That may include changing the team to ensure they are fresh for "winnable" games, time-waste, dive and pack the last third with as many players they can.

Desperate ... yes.  Necessary ... no.  Wolves played good football in getting to the Premier League, so why stop when you get there ?  Lack of belief in the ability of the side or the ability of the manager to pit his wits with the top bosses ?  Lack of funding to bring in the quality needed to stay up ?  Or just an inferiority complex that leaves Wolves struggling after throwing away a one goal lead against Birmingham City with ten minutes to go last Sunday and end up losing 1-2.

From the radio phone-in shows, it appears that McCarthy is losing a little of the Molineux crowd with his manoeuvres this season.  There are good players there and while some have been injury hit, there is still enough there to get the odd point here and there.  Look at Burnley, they seem to be able to do it without stifling the life out of a game.

Kevin Doyle is a good striker, but without support or supply, he feeds on what scraps he gets, but it is not always enough.  It was at White Hart Lane earlier this season, but against the Bluenoses, it was not.  Had Michael Kightly's not been injured, it might have made the team operate differently, as his trickery might have made an impact on Premier League defenders.  Andy Keogh did well in the Championship, but it might be a step up too soon for him, but he too is injured.  The same might be said of the much hyped Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who has been injured and in an out of the side, but has failed ot make much of an impact since moving up to the Premier League.

The keeper Wayne Hennessey has been widely touted as a major star in the future and some of his performances have backed up these claims, but at the moment he has lost out to free summer signing, Marcus Hannhemann.  A solid enough keeper, he had an inspired game at WHL and the question will be is he can reproduce that form once more to deny Spurs.

Jody Craddock is a Premier League veteran from his time at Sunderland and leads the defence from centre-half, alongside Richard Stearman, a tall, rangy central defender who can also play at full back.  Started at Leicester and has done OK in the top flight, but his England credentials are being tested.  Stephen Ward looks like a player who might be a weak link, having had a torrid time at the Lane and getting sent off at Anfield, so whoever is playing right midfield for Tottenham might get some joy against him, while Stephane Berra is OK when up against a typical centre-forward, but might suffer with nippy forwards with good movement.  Among others how can play at the back are former Colchester United and Sunderland utility man Greg Halford, who lost his way a bit at the Stadium of Light, but is a useful member of the squad and Ronald Zubar, who has come in from Marseille.  Promising Chelsea and England Under-21 defender Michael Mancienne is also at the club, but does not start regularly.

The midfield is mainly made up of ball-winning tacklers, except for Matthew Jarvis, the ex-Gillingham winger, who has done well in the Premiership.  He is a talented player, who lots of bigger clubs looked at, although he needs to cut the diving out of his game.  I am reliably informed that he didn't learn that at Priestfield.  Nenad Milijas has come in and seems to have a bit about him, scoring a long range goal in one of his first games, but he is not a stand out player for them.  Karl Henry is more typical of the Wolves midfielder.  Snarling in referee's faces and putting everything into his tackles, he is a little rash and might find himself getting into a lot of trouble. 

It is another game that won't win a "pretty match of the year" award, but with Wolves' plight a little more advanced and the fact that they are at home making them a bit more reliant to get something from the game, Spurs might be able to break and catch them when they are a bit more vulnerable.  With the likes of Defoe and maybe Gudjohnsen, quickly changing defence into attack with Palacios or Jenas running the ball out or from Huddlestone's or Bentley's passing, Spurs should be able to create enough opportunities to take the points ...

PREDICTION : -  Wolverhampton Wanderers  1     Tottenham Hotspur   3

For more information on the opponents and their history, including full result history of matches between the two teams, click here.

TV
Match of the Day  (BBC 1) - Saturday 22.45 (highlights)
For coverage in all parts of the world, check here and here.

Radio :  
BBC LONDON 94.9FM (London area only), Digital Radio (London area only) &  Sky Channel 0152  (live coverage)
BBC Radio Five Live (live coverage)  606/939 MW

If available on BBC radio, it can supposedly be heard in these countries on these stations ...
Australia (Melbourne) SEN  -  116 AM  Live Transmissions: TWI, Saturday. 12.45 & 1500 matches
Australia (Sydney)  Radio 2  -  1611AM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 12.45 Match
Singapore Media Corp Radio  -  93.8 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
South Africa  SABC (Radio 2000)  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
Uganda  Radio 1 (English) 90.0 FM, Radio 2 (Lugandan) 87.9 FM  Live Transmission: TWI, Saturday, 15.00 Match
North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean)  Sirius Satellite Radio  Live transmission: Saturday - 12.45, 15.00 (TWI) & 17.15 (BBC) Sunday - 14.00 & 16.05 (BBC) Mon, Tue, Wed - Various times (BBC)

Internet :
www.spurs.co.uk   Live webcast  - subscribers only
BBC London - http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/10/12/live_commentaries_feature.shtml click on link to "Listen to Tottenham Hotspur live commentary" on top right hand menu.