Posts Tagged ‘wolverhampton wanderers’
Football Weekly podcast: A nightmare debut for Fernando Torres
It’s an all-star line-up for your brand new edition of Football Weekly, with AC Jimbo joined by Sean Ingle, Barry Glendenning, Barney Ronay and Gregg Roughley in a packed pod.
We start by dissecting Fernando Torres’s miserble debut for Chelsea as the Blues went down to resurgent Liverpool. Is the Spaniard the new Chris Sutton? Wiser people than us seem to think so.
Also in the podcast, we look back on the rest of the action from an amazing weekend in the Premier League. Manchester United’s unconvincing cloak of invincibility cames to an end with defeat at Wolves, Arsenal showed their title-winning credentials by throwing away a four-goal lead at Newcastle United, while another defeat for West Brom saw the Baggies part company with Roberto di Matteo.
Elsewhere, Sid Lowe fails to give us a La Liga round-up without going doolally about Messi and Ronaldo, and we hear about the rather tearful end to Fabrizio Miccoli’s afternoon against Lecce.
And mixed in with all that, like particularly juicy sultanas in a moist fruit cake, there’s discussion about Hi-NRG disco, James’ neighbour – who is dating a top Premier League footballer – and our favourite stadium caterers. According to Barney, journalists at Villa Park even get sweets and cakes. Can anyone beat that?
Have a listen and post your feedback on the blog below, or tweet us here.
James RichardsonBen GreenSean IngleBarry Glendenning
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Liverpool | Premier League match report
Two goals from Fernando Torres and one from Raul Meireles, of which the vintage Liverpool would have been proud, gave the messiah they call Kenny Dalglish his first win of the second coming.
Wolves’s victory at Anfield in December put one of the nails in Roy Hodgson’s managerial coffin, but any hopes they nurtured of a home and away double were stone dead by the 50th minute, when Meireles volleyed a spectacular second goal into Wayne Hennessey’s top-left corner from 25 yards.
In search of a clean sheet, which has become a Liverpool rarity, Dalglish overlooked Joe Cole in favour of a defensive midfielder Christian Poulsen, eschewing 4–4–2 in favour of a 4–2–3–1 formation.
Wolves arrived in buoyant mood after beating Chelsea the last time they played at home in the league and drubbing Doncaster 5-0 in the FA Cup in midweek, but they never threatened to scale those heights, and had the look of relegation candidates throughout.
Liverpool’s nerves were evident when José Reina put successive goalkicks out of play, but they fashioned nearly all the chances, and had their reward after 36 minutes when, with Wolves appealing for offside, Meireles squared the ball in from the right for Torres to beat Hennessey from six yards. The offside claim was invalid, Zubar playing the move onside.
Wolves’ first decent goal attempt was delayed until the 39th minute, when Reina flew to his left to deny Doyle. If they hoped it would spark an improvement, they were wrong. Five minutes into the second half Meireles scored his “worldy”, as the players call such classy gems, and that was that as far as the points were concerned.
Wolves huffed and puffed and Steven Fletcher tested Reina from distance, but it was Liverpool who scored again in the 90th minute, when Torres, set up by Dirk Kuyt, thumped the ball home from six yards.
Premier LeagueWolverhampton WanderersLiverpoolKenny DalglishJoe Lovejoyguardian.co.uk
Squad sheets: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool
After the fanfare that greeted Kenny Dalglish’s return comes the sobering reality that he will have made the worst start by a Liverpool manager in 83 years if he fails to win at Molineux. The portents are not promising given Liverpool’s dismal away form in the league – one win on the road this season – and Wolves’ recent improvement, which includes the victory at Anfield that accelerated Roy Hodgson’s departure. Steven Gerrard will be missing for Liverpool as he serves the final match of his three-game ban but Joe Cole is set to return. Stuart James
Venue Molineux, Saturday 12.45pm
Tickets £30-40 (0871 222 1877)
Last season Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Referee Martin Atkinson
This season’s matches 17 Y59, R8, 3.94 cards per game
Odds Wolves 12-5 Liverpool 11-8 Draw 2-1
Wolves
Subs from Hahnemann, Foley, Jones, Stearman, Mouyokolo, Mujangi Bia, Batth, Vokes, Edwards, Hammill, Davis
Doubtful Craddock (thigh)
Injured Mancienne (knee, 29 Jan), Ebanks-Blake (calf, 12 Feb), Guédioura (broken leg, 26 Feb), Kightly (knee, unknown)
Suspended Elokobi (last of three)
Form guide LWLWLW
Disciplinary record Y37 R2
Leading scorers Ebanks-Blake, Fletcher 4
Liverpool
Subs from Gulacsi, Poulsen, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Cole, Aurélio, Jovanovic, Pacheco, Babel, Wilson, Hansen
Doubtful Agger (illness), Jovanovic (illness)
Injured Carragher (shoulder, 27 Feb)
Suspended Gerrard (last of three)
Unavailable Jones (international duty)
Form guide DLLWLL
Disciplinary record Y36 R2
Leading scorer Torres 7
Match pointers
• There have been only six goals in five Premier League meetings between these sides
• A defeat for Liverpool would make it the first time since 1954 that they have lost six away league games in a row
• Wolves’ sequence of alternating wins and losses continued for a ninth match last week – the run will continue if they winon Saturday
• Liverpool have not won at Molineux since March 1978 when manager Kenny Dalglish scored twice in 3-1 victory
• If Wolves win it will be their first double over Liverpool since the 1950-51 season
Premier LeagueWolverhampton WanderersLiverpoolguardian.co.uk