Could Saints be in the Top Ten come 5pm on Saturday ? well if they beat Wolves they will be level on points with them and in with a good chance.

Wolves arrive at St Mary's in 7th place only 3 points ahead of Saints and could find themselves level pegging with us if we can dispatch them as we did last season.

But we should approach this game with a degree of caution, hopes are high and it is often when we are in that state that we are brought back to earth with a bang, bad teams don't become good teams overnight and conversely nor do good teams become bad, I always thought we were a good team with a poor defence, we have improved at the back of late, but we should be aware that there was no miracle cure, it was a case of hard work and more than a bit of luck.

But we should not be under any misapprehensions that suddenly everything is perfect, we have improved and we need to improve a little more, perhaps the urgency to sign someone in the transfer window is not as great as it was, but it is still there, but as Ralph Hasenhuttl has stated it is no longer a "must", it is now a "can"

So we have some foundations to work on and we can build on them, but there will be bad moments and there will be good, just as much as winning 5 games out of the last 6 is not a guide that we will continue to maintain that form, a few defeats along the way are going to happen and when we do we need to take them in context and not use them to press the panic button.

Ralph will continue to do what he has done well over the past couple of months and that is put out a team that will compete, I don't expect much change from the starting line up against Leicester, perhaps the odd tweak with maybe Djenepo coming in, but apart from that I think and indeed hope that he puts out a side that as at Leicester, earns the right to play and then imposes itself on the game.

So go to St Mary's support the team and more to the point enjoy supporting the team, a few months ago this had the makings of a bad season, some would have you the worst ever, now it could actually become one of our best, truth is that perhaps it won't, but lets enjoy the ride and like in 2016 and indeed 2017 we might just surprise ourselves at how good it actually was by the end of it.

Photo: Action Images

underweststand added 16:01 - Jan 17 The sort of game we need to win - if we are talking about showing improvement in form. The Molyneuex game was a 1-1 draw, thanks to desperately holding out for 90 minutes - and then only with help of VAR. Had that game been last season we 'd have lost 3-1 . Many teams have injury problems and Wolves are no exception, but they are no easy side to beat. I'd take any any scoreline as long as we come out with 3 points, The only concern I have is that..we are playing at home, (and that coming from someone who watched many seasons at "Fortress Dell") , and I wonder why we have dropped so many points at SMS?. ...when the real success this season has been our away form.

2

Peterx added 17:37 - Jan 17 There is no way in my view he will start anybody other than Ings and Long up front with Armstrong and Redmond behind them. Djenepo will be first sub barring injury. Lets work them over with more effort also given they played their first team on Wednesday.
4

bstokesaint added 20:30 - Jan 17 They’re there for the taking. Although a point wouldn’t be a disaster, as others have said it’s games like this where we really to push on up.
0

A1079 added 09:54 - Jan 18 I am not one of those that shares in the belief that suddenly everything is alright. As good as our recent run has been and it has pulled us away, we are just as capable of having another barren run. We are not safe until we are safe and we need to keep chipping away the points. This will be a difficult game. Never quite sure what you will get with Wolves this year. On their day they can be very good on another day, they can be distinctly average. I can see this being a draw which is no disaster, but also see Palace away as a draw and then we have Liverpool away in the league. Our enemy is complacency and players and fans suddenly thinking we are too good. I don't think Ralph will see it like that but you can see how the mindset has changed since the Leicester game and just as you think everything is alright, life has the habit of biting you in the proverbial.

3

Blogs 31 bloggers

Middlesbrough Polls