Losing to your local rivals is the proverbial kick in the nether regions and we certainly know that better than anyone.
Our recent form in derbies is nothing short of abysmal, without a single win in the last 12 league games against Blues, Albion or Villa.
And when you consider that 8 of those 12 matches ended in defeat, you truly begin to understand the torrid run of misery Wolves supporters have had to endure.
We last tasted sweet victory way back in March 2007, when Jay Bothroyd was the hero in a glorious 1-0 win over Albion, but boy doesn’t that seem a long time ago?
Since then, it’s been, well, look for yourself (most recent matches first):
Villa (h) – Lost 2-1
Villa (a) – Drew 2-2
Blues (a) – Lost 2-1
Blues (h) – Lost 1-0
Villa (h) – Drew 1-1
Blues (a) – Lost 2-0
Blues (h) – Drew 1-1
Albion (h) – Lost 1-0
Albion (a) – Drew 0-0
Albion (a) – Lost 1-0 (Play-offs)
Albion (h) – Lost 3-2 (Play-offs)
Blues (h) – Lost 3-2
Albion (h) – Won 1-0
….I think ‘complete hell’ is probably the phrase you’re looking for.
Having already lost at home to Villa this season and with five more local derbies to come, we simply can’t afford to go another year without picking up the maximum against one of our nearest and dearest.
Unfortunately, our run of form coming into these back-to-back games against Blues and Albion couldn’t be worse. And coupled with the our mounting list of injury problems, I must admit I’m struggling to see how our derby-fortunes are likely to change.
Still, as the old proverb goes, ‘the night is always darkest before the dawn’, so perhaps these normally excruciating local dust-ups will, for once, provide the catalyst we need to reignite our faltering season?
Whose with me?
Good stats there mate, even if they are excruciating to read. It’s sad that all of this season’s eggs are now firmly in these two baskets. Things should never have got this desperate, but desperate they are!
I remember Albion losing something like 12 consecutive games before they played us in the mid 90s and they got a draw through Van Blerk (?!), while numerous times in the past their god awful players like Micky Evans have made themselves cult figures by scoring against us.
However, there’s still a little feeling that we could get something from them, purely because form often goes out the window.
I didn’t like Mick saying after the Blackburn game that he wants a 0-0 from somewhere either. I want a win!!!!
While we will all be fearing these games more than ever before, they might just offer us our best hope of salvation.
whilst I admire the optimism, its hardly likely that anything will change until we have brought in a couple faces at the back who know what they are doing.
I will be Molineux, but im not likely to be starting any super mick chants.
I’m actually going to the crem, not sure about the Blues game. I’m scheduled for a knee operation on Saturday, so depends if they keep me in.
I can see them letting me out, my painkillers wearing off as I get to the ground, tripping down one of the exits and shagging my other knee!
As long as we win I’ll take that!
Bit worried about the Hawthorns in seriousness though…Not for any other reason (apart from proceedings on the pitch) than me not being allowed my crutches as they will be deemed as weapons of mass destruction.
Going to the crem a week after knee surgery? Not sure what your old man would say about that! Mind you, I suppose you will be back at work by then…..
Two wins and he is a hero.
With the mounting injuries in midfield, I wouldn’t be surprised if we went with two up front. Jones and Mancienne are doubts, Edwards couild be back so my guess is that Foley will play next to Milijas.
In all my life I’ve only seen us win one derby, and though you say Jay Bothroyd was the hero it was really the man who virtually kept them out on his own, Matt Murray.
also, as his biggest fan. I’m sure Clive will know who set up Bothroyd’s goal 😀
4 points please Mick.
Banks mild for me 🙂
I fear the worst from the two derby games.
In my 20 odd years of watching the Wolves the derbies just seem to bring more misery.
When ever we have ‘must win’ games – we very rarely deliver. When we have winnable games in the prem – we rarely deliver. Last year we picked up more points from games I thought we had no chance in (eg Spurs) rather than the games we should win (Portsmouth, Hull, Blues at home etc)
I worked in Birmingham for years with West Brom and Blues fans taking the p*ss after most derby games.
If we lose these two, surely MM’s days will be numbered.
Too true…we always fall flat on our face in “must win” games. However, when somebody plays us, and it’s a “must win”… they usually do !
So we are the Derby Day Specialists!!! Great stats.
I think we’ll lose em both. Bah humbug.
not to bothered about the bragging rights, it’s three points/six that I want more than anything, I don’t care if they play us off the park as long has we win, and anyway they will always be in our shadow so who cares.
On Mick saying he wants a 0-0,I think you will find that he meant a 0-0 will give us something to build on, I still think we will escape -just! has long as we all stick together, fans,players & manager + stop all the Mick out bickering because it does no-one any good.
Together we are WOLVES……..
Great news from the E&S again today that MM is going to be given more money to waste in the January transfer window.
Is part of the new ground development about extending the dug out so that we can fit even more signings on the bench?
This years pie in the sky punt is Lescott on £90k per week – anyone remember all the cr@p last year about a Robbie Keane return? Not falling for the E&S/Molineux spin machine until I see the player actually in a gold shirt.
Moxey is doing hs usually posturing in readiness for theearly bird issues. We will sign no one that’s any cop, that’s for sure !
Keane and Lescott both being linked now – what a joke, as if either wouldn’t get better offers than a return to the Wolves.
None of these players are in it ‘for the love of the club’, and we wont pay the wages required (and shouldn’t with the threat of relegation looming).
One league win in 9 years against Blues and Albion says it all. It is bad that we’re pinning our hopes on these two games. ones we never win.
I do love these games though, it’s what it’s all about, forget Chelsea and Man U. Just wish we could win one once in a while.
I try not to think about our relegation prospects, because when i look at the table i struggle to see teams we could get above. Blackpool maybe, Newcastle now they’ve shot themselves in the foot again. I’m clutching at straws now…
Bonus points for anyone who can remember the last Wolves player to score at the Hawthorns. No cheating
Rob Hindmarsh.
Steve Bull
Stephen Ward.
Derek Dougan.
Ernie Hunt.
Billy Wright
Hughie McIlmoyle
Nigel Mansell.
Am I close??????!!!!!!!!!!
I agree Rich, I cant see three worse teams then Wolves (mainly due to our defenders).
I’m guessing Nathan Blake at the Brummie Rd End, but that is 2002. We must have scored there since then?
Was it McIndoe?
Ben’s got it. Nathan Blake in 01/02, 9 long years ago.
My memory of that game is Gary Megson jumping up and down like a fool after Clement (i think) scored that free kick
And 15yrs since we won there? I remember nobhead Jeff winter giving them the softest free kick which they scored from through cleme
Bet he looked it up!
Danny Crainie… or Ewan Roberts…Mr good looking himself
Dave Wagstaffe running wild.
John Kaye with the worst case of twisted blood ever seen.
The Shit 2, Wolves 4, March 20th 1971,
The Shit 2, Wolves 3, November 27, 1971.
Twice in 8 months, to win on their shithole, now Those were the days!!!!
I know, coz I was there!! Along with a brazillion other Wolves fans!!!
Memories!!!!!
That’s all we got left at the moment, leastways pleasant ones!!!
FOMM
Hey Clive, where yout at Miolineux teh night Astle punched teh ball in teh net at teh South Bank end, and Phil Parke sran after him, laid him out, and promptly got sent off
I thnk that was a 3-3
Yes, it was a night match, and we were winning 3 – 0, and then Waggy went in goal, and the bastids scored 3.
After the game, we chased a lone shit fan up towards the old civic hall, across what was then a car park, about 200 of us.
There was a single cop with a dog, and he panicked, let his dog loose to try and stop us, ……..and the dog got the shit fan on the floor.
We all formed a circle around them, and bost out loffin.
As it turned out, the dog actually saved that turd’s life that night, coz we were out for blood at the injustice of Parkes being sent off, and would have murdered him. Instead we stood around laffin, and the situation was defused.
Bet the fucker had to change his trousers, though!!
For all you young supporters, back then we didn’t have a benchful of subs, only one, so we did’nt have a spare keeper to bring on.
Those were the days, my friends, getting wasted in the Tiger before the game then rushing down to the North Bank at the last minute, only to have to go and piss within 10 minutes of getting there!!
FOMM
Not worried at all about this lousy local derby sequence. It looks bad now, but over time things tend to even themselves out eventually. I am sure it will improve at some stage.
After all, the way we’re playing, we’ll soon find ourselves having a crack at Walsall. Perhaps Telford United and even Stafford Rangers in the not-so-long term …
The thing is Kowloon, we need it to pick up now otherwise it might be a long time before we play them again
Spotter’s badge, Rich. I certainly hadn’t thought of that.
Fortunately there are no S**t fans or Blouse Fans where I live. I don’t care what the score is as long as we win. When we get beat I’m miserable until Thursday of the following week, by Friday my false optimism begins to rise only for it to be destroyed on Saturday. I’m so tired of being miserable!
I`m with you Jed, not too many Baggies or Blues fans in Nottingham either. So while bragging rights may be a black country affair, I have to put up with Forest, Derby & Leicester fans telling me they are looking forward to playing us next season. That really pisses me off, it just shouldn`t even be a possibility, thanks MM. Given our league position, injuries, and MM obsession with shoehorning Ward into the side somewhere, I can`t see us beating either fellow west midlands side over the next couple of weeks.
I find a madras on a sat night, and a good sunday lunch, plus chewing the cud with my mates Scooped & Clive from Houston, usually is enough to recover from what have been so many disappointments this season at Molyneux.
Is there a stat on how many of those goals were scored by Kevin Phillips?
There probably is, but I certainly don’t want to look at it.
That weasel has been the scurge of us throughout his career.
Even before he played for Blues or Albion he was tormenting us. I remember him smashing in a few for Southampton back in 2003. Going back as far 95, the little runt scored an injury time equaliser against us for Watford.
Good player, shame we never tried to get him.
If there is a stat I’d like to ignore it!
Hate the way that tw@t always scores against us!
I couldn’t stand seeing bloody sh*t banners at Adelaide Oval.. I hope there isn;t any at the Gabba for the one dayers, or I’ll have to go find some matches and lighter fuel
Can we class Stoke as a local derby? At least it helps the stats slightly
I class Stoke in much the same way as Coventry.
Not really a derby but thoroughly enjoyable to beat them.
Finally, McCowardly comes out with something I agree with!!
He sez we gotta win ugly.
Well, Ward is a shoe in for ugly winner, with that conk of his!!
How about an ugly XI Clive?
Mark Clyde, Jackie Gallagher, Dean Richards, Iwan Roberts…All pretty brutish.
Deano had the most curious little ears as well didn’t he? They were like little pickled cockles.
Ha, poor Deano.
I can think of a few more for the Ugly XI:
Dave Beasant – OK, he only played four times for Wolves but I always felt uncomfortable looking at him and not just because he was utter shit.
Gordon Cowans, although that might be unfair because he was actually 287 years old by the time he signed for Wolves.
…and to finish, a couple of hideous loaned centre-halves, Darren Peacock and Simon Coleman.
Mark Clyde is in the hall of fame. Shame he had to retire though, he showed some promise.
Sid Cowans…His nose was splodged on his face like play dough. Coleman a good call. He was a minger. What about Paul Stancliffe – a bedraggled tramp with a touch to match.
Harry Roberts had eyebrows like a tawny owl and was roughly 50 when Turner snapped him up in a real coup for the club.
Then there was Eric Young with a brown sweatband on his head, welded to his skin by 85 years of sweat.
Darren Simkin was a bit filthy too.
I’d totally forgotten about ‘Big E’ Eric Young. Now he was a legend. We got some good service out of him, despite the fact he was already cashing in his pension long before he came to Molineux.
What about Ludo Pollet? Surely no man can survive that many severe head traumas and remain photogenic. He definitely checked out a lot uglier than when he arrived.
Piggy Wharton was just that.
Alun Evans, even before he went to Liverpool.
I still say Foley’s head is the wrong size, and out of proportion to his body.
George Berry with his humungous Afro.
FOMM
Reading between the lines, that means we must be signing Peter Beardsley and Ewan Roberts ?
Mutchy was a looker! How about Lawrie Madden, Derek Mountfield, & Chris Marsden too
You’ll never beat Lawrie Madden! Apart from the song having 1 too many syllables and being factually incorrect, it was a classic!
Ahhh Ben, fond memories of Loz Madden – I dont think I have ever seen a slower player in a gold shirt.
Remember seeing him try to take a player on in front of the John Island stand and it was just comical!
Has anyone mentioned Klingon? I mean Joleon Lescott!
The title on this thread is bragging rights, and I just read what McCowardly said about the Blackburn game, that ” with a bit more luck we could have come away with a 3 – 2 scoreline”.
Excuse me, but what the fuck is that to brag about, “we could have lost by less???” It’s still a defeat, you NUMPTY.
Roll on the revolution, let’s get Alan Pardew lined up, he’s just signed for 5 1/2 years at Newcastle, so will be fired by next week!!!!!
FOMM
MM is also spouting on about “bragging rights” being important now (see E&S today) – when every other previous derby has been “just another game”.
Maybe now he realises that should he lose these two local derbies even the happy clappers will finally run out of patience with his sh*t signings and poor decision making.
Still at least when we sign Keane and Lescott in January everything will be alright!!! Complete joke – more realistically we will sign a couple of loan signings to warm the bench.