Wolverhampton Wanderers v Preston North End
Championship 21/10/2017 Molineaux 3pm
A big test for the Whites this one against the big spending league leaders who under Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santos are apparently playing like Barcelona. Following the Chinese takeover last season they have invested in high profile players at big fees Costa cost £15 million, they also have a fair few loan players including Jota on loan from Athletico Madrid apparently he's not bad. They also have a solid base of English lads who have been there a while Price and Batth. A cosmopolitan squad with seven players from Portugal, be interesting to see how they rock up over the Christmas period when it's cold and they have to play four games in 10 days expect comments re winter break etc.
Doubts about Barkuizen, Pearson and Maguire with the last named I suspect being a major doubt, be good to get a point here, very tough though.
North End travel to the Black Country on Saturday to face the league leaders, who have gone through somewhat of a revolution over the past couple of seasons.
Now managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, with a number of continental stars at their disposal, Wolves have been playing some attractive football and winning matches on a regular basis.
Last weekend, as they comfortably dispatched midlands rivals Aston Villa, there was a 30,000-plus crowd at Molineux and the same is expected for the visit of the Lilywhites.
For North End, they have already toppled one league leading team this season, when they thrashed Cardiff City 3-0 at Deepdale in September, and are unbeaten in nine games going into the clash, so it will be a clash of two in form sides.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s expensively-assembled side have impressed with not only their results, but their style of football in the opening weeks of the campaign and the Lilywhites can expect a tough test at Molineux.
French centre half Willy Boly could be fit to return to the Portuguese manager’s plans, however, after last week’s impressive performance and result against Aston Villa, even if available after seven weeks out with a hamstring strain, he is unlikely to force his way into the back three of the league leaders.
Speaking after his side’s 2-0 home victory against their Midlands rivals last weekend, Santo said: “The team is progressing and we are managing the game well. It's where we want to be, so we have to continue.
“It's a long way to go and it's a tough competition. We want to improve in the next game. That's our challenge. We have to fight for three more points.”
Whilst during the week, skipper Danny Batth spoke to the media in the week, telling the Wolverhampton Express and Star that he and his team-mates weren’t getting away with being top of the EFL Championship table.
“Keep working hard and keep doing the things that are getting you where you are right now,” Batth said of their plans. “Don't change anything and don't try and do anything too fancy.
“If there are one or two in the dressing room who are getting a bit giddy you keep them tuned in, that is my job and the manager and the rest of the more experienced players.
“All I think about at the moment is the form guide, that is how I look at it. It is a good start, but a lot of teams have had good starts in the past and got no-where near it.
“The big picture will be just trying to beat Preston.”
There are only two other clubs that we have faced more times in the EFL than Wolverhampton Wanderers and they are also fellow founder members, in Burnley and Bolton Wanderers.
However, as with all these opponents, we had met each other on numerous occasions prior to the league kicking off in September 1888.
Wolves were our second opponents in that inaugural season and we comfortably overcame them 4-0 on our only league visit to their former Dudley Road ground. Our four goals came from Jimmy Ross, Jack Gordon and the Goodall brothers, Archie and John, who both scored in the same match.
Since then, we have made 56 visits to Molineux, where Wolves moved to in 1889 and there have been some memorable results amongst them. Steve Bull cemented his growing reputation as a goalscorer with four goals in our record 6-0 defeat at Molineux in 1988, whilst the highest aggregate score saw us lose by the odd goal in seven in 1956, Harry Hooper’s hat-trick for Wolves proving decisive.
Our 4-0 win in 1888 is still our biggest in Wolverhampton, but we also won 4-1 in 1951, Charlie Wayman and Ken Horton both scoring twice. More recently, we enjoyed 3-1 wins in both 2006 and 2009, coming back from conceding the first goal in both matches.
Many players have graced both clubs, from old Invincibles Billy Rose and Sammy Thomson, through Willie Forbes in the 1950s, Ken Knighton and Graham Hawkins in the 1960s, George Berry, Mike Bennett and Paul Birch to more recent instances such as Matt Hill, Mark Rankine and Stephen Elliott.
On This Date
21st October 1995 was the last occasion when two North end players scored hat-tricks in the same match, Steve Wilkinson and Andy Saville putting Mansfield Town to the sword at Deepdale in our 6-0 win.
It was also on this date in 2001 that Jon Macken scored that goal against Manchester City in a 2-1 home win in front of the TV cameras, scoring from inside the centre circle over the flailing arms of Nicky Weaver in the City goal.
Our great Australian centre half Joe Marston made his debut on 21st October in 1950, in a 4-1 defeat at Oakwell, as we lost to Barnsley. Joe went on to make exactly 200 appearances for North End and appeared in the 1954 FA Cup Final before returning to Australia and becoming a respected coach and administrator.
Former players celebrating their birthdays today include Farrell Kilbane, Paul Masefield and Ian Stevens. Farrell made one appearance as a substitute in 1994 in a 3-1 home win over Torquay, the club his brother also made his debut against the following year.
Paul was a colleague of Farrell that season, making nine appearances at right back, whilst Ian went on to make almost 550 club appearances for various teams, after starting with North End in the dark days of the mid-1980s.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Batth) Preston North End 0, 7th May 2017
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Mason) Preston North End 2 (Gallagher, Reach), 13th February 2016
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (Edwards, Evans) Preston North End 0, 11th Jan 2014
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Ebanks-Blake) Preston North End 3 (Elliott, 2; St. Ledger), 10th January 2009
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Henry) Preston North End 0, 1st December 2007
Championship 21/10/2017 Molineaux 3pm
A big test for the Whites this one against the big spending league leaders who under Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santos are apparently playing like Barcelona. Following the Chinese takeover last season they have invested in high profile players at big fees Costa cost £15 million, they also have a fair few loan players including Jota on loan from Athletico Madrid apparently he's not bad. They also have a solid base of English lads who have been there a while Price and Batth. A cosmopolitan squad with seven players from Portugal, be interesting to see how they rock up over the Christmas period when it's cold and they have to play four games in 10 days expect comments re winter break etc.
Doubts about Barkuizen, Pearson and Maguire with the last named I suspect being a major doubt, be good to get a point here, very tough though.
North End travel to the Black Country on Saturday to face the league leaders, who have gone through somewhat of a revolution over the past couple of seasons.
Now managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, with a number of continental stars at their disposal, Wolves have been playing some attractive football and winning matches on a regular basis.
Last weekend, as they comfortably dispatched midlands rivals Aston Villa, there was a 30,000-plus crowd at Molineux and the same is expected for the visit of the Lilywhites.
For North End, they have already toppled one league leading team this season, when they thrashed Cardiff City 3-0 at Deepdale in September, and are unbeaten in nine games going into the clash, so it will be a clash of two in form sides.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s expensively-assembled side have impressed with not only their results, but their style of football in the opening weeks of the campaign and the Lilywhites can expect a tough test at Molineux.
French centre half Willy Boly could be fit to return to the Portuguese manager’s plans, however, after last week’s impressive performance and result against Aston Villa, even if available after seven weeks out with a hamstring strain, he is unlikely to force his way into the back three of the league leaders.
Speaking after his side’s 2-0 home victory against their Midlands rivals last weekend, Santo said: “The team is progressing and we are managing the game well. It's where we want to be, so we have to continue.
“It's a long way to go and it's a tough competition. We want to improve in the next game. That's our challenge. We have to fight for three more points.”
Whilst during the week, skipper Danny Batth spoke to the media in the week, telling the Wolverhampton Express and Star that he and his team-mates weren’t getting away with being top of the EFL Championship table.
“Keep working hard and keep doing the things that are getting you where you are right now,” Batth said of their plans. “Don't change anything and don't try and do anything too fancy.
“If there are one or two in the dressing room who are getting a bit giddy you keep them tuned in, that is my job and the manager and the rest of the more experienced players.
“All I think about at the moment is the form guide, that is how I look at it. It is a good start, but a lot of teams have had good starts in the past and got no-where near it.
“The big picture will be just trying to beat Preston.”
There are only two other clubs that we have faced more times in the EFL than Wolverhampton Wanderers and they are also fellow founder members, in Burnley and Bolton Wanderers.
However, as with all these opponents, we had met each other on numerous occasions prior to the league kicking off in September 1888.
Wolves were our second opponents in that inaugural season and we comfortably overcame them 4-0 on our only league visit to their former Dudley Road ground. Our four goals came from Jimmy Ross, Jack Gordon and the Goodall brothers, Archie and John, who both scored in the same match.
Since then, we have made 56 visits to Molineux, where Wolves moved to in 1889 and there have been some memorable results amongst them. Steve Bull cemented his growing reputation as a goalscorer with four goals in our record 6-0 defeat at Molineux in 1988, whilst the highest aggregate score saw us lose by the odd goal in seven in 1956, Harry Hooper’s hat-trick for Wolves proving decisive.
Our 4-0 win in 1888 is still our biggest in Wolverhampton, but we also won 4-1 in 1951, Charlie Wayman and Ken Horton both scoring twice. More recently, we enjoyed 3-1 wins in both 2006 and 2009, coming back from conceding the first goal in both matches.
Many players have graced both clubs, from old Invincibles Billy Rose and Sammy Thomson, through Willie Forbes in the 1950s, Ken Knighton and Graham Hawkins in the 1960s, George Berry, Mike Bennett and Paul Birch to more recent instances such as Matt Hill, Mark Rankine and Stephen Elliott.
On This Date
21st October 1995 was the last occasion when two North end players scored hat-tricks in the same match, Steve Wilkinson and Andy Saville putting Mansfield Town to the sword at Deepdale in our 6-0 win.
It was also on this date in 2001 that Jon Macken scored that goal against Manchester City in a 2-1 home win in front of the TV cameras, scoring from inside the centre circle over the flailing arms of Nicky Weaver in the City goal.
Our great Australian centre half Joe Marston made his debut on 21st October in 1950, in a 4-1 defeat at Oakwell, as we lost to Barnsley. Joe went on to make exactly 200 appearances for North End and appeared in the 1954 FA Cup Final before returning to Australia and becoming a respected coach and administrator.
Former players celebrating their birthdays today include Farrell Kilbane, Paul Masefield and Ian Stevens. Farrell made one appearance as a substitute in 1994 in a 3-1 home win over Torquay, the club his brother also made his debut against the following year.
Paul was a colleague of Farrell that season, making nine appearances at right back, whilst Ian went on to make almost 550 club appearances for various teams, after starting with North End in the dark days of the mid-1980s.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Batth) Preston North End 0, 7th May 2017
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Mason) Preston North End 2 (Gallagher, Reach), 13th February 2016
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (Edwards, Evans) Preston North End 0, 11th Jan 2014
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Ebanks-Blake) Preston North End 3 (Elliott, 2; St. Ledger), 10th January 2009
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Henry) Preston North End 0, 1st December 2007
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?