It’s been very tight. Not too many chances at either end. I’ve seen worse games, though. See you in 15 minutes.

45 min: Perez slips a pass through to Rondon, who runs at Coady and tries to make room for a shot. Just when Rondon seems ready to blast home with his left foot, Coady sticks out a leg to divert the shot over!

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44 min: Ritchie goes down in the Wolves area after running into Doherty, enraging the home fans. The Newcastle player’s also not too happy. He thought it was a penalty and tells the referee as much in no uncertain terms. All that gets him is a booking for dissent.

43 min: A cross from Ritchie from the left somehow reaches Rondon at the far post, but the Newcastle forward can’t sort out his feet and loses the ball. To belabour the point about newcastle’s kit,” Neil Hattersley says. “Every time the TV cuts to a close up of one of their outfield players I just assume they have a new keeper I’ve never seen before.”

41 min: Jonny smacks a low shot through the mass of bodies from 20 yards, but Dubravka plunges to his right to make a good save. He even holds on to the ball. A good goalkeeper, Dubravka, despite that mistake against Spurs last week.

40 min: Newcastle creep forward, pressing on the right, and Hayden sends a cross into the area. Rondon’s more alert than anyone - but the former West Brom striker can only glance a header straight at Patricio.

37 min: “The bigger issue surely is what colour is the Newcastle kit?” Steven Franklin says. “You called it blue in your preamble but I’d be inclined to call it turquoise.”

35 min: The second corner comes to nothing. Moments later Jimenez almost makes something out of nothing on the left after being picked out by a raking pass from Neves. He tricks past Yedlin brilliantly, drives back from the byline, on to his right foot, and slams a low shot through the bodies. The ball’s heading towards the far post, but Dubravka gets down to make the save. Jota can’t do anything with the rebound.

34 min: Another Newcastle error in possession sparks another Wolves attack, which ends with Jimenez winning a corner on the right. Jota sends it in and Boly runs to the near post, only to see his header hit a Newcastle man and fly over.

32 min: Newcastle have their first decent attack of the evening. Sort of. Schar sends one wide from 25 yards.

30 min: Newcastle haven’t been out of their half in any constructive way for a while. It’s all Wolves. But Dubravka hasn’t had to make a save yet. “That definitive guide to football kits, the 1960’s Subbuteo catalogue lists Wolves shirts as Old Gold,” Tom Shaw says. “That’s good enough for me.

27 min: Wolves have had quite a few promising situations on the edge of the Newcastle area, only to botch the final pass. Their latest attack ends with Dendoncker curling over from 25 yards. They need more composure.

25 min: Wolves have had a good few minutes and are making most of the running. Newcastle’s objective, you sense, is to kill the game. There’s a danger it could run away from them if Wolves get the first goal soon.

23 min: A fascinating development is taking place in my inbox. “Not to throw a monkey wrench (or “spanner” as you would call it) into David Dein’s world view but I’m not from (and have never even been to) the U.K. and I would not say Wolves are wearing orange,” says JR in Illinois. “I’d call it amber.” What have you done, David Dein?

20 min: “If you are hurting for quality emails let me express my retort to emailer David Deon that many in the states would rule that Wolve’s kits are indeed old gold,” Alex Alfonso says. “In fact, my university loved the color so much they named an entire alumni weekend after it (because that’s what you do in middle-of-nowhere Indiana).”

18 min: Now Wolves have a saunter down the right. The excellent Doherty pings in a cross and this time Jimenez has room to get a shot away, only to slash over the bar. He should have scored.

17 min: Wolves, dangerous down the left, attack down that flank again, Jonny breaking free and pulling a cutback towards Jimenez. The striker seems poised to stroke home, only for Atsu to steam in and make the tackle. Wolves scream for a penalty as Jimenez goes to ground, but a replay shows Atsu got the ball.

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16 min: This is exactly like a game of chess.

13 min: Lejeune makes a poor error, gifting the ball straight to Wolves on the halfway line, but the centre-back’s relieved to see Lascelles step in and stop Jimenez’s charge towards goal.

11 min: Wolves have struggled to deal with defensive sides at home a few times this season and they will have to work hard to break down Newcastle. That said, the visitors are more ambitious than they were against Tottenham last week.

9 min: Ritchie has a saunter down the left and sends an absolutely hopeless cross into the Wolves area.

7 min: Jota collects a long ball into the Newcastle area, turns Yedlin and tries to cross. The ball floats over for a goal-kick.

4 min: Wolves have a look down the left, Jota combining with Jonny, who tries to sweep a clever pass to the far post for Jimenez, who can’t quite make up the ground. Up the other end, Rondon has a go from the edge of the area. Straight at Rui Patricio.

3 min: “Allow me to get something off my chest,” says David Dein. “Why do you insist on perpetuating the myth that Wolves play in old gold? You ask anyone that isn’t native to the UK what colour that shirt is and they will tell you it’s orange. I can understand when textiles weren’t capable of producing the colour gold cost effectively that but that was a time that is quite literally decades ago.”

Just because, to be honest.

Peep! Newcastle, kicking from right to left in the first half, get the game underway. Mike Ashley is at Molineux tonight.

Here come the teams! Wolves are in gold and black, Newcastle are in blue.

An email! “Supporting a failing team, like having a pet as a kid, is a necessary way of getting used to the fact of death,” Ian Copestake says. “Man City fans no longer have such an incessant exposure so let’s top our hats to Newcastle’s rabbit owning supporters.”

Wolves: Rui Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neves, Jonny; Jota, Jimenez. Subs: Ruddy, Cavaleiro, Costa, Gibbs-White, Saiss, Vinagre, Traore.

Newcastle: Dubravka; Yedlin, Lejeune, Schar, Lascelles, Ritchie; Hayden, Longstaff, Atsu, Perez; Rondon. Subs: Woodman, Fernandez, Manquillo, Diame, Almiron, Kenedy, Joselu.

Referee: Graham Scott.

Hello. With Rafael Benitez still defying very logical calls from Richard Keys to pump some of his own money into Newcastle United, special praise must be afforded to Mike Ashley for signing Miguel Almiron for £21m. Times are hard, but Ashley’s generosity knows no bounds. A mere 12 years since he pitched up in the north east, the owner has reached into his wallet to shatter the club’s transfer record, further cementing his status as a club legend. Hurrah for Big Mike ...

... said absolutely nobody in a black and white shirt. For while Almiron does look like a good signing, it’s difficult to be that effusive about Ashley when Newcastle find themselves out of the bottom three on goal difference, weighed down by yet another relegation battle and at risk of losing Benitez at the end of the season. Newcastle’s manager may well need to see a bit more ambition before he decides to extend his contract and stay at a club whose vast potential continues to be quashed by a joyless ownership. Benitez has done a brilliant job so far - the man beat Manchester City the other day! - and it’s clear that he could bring back the glory years if he receives proper backing, but at the moment it’s hard not to feel that this is all going to end in tears.

In the short term, at least Newcastle can feel reasonably confident about staying up with Benitez in charge. Yet their fans must look at what Wolves are doing this season and wonder what would be possible if the suits were to show some more ambition. Wolves, managed by the very impressive Nuno Espirito Santo, are well on their way to establishing themselves as the best of the rest in their first season back in the top flight and have delighted their supporters with some magnificent football this season. They are looking good in seventh place after consecutive wins over Leicester, West Ham and Everton, have picked up results against every member of the Big Six, have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup and will fancy their chances of making it five wins on the bounce in all competitions this season. Molineux is bound to be rocking and Newcastle are likely to need some of that organisational magic from Benitez to get something here. A creative spark from Almiron also wouldn’t go amiss.

Kick-off: 8pm GMT.