Wolves v Newcastle - Liam Keen and Nathan Judah match preview
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00:00Hello, I'm Nathan Tudor, I'm here with Wolves reporters, Mr Liam Keane-Lean, we've heard
00:12from Gary O'Neill ahead of the big game. It is Super Sunday, 4.30 kick-off at Mollen
00:16Nuits, Wolverhampton Wanderers against Newcastle United. First of all, let's go team news,
00:21how are we looking? I'm glad you said it was 4.30, up until yesterday
00:24I thought it was 2pm. We recorded the podcast yesterday and I realised
00:28half way through, I've got that wrong. You're just still being early.
00:31It could have been worse though, I could have been the other way around.
00:35Yes, team news, obviously a couple of... I've got a tight in my lats.
00:38Are you ok? You'll be alright. There was a couple of concerns, obviously
00:42we've had an international break. One of the biggest ones, you had some mascara, went off
00:46on a stretcher. It looked like, having seen it now, it looks like a little bit of gamesmanship,
00:51a little bit of wasting time. Double cramping both calves according to
00:55Gary O'Neill. He said he didn't train fully today, but implied he trained partly and will
01:00be given an extra day to get ready. But he expects he'll be available for the weekend.
01:06No concerns there with Moscow, which is good news.
01:08Small concern with Lamina and Ait Nouri, said they haven't really trained properly, having
01:11had a couple of knocks. Lamina obviously looked like a knee issue at the Forest game, finished
01:16that game, but had it bandaged up, albeit walking freely, but bandaged up as he left
01:20the stadium that day and didn't go away with Gabon in the end.
01:23So a little bit of a concern, I'd say probably 50-50 at that stage, whether they're going
01:26to play. He said a late check on them, but the fact that it's a Sunday game, we've got
01:30tomorrow as well, I think hopefully we'll bode well. So certainly not out of the squad,
01:35but one to keep an eye on in the next good day or so.
01:39And then Bukacor is the only one who's a long-term, aside from obviously Enzo and Sasha, but we
01:44did ask him about any timeline for that. He said hopefully next week or so, we will know,
01:48but it said it's months, which obviously, as we expected, indicated having had surgery
01:51on a knee, it's going to be a relatively long layoff.
01:54In terms of late returnees, do you think that will have an impact into Gary Neal's selection?
01:58It has to have some sort of an impact, I think it's something you have to consider. You've
02:00got a couple of players that have gone to South America, alongside Mosquera you've got
02:05obviously Santi Bueno is down there with Uruguay, Andre and Jairo Gomez both for Brazil. Jairo
02:10Gomez didn't actually play a lot, he played five minutes in the first game, didn't play
02:12in the second game, that hopefully bodes well for him to come back and play. But as I said
02:17on the podcast we recorded yesterday, I think it's really important to take it on an individual
02:21basis because Jairo Gomez and Andre, for example, both coming back from Brazil, one
02:25of them may be in better nick than the other coming back from that long journey. So it
02:30will be definitely a factor, but the extra day before the game and base it on individuals
02:35means that you will see some of these players play as well.
02:38Gary Neal talked about, Sonny has talked about previously, about the tactics that he wanted
02:42to play this season, maybe had to change a little bit depending on games and what's happened.
02:48Do you feel that he's going to keep on with this back four? Do you feel he might see a
02:52back five? He did mention about getting his best players on the pitch, which is the most
02:56important thing, and I guess that means finding a spot, whether that be a left wing or right
03:02wing for someone like Ryan Akinori, if fit.
03:05Yes, if fit, exactly. I think that's the obvious player that stands out when he says a line
03:09like that to say I want to get all my best players on the pitch. It's right, where can
03:13I find a position for Akinori to play and be most effective as well. But Gary did, at
03:18the end of the Forest game as well, did suggest that he still likes having Akinori arrive late,
03:22he still thinks he can be a left back. So I don't think his left back days are necessarily
03:26behind him, but I think he's going to be a versatile player that will play everywhere
03:30and he's one of your most talented players. I think if you can get him on the pitch and
03:34play him, you have to do that, provided he's fit of course.
03:36So yes, I do think he'll be a back four, I do think it'll be something that Gary will
03:41pursue and persist with, but it's going to be the way they play that. You look at Mosquero
03:46for example, who steps very aggressively out of defence to try and win the ball back. Does
03:49leave Wolves a bit open at times if they can't win those first engagements, those first tackles.
03:56With that, a slight change in tact, maybe he'll be slightly less aggressive within the
03:59press. Dawson obviously plays in a slightly different way anyway and I think he's been
04:03so important to Wolves, I'd be surprised if he doesn't start. But I do think he'll be
04:06a four going into the Newcastle game, probably a four with Totti at left back, but it'll
04:11be interesting to see what he picks.
04:13Yes, and of course a lot of questions in Gary Newell's direction about a goalkeeping scenario.
04:19Sam Johnson, Jose Sarr's comeback, Dan Bentley, what's the situation regarding Sarr and his
04:25availability for this weekend and going forward?
04:27Yes, he's pretty insistent that Sarr will not be going anywhere, he'll be staying at
04:31least until January, I think that's an important caveat to make. But we'll be sticking around,
04:35we'll be fighting it out.
04:36There was a Turkey window that's still open, right?
04:38It's still open until the 18th as well, yes, which is next Wednesday, the 18th, yes, it
04:42is, it's the Brighton game, isn't it? I can't wait for that.
04:46And yes, he's insisting that he'll be sticking around, also insisting that, as you'd expect,
04:51not going to be happy doing that, but he's going to have to fight it out and try and
04:54get back into the team. And look, something's going to give eventually, but if he's here
04:59until January, you've got competition, you've got to try and encourage the player to get
05:05back in and fight for his position. And look, if Johnston slips up, he's in. Maybe there'll
05:11be a major surprise and Sarr starts against Newcastle, I doubt it, I very much doubt it.
05:15I think Johnston's got the shirt.
05:16He's got a good chance of starting against Brighton.
05:18I think he does, yes.
05:19If he is, Investi genuinely wouldn't allow it.
05:22Investi's the right word, he has to be genuinely interested in trying to get back in. If he's
05:26like, right, I'm just waiting for January, I'm not bothered. And he trains well, like
05:29Gary said, which is fair enough, be a professional.
05:32I always like that though, when he says train well, he's trained well, I'm like, I'd love
05:35a manager who's going to train badly the last couple of days. He's always got to say that.
05:40But regardless of whether that's accurate or not, provided the player's willing to be
05:43invested in trying to get into the side, he's got an opportunity, probably plays against
05:48Brighton. But yeah, look, you've got a abundance of players now. I like a quote that Gary said,
05:54we complained that we didn't have enough players last season, we can't complain now that we've
05:57got too many.
05:58No, absolutely. And look, they've all got a great opportunity of playing at least one
06:01game in these next six days.
06:02There's a lot of games coming up.
06:04A lot of games.
06:05And tough games as well.
06:06A lot of games.
06:07I said this on the podcast as well, this Brighton game, no offence to the competition, the Caravaglia
06:11Cup, but it's going to be an unwanted distraction for Wolves I think. Look, you would love to
06:15go on and win the Cup or do really well in it, of course you would. But right now, having
06:18struggled at the start of the season with tough fixtures, more tough fixtures to come, Newcastle
06:23and Villa are the side of a trip to Brighton on Wednesday. That trip to Brighton is not
06:27going to be a priority. I don't think it can be. But if Wolves can go there and get
06:31a performance out of probably a much-trained side and get a result and take something into
06:37Villa, that would be ideal. But first of all, you've got to get past Newcastle and it's
06:40not going to be tough on them.
06:41No, it's not going to be easy, rather.
06:42No, it's not going to be tough. Blitz them. Blitz them. They're terrible.
06:45No, no, Newcastle are a good side. And he was very complimentary of Eddie Howe and I
06:49think it will be a good battle between two good English managers.
06:52Yeah, look, we are very early on into the season, but at the same time, one point from
06:55three games is not the way that Wolves will want to start, despite how good the opposition
06:59have been. At the same time, with the fixtures they've got coming up and Gary Neal is always
07:04a pain to say, but it was a very difficult start to the season and it is through the
07:07first eight games. You do feel this Newcastle game is an opportunity to really get, hopefully,
07:12their first win of the season. Worst case scenario, you think, for Gary is getting a
07:16point. I don't think you want to get beat here with the games coming up with the likes
07:20of Villa, with Manchester City, with Liverpool. You want to set the tone at some point.
07:23Yeah, absolutely. You've got some good home games coming up, but very tough home games,
07:28being Liverpool City, as you mentioned, both at home. Travelling to Villa is a derby game.
07:32It can go either way, albeit obviously Wolves will be second favourites, based on how Villa
07:36have done last year or so. And Brentford away is a game that Wolves will want to get something
07:41from, but it's never easy going to that stadium, and a team that's doing quite well so far.
07:45So with all that combined, you have Newcastle at home becomes a big opportunity, doesn't
07:49As I say, Newcastle is not going to be a team that you can just roll over. But at home,
07:54a Sunday afternoon, on the TV, hopefully a big crowd, a loud crowd is going to spur these
07:59players on to get something. And they do probably need to get something, considering the games
08:03that are coming up. After those games, after City, you've got a nice run until Christmas.
08:07But again, in the Premier League, there's no guarantees that you'll go and get any points
08:10in those games either. You have to take each game as it comes and the opportunity in front
08:13of you. But if we're going to look ahead, which we always do, and Gary won't as much,
08:18Newcastle is a big one, I think. You've got to get something in this game.
08:21So Liam Keane slash Liam Neal slash Gary Keane. Pick the team.
08:28If we're going off...
08:29We're going off what the team's going to be tomorrow, and if you don't, then you're in
08:34trouble.
08:35If we're going off Lamina, then we're not being fit.
08:36I think so.
08:37I think I'll put them in. And I'm going to change from what I said in the podcast.
08:41Oh, wow!
08:43The reason being, Andre played a lot in Brazil. I think I'm going to have him on the bench
08:49instead.
08:50Is it going to come around to my way of thinking?
08:51No, I wouldn't say that. So off the top of my head, I think this will be unchanged from
08:55Forrest. This will be Johnston, Samedo, Mosquera, Dawson, Totti, Lamina, Jao Gomes, Belagard,
09:02Cunha, Ait Nouri, Larson.
09:05OK. Any changes there? Do you think Tommy Doyle's got a chance? If he's going to go
09:09three in there?
09:10If he's going to go three, he possibly comes in ahead of Andre, considering Andre's been
09:14away.
09:15And Doyle's a very good player. I said it a lot on the podcast, I said it a lot recently.
09:18I'm a big fan of what Tommy Doyle brings to the side, and he'll be important to Wolves
09:21this season. He's definitely got a chance.
09:23He is slightly behind some of the other midfielders in terms of selection, as we've seen from
09:26the previous few games. But he will start games for Wolves this season, and he's a player
09:31against a good Newcastle midfield, to be honest, who would give Wolves some control over the
09:36game.
09:37And at home, that might be important. So it wouldn't surprise me if he does come in,
09:39albeit, I've just predicted, he won't.
09:42It wouldn't completely shock me if Joost Musco is on the bench, Totti's at centre-back with
09:47Craig Dawson, and Matt Doherty is at left-back. That's just a little bit of a curveball, but
09:53we'll see.
09:54I like it.
09:55Right, prediction. You've got to stick to that, though, don't you?
09:57I'll stick to that, I'll stick to that. It's a Desmond.
09:59Desmond.
10:00It's 2-2.
10:01Yeah, not the result that Wolves will have wanted, but at the same time, I still, from
10:04what we've seen, I still think this side are a little bit susceptible at the back.
10:07It's a last-minute Larson equaliser.
10:09A last-minute Larson? Oh, I'm sweating.
10:11Sweating a little bit.
10:12Pitting.
10:13Pitting, mate, pitting, big time, in the sun.
10:15Well, I have to give you something.
10:16Oh, yeah, I'm sorry.
10:17It's pretty close, though, and it's getting cold.
10:18Yeah, it's getting cold, miserable, horrendous.
10:20Phil, I've been with you 24-7.
10:22It's Newcastle against Wolves, fully built up to this one. Make sure you log on to expressonstar.com.