After pandering to Big Brother, the X-Factor and a host of tripe TV programmes, I got permission to go down the pub for some beers with the lads.

It was there that I overheard a tired old cliche from a gaggle of scornful women that got me thinking.

“Why would he want to eat beefburgers when there’s a beautiful steak waiting for him at home?” screeched one bitter sister.

Back on the grill at Goodison

Quite apt really, because this very adage presented itself to me on Tuesday of last week.

With my proverbial T-Bone still being seasoned ahead of a Saturday seat at Goodison Park, I opted for a dirty, sweaty piece of meat on a dark night in Sheffield.

I needed to get my leg over a turnstile, badly, so I took my good friend Alastair up to see his beloved Bradford City play the Blades in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

There were only 5,000 fans in the ground and the only noise from the main stand was an errant Bradford fan, screaming ‘snap the b*stard!’ whenever a United player touched the ball.

Talk about turning the tables…

For those who don’t know, Bradford, a team third bottom in League 2, beat League One high fliers Sheffield United in a manner that most supporters can only dream – sudden death penalties in front of their own fans!

And the best bit of all? Yours truly whinging like one of those women in the pub as the inevitable conclusion beckoned.

Having already fluffed one penalty which would have put them through, I broke a 90 minute silence with something like: ‘You’ve f**ked it mate. Blown it. You’re going out Al. F**king typical, you lose when I start cheering for you. Smallman curse.’

My mate – who has suffered more slings and arrows than most of late – smiled to himself and whispered ‘we can do this Ben,’ before his insufferable levels of positivity were rewarded in a currency that separates the Beautiful Game from the rest.

It was the most outrageous result of the competition, defying the formbook, the league tables, the odds and the most obdurate factor of all…

…My pessimism.

So in note to self ahead of my trip to Goodison – as well as that gaggle of  women down the local pub – I have come up with the following thought:

“Don’t knock beefburgers until you’ve tried them and stop being so bloody miserable!”

When I first started this blog a couple of years back one especially supportive friend of mine predicted doom from the outset.

“You’re too conservative” was the basis of this unprovoked attack.

It was a fair point actually.

That's how I feel mate

The best blogs, or at least the ones that get the greatest response, tend to be those written by people with the most slanted views.

And when it comes to Wolves, my opinion always seems to drift somewhere in the middle.

It’s not deliberate, it’s just that in most cases I can see both sides of the argument.

Lets talk practical examples.

Mick McCarthy for instance.

Is it not OK to disagree with a considerable number of his decisions without wanting him to be sacked?

In all my time supporting Wolves, I don’t think there’s ever been a manager whose judgment hasn’t been continually questioned. At least Mick has delivered a modicum of success.

So whilst I’ll always consider it my right to voice concerns over tactics and team selections, that doesn’t necessarily mean I want his head on a stick.

The problem with being a football fan though is that you’re always encouraged to hop on a bandwagon.

Stick with Mick.

You don’t know what you’re doing.

Choose!

I’m surely not the only one who’d prefer to hibernate in the middle ground?

What about all this Karl Henry nonsense too?

Yes, I was thrilled to see him taken off against Newcastle, but that’s because we were chasing the game and he’s a defensive midfielder.

That doesn’t have to mean I don’t recognise his value to the team in many other scenarios does it?

Stephen Ward is another interesting case study.

I lambasted him last season for many of his performances at left-back because he wasn’t up to it defensively.

Now he’s come good, some chums of mine have accused me of being fickle for the praise I’ve given him.

Erm, it’s quite simple, he did bad last season so he was crticised and he’s done notably better this campaign so he’s been praised.

Is there something wrong with that?

There certainly shouldn’t be.

In fact, isn’t there a well known saying that goes something like ‘when two parties express strong opposing views on a subject, the truth often lies somewhere in the middle’.

When it comes to Wolves and football in general actually, I think that quote holds considerable weight.

You’ll probably disagree though.

When Andy Gray was unceremoniously booted off Sky Sports, I was probably more disappointed than most.

I know he wasn’t everyone’s cup of cocoa but I tended to nod along in agreement with his analysis, particularly when he spoke about anything to do with heading the ball.

As a player, Gray himself was exceptional in the air so his opinion on the subject carried substantial weight.

I vividly recall him talking about Nemanja Vidic’s ability to score with powerful attacking headers.

Denied (again)

His summary was something along the lines of: ‘Most center halves go up for set pieces and never really look like getting on the end of anything, but Vidic always shows real purpose and desire to make something happen’.

This resonated with me, most likely because it was around the time our very own Jody Craddock was in a rich vein of goalscoring form; he of course being another great example of a center back who always makes a real nuisance of himself in the opposition’s penalty area.

By contrast, Christophe Berra simply can’t buy a goal but I personally believe that has more to do with luck than any lack of ability.

We saw the Scot once again denied by a wonder save against Wigan on Sunday.

It was remarkable that Al Habsi was able to even get a hand on the ball, let alone palm it up and over the bar.

Sure, Berra could have done a bit more with the header, but nine times out of ten, particularly with the score already at 3-1, the goalie would have given up the ghost.

It’s not the first time he’s suffered in front of the Stan Cullis either.

Anyone remember this save from Arsenal’s Lucas Fabianski in the dying moments of last season’s narrow defeat?

Berra simply couldn’t have connected much better  and the fact Fabianski was able to not only get a glove on it but stop it dead in it’s track was almost beyond belief.

From my seat in the Steve Bull I got the perfect view of the ball rocketing towards the bottom corner. In fact, it was one of the very rare occasions I’ve jumped up prior to seeing the ball hit the net.

How desperately, desperately unlucky.

No pain, no goal

Good old Christophe also smashed his bonce against the foot of the post trying to get on the end of a loose ball in the Birmingham match. On first glance it looked like a terrible miss but the replay showed the flight of the ball seemed to deviate at the final moment.

Still, why he opted to attack the cross with his head and not his foot remains a mystery.

There have been a few goals chalked off too, most recently in last season’s 1-0 win at Villa Park.

Certainly if he was offside it was only by a fraction, but like so many other occasions he didn’t get the slice of luck his persistence merits.

Hopefully this will change sooner rather than later and I sincerely hope everyone will cheer that little bit louder when it does.

I certainly will.