Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Former Chelsea and Everton winger Pat Nevin, writing for the BBC Football Extra newsletter:

This feels like it has been the quietest Premier League transfer window ever. There is still a day to go and, in the past, huge deals have been done right up to the deadline, but it will not suddenly become a free-for-all this time. The question is: why?

Are all the clubs and their managers deeply satisfied with their well-balanced and over-performing squads? I hardly think so. Have all the coaches suddenly decided that they really want to work more with the youngsters coming through, rather than get a ready-made striker in the morning? Probably not.

Have the big clubs suddenly got sensible and concluded that it is silly spending hundreds of millions of pounds on players, destroying any possible company profits and yet still having no certainty of success at the end of it? This thought might have crossed a few minds.

There is always the possibility that some clubs got the fright of their lives after Everton’s 10-point deduction. Have they finally realised that some of the very complicated and fancy financial and accountancy sleights of hand might not bamboozle the Premier League after all?

Some clubs have spent huge sums and are now quietly trying to sell players to make the books balance.

Does it not smack of just the vaguest possibility of a chance that there might have just been a bit of blustering, self-indulgent financial mismanagement by the owners of some of the top clubs? Surely not - these Masters of the Universe always know what they are doing and understand finance so much better than the rest of us.

I remember listening to a hugely successful banker once braying on to me about how they knew best. I think he was from an organisation called Lehman Brothers.

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Wolves manager Gary O'Neil believes it is a "bad idea" and "not ideal" for his side to be playing a Premier League fixture on the final day of the January transfer window.

The deadline for new deals is at 23:00 GMT on Thursday, about an hour after Wolves' game with Manchester United is scheduled to finish.

"I don't like the transfer window closing on a match day, it's a bad idea," said O'Neil. "I need to be 100% focused on the game, but there may be stuff going on that may need input from me as well. From a management point of view, it's not ideal having to deal with the last day of a transfer window and a game on the same day.

"If I have to make a choice between the two, it will be 100% focus on the game. [Sporting director] Matt Hobbs and the recruitment team have got everything in hand and are working really hard on trying to do something to help the group. Hopefully we'll be able to get a few bits done and have a successful day on the pitch as well."

O'Neil confirmed Wolves are still trying to sign a striker before the deadline, although he would not comment specifically on reports linking Wanderers with Chelsea's Armando Broja.

"We are still looking for a number nine," added the Wolves boss. "There are still some things ongoing that we might be able to get done before tomorrow, but we'll have to wait and see.

"Completing deals can be complicated so we'll see how the next 36 hours unfold. Hopefully we'll have a little bit extra to add to the group, but as I've said all along, if not and this is the group, this is the group. I'll be delighted to keep working with them for the next 17-18 games and see how much we can get out of them."

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League home match against Manchester United.

Here are the main headlines from his news conference:

• Wolves are still working to sign a new striker before Thursday's transfer deadline, although O'Neil would not comment specifically on reports linking the club with a move for Chelsea's Armando Broja.

• However, he did confirm a deal is close to sign Paris St-Germain forward Noha Lemina, brother of Wolves midfielder Mario. "He's an exciting young talent, maybe not expected to impact the first-team group instantly, but that doesn't mean he won't because he has some fantastic attributes."

• O'Neil said it is "not ideal" the transfer deadline falls on the same day as a Premier League fixture. "If I have to make a choice between the two, it will be 100% focus on the game. [Sporting director] Matt Hobbs and the recruitment team have got everything in hand and are still working hard to try to do something to help the group."

• Pablo Sarabia is fit and available to face United after missing the FA Cup win at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, while Rayan Ait-Nouri, who came off the bench at The Hawthorns after appearing for Algeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, is fit to start. Midfielder Joao Gomes is also available for selection after completing a three-match suspension.

• The defeat by United in Wolves' opening match of the season was a "good starting point" for O'Neil's reign, and he believes his team has made significant tactical improvements since that 1-0 loss at Old Trafford.

Follow Wednesday's Premier League news conferences and the latest transfer news

Listen to live commentary of Wolves v Manchester United on Thursday from 20:15 GMT on BBC Radio 5 Live

As deadline day looms, we want to know what your ideal final day of transfer business would look like for Wolves.

Do they need to make any signings? If so, who should they look to bring in? And does anyone need to be offloaded?

Let us know your views here

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Pat Nevin, writing for the BBC Football Extra newsletter:

A more upsetting memory from the old days was triggered by pictures of fans fighting at West Brom following Wolves’ second goal, then pouring out on to the pitch and then blood pouring from a fan’s head wound. It had a very 1970/80s hooligan vibe about it, totally incongruous with what we are used to in the modern game.

It was headline news on all UK TV stations and people were genuinely shocked, which in an odd way made me feel quite good. Those sorts of scenes were so common back then, that they barely registered most of the time, but now any sort of violent incident is rightly splashed across all media outlets. We have come a long way.

Just like the grotesque racist chanting back then it was accepted by many as part of the fan experience. Now these outrages are rarer, totally unacceptable and shocking to see. It was not an overreaction in the media, it was simply the correct reaction you should expect from a civilised society.

West Ham United will rebuff interest from Wolves and Crystal Palace for 31-year-old forward Danny Ings. (Mirror), external

Wolves are interested in Armando Broja, with Chelsea willing to sell to raise funds for a new striker. (Standard), external

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

Wolves are in talks about a loan deal for Mario Lemina’s teenage brother Noha, who is currently at Paris St-Germain.

Any transfer is likely to include an option to buy.

Wolves are keen on the 18-year-old, whose season-long loan at Serie B outfit Sampdoria has been cut short after he only made one appearance over the first half of the season.

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Matt Cooper, Talking Wolves, external

I think I speak for most Wolves fans when I say I didn't expect Gary O'Neil to be doing such a great job this season.

Despite coming in a day before the season started, operating with a limited budget and with a squad who were told by Julen Lopetegui they weren't good enough for the league, O'Neil feels like he has revitalised the club.

You can understand the club's hesitancy to back an inexperienced manager and with profit and sustainability now becoming a huge thing for Premier League clubs, but they have to give O'Neil the opportunity to bring in players.

It's very well documented that O'Neil wants a centre-forward. With both Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic leaving the club, Wolves now don't have an out-and-out striker.

Wolves, no doubt, will need to be clever this window, but both O'Neil and the fans will be disappointed this month if one or two aren't brought in.

It's been a great season so far. Wolves are still in the FA Cup and not completely out of the question for European qualification. I just hope a lack of squad depth isn't the reason for this team running out of steam.

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Alex Howell, BBC Sport

Crystal Palace and Wolves are interested in Birmingham City midfielder Jordan James.

The 19-year-old has made 26 appearances for the Blues and has scored six goals this season.

James has been capped by Wales eight times is a product of the Birmingham academy.

Palace have also had an £18.5m bid rejected for Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton and are getting closer to completing the signing of right-back Daniel Munoz from Genk for 8million Euros.

Manager Roy Hodgson says that the club hope to announce the signing of Munoz in the next few days.

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Wolves fan Jez Constantinou, who was at the Black Country derby with his son Alfie, described witnessing the crowd trouble as "absolutely shocking" on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We could see everything that was going on and we could see it was escalating and getting more intense as time went on," said Constantinou.

"It was absolutely shocking scenes."

BBC commentator John Murray was also at the game and said West Brom players were seen carrying children out of the stands where violence had erupted.

"What caught my eye was that several West Brom players ran towards the trouble because many of their family members were in that area," said Murray.

"They were obviously concerned about their families.

"I know it’s a high profile match and they haven’t played each other in front of supporters for 12 years, but people witnessed things in a football ground with their families that you simply would not want to see."

Listen to reaction from Sunday's FA Cup trouble on BBC Sounds

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West Midlands Police have confirmed six people were arrested in connection with trouble at Sunday's Black Country derby between West Brom and Wolves and have vowed "to make further arrests in connection with the unacceptable violence".

Missiles were thrown, fights broke out and fans spilled on to the pitch after Matheus Cunha put Wolves 2-0 up.

Players then returned to the dressing rooms with play suspended for 38 minutes.

Chief Inspector Tim Robinson of the football department at West Midlands Police, said: "What we saw yesterday was completely unacceptable violence directed at both fans and officers, which sadly led to the suspension of the game.

"No football fan wants to see that. It’s important to stress however that it was very much a minority of fans involved in the trouble, and the vast majority of supporters were a credit to their clubs."

Four West Brom supporters and two Wolves fans were arrested, and have all since been bailed while the investigation continues.

Reasons for arrest include violent disorder, assaulting police officers and suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.

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The Football Association has launched an investigation after West Brom's FA Cup defeat by local rivals Wolves was suspended for 38 minutes because of "completely unacceptable" crowd trouble at The Hawthorns.

Tension had been growing before the game was suspended, with supporters of Premier League side Wolves lighting flares after Pedro Neto's first-half opener and then a beer bottle being thrown towards the visitors' Tommy Doyle as he took a corner after the break.

After Matheus Cunha doubled Wolves' lead, further missiles were thrown in the Smethwick Road end as trouble then also began at the opposite end of the ground.

Players remained on the pitch for a number of minutes, with some from West Brom going into the stand to remove their children, before referee Thomas Bramall eventually led them back to their dressing rooms.

"A lot of the players were distressed because that's where their families sit," said Baggies captain Jed Wallace. "They were worried about their children, that's why you could see some of them running over. No-one wants to see that in football."

West Brom manager Carlos Corberan later confirmed none of his players' family members had been harmed.

Fans were told to return to their seats on numerous occasions and Corberan, together with Wolves manager Gary O'Neil, discussed the situation with stadium officials and police representatives before the teams returned.

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The Times journalist Charlotte Duncker has hailed the "absolutely remarkable" job being done by Wolves boss Gary O'Neil after they came through a highly charged Black Country derby in the FA Cup fifth round.

O'Neil's side will now face Brighton for a chance to reach the quarter-finals and a win over Manchester United on Thursday would see them move above the Red Devils in the Premier League.

"It was a potential banana skin, the last time they beat them in the FA Cup was 1949," said Duncker.

"They went there after having not won for so long and to be expected to win and controlled the game for 90 minutes," Duncker told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"I could list loads of players Gary O'Neil seems to have improved and Matheus Cunha is one of them. It was a tidy finish for the second, nice little celebration from him as well.

"One of the most impressive things is he's managed to get them scoring. Hwang (Hee-Chan) isn't there at the moment and if we go back to last season they had so many problems in front of goal and were one of the worst in the league in terms of goals scored.

"Defensively now they look so solid as well so he's created this team that is going under the radar a little bit. He took over from (Julen) Lopetegui at the start of the season, there was no budget, he's now been told getting a striker in January is unlikely.

"The goalposts keep being moved for him and he's just going about doing his job in an absolutely remarkable way. He's got to be doing one of the best managerial jobs in the league."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Simon Stone, BBC Sport

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil tried to ensure not all of his post-match reaction to his side's FA Cup tie at West Brom centred around the trouble.

O'Neil stressed that "it's really important" his players received credit for Wolves' first victory at the Hawthorns in 28 years.

However, deep down, he must know it is a forlorn hope.

Wolves played with a measure of control, limited West Brom to a few chances at the start of the game and one after the restart, and their extra class told.

But the wider football world will not care - not after the shameful scenes that caused the game to be delayed for over half an hour after Matheus Cunha's goal.

The fall-out from what happened at the Hawthorns will be long-lasting.

The major positive from Wolves' perspective is that they avoided all of the heavyweights and got a home draw in the FA Cup fifth round.

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The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made, with the ties set to be played during the week commencing Monday, 26 February.

Here are the full list of fixtures:

• Blackburn Rovers or Wrexham v Newcastle United

• Chelsea or Aston Villa v Leeds United or Plymouth Argyle

• Bournemouth v Leicester City

• Liverpool or Norwich v Watford or Southampton

• Bristol City or Nottingham Forest v Newport County or Manchester United

• Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton & Hove Albion

• Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry City v Maidstone United

• Luton Town v Manchester City

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil speaking to ITV after the win: "Really disappointing. Up until that point, it was a good tie with good atmosphere. I'm not really sure what happened, the referee advised us to leave the pitch. We don't know exactly what happened.

"How people behave at football is really important and we need to look at that, to make sure everyone is safe. When we came back out, the atmosphere had gone, it was really sad to see.

"I know the West Brom players' families were in that area, which is a concern. I really hope that everyone is OK. I'm not really sure what stoked it, but we got the fixture played without any more trouble happening."

On whether it was his decision to resume the match: "The safety officers and police were telling us when we could go. We had to take Pedro [Neto] off because we didn't want him starting and stopping. We didn't want players waiting too long. I'm glad we didn't have to come back and play it another time."

On what they did during the break: "Just staying calm, making sure we got some food and fluid on board because it was a late part in the match. It felt like a really important victory."

On Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha: "They are both hugely important to us. We are really short attacking wise, in terms of moments, but we do have quality. The amount of quality we have means that we are a threat. I'm delighted with both of them. Delighted we got Pedro another good stint."

On his FA Cup aims: "I don't know about aim but, when we were drawn at Brentford away, our aim was to win the FA Cup. That was Brentford, today was West Brom.

"We've now got Manchester United and Chelsea [in the Premier League] coming three days apart. Two tough games and we have to be ready."

Wolves captain Max Kilman has also been speaking to ITV: "It was very tough. We knew before the game that it was going to be tough. We performed really well this afternoon."

On the crowd trouble which caused the delay: "It's something that you need to experience. We adapted really well. We got together, stayed warm and finished the game well."

On winning at West Brom: "It felt unbelievable. We haven't won here in so many years. It's very special."

On both goals: "Both really clinical finishes. Credit to [Matheus] Cunha and [Pedro] Neto, they both took their chances."

On having an FA Cup run: "It's looking good so far, but we've got some really tough games coming up in February. We need to make sure we keep going."

Wolves forward Matheus Cunha speaking to ITV after the win: "Derby days are always incredible. The atmosphere is amazing. It's tough, but it's a good result.

"After 2-0 it was calm. We came out for the final 10 minutes and got the win."

On whether or not he felt it was safe to resume play: "100%. I'm from South America, this kind of thing happens. As long as everyone is safe. It's bad when you see some children crying and things like that, but the most important thing is everyone is safe.

"Both teams played well and it was good atmosphere from both teams."

On building momentum after reaching the fifth round: "We need to keep going. We finished very well and another clean sheet was fundamental to our team."

On how important a cup run would be: "We need to believe. We need to do our best. After everything that has come to us, we want to get to Wembley. I hope that good things are happening."

• Wolves enjoyed their first win away to rivals West Brom in all competitions since September 1996, ending their 11-game run without an away win against the Baggies (D5 L6).

• West Brom have now lost eight of their last nine FA Cup home games against Premier League opposition (W1), including losing their past five in a row.

• Wolves are unbeaten in seven matches across all competitions (W5 D2), their longest run since December 2019 under Nuno Espirito Santo (nine games).

• Pedro Neto recorded his 10th goal involvement of the season in all competitions (2 goals, 8 assists). The forward has also been directly involved in nine goals in his past 10 starts for Wolves (2 goals, 7 assists).

• Matheus Cunha became the first Wolves player to score in back-to-back FA Cup appearances since Raul Jimenez in April 2019.