It’s all very doom and gloom right now and once again the Molineux faithful are getting restless.
But one of the key words being banded about before the season started was patience.
Wolves fans by nature are impatient; three or four passes around the back often greeted with ‘GERRRIT FORWARD!’.
It’s what the people are used to, we are a club who have generally enjoyed watching fast direct football with two out and out wingers. Modern football has caught up with us and we are all on a huge learning curve.
I get it, it’s slow and turgid but do you think that is what Solbakken wants? Of course it isn’t.
He has picked on it in several interviews, about us being hesitant and not moving the ball quick enough when we need to move our opponents about and create space in attacking positions..
The problem, I believe, lies with the players. This isn’t a criticism of them at all though. What I’ve always liked about them is that they are honest and always followed instructions well, players like Henry and Doyle have openly embraced Stale’s ‘system’ and have tried to adapt.
However I just don’t think they are capable and as painful as it is, the old guard need to go.
Anyone who knows me knows I have always given them the benefit of doubt and backed them to the hilt. So as painful as it is to say, the likes of Ward, Berra, Henry, Stearman, Ebanks-Blake (the list goes on) need to be moved on.
It would be stupid to do that all at one of course, Stale has already moved on a couple of players and over the next couple of transfer windows I think we will come to see many more departures.
This season is one of transition and I think the sooner people understand that and get onside with the manager and team the sooner we will get a better atmosphere at matches, it may even help the team relax at home.
Mick always looked at work rate, desire and honesty from his players. For the majority of his time here he got that from his players, but there was never (apart from a couple of spells in the 10-11 season, oddly) really an emphasis on possession football.
It’s why we are struggling now, because those players A) aren’t used to being asked to keep the ball and B) they simply aren’t very comfortable on the ball meaning we can’t keep the ball at the tempo we’d like to see.
The calls for us to be more direct and adapt more to the style of the Championship are understandable but we have to think long term.
We want to return to the Premier league with an identity and a style that will not just keep us in the Premier League but one that will establish us there.
We could really do with a spark right now, but if it doesn’t come please don’t hit the panic button.
The only thing you can say to this post is that time will tell. Whether it is the players or the Manager being out of his depth. Personally I think the latter at the moment, as for patience I have it in spades. But I’d like to see us play really well at some stage of this season!
In all the games I’ve seen thus far, all the home & Leeds away, they have not.
75 percent of the relegated teams fails to secure promotion the season after. So I believe it’s mainly the players. It is very difficult to start winning when you have lost match after match.
Teams have to gel, players need to perform consistently, and players have to adapt to new systems when new managers takes over – AND Fletcher has never been replaced.
Solbakken said before the season that it might be too early for Sigurdson this season to break trough, and he don’t seem to have much faith in Nouble which I believe was a target pointed out from our scouts to bring some pace into the team.
But we can’t predict the outcome of this season yet – it’s far too early and too many variables to calculate. Cassidy, Ismail, Boukary, Pezsko, Pennant, O’Hara, Margreitter and the new player(s) arriving in january can all make an impact after new year – at least big enough an impact to secure play-offs.
But not 75 per cent of teams made £25m plus in sales during that summer, while officially opening a new £18 million stand that nobody wanted. I’d put us in a unique 1 per cent on that score.
sooooooooo correct. its like being an extra on life on mars except i aint enjoying this episode
Yes we are a big club with enormous resources. How much money we have earned doesn’t matter as long as we haven’t used them to strengthen our squad since last season (defence and attack). It explains why we are where we are today.
Thanks for the post mate.
I agree with the central point. Solbakken certainly does need time to get things right and reshape the squad to suit his style.
But all football supporters are impatient, that’s just a fact. It’s not exclusive to Wolves fans.
I like Solbakken and I’m prepared to give him all the time he needs. But that doesn’t mean I won’t get frustrated when we’re served up the dross we saw in the second half against both Bolton and Charlton. It’s impossible not to lose your cool.
In the short term, he needs to get more out of the players he’s stuck with. They’re under performing.
In the long term, he needs to be backed in January and in the summer (regardless of the division we’re in) to get the players who can handle possession football and make his system work.
The last time we had a manager who wanted to play continental football was Hoddle. We didn’t have the cash back then to get the players to support his ideas. We do have financial muscle noq, so if the two M’s are indeed serious, there’s only one way to prove it.
Thanks for putting it up mate.
I know it’s natural to get frustrated and all teams have impatient fans, I just know we have a tradition of playing with wingers so when we knock it around the back you do tend to here the groans.
Agree Stale could be doing more to get more out of the players, tempo at the moment is not good enough and we look fearful.
On the comparisons with Hoddle, I see why people are saying it but the key difference is the manager. Hoddle showed disdain for the fans, his heart was clearly never in it and he played Carl Cort left wing haha! I think Stale is a clever man, and you can see he cares.
As the first person to reply said, only time will tell.
Totally agree that a lot of players need to be moved on – but if Solbakken watched the video nasty displays from our defence last season he should have started the rebuild at the back.
Hate to sound like Alan Hansen but its all about building on that solid foundation.
Surely anyone with half a brain could see how teams cut through us – I especially think they targeted the weakness in the left back position in a number of games. Perhaps the feeling was that they could cut it in the division from hell.
Ward, Berra et al are obviously not good enough so why go into another season with them as first choice? Makes no sense to me.
Still at least we have a shiney new half full stand to be thankful for! Go back to building houses if you’re not going to build a team that can challenge.
Excellent post. I can’t believe there are people on here that have already been calling for SS to get the sack. I can only hope they’re trolling.
Keep the faith – and I mean for longer than a couple of weeks!
How long do we keep the faith for ? At the moment relegation beckons. If we are in the bottom 3 in February would you sack the manager ?
If not, how will you feel when we go down. Will you still keep him?
That won’t be happening
Too right Louie.
And to invert your ‘logic’ pferdep, would you just change manager every time we lose a game? Think of the boost a new manager invariably brings to a struggling club, we could get that every other week, that’d be great wouldn’t it?
I would sack a manager who had won less than 10 in 30 by mid February
To a large extent, I agree with Louie. Solbakken has inherited a squad of players that simply aren’t capable of passing the ball. As such, he needs to be given time to get rid of the deadwood and bring in personnel (unlikely with the fat controller and Bob the builder in charge) that can knock the ball around and penetrate stubborn defences.
The question is: what does Stale do in the meantime? The current team clearly can’t adapt to his system, so does the boss revert to two wingers and play more direct, or persist with the new style of play? I’d be inclined to opt for the former until he can make changes to the squad. From what I’ve seen this season (admittedly not much, given that I live in Laaaandaaan), there’s nothing to suggest that the players will embrace the new system. As such, we’ll continue to lose if the gaffer refuses to compromise his footballing philosophy.
The problem here is money trumps the football team. The new talent generated within Wolves will only be sold on at a huge profit. Its hard to be patient when you cannot see any improvement. I am afraid we are set for 20 years mid table championship league, as before Micks era.
all they have got to do at the wolves is look to a—-n to see how it should be done..its so embarassing to admit but they have been slowly building and improving , adding quality to the squad year on year and attracting good managers……not like us – building a bloody massive stand we didnt want or need whilst allowing the team to stagnate……i think the fans have been patient for too long..about time we had a real voice me thinks
I can think of a more relevant word ‘ ambition’. Where is it ? Without ambition and real intent all the patience in the world will be no use whatsoever.Seems to me they have been conning us along for years. Have patience-wait until we get into the Prem,then have patience it will take time before we can establish our selves in the Prem, have patience will will build slowly year on year etc. What happened they resticted wages(apart from the wages of the CEO of course] this meant we failed to attract the quality payers needed to keep us in the Prem,but they still made big profits.Since then they messed up over the managerial position and have sold our 3 best players.They are just stringing us along whilst they let us down but continue to fill their own coffers. There is another imprtant word Messrs Morgan and Moxey; conscience,have you got one.
i think patience is important but there needs to be an end result and without a strategy we seem to be paddling uphill but without a canoe. patience is to be applauded if the manager has the backing financially and is given the time. i have not a clue what mr morgans long term plan is by the silence surrounding him and i think the fans need to be involved or he risks losing them . what could be achieved god only knows but i certainly dont think it looks rosy from where im sitting ….not sure if that makes sense but my dog is wagging his tail so thats good nuff for me.
Quite frankly there has been too much patience in the last few years.
We can see what is required. I believe so does SS. Agree it can’t be done
that quickly BUT want to see some ambition, want to know what exactly is the plan.
The silence from Morgan and Moxey is a stark reminder of the shambolic events of
last season.
Action speaks louder than words. Lets see some action.
I can’t say I’m agreeing with you. Mick got his chance to form a team, to bring in the right players to incarnate his vision – he failed. And that’s how it should be. He got his chance. The board chose the wrong manager to take us forward, it’s as simple as that. Fireing managers every season accomplishes nothing. A club needs continueity. Now a new manager is hired and deserve the same amount of time and support to lead the club unto new heights. If the club is in danger of relegation when march approaches the board has to act of course, but I don’t think we’ll end up in that situation quite frankly.
Well Louie you seem quite relaxed about our dilema. I agree that changing the style of play from McCarthy to Continental might seem a good idea BUT tell me .. in this division will it survive? Hoddle tried it and those were bad times. I’ve got plenty of patience BUT mine wears relly thin when I see absolutely NO football progress whatsoever. No pace , No tempo, No cutting edge, No likelihood of scoring twice in a match, 40 passes to get to the halfway line then pass it back for the big heave ho, this is when my patience becomes exhausted. For sure I will always be a wolves fan BUT when can I expect something back by way of cultured, pressing the ball, incisive football? Did you watch AJAX on Tues? now I would like some of that! |It’s what I thought would happen at the start of the season .. SS’s hands being completely tied by the wage structure and cheap buying policy.
Top blog mate. You’ll be suitably worried to read I agree with the sentiment of it all! I’ve said from day 1 we are a mid-table team and nothing has changed my mind. I didn’t vouch for the monotonous, predictable style of football on show, which is inevitable given the personel Stale is working with (as you’ve alluded to).
My ‘beef’ goes a lot deeper, to the point that the football on the pitch is almost secondary.
We had a glorious, gaping opportunity to cement a position as Premier League mainstays. Following that glorious 2-3 defeat Morgan had an empty net to tap the future of our club into. He not only missed but refused to shoot.
Now we are up to our necks in profit and again, Morgan refuses to shoot. Instead, like a Solbakken team, he passes sideways.
The only difference being that Solbakken’s passive show is the only one we see with our own eyes, thus he will get the blame. And for that, Solbakken gets all of my patience and the man who’s REALLY responsible for this regrettable – utterly preventable – chapter gets none.
Worryingly I agree with pretty much everything you’d said too Ben, what is going on here?! Clive, don’t you start agreeing…
We really, really should have kicked on from that 10-11 season and particularly after that Blackburn game. We showed at times we were capable of playing some decent stuff and that we weren’t THAT far off of being a decent side.
That summer is when we really should have strengthened, instead all we added was Johnson when really we needed at least one more defender, a centre midfielder and another forward. When our plan A went to shit we had nothing to fall back on
Louie- ‘That’ summer Mick shoud have been sent packing. With every passing day since that point the 2 M’s have done nothing to suggest they have a clue how to run / build a successful football club.
In hindsight yes he should have, and I’m sure some said it at the time but imagine it, to the neutral it would have looked mental!
Looking back, I quite enjoyed that season. Beating the big guns, some great memories in other games and on the whole that season we did play some decent stuff. I felt we were building towards something but we didn’t show anywhere near enough ambition in the summer. And that is ultimately what cost us, and cost Mick his job
i dont think they could build a bloody toy in a happy meal .!!!!!!!!!!!! they would probably not want to pay the right price for it either!!!
In fairness, I sometimes struggle to build a toy in a happy meal. The last SpongeBob Squarepants range was a bit challenging for yours truly! lol
but the question we need answered is did you enjoy playing with it
I agree with Louie on this, on the whole. That said, I’m a little surprised that we’ve not gone out and got a couple of players on loan in this window that can really provide the spark that the rest of our floundering players need.
Its easy to look at the way that we are playing at the moment and say that these players can’t play this kind of football but a lot of it comes down to confidence. When this team have played with confidence flowing, they have shown that they have the ability to string very good incisive passing moves together and to provide an end product. Problem is even when, during this season, we’ve won, we still haven’t played well enough to boost the players confidence to try things. Add to that, that these players were purchased to work hard to break down attacks and make it difficult for the opposition, and they have been performing particularly badly in this element of the game of late too. It seems more obvious that a couple of really astute loan signings were needed badly. I was hopeful with Pennant but…….
I hope that we give the likes of Zeli a chance, Cassidy and possibly even Griffiths come January too, they are playing with confidence at the moment, they will make the runs to inspire a pass from midfield that our static front line really don’t. Even if we go and buy big in January we still need to start to bed a few of our promising youngsters in both them and the regulars need to realise that you need to earn your place. We need a spark.
Louie you need to get this blog out to the wider of the Wolves fan base, because the sooner that our fans realise that we may not go up this season the better.
I want Stale to build a team that A) Gets us promotion B) Keeps us there C) Takes us forwards to better things.
This will not be done over night, it may take two seasons? who knows! we need to bed in some of the young players like wolf in the hudd has mentioned, Zeli, Cassidy, Griffiths to add to Forde and Davis.
This season of course we still have O’Hara,Peszco, Boukari, Margreitter and maybe Hunt? and Mouyokolo to come back, I believe we just need a couple of good wins and then we could take off, I know we have been here before but injuries to key players again have put the brakes on, Burnley are doing ok – but watch them fall if Austin gets injured because he is the only one scoring for them, same goes for one or to of the other “high” flyers,
It’s not were you are in November it’s were we are in May that counts, but I for one won’t be so upset if we don’t make it this season.
Lets all stick together, in Stale I certainly trust.
We are Wolves……. Onwards and Upwards.
It’s not that we won’t get promoted….. it’s the danger that we will go down. Current form is relegation form. We have beaten nobody. Can’t score; can’t defend;Can’t create. Reserves smashed by Liverpool. I don’t think SS will turn this around. These players are incapable of winning a match. If we draw Non league in the cup, we will lose.
It’s Docherty all over again.
I feel the current situation goes back to the middle of our first season under McCarthy in The Prem.
He was all at sea, we were floundering, and to his credit, he changed his tactics, and we stayed up relatively comfortably.
Then, beginning of the second season, he reverted to the tactics from the beginning of the previous season, and never changed, thus having learned nothing.
This resulted in the now famous “three minutes from relegation ” situation.
Having survived that, it was felt by all, and by all I mean the 3 Ms, that life was rosy and the current squad were good enough.
Talk about heads in the sand!
And now, having presided over the McCarthy sacking and Connor hiring fiasco, coupled with keeping Connor and backroom staff well into a new manager’s regime, they still feel we have a squad good enough to compete at this lower level.
As someone else so correctly said on here recently, the sign of madness is doing the same thing repeatedly, and expecting different results.
How can progress be achieved, or even hoped for, with the same old tired group of players, who know they will not get dropped, being trotted out week after week?
If the Championship winning season is analyzed properly, it will be clear we were very lucky to win, we had some terrible runs, but luckily so did our nearest rivals. The point being we still have the nucleus of that team, and now they are 4 years older and slower. Plus, the rest of the league around us are much fitter and faster.
I dont think we have seen one tenth of what Solbakken is trying to do yet, his hands are tied with the dross he has to try and mould.
As the old saying goes, shit in, shit out.
The poor bloke needs all of our support, but in a way that makes it clear to Morgan and greasel that we are behind the team and the manager, not them.
FOm&g
Clive, there is some stuff I agree on in there but one thing I have to say is that you are underplaying that Championship season. We played some fantastic football that year, went on two fantastic runs and when we had our wobble we were slightly fortunate, but we did get ourselves out of it.
There was definitely a feeling of comfortableness (is that a word?) and a lack of ambition last summer which did us in really.
A fresh start is what needed and that can’t really happen until the players who have done us a good service over the years are, with regret, moved on.
Totally agree.
Plus I think Solbacon is hampered by the “at least we are solvent greaser Moxley” who simply won’t allow any expenditure. We even struggled to get an Assistant coach etc. Why is it so hard to attract people to our famous and great club? We are being sold down the river by a group who simply want to line their own pockets-a familar but ugly side of football. £25m plus in transfer income where is it being “invested” not in the team that’s for sure.
I see other sides landing good players, if only on loans but we have an entrenched jobsworth bunch of players who even if they want to leave nobody wants them… Berra, still here and still a main plank of the CD. The ones we try to sell we have to give away which says more about the squad than anything else.
Come December we will be down to 15,000 crowds and the damage will have been done. I fear relegation is by no means impossible, what a sad and sorry state to be in… Massive decisvive action is required NOW but I expect us to continue down with the unenlightened trudging path we seem set upon. No intent, no passion , no vision, no plan, no pride and no belonging. The faithful deserve better than this shower.
So so gutting.
I’ll be patient till mid feb. If we are bottom 5 by then I would not give SS any more time. Build by all means but if you only win 1 in 3 you go down. We have won 1 in 6 and now need to win 2 out of 3 just to stay on target to stay up.
Don’t think it couldn’t happen… it did before and this team is worse.
Even with 1 in 6 lately Ståle maintains 1.89pts/game career average as manager… Patience will give us 2/3 🙂
Changing the style of play is one thing… going forward ,creating, scoring,
But the goals we concede on a match to match basis, don’t need a continental style of defence..
That’s just the basics that need addressing. That’s where the manager needs to start before any idea is given to passing it around all day without scoring..
If he cannot address these basics of football, what chance do we have.
I have no patience left.
Football today has no time for patience, how long should we have patience for?
Having patience means we just fall further and further behind..
We have brought in 2 new coaches and have seen no improvement in the basis of defending from last year, we are back to letting in 2 goals a game… Only last year it was against far superior opposition.
No Progress what so ever.
I blame Morgan and Moxey. 100%
The manager will be a fall guy.
I agree Louie but among Wolves fans we are in a minority thats why its easier for clubs like Swansea Norwich and Albion to make a transition.Perhaps Mad Mick was a good fit after all !
In january, stale will be given a transfer budget by morgan and moxey. Lets say its £5m. It is up to stale who he spends that money and in what areas he strengthens. Like all managers, (apart from wenger), stale will want as much money as possible from morgan and moxey. The more money he gets the quicker he can bring in his own players to suit his preferred style of play. Its totally up to morgan and moxey, and we know they like to shop in the bargain basement. Morgan and moxey should not have signed stale, a manager with a totally different style of play to the previous managers and squad of players, if they were not going to back him financially. Is this another massive mistake, for which our current board is renowned for. I like stale and really hope he is not the fall guy for our incompetent, money grabbing board
I agree they are a money grabbing board, £7.00 to enter the Wolves museum.
Disgraceful…..
says everything thats wrong with the wolves…..we are not seen as fans anymore but another way of filling their pension pots! smacks of arrogance and a complete lack of respect!! the wolves history was in a time when the gates WERE the way the club paid the wages so on that basis ITS ALREDY BEEN PAID FOR you money grabbing idiots. we have no history without the fans….doh!
Of course it takes time to become a passing team before you can move the ball with tempo and certianty there is a learning curve to follow.
I find passing football easy on the eye but there are others who find it boring.A more exciting solution for some is to keep buying new players.Thats not a problem as long as they can afford to keep going to the matches.
A good read Louie.
I’d be in agreement with pretty much all of it, Stale has to be given some time to move the old players out, unfortunately given the Window system and moxey holding out for an extra 2 quid in the summer, he’s only had a couple of weeks so far and got to wait until Jan for the next. As mentioned above, trying to play a passing game with players who technically aren’t really up to it is always going to be a problem.
One thing that worried from the start tho, is that I remember reading in the summer about his preference for zonal defence, I was thinking at the time if he tries that with our lot it will all end in tears.
I agree entirely Simon.
Zonal defence is a bad idea when you have really good defenders – just look at Manchester City in Europe this season – when your defence is like ours, it’s suicide!
Respectfully, I have to disagree with this blog. Sorry Louie.
I think Wolves fans are some of the most patient there are. How many clubs do you think would have maintained such an extensive world-wide fan base over so many under-achieving years? You would think that after patiently waiting and supporting our club all those years, our club would at least put up a better effort at staying up once they got there. But no, they repeatedly underinvest. They gave Dave Jones 3 million to buy players when we went up in 2003 (read his biography). An insult! Then we survive by a miracle of all miracles in the last 3 mins of the last game of the season, and they just buy one defender. I ask you, are the fans impatient or is the club mocking us! I’m sure you’ve been to Anfield … do you think they would stand for it there!
I think you misuse the work “patience” here. I think you are using it as an excuse for failure. Show me one Wolves fan who didn’t expect to get promoted back up last summer. And again, the club could have made a better effort to ensure it. Just like they could have made a better effort to avoid demotion had they hired an experienced manager like Curbishley. But no, again they mock us with Connor, and now, after they made complete mockery of our club in front of pretty much every decent manager in the league, we got Solbakken. And because he wasn’t the right guy to take us straight up, we now call for “patience”. It’s not patience we should be calling for, but for the heads of those in charge who are running a mockery of this club. “Patience” is an excuse for their failure!
Sorry, but I think if us fans can be accused of anything it’s dimensia, not impatience. Because we all so quickly forget how badly this club lets us down year after year. Until those letting us down move on and our club is in the hands of owners with real football ambition, we’re just waiting for another false dawn.
No patience for bad management and excuses.
couldnt have put it better myself…the number of times after trapsing all over the country weve come out at the end after another crap performance and stating never again! and come saturday saying maybe this week we will turn it round. only a wolves fan eh! as i said before though its killing the passion and will empty our ground of all but the most ardent in the end .
Although he had the biggest transfer budget in the championship we had a poor run of results on many occaision under Dave Jones including being overhauled by West Brom for promotion when we were 11 points ahead with 9 games to play.
Colin, the point is that the investment needed to take a promotion winning team and turn it into one that can thrive in the EPL is huge. So far all the club has done is spend a lot of money (agreed) in bits and drabs on a “quantity” of championship quality players, and when we go up they refuse to invest in the next step. Thriving in the EPL requires “quality” players at a very different level, not just quantity. And it is hard to acquire these players in the championship because they all want to play in the EPL. So the investment almost by definition has to be done in two phases: spending money to get promoted, at a Championship wage structure (which both Jones and McCarthy did, and now Solbakken has started again), and then spending money to stay there (which we choke on every time). Like I said in another post, the crime this time is that we were probably ony 4-5 quality players and a quality manager like O’Neill or Curbishley away from making this dream true. And instead the club did …
Thanks for your reply GOWolves.
Would just make a few brief points:
Spending doesnt always equate with success it has ruined quite a few clubs.
On managers isnt O’neill struggling at Sunderland ? And for me Curbishley being linked with every job is now becoming a bit of a joke.
Having said that i think Morgan owes – he should give at least the balance of the transfer fees made in the summer to Stale – thats 15 million.
As a football fan i am not in love with everything about the EPL.
i am not in love with the epl either colin as this greedy boys club is slowly destroying our game from the grass roots up…. i thought we could at least be competing in this league though-the championship-we have only lost 3 players afterall..
There is no doubt in my mind that had the club moved for either of those two managers at the appropriate time we would be playing in the EPL this season.
Whatever the EPL is and is becoming is not necessarily to anyone’s taste, but it’s where EVERY team and EVERY player wants to be, because it is where one of the highest levels of football is being played. The Championship is just for clubs who just can’t make it or aren’t good enough. Don’t give in to the mindset the club would like us to buy, Colin, that this is good enough. It’s not. We can do better.
Have to agree to disagree GoWolves on the managers.Some Sunderland fans are posting the same sort of blog as you about there team and O’neill.As for Curbishley the way he has conducted his affairs just cant see when and where he is going to manage again.
For me Solbakken is a much more imaginative appointment with much greater potential.
Interesting blog Louie.
I agree that Ståle needs time to shape the team but unfortunately he is caught in a vicious circle.
Some people think the passing game is boring (well it is when we try it) but it is fine if it is producing results, or at least plenty of efforts on goal.
Patience is a great thing but, quite honestly, if I thought that I was going to shell out over £70 on a regular basis for the present Mrs DOOGooder and myself to watch the ‘paint drying’ exercise that the Charlton match was, I would sooner stick my head up a dead bear’s bum!
I think that lot of fans are of the same mind and gates will drop very quickly unless the team provide more entertainment.
Losing is something we all have to contend with, but losing without being seen to put up a fight is not acceptable to me.
I do think Wolves and us fans are some years behind many other clubs in terms of embracing a passing game. The memories of the Hoddle reign seem to be a reason not to try for another generation!
I’m proud of our history – the direct game of Cullis and the wingers from Mullen to Wagstaffe to Jarvis.
But Fulham, Swansea, West Brom etc. painful as it is, that has to be the template now surely.
Swansea had teething problems under Martinez and Souza. Albion were mocked at times under Mowbray. But they’re on the right course.
It’s not ‘continental football’. It’s just football. We’ve got to stick with this if we want to progress.
Unfortunately, as Louie suggests, in the meantime it means not hitting the holes for Doyle to chase even though that’s his strength.
Long old season ahead.
Top post Louie- completely agree with you. Of course SS wants to play a high tempo and he also wants to play high tempo/possession football higher up the pitch- remember the Baggies in Mick’s swansong(sorry!)- but they camped outside our area and pinged it around waiting for an opening-that is where we need to be (not passing it around the half way line) . The reason we don’t do that is simple-we do not have enough players who are comfortable in possession and technically competent in keeping and passing the ball. I think O’hara is sadly missed at the moment-he is one of the few players who looked like he had time on the ball (even in the Prem). Come on MM, do us all a favour. Take Ward, Berra, Stearman, Edwards and Ebanks Blake to Ipswich and let’s get some real footballing talent in .
I agree with the majority of whats been said so far, the team that we came down with was McCarthy’s built for work rate and more direct football. Stale is trying to build a team based on possession and stifling teams into submission the two styles are proving to be incompatible. There are some players that may be able to adapt; O’hara, Doyle and Henry but the remainder aren’t good enough to keep the ball consistently.
Add to that the fact that we have singularly failed to improve our main weakness from the past four or five years (our defence) and its no surprise that were having issues. the question is are they teething troubles or are they ingrained and much more serious?
As for the fans, were not quite as divided as we were in the last years of the McCarthy era but the impatience and frustration and general unhelpful atmosphere is starting to rear its head again. If the ire is targeted against the suits that got us into this situation through their lack of investment in the first team over the past 3 years then it could be positive. If its aimed at the management or the players it will achieve nothing but adding confidence to the opposition.
Lets just say if we win our next 3 or 4 games, will there still be doom and gloom? Or if we sign some quality players in January? We are just hitting a rough patch at the moment, lets be honest, most of us here knew it would happen eventually. Why do yous think the players like it better when they play away from home? Because if they make a mistake or they pass the ball around the back four a little bit, the fans won’t jump on their back! I would love to see wolves in the premier league as I’m from Australia and can’t watch wolves that often when we are in the championship, but as soon as we start losing doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom.
UTW!
Where have you heard the players say they prefer playing away? Recent results at Huddersfield, Burnley and Hull would suggest they’re not too keen compared to Molineux, where we’ve only lost once all season. Not sure the fans are to blame like you appear to be suggesting.
I can’t quite remember where I read it but I did, and I’m not just blaming the fans, it’s everyone’s fault, the board, the players and yes, sometimes the fans.
Good blog Louie, and you are dead right. I can be very patient so long as I don`t go to watch the matches, unfortunately, like all supporters with black & gold in our veins, results and performances do matter, and there is the small matter of an expensive season ticket.
I for one saw Morgans` rational in the new stand with the extra revenue opportunities from the larger conference and banqueting facilities. I`ve seen the similar facilities first hand at Bolton, Leicester and the Ricoh, and WWFC needed to compete for that corporate business. That will benefit the club long term, and be a major asset should we ever get back to the prem.
MM`s dinasaur tactics and players bought were not good enough to stay the course in the premiership. We all remember the kick offs!?!, I feel the Stalle system is the right way. Look at Swansea for example, players with pace, the ability of natural movement with pass and move, into space, with pacey fullbacks supporting the midfield.
Most of our team just can`t play like that, they pass and stand still, years of TC coaching I`m afraid. Well our motto is, out of darkness cometh light, so maybe we will get some transfer action in January. I`ll support you evermore………
Croatia, living in oz you havent spent your hard earnt on going to wolves matches. Last season i went to fulham, spent £200, in the pissin down freezing rain and watch tge most disgraceful performance when we lost 5-0. And now im being told by someone who lives in a different country that doesnt go to the matched its the fans fault. Spend some money croatia and come over to england and watch the matches. If you still feel the same way, the fairplay to you.
That was a terrible performance, I had to wake up at 12 or 1 in the morning to watch wolves get thrashed most of the time and was pretty pissed off so yeah, you spending our money on performances like that, you have your rights but I’m just saying that just coz we loose couple of games doesn’t mean that it’s all doom and gloom
Some great points made.
I am one of those Old Gold and Black guys who can no longer attend matches. Whenever in the UK i take in a match and proudly take my family and grand kids. I also drop a lot of money in the shop and buy regulalrlry on line. I am not sure how I would feel these days about a Season Ticket or traveling to away games. My heart says i would but the fans have every right to expect some success and entertainment, not abject dross and surrender.
I am not totally convinced about SS yet but can not judge until we have a team he has had more influence in. But I do expect to see a good coach and manager have a positive impact.
To me the word PATIENCE in the context of soccer must always be linked to :
1) A plan
2) Progress and improvement.
Without these two elements patience is just doing more of the same and hoping things get better.
At the moment I would like to hear the plan and see some things getting better.
By the way I would be totally pissed at 7 quid for the museum if i was a season ticket holder.
What’s in the museum?
Program from the last time we won?
Picture of a full Molineux?
There cannot be much from the last 32 years, unless its those very small books, Mick McCarthy’s book on tactics, Terry Connor’s book on smiling, Karl Henry’s book on passing forwards, and greasel’s book on how to spend company profits.
Videos of our last Wembley successes, (and I dont count the Sherpa Van thingy as a cup) ?
Those videos should be on a fuckin’ big screen in the dressing room, so the current squad of muppets can see how football should be played, and how wearing the shirt of one of history’s most famous clubs is supposed to be, passionate and full of pride.
Any one on here daft enuff to have paid 7 quid?
Wrong players, playing the wrong formation in a style they can’t do. Lets hope its not the wrong manager.Patience really is going to be key, but when did you ever see that from a wolves fan.
“Patience for solitaire”, Louie.
It’s the board that should answer with their cheque book.
Nice one Louie. I painfully agree.
And taking of the old guard and patience …. Looks like Micheal Branch needs to be patient. I wonder if Dave Beasant will ever forgive him for THAT goal? Remember that game..? I hope we get a bit of that sort of stuff during our transition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyhgO_WcgR0
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1218596?cc=5739
Barcelona charge approx 20 euros for a tour of ground, dressing room and trophy room. It is an amazing experience and well worth the money. How can we even contemplate charging £7. I would love to take family etc but will definately not set foot in the place. Imagine if morgan and moxey said, season ticket holders go free. Now that would be a simple gesture but would make great strides. This is what a clever marketing person would do. Instead it is now a money making scheme. Fuck em.
I agree this is a fair comment but as has been pointed out time and time again on this blog we need to spend and SPEND BIG !
Agree both points.
I am involved marketing & sales. Everything you can do to improve perceptions and positive energy about the club experience will come tenfold.
I do not know the costs of operating the Museum but they can not be much. free entry for season tickets and a nominal entrance for others should suffice, get people in and they will buy something for sure. For Christ sakes Jez quit chiseling. I know you can and will justify iy, that aint the point I could justify it , but it dont make it a positive experience for the fans. In three months time you will also be able to justify closing it, too cos no one is going. You are a twerp of the first order.
Yes we do need to spend, but what makes us think for one minute Jez will put all the 7 quids (he aint going to get) in the mysterious treasure chest SS aint going to get.
Please please can we have a sensible CEO and owner.
My comment was facetious i think the museum as is the tradition with museums should be free or have only a nominal fee – i am getting fed up aswell with the fans who are prepared to pay getting screwed.
Gotcha Colin, I just wnated to use your comment to ask where al the 7 quids will end up
Football ambition is what we want. What we have is ambition to build over priced concrete steps paid for by skimming every last penny from the fans in every transaction from tickets to bovril to musuems.
Moxey has done some good deals on players to be fair but the way the common supporter is treated is beyond belief. Its negative because there is no cash turnstiles with the ground only two thirds full, its negative when I book a ticket and get ripped off for booking fees. its negative when I print my own tickets and then wonder if it will scan, its negative because I wonder what the guy that worked the turnstile does now, its negative when I see the prices in the ground and still can’t get served in time at half time.
I bought a ticket in the new stand and the seat turned out to be a season ticket holders who was present and showed me his ticket. WTF!!! Lucky his mate hadn’t showed and there was a spare seat. Never bothered complaining as I knew It would be p***** in the wind!
Hello Wolves, this is the internet speaking, get it sorted Moxey and spend some of ‘our’ cash on players Morgan and do it in January.
Honeymoon or no honeymoon for Stale, we should expect better than what we have. The fans are understandably restless.
When we observe that our Tesco Bag-clad neighbours have spent broadly similar amounts of money to us on players over the past 4-5 years, but have got significantly more out of them, we should ask why that should be.
When we see Kevin Doyle, a class player – dubbed “Superman” on this very blog a couple of years ago – coached down to an impotency so sterile that Christopher Reeve in his wheelchair would score more goals, we should ask why.
When we see massive influxes of money coming into the club, but so little of it being spent on new blood, we should ask why.
When we see our on-loan youngsters scoring for other clubs, while our own attack is toothless, we should ask why.
We should always question the shockingly high levels of injuries our players seem to sustain.
We should always be scratching our heads at why, in any last 20 minute period of any 90-minute match, it always seems to be the players in Old Gold shirts who are looking exhausted.
I am not impatient, but change must come, and quickly.
Put the whitewash back in the shed, Louie.
spot on !!but no-one is listening to the fans so everything willremain the same…
And all that is Stale’s fault? I’d say pretty much all of it he has arrived with already like that?
Never said it was. But I support (and am patient or impatient with) the club. Not just one individual within it.
Regarding the cost of getting into the Wolves Museum, I think I’ve found another Moxey moneyspinner.
Why not charge the players entrance to the ground as well?
A lot of them seem to be mainly spectating during the match.
A bit of a cheap shot, but any shot if it hits the target is better than none.