Black Country Boy: Football

Craddock Screamer

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:08:06 GMT

Wolves eased past Bradford City last night in the first round of the Coca Cola Cup. Just check out this sublime 25 yard effort from out-of-favour centre half, Jody Craddock. Described by Sky commentator, Johnny Phillips, as "the best goal I have ever seen in the flesh". Stunning. Eastwood opened his account too; bring on Sheff Wed.

Also, congratulations to Michael Kightly for earning a call-up to the England U21s:

http://www.thefa.com/England/U21s/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/08/EngU21s_KightlyCalled.htm

Olofinjana And The Killer Steak & Kidney Pie

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 10:29:05 GMT

Much less excitable this morning.

It was a laboured Wolves' performance at Molineux yesterday afternoon, made worse by a Watford-side determined to stifle play and 'put it about'. I honestly think they are the most physical side I have ever seen play at Molineux. At times, we simply looked intimidated by them. Shittu, at the heart of the Watford defence, was just immense.

There was no lack of effort, we just looked disjointed and vulnerable. Quite why we kept pumping long balls into a giant-like Watford defence is just beyond me.

In a nutshell, we need a new full back, a quick centre-half, and a tough-tackling midfielder. I am banking on Eastwood banging in the goals on return to full fitness.

Despite the performance (it was not an exciting match to watch), it did look like we would walk away with a full three points. Olofinjana scored a delightful goal on the stroke of half-time (which I mised because of a quick toilet and pie break), a lead we held until deep into the second half. A deflected free-kick and a penalty shattered the Molineux faithful again. 2-1. I think we deserved a draw.

To make matters worse I spent most of the second half nursing a pie injury. Somehow managed to jab myself in the lip with the tin foil, ensuring a steady flow of blood throughout the second period. Typical.

Watford will certainly be there or thereabouts at the end of the season. If not particularly talented or exciting they are very very strong; a characteristic which will stand them in good stead in this league. As for Wolves, it was a difficult environment by which to judge them. Our prospects will look a lot clearer after Sheff Wed and Blackpool

My other teams fared well. An excellent 3-1 victory for Newcastle at Bolton. Despite my initial misgivings I genuinely think Big Sam could be the man to bring the glory days back to St. James'. And despite the off-the-field turmoil, Weymouth registered a solid 2-1 victory over Halifax in the Conference.

Kick Off

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11:10:13 GMT

I am so excited. I have not felt like this for years. The football season is back.

I woke at 6:45am in a state of pure excitement. It felt like Christmas morning. I have been bouncing off the walls all day.

I was in Sedgley for a haircut by 8:45am, watched Soccer AM whilst waiting, and had a good chat with Tony re Villa's prospects for the coming season. Jumped back in the car, switched on talkSPORT for the football phone-in and headed round mum's for a cup of tea and breakfast. By 10.30am I was at the Molineux club shop. Bought my first Wolves shirt in eight years (the new blue and gold change shirt) embossed with '4 - Olofinjana'. I felt like a big kid and literally skipped out of the shop.

Sitting at home now glued to the football phone-in, waiting for the season's first Football Focus.

Al and J are due round at 3pm before we head down to the BlueBrick for a couple of pre-match pints with the lads. Then to the Molineux for 4:45pm to take our new seats. It should be a corking atmosphere, bolstered by the pre-match tribute to Derek Dougan. I am sure the pub will follow the match also.

Difficult call v Watford. I would probably settle for a point. Prediction: 2-2.

One thing is for sure, from this point on, Saturday's until next May will either make or break my weekend.

C'mon the Wolves.

In other news:

Survived my first week back at work. Just.

Making good progress on the dissertation. Just over 3k left.

Enjoyed a couple of quiet drinks in the Green Room last night; yet another departure from BVSC.

Did my good deed for the day on the journey home. Spotted an elderly lady looking confused on the Manc Pic train as we pulled out of New St. She had lost her luggage and was meant to get off at New St. to meet her daughter. Found her luggage, calmed her down and promised to get her back on a train at Wolv. Sat with her for the rest of the journey. She had a lovely soft South Walian accent. Her eyes lit up when I told her I had spent 6 years at Swansea University and was a Dylan Thomas fan. I got the fully story of family holidays at the Gower etc, as well as the Aberfan tragedy in '66. It was quite obvious after a few mins of chatting though that she was suffering from the early stages of dementia; she has forgotton to get off at New St and was pretty confused. Anyway, walked with her to platform 4 at Wolv, rang her daughter to tell her she was back on her way, got her onboard the next Brum-bound train and made sure a young lad would help her off at the other end. I felt quite choked. She was such a lovely old lady, but I know the next stages all too well. She reminded me of my nan, which I found really sad.

Golden Ticket

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:43:16 GMT

Just back from the Molineux after picking up my new 2007/08 season ticket. Finally, the beginning of the football season is closing in. I HATE the summer period without football. Cricket is just dull and tennis-types annoy me. I wish someone would just put 'Tiger Tim' down.

I cannot wait. Mick the Magician has made some astute summer signings in Eastwood, Elliott, Ward and Jarvis. Mark my words, Wolves are going to be the most exciting Championship club since Keegan's golden reign at Newcastle. Exciting, open matches and plenty of goals; at both ends. I am still a bit concerned about our lack of pace and cover at the back but I am pretty sure Mick is looking to draft in a couple of quality loan signings before the season kicks off. There is such a feelgood factor around the club at the moment, almost entirely thanks to Big Mick. Roll on 11 August: Wolves v Watford. Easy.

Flood Warning in Wolverhampton...

Mon, 28 May 2007 17:32:15 GMT

...50,000 Wolves fans pissing themselves.

Derby County 1 v 0 Sandwell Town. Boing Boing!!!!

Now WBA are knackered. A miserable under-achieving season, ends in tears at the new Wembley. Koumas et al will be off, leaving Mowbray a massive rebuilding job over the summer. WBA failings: Robson as boss early on, too high expectations and a bunch of over-paid prima donnas. Six points in the bag for us next season.

Boing Boing.

Mick McCarthy Interview...

Thu, 24 May 2007 17:50:37 GMT

ok, well not strictly. Just watch this, it has me in stitches every time. Probably a Sandwell Town fan but comedy genius nonetheless.

Another Season In The Division From Hell?

Sun, 13 May 2007 13:51:01 GMT

Not 'til the fat lady sings.

Listened to the match on WM, whilst desperately trying to swot up on the Trans-Atlantic Relationship.

Sounds like we battered them in the first half. Keogh, Olofinjana and Kightly ripped their midfield apart. Again, the difference between the teams is that they finish their chances; we do not. Wolves v Birmingham City all over again.

Importantly it was a storming Black Country derby, played in good spirit by both teams; and the result is far from decided yet. There will be a hatful of goals at the Hawthorns on Wed night. We can still do it. An early goal will rattle WBA and give us a fighting chance.

One change required. Drop Breen, bring Little in at right back and switch Collins to centre-half alongside Craddock.

Bring it on.

Dreaming of Wembley

Sun, 13 May 2007 09:16:53 GMT

Kick off is fast approaching. Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Bromowich Albion. Arguably the biggest Black Country derby in history: The Championship Play Off Semi-Final. The Black Country is rattling with nerves.

In a stupid moment of self-restraint I decided not to get a ticket. My MA final exam is on 22 May. Not yet started full revision and off to Barcelona for Grant's stag bash on Thursday. Gutted.

At times like this you cannot help but start to dream of Wembley heroics. It would certainly top off an incredible season. Still, I am much calmer than on previous play-off occasions. Expectations were dampened so much by Hoddle that even a defeat by WBA over two legs would not be a disaster. Disappointing yes, but we will still have had an immense season in which we punched well above expectations. WBA have far more to lose; the pressure is all on them.

Listening to the build up on Radio WM. News has just come through that England's No. 1 Matt Murray, is out injured for the rest of the season with a broken shoulder. Devastating news. Still, it gives the young lad, Wayne Hennessey an opportunity to make a hero of himself. And let's not forget, he has already been a record breaker with Stockport County this season - record number of consecutive clean sheets.

C'moooooooooooooooooooooon you Wolves. Just do us proud.

Which Chelsea Player Do You Fancy?

Fri, 11 May 2007 21:04:10 GMT

This is soooo funny. Watch John Terry squirm.

Leeds United Relegation Medley

Mon, 07 May 2007 16:15:07 GMT

You can so tell I have revision to do.

A little something for you Leeds United fans. What goes around comes around, so they say.

Wolves Goals

Mon, 07 May 2007 14:55:37 GMT

Check this out - first away league victory against Leicester City since 1971.

Foxes Mauled by Wolves

Sun, 06 May 2007 19:40:15 GMT

Just back from a tremendous 4-1 thrashing of Leicester City at a thoroughly unimpressive Walkers Stadium. McCarthy has worked miracles; 5th spot and a play off v Sandwell Town. Just brilliant.

I never really appreciated Molineux until seeing the Walkers Stadium this afternoon - a tacky, cheap, badly designed, soulless bowl - much the same as the Ricoh Arena, The Reebok, Pride Park and The Madejski. Molineux is a traditional, quality, brick and mortar stadium which will be standing long after these cheap imitations have begun to rust and collapse. If I was a Leicester fan I would be ashamed of The Walkers.

And the atmosphere was woeful; aside from the 2,500 (we could have sold 10,000 but they blocked an increased ticket allocation) travelling supporters who rocked the place. In fact another 1,500/2,000 managed to get tickets in the home end, including Al, Chris, Paul and Andy. So funny - they had to applaud Leicester's opener and sit on their hands as Wolves smashed in four.

Leicester started brightly and took the lead in the 3rd minute. Fryatt could have made it 2-0 five minutes later but somehow scooped his effort over the crossbar from 3 yards. After that, Wolves dominated and pulverized a shell-shocked Leicester outfit. The defence held strong, Potter and Olifinjana bossed the midfield, Kightly looked lethal from midfield and Keogh was just world-class. We could easily have had 9-10.

I really cannot praise McCarthy enough. He has changed the entire mindset of the club. Gone are the overpaid prima donnas who symbolised everything that was rotten with the club for so many years and in have come a bunch of hungry, young lads who are proud to wear the shirt. A wonderful season irrespective of what happens in the play-offs.

WBA beat Barnsley 7-0 but will fear a visit to Molineux. They have everything to lose; we have nothing. A defeat for WBA and Mowbray could be sacked, there will be an exodus of quality players from the Hawthorns and the board will have to cut their cloth accordingly. A defeat for Wolves and the faithful will still be singing McCarthy's name. For once, we are the underdogs; the pressure is all on WBA.

Football League Quiz

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:14:10 GMT

Have a crack at this. Can you name all 72 coca-cola football league clubs...in 10 minutes? My first effort wasn't very impressive...

http://users.cjb.net/christophee/index.html

Blood, Sweat and Plenty of Tears

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 19:22:39 GMT

Lady Luck was clearly not at Molineux this afternoon.

Wolverhampton Wanderers produced one of the finest footballing displays I have seen at Molineux since 1988. They played Birmingham City off the park. In fact, they destroyed them for large swathes of the game. For those neutrals watching on Sky, this must have ranked up their as one of the most exciting matches in recent history. Each and every lad in gold and black gave 110%. And still we lost. Unbelievable.

It was a miracle that Birmingham survived the first half. We absolutely hammered them; just lacked the killer touch in front of goal. Credit to their keeper too, he played a blinder.

The second half was a rollercoaster of emotion. 1-0 down, 1-1, 2-1 up, 2-2, 3-2 down. Penalty in the 91st minute. And we missed (our third on the bounce).

I left the ground deflated, elated, bemused; but most of all, proud to be a Wolves fan. And believe me, I have rarely felt that over the past twenty years. McCarthy has worked miracles. If we fail in our current promotion bid then mark my words: watch us go next season.

Oh, and if Birmingham City go up, they will come straight back down again. It was clear from the players body language that there is unrest in the dressing room. I can now understand the fans frustration with Bruce.

Our destiny is in our own hands. Wins against QPR and Leicester will guarantee us as a play-off spot. Call me a cynic, but I suspect we will probably miss out.

On a cheerier note, NUFC held Chelsea. Brilliant.

Mixed Emotions at Molineux

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:25:46 GMT

After a sequence of disappointing results, including a 2-1 weekend defeat at Sunderland, nothing less than three points against lowly Hull City this afternoon would satisfy the Molineux faithful. A defeat could shatter any lingering hopes of promotion to the promised land.

At least in terms of a result, the lads didn't disappoint. 3-1 with a Bothroyd brace and a good headed goal from Olofinjana. The performance however, especially in the second period, was abject. Hull City were very poor, and on this display will struggle to beat the drop. A better team could have battered us this afternoon.

McCarthy made a couple of positive tactical changes, which at least for the first half hour, bore fruit. Bothroyd replaced the ineffectual Ward up-front, whilst Jackie McNamara made a welcome return to full-back in place of Clapham. The first half was ok, the lads dominated much of the play and kept the ball fairly neat on the deck. The other enforced change saw the injured Murray replaced by on-loan keeper, Budtz, who inclidentally, had a solid game.

Bothroyd's strike early in the second half was a blessing in disguise. Without a three goal cushion we could have really struggled. The final 40 minutes were dire. Neither side seemed capable of maintaining possession and resorted to the worst style of 'lump it forward' football. Wolves are a side capable of playing exciting football, which made this performance even more frustrating. So, what went wrong?

Confidence remains low; perhaps we understimated the effect of that 6-0 drubbing from Southampton. Even at 3-0, the lads seemed edgy and mistake-prone.

The defence looked reasonably solid in the first period, although Little looked vulnerable on the right hand side. Breen won everything in the air and Craddock had a composed performance. The second half was a different story. A forced change (McNamara was knackered) saw Collins slot in to to full-back. Almost instantly the back-four began to wobble and looked vulnerable from a series of high balls slotted over the top. Other sides, with a younger No.9 would have punished us. Alas, for all his effort, Dean Windass never really threatened. McCarthy needs to invest in at least one pacy defender over the summer. Our chronic lack of pace at the back continues to leave us desperately exposed. Collins' 'hoofing' down the left flank was painfully tedious. He reminds me of Mark Venus on a bad day.

The midfield were frustrating this afternoon. McIndoe was largely ineffective although can be credited with setting-up Bothroyd's opener. Olofinjana, despite his goal, was simply not up to standard. His performances of late, have been awful. Potter drifted in and out of the match and his distribution was very suspect. Kightly, hero of recent months, was atrocious. His confidence appears shot. He failed to take the ball beyond a single Hull defender and his mistakes, on a number of occasions, left the back four in deep trouble.

Keogh worked tirelessly up-front again and was at the heart of most of Wolves' chances - this lad has the potential to become a real hero amongst the crowd. Bothroyd hit two good goals, breaking what had become a worrying dry spell for the team. Aside from that he did little - lazy and too easily brushed off the ball.

Overall a very disappointing performance; but this afternoon, the result mattered more. With other results going our way (Cardiff, Preston and Blues all lost), we are back in fifth spot and in with a fighting chance of a Wembley appearance. Incredibly, a good run of results for Stoke and Colchester lift them both back into contention. Sides as far down as Cardiff in 10th, remain in with a shout. My prediction, in no particular order for the play-offs is: Wolves, WBA, Birmingham City, Southampton. Talk about tension in the West Midlands.

The future looks bleak for Hull City. On this afternoon's performance it is difficult to see them maintaining their Championship status.

The next two matches will be telling for Wolves: Crystal Palace then Birmingham City. We need a minimum 4 points.

Saints Alive

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 11:07:43 GMT

I am stunned. Yesterday was a very bad day. The four teams I support, in order of priority, fared as follows:

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 v 6 Southampton

Newcastle United 0 v 1 Manchester City (this was such a predictable result)

Millwall 2 v 0 Swansea City

Cambridge United 7 (yes, seven) v 0 Weymouth

So, on a single Saturday afternoon my supporter stats rate: Played 4, Lost 4, For 0, Against 16. Why was I destined to follow the four most frustrating teams in British club football? Oh, and then there is McClaren's mickey-mouse England outfit...

Before I start, let's get one thing very clear: this was the most surreal football match I have ever watched. It was a truly freak result.

Enjoyed a bostin' pint of Enville Ale in the Moon Under Water with Al, J and Dad before we made the short walk to Molineux and settled into the less than familiar environment of the Steve Bull Upper Stand. The 25,000 crowd, still bouyant from the WBA match, expected a win against Southampton. They should have paid heed to the wise words of Alex 'the Prophet' Angus. To summarise:

Wolves have punched above their weight all season, thanks in large to McCarthy's expert furrowing in the transfer market bargain bucket and the new sense of optimism he has injected into the club. However, this season, probably for the first time in the club's history, McCarthy has overseen a squad which was not expected to achieve. At the beginning of the season, most fans would have bitten your hand off for a mid-table finish, such was the mess left by Hoddle. Yesterday was different, you could sense the anticipation. Every Wolves fan, except 'the Prophet', believed Wolves would beat Southampton. His theory unfolds: this was the first time a McCarthy outfit was faced with expectation. If they won, it was a new beginning. If they lost (which he predicted), it was the same old Wolves, troubled by the same old problems - the weight of 'big club history'. We lost; no, in fact we got battered, although the result was deeply misleading (honestly).

The first twenty five minutes was impressive stuff. We passed the ball neatly, defended robustly (Breen won everything in the air) and created a plethora of chances. And then something went horribly wrong. On the half hour mark, Saganowski put the Saints 1-0 ahead. It was such against the run of play. A few minutes later, Breen calamitously slid the ball home into his own net before Saganowski added a wonderful third goal (albeit suspiciously offside) on the stroke of half-time. The Molineux faithful was stunned into disbelief. How on earth was a very poor Southampton side beating us 3-0 at home by half-time?! Still, there was a weird optimism streaming through the ground - we could still win this.

The second half kicked off with a renewed sense of belief amongst the players...until Kightly missed a penalty. I think that probably signalled the end; it was quite simply, not going to be our day. Soon after, Southampton struck a fourth...then a fifth...then a sixth. I was very nearly willing a seventh into the net just so that we would make headline news.

It was such a weird result. Southampton had seven efforts on goal all match and hit six. We had a penalty, an effort off the post, another cleared off the line and a host of near misses. We dominated possession for large swathes of the match and, the defence aside, looked equal, if not better than Southampton.

The crowd didn't really know how to react; we had not seen anything akin to this at Molineux since the 1970s. Interestingly, a 6-0 thrashing to Southampton 25+ years ago at Molineux resulted in Wolves going up and Southampton staying put in the old Div 2. Yes, ok, I am desperately clutching to any comforts available.

The final ten minues witnessed bizzare scenes. After a few renditions of 'there's only one Harry Redknapp' and 'where's your statue gone', the gold and black army decided to sod it all and join in with the Saints' celebrations. Chants of 'we're gonna win 7-6' and 'Super Mick McCarthy' were duly followed by wave after wave of Mexican Wave celebrations. The manager and players then got a standing ovation off the pitch. Utterly surreal but testament to the popularity of McCarthy and this young team, who have won over the hearts and minds of a cynical, success-deprived band of supporters. 1-1 draws under Hoddle last season resulted in desperately ugly scenes. 6-0 hammerings these days result in carnival-like atmospheres.

A draw would have been a fair result, a Wolves win would not have lifted many eyebrows. Saints boss, George Burley, offered a fair reflection on the game:

"I can point to numerous games this season where had all the chances, dominated possession and failed to bury the opposition. Today was the opposite way round and the difference between the two teams was the quality of our finishing."

Still, there was a host of very real concerns unfolding before us. The defence was woeful. Breen and Collins seem to have taken the brunt of post-match criticism but most of the threat came down the flanks. We desperately need two natural full-backs. Clapham and Edwards are not the answer and were frequently found wanting. Moreover, the back four are chronically lacking in pace; opponents are quickly finding us out. The midfield did ok, althugh Olofinjana was dreadful - it was like watching some strange, slow-motion cartoon character. The other glaring problem is the lack of a an out-and-out goalscorer. Keogh and Ward are both providers but not 15+ goals a season strikers and Bothroyd is not the solution.

McCarthy has been lucky this season, in the sense that Wolves fans expected so little. Next season will be very different. It will be a true test of the man, the club, and most importantly, the fans. As fans, we have a responsibility to dampen expectations, else this promising young outfit will soon be reduced to the injury prone, fearful and ultimately unsuccesful pretenders of the past. And we cannot afford for that to happen.

A Bright Afternoon in Wolverhampton

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:48:17 GMT

Wolves 1 v 0 Sandwell Town

Yeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssss.

This was a massive result. After suffering the indignity of two 3-0 losses to our bitter rivals already this season, this victory was unimaginably sweet. And the impact of this result on the title race/play-off scramble should not be understated. Sandwell Town have now lost three on the bounce whilst the mighty Wanderers have now recorded their sixth straight win. At this stage of the season, momentum and confidence can count for so much.

Molineux was packed to the rafters this afternoon with the Baggies fans relegated back to the Lower Steve Bull Stand. The crowd, especially the Jack Harris faithful, were magnificent. Molineux was bouncing from the outset and you could sense a genuine belief in the fans and players alike. We would not roll over this time. Kightly, Ward and Keogh were missing from the 3-0 FA Cup thrashing; today they formed the bedrock of a much more confident, able and passionate Wolves side.

Mick McCarthy continues to work miracles and at this rate will be made a free man of the city by the end of the season. I cannot remember a manager to whom the Wolves fans have taken so warmly. The players gave 100% for Mick throughout, battling for every ball and tackle; something we haven't seen at Molineux for 15+ years.

The match itself was a wonderful spectacle and a great local derby. Wolves shaded the first period but lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. Camara and Koumas looked dangerous throughout the first 45 but were unable to slice open an impressive Wolves defence. 0-0 at half-time was ideal for us; less so for Sandwell Town.

The second half was immense; end to end football and plenty of gilt edge chances at either end. Camara could have hit three but for the heroics of Matt Murray (the best No.1 in the Championship and arguable one of the best in England). At the other end, Keogh could have hit two and Bothroyd was dragged down in front of goal for what should have been a penalty at 0-0. By the 75th minute Wolves were dominating; the crowd were literally willing the ball into the net. An inspired substitution by MM soon paid dividends as Jay Bothroyd swivelled in the penalty box and drove home an effort into the bottom right hand corner. Molineux erupted. Wolves rode a nervy final few minutes to three points, a victory over their bitter rivals and fourth spot in the Championship.

Wolves were outstanding and deserved the three points. WBA are a very good outfit but are wobbling at the wrong time. A Tuesday night win v Crystal Palace is now critical for them. As for Wolves, well, they are riding on the crest of a wave. McCarthy has ushered in a new era: the players are sweating blood for him, and the fans are in heaven. We can do this.

MOTM:

Tough call between Matt Murray, Seyi Olofinjana, Neil Collins and Andy Keogh. Murray made three outstanding point blank saves against Camara, Olofinjana bossed the midfield, Collins was immense at the back, winning every aerial ball, and Keogh just never stopped running; his abiility to hold the ball up, flick on, and create chances has added an exciting new dimension to our play.

Now, the Championship really is hotting up. A win versus Coventry mid-week and we are guaranteed a play-off spot. A win against Southampton next Saturday and we are in with one hell of a chance of automatic promotion. The decider could well come against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in a few weeks.

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Birmingham	36	12	5	2	30	16	9	2	6	24	17	21	70
2	Derby	37	10	4	4	25	16	11	2	6	25	21	13	69
3	Sunderland	37	11	3	4	27	12	9	3	7	29	25	19	66
4	Wolverhampton	37	10	5	4	26	18	9	3	6	16	19	5	65
5	West Brom	37	13	3	2	40	16	5	6	8	23	26	21	63
6	Cardiff	37	11	6	2	31	13	6	5	7	20	24	14	62
7	Preston	36	12	4	2	32	13	6	4	8	21	28	12	62
8	Southampton	37	11	5	2	27	13	5	6	8	31	31	14	59
9	Stoke	37	9	7	3	25	11	6	5	7	20	19	15	57

Well, the Black Country bragging rights are well and firmly in the hands of the Wolves fans this week; and don't we deserve them. I'm going to enjoy every minute of this.

Plenty of match photos to follow...

A Dark Afternoon in Wolverhampton

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 20:03:48 GMT

Guess I ought to get in a quick pre-emptive strike before I get swamped by cocky comments from WBA fans. And yes, that includes you Nick.

A 3-0 defeat, at home, in the FA Cup, to Sandwell Town is bloody awful - to put it lightly. A crowd of 28,200 witnessed a dour derby affair, in which there was only ever really one team in it. However much it pains me to say it, WBA were far superior and could easily have had six or seven. They are looking good for a return to the Premiership. Nevertheless, the pain is deep. Wolves v WBA is about local pride; boasting rights in the office or the school playground for the next six months (most likely a lot longer after this defeat). This afternoon really hurt. Deflated, I headed straight home after the final whistle (somehow the pub didn't appeal) and went to straight to bed. Slept for two hours. Classic sign of depression and escapism. Didn't want to do anything else. 3 bloody nil. And we didn't even look like scoring. A classic example of men v boys at Molineux today.

At least McCarthy was honest in his post match comment. We lost to a much better side. McCarthy is nurturing a young side at Molineux (and we had a two of our best players out) which, in time, will bear fruit. We just have to be patient and keep faith. Norwich mid-week: we will beat them.

The most concerning aspect of today's match was, despite the massive pre-match hype, the appalling atmosphere within the ground. At times you could hear a pin drop. Sad. Traditionally, Molineux is a bubbling cauldron of passion; this afternoon it barely whimpered. These matches should make the hair on the back of your neck stand to attention; I felt nothing. I attribute this to a number of factors:

1) The almighty F**K up regards ticket allocation. Perhaps unavoidable because of police 'advice', but to hand over the entirety of the Jack Harris stand to WBA was a terrible mistake. The South Bank faithful are the engine of the Molineux atmosphere. Killed the atmosphere.

2) We were bloody awful from the outset.

3) The 'Glenn Hoddle effect'; and believe me, this should not be underestimated. That man sapped the passion out of our great club. If he dares ever set foot near this city again...

4) Reaching the Premiership (and dropping straight out again), was bound to have an impact. By securing promotion, Dave Jones finally achieved what a generation in Wolverhampton had been waiting their entire life for; top flight football. Now we have been there, there isn't quite the same excitement and passion about returning there again.

5) Expectations. Wolves is a healthy club. We are financially sound. The club has learnt the hard way; do not throw stupid money at ageing premiership 'stars' and expect success. Instead, develop the youth system and make the most of our scouting set-up. McCarthy is doing this. But it takes time. Too many Wolves fans remain impatient and demanding of instant success. Sadly, they seem unable to get passionate about a group of young lads trying their damn hardest. Please, we must not go back the bad old days of boom and bust at Molineux. It is tried, tested and failed.

Anyway, we meet the Tesco carrier bag-brigade again in the league very soon. With Kightly and Keogh in the side, we will not roll over this time. WBA you have been warned. Oh, and you will crash out in the 5th Round.

As an aside, great news is flowing out of Northern Ireland this evening. Sinn Fein members have voted to support policing in Northern Ireland for the first time in the party's history; an essential pre-requisite to restoring devolution in N.I. Nobody should underestimate how significant this is. Lasting peace, and stable devolution in Northern Ireland would be a wonderful send-off for the PM. He deserves it.

90% Back Souness Bid

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:50:47 GMT

A text poll carried out by the Wolverhampton Express and Star indicates that 90% of Wolves fans back Souness' audatious £20m bid for the club. Speaking to the E&S Souness thanked the fans for their overwhelming support and promised to win over the rest, "...you can tell the other 10% that I'm pretty sure we will win them over when they know a little more about who's involved and what we've got planned...I'm of a generation who knew about the Molineux magic". So, exciting stuff or the beginning of months of turmoil and boardroom wrangles?

I am not yet convinced by the bid, I want to see all cards on the table. Moreover, I am deeply troubled by some of the comments I read from Wolves fans in last night's E&S. A disappointing minority (near majority) tailed their pro-Souness excitement with a rebuke to Sir Jack. Incredible. This is the man who saved our great club from the brink of extinction, built us a wonderful new stadium and training facilities and bankrolled us selflessly for 15 years. He has not taken a penny from the club and soaked up the (many) financial losses himself. We are a club with no debt and were recently named as on of the best financially-run clubs in the world. More than that, Sir Jack has been part of Wolves for the right reasons; he has gold and black running through his veins. Sad, very sad.

I am not dismissing the Souness bid. I do not doubt his passion nor his desire to be successful in British football. However, his tactics to date arouse suspicion. The 'Mirror Exclusive' earlier in the week was a cleverly (although quite obvious) orchestrated effort to force the hand of the Wolves board who had either a) rejected his bid or b) were not moving quickly enough. Moreover, it was a successful attempt to whip up some fan support behind the bid. And it has certainly worked. Not sure this is the kind of man I want in the charge of the club though.

The sad thing (as reflected in my last post) is that Wolves are in better shape now than they have been for years. We are financially sound (I still shudder when i think what happened to Leeds), we have an incredible manager, a fantastic team spirit, an excellent scouting system, and a new ethos; one of sustainability and not 'boom or bust'. Consider the evidence. 15 years, millions and millions spent, and where are we? Still in the bloody Championship that's where. Please let's not throw money at the club just for the sake of it, it has been tried and doesn't work. I want the future of the club secured, no gambling and no risk-taking. I am just about old enough to remember the last consortium in charge of Wolves. The club was bled dry and the ground was neary bulldozed and turned into a car park.

Wolverhampton Wanderers is a healthy, forward looking club, largely (and many Wolves fans will lynch me for saying this), thanks to Jez Moxey. An unpopular figure at Molineux, Jez has taken a serious of tough decisions to professionalise what was an amateur, poorly run football club. Well done Jez, and thank you. I trust you far more than Mr Souness.

Souness' bid has been formally received by Wolves today but has also served to kickstart another handful of interested bidders. Interesting (and yes I admit it, exciting) times at Molineux.

On an entirely unrelated note, I was quite moved to read the latest news reports flowing from Bangladesh. The country it appears, is descending into anarchy. The people deserve better. My friend Aftab's words make sad and depressing reading:

My fear is that now the country is in danger of moving towards civil war - I am deeply saddened by this. The writing was on the wall really
with the country being topping the list for 5 years running for being the most corrupt in the World. During that time the last BNP Government installed many of their stooges in positions of power in top admin jobs. I am not saying that the Awami League was much better when they were in power; however, to coin another phrase, 'the lesser of two evils'.

I hope it doesn't come to the above.

Ramadan Hangover

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:04:11 GMT

Sluggish, un-motivated, sloppy, nervous. Just a handful of words to describe Lozells Strikers' post-Ramadan performance this afternoon against Voice of Aston. Miraculously, we went on to win the match 2-0.

I started my third match on the bounce, wearing the No. 5 shirt in the heart of defence. Mutz and I are beginning to cement quite a formidable partnership at the back. The first half was an absolute nightmare; it felt like a siege. The lads usually play controlled, passing football to feet. This afternoon it was anything but; long balls, sliced clearances and awful, nervy control of the ball. I'm putting it down to the 'Ramadan effect'. A month of fasting and binge eating has got to take its toll. Anyway, we barely had the ball out of our half for the entire first period. Our strikers were invisible and came nowhere near an effort on goal. Incredibly we entered the break at 0-0. We took a deserved half-time rollicking.

The second half was marginally better although 85% of the possession was in our half. I cannot remember playing in a match when the back four had to soak up so much relentless pressure. Anyhow, we defended well and our only two-half chances of the match, both in the last fifteen minutes, resulted in two quality goals. Voice of Aston looked gutted. I suppose the sign of a good side is one that can win even when playing badly. 7 points from a possible 12 now and into third spot. Despite the poor all-round performance I was chuffed to be named Man of the Match; my first of the season.

We need to improve drastically ahead of next week's match.

Voice of Aston 0 v 2 Lozells Strikers

Back To The Drawing Board

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 19:11:00 GMT

After a hard fought mid-week victory versus Coventry City all eyes turned to the Hawthorns this afternoon for the famous Black Country derby: West Bromwich Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers. Due to both sides yo-yo-ing in and out of the Premiership in alternate years, this was the first BC derby for some years. Arguably, this is one of the most passionate local derbies in the UK - two famous old clubs with massive support, but with trophy rooms gathering dust. The losing fans face bitter ridicule at work for weeks.

Anyway, I settled down to listen to the match on Beacon, fully expecting (if i am honest) a defeat. WBA are a very good, strong side, who player for player are superior to Wolves in almost every department. And I wasn't proved wrong; we got thumped 3-0. It sounds like we were overrun in the first period and were lucky to enter the break only two goals down. However, the second half was a different matter. It was a performance of passion and determination from a Wolves side, quite clearly desperate not to let the fans down. They battled hard, created a number of chances but like on so many occasions this season (despite being in the top 6 we are the third lowest scorers) we failed to finish.

Despite the defeat I am not too downhearted. The lads tried, which is most important. 85% of the travelling crowd stayed behind after the final whistle to clap the lads off the pitch - a scene virtually unimagineable after derby defeats in the past. The fans appreciate the job McCarthy is doing and most importantly, the passion the lads are displaying on the pitch. However, this result does, again, highlight our awful goalscoring record - fingers crossed, the Hayward's will release some funds for the January transfer market.

In other news: spent the weekend recovering from a busy week at work. Enjoyed a lazy Saturday, finished off with a quiet night in front of MOTD. Had a good gym session this morning (although knackered my shoulder), and did my weekly food shop at Sainburys before spending this afternoon assembling the Ikea furniture I bought yesterday. Finally, the flat is nearly complete.

Lozells Debut

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 20:59:13 GMT

Well, after finally finding my way to Saltley Leisure Centre (just past St. Andrew's - never been up-close before - must be one of the most underwhelming football stadiums) I made history by becoming the first white lad to pull on the red and white of Lozells Strikers. The lads play in the top flight of the Birmingham Shapla league - an almost exclusively Muslim league which honours Ramadan; the season starts a little early and finish a few weeks later than the domestic season.

As a relatively new face and not having played competitive 11-a-side for 2+ years I was expecting a place on the bench but was instead, handed a full 90-minute debut at centre half-sweeper.

Lozells are a strange team. Individually, they are some of the best players I have had the pleasure of playing with but as a team they lack structure and discipline - it was nightmarish trying to control the back line but we got there in the end. Part of the problem being that they are too keen to play neat, short and often over-elaborate passes; even in our own penalty box. I tried to make the point at half-time that pretty football is all good and well but there is a time and place for it - occasionally you need a good old long or direct ball to split a defence.

Strangely, I was also one of the biggest lads on the field; and even got to stand on the back row of the team photo. It shows that at only 5'9 how small the rest of the lads are!

Although we had the better of the chances in the first period we entered the break 2-0 down (partly due to some exceptionally suspect refereeing). However, we rallied in the second half, pulled the tie back to 2-2 and should have gone on to win the match. Roll on next Sunday.

And in other news:

Rumours are abound that last week's attempted 'political asassination' of Blair was plotted in a Wolverhampton balti house by a group of Brownite Midland MPs. Watch this space...

Just finished putting together my new chest of drawers from Ikea which after 15 months, nearly completes the apartment.

Wolves beat Leeds 1-0 at Elland Road this afternoon with a 90th minute wonder-strike from Jay Bothroyd. Incredibly, that result hoists us to joint top of the Championship with Cardiff and Birmingham City. I refuse to get carried away and will still be satisfied with a mid-table finish but Mick McCarthy is working absolute wonders. At this rate he'll be granted freedom of the city by Christmas. *Photos courtesy of SPORTBOX.tv: http://www.wolves-mad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=297506 *

West Wing Series 2 is immense - going to settle down for another episode now.

I'm Mick McCarthy...Not Merlin the Magician

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 19:29:28 GMT

'My initials stand for Mick McCarthy...Not Merlin the Magician'. By all accounts McCarthy's opening press conference as Wolves boss this morning was quite a lively and upbeat affair. His interpersonal skills are clearly head and shoulders above Hoddle's. Ok, the Merlin the Magician comment is a tad cringeworthy but hey, it made the press and public smile; we've not had enough of that over recent years. As each day passes I am more and more convinced that the board have [for once] made the right appointment. McCarthy signals a fresh start for the club and despite our wafer thin squad the season ahead suddenly looks more promising.

On that positive note, Wolves have also been named the 9th greatest English club (Chelsea appear at No.14!) of all time:

LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - Liverpool pipped Manchester United to top spot in an all-time league table dating back to the start of English League soccer and published by The Times newspaper on Monday.

According to the standings which awards three points for a win and one for a draw since the start of league soccer in 1888, Liverpool, who have won a record 18 titles, emerged with 5,927 points from their 3,643 matches - an average of 1.63 points a game.

Manchester United, who have won 15 titles, were second with 5,337 points from their 3,287 matches - an average of 1.62 points per game followed by Arsenal, champions 13 times, who totalled 5,780 points from 3,643 matches at 1.59 points a match.

Despite playing only 2,063 matches in the top division, Leeds United were fourth with 1.48 average points with Aston Villa fifth (1.47), Everton sixth (1.47), Tottenham Hotspur seventh (1.44), Newcastle United eighth (1.43), Wolverhampton Wanderers ninth (1.42) and Burnley tenth (1.41).

Chelsea, champions for the last two seasons, are 14th (average 1.39 points) and would have to total more than 90 points a season for the next 23 years to overhaul Liverpool's present average points per game.

Leyton Orient, who spent one season in the top division in 1962-63, placed 62nd and last in the list with 0.64 points a match.

Everton, founder members of the league in 1888, have played more top flight matches than any other club: 4,027 while Liverpool have won more than anyone else: 1,674. Everton also hold the record for drawn games (987) and defeats (1,402).

http://tinyurl.co.uk/kzvg

Had a good workout at the gym after work before heading over to mum and dad's for my first BBQ of the summer. Alex and Geeta did the disposables proud and put on a top notch spread.

All three of the cats were sprawled out in the garden; they love this weather and more importantly, the company. Heskey, has been guilty of a series of callous murders (pigeons, mice etc) over recent weeks so dad has re-named him Pol Pot. Just as I was eating my last chicken kebab he emerged from his very own killing field (the back of the garden) looking very guilty. See below a few photos of him trying to come over all innocent.

Thanks For Nothing

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 21:25:01 GMT

Well, Hoddle's tortuous regime at Molineux has now finally come to and end, despite embarassing efforts by the Jez Moxey to get him to reconsider.

The arrogant, lantern jawed [thanks Al] essex boy has packed his bags and headed back to his beloved South.

The man was never wanted at Molineux. From the moment he signed that ill-fated and controversial temporary contract the Molineux faithful have been suspicious of his commitment to the club. On signing for the club Hoddle inferred that we were a reserve option for his managerial career and refused to move to the Black Country; since then he has commuted daily from his London home. His signings have been dubious to say the least, the football has been massively underwhelming and his relationship with the fans, dire. In fact I cannot remember a Wolves manager who has been so despised. His absolute reluctance to engage with the local press or to attend fans forums set the seal on his managerial career at Molineux from the outset.

Most galling is that he left his decision until six weeks before the new season kicks off; meaning that we have missed out on a plethora of budding young managers from the lower leagues (Simpson, Allen etc). His motive being, and I quote, "I feel my expectations and the club's expectations have drifted too far apart". Bo**ocks.

Only a matter of weeks ago he applied for the Charlton job only to be swiftly rebuffed - what makes him think that he has Premiership management credentials? It was made absundantly clear to Hoddle when he signed his contract that failure to promote the team in 2005/06 would result in a tightening of the purse strings. He knew the score and failed miserably. The club is now in a worse state than when we got promoted back to the old Division 1 in 1989/90.

The following comment is courtesy of Lupo Italiano on the Molineux Mix Forum. Couldn't have put it better myself:

It wouldn't surprise me at all if his sudden departure was precipitated by an approach by Southampton. If so I really hope the club rejects his resignation, puts him on gardening leave for 12 months and demands significant compensation from any club stupid enough to want his services.

For the way he has treated our club, from the moment he breezed in as the self-proclaimed master to his final act of disrespect.

He has shown the utter contempt and disrespect he holds our club in by his actions.

He has never done anything to suggest he is proud and happy to be associated with Wolves, if anything he has always given the impression we should be proud to have him.

He turned us down initially as he had 'other irons in the fire'. Strangely, none of these materialised so he came back to us.

His awful team selections and tactics, and refusal to change things when needed due to his arrogance conspired to wreck what, for us, was a crucial season. A job for which he was paid handsomely, much higher paid than the likes of Adrian Boothroyd... compare their achievements.

He now decides to resign on the eve of pre-season training. We have wasted 2 months when we could have signed some decent players, or more importantly taken our pick of new managers from Iain Dowie, Martin Allen, Paul Simpson, Phil Parkinson, Billy Davies. Where was he? Farting around on They Think Its All Over.

His conduct in phoning Moxey on his mobile before the England game to resign rather than arranging a face-to-face meeting is diabolical. Then cancelling yesterday's meeting at the last minute for 'family reasons'...

I couldn't give a toss Hoddle's reasons for resigning. His timing and conduct stink. He has wasted our summer. Its now July and we've made no signings and we're looking for a new manager.

What did we do that so upset you Hoddle? Was it the fact that we paid you a huge sum of money to achieve nothing? Was it the fans not tolerating your awful, non-entertaining football? Maybe the fans would have been more patient if you had made any effort to interact with them? Was it Moxey stating the bleedin obvious that last season was a disaster? I know that hurt your massive ego but it was a FACT.

Anyway, good riddance to you. You did nothing for us but thanks for your final act of disrespect to our club.

Maybe its no coincidence that the fans at all your previous clubs, even your beloved Tottenham Hotspur, detest you and never want you back.

Come on Wolves, bring in a new manager who actually wants to be associated with us and will have pride in the job.

http://www.molineuxmix.co.uk

Had a bit of banter over the e-mail with a few fellow Wolves fans during the day. Speculation has naturally begun about who will replace Hoddle. My brother, J's comments are spot on. Moxey, please heed:

I guess my choice would be Ince but only because i really can't think of anyone else.

I agree that the timing couldn't have been worse.

We've missed out on:

Dowie

Billy Davies

Simpson

Phil Parkinson

Martin Allen

Ian Holloway

The only other contender I can think of would be Steve Tillson from Southend. perhaps he could bring Freddie Eastwood with him? Or maybe the ever-mentioned Stuart Baxter who i think is out of work again?

We must not under any circumstances appoint Mick McCarthy, Peter Reid, Gary Megson, Graeme Souness, Stuart Gray (S'oton were so poor under him) or Joe Royle.

Although I imagine with Moxey's foresight and fascination with former Southampton gaffers we'll get Steve Wigley!

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 10:04:49 GMT

Gutted about the England result last night. However, news of Glenn Hoddle's unexpected resignation yesterday afternoon has bouyed my spirits - more of this later.

Hmm, where do I start with yesterday's performance and result? Watched the match at mum and dad's, the pubs were just too hot and far too busy.

Well, the supposed 'golden generation' have left Germany empty-handed having failed to beat an incredibly average Portuguese side in the Quarter Final. Another desperately disappointing performance which leaves you wondering what went wrong. I think blame rests at a number of levels. By and large I have been a supporter of Eriksson but his negative tactics have been baffling and his apparent leaning towards squad favourities has been extremely frustrating. His record as England rcoach has generally been good. Perhaps the FA's incredibly inept attempts to appoint a new England manager before the tournament, combined with the Fake Sheikh fiasco unsettled the squad and damaged morale? Ironically, we played our most passionate and high tempo football without Rooney and Beckham and with only 10 men - this alone suggests that there is something very wrong. Credit to the lads though for battling through to penalties in such extreme conditions.

The less said about the penalty shoot-out the better. Our penalties were appalling but then again were any of us that surprised? Evidently, something has creeped into the national psyche making us unable to cope with high pressure situations. France's result v Brazil last night makes the result even more galling - we could have gone on to win this tournament.

Right, this is where I get brutal:

Sven Goran Eriksson: Sadly, he failed again. His tactics were frustratingly negative and his decision not to take 5 strikers [a decision I admittedly backed] now looks like a desperate error of judgement. I hold no malice against the man though and wish him well in the future.

Paul Robinson: Generally, looked composed and confident. Difficult to rest any blame on the England No.1.

Gary Neville: Didn't feature much in the tournament through injury but when he did, he didn't put a major foot wrong. He marshalled the team well in the absence of Beckham.

Rio Ferdinand: World Cup 2006 was the moment Rio Ferdinand became a truly worl class centre half. His performance against Portugal was his best to date and deserved more.

John Terry: Looked a tad wobbly v Ecuador but bounced back to his best yesterday. His performance was faultless and his tackling sublime. He did England proud.

Ashley Cole: Another solid performance from the Arsenal man. Struggled at times to contain Ronaldo's marauding runs but shadowed well. Aside from the second half fiasco v Sweden the back four have played very well throughout.

David Beckham: Sitting here at the moment waiting to hear Beckham and Eriksson speak at a press conference. I sincerely hope, for his sake as much as ours, that Beckham announces his retirement from international football. His performances have been woeful and even his set pieces, by and large, have been poor. If Beckham doesn't retire then McClaren must act and strip him of the captaincy and his automatic place in the starting line up. He has been a wonderful servant to England but he must now step down before he becomes a national embarassment.

Owen Hargreaves: Deservedly named man of the match against Portugal. His performances throughout the tournament have been world class and he has silenced his critics in style. A rare glimmer of hope for the future.

Frank Lampard: Woeful. Nothing more to say.

Steven Gerrard: A very very poor tournament. Liverpool fans may well worship him as the greatest player in the world but he has yet to perform in an England shirt. His distribution during the tournament was appalling. Last chance saloon for this boy.

Joe Cole: A wonderful tournament. Cole was the one England player who genuinely excited. He has secured his place in the starting line up for some years to come.

Wayne Rooney: Forced to play in a difficult and frustrating role but fought for everything. Sadly, his moment of madness let the nation down. There can be no excuses for Rooney's behaviour. He was petulant, immature and irresponsible. I desperately hope that he doesn't go down the same path as Gazza...

Peter Crouch: I was not a Crouch fan and I still maintain that we wouldn't have won the World Cup with Crouch in the team. However, his performance yesterday was outstanding. Full credit to the lad.

Aaron Lennon: A breath of fresh air and an exciting prospect for England's future. He must now occupy that right hand midfield role.

On a more positive note, Glenn Hoddle resigned unexpectedly yesterday afternoon which means I can now abandon my self-imposed exile from my beloved Molineux. I shall save you any further diatribes against Hoddle - just to say that I am sooooooooooo happy. It will be interesting to see whether Hoddle is named new Southampton boss next week...

What next for Wolves? Minded to let Paul Ince have a crack for twelve months. He cares passionately for the club and will instill some desperately needed passion in the players and fans alike.

Beach Football

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:54:36 GMT

Well, the BVSC 6-a-side team emerged with their heads held high from the T/Mobile/BCC World Cup Beach Soccer tournament on Sunday. Although we failed to progress beyond the group stage we remained unbeaten and took 7 points from a possible 9 - we got pipped to top spot in the group on goal difference. The set-up at Millennium Point is excellent (although the Big Screen has apparently collapsed this afternoon in 'strong winds'!) and has proved a real hit with the community - especially the kids. I'll try and post some pics up of us in the next few days.

Managed to get back to Wolvo just in time for Dovey Junction's 7pm clash v Ralgex at Sixes. With Ralgex stuck in the bottom two and Dovey slipping dangerously towards the drop zone it promised to be a crunch match - albeit one were were confident of winning. However, on arrival we found out that the organisers (who are ironically so incredibly disorganised) had pulled the week's league fixtures and slipped in a cup-tie instead. We beat our old rivals The Badgers 6-3 but would rather have secured the points in an important league match.

Work has been hectic this week. Managed to submit the health bid on time yesterday and have spent much of today helping to facilitate an NCVO conference.

England kick off v Sweden in 2 hours, guaranteed a 2nd round draw v Ecuador if they can just muster a point. Despite not having beaten Sweden since 1968 I am somewhat confidently predicting a 2-1 England win. Fingers crossed they will pull off a more fluid and convincing performance tonight.