If last week’s victory was a demonstration of Wolves’ ability to win beautifully, then this tempestuous fixture was the opposite.
Whether or not it had anything to do with the old adage of foreigners not liking wet and windy weather, many of our continental stars were off colour in the opening half.
Enough stray passes were played to make an untrained eye think that this was Paul Lambert’s Wolves side on display, and not the Nuno incarnation that has had us all purring of late.
Our own shortcomings aside, there’s no denying the credentials of our opposition.
Preston came with a gameplan and, much like Cardiff, executed it to perfection, though admittedly they were fortunate to have the mind bogglingly incompetent Stephen Martin on refereeing duties.
Questions were asked of Wolves, and for large parts of the game it was difficult to remain steadfast in the belief we would answer them.
Alas, this team appears to be capable of conjuring goals at will and did so at the death of a first half in which we had been second best.
The rejuvenated and oft celebrated Ivan Cavaleiro showed a striker’s instinct to tap over the line after the ball had ricocheted around the box, notching a goal which revitalised an otherwise sluggish home team.
One might argue that Leo Bonatini’s ensuing brace and the subsequent three goal advantage flattered Nuno’s side, but the majority of the 27,000 plus crowd cared little for justice at that point.
The Brazilian loanee is really starting to look the part and has proven the frivolous concerns of some regarding his ability to score goals to be just that. His nimble footwork, deceiving strength and excellent reading of the game makes him a key cog in our feverish front three and I’d like to see Fosun make his stay at Molineux permanent come the summer.
Our healthy cushion was not to last long, with the Lilywhites providing a perhaps timely reminder that, for all the resolve of the new look back three, we are still capable of conceding needless goals.
First, the impressive Jordan Hugill was given the freedom of Molineux and headed home a teasing cross before Roderick Miranda then conspired to miss a routine clearance and allow Preston to force home a sloppy own goal.
I’m a fan of Miranda, believing him to be one of the more underrated of our summer acquisitions, but he was our weakness for much of yesterday’s game. He’ll need to improve his concentration levels if he’s to fend off the returning Willy Boly’s claim for a place in the starting eleven.
What ensued after that carnage was an acid test of our resilience, with Preston dominating the ball and invoking some real backs to the wall defending. Connor Coady and Romain Saiss were particularly brilliant during this period, both using their gangly frames to help prevent disaster.
After we rode out a spell of seemingly endless pressure, the aforementioned Martin decided to allow the game to descend into farce by instigating a mass brawl between all sets of players. This culminated in the just sending off of Alan Browne and his hilarious ‘Where’s Wally?’ like efforts to find him after his quick trudge down the tunnel.
Some comic relief on an otherwise stressful, but no less gratifying, afternoon.
Though Nuno’s unlikely to have enjoyed this one quite as much as he did the Villa game, his team have nonetheless proven that they can win games one of two ways. History will tell you that’s an essential characteristic for any promotion chasing side to have, and whilst it remains early days it’s hard to contest the view that Wolves are looking ominously equipped to achieve their ambitions.
Just finished a delicious breaker at APV.
Too full to comment now.
Plenty to say later tough.
Maybe ‘though’ would have been a better word to use.
…Oh! I don’t know tough.
THOUGH!!!!!!
And brekker rather than breaker.
How many mistakes can you make in three lines?
As many as you just did. I thought Sue had been allowing you a few slurps of her limoncello last night and your brain was just recovering.
Three seems about right Doog.
HI Mark, Sue
Can it be a week since we had breakfast with you. we did it in a day yesterday weather seemed worse going back than coming up.
great result it proves our continental lads are up for it.
Rob Jill Dorset Wolves.
Hi Rob and Jill.
Sorry you didn’t stop over. I ended up having to buy my own drinks!
See you another time.
Overall a great result, win when you do not play your best. In Nuno and Fosun we trust.
Coady own goal cost me points in the prediction league, roll on Man City lets just enjoy the experience.
Great win conditions not good shows our foreign lads are up for it.
Rob Jill.
Dorset Wolves
Good write up mate.
The ref lost control early and I think both teams can feel his performance negatively impacted the game. However, I don’t think Alex Neil had the right to be so insistent in his post-match comments that that decisions cost his team the points.
Preston, as well as they did in possession, came to spoil and used all the same old tactics we’ve seen countless times already this season. Players being taken out off the ball, counter attacks stopped in their tracks with deliberate fouls and even Neil himself playing a part on the touchline, kicking the ball away countless times when it came near him to slow down the game. If you come to frustrate, you can expect the opposition to react.
But the ref has to see what’s going on and act accordingly. An early booking and the precedent is set. Because he didn’t do that players from both sides just thought they could get away with anything. At one point in the first half Jota had an arm around his neck after he’d escaped a tackle, which the referee clearly spotted, gave the foul yet unbelievably didn’t produce a card.
Neil can argue about decisions that didn’t go his way for the goals, but ultimately he’s got to take the rough with the smooth. Wolves didn’t have it all their own way.
On the game itself, I thought Neves was excellent. His passing probably won us the game. Doherty created two goals and Leo scored two so they’re also up there for man of the match. Saiss also got through a lot of good work I thought and special mention for him from me because I didn’t rate him last year, but he’s looked great this season.
Hugill up front for them was a real handful and I can see why so many other clubs were interested. He reminds me of Chris Martin at Derby, winning a lot of aerial duals and bringing others into play in dangerous areas. Very good for Championship football.
Alex Neil moaned about the penalty decision, and maybe it was soft. I was very close to it and didn’t expect it to be given the moment I saw it. For this penalty perhaps credit should go to the home supporters…
Let me explain. Steve Martin is such a weak-minded referee, once the home crowd got fully on his back, sooner or later he was going to start favouring us at every turn because of the fan pressure overwhelming his puny resolve.
So well done players and fans alike. This is what they call ‘turning Molineux into a fortress’. If this game had been last season we would have been hammered.
You’ve got a point about fan pressure mate. It’s difficult for any referee in that sense because if 20,000 people go up for the decision at the same time, you must feel an overwhelming sense in that moment that it’s probably correct to give it.
On this particular decision, I don’t think Preston can have any complaints. Their lad fluffed his clearance and ended up the wrong side of Doherty. If you’re running directly behind the attacker in the penalty area, you can’t pile into the back of them regardless of whether you take the ball in the process. Pen all day long for me.
When we were 3-0 up I thought ..that’s the way to do it..champions style….
If ever there was an example if DB versus Boly then their first goal header was a good example of him being wrong footed and on the wrong side and watching a goal go in..
I just can’t keep commenting about him and I’m not sorry we are on a different level now.
Anyway I couldn’t listen to the last 10 mins
but the Nuno Experience won through with a bit of Ruddy thrown in.
Fantastic that we are still on top and I’m a believer in promo..
Bonatini is becoming a new Afobe (well almost) and Neves is a bit of a Frank Munro
Perhaps better ?
3 point 3 points 3 points…
COYW
Did the ref ever have control of this match ? From the start he seemed set on blowing up for minor niggles (Hugill down like a sack of potatoes after a nudge from Coady) but allowed the game to continue after some GBH-like stuff (Jota’s being neck-tackled being just one example).
It was laughable that he had to insist on Browne returning to be sent off to show that he had control of the match when quite palpably he hadn’t.
Nuno is doing a great job in terms of tactics, personnel etc. The one thing he doesn’t have experience of is the type of physical approach so common in this league and exemplified, inter alia, by Preston and Cardiff. Maybe its time for some of our Brit players to explain to the Portuguese boys the concept of ‘getting your retaliation in first’…
Blimely never thought I would see inter alia used on the Wolves blog.
Perhaps as Wolves have gone up market so has the blog?
‘inter alia’ used to be Inter Milan but the replica-shirt shop ran out of letters…
This song came into my head yesterday. Anybody know it?
When they kick at your front door -how you gonna come?
With your hands on your head or on the trigger of your gun?
When the law break in. How you gonna go?
shot down on the pavement or waiting on death row?
You can cut us you can bruise us
you can even shoot us
but something something something….. youll never beat us!
Better expect some more clogging and intimidation.
…but you’ll have to answer to
Oh, the guns of Nuno
I thought about writing ‘Normal service resumes, but realised how unfair that would be on the lads.
For this game revolved, once again, around that toss-piece referee whose desire to act like his unfunny namesake is stretching out the joke that he is way too far. I mean, bringing a bloke back on so he can send him off…wtf. allowing a tackle on Jota that would’ve gotten a rugby player binned??? Then playing 10 minutes overtime…
I don’t know who appoints these idiots but if this is the best they can come up with, maybe it’s time to look at whatever system they use to employ these dickheads.
Aside from that, another very welcome 3 points, it’s just a shame that managers are using the Warnock blueprint which we’ll just have to get used to in this league, I suppose. What better excuse to get the hell out of it and leave the cloggers behind.
Good win.
UTW
As I said in my comment last night PNE were a bunch of Neanderthals intent on fouling at every opportunity. Sadly yet again we had a pathetic, dire, atrocious apology of a referee who gave them carte Blanche to perpetrate their anti-football tactics.
Despite this we won and beat those nasty lily-livered Lilly whites so up yours PNE and up yours Alex Neil who really should go back to the Scottish Highland League or wherever his archaic throwback football works.
Top of the league and WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!
Picture shows BOG and his good lady on the big screens at half-time. They get married this coming Friday 27 October. Drinking trousers on me-thinks!
OODCL
Your a mate and some Bedders, Star man !!
Meant to say that the last wedding I went to was just like a fairytale. It wasn’t that it was especially great or picturesque or anything it’s just that the bride had two ugly sisters.
The 2 melees in the 2nd half were a direct result of the incompetent ref failing to book the PNE players for clattering Doherty early on or the neck tackle on Jota. Awful abdication of responsibility. I believe we will be better in the Premiership where they will stand off more and get better ref protection. However till then we will have to get accustomed to high line physical teams attempting solely to disrupt and cynical fouling a la Warnock,which is a worrying thought. I hope the FA have tge foresight to give us some competent refs,but don’t hold yor breath on that one.
The top league in England is called the Premier League!!
Bit picky aren’t we?
Fuck off Rob !!
Yes witley … nicely put , I like your style !
Missed you you on Saturday Matt, was you AWOL.
Are you sure Rob? As far as I can glean from extensive research there are no exclamation marks within it’s official title. In his book ‘Perfect Punctuation’ Steven Curtis states that there is a point after which exclamation marks no longer express friendliness, but rather indicate irony and sarcasm. I’m sure that wasn’t your intention and I believe your grammatical corrections are well appreciated on this forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
As always on this blog, the above is a very good summary of the match. Who knows how things might have turned out if the ref had clamped down on Preston’s cheating earlier in the game. He’d clearly left his cards in the dressing room in the first half. Thankfully, on this occasion (unlike our defeat to the thuggish Cardiff), Wolves were canny enough to take advatage of the ref’s leniency and srarted to play Preston at their own game. Miranda, for example, could have seen red for a professional foul in the second-half but probably judged (correctly) that he would only get a yellow at most. Saïss was also clipping at shins and ankles to put people off balance in the way others do against our lads every week. Thankfully, we’re not normally that kind of a team but it was good to see us fight fire with fire.
On the footballing front, Preston actually looked a good side. I’ve got nothing against a high tempo pressing game. It was a poor refereeing performance that allowed them to repeatedly overstep the mark and turn this into an uglier spectacle than it should have been. That said, we were actually beneficiaries of a debatable decision for once as from my vantage point in the upper tier of the Steve Bull (subsequently proven on replays) it was clear that the guy got some of the ball when taking out Doherty.
Anyway, in terms of winning ugly, I’m normally in agreement with Nuno’s substitutions but on this occasion I can’t help but feel it would have been more comfortable if we’d kept our original front 3 on the pitch. N’Diaye was a sensible introduction but Costa looked lightweight and not match fit and Bright Enobakhare had me apoplectic at times. Whatever talents this guy has are wasted by awful decision making and a complete lack of effort or any any apparent clue how to work off the ball.
One of the things that makes Nuno’s Wolves a pleasure to watch is that they match their fluent football with dogged determination. Cav is a case in point. Since his recent return to the side he’s run his socks off chasing down and moved the ball on much more quickly than he ever did under previous head coaches. He looks a much better player for it. Jota and Neves didn’t even need this coaching into them. Bright Enobakhare, on the other hand (sauntering round a pitch, feeling hard done by for something or other and believing in his own myth), stuck out like a sore thumb as not being made of the same stuff.
Presumably, Bright will get a chance to redeem himself in midweek. I hope he grasps it with both hands. If not, let’s hope others take the opportunity to fight their way into contention for a coveted place on the bench.
There will be no disgrace if our reserves end their cup run away at Man City but it would be nice to avoid a thumping. Whatever happens, I can’t see it making a huge difference to morale on or off the pitch. Wolves are the best team in this division. How many times have we genuinely been able to say that?
UTW
Buying stuff to fill a house is nerve wracking at any time, agreeing with the boss while pretending to have an opinion, which you know aint worth shit, but doing it while one hand sneakily holding the phone with score updates every 30 seconds is positively deadly.
“What do you think of this, honey?”
“We’re 3 up!”
“?????, are you listening to me?”
“Yes dear, there’s ten minutes left and they scored two”
“ Are they more important than making bathroom fixture decisions?”
“Well, now you ask……”
That was my Saturday morning, brilliant!
I watched the highlights later, fabulous atmosphere again, three goals, three points, and so what if our liquid football wasnt flowing quite as freely, we got the win.
Great sporting day all round
Three points and top of the league.
Shit lose to an 85 th minute goal
Lewis on pole up the road in Austin
And, drum roll please, Houston Astros stuff New York Yankees 4-0 to get in The World Series.
Life is good
Citeh beware!
How long have you been married? Haven’t you learnt the mantra “Walk behind carry the bags and pay the bills”
Yet to meet a man who decisions on furniture count in any way
The wife always has the last word in an argument.
Anything the man says after that, is a new argument.
Never question your wife’s judgement — look who she decided to marry?
I listened to the match and was close to a cardiac arrest towards the end of the game. Goodness knows what would have happened had I been at the game. 🙂
Sounds like the referee was a muppet.
Please don’t do that again Wolves, thank you.
I was at times disgusted with the tactics of Preston, so that’s what high pressing is all about? Never so glad to beat a side, but it was intense and tough. Shell shocked after the game, is this really the way the game should be played?
Maybe should just be glad of the 3 points and get on with it, but some of the stuff out there yesterday was downright filth. Saiss grounded by an elbow, Bonatini pulled back as he moves past Preston assailants by shirt, shorts, Neves cut in two by a sliding tackle, Hugill throwing his weight around like a nightclub bouncer. The British Bulldog Spirit well and truly represented by the ironically nicknamed Lilywhites. Wolves the lightweight aspirants to the Beautiful Game!
The brawls themselves would make good viewing, I saw one on twitter with Doherty & Pearson going for a head to head, Coady acting as UN Peace Envoy pulling them apart, which Ruddy did in another Melee! Laughable as the hapless referee, as if he was directing a keystone kops movie, powerless to even send a player off, the miscreant, Browne, self referred himself to an early bath for his second yellow, his tackle on Enobakhare a trip from behind, pretty tame actually after all the head locks, and elbows.
That’s how I saw it, and speaking to other fans & hearing Tim Spiers not everyone saw it like I did, unless Tim Spiers’s “rugged opposition” was a pointed euphemism. It is about time Doherty got a penalty for being tripped in the box, their Manager complaining that there wasn’t much contact.
But its the Championship, and Nuno will need to employ commando training & boot camps for the future fixture at Deepdale if that’s where they still play. Hope Sky pick it as a night game as this was x rated entertainment and not for kids. Don’t know if it was related but I noted in the first half in the Billy Wright a mother with her young child had failed to take their seats for the second half!
Thought Preston could play as well, Hugill clearly has something, his tackle back on Miranda in the first half which could’ve led to a goal was legitimate and very effective, also their number 32 was a real talent.
Heady times but its tough and its tense, its not going to be easy maintaining that top slot, but hey what a great start and great place to be. Excellent as well when you consider that the majority of this very young side are new to the league, the Country and the terrors of the Championship! Great stuff Wolves.
Bearing in mind the standard of refs in the EFL and teams prepared to assault their opponents perhaps Wolves are too nice. We do not need to be thought of as the Arsenal of the Championship, without the balls to stand up for ourselves. Not like Muscat, but in the style of Gerrard. And we should appeal more often to remind referees of their duty to protect decent players. Eg when Cav is taken out three times by Hutton. It’s not how you like to see the game played but sometimes needs must.
I was at Chelsea v Watford yesterday. Watford played a high pressing game very, very effectively, but they didn’t go kicking the shit out of Chelsea and they wouldn’t have got away with it anyway with a PL referee.
Wolves have to overcome such tactics and referee failings this season. Lots of teams will work out that this is their only hope against us.
Thoughts on Hugill? Some bloggers think he is a big useless lump but I sense a grudging respect from others. He sort of reminds me of the Watford player Troy Deeney. Deeney has adapted well to the PL but nevertheless I think Wolves have to aim higher than the likes of Hugill in January.
More of a statement than the villa win.
We can win whatever way necessary.
Can’t wait til the away game at Cardiff later in the season.
The Portuguese are picking up the streetwise championship thing quickly.
Jota had it from the start.
Let’s keep it going, well done lads.
Neil is a negative wanker
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/former-premier-league-ace-jamie-11386571
Former Premier League ace Jamie O’Hara charged with “assault on teenage boy” after non-league defeat
I mused over this game with a couple of pints of Banks’s courtesy of what I call “my excuse for being a little later home than usual due to the road closures – honest wifey!”
IMO – we can’t play like we did against Veeelaa every wik – we will get shite refs for many game (however, I do think Doc sold him a pre-game ticket for the peno and he was that fekin useless he brought it! – #where do they find these from?) – we will continue to get “after tackles” from cloggers” and we still have to play Colin & the Lilleywhites in their own backyards
I was surprised by the subs – unless NES is planning to use Cav/Bon/Jota at Citee.
I reckon Bright will be given a further chance at Citee but Nuno & his backroom need to coach him on final balls – he’s great at winning, fighting & holding the ball to start a move from halfway – but his choice of shot/pass seems to be the wrong choice 9/10
There were also a number of contenders for MOTM but today I’d give it to Saiss – fought throughout, played intelligent balls and defended well.
We seemed to be cruising at 3:0 but a valiant defensive display for the final 20 + 10 minutes gave us the deserved points
Alex Neil – please re-watch the match and look at you own “off-the-ball-incidents” before complaining – watch the peno again and whilst the ref bought it, Harrop was a fault for the recovering lunge after Doc had passed him!
Still 100% convinced we are the best team in this division in terms of management, fans, skill, speed, desire, ability and the backing to take it much further.
Also noted how the Shite lost again, the in-breads are on Pooless’s back (I’m still sure pooless is short for constipation) and only 3 points off relegation, my double on Wolves to be Champions and Shite to drop it’s gonna happen! Cherching…..
# Team MP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Wolves 13 9 2 2 24 13 11 29
What’s not to like being a Wolves fan at present…………………….
COYW FO(back to the champ)wb
Just watched the game again without having to sit on the edge of my seat, yes the ref is still a self important twat but on the second viewing I noticed how tough we became as the game went on , I believe the players were desperate not to get beaten up again ( Cardiff) and I would say that the Preston players would be feeling just as sore as our boys today only with no points, so glad we don’t have their type of manager at wolves atm
On another note , we have now played 6 of the 7 teams immediately below us and we are top of the league
Wolves ay we , top of the league ay we
This was a blood and guts affair and, for a change, it wasn’t only our blood and guts being spilled. Our boys too made their presence felt, although Preston undoubtedly started the rough stuff and were far more accomplished in the dark arts.
But in reality, it made for an exciting spectacle, the tension ramping up after sloppy defending allowed the visitors back into the reckoning. The front three always looked dangerous and Doherty in particular was a constant threat from his wing back position. Helder seems still to be far from his old self, though his run of mini-appearances should help him on the way, so I’m pleased he was bought on.
As has been said, you have to win games in many ways to win promotion so to show we can win this kind of tough physical battle is quite reassuring.
Nice to see you in the NBB yesterday Stroker, hope the wind didn’t rock the van all night. See you at next homer.
Yeah, good to see you Witley, but whether I’ll make the next one is debatable. On a Friday, I believe. Have to see what I can do.
It was only Preston, not Leeds………………………………………………………..thought I would start my post how others reply to mine. Last Saturday we beat Villa beautiful and yesterday we won ugly ! At the end of the day we have 6 points from 2 games and sit proudly on top of the pile. The rollercoaster to the promised land had to make a pit stop yesterday but hey, we won – again. Don’t you think that in a few months time when we have won promotion people will look back and say “remember the Preston game ?”. Moving on to Tuesday, any bloggers going to the ShittyShed or whatever their ground is called ? I know that you are Brompton because you are sat next to me and I need to tell you lots of times why I support Wolves. We are on coach 3 from Molineux and can’t wait. Mark Jarvis have got us at 16/1 to win so well worth a flutter me thinks. Onwards and upwards bloggers because this IS the year.
Ian,
Not got my phone with me here in Sunny Crete, but got a bit of good news for you. Was it 2 tickets for Reading you wanted.
If so do you want coach travel as well or are you hotelling down there.
Hi Stu,
We are staying at The Madejski Millenium hotel as it is part of the stadium complex and it is bloody cheap as well. So just match tickets would be fab if you could mate, thank you.
Hi Ian & Sue, three of us – me, BOG and BOG’s nephew Dave (aka Notts County) are planning on going to Reading.
Allocation is 4,000 and go on sale to STH’s on Saturday at 9am so I have been tasked with manning the phone lines and trying to get through. BOG would normally do it but as he gets married the day before apparently he has other things to do on that Saturday morning!
Should be ok with such a big allocation.
We are coming by train and due in to Reading at 11.39am before hitting the pub right next to the station. Join us?
By the way if you can get me a programme from the Arabian palace in Manchester that would be great please.
Hope you and Sue are well.
Sounds good to me Dave but hope you are not going to get me and Sue drunk like you did at Forest. Never been to Reading, I think it is about 150 miles from Newark so I will contact you nearer the day. Can’t believe BOG has got plans for Saturday morning either. As for getting you a programme – definately mate. I got you one at Stoke last season and we won 2-0. I got you one at Southampton this season and we won 2-0. So yes, I will get you one at Manchester City and we will……………………well, you know what I’m saying.
Great mate, my mate across the road is getting them on Saturday morning, so we should be all sitting together ( 7 of us). I will contact you Saturday when I speak with him.
Stu
All sorted Ian, spoke to him tonight, he will be there 9am Saturday?
Top man Stu, catch up with you at the weekend when we are back from Dublin.
See you tomorrow mate. I have not yet confirmed where I am parking, but I am sure I will find somewhere…… I usually do.
Steve,
Your next to Ian and Sue.
What a match!
It started off like an episode of Game of Thrones with unpunished violence being committed all over the pitch (not much sex though), carried on with our boys looking as though they had had their drinks spiked by the evil Wizard Neill; briefly burst into life as we suddenly all woke up and looked like the team from last week, and ended up like a Brian Rix farce with comedic game management by us, hilarious ‘Hunt the sent off man’ by the referee (can I call him that after his performance?) and general confusion amongst the fans at the extra hour and a half added on at the end.
The only thing that was missing was Nuno’s trousers falling down, but he did look like he was about to explode several times.
Strange.
The day started off so quietly.
A decent run up from sunny Wiltshire, a relaxing pint before strolling up to the ground with Brompton, and, in between, a long chat with Jeanette and Alan, John Ruddy’s mum and dad, (see pic) who were watching him at Molineux for the first time.
Little did we suspect what we were letting ourselves in for.
Preston looked a decent side but were determined to do whatever they could to stop us playing. And it soon became apparent that they could do whatever they liked.
I don’t particularly enjoy slagging off referees but 27,000+ fans, 28 players and two managers were of a similar mind at the end.
He was C R A P !
But, another three points in the bag. That’s all that counts in the final analysis.
Lessons we have to learn, and quick:-
One, is not to be dispossessed so easily.
Yes, there were fouls aplenty, but in a lot of cases we were just too easily nudged off the ball.
Two, CONCENTRATE AT ALL TIMES! (Miranda, Batth, Douglas)
However, we can learn that.
You can’t teach people natural talent. But we have that in abundance.
You CAN teach people how to keep switched on for 90+ minutes and put themselves about when teams come to intimidate.
Enough criticism…
…WE’RE TOP OF THE LEAGUE, WE’RE TOP OF THE LEAGUE, WE’RE WOLVERHAMPTON, WE’RE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!!!!!!!
And don’t it feel great!
If we keep the current points/games ratio for the rest of the season we are on 102/103 points at the end. Most seasons about 90 is enough for auto promotion so there is enough room there for a bit of slippage. Winning ugly in this league is essential if you want to get out of it. The ugly wins over Barnsley Millwall and Preston Nutter End will be forgotten when we are at Old Trafford next season. We will probably remember the beautiful wins over Vile Derby and Burton. Talking of Vile they buggered yesterday up by winning when Blouse and The Shit lost. It was great to be in the Hogs Head after the match and hear the roar of satisfaction when Southampton notched the late winner on telly as two hapless shit defenders collided in the build up. Swapping places with them would be lovely BUT perhaps if they could just stay up for one more season so we can put those turds firmly in their rightful place.
Didn’t manage to watch the game live (long story short: a girl, 20+ degrees etc) but from the extended highlights I’ve seen, and reading this blog and the comments I’ll sentiment the obvious. A win is a win – 3 points nearer to where the club belongs.
On a cheeky note – how good is Bonatini playing with his upper body/shoulders – this goal and the one last week?
City next then. Call me what you want but I really think Wolves can produce an upset. The game will be on the TV in Bulgaria and I’d love to see the MC biased pundits being silenced at the end of the game.
“A girl, 20+ degrees etc?”
We want the long story!!!
Like I’m gonna tell it to someone who’s managed to throw a GOT sex reference into his comment? Yes, why not haha.
Oh, her first time watching Wolves on Sunday morning. I can tell she’s gonna love it – otherwise why would she ask me “What’s his name?” following a close up of Danny Batth. Right, right? Oh….
Another fantastic win,3 point that’s all that counts in football,ok we gave them 2 goals but I’ll take that every time.im not gonna grumble about how we played first half because we went in 1 goal to the good and I was happy even though we hardly had a kick.
I know PNE came to here spoil our play just like The sheep shaggers but I thought they were better then that,but the real culprit was that moron Martin the ref,he was more interested in his self than the match.
He should never be allowed to referee anther game in the championship because if he’d taken control early doors on PNE by a booking or two we wouldn’t have had to suffer that 6 minuets of ET where we could’ve lost 2 points with the pressure we had to endure.
I really hope that’s the last time we have him to referee a game ever.
Overall I thought we handled it well.UTW at City.
What a rollercoaster Saturdays game was. Definitely second best in the first half despite going in 1-0 up at half-time. Going 3-0 up was nice, evading all the foul tactics employed by the opposition, but then the wheels came off for a disconcerting period of play. Two avoidable goals conceded and they were back in the match. What seemed an eternity until the 90th minute with us defending manfully was made worse by having to play nearly 9 mins added time. We did learn our boys no longer buckle under pressure or give in to bully boy tactics, in fact not a pretty game but hopefully lessons learnt will help us in future games. COYW
I just want to add,it’s just a pity that teams and their managers come to spoil our great game instead of playing it the way it should be played to entertain.
hey Johnok, there’ll always be managers that employ their own tactics & teams that have to play to their strengths when devoid of skill, pace or tenacity. Pooless / Colin W are typical of this.
Thank god we’ve now got a manager and team that really know how to play the beautiful game (and in the past – yes we were part of first sentence!)
In Nuno we trust and in years to come we’ll be talking about Nuno’s team of 2017
Firstly don’t understand why game not covered on wolves tv.. but I persevered and bought a seasons worth of Match commentary for 45 quid
The commentary is crap so I turned to ESPN to watch digital commentary and found for the second week in a row that they had match live!!?
So after 30 mins it’s on my iphone and I’m
Happy??
But PNE are playing the style I predicted however we have not a competent ref but a total wanker
So my other prediction that we would play 10 men came too late for a 5-1 cliver .. at 3-1 it seemed possible
We won’t have many games as tough as this
Man City is a fun sideshow and then
It’s back to
Business
Onwards and upwards
UTW
Today my son tells me he wants to support Wolves. I thought to myself, now that’s a solid choice, great club, passionate fans, good past and bright future. I gave him a thumbs up and said that he made the right decision. I on the other hand took a break from following football these past months. I don’t really have a club I support and my every attempt to do so in the past would fail miserably for one reason or another. Maybe be I’ll give it a shot again and join my son in supporting Wolves. We’ll see. But whatever happens I know he made the right choice in supporting your club. All the best!
I like the cut of your lad’s jib mate.
Where are you based and will he/you be visiting the Golden Palace in the near future?
Happy First Fanday!
Thank you! We’re not from the UK but I’m planning to take him next year for his first match!
Your son Daughter has great sense supporting Wolves, hope you come to a game trust me nothing else like it.
Kind regards.
Dorset Wolves.
All throughout the game the PNE thugs tried to intimidate the referee and the Wolves players, at least after 20 minutes the Wolves started to give as good as they got.
I watched the goal cam footage of Bonatini chesting the ball into the goal.
After the goal the goalkeeper ran all the way to the centre circle to have a go at the referee!!!!
What was that about?
Yes he does! Thank you Robin!
Its not the fact the opposition kicks lumps out of our footballers to stop them playing its the bloody useless refereeing that really gets to you.
I watched chelsea v watford on sat night and watford never gave them a second on the ball but they didnt kick them up the air and on the odd occasion they were a bit too tenacious the ref blew .
That is what allows football to flourish good refereeing .
We desperately need to make big loud representations to the FA about the terrible standard of refs in the championship.
Its as though they come with the “its a mans game get on with it” attitude and its that way of thinking which allows the warnocks and the neils to assemble sides that seem to do well at this standard.
Dalpimple needs to get his arse down the FA and bang the table….. very hard
I was at that Chelsea game and I made the same comments on this blog yesterday. There is a good match report in the Daily Mail today. It makes the same observations, that Preston came to foul our most creative players.
As regards refereeing in the Championship I have been considering the massive scale of the problem. It just seemed incredible that there are that many ineffectual referees operating in this division. I have developed two theories which I would like to share.
Firstly, referees in the prem realise that they are part of a multi billion pound entertainment industry and all major interested parties demand that ability and talent is allowed to blossom. Helped by the fact that those with the greatest financial clout own the talent so the cream must be allowed to rise to the top. Referees are instructed to take immediate and severe action when unfair means are used to shackle the talent. It helps that a zillion cameras and panel experts review every contentious decision and referees know that if they are seen to overlook fouls they are soon dropped from the well-paid list of prem officials.
In the Championship there seems to be an acceptance that teams will attempt to balance the gap in financial resources by applying attention to the physical side to the game. There is an assumption that fans of clubs in the championship are rather more traditional and old school in their appreciation of grit effort courage and strength. It’s as though this product is designed for a domestic local audience than the international audience of the prem. It is assumed that the majority of people who watch a championship game whether live or televised only do so if their team is involved. So referees are not so concerned to allow the beautiful game blossom it’s more about keeping the game going as an equal contest. It’s as though the referees are thinking “if I give fouls and bookings for every transgression there would soon be no-one left on the pitch”.
So referees go out to officiate a championship game with a different mindset than if they were refereeing a prem game.
Alternative views could be:
Second-class referees just can’t keep up with the game.
You are just sensitive now because it’s your club that has the fragile expensive talent.
Any thoughts?
I think you’ve made some very good points Jackomac.
We certainly are more sensitive now we have the ‘fragile talent’ as you so poetically put it.
In Mad Mick’s day we would all have been saying “Bloody fancy Dans, it’s only a broken leg, get up and get on with it”.
The thing that annoys me is that if a Premier League referee is deemed not good enough, he can be DEMOTED to ply his trade in the Championship.
Why should we be lumbered with refs who can’t do their job?
Wonder what the late great Jack Taylor would make of the referee Saturday!!!!
Having run the line for the great man in my youth I can tell you not a lot.
Thought as much Tipton.
Kind Regards.
Dorset Wolf
Good points and I think there’s truth in each. The EFL urgently needs to realise that quality is rising in the championship all the time but referring standards are static. The second tier is not a graveyard of failed top tier clubs, it’s a dynamic and challenging league, not far behind the best leagues in Europe. Wolves have recently broken the transfer record twice in this league for sums that would not be out of place in the PL.
I don’t want to add to the fixture lists but there is a case for having a European Cup for the second tiers in the various countries. Call it the EFL if you like, with the E standing for European. My reasoning is that the three teams who fail to go up in the playoffs could have the consolation of going into Europe the following season.
Good idea, the European League, but I think Championship teams would walk it. I hear that it is by far the strongest second tier in Europe.
I think you’re right about walking such a league. But such a league is too ambitious or unusual an idea in practice maybe? Given the busy championship fixture list, even if just the losing playoff finalist went through to such a league it would be a consolation. What else is there in the championship for the near-miss clubs? The FA Cup and Carabao Cup soon shake out the lower league teams to give an eventual winner from the PL.
I can certainly foresee a Premier League 2 before too long. The lowest Prem clubs with the top eight or so Champ clubs. Promotion and relegation as now.With a goodly share of the Prem monies thrown in.
Good match report in the Daily Mail today, observing that Preston set out to foul our most creative players. One on the reader’s comments folowing the article is also very interesting, and I’ve copied it below:
It was from Rogerz, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, 23 minutes ago
Exciting time to be a Wolves fan. After decades of seeing dross football, we are now seeing a side that is young, quick and passes the ball with ease and incisiveness. Just need one more player to seal the deal. Sincerely hope Porto fail to qualify from their Champions League group, as that may then encourage Porto to accept a bid from Wolves for their striker Vincent Aboubakar. He plays as a lone centre forward in the same 3/4/3 formation that Nuno uses. His goal scoring record is a goal once every 2 games and he¿s done that in the Champions League also. The size of the guy, means he will adapt to the rough and tumble of the Championship straight away. At 9 million pounds he would be a snip
Dances – I would LOVE Aboubakhar but from what I hear the price is likely to be much nearer £20m than £9m and that’s IF they are prepared to sell him now. Another top striker that I think would be excellent for us either in January or May (after we’ve been promoted!) would be Sporting Lisbon’s Dutch striker Bas Dost. His goal scoring record is phenomenal and he is also a ‘big ‘un’ who can look after himself. He would also most likely be £20m+. A perhaps more realistic target, and a rumour that has been around a while and recently resurfaced, is Denis Alibec, Rumanian striker with Steau Bucharest at £10m.
I saw Bas Dost playing for Holland the other day and he didn’t look very impressive, to be honest. Although none of his teammates did either so maybe his service wasn’t the greatest.
Big thought.. why dont we demand the FA get a premier ref to oversee our next games with Cardiff and Preston .
They will almost certainly say no but at least we might then get one of the better championship refs
Oh and one other point…. despite all the booters, kickers and cheaters
WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE
WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE
I think the Warnocks, Neils and McCarthorses of this league deliberately throw the odd game or two, just so they DONT get promoted.
They are clever enough to realize that they are relatively big fish in the championship pond, but would drown in the Prem ocean.
They see our boys actually playing football, get steamingly jealous, and employ the above mentioned Neanderthal tactics to try to stop our boy wonders.
Given his history, I would not be surprised if Warnock bungs the refs.
The upside to their thuggery is that if by some miracle they get promoted, instant struggles and relegation follow, see our last foray upstairs, and they are once more in the mire they so richly deserve.
Having seen the dross served up by the majority of Prem sides this weekend, I cannot wait to see Nuno’s army flowing over the plodding carthorses of sandwell, St.Mary’s, Swansea, Boredmuff and others.
Tomorrow night should give us a clue as to how we will fare, but it will not be the end of the world if by some miracle we lose, but Pep might be a tad upset if we stuff ’em!
FOwb
The way that games are refereed differently in the Premier League compared to the Championship – and indeed in Leagues 1 and 2 also – is getting very alarming. Surely it cannot be right that a tackle that earns a straight red card in the PL warrants nothing more than a stiff talking to in the Championship? It is the same game. It is the same set of laws. I have thought this for several years and always believed it to be, in part at least, a deliberate ploy by the ‘powers that be’ to place any newly promoted club at a disadvantage as they struggle to come to terms with a totally different way of playing the same game. Whether my conspiracy theory is right or not it is simply outrageous that this can be allowed to happen. It isn’t even down to the Premier League referees being better than those in the Championship – there is a clear difference in the way the referees interpret the laws which is nothing to do with their level of competence.
Someone should do something!
The trouble with the FA and The referees Association,Is we don’t count because we don’t get worldwide viewing figures like the premiership.
It’s about time they take a good hard look what’s happening in the championship, and Refs they’re there to protect players as well as to officiate.
Come on wake up.UTW.
The so called Ref who officiated the match Saturday is a Vile fan and lives in Staffordshire somewhere.
I’m sure every match in the Chumpionshit has an FA official that is there to audit the referee – super Kenny Hibbert has certainly done this down the Mol in the past!
This being the case, what happens when a ref scores 5/10 or less?
We’ve seen shocking refereeing performances that have affected both home & away teams for many seasons.
And sure the melee on Saturday on 90 minutes was 100% down to the incompetence of Mr Martin.
Surely our management can cite this to FA in formal terms as I’m sure any player bringing the game into disrepute gets fined by club & FA therefore the refs should also be accountable.
UTW COMB FOwb
Let’s try and get a change in the rules. Any championship fixture involving a top six team should have a PL standard referee. This will help stop the lower clubs kicking their way through such matches and also stop unscrupulous top six teams like Cardiff and Preston using the same dirty tactics. This may also save the better players from serious injury.
I was very interested to read the comments from that Cardiff fan after the thrashed the living daylights out of our players with the savage and loutish tackling that he obviously accepted as the norm. His comments were “ we should man up, as the last he remembered is that, it was a mans game”.
Even in our darkest days, we Wolves fans used to come on this site and lambast our players when they resorted to such tactics instead of playing good footy.
It was hammered home when Preston managed to beat them playing and using the same dark arts.
Dads Army springs to mind, “they don’t like it up em Captain Mainwaring.”
Fook em, let’s get on with our task in hand and leave them to the mindless thuggery. Southampton was a great match to watch because they allowedus to play footy until after we shoved 2 past them, then it got meaty.
Bring on the Ceeety
Bring on the Ceeety tonight.
Onwards & Upwards.
Welcome to Wolves jrpe810 and particularly your son who has obviously made a brilliant choice as his football club. Wolves is the city. The city is Wolves. That is the way it is round here. I have a feeling your kid is in for a golden future in the next few years. Something us long in the tooth Wolves maniacs have been dreaming of for decades . welcome to Wolves.
Jack Price has signed a new contract.
There’s a surprise.
Thanks Cheeseburger! I’m sure he will enjoy every second. Wolves definitely on the rise, well deserved too. Cheers!
Ok so this is my first away game of the season and Im thinking its going to be a good one. QPR are an average team with an average manager we should beat them. I like the ground as an away fan though as you are so close to the pitch.
Im thinking 2-0 to the wolves.