With the troops drudging back into Compton this morning, I thought it was probably about time I checked in for my own pre-season.
Apologies for going AWOL over the last 6 weeks, but I suspect you can sympathise with my plight.
From the misery under McCarthy to the trauma of TC, last season was wretched to endure, let alone document on a weekly basis. And as anger eventually gave way to acceptance sometime around the end of March, writing up the previews and reports seemed marginally pointless. You probably felt the same about reading them.
But a new season and a new manager with new ideas brings new hope.
Perhaps we won’t spend the year talking about befuddled team selections, the failings of long ball tactics and a defence that simply can’t defend.
From the myriad rumours and soundbites, a few items have caught my eye.
Early on in the summer, it was speculated that Nenad Milijas could have a more significant role in the side next season. I’m a major advocate of the Serb and have always believed in a passing side, he could be a wonderful asset. Maybe Ståle feels the same?
Along the same lines, interest in Michael Mancienne suggests the gaffer is looking to play football out of defence. Despite his lack of physical strength and positioning at times, you could never refute the defender had wonderful ability on the ball.
One look at the season review from our last Championship stint and it’s abundantly clear that Mancienne made an impact. Even in the Premiership, he was a useful squad player who I believe we missed last season. I’d welcome him back.
One defender we already have on the books is Steven Mouyokolo. You would imagine the forgotten man will be given the once over before any decision is made on his immediate future. We paid decent money for the center back less than 2 years ago and he could be another player to thrive in a different system of play.
I can see Berra, Johnson and Craddock all being moved on to make way for new faces at the back. Stearman I suspect will be the one to remain, although it’s an interesting situation to monitor. Will anyone come in for Berra or Johnson? Is Craddock’s trial offer a token gesture for good service or a legitimate opportunity?
The arrival of Johan Lange is another encouraging factor to the equation.
Unlike many others, I don’t have a major problem with TC remaining on as a coach. With a new manager in place, as well as a first team coach, I can’t imagine his influence on tactics and style of play will be significant. That’s purely speculation of course, but so is assuming his presence directly equates to us retaining the McCarthy brand of football.
So there promises to be much to chew over in the coming days, weeks and months before a ball has even been kicked.
But I’m sure we’ll somehow get through it together. It’s good to be back.
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The Guess and Stir reckon we aren’t in for mancienne (but then why should we believe anything they say!). I wouldn’t mind him coming back, but I wouldn’t jump at the chance. I do like him but don’t think he’s progressed since that initial loan spell.
I’m really excited about the new season, manager and hopefully system. It will be interesting to see what he does about our centre midfielder, we have 6/7 that will be staking a claim to be involved. While he’s supposedly a 4-4-2 (or 4-4-1-1) man, doing that would mean he has to leave out two of Henry/Milijas/O’Hara/Guedioura assuming we still have them.
It’s going to be interesting to say the least!
Central midfield is definitely an interesting one Louie.
But don’t forget, even if we’re playing a 442, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll play two wingers as we have for the last however many seasons. We might well see a much narrower midfield, maybe even with Milijas, O’Hara, Henry and Guedioura all in the same side.
Not likely of course, but a possibility.
A more fluid shape with players that can retain the ball for longer periods is what’s required. We can’t get into the rigid 442 mindset.
The problem with O’Hara is that he’s so damn injury prone. Guedioura is a good shout – did his trade well at Nottingham forest.
Agree, we have to get out of our heads what we were like with 442 before I guess! Personally prefer 4-5-1, with two wingers but what Stale’s system with his 442 was with two wide attackers who cut in. So, Hammill and Kightly could suit this well, and it may also work with O’Hara and Guedioura.
I had an debate recently over england with a dutch friend who is a PSV/Man Utd fan and anglophile. Once Holland were out, he was still far more into the Euros than me, he thought England had a chance, carried away by the expectation his teams always win, he thought we should be winning it! I explained to him that in England that we weren’t all glory hunters, the vast majority supported teams who had no hope of any success in their lifetime let alone the next season. As wolves fans, we epitomised this. As wolves fans, of course we knew England were going to lose. I explained about all my favourite wolves memories and that in the absence of any REAL successes all iv ever wanted was entertainment, passion, commitment. Characters in the side. Local starlets who lived on your dad’s old school mate’s street. Players with fit missus’! Always-always!!-Players with funny names, hair-dos or a big bushy ‘tash.
Our ‘relative’ success over the last few years was treading water in the premier league, we began to raise some expectations. But expectation bit us firmly on the arse and we are now plunged back into the Championship. But do we really want success? Or do we want some fun and an enjoyable season again?? MM dispairingly did neither, but it will be interesting to see with Stale will try to do both! Its a rhetorical question because as a wolves fan (though we will never admit it) you know ud most enjoy finishing 3rd or 6th and a catacstrophic play-off campaign, but with something stupid and forgetful to cheer or moan about.
I’ve put 10 quid on a wolves win for the league already. CHRIST!! do I ever learn….
I agree Thomas. The best teams play with a narrow midfield and their backs are also wingers, like Spain….
Welcome back. Let’s put the disappointment behind us and look forward to The Championship. Although it’s not where people necessarily want their club to be (no matter who they support) it is an exciting and competitive league!
UTW
Great to have the blog back! Thoroughly looking forward to another season of witty banter
Feel very much on the edge of the unknown for this season. Be good to see a good new style of football and some talented players take the stage. Since I basically live on the internet, watching videos of sigurdarson gives me hope for the season. Talented guy!
Having so many yorkshire away fixtures will wreak havoc on my wallet…
As I live in Yorkshire I am smiling UTW
Witty banter? You sure you’re in the right place?
Glad I’m not the only one living on the internet mate.
Good afternoon Thomas.
Welcome back, and your feelings with the club were shared by many, including myself. Didn`t renew on the first early bird, but with all the changes, hopefully for the better, I got a second wind, and used the extra early bird window to renew.
If managers move when in work, they usually come shopping for their backroom staff. Sadly MM remains unemployed so there are a few extra backroom staff and players at Molyneux waiting for their exboss to find a new job. Maybe MM will end up at Forest – who cares anyway?
For me every new season brings expectation and anticipation, hopefully a season to enjoy watching a winning side playing decent football – not too much to expect is it?
I`m confident the new managerial team has enough quality already in the squad to mount a promotion campaign. If we need a powerful, dominant centre half – why not Danny Batth, and we need a left back for heavens sake, what about that young lad out on loan last year at Scunny.
Only time will tell, and maybe its unjustified optimism at this preseason stage, but I have a good feeling about where the club stands right now. Lets hope I don`t have to eat my words by the end of October.
I was the same Mark, didn’t renew the first time around (which was silly really because I was always going to go) but took up the second chance.
The club were right to offer that.
Haven’t seen much of Batth or Reckford, but they’ll be given a chance this year if they’re up to it. I believe one of Steve Morgan’s big targets is to get more of the kids pushing through into the first team.
Good to have you back Thomas. Going to have to rely on WB for a lot of info this time around.
One player I’m looking forward to seeing this season is Adam Hammill. Here’s a highlight tape of him at Barnsley before we purchased him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bABYmY4Yag8
If he can replicate anywhere near that kind of play for us next season. then I have absolutely no worries about filling Jarvo’s spot if we are so unfortunate as to lose him.
He’s such a talented kid, if he can learn a bit of consistency he’ll be a potent attacking threat. I’m very much looking forward to seeing if he can offer something this season for us. Love to see Gueds start knocking them in for us too.
Thanks Chad. Yeah, Hammill is the dictionary definition of a raw talent, much the same as Guedioura.
Prone to the erratic and running down the odd blind alley, but as the ability to become a top player.
I keep repeating myself, but a different system and style of play should suit him down to the ground.
Still excited about the new season! 🙂
We’re approaching a period of the summer where teams starts to buy and sell, sell and buy.
It has to be annoying for Stale to just sit and wait to lose Fletcher and Jarvis. I really hope the teams interested moves in as quickly as possible to buy our best players, so Stale has time to replace them. Some fans want Stale to bring in new players, to color his wolves in as clear colors as possible, and I’m one of them. It must be players for the future, with premier league potential. Most of the players in the team are capable of dominating championship. A trio in the central midfield with Henry, Edwards and Milijas should do the trick. Edwards and Henry are one of the best players in their roles (Henry anchor, Edwards box-to-box player). Milijas could be our creative force, if Solbakken manages to re-ignite the old Milijas which dominated games for Serbia before he moved to Wolves. We need to buy another attacking midfielder in the same vein as Milijas.
Fully understand the AWOL time Thomas – did you go into the mountains to take time to “find yourself” after the sh*t we endured last season. I still haven’t recovered and am finding it hard to look forward to the Championship.
As for Mancienne – I hope not! I remember some of his final error prone games for Wolves and I doubt he has improved or impressed in Germany. Remember him getting big money too so stay well away.
Well, I went to Gran Canaria for a week, so it was more sand dunes than mountains.
If we could find a club stupid enough to pay a quid for Stephen Ward then I’ll be ecstatic – unfortunately his dire performances at the Euro’s are likely to see us stuck with the sorry excuse for a footballer, unless McMuppet gets another job in which case we can look at a bumper 5million pay day as that idiot wastes another clubs money on crap players1
Rumours going round that he may get the Forest job when their takeover is complete… if true they will be contenders for promotion no doubt. And he may take the likes of Ward, Edwards, Elokobi….
We can but hope!
I’m with Mark G – would love to know what the impressions are of Batth from the new management given the ferocity of fandom he garnered at SWFC!
I watched Batth towards the end of the season in a televised game and came away thinking he should definitely be involved. Later found out that that was an average game for him, so he does sound a real prospect. I’d like to see Reckord, though it appears he has a questionable attititude.
Welcome back Thomas. As ever looking forward to the new season with high hope. There is so much promise, lets hope and pray we can deliver. Roll on 18th August
Spain.
They have won three major championships back to back to back, without a “formation”, except being able to control, pass and move.
Excuse me, but aren’t these the absolute basics of football?
Never mind your 442, 4132, 235’s and all that bollocks, just have ten players who can actually trap, pass and run with pace.
Simple. All our lot have to do is pass to another player, preferably in a better position and almost certainly in the same colour shirt, and away we go!
I would like my July Christmas wish hamper to be filled as follows:
1. Complete honesty, from manager to Morgan to greasel to player’s efforts on the pitch.
No more sanitizede bullshit on the official website. If the manager has given a player a rollicking, let us know. If a player is unsatisfied about anything, if they feel teammates let them or the team down, let us know. And let us know what is happening with the stadium development.
2. Unconditional support from the fans. None of us want to be in this league, but we are, and must make the best of it, and get out, in an upwards direction, at the first attempt.
The more we are behind the team, the better they should perform.
We could be worse off, look at a certain blue Glasgow team!
3. Keep this blog going exactly the way it is. I look at, but have never contributed to, the Electronic Telegraph blogs and comments. They are spiteful, narrow minded and pathetic, always pointing out bad grammar and spelling and being pathetically petty.
We may have our disagreements on here, but I don’t recall anyone stooping as low as they do on those sites.
Long may you reign, Thomas and Benjamino!
4. And finally, W… B… to be relegated by Christmas.
Clive, saying that Spain ignore tactics and just ‘pass and move’ shows a lack of knowledge about the intracies of their approach. Spain use their formation (a lack of high forwards) to pull defenders out from their deep lying lines. One pass, nearer to the box, is then much more likely to be a killer. [You should play an equally high game against them and challenge them to use pace]. They are highly drilled and do not just ‘play’ football. You only have to see their systematic high pressure game in certain areas of the pitch to realise how deliberate their game plan is. Just having players who can play is not enough. Of course its a start
11 players with tactics should beat 11 better players more often than not. You have to hope so, otherwise it would be boring.
My point exactly, only put in proper words!
Thanks for clarifying!!!
The players are not restricted by ‘position’ in the Spanish team. There are no attacking or defending midfielders, each player can do either job. The same with wingers and traditional full backs. Wingers in the Spanish team can also be attacking midfielders or full backs and so can the full backs. The only specialised positions are striker and goalie.
I’d like to see more of this from Wolves under Staale. Last season we had Kightly, Jarvis, Ward and Zubar occupying 4 specific positions which do not exist in the ‘modern game’. It’s no wonder we went down.
But surely Wardy is Mr. Versatile, can play anywhere, and be crap all over the pitch??
Well Ward set up 1 goal for Spain at the Euros. Maybe he fits into their system after all Clive
I thought some bright spark would mention Wardy!
However in the ‘Spanish’ definition of ‘versatility’, he is a non starter.
He is either a left back or a left wing or a striker, he does not have the flexibility to be interchangeable, and all three in the same game…
Personally think the new striker will be the key to our system.
Think Staale’s is very clear about the way forward.
His comment on our defence agrees with everyone on this blog.
Am looking forward to seeing the change of personnel over the next month….
Telegraph…hate that paper!
Last season was a write off far too early, which did make it depressing too endure and led to apathy for me personally.
I have renewed optimism for this season and think we have a good enough squad to push for promotion with or without Jarvis/Fletcher. I think some fringe players could really be significant players this year including Nenad, Gued and Hammill. Also think Danny Batth could be the answer at CB given how much he was loved at Wednesday; local lad too which is always nice.
Good to see you blogging again Thomas, here’s hoping in 12 months time you’re writing a premier league preview 🙂
Yes welcome back Thomas and I hope you are refreshed and prepared for what might lie ahead. Would think that the next two or three weeks will see a lot of transfer activity and we will probably see a few surprises. Can’t get away from the fact that last season was a nightmare for us all and we need drastic changes. I have to disagree with Karlir-Johanarnt. I would find the prospect of Karl Henry and David Edwards in midfield again quite depressing. Or was last season just a bad dream ?
Good news
Sigurdarson sees yellow:
http://translate.google.no/translate?hl=no&sl=no&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nettavisen.no%2Fsport%2Ffotball%2Farticle3433085.ece
I find it fascinating how other countries can speak and write English, slightly broken though it may be, it’s perfectly understandable.
Bet there ay nowun dahnt he Mol oo can spake Norweedjun, loike.
Kan du snakker Engelsk. Yeg snakker var lit Norsk. Mind you apart from that and stating who I am (Yeg hetter Steve) I speak no more (and the spelling will probably be wrong too). I lived there for 2 years in the late 70s but because they all spoke English we never really picked up their language. Lovely place though.
Not many speak Norwegian Clive, as Philippe Auclair puts it “Norwegians might say that it [their national identity] has to do with their language, which barely anyone speaks beyond their borders, and an atavistic detestation of anything Swedish” (Blizzard, Issue Two, p24).
However I take your point, as an Aussie we like many Brits only speak 1 language except for family reasons (eg you’re of Italian descent, can speak Italian, of Greek descent, speak Greek etc.) That counts for me too, I only started learning French because of a long term girlfriend.
And when you live over here, they have trouble speaking English………………and that is the American’s official language!
Indian English or ‘Hinglish’ as they say in Delhi is interesting.
It is a language of grammatical correctness and written more English than English.
However no one understands the meaning of the words.
After a while you realise you are speaking a language alien to everyone speaking it back to you….
Btw Clive when I first went to USA, 1981, I was almost arrested in Venice Beach Post Office because no one knew what a ‘queue’ was and I thought a ‘line’ went up your nose!
try asking to suck on a fag!!!!
You’ve added a slightly new dimension to the blog Karlir!
Good to have you back Thomas.
Let’s face it, none of us really have a clue how good we will be this year. We don’t know who will stay, who will go, how well Stale will adapt to the English championship or how much the new coaching will improve the team.
All i do know is the uncertainty offers more hope for me than the inevitability of another season under McCarthy.
Welcome back to you all. Whilst eating my fruit for breakfast (Yes I need to drop at least another stone) I always have a look around the sports headlines from far and wide before looking on here. Does anyone know how to get melon and strawberry juice out of a key board? Fletcher valued a £15m When I read that lost most of my breakfast. That is really having a laugh at our expense. Article in Daily Mail.
Daily Mail – they aren’t exactly reliable are they? Aren’t they the paper which has said we signed Piquonne? Still – if we price him and Jarvis so high that no-one wants to take them then I ain’t complainign!
“Hello Thomas, well hello Thomas
It’s so good to have you back where you belong!”
Sorry about that, it’s just that after two weeks in Rhodes, soaking up the local wine (7euros for 5 litres) and the sun (free), I’m in a very positive frame of mind. OK, I think we’re all pretty much resigned to losing Fletcher and Jarvis (possibly Doyle). But still, I can’t wait for the new season to start and to watch Kightly, Hammill and Sigurdarson ripping up a few Championship defences.
If you can’t be optimistic at that thought then it’s time to chuck in the towel.
Come on you Wolves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good to see the blogs rolling in again, I’ve been getting withdrawal syptoms (also been looking at the E&S far too much to compensate – shite, shite and more shite)
Looking forward to the new season, as is everyone by the looks of it, although now in Singapore and not going to see any of the games I’d say.
Well stale says everybody at the club has got his sale price,but if we do sell the crown jewels
what will become of the money.
Will it be ploughed back into buying new player’s or will it be put into Redrow building projects and not forgetting Poxes back pocket,i ponder….
Yes, a very good question.
We all assume that if the price is right for Fletcher and Jarvis, and don’t forget, they never disclose the fee, greasel will either sell or be told to sell.
Is having a new manager just a smokescreen for that fat turd to carry on as before, with seemingly no balances or checks, except the ones than fly with annoying regularity into his already bloated bank account…..and methinks, how far offshore is that?
For me, it don’t matter how many new players we get, or get rid off, as long as greasel is around the club is always in danger of going down a slippery slope.
He needs to be eradicated from Wolverhampton, Perton Ridge and anywhere else his slimy arse has been.
FOJM
Welcome back Thomas. It is this blog which is very valuable, with the Orwellian doublespeak which at times comes out of the official channels it is blogs like this which keeps me on top of how the Wolves are really traveling. This season it will be even harder to do without you guys as instead of 38 games a season on TV in Australia, I’ll only have about 6, and so secondary, reliable sources are necessary.
In terms of this season, I’d settle for 1) a decent brand of football 2) (related) a large role for Milijas in the side and 3) contention for the playoffs.
As many have said over the last 3 years, we’re a Championship side, so should be good enough to compete in this competition.
Interesting quote from Stale about training techniques.
“I’ve spoken to Tony about what I think is important so we don’t get too many or too hard a session and increase the risk of injury.”
I think the injuries picked up in training before were a little too frequent as Clive often referred to. He’s on the ball this guy.
Well, thank you.
Or are you refering to Stale?
I was actually, as i ithink you probably knew. As for captains, Mike Bailey hands down.
And my three fave players of all time King John, Frank Munro and Mike Bailey.
Anyone got a better 3?
The first Wolves match I saw was a league cup quarter final replay at Villa Park.
Jim McCalliog scored a hat-trick.
For me Wagstaffe flying down the wing like a ghost or some of the sublime passes I saw Peter Knowles play are treasured memories….
These are my three, though our defence would improve significantly with Munro and Mike Bailey!
Couldnt limit it to 3 but Waggy on his day was magnificent, except until the hackers would get to his ankles. Apart from many others Duggie Woodfield was for me the quiet unsung hero another Mr Dependable. Pretty much just took care of anything down the middle. For a time he also seemed to be Waggys bodyguard and I recall a few occasions when some one had roughed up Waggy and Duggie would drift across shortly after and exceute due justice.
The Doog on his day was unplayable, I just used to watch him try to figure out how you could defend against him, all arms, elbows, legs and knees.
Lets hope guys that Stale can get some of that character and beleive baqck in the team.
The only thing i hope regarding training is that( Totally Crap) TC does’nt have anything whatsoever to do with it,the only thing he’s any good for is perhaps carting the balls around
methinks.Oh and not forgetting Poxey perhaps he can find himself a job selling hotdogs for Mr Sizzle thats all he’s good for.FOJM,FOTC…UTW..
I like this quote too about his relationship with players.
“I like to have them close to me but also have the professional distance that you want between a manager and the players.
“It’s about having a good relationship with the players without being a friend.”
I always thought there was too much chuminess with McCarthy. Stale is stating what a professional manager should be like. Selecting teams purely on football ability. And i’m hoping i never hear him refer to Wardy, Doyler or the like. This isn’t the local pub team; although it did a good impression on occasions last season.
New season, new start, fresh hope…its good to be back! Looking at the Excuse a slur today and Stale is deliberating over the captains arm band! Straw poll anyone, on who our next captain will be? For me if he is going to stay then I wouldn’t mind Jamie O’Hara. If O’Hara is away then I must admit I have trouble seeing past Karl Henry…although I could see how Stale might not be keen on appointing Henry with him being McCarthy’s former captain! Outsiders but I suppose as good as any will be Hennessey (again if he stays),Ward, Foley, Berra! Maybe even someone not even at the club yet!
I think it will be interesting to see who gets the armband…it will give us an indication of how Stale works, and how he is going to set up for the season ahead!
If Ward Foley or Berra figure in the first team this coming season, we are in for a long hard winter.
I honestly don’t see Stale starting out changing too much…I think his will be a quiet revolution. Tweaks will be applied before whole scale clear outs! Don’t forget we are likely to lose several players we would rather keep…so they need to be replaced as well, with that in mind I think that will mean we will be stuck with a couple of familiar faces to begin with whilst we resolve other issues! Foley in the championship doesn’t worry me. In Foleys defence (no pun intended!) if McIdiot had of played him consistently at right back in the prem he would’ve look far more assured. Berra…again in the championship is good enough, depending on who is alongside him! Admittedly I would like to see one new CB to give us some steel at the back, and hopefully because Stale has figured out that Johnson is not what this club requires and replaces him! Ward..I agree on…its time we got a proper left back! As far as captain material I was merely throwing names about!
What are your thoughts on captain Clive? Out of interest who would you say is the best captain you have seen at Wolves?
Two captains stand out for me.
Emlyn Hughes, who admittedly had his best years at Liverpool before he joined us, but was still a brilliant leader, no more so than at Wembley in 1980.
But head and shoulders above anyone else in my 50 odd years of following Wolves has got to be Skipper Mike Bailey.
Barrel chested and strong as an ox, when he played alongside Frankie Munro, there were few better central pairings.
I don’t know how much video there is about from the late 60’s to mid 70’s, but every Wolves fan needs to at least watch the 1974 League Cup Final, when we beat Man City, the overwhelming favorites.
Watch the match in it’s entirety, and y’all will see how good we were then, and especially how good Skipper Mike Bailey was.
If we had that team now we’d win everything. A lot of people forget we finished fourth in the first division that year as well as winning the League Cup, which had a lot more importance than it does now.
By the way, his first name really was Skipper, coz that ITV commentator with the big hands, Hugh Johns, always refered to him as such.
Captain for the upcoming season? I’ll reserve comment until nearer the start of the season coz we don’t know who will stay and who will go.
PS thinking about that game at Wembley has brought a few nostalgic tears to my eyes, so bollocks to the job, I’m gonna watch the DVD this morning!!!
Well said Clive – Mike Bailey was a colossus in more ways than one, and Frankie Munro was the classiest CB I ever saw and Johnny Richards was the best….. I could go on but I won’t. I guess that means you and I are of an age. Funny, you look much older – or is that the rose tinted glasses at work again?
I agree entirely Clive, (see my other post earlier).
I was lucky to be a Molineux regular during the Munro/Bailey partnership. They were phenomenal and Mike Bailey loved Wolves there was no doubt about it. Wonder what’s happened to him? Derek Parkin was one of the full backs he’d be another good addition, to Stale’s squad!
Sounds like we are all same age group. Bailey was simply “The Skipper”, my number one choice by a mile but I never saw Wright play for real.
Frankie Munro another hero, and of course Derek Parkin. How many times last year did I wish for sniffer to be back for us. To me he was the classic full back, I can still see him in classic pose falling back but watching ready to pounce, and when he did he didnt miss much. I really used to take him for granted it was that automatic. What an era.
We still tell the story in our family about the day King John rescued our 3 yr old daughter at some celbrity Xmas party in Brum. He reached over to hand her back to me over the crowd. A genuinely nice guy.
I recall Bailey featured heavily at Frankie Munros funeral last year. Looked good did some interviews I think.
Ghosts of another era…
A chap called Roy Harper wrote a song called:
“When an Old Cricketer Leaves his Crease.”
It has these lines:
“Well, this way of life’s recollection
The hallowed strip in the haze
The fabled men and the noonday sun
Are much more than just yarns of their day.”
Here’s the link to the song which, although about Cricket, is a great summary of my memory of Molineux during a more compassionate age.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2PmnTvPfn4&feature=autoplay&list=PL07D056AC88DF8B3E&playnext=1
Remember we used to call him 80, coz he cost 80,000 pounds, from Huddersfield I think.
What would he be worth in today’s market?
Ashley Cole wouldnt get a look in !!!
My 3 faves of all time have to be:
The Doog, for his style, showmanship and that home debut hat trick against Hull.
Peter Knowles, argueably the most skillful, gifted player EVER to wear the old gold and black.
And Bully. Not for his record number of goals or his loyalty to the club, but for spending one evening and the following day taking the piss out of me in the hotel and on the golf course at Mark G Davies’s 60th birthday bash 18 months ago. Up there in the top 2 days of my life.
FOWB
Yes, the Doog for me too. As we are all on a trip down memory lane, I remember playing the Baggies and the North Bank singing “Zigger Zagger Zigger, Astle is a n****r” and the Albion supporters in the South Bank singing the same about Dougan. It’s amazing what went on then and I don’t think anyone thought about what they were singing, it just rhymed so it seemed OK.
John Terry was born 40 years too late.
It was a truly Golden era, but you know at the time I recall that I and other fans didnt realise it, we constantly compared to the steam roller success of the late 50s. Nothing less was good enough. What wouldnt we give for that era back today. Does anyone else recall the day Bailey was “booked” for cussing and swearing at Peter Knowles, who in fairness was trying to pull of something special from a free kick. He was a superb technician and striker of the ball.
Clive I am sure you are right it was 80Ks from Huddersfield, who if I recall at the time produced a few good full backs. I think he joined around the time we nearly signed Franny Lee, who at the last minute went to Man City.
OK. A new party game. Favourite matches at the old Mol in the Bailey/Doog/Waggy era. I was at the Art College at that time and from the roof you could see most of the pitch but not one of the goals. That’s what made me start watching the lads and eventually I decided to pay to see if there was really a goal at the other end. My two favourite games were:-
1) the time I got out of an early Christmas shopping trip with the girl friend to watch Wolves come back from 1-0 down in driving snow to thrash the Arsenal 5-1.
2) The night we stopped Leeds from winning the cup and league double. Couldn’t get into my usual spot in the enclosure so ended up in the south bank in the middle of what seemed like 30,000 Leeds fans. When the Doog hit that second goal with the outside of his right foot I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Celebrating among the rather less than happy Leeds supporters I was probably lucky that I didn’t.
Hennessey will stay, at least until Jan I would think. Signing a player with a serious injury is a heck of a risk.
Great inputs guys.
At the moment I think Stale is saying all he can sensibly say. As I am sure you all notice many times the words get mis-construed to suit the media. They can make the same sentence mean totally different things. At the moment I think it is all low key sensible comment that many are putting far to much empasis on. I am as guilty as anyone because we all love the club and clamour for any morsel of insight. To me its going to a sensible format, he wnats to see the players and talk with them, just as I am sure Jarvis, Fletcher and Co wanted to talk to him. I do think Jez should be a little more forthcoming and tell us a bit more about whats going on.
For me apart from the obvious ones it was pretty tough to judge anyones potentiol last year. Mid field and forwards always chasing back to help the defence, always conceding and chasing the game. MM playing his strange tactics and people totally out of position. I respect Ward and he certainly can be a danger going forward but a Left Back he is not, end of story.
Best Captain that I saw regulalrly was Mike Bailey, vocal, barrel chested, always driving the team forward. Classic picture of him in some book I have head to toe in mud still driving the team on.
If memory serves me right I saw him cautioned for verbally abusing Peter (the great) Knowles, for pratting around with a free kick. For F***s sake kick it rang out around the ground.
Crikey we’re only back 2 minutes and we’re discussing the finer points of Spain’s reinvention of total football and Norweigan Culture/Language.
Sad to see that Kirwan lad, forget his first name, getting killed the other day.
Big Wolves fan apparently. Sad, sad story 🙁
I was lucky to be a Molineux regular during the Munro/Bailey partnership. They were phenomenal and Mike Bailey loved Wolves there was no doubt about it. Wonder what’s happened to him? Derek Parkin was one of the full backs he’d be another good addition, to Stale’s squad!
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