Wolverhampton Wanderers

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves will go into Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at home to Championship club Coventry City as favourites - and will therefore take on a different role to when they most recently appeared at this stage of the competition.

On that Saturday night in March 2019, a raucous home crowd roared Nuno's Wolves to victory over Manchester United and sent them into the last four for the first time in 21 years.

Many say it is the loudest they have ever heard it at Molineux.

Gary O'Neil and his team would surely welcome that level of support once more as they bid to reach a Wembley semi-final in April, a feat that would turn what has been a great season so far into a really, really special one.

The effect of that backing has certainly been evident in Wolves' past two home matches. After taking the lead in the first two minutes of their fifth-round tie against Brighton, Wolves produced a solid defensive display to hold on to their 1-0 advantage with "Gary O'Neil's Barmy Army" a prolonged soundtrack in the closing stages.

Then on Saturday against Fulham, a tiring side shorn of several injured attackers found energy from the home faithful to secure another three Premier League points.

The wider football public might take another Wolves win for granted but, with the squad stretched and key players missing, it may not quite be that simple.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Coventry City manager Mark Robins described Gary O'Neil as "a top, young manager" and praised him for the "immense job" he has done since joining Wolves on the eve of the new season.

"From where they were at the start of the season, Gary has done an immense job to go in there with no preparation under his belt," Robins said at his news conference on Thursday.

"He’s put together a really strong outfit and they play in a way that suits the players and they understand it clearly. They’ve had a brilliant season.

"They’ve got a real good depth of talent, which you would expect from a Premier League side that have been really well coached since O’Neil came in. They look like a really good side who are brilliant on the counter-attack.

"He’s a top young manager."

Speaking to the media before the short trip to the Molineux on Saturday, the Sky Blues boss added: "It’s a tough ask and it’s going to be a tough game."

Wolves are set to be without Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-Chan and Jeanricner Bellegarde, but could recover Matheus Cunha and Craig Dawson in time for the quarter-final.

"Although they’ve got a number of injuries, they’ve still got a lot of quality and we just have to hope we can play well enough to get a result," added Robins. "They will feel like they should win but you never know, upsets can happen.

"We’re looking forward to the game regardless and it will give us a chance to play against Premier League opponents and feel their strength. We want to give a good account of ourselves but also cause them problems.

"They’re a good side and watching them doing the analysis is difficult when you don’t know what players will be there or missing. You’re planning for a few different scenarios, but one scenario that will be there, and that's their quality and speed in every position.

"There will be a huge expectation from Wolves players and ours, so it’s not an easy game in any aspect. You always know the competition is difficult no matter who you play but this is a different level again and we have to try and match that.

"It will be in their stadium, with 5,000 of our supporters, and the rest will be mad Wolverhampton fans. The vocal nature of that means it will be loud in there, there’s no doubt about that!"

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Where can Coventry be exploited? The simple answer - in the midfield.

Despite his side chasing a play-off place once again, Mark Robins has been left with a depleted midfield due to big injuries to key players.

To say they've been stretched is no exaggeration.

Seven of the Sky Blue's midfielders have been side lined with injuries at some point this season, with summer signing and fan favourite Tatsuhiro Sakamoto the most recent long-term absentee.

It was a slow, frustrating, start to the season but a ten-game unbeaten run from December to February propelled them into play-off contention.

And it is no co-incidence that during that time Ben Sheaf was holding the midfield and Robins had the options of Jamie Allen, Kasey Palmer, Callum O'Hare, Josh Eccles, January signing Victor Torp and Sakamoto at his dispense.

But Sheaf, who frequently wore the captain's armband in the absence of Liam Kelly, picked up a hamstring injury and Allen fractured his cheekbone, leaving a gaping hole.

On paper, the results have still remained largely positive, however from the stands it has at times been a painful watch. Recent defeats to West Bromwich Albion and Preston exposed their weaknesses and both battles were lost in the middle of the pitch.

It has been a far cry from the counter-attacking, high paced football of last season, which was driven by Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokores.

However, just in time for Coventry's first quarter-final since the 2008-09 season, Sheaf has returned to the matchday squad.

And there were loud cheers, and sighs of relief, when the former Arsenal player entered the pitch in the 58th minute last weekend at Watford.

As 4,812 Sky Blues fans make the short trip up the M6 to Molineux on Saturday, they will be hoping the glue that holds the team together, Sheaf, will be fit enough to start.

But with the play-offs also in sight, Robins has to weigh up whether it's worth the risk.

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves have made five FA Cup quarter-final appearances in the past 30 years and a sixth will arrive on Saturday when they host Coventry City at Molineux.

Two of those past five ties were won, three were lost - each of them was memorable.

Image source, Getty Images

2019: Wolves 2-1 Manchester United

The best atmosphere at Molineux in recent memory?

Wolves were excelling in their first season back in the Premier League but were underdogs against a Manchester United side in exceptional form under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Second-half goals from Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota sent Nuno Espirito Santo's team into a Wembley semi-final against Watford - although we do not need to go into any more detail about what happened there.

2003: Southampton 2-0 Wolves

Midfielder Chris Marsden, who had an unspectacular spell with Wolves in the mid-1990s, netted the opening goal against his former club in this quarter-final win for Saints.

Paul Butler's own goal confirmed Wolves' exit from the FA Cup, but Dave Jones' side lost only one of their subsequent 14 games that season and were promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs.

1998: Leeds 0-1 Wolves

Second-tier Wolves upset top-flight opposition with a well-taken goal from boyhood Leeds fan Don Goodman and a superb late penalty save by Hans Segers.

Segers, who had been cleared of match-fixing a few months earlier and was Mike Stowell's understudy for much of the season, kept out Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's spot-kick to send Wolves into the last four.

At Villa Park, they lost 1-0 to eventual double winners Arsenal.

Image source, Getty Images

1995: Wolves 1-4 Crystal Palace (replay)

One of the most astonishing displays of finishing you could ever wish to see.

An equaliser from veteran Wolves midfielder Gordon Cowans at Selhurst Park set up an intriguing replay at Molineux.

Chris Armstrong's overhead kick put the top-flight visitors in front, but it was quickly cancelled out by David Kelly's header for second-tier promotion-chasers Wolves.

Iain Dowie restored Palace's advantage with an acrobatic scissor kick before half-time, Darren Pitcher found the top corner from 30 yards to make it 3-1 and Armstrong completed the scoring - his mazy run from the right ended with a powerful shot that was so well placed, the ball got stuck in the stanchion.

1994: Chelsea 1-0 Wolves

Gavin Peacock's volley was enough to send Glenn Hoddle's Chelsea through at Wolves' expense, in what proved to be long-serving manager Graham Turner's penultimate game in charge.

Wolves lost 3-0 at Portsmouth two days later and Turner, who had led the club from the fourth tier to the second during a reign of more than seven years, resigned.

His successor was Graham Taylor, taking up his first role since leaving his position as England manager after the national team's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins sets his side up to surprise you.

They have also been consistent for a long period of time now, so they could get closer than people expect.

Wolves will not want to go lightly either. Yes, they have a few players missing but Gary O’Neil’s side are looking to sneak into a European spot and I think it’s sensational that they are even in the top half of the Premier League. They will be going all out for the FA Cup because he will want to deliver a Wembley trip for those supporters.

And if you look at the competition, then why not? A big team is going to go out between Manchester City and Newcastle, then there’s Liverpool against Manchester United, so there is a pathway and a chance to get to a final.

You do not have a better chance of getting to a semi-final than playing against a Championship side at home. They must have been buzzing with that draw.

I think it will be a cracking game.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between Wolves and Coventry City in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

• Wolves are unbeaten in their past five home games against Coventry, having last played the Sky Blues in a 1-1 draw in League One in October 2013.

• This is the first FA Cup meeting between Wolves and Coventry since the 1983-84 third round, with the Sky Blues progressing after a 3-0 win in the replay.

• Wolves have progressed from two of their past three FA Cup quarter-finals, most recently a 2-1 win over Manchester United in 2018-19.

• Coventry are the top goalscorers in the FA Cup this season, from the first round onwards, with 16 goals. It’s the joint-most they have scored in a campaign, level with 1962-63.

• Kasey Palmer has been involved in seven goals in his five FA Cup appearances for Coventry, scoring three and assisting four. No player left in the competition has been involved in more goals this term than Palmer (five - two goals, three assists).

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live match commentary of Wolves v Coventry at 12:15 GMT on Saturday

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

One of the more memorable photographs of Wolves' recent history was taken moments after the final whistle of a game at Middlesbrough on Good Friday 2018, near the end of their Championship-winning season.

Wolves had been leading 2-0 at half-time and seemingly on course for a routine win. But after the break, and a few contentious decisions, Wolves "lost control of their emotions" - as their then head coach Nuno Espirito Santo put it - to such an extent that before long they were defending that lead with only nine players.

Middlesbrough eventually scored, but Wolves held on for the win.

In the background of Sam Bagnall's remarkable photograph, Conor Coady had been grabbed for an instant post-match television interview. Behind him, his team-mate Romain Saiss, physically spent from the night's effort, lay flat on the turf, looking up at the stars.

Image source, Getty Images

The picture perfectly crystallised Wolves at that moment: every man committing themselves completely, physically and emotionally to the greater cause. That wave of momentum carried them to promotion, and onwards to Europe 18 months later.

The image of that night at Middlesbrough came back to mind a few moments from the end of Saturday's win over Fulham.

Holding a 2-0 lead with 11 men this time - but a rather random 11 by then compared with their standard first-choice selection - Wolves could not resist the urge to go hunting for another goal in added time.

Mario Lemina hit a weary shot that missed, fell to earth with the effort, and his nearest team-mate, Rayan Ait-Nouri, instantly collapsed in sympathy.

They struggled to drag themselves up again for the final few seconds, but Fulham's goal came too late to make a difference.

Gary O'Neil called it his "favourite win of the season" in a crowded field of special days. You could see why - or, more accurately, you could feel why.

There may have been better technical performances, and there have been wins over stronger opponents, but this one was all about emotion and overcoming adversity.

Wolves are now entirely in bonus territory - past 40 points, with a puncher's chance of Europe, and an apparently favourable draw in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The squad is fraying with the effort, and the day may yet come before May where it can stretch no further to cover the gaps.

However, powered as much by emotion as technical excellence, Wolves are riding that wave again.

Listen to BBC Radio WM match commentary (all frequencies and BBC Sounds) of Wolves v Coventry City at 12:15 GMT on Saturday

And tune in to The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

According to Opta's 'Supercomputer,' Wolves are likely to miss out on a European spot and finish in the bottom half with an 11th place finish on 54 points (54.04 to be precise!).

We asked for your responses to this prediction:

Dan: It would be great to get to Europe but I am more worried about the injuries. I think we need to find a way of keeping the players injury free. Nuno Espirito Santo also had a very small squad but somehow managed to keep the injuries to a minimum.

Daivre: 'Could' and 'should' are of course not always the same thing. We are a small squad, already suffering from restrictions preventing us from ever joining the so-called elite clubs who seem to dance to a different tune to us. European football could be a disaster for Wolves with the benefits outstripped by the risks.

Shaun: The Opta prediction probably as expected although seems a bit on the pessimistic side. A lot will depend on how quickly key players such as Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan return from injury after the international break. Whatever happens, the season has by far exceeded the expectations of most Wolves fans - full marks to Gary O'Neil!

Paul: I'm a massive Wolves fan and we are having a fantastic season, O'Neil has been unbelievable in the way he has managed the squad. I think he should be a genuine contender for manager of the year, but I think we will fall short of Europe due to the small squad and the injuries we have had in the past month. I hope I am wrong!

Simon: Everyone had us going down before we even kicked a ball. The performance at Manchester United gave us hope. Now we're ninth and in the quarter-final of the FA Cup. I think every fan would have taken that position in August. However, with the continuing financial constraints on the club, qualifying for Europe will probably come back and bite us hard next season.

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Wales boss Rob Page has named a 28-man squad for the upcoming semi-final and possible play-off final.

Wales face Finland at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 21 March, with a potential final against Poland or Estonia to follow five days later, also in Cardiff, for a place at this summer's European Championship.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

When balls six and seven were pulled out in the quarter-final draw, both Wolves and Coventry City fans thought the same thing: winnable.

With a place at Wembley at stake, avoiding one of the 'big boys' always helps to keep that dream alive.

And, although Wolves are four-time FA Cup winners, the majority of those at Molineux on Saturday will not have been alive to see their last victory in 1960.

Similarly, while some Coventry fans still reminisce about1987, there is a generation who are yet to see the Sky Blues lift a major domestic trophy.

It will be a hotly contested affair and throw in the fact its also a West Midlands derby, then we are set for a noisy 90-plus minutes of football.

In terms of recent history, the last time the two teams met was during the 2013-14 season in League One, when Wolves amassed an incredible 103 points in a record-breaking promotion campaign.

Kenny Jackett's side bounced back up after back-to-back relegations from the Premier League by winning 31 of their 46 games, and losing just five.

However, of their 10 draws that season, two were recorded against Coventry and both ended 1-1. It was also in the penultimate game of the season, against Wolves, that Coventry secured their place in League One after starting on -10 points.

Yet as Wolves kicked on to regain their place in the top flight, off-field issues continued for the Sky Blues and they dropped to League Two.

Fast forward to now and Wolves are pushing for European football, with just two points separating them and West Ham in seventh. Meanwhile, Coventry are sniffing around the Championship play-offs for a second season in a row.

Both clubs have come a long way in the past 10 years. And yet you cannot help but feel that both are only just getting started.

Matt Cooper
Fan writer

Injuries to key players are mounting up for Wolves as they approach the business end of the season.

The squad lacks depth at the best of times but rewind to Saturday and Gary O’Neil found himself having to bring on a holding midfielder and centre-half for two of Wolves' most attacking players.

Most fans, including me, feared the worst and just hoped to get through the game with a point and no further injuries.

Well, not this Wolves side. When the chips are down, O'Neil's men roll their sleeves up and somehow find a way of getting a result.

Wolves came out in the second half and completely dominated Fulham - despite being forced into those two changes before half-time.

It's a testament to the work O'Neil and his team have done with this group as they all seem to be fighting for the same cause.

Let's just hope Wolves can get some players back for the final stretch of the season.

Matt Cooper can be found on Talking Wolves, external

Tottenham have joined Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Manchester City in hoping to sign 24-year-old Portugal winger Pedro Neto from Wolves this summer. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp has recommended that Liverpool sign Algeria left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, although the 22-year-old is also on Manchester United's radar. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on Monday.

Nick asked: Do you think Max Kilman at Wolves deserves a chance with England? He is our captain, left-footed, very good on the ball and can play a pass. I doubt Gareth Southgate will take anyone from us as he seems to have something against Wolves players.

Phil replied: Max Kilman is a very good player who has played a big part in Wolves’ excellent season and I would be very happy to see him get a chance. Not sure he will be included, though - and this is not because Gareth Southgate has something against Wolves players, I just think he might look elsewhere.

Never say never - because things can change and force a manager's hand and I also happen to think central defence is the biggest question mark about England’s current team.

Image source, Opta

As the Premier League heads into the business end of the season, statisticians Opta have been putting the remaining fixtures through their 'supercomputer' to predict who will finish where in the table at the end of the campaign.

Wolves, who currently sit ninth, are among a number of teams fighting for a European place next season. They kept themselves in that race with a 2-1 win over Fulham on Saturday but have key matches against fellow European football chasers to come.

According to Opta, Wolves are likely to miss out on a European spot and finish in the bottom half with an 11th place finish on 54.04 points.

But what do you think Wolves fans? Do you agree with the prediction or have you got faith Gary O'Neil and the team can beat the 'supercomputer' and get into the top seven?

Have your say here

We asked for your views on Saturday's game between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham.

Here are some of your responses:

Wolves fans

Chris: Gary O’Neil produced a tactical masterclass, bringing on Toti Gomes and pushing Ait-Nouri further up. It changed the game, and in our favour.

Ian: Given the state of things at the start of the season the manager has really got this squad playing as a cohesive unit. They've suffered VAR issues, injuries and tiredness. Yet still he manages to galvanise the players to perform at the highest level and get results. It probably won't happen, but Gary O'Neil should be up there as manager of the year.

Colin: Excellent performance. Could have crumbled after losing Bellegarde and Neto but dug in for a deserved win - and the scoreline could have been more flattering with a great chance to go 3-0 up. That said, Fulham had their chances and Sa and co played a huge part in us winning the game.

Mike: Brilliant result. Our already paper-thin squad was stretched even further but the lads really dug in and got the result their efforts deserved. Mario Lemina will surely sleep for a week after his effort. Gary O'Neil's gold and black army marches on.

Fulham fans

Pete: The better side lost due to sloppy play early second half. Shame really, will have to tighten up play, concentrate on the tasking, and keep the ball. The team have great goalscorers who need to take their chances in a more assured manner. The manager needs to ensure the players are trained and in the correct mind space not to fluff chances.

David: Through good goalkeeping from Sa, poor finishing, and sloppy defending, from a very dominant position Fulham totally threw the match and points away. It's a typical Fulham-ish scenario - failing to take chances or finishing teams off only to let the opposition back into the game.

Bob: Disappointing again we are not converting our chances. Pleased to see Marco played two up front eventually. I don't know why we don't do that more often. Still, we are, in most cases, holding our own this season. Just need to be a little bit more positive in front of goal.

Will: Not sure how we didn't have this wrapped up by the half-time whistle. Wilson has to do better and Tosin hit the frame. Shame we couldn't make it three in a row, but three wins in our past five is not too shabby at all.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Chelsea midfielder Jody Morris believes Wolves boss Gary O'Neil "has to be up there for manager of the season".

O'Neil has the Old Gold in ninth in the Premier League, challenging for Europe, and looking forward to an FA Cup quarter-final against Championship Coventry next weekend.

"He won't like it because he's a modest guy but at the same time there shouldn't be anyone else in the conversation with him if you're outside the top maybe two or three," Morris told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"Lets get it right, when he first went to Wolves in the summer, five days before their first game of the season, it was like Wolves maybe not doing as much as what they were pretending to do a few years ago.

"They brought in Gary who had done a great job at Bournemouth. You cannot argue if someone was to say he's manager of the season.

"They've beaten Chelsea twice, some of the big teams.

"For them to be in the conversation in the top 10, let alone not in a relegation battle, actually challenging for Europe - he has to be up there for manager of the season.

"Amazing job he's done, amazing job."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentaries in full:

• Crystal Palace v Luton Town

• Arsenal v Brentford