The new season underway at last with a long day out and trip over the Pennines for me.
I was hoping for more of the form I saw in flashes at Doncaster the previous week, while speaking to a few Blackburn fans on the train they were not optimistic of their team’s fortunes given their financial restrictions, a point majored on by their manager in the match programme.
This was a good game though with two well matched sides happy to sit back, soak up pressure and try to hit their opponents on the break.
The home side started brightly with most of their play, predictably, with long balls to their new right winger signed from Blackpool with height advantage over Golbourne.
Despite a cracking long range strike from Rhodes which hit Ikeme’s right post, and a free header which he superbly tipped over the bar, there was no reward for the early pressure.
Wolves grew into the game, with Coady and Afobe the pick of an excellent all round team performance.
Coady gives us an extra dimension in midfield, so defensively we were very solid and able to press the home side high up the pitch.
Afobe finished in style from a clever headed through ball from Edwards, and we were then very unlucky with the home side’s equaliser.
From a good Iorfa block on the edge of the box, the ball spun viciously high and over our keeper who backtracking could only palm into the roof of the net.
How would the lads respond, well by going back on the attack with another well worked team goal, and with a deserved half time lead, it was time for the fans to enjoy another `concourse party` under the stand.
Saw many taking images – hope some get posted on here.
Apart from the last 5 minutes when the home side bombarded our goal with high balls, which were dealt with superbly by our defence, , there were no more scares in a second half which I thought Wolves dominated and deservedly got the three points.
So a great day out for the 4000 or so traveling black & gold army.
Many of whom will recall the last time we won a season opener at Ewood by the same score. However KJ has a side much improved on last year, a better squad playing a system with our full backs bombing on.
This was a very solid team performance overall, and a very welcome three points.
Maybe Steve Morgan`s assertion that this season we are ready to step up may not be far off the mark. A great start to the new season, and a very happy journey home last night.
Nice blog Mark.
Well played the lads! Just the start the doctor ordered.
Looked like a very handy contribution from Dave Edwards. Didn’t look guilty about it at all afterwards, did he? 🙂
Great result let’s keep it going.
For once we had the rub of the green, we still need to tighten up the defence, but as the game grew we was a lot better second half.
Afobe is something else, pure class he has it all, the only way we’ll be able to keep him is by getting promoted this season.
Thanks for the report Mark. Good to get eyes at the game.
From the highlights and what I followed online, it looked like Blackburn created lots of chances and probably should have taken a point. That said, 80% of games in this league are decided by marginal decisions/moments so we need to maintain the knack of being on the right side of them.
The team selection was exactly what I thought it would be. With the only debatable slots being the wide areas, I knew he’d go with tried and tested favourites like Henry and Edwards.
I think we’ll rarely see two out and out wide players this season, unless we’re behind. I expect to see Henry/VLP/Ojo on one side and the likes of Edwards/Wallace/Rowe tucking in on the opposite flank.
Not necessarily a bad thing because it should make us a bit tighter defensively, but I don’t think we’ll be as dynamic going forward.
Not that it looks like affecting Afobe. A typically cool finish.
Edwards certainly doesn’t get the credit he deserves either. The amount of people moaning he’s in the team is unbelievable. He’s been consistently good for a long time. An assist and a goal (albeit fortuitous) again yesterday. He’s a key player.
I feel good about how this season is shaping up.
Despite our League Cup hoodoo (please let this be our year) and the fact Hull will be a very tough challenge next weekend, I think we’re a decent bet to be three out of three. Please keep the egg off my face Wolves.
This is the start that we all wanted.
A good win with a solid performance and Dangerous Dave having a big hand in both of the goals.
A certain Stearman hater has already had a go at him on the previous blog for not doing something or other, I wonder how much enjoyment you can get out of a game when you are only looking out for any possible mistake by one player and missing any howlers by others or great play by any of the boys in old gold.
I’m surprised it hasn’t been mentioned that it was a blatant Stearman own goal when he expertly guided the ball between Ikeme and the crossbar.
Or was it a decent attempt at a block?
A great start and great away support as ever.
Cheers Mark for a quick and incisive report.
I agree about the Stearman comment DOOG Totally out of order. Whilst I am not his biggest fan, from what I saw of the highlights, and from what I have heard, he had quite a good game.
Their goal was no direct fault of his from what I could see.
Chuffed about the result. Let’s hope we continue. Just need to raise our game a tad and I believe we will be okay this season. The new boys seem to be settling in well too, so it all looks rosy.
See you on Saturday mate for the Sunday game.
Hi Doogooder, totally agree regarding Edwards and Stearman.
Both underated players, who both in my opinion without them we would be a lot poorer.
I rate Stearman as a very good defender too. He has very good tackling and positioning skills. He’s not the strongest defender physically which means he’ll lose some duels from time to time. The competition for the slots in the middle of our defence is hard, and it’s going to be interesting to see who Batth is going to replace. From the highlights Hause wasn’t involved in any Blackburn chances, while some of them came in Stearman’s zone. The Blackburn goal came from an effort Ikeme usually would have saved. Stearman has to improve his play if he’s gonna hold on to his spot if Hause continue to play as well as against Blackburn. The competition in defense as well will undoubtly become an asset towards reaching our dreams of direct promotion. Landell is another player fighting for the same spot, so our defence is stronger than ever.
This was just the start we needed. Out of darkness cometh the wolves :=)
Not the easiest win we will get and some luck went our way but make no mistake, it is still an excellent win – nothing better than starting the season with a win!
Onwards and Upwards!
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your prompt and very succinct report, which is far more positive than the Wolves Player audio commentary that I listened to yesterday afternoon. The commentator (don’t know his name) spent most of the time moaning about us constantly giving the ball away (not backed up by the stats – apparently we were the best team in the Champ for completed passes yesterday). Incidentally Seyi Olifanjana did the summaries on Wolves Player and was pretty articulate.
Great to have a report from someone like you who went to the game and is a proper supporter!
Cheers.
UTW!
Post Sako… did we need him
then..? Prob not and trying to get my head in gear re our play and our chances this season I’m now fairly convinced we are potentially in a better place..
My pleading for an experienced defender showed my thoughts in the last 10 mins particularly where they missed their 2-2 equaliser from 1 yard…so unless DB when he’s back has continuous Blinders..’ crap yourself time’ will be another feature in our football to experience again.
I lost weight in the last 10 mins and even KJ said we were lucky.
However.. I’m hoping this sort of result is an Omen for the future and to get promoted is meant to be.
Two players of total significance for me this time round.. Coady who has stamped his mark big time and of course one man of pure class.. Afobe.
We are lucky to have him and I appeal to MMs to 3 yr contract him
NOW before he becomes the top league scorer and his agent starts prospecting him particularly back to Arsenal…Bids will come in..
I was bemused with Ojo who went for glory at the end not passing the ball to le fondre ..He’s going to be good…which raises the question of how many of this team will be continuously rotated as we have such a strong bench..
Fantastic result ..Hull at home will be another benchmark..
With optimism
COYW
I understand that Afobe is already on a three year contract.
Actually, just checked and contrary to popular belief, his contract is until 30th June 2018. I thought it hard to believe a smart operator like Jez would sanction a 2mill payout for someone on a 12month deal.
Stroker you have just made my day..I really thought he was on a 1 year renewable..He could be a fantastic asset ..that’s both of them..(inc Dicko)
If Ojo is as good could we keep him..?
Not sure about Ojo. I don’t think we have an option to buy with him like we do with Le Fondre. Shame, as he looks good. Anniversary celebrations stopped me going to game, but highlights I have seen looked good. Defending looked okay and goal was a bit unlucky. That said, we got away with our 2nd lol. Great result anyway.
I think that Ojo had signed a 3 year deal with Liverpool before he was loaned out.IMO, if he is good, we can buy him.c
There’s a bit of wishful thinking Jerryd. If he’s that good, Liverpool won’t sell. Not for a price we could afford anyway. Most top players nowadays want to be with a club that can win something, and that doesn’t mean the Championship title.
Wolfstroker.
Agreed, Liverpool probably won’t sell Ojo, he’s definitely one for the Red’s future, but if we get into the PL next season Ojo might stay on loan for us (if we want him). That way, Liverpool have Ojo getting playing experience in the big time until they need him. Who knows what the future will bring, though and he might well be sold if he’s not considered top four material.
All true of course. All will be revealed in the fullness of time.
With the rate of improvement in our team since ‘King Kenny’ took over, he may one day want to leave Liverpool for us to have a better chance of winning something. 🙂
Now that reasoning I like.
Afobe and Dicko are the best striking pair in Championship – no doubt. Le Fondre is also a proven goalscorer. I can’t imagine we’ve missing out of direct promotion this season – we’re too strong in all compartments.
Mark,
Missed you at the game but your summary was spot on, without a biased doubt we were the better team, our passing of the ball was Div 1 like and I left the ground with renewed confidence for this season.
One point if I may on your excellent report, James Henry played his socks off and tore them apart when he had the ball. It seems other players have stepped up their crisp, slick passing to compliment his and it put Wolves in a great position.
Stearman and Edwards,
I will take Stearman any day of the week over the Danny Bahtt that played the later part of last season. If we can get Danny into shape again then I think rotating Danny and Hause would pay dividends and would be like a new defender on the books.
Edwards, ran everyone’s sock off, made some great blocks and stole the ball from the feet of Blackburn players on lots of occasions.
A great day out, hopefully to be repeated time and time again this season.
Great report, well done Mark.
🙂
Thanks for the report Mark. Good write-up.
An away-win at Blackburn is a great result whichever way you look at it. Add to that it was the first game of the season, when all nerves are jittery, team still has to settle down and find their competitive rhythm, … brilliant.
Team looking promising. Luck on our side was a pleasant change … usually it’s the other way around. Wouldn’t mind that referee reffing every one of our games. 🙂
Long way to go, and things only getting started. But couldn’t have started much better.
Same again please.
Go Wolves!
Extremely eloquent Mr. Davies, I suspect you had a ghost writer!!
Bostin win, all the better coz the game kicked off at 7.00 am Phoenix time, so I had two more hours to savour the win.
45 victories to go, bring on the pussycats next weekend
FOwb
Nice report Mark, well done & thanks.
Only downside for me was I predicted a different score, but hey who cares we still won.
Great away day and victory. Mark’s blog sums it up nicely.
I hadn’t been to an away game for a while, and it always makes me proud to be a Wolves fan when I do. Great support and top atmosphere. Feels like we could be in for an entertaining season.
Afobe is different class.
Here’s a nice video of the halftime entertainment that was on offer 🙂
http://youtu.be/lru4wvWLDlI
Wolves Aye We!
Agree with the blog. Always felt we were in cruise control 2nd half and could have shifted up a gear if required. All a bit hazy. 9 pints before match. But it’s Wolves. An away trip. So loads of fuckin beer is gonna be consumed. 89 points to go.
I have voted for Stears as player of the year more than once, for me he is a true warrior. Dave Edwards is not flash, ir flambouyant, but how many times did he pop up in the last two seasons with a vital goal?
James Henry, if on form, would be in the side gif I were boss, a hard-working team player by anyone’s standards.
Great 3 poinits, good spirit and lots to look forward to.z
I can’t believe the stick that Dangerous Dave and Stears get in some quarters.
As a benchmark Blackburn won’t pull up any trees this season and more than matched us.. Improvement required and Kenny knows it..
A lucky result which we will take along with the 3 points..
Thomas\Ben.. Am writing this from my phone as since upgrading the PC to Windows 10 none of my comments are being displayed.. Either that or I’m barred.. Any one else having the same issue..
Bloody hell! The highlights package make it look a near criminal act that we took the three points! Relieved to read the positive write up here as otherwise I’d be feeling we were very lucky. Good start to what should be a fun season.
Fan-tastic day at blackburn ,great 3 points,a bit lucky with the winner but who cares.
Afobi is a class act he took his goal with ease.
Coady is a find played some good balls through and tough in tackling,just what you need in this league.
If there’s one criticism I thought we played a bit narrow,IMO we needed a bit of width to combat their attack but no complaints we got 3 points and that’s what really matters, but I’m sure KJ will look back at this game and adjust accordingly.
One more thing WE deserved the win.UTW.
I too saw the highlights and I’ve a message for channel 5. You’re shite.What a complete shambles that bloody programme was. Onto the Edwards debate; I’ve never quite got my head round the fact there’s a group of Wolves fans who don’t rate him.Why? He’s worth his weight in gold to the team. Afobe ? What can you say ? Best we’ve had in donkeys’ years.
Brilliant start. More pace and natural ability in this squad than when we were in Prem. Sounds like we were under the cosh for a while again but as long as we come out on top who cares. It maybe the way we are going to lull the oppo.
We have the ammo to win these tight champo battles. Another brilliant finish from afobe and dave in the right place again. Great effort from all the boys in gold. Thanks for the report MD.
Agree with all the above especially the Steers & Diego Edwards praise. Both fantastic wholehearted professionals who form the heart of this team. Cannot think why Wolves fans would slate our own players anyway. It’s annoying.
Just add that I did think we were fortunate to get the 3 points. Refreshing to hear KJ say after that it did hit his hand. Edwards looked mortified after scoring!
I totally agree with the praise for Afobe Dicko but I thought the maestro Kevin McDonald was the best player on the pitch. He has the ball at his feet more than any player & has a good defensive side to his game. It’s clear as well that the new diamond system needs time to settle in. But apart from a long tiring trek on late local trains this was a great start to whats going to be one helluva tough & competitive season.
Dave’s reaction to his goal was interesting he is a uniquely admirable footballer in many ways.
Yes completely agree with you about Edwards, he’s quite different to other players in the way he comes across. But I don’t think you could get a player who plays with more determination and will to do the best for the team and the fans.
Jackett said he’s looking for goals from him this season, and he will deliver as we have seen so often. With Steers & Ikeme he’s the longest serving Wolves player and its such a tribute to him that he has come through the mishaps Wolves have suffered under their mismanagement in recent pre KJ years.
His reaction to his goal for me was priceless! We need all the points we can get and this win got us off to a flying start against a tricky team.
Unfortunately I was only able to see the highlights on Channel 5, on a programme that consisted of Kelly Cates and George Riley nervously moving around stating the obvious surrounded by the undead dressed in football shirts. No doubt waiting to claim the souls of George and Kelly. It was so bad it made Steve Claridge seem like the Jacob Bronowski of football punditry. But I digress, Diego Edwards looked more sheepish than a Welsh hillside after the second goal and rightly so. However one views his technical strengths and weaknesses his enthusiasm for and commitment to the game cannot be doubted so it is disappointing when a match result turns on a bit of legerdemain rather than footballing skill. Interesting to compare this with what happened at the Doncaster v Bury game.
Very witty as ever Danny but i couldnt tell wether the use of the hand was deliberate. I did think the Doncaster player saw the keeper way off the line and lobbed him. Nearly resulted in a mass brawl.
ps i have seen Leon miss those.
haha, yeah! I love how the defender jokingly took the ball off him. For a moment I also thought Leon would miss.
Does he actually get a league goal for that? I bet that’s 50% of his seasons goal tally right there!!!
Love the word legerdemain, must admit to having to look that one up. We have often mentioned at the Wolves Blog meetings that we (the Blog) have some rather articulate and well educated members and some of the posts on here confirm just that.
Danny,
StuWolf here, I’m in Sofia on Thursday for about 8 days on some very unpleasant business, if you have the opportunity I would love to meet you at last and share a Rakkia or five.
Contact mob:- 00-44-7710-449440
Stu
Great report Mark .. behind that calm, gentle exterior lies an untapped journalistic talent!
Saw the 2 minutes plus on utube and have to say we looked under pressure at times and clearly Blackburn missed some good opportunities. BUT …..the record books show a Wolves win …. so am I bovvered. .no
Great start and hopefully the first points on the board towards an automatic spot.. no pressure lads …
Having seen various highlights and read many comments, I shall try to avoid mere repetition of what’s gone before. Two points though.
If Dangerous Dave had admitted to the ref that he’d handled it in, would the ref have sent him off for deliberate handball?
In the post-match interviews, it was very refreshing to hear Kenny freely admit it was handball, you take the rough with the smooth etc etc. Benik, however, long taught in the Arsene Wenger school of selective blindness, actually didn’t see the incident. You can take the boy out of Arsenal, but you can’t take Arsenal etc etc. 🙂
I see we’ve taken a back-up keeper on loan from Arsenal. Emiliano Martinez hails from Argentina and by all accounts is a classy performer.
Clive from Pheonix still here; so I am not.
Most of us like his sense of humour, so he is going to be here for ever my friend. Sorry, I did not realise you left us, have you seen pferdepferde on your travels?
Any other Wolves fans here in Hong Kong? If so I occasionally get to watch games in bar 109 in wanchai or Queen vic opposite. Ask for Jase
Yo Dylan, here I am in Flagstaff!!
Glad to see you have surfaced again, and I hope your day is going great!
On another topic, wonderful result tonight from sandwell crem
FO wb
Is the young goalkeeper from Arsenal being signed as backup? I would have thought his parent club would expect him to get first team experience. And are we becoming a refuge for Arsenal hopefuls and ex-Arsenals. Three signed this year! If so good thing or bad?