Wolves' festive schedule: The next six games for Nuno's side
Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers looks ahead to a busy festive period to see what lies in store for Nuno Espirito Santo’s table-topping side.
Sheffield Wednesday (A)
Friday, December 15, 7.45pm
Current position: 14th
Last meeting: 0-0 (at Hillsborough, January 2017)
If reports are to be believed then Carlos Carvalhal will be sacked if his struggling Owls don’t beat Wolves on Friday.
That seems like a pretty unfair ultimatum given that Wolves are widely considered to be the best team in the division and have won seven of 10 away games.
Carvalhal won’t be far away on current form though – his team are winless in five and 10 points off the play-offs.
Wolves will have to play better than in their past two games. If they do, they should win this one.
Ipswich Town (H)
Saturday, December 23, 3pm
Current position: Ninth
Last meeting: 0-0 (at Portman Road, March 2017)
Nuno isn’t one for caring about history, record and bogey teams (witness his obliteration of Wolves’ dreadful November results) and he has another one to dispel here, with Wolves having yet to beat Mick McCarthy since he left Molineux.
His Ipswich team are unbeaten in seven against Wolves since he took over in November 2012.
The Tractor Boys are overachieving again this year, in ninth, but again it’s hard to look past a Wolves win if they play anywhere near their best. Either way Mick’s post-match quotes should be gold.
Millwall (A)
Tuesday, December 26, 1pm
Current position: 17th
Last meeting: 1-0 to Wolves (at Molineux, September 2017)
Not the most appetising of trips for Wolves fans... a 1pm kick-off on Boxing Day where trains will be scarce and the welcome far from friendly.
Millwall aren’t bad at home – they’ve won five of 10 matches (compared to none away) and the old cliché is true – it’s a tough place to go.
Old boys George Saville and Jed Wallace will certainly be up for it. The latter said Wolves were too good for the Lions in September but said it would be a different story at the New Den.
He may be right – a potential banana skin, this.
Bristol City (A)
Saturday, December 30, 5.30pm
Current position: Third
Last meeting: 3-3 (at Molineux, September 2017)
If Wolves slip up in any of their previous matches then this could potentially become a very important game.
Lee Johnson’s Bristol City are currently third in the table, eight points behind Wolves, and if they continue their current form they’ll be gunning for Nuno’s team in this televised clash.
The teams shared a tempestuous 3-3 classic in September when the benches had a touchline shoving match.
There’s no love lost between these clubs and this has the makings of another goal-fest.
Brentford (H)
Tuesday, January 2, 7.45pm
Current position: 13th
Last meeting 0-0 (at Griffin Park, August 2017)
The last of four games in just 11 days, which has been put back from January 1 due to Wolves’ game at Bristol City kicking off in the evening (teams are entitled to a 48-hour gap between matches).
Former Walsall boss Dean Smith’s Brentford were 23rd after the 0-0 draw at Griffin Park in August but that was always going to be a false position and they’ve duly shot up the table and into play-off contention.
With both teams playing good football this will be an attractive game that should favour Nuno’s side.
Swansea (H)
Saturday, January 6, 7.45pm
Current position: 19th
(Premier League)
Last meeting: 4-4 (at the Liberty Stadium, April 2012)
A welcome break from league action after a hectic Christmas and the chance for Wolves to pit their wits against a Premier League side.
Having beaten Leicester in pre-season, dumped Southampton out the Carabao Cup and taken Manchester City all the way to penalties, a home game against struggling Swansea holds no fear whatsoever.
Both teams will play a reserve side (Nuno has already stated as much) so the likes of Jack Price, Kortney Hause, Ruben Vinagre and Bright Enobakhare should feature in what looks a decent bet for a home win.
