As away victories go, the ones where a general feeling of injustice is induced whilst your keeper stinks of leather are always the most satisfying. Particularly in Yorkshire.
When it’s all part of an apparent script, where we chant ‘is there a foya drill,’ ad nauseam at the end, before the pundits look at the scoreline and miss the morale victory completely.
Ok, so we were by no way completely battered last night and we looked a dangerous proposition on the break, but it’s safe to say that the 4-1 scoreline flattered us somewhat.
But frankly my dear, I couldn’t give a damn!
With van la Parra, Sako, Dicko and Afobe all in the starting line-up, we certainly do look full of goals and moreover, we currently appear a more comfortable outfit away from home, boding well for the weekend perhaps?
Pace is a keyword of this Kenny Jackett regime and a front four like that is enough to create a headache or two in the opposition dug-out, not to mention some bitten fingernails in the home stands.
One look at the line-ups gave an immediate boost before kick-off as we saw such intent in the Old Gold, and a Terriers team minus our chief tormenter at Molineux –Grant Holt.
While the towering Batth and Stearman sounded heroic in last night’s win courtesy of endless late blocks and interceptions, they will have felt a whole lot easier without the bullying ex-Norwich marksman anywhere near them.
Jack Price returned to the fold and sounded instrumental in one goal in particular (our third?) and adds a more compact, resolute element than the more mercurial Evans.
And in goal, we can celebrate a great bit of business with the arrival of Tomasz Kuszczak, whose safe pair of hands are absolutely indispensable right now in the absence of Carl Ikeme.
Make no mistake, our Wolves side is a force to be reckoned with on its day and a play-off place should certainly be a realistic aspiration.
But when wave after wave of Huddersfield attacks threaten our more potent attacking quadruple, a more grizzled midfield option in the window to stem such tides might be making me shout this assertion from the rooftops, rather than whisper it quietly.
Well played the lads!
Now I reckon we’re safe, LOL.
Love the write up Ben, but shouldn’t it be “Am there a foya drill?”
Last night was the perfect example of hitting a team on the break.
And we have just the players to do it.
Dicko is the real deal, isn’t he!
The consummate finisher when he’s through on goal with the keeper to beat.
Van La Parra take note.
Last night was also a perfect example of the old maxim ‘Play to the whistle’.
Benik Afobe take note.
Also nice to see that we have an able deputy for Ikeme.
All in all, a great result.
Well done the lads!
“Oh what fun it is to see the Wanderers win away!”
Regarding playing to the whistle I did, of course, mean Bakary Sako take note.
Apologies Benik.
The joy of being a Wolves fan is to see them let you down!
Just when it seemed I was going to get a prediction right for the first time, Sako scoops one over the bar from 3 yards out, despite the alleged chants of “Five for Clive”
I told y’all we was gonna tank someone soon, and that will do very nicely, thank you very much.
A perfect result to keep us heading for the Prem, all we need now is for Bully to do at Norwich what he did all those years ago when his baby was born!!
We can but dream.
It is a foggy morning here in Houston, but the mists are parting, and the old gold and black road to the promised land of Sky Money is beckoning.
Greasel, read the papers, there’s even more money in the Prem.
Speculate and thou shalt accumulate!!
OH, nearly forgot,
FOwb
Well watcha Ben, just watched the hightlights again, I certainly wasn`t expecting this I have to say, particularly after Saturday. It shows the option of playing both pacey strikers, instead one just one plus Edwards is a vastly more potent threat. To be ahead 3-0 away from home, seemed quite surreal, and with a quality keeper playing well the evening was extremely enjoyable. Our side is far better equipped for away games where we can use the space provided by home sides pressing us, and our pacey front four can do real damage.
The dilemma is for KJ, to find a way of harnessing the players abilities to win against teams who park the bus and defend deep at Molineux. But after last night – just showed the potential in our side, and thanks to KJ and the players for being up for the game. Happy days!!
Well played the lads!
Dicko, VLP, Sako & Afobe – Given time could be – A lethal forward line…
(How about that for a blank verse Haiku?)
Back to football…
One of the things, about being a Wolves supporter, is the unexpected highs and lows…
After last night I think:
Can we make the play offs, or even better?
Would K.J. be able to handle the Premiership?
Would the dreaded M & M, financially, back us in the Premiership?
Could this optimism be broken on the rack, at Norwich?
Highly possible, cos anything is possible, for a Wolves supporter…
Back down from the metaphysics, I shall keep my ambitions realistic….
I hope we finish above McCarthy’s Ipswich…..
Also, well done to the new keeper Kuszczak….
“I’m Clive – still alive
Opposition 1 – Wolves 5….”
T-Shirt slogan…..
It only took me 5 mins to work out fire drill.. this blog is pure education..
The score line was a shock to me, when I said Fuck..my dear wife thought I’d dropped something on my foot..no I said 4-1…fuuck..
Wolves fan : loose at home.. win by 4 away, hang on to a lead loose it at the end…Sako gone.. Sako staying ..
Play offs promotion never ..now it’s back on again…
Just when I start to think no way -we bounce back again..
Fantastic result and needed..(goal diff) the best thing for me was our current goalie is good enough and of course Afobe is a Dicko mk2 ..**surely we stay with 2 upfront KJ..**
Norwich is going to be a belter..
COYW
Gtreat atmosphere last night – but it always is when we win. What I liked most was the way we were in their faces every time they were on the ball (or most of the time they were on the ball). More urgency, more pressure, better passing (most of the time), and the finishing much more clinical. A very good performance and a fantastic result.
Fans were chanting “We want Five” and me and StuWolf were chanting “Five for Clive”, but nobody joined in!! I assumed it was because the majority of them were not bloggers and did not have a clue what we were on about. We must educate them me thinks!
Never mind Clive, we are getting there.
We now just need to keep this going for the Norwich game on saturday, it worked well. But ………… we am Wolves ay we!
I can vouch for the “five for Clive” shouts as I believe I was next to you two, if not 2 other bloggers saying the same.
I was the chap moaning about the traffic – 40 mins for 7 miles. Mind you made a change having a local game midweek rather than the post work sprint to Wolves for home games.
Didn’t see one Town fan at work Wednesday!!!!!
Welcome to the Blog mate. Yeah, we were next to you, me (the little bald guy) and StuWolf. I asked how you got hooked with the Wolves and other stuff. Good to see you on here. It’s the best blog that I have seen, some crazy guys on here too. We are planning on gathering for last game of season in Wolverhampton. Come on board if you want.
KJ expected we would play better away from home…
Teams that just want to play for a point or steal a win at the mol will soon come undone.
KJ is a tactician an a tinkerer trying to find ways of breaking teams down. The only way I can see this happening is to physically give the ball away to their defenders, mark the players that you do not want the ball to go to…. lead them into a false sense of security and up the pitch, then defend like away from home and hit them on the break. We play better with space to run into.
We are a team made up of pace upfront, tireless body throwers at the back and a little bit of skill, compared to other players in this division (and what we used to buy ourselves).that are either brawn, skilful or seasoned (old).
We do play differently to any other team in this division with regards to tactics and although it’s failed miserably on occasion, KJ ain’t done that badly with a team of up and comings (that’s nobody’s to the wider world). Their was time we’d buy a Daley, a Froggatt or an Akinbiyi at will, those days are long gone as I can only ever see us buyin players of 23 or under looking to prove themselves to add to youngsters coming through the ranks.
I suspect their will be changes again for the next game as a quick tinker will be to try and find a way of subduing the amount of shots on goal against, as another team could be more clinical.
Love that bit by Robin of Promotion on again, off again… It’s called being fickle and as everyone knows it’s not easy following Wolves… It’s a roller coaster that you just keep having yo go back to.
I was at the game, and I’ll briefly comment. Huddersfield were much better but we were clinical. Dickos strength is V. Impressive.
I wasn’t sure about Kuszczak, he looked nervy and a counple of let offs after mix ups.
great win though!
Kevin Doyle on his way to Colorado?
Enjoy the smoke Kev….
You can sense the broad grin on the faces of the commenters as you read their comments. And yes, I’m finding it hard to get rid of mine. What a great result after such a disappointing few games. Our forward line seemed to finally click and our defenders put their bodies on the line for the cause. Result, a terrific away win against one of our biggest bogie teams.
Finally, having watched the highlights, I have to give a mention to Rajiv Van la Parra. I’ve had a moan myself recently about his apparent inability to play a quality final ball, but his pass to Nouha for the first goal was sheer perfection and, if I’d paid to go in, would have been worth the entrance money alone.
It was worth it mate. And my grin stayed on my face for the whole of the journey home.
When I’m feeling sad or blue,
I know what I have to do,
Watch the replay of that goal,
Puts a smile back on my soul.
ANON
Wher the f..k did that come from if only we can produce performances like that on a regular basis we would be talking about the title.
Well done the players Kenny all the coaching and back room team and team being the key word.
More performances like that please lads you’ve shown what you can do now repeat that from now till the end of the season.
P.S
Good luck Doyle I was never a fan but you respected the shirt and the fans.
All the best.
If we park the bus at home, and our opponents do the same, will the ball ever move out of the center circle??
Would be great to see us try that tactic, letting the opposition come on to us, as they do when we play away, and then hit them on the counter, for five this time!!
Roll on the next home match, if KJ is reading this blog as he usually does, maybe he’ll get the idea!!
Hello Houston, Wolverhampton calling.
KJ does read thie blog, I said last night if we have the ball and are attacking then the opposition aren’t in our half. You live in Houston it’s not rocket scoence is it. Well the proof was there for all to see.
West Brom just won 2-0.
For every Positive there’s a Negative.
FOWB
Good luck Doyler a trier but never a goal scorer, I did enjoy his goal against the hammers when we won 3-1 away me and my mate were quietly cheering between us in a pub in walthamstow lets just say we had a few strange looks from the locals. Well done the lads, I have to give Price a shout here every time that lad is on the field for us we look a more composed team. His interception for our fourth goal was a timely piece of work and just highlights what he brings to our team I believe he is a top player in the making. Also have to say VLP is slowly now grasping English football and showing why Kenny has persisted with him in the team. That front four last night would give a mid table prem team a run for its money but its a team game and they all deserve the plaudits.
Hear hear on Kevin Doyle, a Wolves player every time he was in the pitch. He gave 110% and never listened to any rubbish talk, just got on with it. The man deserves his American Dream..
Good luck and Thank you Kevin.
Give the pretty dull matches recently this was a big surprise. Looking at the big picture the last 10 games show W 6 D 3 L 1= 21 points. A similar haul over the final 16 games would give us around 82 points which may not be enough for auto promotion but definitely play offs. I think we need to play all those games away from home.In Yorkshire. Good luck to swansea tonight. May Sandwell be over run with sheep.
Good representation of the Wolves Blog last night on the Wolves Player commentary, with myself and Jed in Alberta getting shout outs!
I patented “www… World Wide Wolves” during a post-match call with Mr. Clive of Houston!
What a tonic. Too right Ben when we get it right we are a force to be reckoned with. This is a decent squad for this division. If we hadnt dropped points at home against unlikely opposition we would be right up there.
With the TV deal surely we have got to push for premier league. Even if its a stacked deck and we re-experience some of the pain of last time lets get there lets deal with it. Cant come too soon for me.
Whats happened to Iorfa, he’s a far better option than Doherty, he was being turned too easily last night, albeit he dug in and held the fort, but I do think with the team that played yesterday Iorfa would give us even more in defence.
Honey Badger,
I am not a great Price fan, but the lad was outstanding last night he ran his legs off in a team that was solid in defence and equally proficient in attack, this tesult is long overdue, but now we have to drive on.
Great write up Ben, but I just want to sa,y IMO we were excellent last night considering we were the visitors and given the record held over us by Huddersfield in terms of results. After a couple of dodgy near misses Kuscack got into his stride and showed us what he could do.
With the energy and enthusiasm of last night we can beat anyone in this league, but as Kenny said, ” we can’t afford to take our eye off the target for one minute”
Sod’s Law, we find the back of the net with a good performance and I can’t make Norwich due to a prior teaching committment. Steve Showcase I expect you to fly the flag for us.
COMB’s
:-))
Bloody part time fickle numpties fans!!!!
Didn’t see that coming, i was sure we’d lose even though i predicted a narrow win for wolves.
I’ve previously said that wolves need to go on a 9 or 10 game winning run to gain promotion, whether play offs or automatic, but i never meant that to include Huddersfield away.
So maybe this could be the start of it, I’ve got great respect for KJ, as has been said he’s a tactition and in my opinion has great dignity in the way he presents himself, and that is just as important as the results on the pitch in my view.
Whatever happens its going to be edge of seat stuff from now till end of season.
Below is a quote from Steve Hodge on the Wolvesnews site, he is thanking Wolves for his spell with the Group of 3. Really lets us know a little more about how far we have come in a short space of time.
Hodge said: “It has been a privilege to be able to work at Wolves.
“I have witnessed a very professional and driven group of people.
“I leave the Black Country with a real understanding of why Sir Jack Hayward was so proud of his city and his football club.”
Don’t think many of us saw that one coming. Great way to end a run against a bogey-team.
Lets not get carried away though. The Hudd were without Wells and Holt up front and Hogg to protect the back four. Having said that, any team in this division is going to struggle to contain the vLP, Dicko, Afobe, Sako combination when they are fplaying like that. For all the criticism of his recent performances, 4 of our last 5 goals have been from vLP assists. Add to that the goals he set up at Leeds and Watford and it looks like he has the ability to take some of the stress of being the sole ‘playmaker’ off KMac.
Correction – vLP set up 3 of the last 5.
Great win from the lads,didn’t see it coming,i thought we would do well to get a draw up there.
Having said that I always knew we where capable on giving some team a doing.
Good to see KJ made the changes required but still think Lorfa and golbourne would make us stronger at the back..Like Ben said we need some real grit in the midfield to compete for the play offs, perhaps he’s recognized that already,hope so.
I feel Norwich will be a tougher contest,but if we take our chances who knows.UTW A Fickle fan.