It's not often that your home town team, a team that is supported by your fella and the majority of your family and friends is picked out of the hat to face your own club at Anfield in the FA Cup, but that's exactly what happened earlier this month.
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| Image via Liverpool Echo |
Sat down watching the draw with the fella (knowing of course we still had to beat Plymouth to get through) we were both praying for a Liverpool V Wolves fixture. You don't ACTUALLY think it's gonna happen though, when ball number 22 came out Rich knew it was Wolves and I practically kicked him off the bed in sheer excitement. Unbelievable. "We've got to go!!!" , "We've got to go!!!" I shouted.
Unfortunately, despite my brother and his mate's best efforts they couldn't get tickets. Wolves sold out their 8,000+ allocation before it even went to a members sale. So, Plan B it was.
Plan B means me sitting in my favourite pub in Wolverhampton centre where I watch most of our matches. The downside of course is that I'm going to be MASSIVELY outnumbered, but I'm not that arsed.
The last time I watched Liverpool V Wolves in there was not a great experience. Roy Hodgson was manager and Wolves had taken a 1-0 lead via Ward (who wasn't even ever that bloody good) I didn't have a Liverpool shirt on that day as we were going out for the night after the match so I was undercover. The Wolves fans didn't know there was a Kopite in their ranks... until of course I went absolutely mental (few too many rum and cokes probably didn't help) after Skrtel scored a header late on. What I didn't realise after spinning round and drawing my eyes away from the TV was that the flag had gone up. Queue barrels of laughter from the whole pub.
Anyway, I digress...
After losing to Southampton on Wednesday and failing to find a way through, Wolves would be mad not to enforce a similar tactic on Saturday. One issue Paul Lambert does have though is with his goalkeeping. Carl Ikeme got a bit miffed at Wes Hoolahan last week and pushed him over, he's suspended. Their second choice keeper Andy Lonergran doesn't look like he's going to be fit in time so that leaves Harry Burgoyne: a 20 year old with two senior appearances.
From speaking to the Wolves contingency many of them are positive about Harry and say in the two games he has played he showed real promise. It would be just typical that he plays an absolute worldy against us.
Another one to watch out for (if he starts) is of course Coady. The Liverpool lad will be out to prove a point at Anfield and has already revealed in a feature interview with our local paper that he will definitely be celebrating if he finds the back of the net on Saturday.
Whatever happens it is sure to be a very interesting Saturday for me, so spare me a thought! I can't deal with another loss, especially not to them.
Below you can find the view from the opposition. My fella who is a massive Wolves fan has answered a few questions. Enjoy the match folks wherever you are watching!
Opposition View
1. Key player/who should we watch out for?
Helder Costa. The ray of light in an otherwise bleak season. He's on loan from Benfica as a result of our owners being on good terms with super agent Jorge Mendes and we have certainly benefitted.
He's our Coutinho, capable of match-winning brilliance.
We're trying desperately to sign him up permanently though Everton are reportedly sniffing around.
2. Thoughts on Liverpool and their current form?
After the way Liverpool started the season I felt this could be their year for the title, with the front four appearing unstoppable and the general aura around Klopp.
It seems to have unraveled a bit of late for whatever reason, perhaps due to an inability to see off some of the smaller teams. Though it should be said Chelsea have been in astonishing form and Liverpool can't be expected to win every match.
I now feel the five sides behind Chelsea could finish in any order. There doesn't seem too much between them.
3. Liverpool player you would happily have in your side?
With the attacking talent Liverpool have at their disposal there is no-one I wouldn't want in our side.
While it's tempting to say Coutinho, given our need for a goalscorer I'll choose Daniel Sturridge.
A great goalscorer who has been a victim of unfortunate circumstances which means he just doesn't fit in to Klopp's system. Can we take him on loan?
4.What starting XI do you expect from Paul Lambert?
For me and probably most Wolves fans this is a no brainer. Play our strongest possible team.
But Lambert brought in a few fringe players for the game at Stoke in the last round who, to the surprise of many, put in an excellent performance.
So there is a feeling he may want to reward those who got us to this stage and Lambert has hinted at changes in the press.
Whatever happens expect to see our most dangerous players: Costa, either Dicko or Bodvarsson and possibly Cavaleiro, a mercurial Portuguese who, on his day, can be sensational.
5. For those who don't follow Championship football how are Wolves doing so far this season?
Much like 2015/16 it has been another hugely disappointing season.
It is simply not acceptable for a club like Wolves to be lumbering around the bottom half of the Championship.
However, there have been positive signs since Paul Lambert took over, including fabulous wins over Stoke and Villa, and while it appears to be too late to mount a push for the play-offs this season there is renewed hope he could be the man to take us back to the Premier League.
Like every other year, next season will begin with optimism.
6. Score prediction?
There is cause for optimism. Klopp will surely have an eye on the must-win Chelsea match on Tuesday and I can't see too many of the first XI being involved. I'd expect to see the likes of Can, Lucas, Sturridge and Origi but not a lot else.
We're also in decent form and our win at Stoke in the last round showed, on our day, we can mix it with Premier League sides, even if this is a considerable step up.
That said, we have a keeper crisis of our own with our number one suspended.
I'll go for the draw and another game at Molineux. 1-1.