It’s just as well Bakary Sako opted against sporting the diamond-encrusted boots he acquired to mark his 100th Wolves appearance.
Such extravagance would have been ludicrously inappropriate amongst another low value team performance.
Kenny at least added sparkle to a faltering side by reinstating Rajiv van La Parra and Scott Golbourne. And for half an hour, there was the shimmer of blissful hope.
But after Lee Evans surrendered the ball and Brentford punished the error with the type of ruthless pace and penetration in the final third that’s alluded Wolves throughout Nouha Dicko’s absence, things fell apart.
Golbourne, who was Wolves brightest light in an end to end first half, then departed at the break, replaced by the slow moving Tommy Rowe.
Without the outlet of the marauding full-back, the pitch became narrower and Wolves never once threatened an equaliser.
Perversely, the one break the visitors did engineer ended when Danny Graham was too slow in releasing Bakary Sako and Brentford raced up the pitch to score the decisive second.
Goal three was a wonderful turn of pace and powerful finish from Wolverahmpton-born Andre Gray. How his hometown club could do with those attributes.
And as if to underline the contrasting form of the teams, Brentford added a late fourth to go one better than Wolves famous victory at Griffin Park back in February.
Five of Kenny Jackett’s players from that memorable afternoon weren’t involved today (Price, Stearman, Henry, Jacobs and Dicko) and there’s an argument to say every one of those would have improved the team.
I wonder what Michael Jacobs was thinking, sat on the bench at the venue of his finest Wolves triumph? His neat footwork would have been a useful asset on a tight pitch, but he remained on the sidelines throughout.
What of Jack Price too, a player yet to be given an opportunity whilst Saville and Rowe continue to offer so little? With the team wobbling, his quietly efficient attributes would help firm up a disjointed midfield.
However, Nouha Dicko remains the most painfully irreplaceable loss. And while pacey, persistent, strong, goalscoring strikers are hard to come by, not having a like-for-like replacement for the forward completely alters the dynamic of the team.
Danny Graham remains a more attractive option than Leon Clarke, but he cannot do what Dicko does. Not because he’s a bad player, but because he doesn’t possess the attributes for the job.
Without the other half of the Mali alliance, the system doesn’t work. The ball keeps coming back, teams press higher, the game becomes condensed and our best attacker (Sako) gets nowhere near the opponent’s penalty area.
Kenny must address these shortcomings before next weekend, as both Bournemouth and Molineux promise to be equally unforgiving.
Good summary of the current situation, now we shall see how good KJ is and if the board will back him remembering you get what you pay for no second best please.
I am depressed.
My glass, which was half full, is now empty.
Luckily there’s a fresh bottle of yellowtail which will sort my problem.
If only we had a fresh, and fit, Dicko to help sort out our collective problems.
You have to feel for KJ.
Brentford have recruited wisely since we stuffed them last season.
We have brought in players who add to the numbers of our squad but not to the quality.
We all know that the two wise men need to bring some gifts to our saviour.
Let’s pray that they do it in the New Year.
At the moment, it’s like the slaughter of the innocents.
Super quick report Thomas and curiously you have been diplomatic re KJ more than once now..
Is it him and Coaching?..is it that he cannot lift the players?is it that this has happend 4 times and things are still the same? is this a step too far for him? or are his hands tied re the skill that he has to work with and we won’t buy..?
His interviewing is repetitive ie he says what’s wrong but does nothing about it..
If we don’t concede we cannot factually loose..14 goals against in 4 games ! ..McCarthy must be pissing himself laughing..
Doogooder reviewed our thoughts after I was at the Park view recently ie that it was probable that we would make the play offs …shit we are now fighting to stay in this league..we are now in free fall and..we are still falling.
My opinion now is that we have a core of 6 good players who are struggling we are at least 5 players short and in this league we have a manager who doesn’t know what to do.
Add that to our board situation and the lack of investment and I’m wondering just how bad this is going to be.
It’s heart in the mouth time into next year..unless I’m wrong..sorry KJ..
Am I wrong?
Well the time for holding back has ended.
Thomas your summary lists the personnel that played in Feb but not today. All bar Dicko could have been on the team sheet.
Without doubt the replacements .. Saville, Clarke,Rowe are undoubtedly worse!!
I’m annoyed with Jackett because clearly his hands are tied by those pair of of business idiots we’ve got in charge… annoyance comes because he lacks the balls to open his mouth to make his voice heard.
There are 20,000 fans who know where the problem lies and that’s with Morgan and Moxey for their continual penny pinching in the transfer market.
I also criticize the trumpeted Thelwell blueprint for successful recruitment. IT SIMPLY DOESN’T WORK…. In fact it just conforms to the Moxey policy. WHICH IS CHEAPO CHEAPO CHEAPO….
Why do we all see the problem yet the powers that be don’t….
They see it alright they came up with it . That’s Morgan strategy it has been from the day he walkined into the club he saw McCarthy get us promoted on a budget and thinks every other manager should be able to do the same.
But as we know and everyone else knows that’s more down to luck and the personnel involved you carnt apply that all the time the higher you go the harder and less likely that way is going to work.
When will the penny drop, Morgan will never hole heartily invest in Wolves.
Twixfix I’m pleased you harped up I was feeling guilty re my comments about KJ..if I was him I’d be saying it’s my fault the buck stops here..
I hope he kicks the shit out of M&M for this situation ..
I’d think more if him if he made his arguments to the board more public and vocal. Sadly he’s become just a yes man. As a consequence nothing changes.
KJ isn’t being backed, which clearly hasn’t helped, but he has made some odd decisions. No Price (arguably most consistent player in last years run in), no Jacobs who asks different questions of defenders, he dropped Golbourne before he was officially injured and he has persisted with Rowe in a McCarthy favourite style even though he clearly isn’t good enough.
Very worried about the rest of the season. KJ needs to be seriously backed in January, but still need to be in touch with playoffs to attract right players. Trying to consolidate this season could end up backfiring badly.
Four losses in a row, too many goals let in, things not looking good!
Is anyone else getting déjà vu here or is it just me?
The main problem now is morale. A lot of the time today players didn’t want the ball and got rid of it as soon as they could. Times without number in place of any thing else to do the ball was booted down field and possession lost. Most 50/50 balls were not won. In recent weeks finishing has been awful. Go back to when we lost badly to the devils in blue stripes in the premier. We never played again any football after that and were relegated. Next season in the Championship we started well and were up to 4th and then started losing as now and a change of manager didn’t help at all. The players that had been bought didn’t perform and as now they were nervous and demoralised. Last season we were better than the rest but there again we should have been. These players can play much better than they are doing but need to be motivated to believe they can win and to do the basics such as accurate passing and movement off the ball. The man in possession is going to be pressed hard by the other side so the other players need to find space and then pass and move. If the motivation part doesn’t take place then expect the team to continue to ship goals like this and miss what few chances we get. Can KJ do it? I hope I’m proved wrong but I rather doubt it. Is relegation a possibility? Yes. I don’t suppose anything I write will make a difference but if things are to change then realities should be faced.
I think you’ve said it all there. I don’t expect promotion this year nor do I want it this soon as we would get slaughtered without decent investment. What I do want is a team that will try their very best & play with pride.
Yeh absolutely how many times have we seen this descent & free fall under recent Managers? It has to be the lack of investment, or the not spotting of good Championship Players. We need the likes of Callum Wilson, Pritchard, & some of McCarthy’s honest tryers. Our lot look very thin next to these guys.
How long does Morgan allow it to go on? Seeing the Gary Rowett miracle at Blues, you think initially that get a new guy in & problem solved, but at Wolves its not asisimple. Whoever they get in would have to contend with the not investing on players on the pitch & on the facilites at Compton & the half done redevelopment of the ground.
You will never get to the Prem on the cheap nowadays. But the reality is the side look lost, I only saw the very brief highlights but why are our players chasing shadows & not tight marking?
I hope we pull it round against Bournemouth but the recent run of form has sort of an inevitability about it & we’d probably more suprised if we do pull it around than doing whats come natural & carry on into free fall.
D O O M E D… Inconsolable as I reach for my pint of lager.Malcolm Finlayson must be turning in his grave. SOLUTION? Lack of ambition in the owners is obvious. Seem to be running Wolves as a business and feeding off the kudos. Not good enough. Ambitious owners could view Wolverhampton Wanderers as a top 6 club in the top league. I have done quite a lot of travelling to places like South Africa Australia Sri Lanka SE Asia watching the England cricket team proudly wearing the wolves shirt and I can tell you that shirt is recognised by the locals and banter has been engaged. An ambitious owner would tap in to that instead of measley penny pinching…
England cri
Sir Jack put paid to any forgien interested Investers.
I watched the game on the internet and cant remember their goalie having a save to make. Like the Ipswich game we concede a cheap goal by Evans being mugged in the middle of park. God knows what happened to the defence once possession was lost.
Van la Parra had his chance to stake a claim for a continued run in the starting eleven today , but was very disappointing. His first touch, crossing and pass selection were poor, with him and Henry out of sorts it may be time for Jacobs to stake a claim.
Saville and Rowe again anonymous , KJ must know they are not cutting it , is he being blinkered or does he have no other alternative through lack of depth.
UTW
Anyone expecting or even hoping for Steve Morgan to spend a decent amount of money on new players in January is living in a dream world. Steve is a business man and Wolves are just another of his businesses. The purpose of a business is to make a profit so if we avoid relegation by the skin of our teeth but the finances are in the black it has been another good year. Of course he wants us to be successful but profit is king. He is happy to spend money on new stands or academies or museums because he can see a return from them but you cannot be sure of getting a return on players, especially the ones we buy, (hence “we are not going to spend that sort of money on a player who is unproved in the Championship” (Wilson I believe)). It may have been different if he had bought Liverpool because they are his passion. Wolves are not – they are just another business. I am sure he will put some money in for players but it won’t be enough and Moxey will not pay the wages anyway.
This nonsense about we can’t pay higher wages because it will wreck team spirit (which team spirit is that by the way – not the one we are seeing at the moment I hope). Another Moxeyism, another excuse in my opinion to keep wages down. If we never pay higher wages how can we ever improve? A good manager should be able to sell to his players a new man coming in on higher wages who is able to improve the team to everyone’s benefit.
I hate to say this because he had a marvellous season last year but I believe Kenny Jacket was yet another cheap option. His record in League One is impressive but much less so in the Championship.
Regarding the Academy it may be as good as any in the country and some kids will come because of that but I feel others will go elsewhere if we are a poor Championship team or a League One team.
So where do we go from here? I don’t know. The Morgan/Moxey plan of spending as little as possible is a self destructive policy and it will only lead to eventual disaster.
I am totally disillusioned and disappointed in Steve Morgan because he cannot see, after all this time, that the Jez Moxey policy of cheap buys and low wages does not work or does he not want to see it!
Morgan new when he took over that only 5 to six clubs make a profit worth speaking of and there all in the Premier League so why buy a secound division club.
football is not the bussiness to be in if you want to make money.
And if that is the reason then the sooner he fucks off the better !
Very worried, January can’t come soon enough and we’ll still do nothing until the last 2 days of the window. Blues will be above before Christmas and the Board will be congratulating themselves on all the money saved rather than speculating to try to get a top six place.
Price and Jacobs need to play while Golbourne needs to be a fixture.
I have no idea what 11 will take the field next week but we need to be sharp and fully committed. We certainly have players now who don’t deserve the shirt where as last year they all proudly represented the club. Where was the investment in the summer?
Anyone else at the game today, I know one of the bloggers said he was going but my brain is cluster fecked now watching so many fantastic goals in 5 games, certainly getting value for money on the goals front but the problem is they’re not ours.
What the feck happened with Scott Golbourne, he was without doubt our star player but he came off the pitch looking really ill and gaunt. If I’m right then why the hell was he played, God knows I’ve beat the drum for him these last few weeks but not if he’s feckin ill for God’s sake. The lad just did not look right walking to the tunnel in the first half.
Now the game……………..
What a crock of Shite. I’m not going to bleat on about lack of investment or penny pinching, you guys have said it how it is, but what the feck is happening. Kenny, Kenny, Kenny, who the heck picked your team? because if the hype is to be believed then you are the master tactician. but that was one receipt for disaster today.
McDonald on the bench, Stearman on the bench, Henry on the bench and Jacobs on the bench.
Evans. Saville, Rowe, Bhatt, Ricketts all on the pitch having a mare it was painful watching. Then you take Graham off and stick that feckin idiot Clarke on, the groan from the stand was so loud I though the feckin thing was collapsing.
The crowd turned on the team as they came off the pitch, but more importantly they turned on Kenny and they did it big time. We were short changed today and loads of fans on the way out were on about taking their Sheff Wed tickets back and I for one can’t disagree with their feelings. Too many players with no skill or idea on the pitch at the same time. Why sign a guy on a one Month loan from Villa if he don’t even make the team bus. That’s pure Bollocks, it truly is, we’re not Chelski or Man City we’re a struggling team for Christ’s sake, he’s got to be better than that Shite. Hause, Lorfa, Keita and the new 17 year old Wilson all better than that shower of shite today. No heart, no passion no feckin commitment.
Very Disappointed.
:-((((
The most incredible part of all this is that we are still only three points shy of the play offs.
You are so right. But we are fortunate to be only behind by that. Our performance of late has thrown up a lot of questions. Not just the ones we are aware of, but of Kenny’s ability to change things. We had played earlier in the season quite well with these same players, so surely he must be able to sort something out. We all know that we need new players in certain areas, and we will see what happens in January, but until then Kenny needs to earn his wages.
I was going to get a ticket for Sheffield but am now having guests visit, and surprisingly, I am looking forward to that visit rather than a match!!!
Kennys is never going to complain about lack of funds he gets payed enough not to.
Im that respect all managers are the same because if they moan about an owner they known the next owner wont take them on because they spill the beans mcCarthy is a classic example he got a nice big fat cheque to keep his mouth shut, then walked into another manager job and when he leaves Ipswich he do the same.
It seems to be an unwritten rule in football and us the fans are left to try and find out what we can until the books come out and they earn another big fat cheque but only when theyve made enough to retire or no longer wanted or need to manage.
When you next talk to Mick can you ask him how much he got?
A Yorkshire man tell you what his worth………… ! His from Barnsley you know brought up on Hovis and tripe……..that ironic….tripe sums up the football he served up,
He SHOULD complain about lack of funds!! Any Manager worth their salt who is not a Yes Man who is not getting the financial support they need SHOULD complain.
I get right pissed off when Manager’s do not have the moral courage to get it sorted or if they don’t get what they need, then walk away.
Fabulous words from the heart Stu I couldn’t go in the end even though I could of been with the home fans..what an experience that would of been..
Change the team to your players then but if we did against a team like Bournemouth then it’s quite a risk but I hear you..
If I’d seen Clarke come on..well….just shows our resources ..
Conspiracy theory ? KJ is being controlled by ‘them’ ? (MMs)
He’s making strange decisions and all this implies that that players and their success last season in admittedly a different league were carrying him as a manager.
It’s all getting too much.
Wow, the wheels really are starting to come off!
January can’t come soon enough, at which time I hope Kenny can bolster the areas that need to be strengthened.
I don’t believe that we will be relegated, but unless a corner is turned very soon, even dreams of the play-offs would appear to be very much a fantasy.
It seems incredible to think that only a few weeks ago many people were thinking that the excitement of the play offs was a genuine possibility. Now 5 games on we are on a catastrophic run that could end us being in a relegation dog fight.
First we can’t even score against a Blues side that shipped 8 the previous week.
Then we get beaten by Micks team with half of his regular first team missing.
Finally we have been thrashed for 3 consecutive games without scoring.
The Brentford goals are typical of what is happening. The first Evans gives it away they score, the fourth Saville tries a ridiculous pass and loses it they score. however look at the second goal. There are 2 runners unmarked on the edge of the box both screaming for the ball. However the winger opts for a ball to the far post where there is a third player unmarked who couldn’t miss. How can this happen?
What has become of our team and what can we do? I don’t know, but more importantly neither it seems does KJ.
I advocated in my last post bringing Ricketts in at centre half for his experience and playing a more defensive midfielder if front of the back 4.i.e. either Saville or Rowe, KJ opting for the former.
He did both and it made no difference. I don’t think he knows who to play, where to play them or whether to change his system!
It is odd that his signings up to Leon Clarke all came off. Since then Rowe, Saville, La Parra and Sagbo have added very little. I think he feels he has to give these players a run even though they are not playing well in the hope they will come off. Unfortunately it has meant that some of our ‘stars’ from last season have either been in and out e.g. Henry, frozen out completely e.g. Jacobs or shipped out on loan e.g. Price.
Hopefully things will improve when we have a fit Dicho back in the side but it will take a few games to get him back up to speed by which time we may have more misery piled on by Bournemouth when no doubt Wilson (11 goals already) will appear on the score sheet.
You would swap all those players Clarke, Rowe, Saville and La Parra for Callum Wilson.
Quality not quantity!! I don’t want to turn on KJ as he has done a great job up to now, but he has got to be doing better with this group of players. Capitulating when you are a goal or two down is unacceptable and the players should also be looking at themselves too!
It’s official – November has been written off, dismissed and locked up in the deepest, darkest place I could find.
Watched the game via WiziWig and, up until Evans lost the ball that resulted in the first goal, I thought we may get a result.
We all know the rest. The players all know and KJ knows.
I still have faith in KJ and believe a mid-table finish is still possible.
December cannot come too soon.
Well my trip to see the granddaughter didn’t work, but then I did not expect it to. Performance was just about as bad as I actually thought it would be but didn’t want to admit too.
Is it me or did KJ give the impression in the interview that really he had either not got a clue what to do, or knows what is needed but does not have the balls to do it. We obviously need substantial investment but we all know that the two thick monkeys will not make anywhere near enough in January. Surely KJ must also realise that by now, has he got the balls to have a go publicly or heaven forbid pack it in and say why he has done so?
WE all think that when (or if) Dicko returns things will get better but will they or will confidence be so shot that we just keep on falling nearer the bottom. (I said if because I would not put it past Moxey to have told Jacket to keep DIcko out in case he really gets injured and then he couldn’t be sold in January). Just a thought.
I will go and lie down for a while before I go and have the piss takenout of me by a Leeds supporter.
KJ is head coach & picks team. KT builds squad. JM pulls purse strings. It’s SM purse.
KJ also carries the can. 12 in 3 with 0 reply he must be looking over his shoulder now. KT looking at his file labelled “Compliant Managers”
I said in my post yesterday that I wasn’t sure if fans had enough patience to stick with this policy of buying youngsters for buttons and trying to make something with them. I think we have the answer! We need more nous in this team together with more quality. I am afraid Mr Morgan will have to abandon his youth policy temporarily if he wants to stay in this division…. If he doesn’t then I fear we are going down. Papers this morning are already talking of KJ getting the sack – nonsense in my view. The owner has to change policy and give KJ some money in January.
Dreading Bournemouth coming to town next week!
Now that’s how it should be said……
Dangerous Dave with an honest hands up it was us interview.”Respect Dave.”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=qqWb-pgQP9k
Brentford have no where near the resources we have but looked head and shoulders above us in all departments. That is down to confidence yes, but also down to desire and commitment which comes from motivation Brian Clough had that motivation skill in spades and has did “Fergie”.
Maybe KJ should read their autobiographies to get some tips!!!!.
Interesting for me is that DE said RVLP was excellent today, despite some other blogger saying otherwise. My point is that KJ is ultimately responsible for where we know find ourselves because his team selections have been irrational to say the least. RVLP being a case in point. He started the season very well but then gets dropped for a feisty performance against Blackburn, a match we win! Another one is Golbourne, dropped for no immediately obvious reason and with no proper left back to replace him! I could go on, Price, etc. I’m afraid as good as KJ was lady season, he is piss poor this one, especially since October. Also, wish to God that those two dumb fucks running our club walk under falling concrete on a redrow building site!
..,its all well and good laying down good foundations for your next build, but I’m sure the NHBC would be kicking off if you left the windows out and the roof off your current build.
Many many positives are to be gleaned from the academy, the way we are recruiting youth etc, however the fans that are paying to see good football and a team that does not capitulate game after game, they have a right to see something good happening on the pitch now.
Last season we broke many records under KJ’s leadership, however our current form could have us breaking more records this year, but for all the wrong reasons.
I was not convinced KJ was the man for us before he came, but his track record of changing a clubs ethos and the way he made the club great last season (as a shark in a small pond), he also had a great start this season, then there’s the u21’s all the way down, where we are a well oiled machine. The only issue is that 22,000 Wolves fans to not watch the u21’s, u16’s and so on.
Back to my original point, you are not going to buy a house with no roof or no windows, just as the fans will not want to invest in watching a “team” – (of which I use that word loosely at the moment.) that is giving up. Fans don’t want to invest in next season as the dynamics change for all clubs year on year, so the fans could feel they are investing in folly.
Supporting your team through thick and thin is admirable and I still fully support that belief (when you have the time and ability to be able to do so), however there has to come a point when the players are not playing, the managers not managing and the execs are not “executing” (had to put that line in to make the next line work), that the supporters will not support.
The dressing room sounds as though the balance is out of kilter, so it “may” have been
prudent to say feck the wage structure as we’ve lost the players already. (I’m not saying go overboard here), but we could have offered any player(s) not getting regular 1st team play in the premier to come down, show our lot how it should be done and show them that they too can earn 5 or times their current wage if they really want. “Carrot not stick”.
That opportunity has been lost in bringing in well paid, cream of the crop loan players, the next window will be all about buying the right ones, where the wage structure will have to be within the restrictions as set out by our execs.
….with regards to KJ’s press interviews, he is a professional, you can see he’s squirming and wants to rip someone’s head off, but as a true gent and pro, he’ll go about trying to sort out this mess in his behind the scenes manner. I don’t think he’s a yes man, I think he’s a fair bloke that will give players a go, work with what he’s got and not afraid to change the personnel around for the good of the club, not the player.
I hate to be the pessimist as that is not my nature, but I feel the damage is done and recovering from so many hard defeats in succession will hurt a team.
I think we should get the morale back in the team by blooding 2 or 3 of the kids, there’s a few chomping at the bit and as we have shit out in the loan window, we may as well lose with the kids than continue losing with what we have.
Overall, I’m still struggling with where it all went so wrong … We were looking to go out and beat Brum, then be top within a few more games. Now the idea of promotion has dropped away to a distant memory. We had an average of around 60% possession in games and even a good defence not too long before that too.
Not going down this time, and even though we are still within touching distance of the playoffs, I feel that dream will not play out. Now to start planning for next years squad!
Having paid good money to watch that crap this 1st time blogger was left angry and frustrated.angry by what’s going on at the training ground or rather not going on.to field players not fit enough is just the start the first touch is terrible no tracking back from the forward players graham seems to think there’s a stop sign at the half way line.cant tackle without getting carded.always 2nd to the ball and continually done on the counter attack.to vent my frustration l would have to mention team selection and tactics both highly mystifying.jacket must have felt their defensive weakness was down the right side as we went the whole game trying,how l longed for a cross field pass to a certain sako who was always in space.
Good points made on both Jacobs and Price that are hard to argue with. The decision to drop McDonald was a strange one too. He’s not met his high standards of late and no-one should be undroppable but when you’ve got the likes of Saville coming in, who was a passenger at Derby and from what I’ve heard, not much better yesterday, it makes little sense. Questions being asked of Jackett for the first time and some of his selections are becoming baffling to say the least.
Anyone who thinks relegation is not a serious possibility should have regard to the championship table from October 2012 under Solbakken. Having just beaten Blackburn away from home 1-0, Wolves were third with 19 points from 10 games. There followed an alarming slump in November and December and we all know what happened after that …… just an observation.
Anyone thinking that M&M will get out the cheque book in January is living in cloud cuckoo land…
The mistake has been made.
Gambling on keeping the money and relying on our Div 1 team in the championship, has been a terrible error and no doubt, a gamble, taken to be economically prudent.
Who is Brentford’s chairman? – I am sure he is richer than Morgan. He appears to be, when it comes to spending on footballers…
Players know more than us about the goings on at the club.
I think a major part of the problem is player disillusionment with the way the club is run and that disillusion becomes manifested on the pitch.
Until we have an owner who puts the football first, we are in big trouble.
Sir Jack sold for £1 and now he should find a rich foreigner and sell.
That will improve us……
What can I say all that needs to be said has been said above?
I’ve got this really horrible feeling Kenny is starting to lose the dressing room. I sincerely hope that I’m wrong but the signs are there for all to see.
Kenny is starting to make some really weird team selections, this is a definite sign that he is losing his way, and some of the players can feel it.
He needs to go back to the team that won the Div 1 title, OK I know that we have Dicko out, but he really does need to be back to basics and start again, those guys that won that title deserve more of a chance and need to be shown a little more respect.
We all know that he ain’t been backed and that some of the signings that he has made are never going to step up, but at the moment he needs to stop picking his favourites like MM used to, as this really does piss me off.
Please Kenny don’t ever put Clarke on the pitch again, I don’t like slagging off Wolves players as it just doesn’t help our cause, but Clarke is one of those players that just literally winds me up, his whole demeanour just gets me going, that’s all I’m ever going to say about him.
Just one thing before I go, our current problems always come down to one thing and one thing only.
CHEAP LACK OF INVESTMENT nothing more and nothing less.
I can’t blame Kenny for that, as even Jose Mourinho with Morgan and Moxey in charge would most likely do no better.
At the moment I’m backing Kenny but I’m starting to question him, now we’ll see just how good he really is, he’s going to need to earn his corn before the fans starting turning, the signs are that this has already began….
Up the Wolves….
After the Forest game I decided to defer the purchase of a ticket for the Sheff Wed game, and after yesterdays debacle I thought bollucks to that. I`ll use my season ticket for the home matches, can`t get myself motivated for the short trip to Hillsborough.
It seems individual errors cost us again, everyone knows Evans and big Mac lack pace and consequently our defence has no cover whatsoever. Many clubs with this recent run of shocking results and performances would be looking hard at their managers credibility. I wonder how close KJ is coming to that line, you are only as good as your last few games, last season is now a distant memory I`m afraid. Great balance sheet Morgan, trouble is that doesn`t win you football games.
I am not a Moxey hater, neither his biggest fan, but I would like to know one thing.
At the next Parliament, could the question be asked… Why was it when the going was great last season that he was out taking the plaudits, yet with a poor run of form and the majority of fans screaming out for investment in the 1st team, why has he disappeared from the limelight?
There is of course an obvious answer, but I’d like to hear if there’s any other reason for retreating. I think the fans would like to know the real reason for the lack of investment.
Was it a misguided belief that we were going to walk this division with what we had?
Is it down to keeping the wage bill low, with the high earners we have on the books that could affect the FFP?
Are we planning on better players coming through from the U21’s next year, selling a couple and releasing the highest earners to be able to bring every player in line with the wage structure?
or all of the above?
They did it in 2003/04
They did it in 2009/10
Now they are trying to do it again.
What was good enough for promotion will be good enough for the next season.
They made tons of money out of promotion, they think they deserve to keep it, and :
NOT INVEST FOR THE NEXT SEASON!!!
And let us all answer the easiest question of sport this year……”What is the common thread binding these three seasons together?
All together…..Fat Fuckin’ Moxey!!
How many times does one keep making the same decisions/mistakes, expecting different results?
In greasel’s case, ad infinitum, coz the fat twat is getting ridiculously rich off these results, so why change a winning formula, which is benefitting the only thing he cares about, him?
There is no secret, no magical potion, no mind baffling science involved here, only “the bottom line”
As stated more eloquently above, morgan and his greasy henchman are in this for one thing only, and that is as much as they can rape from the club.
Lip service to the fans, rare, pathetic sound bites to the press, KJ on a tight leash, and everything else doesn’t matter.
The history, the essence and the lifelong fanbase of the club are irrelevant to them.
It is ALL about the money.
Why else the lack of investment on and off the field?
The Academy is a going concern, and can be sold as a jewel in the plodding mass of mediocrity our beloved club is becoming.
And, I agree with them above in the blog, KJ has his hands and his mouth well and truly tied wide shut with regard to whom he can play and what he can say!!
However, thus is the lot of being a lifelong fan of the best club in the land, and bollocks to those non believers who belittle our team, I for one will stand until eternity shoulder to shoulder with myself to defend the faith and wear my Wolves “stuff” with pride forever.
Wolves Aye We!!!
Bring on Bournemouth, they think they are going to do a Birmingham on us.
Well, I got news for them. No matter how supposedly psyched up their manager thinks he can get them, their players are going to think they are out for a stroll in the park, like sheep, and they are gonna be well and truly hambushed by the big bad Wolves!!
Prediction now……Wolves 5 them 1
And on a happier note, with the topical tune of Jungle Bells ringing in my ears,
OH what fun it is to see the shit lose at home, again!!
FOwb
5 : 1 against Bournmouth. Think your cheese has well and truly slid of your cracker there !
It’s reality check time me bloggers, those boys have been found badly wanting. Kenny is struggling no money will be forth coming.
Oh Woe is me, reality sucks when you live with high expectations.
Reality check indeed.
🙁
I blame myself mostly. I haven’t been posting at wolves blog as often as I should and the team has suffered as a consequence.
While I agree with the majority of opinion’s on here, I simply don’t think purchasing more players is the only solution; you have to have a coherent team first before you start adding to the formula. Losing 4-0, 5-0 mean’s we still don’t have a credible team.
Compact it up Kenny. Shore up the defense; put in another body (Stearman or McDonald) and use our speedy wingers to run off of Graham. You’ll get less changes on goal of course, but the main objective now is to stop the torrent of goals. Then once Dicko returns (hopefully with a January partner) we can go back to the nip and tuck passing that Kenny obviously wants to implement.
It’s all quite quickly going to hell in a hand basket. Recent results are catastrophic (0-12 in 3 games!), confidence and morale are gone, and we lack the quality to turn this around quickly.
We used to be embarrassed in the EPL losing 0-4 or 1-5 for lack of investment. Now we are doing it in the Championship. I cannot remember a time in recent history when we would lose with such margins several games on the trot!
We have chopped and changed managers over the years more often than a hooker changes knickers, and guess what, it hasn’t exactly fixed anything has it? Perhaps it is time to look for a different “solution”? Like several point out above, perhaps it is time to change the investment strategy, to say the least, or even better, those in control of it.
In my mind there is still the huge unanswered question which is always brushed under the carpet. Why did so many managers refuse to touch the job after Mick was let go? Why did nobody want the job until eventually they found someone whose footballing career only involved playing for Watford (sorry, but that’s the truth). I mean it’s not like M&M found KJ as someone they identified first up for his skills and experience. They found him after everyone else turned down the job. My theory is that nobody else would agree to their terms and conditions because they involved working with the team there was, the academy, and a shoestring, with the goal of getting the team back up to the EPL. Nobody else who had EPL experience would touch that without the promise of serious investment. Kenny did because for him it was a step up. And to be fair to him, he did a great job in the first season turning a dog’s dinner into a cohesive team that won the 3rd division. But that’s all it was guys. THE 3RD DIVISION – big freakin’ deal – a division we should have never been in if the right investments were made.
Which brings us back to where we started – it’s all about lack of investment. It’s all about the huge aversion to wages. Let’s face it, that was the sole and primary reason behind freezing all the experienced players out. Fair enough, a couple of them (O’Drama, Johnson) were bad apples and needed shipping, and one or two of them (Ward) were crap, but the rest were fine if motivated and played in the right position (look at Edwards). Don’t tell me Doyle couldn’t do a better job than Clarke when WE’RE ALREADY FREAKIN’ PAYING HIS WAGES ANYWAY! They were just hoping that by freezing them out they would leave or get transferred, and they would save on wages, but didn’t that plan backfire.
Look, football isn’t rocket science. It just costs money. A lot of it. And Morgan either can’t afford it or won’t spend it. Yes, he will argue and put forward large sums he has spent, but he has done so in the wrong places, and not enough in the right ones. Until that changes, we are just a Championship team with dreams and memories of greatness.
As for yesterday’s game, I only disagree on one point. I don’t think Brentford were an especially good side or played well. We just made them look good. Watch the game again, especially the 2rd half. They were all long ball, hoof and chase. Typical average Championship football. And with all our crap about playing a passing game (which by the way we don’t, except when passing backwards) we couldn’t even defend against that.
Face it SM, JM, KJ … you weren’t playing a side that’s in any shape or form representative of the level you keep promising everyone. You weren’t exactly playing “an Everton” were you? You were just playing long-ball, Championship Brentford. And not only couldn’t you beat them, but they smoked you 4-0.
Deal with that then! Can you really, truly, honestly justify that? Because I can’t. And I don’t think many on here can either.
Go Wolves!!!
Right.I’m over it now.Time to look forward. I have come up with a plan to secure lots of goals and wins.Here is the plan:1. Immediately re-sign SEB 2. On match days charter a helicopter (with ‘whathouse’ obviously advertised upon it) 3. The helicopter is then to hover directly over the molineux for the duration of the match 4.Dangling from the helicopter from a large rope will be an enormous Aberdeen Angus burger 5.This will spur SEB into furious action and will thus secure at least a brace of goals from him 6.A team victory will ensure SEB gets an extra portion of chips with said burger 7. A draw means just the burger 8. A defeat means just bread and water for SEB’s tea 9. In the unlikely event of a defeat the burger will be donated to a foodbank 10. Moxey gets f**k all. I believe this ten point plan will see us shoot up the league and will see SEB get an England call up for his goal scoring heroics.
Saville Rowe should go for a Burton Jackett, and while you’re at it Clarke should get the boot.
I was totally underwhelmed when KJ was appointed. As someone pointed out at the time; he was a “safe pair of hands” after the cock ups of sacking McCarthy, appointing Connor, sacking Solbakken and appointing Saunders. He also knew his way around the third division. I had doubts about his long term suitability and as a result simply couldn’t buy into this “King Kenny” and “In Kenny we trust” business. I felt we were getting carried away in winning a p*ss poor league but give Kenny credit, he can only beat what is in front of him and he certainly did that.
I think the most important thing that Ken did was to get rid of the nucleus of “Mick’s players”, which was something that Solbakken was unable or unwilling to do. He brought in players “on the cheap”, (probably all he was able to do), guys like Henry, McDonald and Jacobs whose clubs didn’t consider them good enough for the championship . . . . . in fairness I believe these clubs have been proven to be correct. I might even include Dicko in that group, he’s suffered injury issues but his goal scoring exploits, when fit, have hardly set the division alight. I wonder why we bought Clarke and Saville and Rowe have contributed little to date. RVP doesn’t appear to get much of a chance. Danny is a local lad and a nice guy but he has struggled in trying to make the transition to the Championship. He’s young and he could still come again but he’s getting found out and so is Golbourne. Ikeme and Sako look like they could play in the Premier and they were here before KJ. Outside of that I am struggling. I wonder if KJ or M&M really believe that the present squad will shoot us into the Prem. I don’t believe it will be the case. In fact I don’t think anyone, even the happiest of clappers, believes this.
I don’t know why we didn’t go for Bent. He’s been on our doorstep for months FFS. I am depressed and dejected by our continued failure to really strengthen the squad during transfer and loan windows. The worst part of it all is its total predictability. Every transfer or loan window we hope and hope for that big signing that never seems to come. Right up to the closing minute hope springs eternal when we all know that at best, we’ll get a token loan signing. Some of these have been dire, Sagbo for instance. The ongoing failure to try to strengthen the squad reflects on the total lack of ambition there is at the top of this club. It’s not just a striker we need, there are issues all over the park. We keep buying for the future which is a “fob off” when we all want a first team squad capable of challenging for promotion now.
Kenny did a great job in getting rid of the crap but I wonder if Doyle should have been included given our current issues. Is he worse than Clarke? Is Siggy worse than Clarke? KJ won the third division for us and he could have done no more than that. It’s just that his past record seems to indicate that he is not the man to take us further and our present results indicate that to be the case. I fear that in another few months or in another year we will be starting all over again. I hope I am wrong. I fear we are just marking time continuing with Ken but does it really matter? Unless M&M are prepared to run the club like a potential Premiership outfit we are always going to be in this position, no matter who is manager. We have struggled to attract managers of quality in the more recent past – I am not sure that anything has changed. On the bright side we haven’t done a Portsmouth or Leeds but neither have we done a Swansea or a Stoke. The way the club is being run at the moment doesn’t seem to enable us to access the top tier and stay there. I’ll be happy to settle for mid table mediocrity and the odd cup run, (at least for the time being), as long as it’s in the Premiership.
Was it Moxey or Morgan who said they saw us becoming another Everton? Maybe they should have gone to Specsavers.
Very well said Steppenwolf
A very considered, and well written piece Steppenwolfe.
Whilst I agree with a lot of what you have said, I take issue with the ‘Kenny can’t take us any further’ argument.
I too was somewhat underwhelmed when he was appointed but he did a damn good job last season and for the first few games this season everyone was lauding him and talking about promotion.
The problem, and the cancer which will eat away at this club and its future health, lurks higher than Mr Jackett.
It was all to apparent that to push on we needed to strengthen the squad when we got promoted but he has not been given any backing by the two ugly sisters and you can see his frustration – although he’s too diplomatic to admit it – in every interview.
I would defy any manager, even the Sainted Jose Mourinho, to do any better given the total lack of ambition and funding shown by Widow Twanky and Wishy Washy.
I’ve said before (and so have many fellow bloggers) that this next transfer window will decide the fate of our club – and probably Kenny Jackett’s involvement with it.
He’s a thoroughly decent bloke and, I think anyway, a thoroughly good manager.
He ain’t going to want to hang around and see his reputation and legacy tarnished by penny pinching Scrooges.
If we are to have a happy ending to this pantomime we need to find the crock of gold.
Or get the fat Fairy Godmother to wave his wand and
SPEND SOME BLOODY MONEY!!!!!
Absolutely totally agree!!! January is the key issue here. Everything will be confirmed during the January window. If funding is not released, then that will confirm the ambition and commitment by M & M. If I were KJ and funding was not released (as promised by Morgan I add) then I would walk away. If funding is released I will be interested in how much – which will again confirm the ambition and commitment.
Kenny now has to show us that he is capable of turning this nonsense around. He must be strong of character, as if he is not, then I am happy to get someone else who is!!
That said, if it is again confirmed that funding is not being released, we all should get a petition together to get rid of Morgan and Moxey as they are destroying our Club!!
Great piece DOOG and many valid points.
You’re spot on with Jacketts diplomacy .. he’s a nice guy, tough too and carries a lot about him not to criticise or slam his employers.
You’re also right that this FAMOUS CLUB deserves more than MOXEY AND MORGAN at the helm. .. Any decent owner and CEO, managing a club with a stature and history like Wolves should be bending over backwards to get us back where we belong.
SADLY I fear that January will bring no festive joy SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE STRANGLEHOLD THAT THESE TWO HAVE…
We might just as well carry on dreaming of landing that 3-5 million player who scores 20 goals or the commanding centre back who costs 2-3 million …
Until things change at the very top we’re Boll@$lead …
Of all the players who are likely to score 20 goals in this division I would respectfully suggest that Darren Bent was right up there. He’s been a few miles away, kicking his heels all season and we don’t appear to have made any effort to sign him on loan. Instead Brighton stepped in and he went there like a flash. I don’t know and don’t even think that he chose Brighton above Wolves. I don’t know for certain but I don’t think Wolves even went in for him. He was at Villa for goodness sakes not on Mars. He wouldn’t have cost us a fee – just wages and I suspect that Villa would have paid a part of that. Instead, when we could have tried for Bent we got Sagbo. How can get it so hopelessly wrong.
I think that this one episode, although there are many others, are indicative of the total lack of ambition at the top.
I’m struggling to remember a worse set of results over a three-match period in my 50 years of following Wolves. Even the Bhatti’s reign now feels like a picnic compared to the last few weeks. So, there are some fundamental questions to be asked;
Why has confidence gone through the floor ? It wasn’t looking too sound even before the draw with Brum.
Is KJ a 3rd/4th Division manager à la Graham Turner, or does he have the capability to take us further ?
Is the purpose of the Academy purely to produce players to be sold on to Premiership outfits ( e.g. Keane, Lescott) and thus keep the club solvent ? Because, lets face it, no academy in the land has ever produced a complete team at any level purely from its own resources. That being the case, what is the club’s transfer policy ? Does it have a ‘ceiling’ for purchases ? Is there an age criteria ? Is the wage structure variable or fixed ? If fixed, for what duration ?
There is something amiss at Molineux in the chain of Owner-Board/Chief Exec-Head Coach-Support Staff- Players. As in any organisation, each level depends to an extent on the level above and expects from the level below. Somewhere this chain has been broken and what we are seeing from the players on the pitch is the result of that. Don’t expect things to get any better on the pitch until they improve off it.
Funny old division this, check this term’s stats you’ll see that Derby, Boro, Norwich, Forest, Ipswich have had poor runs and Watford have also just chalked up a fourth straight loss.
I’m confident this is a result of “Culture Shock” and we will readjust and get back on track, we have some great players.
But, we desperately need more pace in the team up front when Dicko is out we look toothless.