Q&A With a Blues Fan
Posted by Thomas on 25th November , 2009I got an email yesterday from a Blues fan called Kev, asking if I’d write a few words for his blog, Joys And Sorrows.
Naturally, I was only too happy to oblige, but not before asking him a few questions of my own for Wolves Blog.
If you want to read the answers I gave for Joys And Sorrows, click here.
Kev’s a top bloke, even if he is a bluenose, and I think he gives some very interesting answers. Here’s the interview:
1. What is your view of how things are going on the pitch at the Wolves?
I thought last year, Wolves looked full of pace going forward and seemed to create lots of chances – but always looked a bit vulnerable at the back. From what I have seen of you this year, the latter is still the case but you seem to have lost the former. I know you have had lots of injuries, and that can’t have helped. You need to get your creative midfield going again – but Mick HAS to sort your defence.
2. Where do you think we need to strengthen?
As mentioned above, definitely your defence. It has been a problem for 2 seasons now really, and although you can get away with it more in the Championship – I don’t think you can in the Premier League. I’m not sure of your financial situation, but a couple of defenders have to be on your Christmas list!
Doyle - Caused Blues problems last season
3. Do you think we will survive the drop?
I genuinely hope you do, but it will be tough. (For both of our sides in truth!) Pompey, Hull, West Ham, Wigan, Bolton etc have all survived before – and I think knowing they can actually helps. If I’m right, I don’t think Wolves have maintained their top flight status in recent times, so that must play on minds. At the moment it doesn’t look too good – but a couple of wins can make a difference, (starting NEXT week of course!)
4. Which player(s) do you think are our danger man/men in regard of Sunday’s game?
This is a struggle for me because I haven’t seen much of your games this year. The names that you listed in your response to my questions would have to be there I guess – Kightly and Ebanks-Blake. (Is Iwelumo still injured?) Doyle is a decent player and I’m surprised he hasn’t made more of an impact. He destroyed us early last season!
5. Blues fans must be quite pleased with the start to the season so far – what are you doing right?
The defence looks well organised. Johnson is an absolutely superb signing. He and Dann look really solid in the middle of defence. Carr also looks like a player re-born. Hart is also looking a lot more confident and in charge after a couple of iffy performances. We’ve only conceded 4 goals at home and 10 away – much better than most of the sides down at the bottom. That HAS to be good.
6. Do you think Mcleish is the right man for the job, reason why yes or no.
There are STILL a few critics, but I think he is. The side he inherited from Bruce wasn’t fantastic IMO. He has built his own squad, and when we want to – we play much better football than we did under Brucie. I just wished we’d do that more often! I’ve already mentioned Johnson and Dann, I think the players he has bought in have been fine. Yeah, I’m hopeful he can take us on.
7. Do you think the side is stronger than the last time you were in the Prem?
McLeish took over mid season, and I felt that the side we had then was no where near as strong as the previous time we went down – so for me, we are quite a way ahead this season with our existing squad. It is difficult to measure this though I guess, (says he who set the question to you originally!), each year teams change – so you can have a good squad and go down because everyone else is strong – or stay up in a weak league. I think this year the league is more the latter than the former.
8. What should I have asked and what is your answer?
Ha ha, well obviously, (as you did), what was your favourite game v Wolves.If I can have two! The 2-2 game at St Andrews, 2001/2 after we were 2-0 down, because that was the catalyst that took us into a solid play off place and final glory! (I was there for that one). I did enjoy the 3-2 win at your place 2006/7 with the penalty save in the last minute, because that also gave us a boost towards promotion that season. I had to watch that on TV, but my son and I were leaping around after the penalty save!
9. What do you think the result will be on Sunday?
Difficult. Wolves really HAVE to win this, where as we would take a draw. I think a draw is the most likely. 1-1.
10. Tell me a little bit about yourself Kev, what do you do and how long have you been running your blog?
I am 47 and a Training and Development consultant, mainly working with first line management. I have followed the Blues since the Freddie Goodwin promotion season. As I live in the South West, I don’t get to as many games as I’d like. I took over running Joys and Sorrows in January from my mate who emigrated. I am supported by a colleague who is also an exile.
[...] We have both answered similar questions of each others sides. Below is Tom’s answers and you can find my answers on Tom’s blog here. [...]
I like that he thinks we will draw and you put a win. Nice idea mate for both of you and some good questions. To be honest, with defenders and that, the only position I can think of to strengthen might be left back. A slightly more experience one too. We have Mancienne and Berra, with Zubar and Craddock challenging. Once we get Foley back we WILL be strong. Birmingham have had a good start, but we have to win!
Ahh, that’s because I am renown for predicting the more negative result!
As I said, I feel that if you could get back to back wins – you could stay up. But I would want that to start the following weekend of course!
Kev
But Louie, are the four defenders mentioned really good enough? If we’re talking hypothetically for a minute.
Don’t get me wrong, i love Craddock, but is he Premier quality? Same with Berra, and the jury’s still out on Mancienne in my opinion. Zubar’s looked ok so far.
I don’t think Craddock has the pace or good enough. Berra has done ok. Mancienne will win the fans over I reckon, Foley anjd Zubar are defo good enough and Stephen Ward was doing alright wasn’t he?
Kev, back to back wins is something we haven’t done when we’ve been in the premier league and its a must for us.
Have you never done it?
To say Wolves only need to improve defensively at LB is rose-tinted at best. Defensive performances against Sunderland, Arsenal, Hull and Blackburn were just embarrasing! The problem is forming a defensive unit takes time and the injuries we’ve had have prevented this. Infact, have Wolves had the same back four two games in a row yet?!!
Keeping with the theme of Wolves Vs Blues, who do you think has made the better signings over the summer? Although early days, I’m casting envious glances at Dann, Johnson and Benitez. Still…early days.
Louie-Foley’s a class act and i would think he’d make it in the big time. Ward’s looked ok in the games he’s played, was impressive at Wigan, but i have never been totally convinced with him at left back. Remember he was brought as a striker…
Ben just read your posts re Keogh from the Chelsea review
Brilliant stuff mate, couldn’t articulate it better myself. I’ve been banging my head against a similar wall for 3 years now. I hope to god we pick our BEST team against blues. Foley, Mancienne, Kightly, Jarvis, Doyle and SEB all HAVE to play if fit. If they do i think we can and will win. UTW.
kwolf: I’ve kept my powder dry on that for long enough. Glad I’m not alone! I promise to shut up on that matter now.
The Blues fan seems to have summed everything up perfectly. Good to have an outsider’s perspective, as Kev has just said it as he has seen it.
He is 100% correct. Our defence was awful at times last season, (wasn’t it something like the 8th worst in the league?) and we have gone into this season with the same defence?!! It wouldn’t be so bad if we hadn’t done exactly the same in 2003.
Blues buy the 2 best championship centre halves (R Johnston and S Dann) and look at them. The fact Dann was our player, had the medical and wanted to join us makes it all the more galling.
McCleish identifies a problem (which wasn’t even as bad as ours) and solves it.
Mick seems to have identified the same problem, tried to fix it, get rebuffed by Dann, and then not bother and think we can get away with it. Anyone else understand that?
As I’ve rambled on before: If MM wanted Dann and the club paid a record fee for him, then why didn’t we actively pursue another player for the same price, to fix a problem that Mick had identified?
The answer is probably to do with our wage structure.
Ben, definitely agree that the defence has needed sorting for a good three years now and Mick still hasn’t solved the problem.
But I think it’s a tad harsh to say we got knocked back by Dann and then just thought ‘we could get away with it’. He did bring in Zubar and Mancienne, having also drafted in Berra in January. That being said, I was expecting another defensive signing before the start of the season, which never arrived.
I do think that out of all the players we have at our disposal, there’s a back four in there somewhere that’s better than the ones we’ve seen so far.
For me personally, we’re getting stitched up in the full-back areas. The centre of defence has done OK for the most part. We need one of Foley or Zubar to really make the right side their own and Ward to come back in on the left.
Then in January a left-back is an absolutely essential purchase.
I just wish Mick would find a back four and stick with it for a run of games. I can see it being all change again on Sunday.
Thomas. You’re mention of Zubar sums it up though. He didn’t play him for months!!
So he brought in Zubar, never played him and while Mancienne came in, he looked more up against it than anyone. (still think he should be left back)
We could all see we were painfully exposed at the back. Blues sorted it in about 1 week. No messing. Job done.
I saw it with my own eyes against Real Valladolid and got told to chill out. (MK Dons, Bristol City and Port Vale all scored past us with ease as well)
Did anyone see Danny Haynes at Ashton Gate? He ruined our back four on his own – an average championship striker!!!!
Not enough was done.
Ward coming back into left back scares me shitless as well. I’ll not write him off after one league start as seems to be the case with others on here, but I’m anxious all the same.
Yes he did well at City, but our left side was our weakness last season. Remember Coventry away (Leon McKenzie), Sheffield United home (Nathan Dyer) and Reading home (Jimmy Kebe) to name but three.
It got to the stage where Ward was dropped for Matt Hill, coinciding with that run when we consolidated and ensured promotion.
I agree totally that Mick needs to find a back four, let alone a starting XI and stick with it, whoever he picks.
the year we finished 7th under mick Wayne hennessey kept 22 clean sheets. We considered around 50 goals from 46. We went on the attack a lot more, but leaking in a few more goals. We need to start scoring a bit more goals. Mick has said he’ll go for it but he hasn’t.
Thanks for your kind words Ben.