Ahead of the first West Midlands derby of the season on Saturday, Rob Wildey caught up with Wolves fan, and editor of WolvesBlog.com, Thomas Baugh.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WALTER ZENGA AND THE NEW OWNER?
I was highly skeptical at first but both are winning me over. Zenga has looked tactically astute in the three games thus far and the owners continue to back him with new signings. It’s still very early days, but certainly exciting times.
WHAT WOULD REPRESENT A GOOD SEASON FOR WOLVES?
With the new owners comes new expectation. I get the impression most Wolves supporters will be disappointed if this year turns into anything other than a promotion tilt. I’m a touch more pragmatic and would just like to see progress in whatever form that takes. The play-offs are never off limits to anyone who can find consistency in this league though, so who knows?
HAS BENIK AFOBE BEEN REPLACED?
Not with a like-for-like player but big Jon Dadi Bodvarsson looks like an excellent acquisition on early evidence. Big, strong and with a yard of pace, he’ll be a handful for defenders and score goals at this level. We’ll also be getting Nouha Dicko back from injury in the coming weeks hopefully and that will be another big bonus.
HONESTLY, WHAT DO WOLVES FANS GENERALLY FEEL ABOUT THE RIVALRY WITH BLUES?
I don’t want to speak for all Wolves fans as I think we all feel differently about each and every team. Personally, I see it as the second derby behind the Albion, which I’m sure is the same way Blues supporters feel with Villa being your biggest rivals. We’ve operated around the same level for most of the last two decades so it’s always close and it’s one I love to win, no doubt.
IF YOU COULD SIGN ONE BLUES PLAYER FOR THE WOLVES SQUAD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Might be a bit of a random choice, but I’ve always rated Ryan Shotton. Seems like a solid player who can operate in a few positions. Generally speaking, I get the impression with Blues, it’s more of a ‘team effort’ than one or two very good individuals, so it’s difficult to pick an outstanding player.
WHICH WOLVES PLAYER SHOULD BLUES BE WARY OF?
Two of the new signings who’ve shone brightest thus far are Bodvarsson the striker, who I’ve spoken of already and Joao Teixiera who brings some sparkle in the final third. He has an ability to bounce off tackles and slide in dangerous passes. He might be the one to watch, but will be interesting to see how he handles the derby.
WHAT SHOULD BLUES EXPECT FROM WOLVES?
The unexpected. I’m not sure Wolves fans know what to expect from Wolves at present. We’ve got a left field manager who is adding to his squad all the time with players we know little to nothing about. But on early evidence we’re pressing teams, staying compact and looking to pick our way through the middle rather than attacking from out wide.
WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR THE GAME?
Always a tough one to predict and this season is no different. Our record at St. Andrew’s isn’t too shabby, but I reckon this might be a draw. 1-1.
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