Blues vs Wolves: The inside track on Steve Cotterill's side
Wolves face Blues in a keenly anticipated West Midlands derby at St Andrew’s on Monday.
Luke Hatfield spoke to David Brown (@DavoBirmingham), host of Davo’s Diary, to get the inside track on Wolves’ opposition.
How have Blues got on so far this season? It seems to have been a very turbulent year at St Andrew’s?
It has been nothing short of a disastrous season.
We came in with uncharacteristically high hopes and expectations, only to witness the sacking of another highly popular manager, rumours of training ground bust-ups, zero away wins by December, and potentially another relegation battle.
How has Steve Cotterill done so far?
With two wins in eight games – not exactly swimmingly. Considering the turmoil that he’s walked into he certainly has a tough task on his hands and that includes winning over the fans.
His unpredictable line ups have reminded some of the days when Lee Clark used to pick players’ names out of a hat, but a point at Bramall Lane on Saturday has quieted the doubters a little bit for now.
Who are the real danger men Wolves fans should be wary of in the Blues ranks?
I’d be most worried of a dodgy ref as that probably represents our best chance of winning.
Other than that, Chelsea loanee Jeremie Boga finally found his feet against Sheffield United with our goal of the season, and if fit Che Adams can cause any defence problems.
Jota was a world beater at Brentford but has done nothing for us so far to justify the £6million price tag.
What kind of system can Wolves expect to face?
I’d expect Cotterill to stick with the team that held Sheffield United to a draw – a 5-2-2-1 with wing-backs pushing up the flanks and Boga and Jota supporting the lone striker.
What have you made of Wolves so far this season?
Clearly a class above everyone else and one of the best sides the Championship has seen in recent years.
Many of us looked at their summer moves with scepticism but everything’s come up rosy and they’re playing some great football.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this Blues team?
Our biggest problem is that we don’t create enough chances or score enough goals. To put it into perspective, we’ve scored 10 goals to Wolves’ 40 – the worst goal scoring record in the Football League by some distance.
Having said that, we’ve managed to scrape wins against Cardiff, Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday at home, where our record is much better than on our travels.
What’s your prediction for the game?
My head says 2-0 Wolves, but my heart says we’ll scrape a draw 1-1. Nothing like a bit of optimism!
To see some of Davo's videos, you can watch them on YouTube here.
