When you’re celebrating a point at Ipswich Town – while frantically checking the results of Wigan Athletic, Burton Albion and their implications for the bottom three – then you know your season has plunged to new depths.
Worse still is the distinct possibility that our one shining light won’t be regarded as a sacred cow from here on in, as the presumable plan is to grind our way to 50 points with a team full of donkeys.
If this Jackett-esque pragmatism is what we should come to expect between now and the end of the season, then I’m not sure I can stomach much more and frankly, we may as well have kept Kenny in the first place?
Talk about running to stand still, as epitomised by the hopeless David Edwards, who isn’t so much a first team regular these days, but a nailed on, first-on-the-teamsheet starter with the captain’s band around his flailing arm.
Positives from last night, whilst listening to Mike Taylor on BBC WM, was an impressive outing by Romain Saiss, which shouldn’t come as a surprise being as every right-minded fan was calling for his inclusion for months.
Ben Marshall would appear to be improving game-by-game, with the ex-Blackburn man a coat of paint away from scoring for a second successive match. And a clean sheet is obviously good news, albeit against a side light on ability and attacking intent. The inclusion of Hause must surely be a factor here.
On paper, our team looks absolutely wretched, particularly without the one player that justifies an admission fee. On the pitch, it is similarly foul to look at, with George Saville crowbarred in at full back, Batth generally labouring and the aforementioned Edwards stretching our never-ending paradigm of mediocrity to a barely comprehendible timeframe. Meanwhile, the likes of Conor Coady, Lee Evans, Weimann and co loiter on the peripheries with minimal intent.
But the time for inquests must wait for another day. A squad given a £30 million shot in the arm is doing its inimitable worst to get out of this division and while results like this might eek them towards the lofty position of 20th, the accompanying performances might not.
Agree with all mate.
In the context of our terrible season, this is a useful point. Got to follow it up with a win on Saturday though. Rotherham, Forest, Blackburn, Preston and possibly Cardiff all have to be dispatched at home because our away fixtures look horrendous. That won’t happen, but we’ve got to find five wins from somewhere.
I disagree with people calling for Lambert’s head. Not because of the team selections, performances or results, but more because I don’t think it will help. It’s too late in the day now.
I’d say it’s an unfair report after dominating a match away against Ipswich.
Wolves had 57 percent possesion.
Ipswich had 3 shots, 2 on target
Wolves had 8 shots, 1 on target.
I think we should focus on the positives. After all we’ll only get stronger and stronger from now on. Marshall and Saiss have semented their position in the squad and Graham and Cavaleiro are on their way back. It’s like having four new players. And we have strong competition for the places in the back four. I remain an optimist after this match.
Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy:
“I think they were the better team in the second half, though I am not sure why that was.
“I am not looking for excuses – we have to play better than that. I don’t think we are safe yet. We still have a bit to do and I think we need to scrap it out.
“Our only positive is that we have got a point and kept a clean sheet.”
A point away at Ipswich, kept a clean sheet and could have nicked it by all accounts. I’ll settle for that especially given our precarious position.
Agree with Thomas about PL to late in the season to ditch him now, but IF and it looks like a very large If we do manage to avoid relegation then surely Fosun will have to embark on a root and branch reform of the club.
Surely this current situation cannot be allowed to continue, people like Thelwell, Daly and Edwards who are obviously at the best incompetant in their jobs should be cleared out and replaced with others.
As for PL I was initially in favour of his appointment but am now begining to wonder if he is the man he talked himself up to be. He seems as others have said to have a blind spot with regard to particular players, Saville for gods sake he should not get any where near a sunday league side let alone a team hoping to get to the Premier League. I could go on but it gets very dispiriting and boring to keep writing the same stuff.
Still hopefully we can find the necessary points from somewhere and avoid the dreaded R word and start again in the summer.
I’m not one to usually call for chopping and changing managers but with Lambert looking bereft of ideas or ability, particularly when Rowett is available, I will be if we don’t get a win on Saturday. Judge me accordingly for that.
Can’t understand Lambert’s negativity.
I only listened to WolvesPlayer, but if you can hear paint dry, then the first half would have epitomised it!
Second half it sounded like we were starting to control the game and Lambert went for the easy option in holding on to what we had (1 point), rather than bringing on Cav and Nouah to run at tiring defenders with Costa and securing all three points.
As I said, I wasn’t there, but to me Lambo’s negativity is a loss of 2 points and puts enormous pressure on the lads at the Mol this Saturday against the mighty Rotherham.
Anyone who went last night see it differently?
UTW!
The longer this season has gone on, the more my sympathy for KJ has grown. Football was dire for the majority of last season but people are quick to forget we were superb going forward for the majority of his first two seasons. Doubt we’d be this close to the trap door under his guidance, though I accept he’s somewhat of a polarising figure amongst fans nowadays.
Nothing to shout about. Happy with point but sad to have lost 2. This is by far one of the most frustrating seasons. I rather have mid table nothing to play for than getting the knickers twisted position. The season started with plenty of hope after the takeover but it has all become dire and shambolic. Blame the new owners for their naitivity but hope they learn quickly and hope we survive to put things right. It looks bleak but one win can make a world of difference. Our season starts this Saturday.
Spot on. Agree, an inquest awaits as this season has been shambolic!
A point and clean sheet away is a good result but in the context of our dire season it’s another missed opportunity.
Who is to blame as to why we are so bad is debateable but PL must take his share of the blame.
We are arguably worse since he took over from Zenga and he didn’t (or was it Thelwell) sign the striker/creative midfielder we desperately needed in January. Criminal.
Only wolves could spend £30M and get it so wrong. Billionaire owners and heading for league one is beyond a joke.
Don’t know if anyone has realised but last night was a historical night in the history of Wolverhampton Wanderers….Thanks to Arsenal’s 10-2 aggregate defeat our loss to Barcelona in 1960 (9-2) is no longer the worst by an English club in the history of the European Cup/Champions League. Can’t think of anything to add about the Ipswich game.
Sorry, I normally like your posts Ben, but I can read this sort of moaning, anti Edwards crap on Molineux Mix anyday I like.
Most people that have actually been to both Reading and Ipswich away have generally been of the consensus that we were the better team in both matches.
It’s about survival now. Lambert knows that and he’s adjusted our playing style as such. Maybe when Cav, Mason, etc. are back fit we might be able to add a bit of flair back in but for now I think he’s making sensible decisions.
I agree with this summation. But regrettably at this stage, just not getting beat by grinding out boring draws may not be enough. The otherstrugglers around us are all picking up points. We URGENTLY need to get a couple of wins under our belt, if we are to have a serious chance of survival.
Surely the best way forward is for Mr Lambert to try to set up his team to try to win, rather than not to lose , particularly for home fixtures. Difficult I know given our unbelievable negligence in failing to sign a striker of decent quality during the January window. The inclusion of Edwards in his present role seems to me to be wholly negative. Unfortunately, it appears that both he and Savile — who frankly is at best a Division 2 footballer in whatever position he plays — have acquired ” favored sons ” status with Mr Lambert, and are going to be included irrespective of ability or form.
Interesting times ahead.
I think we will have a bit more of a go in the home games, Mike, but I expect us to be set-up pretty similarly to last night away from home until we’re mathematically safe. Of course, that all might (and probably should) change if we were to actually drop into the bottom 3, but at the minute I don’t think there’s a need to panic and go gung-ho.
And I largely agree with you in regards to Edwards. My issue was more so with Ben having a pop at him in his blog even though he didn’t actually go to the game last night. Most accounts from people that were there said that he played pretty well so it just didn’t sit that well with me to see him criticised so harshly.
Better times ahead anyway…hopefully!
If we were bumping along happily mid table, 0-0 away to a side unbeaten in six games would be seen as an OK sort of result.
As it is, it has to be seen as two very valuable points lost.
One of the things that Paul Lambert bangs on about a lot is ‘Getting on the front foot’.
I thought that meant carrying the game to the opposition, pressing, harrying, attacking, forcing them back into their own half with our creative midfield and forward play.
Have I missed something?
I am hoping for a whole heap of ‘getting on the front foot’ on Saturday, otherwise I shall not be a happy bunny.
I’ve chosen to sacrifice watching England put the Scots to the sword to see us stick a rugby score past Rotherham.
I will accept nothing less than ‘getting on the front foot’.
And I expect our front foot to be planted firmly up Rotherham’s back passage!
Hiya DOOG… are we meeting up in theAPV Saturday?
We’ll be there about 1:30…
We’ll be travelling up on Saturday so, traffic permitting, we’ll be there for a quick snifter before the mismatch.
Put your (coffee) drinking trousers on!
Trying to get hold of Wolfstroker, as I want to buy his spare ticket.
If successful, I will see you Saturday too.
Steve,
I sent him a text on the number I have for him to tell him you want his ticket, I took the liberty of giving him your number, so hopefully he will contact you.
I won’t know about the text Stu until the missus gets home as it’s her phone. (I’m a mobilephoneaphobe).
Thanks Stu. That’s a coffee then?
What about mine ……..for my suggestion…
I’ll buy you a bleedin coffee, I’m on the bell anyway after our day out at Telford.
Yeah, you too mate. And Lillian.
Here I am Brompto. And on the basis of first come first served, the ticket is yours. And as a mate you can have extra discount. The way we are playing, I thought I’d have to pay someone to take it off my hands. 🙂
Steve,
Good man, I only have that phone number for you guys and I certainly wouldn’t share it with anyone. So thank you and I hope Brompton reads this. He’s great company on the terraces, he’ll speak to anyone even Southerners.
No worries if he can’t understand me Stu. I’ll have a couple of other Westcountry boys to chat to.
Cheers buddy. We can even call each other by our first names, cos we wont forget them.
See you in APV. Text me when the wifey gets home and has cooked your tea, and put out your slippers and I will see you straight on Saturday buddy.
Should be there in good time for a swifty in the APV Steve. Traffic etc permitting.
Although I haven’t been asked I will be there in the APV around 1pm. Travelling alone again as BOG had had something come up so Billy No Mates is back!
Wolfstroker – Fortunately I am fluent in West Country speak as my first true love was from Torquay. Ooh arr me ducks!
DOOGie – is that coffee drinking trousers or coffee drinking trousers? I have some beige ones someone I think. Will they do?
I hope you took it for granted that you were meeting up with the mobsters….!
So you mean you haven’t gone off to New Zealand yet? Damn. Sorry I meant, oh good, see you Saturday!
Just to add to the numbers, Barbara and I hope to get to APV around 1pm. It will be good to meet up with everyone.
Is that Beige one’s somewhere, or actually beige one’s someone? Or even, someone’s beige one’s, now that would be worrying with the PMDG being into whips and lashings if you have someone elses trousers.
You Country folk, into some strange shit.
Okay, okay so I got over-excited (nowt new there) and got it all horribly wrong. I am officially the Wolves Blogger equivalent of Dave Edwards. I mean to say one thing but say another. He means to trap or pass the ball but does neither.
Ooh arr me ducks? Dear dear dear. How common! 🙂
Re the coffee drinking trousers or coffee drinking trousers conundrum.
It amounts to the same thing with me.
If I’m drinking coffee, most of it goes down my trousers anyway.
I know how you feel mate … and a lot of us feel the same about the story so far.
However … the ultimate priority is championship status survival.
Whilst resting Costa for a more muck and nettles player is IMO understandable given our precarious situation.
Let’s not get too ahead of our dire state …WE NEED POINTS …AND SATURDAY DOESNT COME ANY MORE MASSIVE THAN WINNING. (I’ll take an ugly 1-0 this weekend every time)
Unfortunately Lambert is in the PLAY NOT TO LOSE SYNDROME…LIKE JACKETT AND MANY OF HIS PREDECESSORS WERE……AN ITS PAINFUL TO BE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT.
The one good thing to come out of last night was my 6 point return in the Prediction league for TWO CORRECT 0-0 predictions (home and away to Ipswich) …. a banker.
Cop a load of that Brompton…lol
Two things from the Ipswich game.
1 I am a complete idiot.
2 No-one told me the cunning plan.
I took time off work and drove 2 hours – though in reality it took nearer three and a half hours thanks to traffic, accidents and roadworks – to go and watch my beloved Wolves play football against Ipswich Town on a cold, dark Tuesday night in early March. What a dimwit I am.
Meanwhile elsewhere Paul Lambert was outlining something quite different to his trusted allies.
“Listen up lads as I have a plan for the Ipswich game so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel.
This other lot, the Tractor boys, they think we are going to go to their place and play football and try to win the match. They’ll be thinking we are that desperate for a win – now come on, you must remember what a ‘win’ is – and that we will pull out all the stops.
But, and here’s where the master plan comes in, what we will do is play all our carthorses and donkeys and leave our thoroughbreds, stallions and racehorses in the stables. In fact we won’t even have all our throughbreds with us in the stables, we’ll leave some of them at home. Ok we’ll throw in a few of the thoroughbreds just to confuse them but heck, we’ll really have them baffled as we’ll play our ass at left back. They won’t have a clue what to do.
So with them in complete bewilderment we’ll then send them into something approaching a comatose state by galloping about the pitch hoofing and hacking anything that moves which includes that round bouncy thing.
Then with about 25 minutes to go and with the game having descended into a farce more boring than a Black & decker drill we’ll surprise them by unleashing our attack dogs – those two Portuguese lads and the striker who in his last two games has scored one and had one assist – and run riot against their baffled lot and win 3-0. Perfick!”
At this point a Mr Thelwell interjects – its ok though, they can’t touch you for it – and adds a spin on the cunning plan;
“Even better than that Paul – by then Ipswich will be expecting us to release the hounds and muller them so what we will do is the exact opposite of what they will be expecting. We WON’T throw on any of our thoroughbreds but instead will stick with the donkeys, carthorses and the arse, sorry I meant ass. Can you imagine their faces? That Berra chap will be so confused he won’t be able to score a goal. And just to compound their confusion when they thought we would throw on the good ones – but then thought we wouldn’t – we will. But only one. But far too late to change anything. Can you imagine? They’ll be beside themselves trying to work out what the hell we are doing!”
Paul Lambert is excited by this.
“Can I just say that idea is absolutely brilliant! Yes. So we’ll get a 0-0 draw, stop our losing streak and people will even think that we did it deliberately so as to save our best players for the next game against Rotheringham! Little do they know eh?
I feel another even more cunning plan formulating in my head for that game. Imagine if we recalled Henry and Wallace from their 3rd division loans and then put them straight in the team. I mean they are both British after all, not one of those foreign types. They both run around a lot, admittedly that is usually when they are trying to catch up with the ball that has bounced off their shins after they have tried to control it, and both try their best so are prefect for my style of football. But – and here is the really clever part – we’ll put them into the team on Saturday as the centre back pairing. If they are unsure how to defend it won’t matter as my Georgie boy at left back will guide them through as part of his Captain’s duties”.
A cunning plan? In reality just desperate measures by desperately limited individuals desperate to save their jobs.
After finally arriving in Ipswich around 7pm I saw the team we had selected and I very nearly turned round and went home again. Honestly for a couple of minutes I sat in my car pondering what to do. There seem to be elements of “is he actually trying to get himself sacked?” in the line-up.
Baffling decisions (remember I wasn’t aware of the cunning plan then) included:
• Don’t even put Enobakhare in the squad let alone the starting eleven.
• Drop Iorfa after bringing him back last game and him playing well.
• Bring back Batth, – the hopeless, helpless and hapless Batth – when Stearman would have been a better option.
• Keep Saville at left back despite him having been appalling against Reading and not being a left back (or even a Championship footballer).
• Bring back Price who isn’t good enough and who contributes less to a game than the bloke selling programmes outside.
• Keep Edwards in the team in an attacking ‘number 10’ role even though it is a position far and away beyond his very limited abilities.
• Play the same 433 system with no creativity or flair in midfield
• Drop record signing Costa to the bench.
• Keep expensive signing Cavaleiro on the bench and instead play a journeyman loanee.
• Of the two strikers you have play the one who hasn’t scored since God knows when and keep the one who has scored and got an assist in the last two games on the bench.
• Don’t make any substitutions till the 82nd minute.
• Only make one substitution all game and leave the other 6 subs sat there twiddling their thumbs.
Rotherham at home. Bring back Iorfa, Williamson, Coady, Costa, Enobakhare, Cavaleiro and Dicko. Drop Saville, Batth, Price, Edwards, Marshall, Weimann and Bodvarsson. Play 4231. Play football. Try and win the game.
Oh well what do I know.
I am a Wolves fan.
Therefore I am a complete idiot.
I think you’ve said it all there really!
You might be a complete idiot but you’re a VERY articulately verbose one!
Sorry to re-cover well travelled arguments, but the “Jackett-esque” analogy doesn’t work here.
Jackett finished much higher and was never in a relegation battle with a worst team than we have now. In all probability we would have challenged for promotion if his best players hadn’t been sold off and his number 1 targets been denied (Chris Wood would come in pretty handy now, eh?!).
I don’t agree with sacking Lambert on the basis you should give every manager at least one summer of recruitment and the following full season before judging their performance. However, if that’s the decision that is made, we could do a lot worse than reappointing Kenny.
P.S. Meant to say thanks for all the hard work you guys put in with this blog – didn’t want to sound too critical!
I expected a defeat but instead we took a point. Whilst not ‘over the moon’ I would have taken a point before we started, sad is it not?
Seems it was the same as Saturday, poor first half then up and at them in the second. That needs to be how we start. I think that is down to the ‘let’s not concede in the first half’ mindset we seem to have developed lately.
We are what we are and we are where we are because of what we are.
Saturday is massive and according to PL it’s a ‘must win’ game. Well I for one am not expecting Rotherham to roll over that easily. I have a bad feeling about Saturday.
Any point away from home when you’re on a six match losing run and up against a niggly team like Ipswich is a welcome return in my book.
Two words to sum up last nights line-up and performance … pragmatic & necessary. While I expect a bit more flair over industry at the Molineux if I had to accept this sort of performance for the remaining away games this season if it meant getting a point from each game then I’d take that now. Points are all that matter now and with Rotherham up next I’m certainly expecting the likes of Dicko, Costa, Bright & Cav to feature and for us to start like a rocket.
I agree with all on here that after spending around £30m to be in the same position as last year when KJ abandoned attacking football in favour of grinding out results is absolutely shocking. The inquest must wait until the summer and I then hope to judge Lambert next season more fairly after a summer of his recruitment rather than what he has inherited from others.
Roll on the weekend.
I’m hoping to god that Lambert isn’t here next season whether we stay up or not.
Kinda like many were saying about KJ 12 months ago. Be careful what you wish for.
I will take the point away from home. But this needs to be followed up with a win, of any sort, against Rotherham on Saturday. So it’s all simmering away for the blockbuster. Worst home record in the league v the worst away record (Wolves 15 points from a possible 48 against Rotherham 1 point from a possible 54). Something has got to give. So 0-0 draw it is then. I still think 46/47 points will be enough so we need 3 more wins (Rotherham needs to be one of them) and a couple of draws. I take my hat off (even though I am not wearing one) to any of you who went last night. But we are Wolves and apart from 4 seasons in the top flight (which were all relegation battles) we have basically been shit for the last 37 years. Yes I enjoyed the late 80’s resurgence but a genuine top flight team I have not seen. There needs to be a radical overhaul at this club. We have suffered rank mediocracy for years and at times it has been nothing short of shambolic. So, let us stay up by whatever means possible and then I really want to see a serious review of everything at the Mol. From the ticket office to the higher structures and coaching staff. The players.The transfer policy. Absoulutely everything. Right, I feel better now. Back to work and WOLVES AY WE !
Sat in Krakow airport waiting for my flight to be called and can’t help thinking there’s just as many long Polish faces as there was at Reading on Saturday or are they Wolves fans ??? No if they had been Wolves fans they would have been crying there hearts out. Come on Wolves and cheer all these people up for feck sake.
I have been watching my team for 46 years and cannot believe that I am seeing another owner and manager make the same / simular / silly decisions that numerous others have made before. I am 100% sure most fans could tell the owners before the season started the decisions they were making would end in failure. As for our current manager, did he go to the same football management school as Dean Saunders. Did Rob Edwards go to the same as TC….Do they want the sack?
How long will it be before our current owner gets red in face?
Goes into the dressing room to tell everybody they are taking the piss?
Run away as fast as they can?
Could be Saturday at 5!
I can well understand the frustration and, hence, anger at the way events are going with our performances. I was there last evening and had to suffer the poor first half in he quietest Portman Road I have ever known; I live in Suffolk. We are capable and do play some great football until the final ball; sheer bad luck and inept finishing have cost us this season. Danny Baath is having an awful season in general and should be fourth or fifth in line for a central position at present in my opinion. The much maligned Saville did alright at left back and the lack of a left footed left back along with true creativity in midfield and strikers who don’t up front; `strike` that is, is virtually why we are losing games we have seemed to almost dominated at times imo. I shall travel up with my season ticket to see the Rotherham game knowing what is possible with our record against poor teams; Ipswich were far poorer than ourselves last night. Saiss and Marshall were excellent last night; lovely two quick feet from Ben to enjoy and a masterful display from Saiss. There are real glimmers of hope that with some actual striking ability and one or two more tweeks we could have a decent team. Saturday’s match is the make or break tie for Paul Lambert and I hope his `resting` of our `key` players works out for us all. I also hope Enobkhare plays some part; I rate him highly. If Lambert, whom I rate more highly than most Wolves’ fans, is to survive, then a good performance or, at least, result is fundamental; hope the nerves don’t get to the fans and players, otherwise, disaster! The attendant fans at the games, especially the away contingent, have been enormously positive and gracious in their following and treatment of the team, but I feel our patience is reaching a critical point. PL should know his best eleven by now and something approaching each of our own favourite selections should be apparent to us all in this, the truly pivotal game of our season. Good luck to us all…
Love this website but don’t usually comment, but felt compelled to this time.
I don’t agree with many of the points in this article. But it’s down to everyone’s personal opinion.
I’ll start on Edwards. If wolves are going to continue with a front 3, Edwards has to play. He’s our only box to box midfielder that gets goals when more often than not it’s our misfiring strikers putting the cross in rather than being in the box.
I can’t imagine many of you went to Ipswich last night but I did. The amount of times the town player Diagoraga pushed Price off/regain the ball only for Edwards to recover was impressive. He also wins a lot of headers that price can’t compete with unfortunately. He doesn’t have the flair or vision of saiss and price, but that back for being in the right place, at the right time, defending or attacking, is unteachable.
Saiss now he’s back is quality. Why it took so long to get him back in the squad after AFCON is ridiculous. At times last night I felt sorry for him. He was spraying passes out to George Saville, who want on his wavelength and not anticipating the ball. Then the fans would get on his back. Reminds me of when we had Fernando Gomez from Spain for a short stint, and he was a genius with passing.
Doherty is best at LB, cutting in with inswinging crosses and taking on the opposition right back on their weaker tackling foot. His crossing from the right was below average last night.
Saville should be kept at CM for when we struggle to regain the ball. Very good in the tackle but doesn’t have the pace,skill or brain to be a left back or left mid.
Batth was solid last night, putting his head where it mattered against what I think is the championships most physical team. As usual his distribution wasn’t great.
Hause. Jesus. Talk about a coincidence player. His tackling and heading is fantastic. But once he has the ball it’s like he’s been attending the Danny batth school of passing. At one point last night he blasted the ball at ikeme without looking from ten yards. Could of been much worse.
Price. Usual neat and tidy.
Marshall starting to look more the part. Very vocal in wanting the ball and picked out he maurading doherty on numerous occasions with good balls across the pitch. Great set pieces too.
Weiman. I’m not struck on him. But what he does do is break his neck to get in the box with or without the ball, and quick to get back in position to stop the countering.
Bodvarsson was better. Actually having shots. Very unlucky when his powerful shot hit the post, but that’s just his/our luck at the moment.
I’m glad dicko Costa and cavaleiro got a rest. Prematch I was angry with the starting 11, but to have those 3 fully fit and fresh against Rotherham on Saturday should be exciting.
Keep the faith. Next season can’t be much worse whether we stay up or go down.
Good, sensible comments mate. Glad you piped up 🙂
Agree about Edwards. I think he is made a scapegoat for poor team performances. Many seem to forget that players have to do as much without the ball as with it. His energy, closing down and tackling are underrated. He is also our biggest goal threat (if you don’t count Costa).
People say he’s not good enough technically but I’d argue his job within the team isn’t to play killer passes or unlock defences, it’s to use his physical strengths to get us on the ball, offload to the better technicians and then make a run. He usually does these things consistently, hence why managers keep picking him.
I think the crux of the issue is we’re now almost relying on him to win us games, when even in League One he wasn’t one of our ‘go-to’ guys. This isn’t his fault, but it’s damning on our transfer business post-promotion, particularly after our summer/Jan splurging.
Fully agree about Doc at left back. That’s his best position. Concerning that Lambert is now saying he doesn’t like him there when to me he’s been on of our most consistent performers.
I also share your thoughts on Weimann, Bod and Marshall.
I even think the likes of Batth, Saville, Coady and co are solid enough in isolation, at least when deployed in their primary positions.
The two problems I think Wolves have are:
1. We don’t get enough match winners in the team.
2. The match winners we do rely on don’t get it done consistently enough.
To me the team looked at it’s most balanced in that little purple patch around Christmas/New Year. That was something like:
Ikeme
Doc
Stearman
Batth
Coady
Edwards
Price
Costa
Enobokhare
Cavaleiro
Dicko
You had three genuinely talented attacking players backing up Dicko and that gave the opposition a lot to think about. It also meant they all individually had more space to play in.
I think the center halves and Dicko/Bod are interchangeable, but most of the others should probably play. I’d give this a go Saturday.
Ikeme
Doc
Hause
Batth
Marshall
Price (or Edwards)
Saiss
Cav
Enobokhare
Costa
Dicko
That’s an incredibly attacking lineup, but I think Lambert has to show some real attacking intent. If we get edged out by Rotherham in the same way we did against Wigan, his head will be on a stick outside the South Bank.
Lets throw caution to the wind, get our match winners out on the pitch and as PL keeps saying ‘play on the front foot’.
And if we had some decent match winners, there would be no room for the likes of Edwards, Price, Saville, Coady etc. etc etc
Thomas – as one of Dave Edwards biggest critics on here I thought I ought to make my stance on him clear. It also broadens out into a wider debate for another time about definitions of positions and systems e.g. What constitutes a ‘midfielder’ nowadays? Are wingers midfielders or wide attacking players?
As for Edwards as he plays for Wolves I love him and back him 100% whilst he is on the pitch. His commitment, tackling, non-stop running, energy and effort are magnificent and undoubted. Played in a withdrawn role alongside a decent, quality holding midfielder such as Saiss, the position he operated in away at Forest for instance which is included in the December run you mentioned, then he can do a job. In that sort of position the aforementioned attributes he has can be effectively utilised.
In such a formation, like in December, we are able to play a creative attacking player like Enobakhare in behind the striker (whether that is classed as an attacking midfielder role or a ‘number 10’) which means that the team has balance and, crucially, the flair and creativity required to provide the necessary ammunition for the striker and wingers/wide attacking players.
He could also be a decent substitute brought on late in games when there is a need to close down games or inject some fresh energy amongst tiring legs and minds. That is how Wales utilise him in the main.
My issue with him is that more often than not he is played as the ‘attacking midfielder/number 10’ – a position which he is simply not good enough to be either technically or mentally. That position requires skill, flair, creativity, the ability to pick out a killer pass, to be able to inject pace into a move, to be able to run at and go past players, to shoot from long range, to make things happen. Whilst acknowledging we are at a different level currently it is the role perfected by the likes of David Silva or Mezut Ozil. The criticisms of our misfiring strikers this season are in my opinion due in no small part to the fact that too often we do not provide them with the players needed to provide them with the chances and space they require. A line-up with 3 hard working central midfielders devoid of flair or creativity plus two wide men and a lone striker simply does not work.
I don’t disagree with any of that Bedford. I also think his best role is being deployed deeper, while also having the license to get forward when the opportunity arises.
I’m with you too that a better technician linking the play between midfield and the forward would get the best out of our strikers who both like to run in behind but rarely get the chance.
Thank you Nava for your report. Not their last night so can’t comment on its accuracy but seems like a balanced judgement i.e. pros and cons.
Your view of players is like my own.
NavalWolf – excellent post, you should do it more often.
I am in complete agreement with you on some things – Saiss for instance – but in all honesty I couldn’t disagree with you more strongly or vehemently if I tried on other things e.g Edwards.
However as I always say on here one of the brilliant things about football in general and Wolves in particular is how we all watch the same thing and yet see something completely different.
Here’s a radical thought.
Why not play three center backs, ala Chelsea?
They are romping the Prem, and will probably win the cup too.
Let’s start doing it, and we can win this division.
That way, we only have three, not four, bad defenders on the pitch at once.
Oh, no, should have tried it at the beginning, not the end of the campaign.
Oh well, bollixed again.
Back to the drawing bored!!
And, Lambert Out!
Yesterday morning after much deliberation following the Reading game I took my Brentford tickets back and got a refund.
After listening to last nights game this morning I took my Fulham tickets back and got a refund.
That’s £160 more for spending in Vegas in June, I will enjoy that a lot more than travelling on a Tuesday to watch Brentford or travelling to Fulham to have McDonald take the piss.
My glass is Half full as always that’s the sort of person I am, but this is the only way I can protest and so I have.
Come next Tuesday evening I shall be jumpy, have itchy feet and shall be rueing my decision but in June I will have long forgotten it.
In June I hope I will be be breathing out a lot easier and looking forward to life without Thelwell, Daley, Edwards (Rob) and Pat Mountain.
IMO, these are our fundamental deep rooted,parasitic problems at Molineux, Paul Lambert? By June he will have made his own bed and I shall let fate take it’s course on his future.
May cannot come fast enough, Fosun made mistakes, they tried to re-jig the template but screwed that up too, so, as a huge Chinese coorperation I feel they are working behind the scenes to get it right. But like Bedders, I’m a Wolves fan what the feck do I know.
Things can only get better.
I didn’t know that you could get a refund.
Do you think that they’ll refund the cost of mine and the PMDG’ers season tickets we rather misguidedly bought on the strength of the Liverpool performance and result?
For sure, I think they would issue a sanity certificate at the point of refund. Also.
Er…… perhaps not. Lol (whatever that means)
agree stu back room team and board room have been there to long.
One of the very first things I learnt when I was dropped of at Nursey school at 5 years of age was the sqaure pegs DON’T fit into round holes now I’m 50 this year in August and they STILL don’t MrLambert.
I blogged in the build up to this game that if Saville appeared on the team sheet that me and Mr Lambertt finished and so be it because we have seen it all before ie Ward.
And to be fair he is not doing Saville and favours either by playing him here there and everywhere.
He’s a lightweight, he’s not creative he disappears in games it like playing with 10 and a half players when Saville plays.
What Lambertt sees in him I don’t know ……….so that’s it Paul I no longer believe your the man to take us forward your like to manager in the opersite dug out last night, stubborn deluded by your own bullshit and believe you can turn water into wine…….the only thing you are doing is taking the piss..!
Interesting comparison between Saville and Stephen Ward Paul. As I’m sure you know, Wardy’s now a regular at full back in the Premier League.
Still doesn’t mean he’s a footballer, its Burnley for dog’s sake!!!
I’d swap positions with them right now Clive. And I bet they wouldn’t swap positions with us.
My point is if Lambertt things he’s good enough why not play him in is normal position which is midfield but he doesn’t for some reason he has to have him in his team come what may……..to the debtrement of the team as result show.
Maybe he’s got other midfielders but is stuck for a full back at present. Possible.
Listened on the Player so have to go from what I heard.
Sounded like a dire first half from both sides and a much improved showing from us in the second.
Many were saying beforehand that we needed four points from this and Rotherham and I feel PL agreed, hence the unadventurous line-up. We’ve had too many vital points snatched away from us this season after dominating games and frankly, the way things are, I’ll take the 0-0 any day (not Saturday of course ’cause I’m going myself). 🙂
I see the usual suspects are having their noses rubbed in it as the root of our problems but from the commentary, Edwards was everywhere, Saville played well at full back and Marshall had his best game in a Wolves shirt.
The expression ‘must win game’ has never, ever, been so apt as Saturday’s rumble with Rotherham. This is obviously why our ‘big guns’ were kept out of the firing line at Portman Road and I expect to see them, and the team, fully rested and firing on all cylinders on Saturday.
As for Paul Lambert, he retains my full support. Why? ‘Cause he’s manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, the best club there is. I don’t believe he wants to play ‘conservative’ football, but, just like Kenny before him, he’s doing what’s necessary to keep us in the league. I pray that he succeeds. COYW
Good points. We must be on a similar wavelength as I tend to agree with a lot of your comments on here.
Lambert has been here less than six months and I feel he is doing what he has to just to keep us in the league. I also think he must be privately more annoyed about things than he can let on publicly and I expect changes to the playing squad in the summer to get them playing the high pressing game he wants to play.
Its frustrating for us all that after £30m we are having to do the same as Jackett last year and that is not a criticism of KJ but of the management and recruitment strategy of the club in general. I know its a pointless argument now but I can’t help but feel that if KJ had been handed £30m in the summer and told to spend it on whoever he wanted then okay we wouldn’t have Costa but we’d be much higher up the league than we are now.
Enjoy the Rotherham game. Fingers crossed for a long overdue win.
Okaying the contracts for Batth and Evans, Lambett ………where’s was the clear out promised..?
I’ve got Fulham tickets,If we lose to Rotherham.im taking mine back also.
Regarding last nights point I would have took it before the game but got to say I was disappointed with the team he put out,water under the bridge now so roll on Saturday and praying for a win and the on to Fulham all being well.
Just a foot note if we do not win come Saturday I think PL will take us down and therefore should be sacked.
Late on parade..
Well, my take as I was there,was as follows..
Ipshit were pretty terrible in the first half and we were prob worse..My favourite player lol DB got so panicky with the ball he started to fall over his own feet and in fact fell on the ball ..Ipswich fans around me claiming hand ball..
he really is such a liability..
I lost count with our almost every player involved in passing the ball back to Ikeme who of course just punted it back up the field… add DB hoofing it as usual too the match to be looked so dire..’two bad teams grinding it out etc’
In a nutshell we truely looked like a hapless relegation team..
The only players that looked half decent was Saiss Doherty and Bod and Costa..
The second half Ipswich were so bad that it made us look good but we did dominate the half and hit the bar and post..Costa came on 8 mins to go ..was an instant success why why did we not play him PL ?he could of won it for us..
Overall we are missing a Sako,def a Kevin Mac, an Afobe,and a fit Dicko on form
conclusively we are (drastically) short of players who can change games,and turn the result ..we are currently full of less than half decent players and a Kamikase no 5 which simply is not good enough to even stay half way..
If we do stay up (I’m terrified that DB could take us down on his own) then I can only see that money is the only way as I’ve said before it’s got to take £60M surely….
What a state to be in….and we have to endure as fans (yet again) a nail biting last part of the season where our very existence in this league is obviously very very much at stake.
Your right about Batth Steve Showcase. I don’t know some people STILL think the Batth’s, the Evans the Savilles are going to come good may be they will if we’re in League One.
EEL is the best CB in league 1. Good thinking to send him there to acclimitise.
PL won league 1 with Norwich.
Some our players still proudly displaying league 1 medals in their trophy box.
Hey how’s Leon Clarke getting on these days? His mother loves him.
There is light at the end of the season.
I too listened to mike Taylor’s and Tommo s commentary last night … I heard the same things with Ben Marshall playing well and Saiss having a good game . But let’s all honest here , they also said that for the second game Saville had done ok at left back . They said his distribution was a bit labored but he did ok
It seems that all is not ok with Matt Doherty ( I think he’s a good left back by the way ) he was very tired during the game and was been given extra energy drinks when ever possible. Tommo also reckoned that they looked like they were both under strict instructions to stayect back .
Matt Doherty and Hause are the only players I would keep from the goalkeeper to the midfield inclusive .
Stears Danny Connor Ikeme, they’re good guys that have all had good games in wolves shirts but Kenny jackett once said , when we were being given tough games in division one , that most players in the football league have got a premier league game in them , but they can’t reproduce that form on a regular basis , well , where we are in the league , is a reflection of some of the players that we’ve had for about the last 5 managers . Too good for league one but not good enough to push us to the premier .
We need to stay up or we will never get the players we need .
U t w
I was quite bullish last night but I then saw the Wolves lineup. Listening on Wolves Player, the pedestrian first half didn’t do anything to lighten my mood but I accepted the single point at the end, that outcome being an improvement on the previous 6 league matches.
I can’t understand why Costa was introduced so late in the game and Dicko and Cavaleiro left on the bench. A case of 2 points dropped, I feel.
Travelling to Wolverhampton on Saturday with some trepidation. Ah well, a pint or two of Banks’s will hopefully help.
Historical materialism says we are all puppets (or is that muppets). God damn it there is something in it. Lambert in or out the world turns faster than the fans these days. Will he turn it around i dont know. Like MM he has a stubborn streak thats fine if it produces results but it all gets a bit ugly if it doesnt. Kenny might have kept us mud table but do i look back with fondling eyes not really.
Dear Fosun,
You said when you took control that you intended to make wwfc into a top premier league club , AS BIG AS MAN UTD.
Well.. due to some VERY bad advice from people you trusted we are now in a worse mess from a football point of view than when you started .
Throwing almost 40 million at the team has, as you can see, made no difference .
The answer is in the manager you appoint , the players he buys and the staff he appoints under him.
If you really want to be where you said you want to be in 3-4 years time then it is going to take an enormous amount of money and a complete new set up . Because what you have now is complete rubbish.
To do this you have to appoint a man who has vast experience of the premier league, has been at the top of his game and will re organize the club on the playing side from top to bottom .
Those people do not come along very often but one may be available this summer.
Arsene wenger after all those years looks like he has hit a brick wall at arsenal but what a job he could do at wwfc…. If you could talk him round.
It will take many many millions , not 40 or 50 but 100s of millions to make wwfc into a top premier club like man city, chelsea, man utd .
Thats what you said you wanted so if you really mean it stop wasting time throwing a few million here and there at the likes of Paul Lambert, who , with respect , will never in a world of pigs pudding stand a chance of getting us to those dizzy heights.
Its time to make your intentions clear GO AND GET WENGER give him anything he wants to get wwfc to the promised land i reckon he would love the challenge and would love to get away from those ungrateful cockneys.
Yours Sincerely
Spikeyboy
I wouldn’t want Wenger. He’s got no Championship experience! 🙂
I ten two think he would be suitable for our guys, he lacks ambition like our team.
He certainly looks and sounds like KJ & PL on interviews.
Well said Spikeyboy. Until we get a truly big name manager and backroom team to match, we will continue to struggle. How many years have we spent in this wretched division?
For all you punters out there,Sir billy Wright running today at Southwall 3.45.
Worth a dabble.
On a completely different tack and before this thread disappears into the complete lottery that is predicting which Wolves will turn up on Saturday:-
I’m just doing my usual daily troll around some Youtube sites – no not those sort. You bloggers, what are you like?!
What a brilliant live band Dr Feelgood were. Wilko Johnson, guitarist and showman extraordinaire and Lee Brillo, great front man and fabulous harmonica player.
That’s all.
You can all go back to sleep now.
Unless you wanna see this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBBfVBqQif8
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Brillo – is that one of them scouring pads which come in very handy for cleaning off coffee spilt on beige (other colours are available) trousers or, knowing you, are you being deliberately comically obtuse. Or am I thinking of a different Lee Brilleaux?
Great band indeed – loved them and Wilko’s album with Roger Daltrey was flipping ace or ‘tasty’ as we used to say in the 70’s (that’s the 1970’s by the way before anyone has anything smart to add!). Great live – saw them in the hot Summer of 1976. Almost as good live as The Pogues were when I saw them pre-fame in some small, hot and sweaty venue in North London which was despite them consuming vast quantities of Tequila each in the bar before going on stage still clutching their half empty bottles.