Wolves face Man Utd in a huge Monday night showdownplaceholder image
Wolves face Man Utd in a huge Monday night showdown | Getty Images/ Canva
Rob Edwards is hoping for a huge response from his players as Wolves play host to Man Utd
Premier League basement boys Wolverhampton Wanderers host Manchester United as they continue to hunt for a first Premier League win of the season.
Wolves are rock bottom of the table and already 13 points from safety after more than a third of the season. They are currently without a league victory in 18 matches, in a run stretching all the way back to April when they defeated Leicester City. It marks their longest winless run since 1985, while failure o win tonight will equal the dreaded club-record of 19 games without a win.
Rob Edwards is optimistic of his side’s chances of improving. He returned to Molineux for the fourth time in November following his controversial decision to leave behind Championship side Middlesbrough, but is still yet to win so far. He has urged his players to show more fight and character against the Red Devils, adding that his side must focus on the things they are able to control.
He explained: “We're in this bad, bad situation, but how do you want this to go? Do you want to fade away, or do you want to fight? There are things in our control, that we can do. Fighting, running hard, winning duels, those sorts of things are in our control. You can't control a win, but you can control the other side, intensity, how often you run forward. Are you sprinting back? Are you trying to take risks? Are you trying to be brave?”
Tonight’s fixture will be played amid protests from a number of fan groups, who are planning to boycott the first 15 minutes of the contest as in a protest against Fosun's ownership of the club, which a fan group known as the Old Gold Pack labelled negligent and incompetent.
Edwards will hope to give those in the stadium something to cheer about with an improved performance. With that in mind, we take a look at Wolves’ predicted starting line-up against the Red Devils.
Wolves predicted line-up vs Man Utd: goalkeeper and defence
GK: Sam Johnstone: Former England international Johnstone has started every league match since Edwards arrived as manager. He’s expected to be the first choice until at least the January transfer window as rumours of a move for Christos Mandas continue to surface in the background.
LWB: David Moller Wolfe: The summer signing, who was a vocal critic of his side’s performance against Nottingham Forest, is expected to retain his position in the starting line-up as he faces the challenging task of trying to win the battle of the wing-backs.
CB: Toti Gomes: Skipper Gomes is likely to start in central defence. He’s likely to have a busy afternoon containing Joshua Zirkzee, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha among others.
CB: Ethan Agbadou: The Ivory Coast international made a real positive impact on the team in the second half of last season. He’s yet to rediscover those same levels this term so far.
CB: Santiago Bueno: The Uruguyian has been benched in the last three matches, but could finally be given a chance to feature under the new manager.
RWB: Matt Doherty: Experienced Republic of Ireland defender Doherty could return to the starting line-up against United. He’s missed a number of matches due to injury but did make the bench against Nottingham Forest.
Wolves predicted line-up vs Man Utd: midfield and attack
CM: Andre: Brazil international Andre, who is on the verge of a suspension, is expected to feature in the starting line-up. He’ll face a real battle in the middle against fellow countrymen Casemiro and Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes.
CM: Jean-Ricner Bellegarde: The Haiti international, who is due to play against Scotland in the World Cup, could feature in the middle of the park due to the absence of Joao Gomes, who is serving a one-match suspension.
CAM: Jhon Arias: The Colombian is expected to make his 14th league appearance of the campaign against Man Utd. He’s still yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League this term.
CAM: Hwang Hee-can: The South Korean’s pace and desire to bomb forward could be useful on the counter attack in a match where Wolves’ are unlikely to have lots of the ball.
ST: Jorgen Strand Larsen: He’s been a complete shadow of the player he was last season since signing on a permanent, but Larsen remains Wolves’ best hope of scoring a goal. He found the net 14 times in his debut campaign.
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