Wow. What a game. What a result. What a performance.
We all said that any points from our next 3 away games would be a bonus but Burnley at home was what we had to concentrate on. However Mick and the boys had other ideas, and yesterday we left White Hart Lane with a well earned 3 points.
Kevin Doyle got the faintest of touches for his goal
The team were so keen to make a good start that I was still going through the turnstiles when I heard an almighty roar. Not quite that of thirty thousand but impressive none the less. A soft free kick given away by Spurs was expertly crossed in my Milijas and Doyle got the faintest of touches to put it into the bottom corner. For the second consecutive game we took the fight to the opposition straight away and it obviously unsettled Spurs, as for the next 97 minutes (including the extra time that never seemed to end) they could not find a way through a determined wolves side.
The team was the same as the game against Bolton and every player worked their socks off to get the result. Milijas again was excellent. Whatever Mick has said to him has obviously had a profound effect as he was vital in the middle of the park. He tracked back, tackled hard and constantly had his head up looking for the perfect pass. Henry did a good job as well, picking up loose balls and giving it to Milijas or Jarvis in order to get a break going. He was also really vocal and kept the tempo up when we looked tired.
We defended quite deeply and were sometimes a little slow to close down the space but we always seemed to do just enough to nullify any threat. Ward had the problem of Lennon on the left wing but after 30 minutes of blocking and good tackles he swapped wings in order to try and create something. Edwards and Stearman worked well together however to prevent him creating his usual darting and dangerous runs and in the end he had no luck on either side. When any balls did come into the box however Craddock and Berra threw them selves at it or refused Defoe or Keane enough space to get a decent shot away.
The second half was a pure counter attacking display. We couldn’t get as much of the ball and when we did it was often wasted or cleared down field but on several occasions we could have finished the game with a second goal. SEB definitely looked a little slow but had two excellent chances to find the net, one he fired straight at Gomes while Gomes pulled off an excellent save to tip another shot late in the game just past the post. Jarvis also had a few chances but looked reluctant to run at the defence and before he had chance to do anything else Lennon was on him.
Mid way through the second half Mick took Milijas off for Mancienne. This seemed a little bizarre to me at the time as he was often creating our best chances but in the end it was inspired. He sat between the defence and midfield and would not let anyone have time on the ball. He closed them down and put in a few crunching tackles that disrupted any build up play. Macienne was that extra layer of defence that kept Spurs at bay.
Edwards fell awkwardly in the second half and had to be substituted for Foley and Stearman was taken off for Big Chris with 15 minutes to go. Big Chris and SEB went up front with Doyle moving to the right wing. This again was inspired as Doyle used his pace to help us break out of defence while Big Chris held up the ball and used his height to cause the Spurs defence some more headaches. For the whole match Doyle was excellent. Even if he didn’t always get the ball his vision and running was brilliant and he often ran the Spurs defence and later midfield inside out. With a few more goals he could definitely be the difference between staying up or relegation. But I can’t take away from the rest of the team. It was a tenacious, disciplined and in a way stifling display but it showed a real passion and drive I haven’t seen for a long time.
The fans also deserve a mention as they really were the 12th man. From the moment we scored we cheered, shouted and sung our way through the match. I was shocked at how quiet WHL was and they never seemed to get behind the team other than when they had one good shot on goal that Hahnemann expertly diverted away. It was one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments but the support was literally incredible. It was nicely acknowledged by the team after the final whistle by coming over and applauding. Hahnemann won more support, not only by keeping a clean sheet, but running the length of the pitch throwing his jersey into the crowd and hugging most of the people by the corner flag.
The record books were against us in this match. No win in London since 1976, haven’t won consecutive games in the Premier League for 30 odd years and all this against a spurs team that is pushing to break the top four. This then makes the achievements of Saturday all the more impressive.
It wasn’t a beautiful game by any means but it was a game that for me proved the clubs heart and desire to stay in the premier league with Mick firmly at the head of the old gold ship.
This is what happens when someone like Milijas is playing. He simply makes things happen. Period.
What a fantastic result! Nobody in the world expected us to get a result today! Man Utd next! ‘you never know?’
Agree Tim, Milijas is looking like the key to our season at the moment. That ball was going in anyway with or without Doyle’s touch and that priceless goal gave us something to cling to.
Too right Exeter. Bring on United, we’ll have them too! No pressure game but a result would put us in dreamland.
Incredible, did you notice that Lennon had to switch wings! Ward is playing fantastic. Milijas is providing absolutely everything for us.
Going to have a lot of fun in the next few days. Some of my mates in my sunday team are spurs fans,and some in school!
That would have been great if Doyle hadn’t touched it and it still went in.
He would be talked about for years if that happened.
I guess it wouldn’t have counted if it went directly in.
Fantastic resilient performance – god it’s stressful when you take the lead so early!
First top flight win in the capital since 1976. Milijas great and nothing was going to get past Hahnemann.
I stood on the seats at the final whistle – a steward tapped me on the shoulder, I ignored him; what was he going to do, throw me out?
Spurs fans on the way out seemed pretty impressed by our performance.
Roll on Tuesday and Man U away!
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to see the Wanderers win away!!!!!!!!
Oh lord. What a day.
Never seen such bellend stewards though. Funny though.
Every single player on that pitch put in tremendous effort today. Best defensive display I’ve seen for a while.
United next. With this Wolves team, anything is possible. And with all United’s injury woes, maybe…
I watched the match at home with 2 spurs supporting mates. What an excellent decision.
we won at white hart lane na na na na. About as creative as i could come up with.
Fantastic performance and result, makes up for Blues now. Out of the bottom three too. Great stuff, gotta be the best Premier League win ever, perhaps better than Man U
Sam, cheers for doing the report mate.
Superb to get the view of someone who was actually there on a such a momentous day!
I managed to catch the first half on the TV at a social club and thought we were superb. Got the goal and broke on Spurs a few times in that first 45.
Had to settle for listening to the second period on the drive home. Did time stand still for anyone else? Shame about Edwards. Will be interesting to see who McCarthy brings into the team in his place. But that’s a discussion for another day.
This is a moment to savour and relish.
Never been prouder to be a Wolves fan.
Edwards and Kightly injured, transfer rumour time?
Keane’s apparently been transfer listed
Top game. Top atmosphere. Top performance.
Ward once again is my MOTM but every single player “put in a shift” yesterday.
Those phantom 10 added minutes still confuse me… anyone care to explain?
Thanks for the video link. It was much clearer than the stream I had to watch yesterday.
Hallam – same as always. Little old Wolves can’t surely win away to Spurs. He had to give in in the end though after six minutes…
Hallam – I wouldn’t be surprised if Keane returns to us, but maybe in the next couple of seasons.
Great report Sam, sounds like Ward had another cracking game – watching him last season I wouldn’t have thought he’d deal with arguably England’s most tricky winger so easily but I’m delighted to be proved wrong.
Also interesting to hear about Merlin Mick’s use of Mancienne in the second half, glad to see we’re finally putting players in positions they’re comfortable in.
Fantastic to get an immediate 3 points from two away games in which I would have been chuffed with just 1, hopefully this takes the pressure off the team for Burnley on Sunday and they won’t be as nervous as they were against Brum…what a difference two weeks make!
Brilliant win…. I even got up this morning @ 8 to watch MOTD again… That’s not like me on a Sunday !!! It must have been great to be there… Saw the second half live on Setanta (blame the missus for missing earlier action) the determination had to be seen, everyone working for each other, Ward, Craddock, Berra were outstanding, as was Hanneman…. Milijas left foot is a thing of beauty… One downside, Edwards injury looks nasty… we’ll miss him….
Roll on Tuesday…. Head says backlash, but heart says we’ll get something….
C’mon the Wolves………………..
Hey Thomas. Pleasure to write the report mate. I’ll be honest I expected to be finding positives from a loss so to write about a win and a great performance was brilliant.
Yeah ward did ok gainst Lennon. Backed up into the penalty box a few times which could caused problems but in general was solid. Merlin Mick indeed with the subs. The right people at the right time in the right positions. Doyle on the right was inspired!
We’ll be under dogs for utd, but after a loss and with a fragile defence that will suit us. If we lose fine but if we win. Well that would make it an epic few days.
I thought Ward was fantastic. For the 2nd week in a row. The importance of the emergence of Milijas is matched by the resurgence of Ward.
What a fantastic result. Not too many mentions of the skipper here but reading the papers yesterday he was Man Of The Match in The Times and had his praises sung in a number of others. Any words from some of his critics?
Dboy: I noticed the same thing. If he bothered passing forwards now and then we’d have won 3-0!
I’m so proud of the lads. One of the best results I’ve ever been privileged to be associated with! If we can beat Burnley, then it will be looking unimaginably rosier than 2 weeks ago.
A couple of additions in January?!
Didnt go but managed to watch it on streaming.. excruciating 2 hours but absolutely brilliant! I think a few Premiership fans expected us to fold after Blues defeat and do a Derby / Sunderland but what that game more than any other should show everyone is that these players are busting a gut for themselves and the manager. If that keeps happening surely we can stay up.
McCarthy seems to have balance right now between hard grafters and that bit of quality.. his 2 best and most exciting signings of the summer combining for the goal. I think I am right in saying that Milijas has been on the pitch for 8 of our goals this season.. and if you count his backheel vs Villa (he’d have scored the penalty too!) he has set up or scored 7 of those 8 goals. Absolutely crucial player for us.
The players are busting a gut for themselves and the manager – is that the same manager who some on here were calling for his head a couple of weeks ago!!! All i hope for now is that ALL of us supporters can close ranks and start showing the same fight the players showed saturday.
Sam – A mate of mine was at the game saturday as well and he said SEB put a proper shift in and did alot of the chasing down we don’t normally see from him. What did you think. How did you think he played?
Ed, I think SEB is undoubtedly working harder.
He was desperately unlucky with that late effort that deflected wide and linked up well with Doyle for another chance.
I think we saw when Iwelumo came on, exactly what SEB has been missing, i.e. the big man causing havoc with his general presence to create a little opening for him to get a shot away.
When we’re chasing games, moving Doyle out wide and having Iwelumo and SEB up top could be a good ploy.
Yeah Tom, if you watch that effort he had which went just wide towards the end, you can see all he is looking to do as the ball is fed in is to work of Iwelumo. At no point does he look at the ball he is completely focused on Iwelumo and on anticipating where the knock down is going to go. Shows how a partnership should work.
What I was actually on about though was before Big Chris came on. My mate said he was linking up play well, fighting to win every ball and just generally making a real nuisance of himself
SEB chose his moments to be working hard. a lot of noise from the crowd was that he was lazy, and at times he was, but at other times he ran like i’ve never seen him run before. For me it was a mix of the unfit SEB and the goldenboot winner. I know that seems weird to be saying but for me it was true.
He still has an eye for goal though and it was a vast improvement from previous games. after xmas i feel he may find his scoring boots!
Think its a point Louie has been making for a while now, to judge SEB when he’s fit!!! He’s getting closer and closer with every game, and yeah hopefully after christmas we might start seeing the best of him for 90 minutes. Wouldn’t mind a goal from him tomorrow night either!!!!!!!!!!!
In relation to the SEB argument, I watched the game live on TV and during all the first half SEB was a passenger, it was like we were playing with 10 men! Even the commentator made a point saying that SEB was awful and not in the game and that at this level you can’t have players on the field who don’t contribute anything.
I wondered if he would be taken off at half time because he really was that poor. However 2nd half he was a different player, he looked urgent, he looked willing to chase lost causes, and then when BCI came on SEB looked like the player he had been last season.
People on here keep going on about the fact he’s not fit yet because of his injury. That’s nonsense, he is fit and quite clearly fit – for me I question his desire but more probably his confidence. This was a game of 2 halves for SEB, one awful and one good. Lets hope from now on he plays like he did in the second half on Saturday, because he no longer has any excuses!
He is getting fitter every game I think Jed. Soon he will be properly fit and he will be chasing every ball (like Doyle/Keogh) Real shame about Edwards, has been great this season. I reckon Mick will sign a winger, McGinn has been talked about but I would rather have Adam Johnson.
Bring on Man Utd!