The times, they are a changing.
Not the fact we play our reserves in the cup – that’s exactly the same. More that those reserves are just so much better.
Cavaleiro, Dicko, Graham, these aren’t the calibre of second string picks we’ve come to expect.
Nuno’s teams always feature pace to supplement the rigid defensive shape and tippy tappy approach, which makes for a pleasing balance.
Then you’ve also got youngsters likes Vinagre, Norris, Deslandes, Ronan and Wilson who all look ready and capable.
Sprinkle in the battle hardened old school like Batth, Price and Edwards and you’ve got a formidable group.
What connects the three camps is that they’re all hungry and motivated to try and force their way into the side.
The head coach said after this win that there’s no first eleven. His team selections in the four league matches to date beg to differ.
But after the Cardiff defeat where a few deficiencies were exposed, who might now enter the equation at Brentford?
Ruben Vinagre has impressed in both his Carabao cameos and looks like a more effective attacking option at left wing back than Barry Douglas.
His compatriot Cavaleiro was already first in line having come on at the weekend and made a few things happen.
He twice setup Nouha Dicko last night and swung over the corner for Batth to score. Enobakhare and Jota have been good but one could find themselves sitting it out at Griffin Park.
With a hat-trick of first half chances spurned it’s difficult to say Dicko warrants selection over Bonatini, but he’s certainly an option.
Donovan Wilson took his only chance with aplomb so maybe he could even jump the queue? He’s consistently done it for the under 23s so why not?
I personally wouldn’t tinker with the back three, despite Miranda’s weekend struggles, but Batth, Bennett and even Deslandes might feel they’ve got a claim.
Will Norris in goal was so ridiculously assured, even John Ruddy might be pushed harder than he’d anticipated.
Whatever Nuno decides to do, it’s a pleasing situation to be in and fantastic to progress.
With a home tie against the lowest placed side left in the competition, we should go even further too.
Yes, times are changing and definitely for the better.
My smiley face has been restored.
I mentioned yesterday about every one singing from the same hymn sheet and last night we got our answer…. they are !
Nuno and your team , take a bow you are really working wonders at wwfc.
Roll on saturday.
fowb
I think a special mention deserved for Ronan for his second half performance. He was immense, great vision, passing, energy and tracking back. I hope he stays fit, he could be the real deal. Vinagre also looks an exciting prospect.
The times they are indeed a changing.
I can’t remember a better feeling as a Wolves supporter in the 60+ years I have been following them.
It may be a false dawn but i sincerely doubt it. Fosun know what they want and they surely intend to get it come hell or high water.
I only wish we had drawn Sandwell in the next round of the cup.
Onwards & Upwards
“battle hardened old school like Batth, Price…” incredible that these very experienced guys are still youngsters themselves and only getting better
cardiff was a smack in the gob for sure, but some vital championship lessons will have been learned, and i am rubbing my hands in anticipation for the rematch with a fit Helder Costa and shiny new 20+ striker to mow them down.
Thank you NES and thank you WWFC – what a fantastic time to be a Wolves fan 🙂
(oh and a cup run wouldnt be bad would it)
Didn`t see this one coming, and stuck at work last night, so had to ring my mate Clive in Houston for a match report.
With all the `reserve` team players pushing so hard to be in the first team starting eleven, it`s a fabulous position for the club to be in. I second spikeyboys`s comments above regarding the impact of the new coach. Long may this continue.
From the sound of it Dicko missed a few gilt edge chances and as at Hull, you`d fancy him to score in the away games. Hope he stays as his pace is a great asset. Its wonderful that we are creating so many chances, more of this on Saturday please lads.
Yes very good win last night would prefer 3 points Saturday but credit to boys last night
Well cover me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians!
What a performance!
Only downside is that I’m kicking myself for not putting some dosh on the boys at ‘ridiculous to one’ odds.
I’ve always done it before and am still living off the winnings of the Liverpool game (we don’t get out much).
As admant says, Cardiff was a smack in the gob (well more of an elbow in the throat really) but I think that Nuno is a highly intelligent man, and gifted coach, so he will have learned from that experience.
But the so called reserves to beat Southampton has to go down of one of the best results in years.
Such a shame that it’s in what has become a second class competition. I was reading in my daily rag that there’s talk that the Premier League clubs will be giving it a miss entirely before too long.
Never mind. Let’s go and win it!
OK, I might be going a bit over the top but what the hell!
I can’t see too well because I’m covered in chocolate and under a mound of firm female flesh.
Nurse! The screens!!!
DOOGie – milk or dark chocolate? Maybe given your advanced years it is good old fruit ‘n’ nut?Mind you those bits get EVERYWHERE (or so I’ve heard!). Just wanna get a visual image. Oh hang on – no I don’t! Nurse, when you’ve finished with DOOGie could you pop down to see me next please?
p.s. who was it who once said that lesbianism left a nasty taste in her mouth?
Milk AND dark chocolate for me mate.
Anybody who has seen the classic Lindsay Anderson film with Malcolm McDowell, ‘O Lucky man!’ will know what I mean when I say “Chocolate sandwich!”
A man can dream can’t he?
Does the boss read your postings??
Not any more….
…I think….
…I’ll soon find out!
Yawn, Been there done that. Chocolate and two women ……… in Norway they are up for anything. God those were the days lol
Where did they park their guide dogs, and walking sticks when with you???
Oh shit,
It’s with two women! Dohhhhh
Lay all night with two mars bars either side of me and to be fair I did get quite excited, but being from Scotland they were battered mars bars so maybe that helped.
Two women! Mmmmm
Interesting.
This was one of those days when a few of us can look back and say I was there.
Wolves 2nd string away v Southampton 1st team. We had a far from fit Michal Zyro and kids on the bench, they bought on Nathan Redmond, Shane Long and Gabbiadini. Yet we won, and won impressively.
Who impressed – Jack Price was my man of the match – did exactly what it says on the tin – chases, hassles, tackles everything that moves and intercepts brilliantly.
Nuno – Price for Saiss???
Ruben Vinaigre a star in the making, Connor Ronan cam off the bench and looked excellent, and young Wilson Donovan took his goal well. Deslaindes very competent.
Will Morris made one world class save and looked assured, even Danny Baath looked competent and headed everything including the softest headed goal you’re ever likely to see.
Finally Ryan Bennett should immediately take over Miranda’s position who has regularly been found out of position.
Sure Southampton had their chances, particularly dangerous down the left hand side, where Nuno got his selection wrong. A half fit Ben Marshall would have been a better wing back than out of position Jordan Graham. Later when Graham was able to operate as a winger he looked good again. Southampton they never turned up for the 2nd half until they were a goal down.
I made a 3hr car drive expecting to get whooped and drove home at 1am a fully fledged Nuno supporter.
I was so disappointed on Saturday, mostly with the sheer inefficient, inept match officials, rather than our boys, who, I thought, battled manfully against a really hard, good Cardiff side whose black arts were given full reign by the officials. I’ve watched the full match again on Wolves TV and we were much more in the game, in my opinion, than seemed to be the general consensus, particularly in the second half. I’ve always been one for using modern technology in today’s game, which is so much quicker and full of covert cheating practices than of older times where the clogging was far more `in the open`. Saturday’s game was a case in point where the well tutored tactics took place so often off the ball. A lesser team of lads would have caved in but Jota, for instance, seemed to revel in the cowardly, sly attention. My admiration for him grew more in this defeat rather than our superb wins ( when the going gets tough… ). As for this win, what can you say; eleven changes for us and six for the Premiership side and we ran out `bossing` the game with many promising youngsters and a great set of `oldies`playing a free flowing game. These are good times, but there will be hiccups along the way, but `am I enjoying it?`
Like others have said finally a great time to be a Wolves fan again.
Cannot praise Nuno enough.
An obviously intelligent man, he seems a footballing alchemist.
Long may it continue.
Any of you thinking of coming down here for the bees game , be
Mindful of these planned closure s
Sorry not too clear .. I’ll put it right in a bit
London – do we know yet which hostelry/establishment the LWSC are going to? May need to make adjustments to my travel plans. Now where did I put my drinking trousers?
It’s okay. I turned my PC on it’s side and it reads fine to me.
My first live game of the season (I don’t get out much either). Top display from our squad players with the only disappointment being Dicko, he really needs to find his shooting boots before it’s too late. A tenner at 7-1 meant a few beers were quaffed on the ferry home to finish off a very enjoyable evening.
Top man Wight, travelling abroad to see the old gold and black, long sea journey to boot.
Well done you. Top, top man. Lol
Sounds like Nuno has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal in the squad. OK we have brought a few key players in but Nuno has lifted the whole club from the doldrums. The kids are coming one, the pre-Nuno era surviving squad players are revitalised. This could well be the best time to be a Wolves supporter in half a century. We are not just trying to “buy” promotion, we are also improving everything we have. It’s a revolution.
My thanks to a blogger yesterday who took the generous 17/2 odds on a Wolves win last night. That alerted me and I was onto BetVictor just before kick-off and the odds were even wider at 19/2. I had £20 on for a nice £210 back. I forecast a draw yesterday but 19/2 was too good to turn down! Bookies’ odds only reflect bets laid, so there must have been big money on the Saints. Probably Backhander Warnock having a punt (easy come, easy go Neil).
Off topic I know but for any of you ‘flutterers’ out there a colleague here at my office has a part share in a racehorse (I think he owns a sixteenth of a hoof or something). Said gee-gee has been progressing well of late and came 2nd in 2 of its latest 3 races and is running today in the 545pm at Chepstow. Tallulah’s Quest. Has been steadily coming in and currently at 5-1 on Bet365. Definitely worth an each way bet at least.
Cheers Bedders!
Each way bet placed.
Bedders,
About that horse I put £50 ew on.
Dohhhhhhhh
Obviously a terrific, and quite unexpected, result. Super performance from our ‘second string’.
I watched NES’s post match interview this morning. We’ve become used to seeing him keep his feet flat on the floor irrespective of the result, win or lose. He did that in the Saints post match chat too as best he could. But the last ten seconds, he couldn’t contain his delight any longer and had to walk off before he actually jumped for joy.
So pleased for him, for the team, for the club, for Fosun and, of course, for the fans. As Thomas rightly pointed out in the first line of the blog, the times they are indeed changing.
And not before time.
Amid all the euphoria, a word of caution. Namely, failure to sort out the striker situation will likely come back to bite us. In our league not many teams will afford us the luxury to keep on spurning golden scoring opportunities
Last night, Dicko missed at least three absolute sitters. In sharp contrast, Wilson came on and immediately made the most of the chance provided to him. I fail to see why so many of us continue to make excuses for Dicko`s failures. In my view, he is simply not good enough, and should be nowhere near first team selection.
The signing of a quality striker is surely a must if we are to capitalize on what we now have in place..
A very pertinent observation Mike – I think we all agree that a new 20+ goal striker is a pre-requisite for promotion. Hopefully, Nuno is focused on securing one, otherwise why let Mason go?
They were not sitters as I saw from the replays. Maybe it looked that way from the stands.
One pass was behind him, one he had to juke past the defense and was off balance.
I tend to agree with you Tim.
He’s certainly not back to his best but they weren’t sitters.
I’d give him a few more chances yet.
I just read that Hull have made a three million offer for Dicko. If this is correct we should grab the money and run.
Dicko did everything right except scoring. There are not many strikers which plays his style of game better. Incredible speed and power and a nose for goals (usually). From the start of the pre-season till now he’s one of our top goal scorers. The question is if he’s the type of player Wolves need. If Wolves were to swap him for Sylla for instance, or another striker, it would simply be because he’s not the type of striker Nuno wants to play in his system – not because he’s not good enough. In my view he’s an excellent off the bench alternative to for instance Bonatini. Wilson and Ennis have the pace, but not the power and maturity.
Agreed KJK, Dicko scored 2 in 5 games and is a handful for any championship defence.
Wolves still need a striker or two for ‘2 good players’ for each position, especially for injuries and Dicko deserves to be one of the strikers.
You make my point. Dicko may have done everything right but score, but the fact is he did not score, despite numerous great chances to do so. This happens game after game with Dicko. How many more chances should we give him to do what he`s there to do ?
As others have rightly commented on these Boards, Dicko is not, and never will be the hold the ball up type of central striker that Nuno seems to want. Since quite clearly he is not a great poacher of half chances, just why do we play him ? What exactly is his role ?
My take is that If Dicko can command a half decent transfer fee we should sell him now.
After what we witnessed last night, I beIeve we should be looking to keep the majority of those players we (myself included) have lambasted in the last few Weeks/Months, the likes of Batth, Price, Edwards, and the second string put in a great performance last night. We have a group of players in the First team, second string and Academy who are now all cloning nicely, morphing into Nunos style of play.
It was evident last night that when Norris hoofed the ball up field as opposed to his usual passing from the back, we looked all at sea, the players themselves found it alien.
It is a totally reshaped Wolverhampton Wanderers right through the whole club from Tea lady to Nuno. As many have pointed out already, what an amazing time to be a Wolves fan, My window cleaner a die hard villa fan was really waxing lyrical about the new Wolves today and he meant it.
Onwards and Upwards.
We had a blip, we’ve looked at it and sorted it, now let’s power on to the promised land.
Nuno said, there is no “first team”. This is a far cry from Mick McCarthy’s system of nailed-on names first on every team sheet, every week, win draw or lose, the usual suspects, till death do we part. Nuno gives hope to so-called fringe players such as Batth and Edwards etc. Nuno is sorting the wheat from the chaff. Any player here after 1st September has everything to play for.
The way Nuno is operating, anyone and everyone who can rise to the occasion has a chance. Even the tea lady has probably upped her game and is serving more teas!
Oh Nuno what have you done to this squad. First example, you were playing Deslandes as a centre back pre-season, how in a couple of weeks did you know that he had potential there?
Price did well, but only after Nuno ripped him a new one from the sideline for not tracking back. That has always been an issue with Price, but no-one should be under any illusion that cuddly uncle Nuno is just about the arm round the shoulder.
Dicko needs to be taken out of the firing line and a loan may just help him reconstruct his game. But that will only happen if two strikers are coming in.
At some point in the future, if we are lucky, we will see the emergence of the dream central midfield partnership on Neves and Ronan. If it does happen I have no doubt it will be amazing. People will travel from afar to see it. For it will be called wonderful, wondrous and a joy to behold. prem league teams will offer gifts such as their stadium to entice them away. Sixty years from now people will speak of the way floodlights created a shimmering radiance around them as they led out a team which included Costa and Jota.just like the Real Madrid of Puskas Di Stefano and Gento.
But that’s for the future and best not to think about, after all the Mol has been a bit of a cradle of crushed or lost potential over the years: Knowles, Sunderland, Keane, Murray, Mark Davies Ismail, Robert Taylor.
For now we move on to Brentford, carrying our dreams carefully lest reality gatecrashes the fantasy.
Dicko seems to be the only player Nuno has not improved yet. I would persevere with him. Strikers thrive on confidence and confidence comes with scoring goals. There’s a good few goals left in Dicko, so let’s see if Nuno can unlock them. Injury-free I believe he’s your 15 goals a season man.
Hope this is clearer…………
As mud Matt. COUW !!
Well that was good eh? Listened to it via WolvesTV. Great performance all round. Norris made a brilliant save. Marshall was a surprise and that 45 mins will have done him the power of good. When Ronan replaced Marshall Wolves seemed to come alive, he has a great future. So pleased for Donavon Wilson to get a goal. Brilliant!
Home to Bristol Rovers on Tues 19th Sept, the day before I jet off on hols, so hoping for a winning send off.
Onwards & Upwards
P.S. we have signed Oskar Burr, Danish lad who is a right full back. Has been on trial for a while. Goes into the U23’s.
Just got home after a fab couple of days on the South coast. Combined seeing my girls with seeing my team. Predicted a 2-0 win as I just had a feeling we would repeat the score from the last time Sue and I went to a Premier League ground, Stoke. Didn’t get the odds some other bloggers got but will pick up £43.33 tomorrow. Thanks again Stu for sorting our tickets and for your company. A friend of mine who is a diehard Saints fan sent me a message on the way home saying “We can’t even say we played the reserve team” which echoes what Bedders said, we beat a Premier League team on their own patch with our reserves and kids. I have to say that we didn’t ever look like losing. If we had the Dicko of old, who knows what the score might have been. Was a bit surprised that he didn’t acknowledge us when he was taken of as he got a great round of applause. Also agree with comments about Graham, he just didn’t look the part. Early night for me as 8 hours on the road and just under 400 miles takes it out on an old man. Wouldn’t change it for the world though.
Well done Nuno and the “reserve” squad.
Must have been good for the national media to wax lyrical about the performance of a team outside the holy grail vs a team within.
I think a word for the supporters would not to go amiss. For 1,700 to travel that distance on a Tuesday night for what many may well consider a relatively low priority competition (until the quarter finals are reached that is and suddenly it takes on a new meaning) is quite remarkable. So well done fans.
BOG
I listened on Signal 107 with Thommo as summarised. Second half our keeper really had nothing to do. Collosal victory and some stirring performances from our youngsters-all playing football the right way. Convinced if we get to EPL playing like this we will flourish and grow. The likes of Warnock will dissappear back under the stone from which they came. Big well done to all who travelled and let me tell you that you were heard loud and clear and the Ivan song in full voice.
Nuno reminds me of Vassily Zaitsev.
Who the fuck is he, I hear you ask.
At the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942, Zaitsev was a Russian sniper, who killed so many Germans he became a symbol of hope for the beleaguered citizens.
That is what Nuno has done, given us hope.
Not wild promises and predictions, just a clear vision of what he is doing, and proving, with five impressive wins out of six matches played, including being unbeaten on the road.
Hope.
Something not seen or dreamed of at The Mol for decades, especially during the recent reign of those tossers.
Hope.
Putting smiles back on faces.
Hope.
Boosting crowds.
Hope.
Getting us buzzing again, talking about actual, real football being played.
Hope.
That fucking huge shining light coming like an express train out of the darkness.
Hope.
There is really a revolution taking place, and a positive future for our beloved club.
Last night’s victory should be a wake up call to all the doubters still out there. Get your season tickets now, before it’s too late, this IS the real deal.
Thank you, Mr. Nuno, for giving us hope.
Rachael Weiss, oowwww
She got her hands on the prize in the film about Vassilly Zaitzev. That Jude Law is one luck son of a Mother sucker.
Great film absolutely brilliant.
Houston. We don’t have a problem. Agreed. It’s the bloody opposite. For too long we have been chasing false dawns. Tossers, as you say. Finally, the sun is rising, the real deal is here…
Yeah, yeah, yeah but what about faith and charity? Eh? Answer me that.
My timing is a little off: turned up in Southampton this afternoon, a day after this amazing match, ahead of a visit to a P&O ship on Friday.
Nobody seemed to notice this bloke wandering around West Quay shopping centre in his rather fetching grey tee shirt with a nice little Wolves badge and a strange smile on his face. Surreal times and long may they last.
So proud of Nuno and the boys.
Exiled, most of them that were there went back to Wolverhampton.
Cheers Stu. Hope to catch up with you and fellow bloggers next month (4 weeks retired and I still have a hectic schedule).
If Burton can Afford Mason till January It Just Shows What Pitiful wages Morgan and Moxley were willing to Pay !!!
While they were both walking away with Millions…
Thank GOD they are Gone..
Its The best time ever to be a Wolves Fan…
I sense Something Big is on the Horizon…
I put £10 each way on Bedder’s horse at five to one.
It came in at ten past six.
Boom! Boom!
Theres another couple of top tips for tomorrow at Kempton
Dusty Carpet – so far its never been beaten
Chewing Gum – always sticks to the rails
I got rid of my hoover. It was only gathering dust.
Point 1 – Hull have had a £3m bid for Dicko rejected. In today’s market where Sam Clucas is worth £15m and Jonny Evans is apparently worth £30m (lol) and any old body seems to be worth at least £5m then I’m not surprised it was rejected. How do you spell ‘derisory’?
Point 2 – P4, W3, D0, L1, F6, A3
Not bad eh?
Our record against Premier League teams in 2017.
Point 3 – my mate says the going didn’t suit his horse, the weather conditions were against it, the jockey had had a rather large lunch, it never runs well on a Thursday, someone in the crowd was wearing a rather loud shirt which distracted it and if that wasn’t bad enough 4 other horses ran faster than it. C’est la vie!
OODCL
Fair enough.
If you could tell him to make the cheque for £20 out to Mark Earl, I’ll pick it up next time I see you.
DOOGie – he said to tell you that the Arsenal goalkeeper has merged with the upright of the goal frame.
The Cech’s in the post.
To Sr. NES
You’re “bringin’ on back the good times
Takin’ away the pain
You’re bringin’ on back the good times
And I’m livin’ on air so glad that you’re there
Sweepin’ away the sad times
Makin’ me laugh again
Oh, you’re bringin’ on back the good times
And you’ve started me livin’ now that I’m lovin’ again”
Obrigado
Phillip your a lyricist and a poet all in one go.
Like it, he certainly is brining on back the good times.
We’re all lovin it too.
I always felt that the players we had over the last few season were not as bad as their results. Individually, they are good players – hence when they move on they seem to perform well for other clubs. It very clearly was a coaching problem. Poor coaching and playing tactics. Nuno seems to have sorted this out. All the coaching in the world wont get the desired results if the players themselves dont listen or believe in themselves or the tactics. This is Nuno’s forte – man management and football brain. All those years sitting on a bench as a substitute came in useful. And it seems he is REAL boss that the players look up to and respect. He is a leader and revels in the playing the part of the “Wolfpack-leader”. He is a real inspiration and a breath of fresh air to the players and this club.
A tongue-in-cheek theme song for Wolves: Leader of the Pack.
Twisted Sister version maybe, not Shangri Las.
Go to this link, scroll down towards the bottom of the page and there’s a 4 minute video of the Southampton game, and it’s a pretty fair reflection of the action. Dicko was unlucky.
http://wolvesrumours.co.uk/wolves-banter.php
On the Dicko theme; He could, not should imv, have had a hat trick on the day but as said by others, who saw the action or watched the playback on WolvesTV, none of the chances were clear cut. On another day he may have finished one of them. Barring further injury he will come good again whether with us, on loan or transferred. I’m a big Dicko fan and have full faith in him to regain his mojo.
It’s a bit like the flak Miranda got for Saturday’s error, which, incidentally was far more costly of course. A bad slip, is that an error, which happens out of the blue regularly on these modern pitches; sheer rotten luck in my view; it happened right in front of me. Very costly, yes; dispiriting and annoying, yes, but to say as some did, `He had a poor game.`; I watched the game again on Wolves TV and, apart from the slip up, he had a decent game, which had been my initial view.
Saiss, on the other hand, who has been superb, had a `mare as did the non officiating officials.
All of us have prejudices with regard to some players, certainly me included, so I don’t expect any real agreement but I hope the general consensus is positive towards Nouha who always works his butt off for the cause and appeared dissatisfied with himself for not being able to reach back behind him for that last chance. If Edwards had been the deliverer of the pass some would be on his back for a poor pass behind the striker; such is the life of a footballer!