. But then injuries struck hard - in particular the loss of Slawomir Peszko which was, in hindsight, a monumental blow to Wolves. From that moment on, results tumbled and Wolves went on a 9 game winless run that saw the side slip to as low as 18th. December had briefly brough restbite, with 3 wins in 4. But it was the pathetic no-shows against Peterborough and Ipswich at Molineux, and subsequent 3-0 and 2-0 defeats, that had the home fans baying for blood. A disappointing (but expected) defeat to Crystal Palace on New Years Day was followed up by one of the lowest points in Wolves' recent history, as Blue Square Premier side Luton Town knocked a strong Wolves team out of the FA Cup. That proved to be the killer for Solbakken, and his dismissal was announced a few hours later.

Moxey & Morgan: Both as bad as each other

I do have to question exactly what the board - and in particular Morgan and Moxey - are playing at here. Morgan wanted Solbakken for almost 18 months before he finally got him, and yet he doesn't stick by him when it was most needed. It seems that, yet again, our chairman has taken the coward's way out and has seemingly been pushed towards that direction by our CEO. It does feel as though Moxey thinks he runs the club and that isn't helped by the fact the fans barely hear a peep from Morgan. Obviously nobody wants a chairmen who's in the dressing room picking the team, but likewise we don't want one who seems so far removed from the fans. I can guarantee that, on Monday morning when we have the press conference about the sacking, it will be Moxey handling the questions whilst Morgan will probably not even show his face. The fans want answers, we need them and quite honestly they're the very least we deserve. 6 months is absolutely no time to change the philosophy of a football club, but sadly time and patience are two commodities in very short supply at Wolves - particularly in the stands.

Kevin Foley: Looks a shadow of his former self this season

The next choice of manager is a big one for Wolves. It will be the difference between relegation to League 1 and staying in the Championship. The first task they've got, however, is to clear out a lot of the deadwood we have sitting in our squad. Players like Ward, Foley, Berra, Doyle and Ebanks-Blake who have all proven themselves to not be good enough anymore. And they're clearly not playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers - they only played for Mick McCarthy. I don't think they were ever really that bothered about making Stale Solbakken a successful figure at Molineux and it showed with their recent pathetic displays. As usual with Wolves over the last few years, there's been plenty of talking to the website and local media, but not nearly enough talk where it really counts - on the pitch. One thing I would like to see the new boss do is bring the young players into the team. People like Danny Batth and Jake Cassidy who are the future of this club and will, I have no doubt, go on to become top quality players. But we need to start playing them now, otherwise we risk losing them.

Wolves fan O'Driscoll is bookies favourite to take Molineux post

As for who the next manager is going to be, the two main candidates appear to be Sean O'Driscoll and Dean Saunders. Both men with Doncaster Rovers connections, and who play very different styles of football. O'Driscoll, who happens to be from Wolverhampton and a life-long Wolves fan, likes his teams to play possession football. When he was with Doncaster in the Championship, they were incredibly difficult to play against simply because it was very rare the opposition got the ball off them. Dean Saunders, despite having done well with Wrexham, was in charge of Doncaster when they were relegated and although he has guided Doncaster to 2nd in League 1, the football he plays is one of a long-ball, 'hoof' vareity. This would suit the players, seemingly (particularly Johnson and Berra) but not the fans and it's not what Wolves are trying to build towards.

Wanted Karl Robinson before we had Solbakken. Big fan of him.

In an ideal world, I'm sure we'd all jump at the chance to have Roberto Di Matteo at Wolves. However, we all know that is never going to happen. My personal preference would be either Sean O'Driscoll or even, if we do take a chance on a manager from a lower division, Karl Robinson from MK Dons. He is one of the brightest young managers in the country and, provided the price is right and he is sufficiently backed, I could see him coming here and doing a fantastic job. Whatever happens though, this next appointment is the most important in years and it is one that Morgan and Moxey must get 110% right. I dread to think of the consequences if they screw this up.

In Stale I Trusted.

Hatters Cup Shock Proves To Be Final Straw

Luton Town 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

(Lawless 46)

Blue Square Premier side Luton Town ran out deserved winners in a big FA Cup shock at Kenilworth Road. This was a match that always had the makings of a shock result and because of this, Solbakken went for a very strong side. In fact, he only made 2 changes from the side that started at Crystal Palace, with O'Hara and Forde coming in for Davis and Stearman respectively. It was a side that wouldn't look out of place at the top end of the Championship (ignoring, of course, our dreadful recent run) and had some Wolves fans feeling relatively confident that if we could start on top, we'd run out comfortable winners. Yet straight from kick-off it was The Hatters, backed by a passionate crowd, who looked the more comfortable of the two sides and they forged early openings with Lawless and Gray looking particularly lively. Despite being the better team on paper, it seemed Wolves were happy to sit and soak up pressure before hitting Luton on the break. And it was through this that the Midlanders almost took the lead - and by rights really should have. A through ball from Jamie O'Hara opened up the opportunity for Kevin Doyle to open the scoring, but from 8 yards out the striker put his angled shot wide of the far post. There was a sense that that was Wolves' big moment to take control of the game and after that, Luton kicked it up a gear. As per usual, a cheap mistake in midfield gave possession back to Luton and the ball was slipped through for Andre Gray. The Wolverhampton-born striker, who was a threat to Wolves all afternoon with his pace and movement, couldn't beat Carl Ikeme to get the ultimate revenge on the club who released him as a teenager. Wolves did have a further two half-chances, with Forde putting an effort over the bar and Bakary Sako twice being denied by Mark Tyler.

The second-half had barely begun when, with Solbakken's words still fresh in their mind, Wanderers found themselves 1-0 down. Luton won a throw in deep in the Wolves half and when Kevin Foley scuffed his clearance, his former side punished him. Striker Jon Shaw nodded down into the path of Alex Lawless who struck a sweet half-volley past Carl Ikeme to send Hatters fans into ecstacy. From then on, the feeling amongst the away fans was that this was going to be yet another defeat. The introduction of the returning Peszko, as well as a first competitive appearance in Wolves colours for Jake Cassidy, both from the bench for Forde and Doyle respectively gave Wolves a little bit more impetus. Christophe Berra headed against the top of the crossbar from close range but that was about as close as Wolves came, with Tyler very rarely being tested. An injury to JJ O'Donnell meant there was 9 minutes of injury time shown and it was in this added time that Wolves attempted to lay siege to the Luton goal, but all they had to show for it was a Jamie O'Hara drive that was tipped over by Tyler. Luton held on, though, to claim a richly deserved and famous victory to progress to the 4th Round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2007.

I was going to discuss the criticisms of the performance, and what needs changing. But just as I was about to, news broke that Stale Solbakken had been sacked by the board. So therefore I'll end this post there, because the events at Molineux tonight need an entirely new blog post of their own. But I had to keep up my run of match reports after every match, and I had to give Luton the credit they deserve. They were brilliant against us, using their pace in behind our backline to perfection. And they defend ever so stoutly too. To put it simply, they wanted it more.

My Wolves MOTM: Carl Ikeme. Made an early save to keep us in the tie, and looked commanding of his area. But in truth, nobody really stood out for Wolves today.

Wolves In A Word: Humiliation