It`s the penultimate home game of the season. It`s really down to the nitty-gritty now, with increasingly little room for manoeuvre. We`ve also got a tough a fixture as we could ask for, with already-promoted and champions-elect Wolves in town. They did us a favour last week, their win sending Birmingham below us on goal difference, while we sit two points above third-bottom Barnsley but they have a game in hand.
Vital Quotes:
“We have absolutely nothing to lose and they are certainly not unbeatable. With Wolves having been so rampant and impressive all season long people will be expecting them to get the result, but that works in our favour. We can play with freedom and express ourselves.’
Karl Henry in the Bolton News. But I`d argue we’ve a lot to lose. Championship status, mainly.
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
Jan Kirchhoff`s tweet tonight seems to say that`ll miss the remaining three games. Three games. That`s all we`ve got left. We should have no new injury worries though.
Player to watch: Karl Henry
There’s a few players we have who used to play for the fake Wanderers, but I wouldn`t mind him letting their players know he`s around. Hopefully, he`ll play better than he did at Molineux, where he was frankly a bit of a liability that afternoon.
Wolves Team News:
Ivan Cavaleiro did his hamstring last Sunday, so Benik Afobe, once one of ours, may come into the Wolves front three. The advantage of Cavaleiro missing is that we won’t hear the Wolves fans mispronouncing his name when singing it. It’s Eevan, Wolves fans
Player to watch: Ruben Neves
The kid is just too good for this league. Whatever you think of the Wolves recruitment policy, Jorge Mendes is the only reason he`s there. Try not to let him shoot.
Match Facts & Stats
We got thrashed 5-1 in November`s reverse fixture. We did beat them the last time we hosted them though, a 2-1 win two seasons ago.
We`re unbeaten in 10 home games against them, since a 2-1 FA Cup defeat in 1999.
Zach Clough has three goals in two games for us against Wolves.
Phil Parkinson beat Wolves the first time he managed against them in 2006 but has lost his last four league encounters.
Match Prediction:
I hope I`m wrong, but Wolves will love sealing the title on our patch, and I doubt we`ll have enough to resist. 0-1.
Next Fixtures:
Away to Burton, and home to Forest. Just two games.