Graeson looks ahead to Saturday's must win fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Layer Road (kick off 3pm).

The U's will be hoping for a change of luck on Saturday afternoon as Wolverhampton Wanderers visit Layer Road. Last week, the U's looked in control of the game against Bristol City until injuries to two key players saw them end up in a 2-1 defeat. Given their precarious position at the foot of the table, and with two tough away games coming up, the U's must surely win if they are to have any hope of survival.

United simply have to start winning their home games if the new stadium is to see Championship football when it is opened in the summer. They do have Sheffield Wednesday to visit Layer (a six-pointer if ever there was one) while trips to fellow relegation strugglers Scunthorpe and Leicester must provide something for the club. Having more home than away games, might prove crucial and, with the exception of current leaders Stoke City, having none of the current top six to play, might be invaluable. There is still room for optimism - but only if three points are gained on Saturday. Defeat would probably leave the U's isolated at the bottom of the table and from there, it’s a long way back to safety.

Mick McCarthy's side are tenth place at the moment and, therefore, still on the fringes of the play-off race. The former Republic of Ireland International has a good mix of youth and experience, and on their day (as Watford found out in the FA Cup) they are a real threat to any side.

Away from home, they've won just four games but drawn eight with five defeats. Those seventeen games have seen them register just thirteen goals, conceding four more. Only Scunthorpe and Barnsley have scored fewer goals on their travels.

In order to carry on with his side's promotion bid, McCarthy was more active than most in the recent transfer window with four new players coming in to the side. The biggest deal saw him take Sylvain Ebanks-Blake from Plymouth Argyle in a deal worth a reputed £1.5 million. The former Manchester United man now has thirteen goals for the season and was in the Argyle team that rescued a late point at Layer Road in November. Like the U's, Wolves plundered Luton for their best players by taking David Edwards to the midlands before the most surprising move as the U's sold transfer-listed George Elokobi to Wolves for a reputed half a million pounds. Elokobi gave 100% at Layer Road each and every time he was called upon, and though in my opinion this is a move that is perhaps too early for him, he deserves a decent reception from United fans should he be selected.

Finally, McCarthy took Kevin Kyle on loan from Coventry City. The former Sunderland striker was booed off in the game against the U's at The Ricoh Arena but he scored in Wolves' 2-0 win at Crystal Palace at the weekend. Big, strong and awkward, alongside Ebanks-Blake it means that the U's defenders will need to stand toe-to-toe with their opponents to keep them out.

So what has happened to Wolves since the New Year? Well, actually, it’s not been too good with just three wins in the League plus a draw with Sheffield United on New Year's Day and at Blackpool recently.

They have suffered home defeats to Palace (3-0) and Stoke City (4-2) whilst also losing to Watford by three goals to nil just a week or so after beating the Vicarage Road outfit in the FA Cup on their own patch. They did see off Sheffield Wednesday by the odd goal in three, and Scunthorpe 2-0 at Glanford Park of which the U's have clearly benefited.

Last Saturday, the beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park. Former England International Michael Gray opened the scoring with fourteen minutes remaining and Kyle confirmed the win a minute from time. The U's travel to Selhurst Park next week looking to replicate their 3-1 win their last season.

Wolves did have a good run in the FA Cup getting to the 5th Round. After struggling to beat non-league Cambridge United (the other U's took the lead and it needed an 88th minute from Neill Collins to put them through to the next round) they then destroyed then Championship leaders Watford at Vicarage Road with a 4-1 win. However, they were dumped out of the Cup by Cardiff at Ninian Park with two goals in the first eleven minutes from Peter Whittingham and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Not surprisingly, there haven't been many games between the two clubs with this just the 10th occasion that the U's have crossed swords with Wolves. They've recorded just two victories with just one draw - that in the play-off semi-final second leg in 1987. Wolves, of course, had already record a victory over the U's in the first leg at Layer Road and would repeat the trick the following season after the lost the play-off final (then over two legs) to Aldershot.

Last season, two first half goals from Jamie Cureton and Chris Iwelumo - the latter with more than a hint of handball about it - gave the U's the win though a late goal from Neill Collins did lead to a few fingernails being bitten! Earlier this season, the U's lost 1-0 at Molyneux as Stephen Elliott took advantage of an injury to Bela Balogh to fire past Gerken from close-range.

However, let's look back at the U's biggest ever win over Wolves back in 1986 when Mike Walkers men beat a side that was then managed by Graham Turner three goals to nil. Stephen Grenfell made his debut on loan from Spurs - he would later sign a permanent deal with the club - while the goals came from Mick Ferguson, A Floyd Streete own goal, and one from Tony English eight minutes from time. Aside from goals from Cureton and Iwelumo last season, they are the only goals scored by the U's against Wolves in all competitions.

The U's side that night was Alex Chamberlain, Paul Hinshelwood, Ian Phillips, Andy Farrell, Keith Day, Kirk Game, Simon Burman, Tony English, Mike Ferguson, Tom English and Simon Grenfell with Rudi Hedman an unused sub. The Wolves side lined up as follows: Eric Nixon, Darren Oldroyd, Steve Stoutt, Floyd Street, Matthew Forman, Peter Zelem, Jon Purdie, Micky Holmes, Andy Mutch, Ian Handysides, and Dean Edwards.

Oddly enough, that game wasn't Wolverhampton's first visit to Layer Road for a competitive fixture. That happened in 1938 when manager Ted Davis organised the Colchester Cup match against Arsenal as part of the deal which saw fullback Cliff Fairchild sold to the Gunners and Reg Smith to Wolves. Eighteen thousand packed in to Layer Road to watch two of the countries best clubs in action which Wolves won by a single goal from Harry Thompson after 28 minutes.

The two teams for that fixture were: Arsenal - George Swindin, Laurie Scott, Les Compton, Grayson, Fields, Ernie Collett, Dave Nelson, Les Jones, Eddie Carr, George Drury and Dennis Compton. Wolves - Robert Scott, Harry Brown, Robinson, Tommy Paton, Stan Cullis, Tom Smalley, Reg Smith, Harry Thompson, Jack Kirkham, Albert Nelson and George Ashall.

Graeson's Team

Geraint will be sweating on the fitness of at last two of his current starting line-up for this fixture. Chris Coyne should have recovered sufficiently to resume his place at the heart of the defence (and with Baldwin and Balogh suffering with injuries at the moment that will be a relief), however, John White's involvement will be touch and go following his dislocated elbow during the first half of last weekend's fixture.

Should White not make it - and I suspect its 60/40 that he will - then I think I'd move Duguid to left back as the U's will need pace in that area against Wolves. It is a position he has played for the U's before - indeed, he spent most of the promotion season on the left wing - and I think he'll give us more going forward than Granville who looks out of his depth on current form.

That does leave the right-hand side open for someone to come in to the side and perhaps that where Dean Hammond will get his first start for the club. I'd also toy with the idea of bringing in either Watson or Guttridge to the midfield and pushing Jackson out wide in place of the ineffectual Kevin McLeod. However, that does mean that possibly the best midfield on current form might not be involved enough - it’s these kind of decisions where the manager earns his corn.

Another tough question he'll be asking himself tonight is who to play up front. Wolves central defensive partnership of Gary Breen and Jody Craddock is no exactly blessed with pace so for that reason I'd have to bring Kevin Lisbie back in to the side. Pace is the one thing that does honestly frighten defences and Lisbie has it to burn. It’s a flip of the coin as to who partners him though as I can make good cases for either Platt or Vernon to get the start. Simply to give him a rest, I think I would put Platt on the bench and ask Vernon to give it his all for an hour or so before I bring on the former MK Dons man.

So my side will be Gerken in goal. The impressive Phil Ifil at right back, skipper Duguid at left back if White doesn't make it, with Adam Virgo and Chris Coyne at the heart of the defence. The midfield does again depend on the fitness of White. If he's fit, then I'd put Duguid just in front of him in place of McLeod with Jackson and Izzet centrally and Dean Hammond or Luke Guttridge on the right. If White is unfit, then Hammond, Izzet, Jackson and Duguid would be my line-up with Lisbie and Vernon up front.

Graeson's Prediction

We have to win. No mistakes. That clean sheet is coming along sooner rather than later, and against a side with just thirteen away goals this season, it has to be Saturday. The U's have played competitively in recent weeks without getting the rewards they have necessarily deserved and with that in mind, I think Saturday's going to be the day it all comes right for the U's.

Lisbie and Vernon are on target for the U's as they record their first clean sheet since October in a 2-0 victory.

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