View From The Town End: Wolverhampton Wanderers

Thanks to Thomas Baugh from @WolvesBlog for giving his take on Wolves and Reading ahead of Saturday’s match - you can find their website right here.

You’re running away with the division and look destined for the Premier League - is it just down to the big-spending, or is there more to it than that?

It’s mainly down to the big spending because that’s what gets you the quality. But I think having Nuno as head coach has also been a major factor. He made the correct decisions at the start of the season about which of the old guard to keep and has utilised players like Conor Coady and Matt Doherty really well.

John Ruddy and Ryan Bennett arrived from Norwich on free transfers in the summer and weren’t much fancied, but again he’s made them an integral part of the team, so it’s not all about the likes of Neves and Jota by any stretch.

It’s easy to look at Jota, Neves, Bonatini and others as the key men in the side, but who are the unsung heroes that deserve more credit?

Carrying on from the previous question, I’d have to say Conor Coady is the unsung hero. A central midfielder by trade, Nuno has done a Mascherano and moved him into a back three. Flanked by the giant Willy Boly and the ever consistent Bennett, he’s made things look very easy at the heart of the defence and helped us keep a ridiculous amount of cleansheets.

Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Are there any weaknesses in Wolves’ team that Reading can take heart from?

With Ruben Neves suspended there’s definite question marks over whether we can penetrate those lines between midfield and attack. If we can’t get the ball to the likes of Jota, Costa and Cavaleiro in good areas of the pitch, they can’t do damage.

I think if Reading can keep a good shape and dominate possession, as they so often do, it could be very difficult for Wolves to make inroads. Equally, our wing backs aren’t blessed with rapid pace so if a player like Barrow can open his legs, we might be in trouble.

What have you made of Reading this season? Is there anyone in our side you’re worried by?

I’m surprised how poorly you’ve performed looking at the personnel in your squad, but the Championship is relentless and the margins are always so fine. You gave us a really difficult game at the Mad Stad, so I guess it’s a question of consistency.

I’m worried by the former Wolves boys because our former players always come back to bite us in the rear end, so hoping Jon Dadi and Dave Edwards don’t get on the score sheet. Chris Martin has been a constant thorn in our side for Derby over the years, so he’s another I’d be weary of on Saturday.

How do you see the match going, and what will the score be?

I’m fretting about this one. As poor as Reading have been this season, I think we’re in a difficult moment and with two nasty fixtures on the horizon, we really need a maximum here, particularly if Villa and Cardiff close the gap in their earlier kick-offs.

I’m trying to suppress the pessimism that tells me we’ll drop more points, so I’ll back us for a 2-1 win.