Wolverhampton Wanderers

Former Bromley boss Andy Woodman joins Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff in the latest episode of the 72+ podcast. He lifts the lid on life after leaving Bromley and what's next for him.

They discuss the top of the Championship, with just one point separating the top five.

At the other end of the Championship, what's happening with Bristol City, who currently lie 17th in the league under former Lincoln manager Michael Skubala – and when is the right time for a manager to make the jump up?

In League Two, it's been a less than desirable start for Crawley Town who are bottom of the Football League and out of the FA Cup after being beaten by seventh-tier Wimborne – where do they go from here? Elsewhere in the FA Cup, Plymouth Parkway assistant manager Matt Godfrey drops by after their win – and with Barnet on the horizon.

And after Shrewsbury Town's new ownership is confirmed, what's next for them?

Listen to the full episode above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

Four points from two away games should not be sniffed at in the Championship.

Wolves showed character to come from behind at Bristol City and earned a point at Wrexham, extending their unbeaten run to six games.

But after the draw at Wrexham, I was left wondering what might have been.

Adam Armstrong's finish gave us the lead, only for Lewis O'Brien to head Wrexham level two minutes later. After working hard to get ahead, we switched off and invited the hosts straight back into the game.

That was frustrating enough, but the second half raised another question.

Wolves had plenty of the ball, yet too often struggled to turn possession into clear chances. Wrexham defended well, and Kieffer Moore had a big opportunity to put them ahead, too. A draw was not an disastrous result.

Even so, it felt like another game we should have won with a little more urgency and quality in the final third.

The comeback at Bristol City showed this team has the spirit to keep fighting. Sean Neave's late winner was a brilliant moment, and those are the results that can make a promotion season. But we cannot expect a dramatic rescue every week.

There is plenty to be positive about. Armstrong is getting among the goals, and Wolves have found ways to keep picking up points. We also know how demanding this division can be, especially with a busy run of fixtures.

For me, though, the next step is turning control into something more meaningful. Move the ball quicker, make better decisions around the box and give the opposition less time to settle. Just as importantly, stay switched on after scoring.

After 15 games, Wolves are in the promotion conversation, and a point at Wrexham is not the end of the world. But if we want automatic promotion, these are the games we have to be winning.

The international break offers time to reflect. Can Wolves keep grinding out results, or will they find the extra edge needed to put teams away?

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

Wrexham will want another heavyweight win in front of a home crowd when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The Red Dragons beat league leaders Middlesbrough 2-0 at the Stok Cae Ras in the week as they aim to climb up the table.

It was also a victory that puts second placed Wolves within striking distance of the top and the West Midlands outfit will be wanting to take their chance.

• This is the first meeting between Wrexham and Wolves in any competition since the 1987-88 campaign, with Wrexham winning home (4-2) and away (2-0) in the fourth tier.

• Wolves are winless in all three of their away league games against Wrexham, drawing 2-2 in January 1924, 0-0 in January 1987 and losing 4-2 in April 1988.

• Since the start of last season, Wrexham have won just one of their eight Championship games against sides relegated from the Premier League (D4 L3), beating Ipswich Town 5-3 in February.

• Wolves have lost four of their last six away league games against Welsh sides (W2), with this their first visit since a 2-1 loss to Cardiff in the 2018-19 Premier League.

• Having lost their first two Championship games in the 12.30 kick off slot last season, Wrexham are now unbeaten in their last four (W2 D2).

We asked for your thoughts after Wolves scored two late goals to win 2-1 at Bristol City on Wednesday.

Here are some of your comments:

Bristol City fans

Steve: League One manager and signings. The football is awful and the club has no ambition. I have given up going and only watch on tv now.

Rob: Thought City deserved something out of the game. Gutted for the players having battled so well for 80 minutes. Wolves had a lot of possession and plenty of speculative efforts but created few clear-cut chances. Premier League nous on the defensive blocking at the free-kick for their winner made the difference.

Tim: Yet another turgid performance from this City side which looks bereft of attacking ideas at home. Playing to win 1-0 from a set-piece might have worked for Skubala in L1 but it isn't working in the Championship. Again, we barely created anything and were far too passive. The team looks afraid to take risks in possession. There is far more ability in this team than our current tactics are allowing them to show. Skubala looks out of his depth to me.

Ken: Another poor home result reflecting last few seasons' results. Mid-table again, if we are lucky.

Micky: Same old problems at City. Conceding late goals and throwing away all the hard work they had done.

Image source, Shutterstock

Wolves fans

Steve: Every game in the Championship is tough so I'd have probably been ok with a point before kick-off, but we deserved the win and played well overall. On to Wrexham, a good win for them (against Boro) so I'd be happy with a point there as well.

Alan: Wolves are not playing brilliant but grinding out results, when they finally click they will blow this league away.

Andy: Lucky to get three points, stats show otherwise but a better team would've finished Wolves off well before our comeback. Back four still lack the concentration for 90 minutes. Substitutes made the difference. Lopez took some stick, not protected at all by the referee, but he needs to get used to that in this division. Let's take the points and run.

Richard: Wolves again played well in recycling the ball, had a lot of possession and shots and passes in the City box. That said the crossing is woeful. Too many times it was either too high or struck aimlessly across the area. The standard in the Championship is poor if we can play like that and be second.

Paul: Again we found a way to win. Tough league, so far so good. Wolves will need to buy a midfielder and a striker in January. Injuries could be a deciding factor in 2027.

Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto says his side were good value for their 2-1 win at Bristol City on Wednesday, even though they left it late to seal it.

Substitute Sean Neave struck twice from close range in the final eight minutes to turn the game around for Wolves, who had trailed at the break to Scott Twine's stunning free-kick.

Peixoto told BBC Radio WM: "Before we conceded the goal, we created a lot of chances to cross and too many people inside of the box took a lot of time to finish the play, to shoot to the target - sometimes when we crossed we didn't attack the ball in the right moment.

"We talked with the players at half-time, they understood what we had to do in the second half.

"They played what the game needed - more directly, attacked the space, more reaction when we lost the ball, more intensity to press the opposition team."

Peixoto praised his side for the manner of their late comeback and the impact of the substitutes.

"We pushed them, we believed to the end, the players who came from the bench [were] very important," he added.

"We put two strikers [on] to make the team more offensive and we scored one goal and we kept believing and we scored the second goal - I think we deserved the win."

Wolverhampton Wanderers may have a chance to slip into the automatic promotion spots on Wednesday when they visit Bristol City (20:00 GMT).

The West Midlands side are on a four game undefeated streak (W3 D1) and should Swansea City fail to beat Portsmouth on Tuesday, Wolves will have the chance to take second position with a victory at Ashton Gate.

However, Bristol City have fallen away from the play-off positions after just one win in five league games (D2 L2) and will be aiming to regain some ground off likely promotion rivals.

• Bristol City have won just two of their last 18 league games against Wolves (D4 L12), with this their first meeting since a 2-1 home loss in December 2017.

• Wolves haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 11 league games against Bristol City, but have also only failed to score in one of their last 12 against the Robins.

• Bristol City have lost 1-0 to both Blackburn and Sheffield United in their last two home league games. They last lost three in a row without scoring at Ashton Gate in March/April 2021.

• Wolves have won three of their six away league games this season (D1 L2), having been winless on the road across the whole of last term (D6 L13).

• Bristol City have scored fewer home goals than any other side in the Championship this term (3). Each of their last four games at Ashton Gate has finished 1-0 (W1 L3).

Emma Milton
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

A 3-0 win, a clean sheet and a place in the Championship's top three. The scoreline suggests a comfortable afternoon for Wolves. But watching the game, I came away with more mixed feelings.

For the first 30 minutes or so, Wolves gave us plenty to be positive about. We looked sharp, played with purpose and, most importantly, took our chances.

After recent frustrations in front of goal, it was good to see us being more clinical.

Then Jordan James went off, and the game seemed to lose some of its spark.

Wolves still looked better than they have at times this season, but we never quite seemed to get back to that early rhythm. We were winning, yet still not firing on all cylinders or reaching our potential.

Cardiff had a big share of possession but struggled to turn it into enough threat.

That helped Wolves keep a clean sheet, though the visitors had chances and the scoreline made the game look more straightforward than it felt.

The result was convincing. The performance, less so.

That gap between the score and the feeling in the ground is why I can understand fans feeling a little nonplussed.

There was something flat about Molineux, even with Wolves playing better and scoring three.

Cesar Peixoto needs to find a way to bring the team and supporters together. Results matter, but so does the sense that the players are giving fans something to believe in.

Still, the bigger picture is hard to dismiss. Wolves sit third, four points off the top and firmly among the promotion contenders. There is plenty to be encouraged by, even if this performance left questions unanswered.

So, is the glass half full or half empty? The league position says half full. The feeling at Molineux suggests there is still more to come.

Find more from Emma at Always Wolves, external

Image source, Shutterstock

Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Cesar Peixoto is not feeling the love from Molineux despite being fourth in the Championship table.

Chants of 'you don't know what you're doing' rang through the stadium during Saturday's game against Watford after Wolves put just three of their 24 shots on target in a 1-0 win.

For Ryan Leister of The Wolves Report podcast, it is one specific squad decision that is getting fans hot under the collar.

"The person that seems to be splitting the mix is Marshall Munetsi," Leister told BBC Radio WM's Football Phone-In on Wednesday.

"Incredible engine, incredible professional, seems like a really good guy, but when you've got a midfielder who plays in midfield that doesn't want to be on the football, it's hardly a surprise that you're not going to be able to play through many teams.

"If Wolves go into that game on Saturday and they don't start Jordan James and Wolves don't win the game, the manager is going to feel some real heat."

Leister feels a tactical tweak that would allow James to provide more support to Andre in the midfield while also getting the best out of Fer Lopez in attack could help Peixoto earn back some trust.

Until the performances improve though, the Portuguese is going to struggle to get the fans on his side, says Leister.

He added: "Support has to be ignited from somewhere. You can't just expect the fans to turn up and be at their roaring and angry best on a good day and not give something as well.

"If the football is pedestrian, expect the fans to be pedestrian as well."

Listen to BBC Radio WM's Football Phone-In on weeknights at 6-7pm or catch up on BBC Sounds here.

Image source, Shutterstock

Cesar Peixoto is not the first Wolves manager, let alone manager of anyone else, to be told by a section of his home crowd that he doesn't know what he's doing.

But he may be the first one whose team were actually winning the game when it happened.

Saturday was an odd day. Wolves beat Watford both narrowly and comfortably. They played well at times and not very well at others.

The team won, and the coach was jeered, although not by everyone.

Perhaps those of us who liked to think the result ultimately trumps all other considerations, especially in the free-for-all of the Championship, are wrong after all.

In the first half, Wolves camped in Watford's territory, outshot the visitors 17-0 (although lamentably few were on target), and Adam Armstrong, looking sharper than recently, ended his non-scoring run with a neat finish.

That wasn't so bad, even if Watford were, well, so bad.

The second half dragged a bit. Perhaps the first was just too easy.

Even so, when Jordan James was replaced after an efficient if not spectacular performance, the annoyed fans let Peixoto know about it.

James has become the latest focus of attention. He is an obvious talent at this level.

But Fer Lopez's form made him the first pick before the break, alongside the unpopular but determined Marshall Munetsi.

When Peixoto left Munetsi out and played Lopez and James together, Wolves put in an anaemic showing against Bolton and deservedly lost.

A detached observer might argue that with Wolves in the top four while sorting this out - despite some key players still being injured - things could be a lot worse.

But in football grounds there are very few detached observers.

Peixoto's request at last Friday's press conference for a little more patience from fans sounded better in the room than it was ever going to read on the page.

In suggesting that if he was an opposition manager, he would tell his team that if they kept it quiet for 20 minutes the home fans would turn, he was saying out loud something that most managers - at every ground, not just Molineux - have probably thought at one time or another.

Not many would have been bold enough to say so.

In that sense, of airing uncensored opinions, he may be the straightest-talking Wolves manager since Mick McCarthy.

There is something to admire about that.

But he may need to win quite a few more games - and maybe more stylishly - before some fans will be willing to hear him out.

Listen to BBC Radio WM's football phone-in on weeknights from 18:00-19:00 GMT.