Three 2017 fixtures that could be pivotal to Wolves’ season

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With half of the season nearly gone, it’s time to look ahead to 2017 where Wolverhampton Wanderers look to break into the play-offs.

It’s never easy being a team in the Championship, because you never know what you are going to get from one season to the next. A play-off push is equally as realistic as a relegation battle for most teams, with the unknown factor surrounding the division making it impossible to predict.

But it is easy to spot when there are crunch games coming up, and for Wolverhampton Wanderers there are going to be a whole bunch of them in 2017. In terms of which are the most important, these three stand out above the rest.

Sheffield Wednesday – Away (January 2)

General view of Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium

In terms of kicking off the year in the right way, a victory over Sheffield Wednesday would be a huge statement of intent. Carvalhal’s men have bounced back from last season’s play-off disappointment brilliantly, and now they look poised to make another run towards Wembley once again. If Wolves want to prove themselves, this would be a great way to do it.

Birmingham City – Home (February 25)

Birmingham City manager Gianfranco Zola during the press conference

Midlands derbies are pretty huge around the area. Aside from West Brom, the Blues are Wolves’ biggest rivals by far and given recent events it makes this game even bigger. With both teams harbouring outside hopes of promotion, it could be one of the liveliest Birmingham vs Wolves clashes in years and that’s saying something when you consider their past duels.

Reading – Away (March 4)

Reading manager Jaap Stam

Jaap Stam has whipped Reading into shape and they are looking more and more like a promotion candidate every day. The Madjeski has been a profitable place for them so far this season in terms of gathering points, and Wolves will have to be on their A-game if they want to walk away with what would be a huge victory. One way or another, this will be a big test.