February is going to be a massive month for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Six games in twenty-two days, one very winnable-looking game in the FA Cup followed by five very tough-looking Premier League fixtures. Two games against Arsenal, and games against Spurs, Leicester & West Ham. We could end this month in the 5th round of the cup and looking stong for a top six (or, dare I say it, top four) place, or we could end it dumped out of the cup and consigned to a high-mid-table finish.
Realisticly, we’ll probably end the month somewhere between those two extremes. You’d expect a home against this Norwich side at the best of times, but with them now looking over their shoulders at the relegation places rather than looking up at safety, they could well be distracted or field a weakened team. Bruno can’t really field a weakened team because we don’t have the squad for it, so anything less than a good win in front of a packed out Molineux will be greeted with severe disappointment.
But it’s the league games that are going to really determine how we look back on this month come March 1st. With the squad arguably weaker after the departure of Adama, and lacking even more depth with Bruno Jordao heading out on loan for some game time, and these particular fixtures couldn’t really have come at a worse time. Next month we could well have Johnny and/or Neto back, but not this month.
That said, the Cup game comes off the back of a short winter break and they go into February on a high after a superb January that saw Bruno Lage lif the Manager of the Month award. Yes, the other teams have also had a break, but we are the team in form right now, and not one of them will be looking forward to facing us.
Predictions? I don’t do predictions. But I think ten points from fifteen has to be the target and would be a fantastic return for February and put us right in the hunt for a European spot next year.
But whatever happens, it’s going to be an exciting month.
Come on me babbies!
