So it’s one win from five, another late capitulation and yet more profligacy in possession that the footballing gods couldn’t ignore.
Never mind the shrill of yet more Cockneys in my radio speakers for the second successive Saturday, it was the dulcet tones of Robbie Dennison that was far more worrying.
“We have to keep possession better,” Robbie whispered to Bill Hatton.
If he said it once he said it 40 times in the second half alone, so while the manner of defeat might seem cruel to many, it just felt utterly predictable to me.
Forty five minutes at home to Stoke aside, we’ve had the infuriating knack of giving the ball away with glaring frequency and with five minutes to go at White Hart Lane we were at our prolific worst.
Many can lament referee Mike Jones for getting in the way of David Jones in the build-up to Spurs’ second.
I don’t. I see it as karma for a second half of listening to an Ulsterman politely suggesting that we might want to start keeping the ball better.
Or a bit of rough justice for leaving the one player on the bench (yet again) in Guedioura, who actually can pick out a teammate at will. How bad must he be in training?
And then there is our ‘left back’ Ward who needlessly gave Spurs a way back into the game when stupidly hacking down Alan Hutton, allowing Van der Vaart the chance to equalise from the spot.
It can’t be a coincidence that every team continues to attack our left hand side against a failed £100,000 Eircom striker who simply can’t defend.
In spite of this latest disappointment, the feeling is that we do have a team in that 25-man squad that will do well for us well in many games to come.
But in a worrying repeat of last season’s early fixtures, Mick seems incapable of picking it, a point encapsulated when Ebanks Blake was ignored for Marcus Bent.
So it’s the same number of wins from the same number of games last season (I think), the same problem at left back that just won’t be addressed, and the same habit of giving the bloody ball away.
At least the utterly spurious ‘dirty Wolves’ stigma will be cast aside for a weekend and some meaningful analysis might actually begin.
Being labelled dirty is one thing. Being ridiculously careless in possession is another.
I cannot believe how quickly we threw that game away. Ward’s attempted tackle? absolutely bonkers! how far did hutton dribble the ball before he was actually tackled? and if youre gonna make a tackle in the box…… anyway i feel like im taking away clives spiel, so i wont say much more on that.
I dont think we can have both mancienne and henry in the middle of the pitch because guedioura dominates the midfield far better in tandem with henry than mancienne does. having such similar players just allowed spurs to camp outside our box directing play as they please.
Ön a positive note, i do think van damme is proving his worth, and that overall as a team we look far more dangerous going forward than last year.
Here’s to the brighter side.
Btw Dazza, sorry for not replying to your message a week or 2 back about firstrow.net, ive been super busy and havent had a chance to reply. it worked an absolute charm! much appreciated mate :D.
No probs Jub… glad it worked.
Greetings Kowloon. I hear Jarvis should have been booked again today. He was blatantly hacked down by Gallas in their penalty area so was very lucky to escape a yellow card:-)
Watched the game live in glorious HD courtesy of Setanta Canada, and to be fair the game was there for us to be won. 76 mins in 1-0 up with Spurs completely devoid of ideas and then Stephen f**king Ward makes THAT challenge and hands them a way back in. He then passes to the ref instead of Jones and as Stearman takes Ward’s player, Ward doesn’t pick up Stearmans and after a lucky bounce Pavle something is on his own when Ward should have been al over him.
This game was lost because of Stephen Ward and nothing else. Infuriating to say the least! And I was on for my first 3 points in the prediction league – no points for me and no points for Wolves!
Can you website be backed up before Clive brings it crashing down in a fit of Ward related rage?
I quite like it here.
Clives on a cruise in Alaska. I’ve just spoken to him and fiven him a match report. The iceburgs are melting as I type! Global warming? You aint seen nothing yet!!!!
Ward arguably cost us the two important goals, conceding a ridiculous penalty and then giving possession back to them that led to the second.
Two things to consider though, he’s played well up to today and more importantly, we don’t have anyone better for the position.
So don’t expect him to be dropped next week.
We have van Damme who is clearly better than Ward.
He looks a tidy left midfielder but I’ve been told he got ripped apart twice in pre-season at left back.
Still, might be worth a shot. We did after all buy him for that position.
Just to clarify, I’m not saying I wouldn’t drop him, I’m saying he won’t get dropped.
So it’s Villa, Wigan and West Ham next…. I think these will be the testers. After those it’s not worth lookin….
I thought we would lose this one but again, a lead gone to ray sh!t.
To be fair, we’ve narrowly lost two difficult away games. Play like we have done and these 3 fixtures look a lot nicer. Wigan and West Ham are there for the taking
Its all so frustrating. Mick does dribe me mad sometimes. Just heard his radio interview and it wasnt long before he (yet again) was saying how well the team did bearing in mind it was largely the same players who were playing Chanpionship football 18 months ago.
Well, whose choice is that??? Why sing Mouyakolu and not pick him? I thought Van Damme was a left back, why not play him there? What has Guedioura got to do to start a match?
But most puzzling of all is how does Bent feature ahead of SEB? Picking Keogh ahead of SEB early last season wrecked our no.9s morale and so why kick him in the nuts again now???
I love Mick to bits and I love my wife too but they both drive me mad sometimes!!
I don’t get the SEB one at all. He had to have some sort of injury cuz after two goals already to be dropped from the first XI is harsh, but then not to come on at all is mind boggling (especially when it’s Marcus ‘hasn’t played for Blues in a year’ Bent)
Not complaining by the way. Brilliant to see Doyle and Fletcher together, and another goal for Fletch. Bit harsh on SEB though
Up until the seventy fifth minute, Ward was excellent. After that he was poor. Atleast Clive has got something to look forward to.
I thought we kept the ball really well ten minutes before and after the equaliser. In that period we were the better team and should have had a penalty. What do we have to do to get one?!
Henry was superb, and played in some great balls behind the full back that I didn’t know he could do.
We need something from the next three games, because the four after are very tough.
That’s like saying raoul moat was a lovely chap for every day of his life, bar a blip at the end. He isnt a left back. Fact. He was sussed by a load of mediocre championship wingers as we were told how great he had performed with dodgy knees. It’s as if we think the position isn’t important enough to seriously address it, like a duncan fletcher wicketkeeper that keeps dropping the ball. Or like ashley Giles being chosen as a number 8 bat when he can’t bloody spin the ball. Please mick, address this position once and for all. Ward or nicky shorey?!
Just how many more ‘excellent’ minutes must we endure from Ward?
He’s never been excellent Louie! A failed striker come failed winger come hapless left back who was rumbled by every manager in the fizzy pop league let alone now but who I fear would be first name on the team sheet if Mick was manager of a WorldX1!
Like I said, Mick drives me mental sometimes!
Didnt know Henry could play balls behind full backs?????
I give up!
Suppose he was a ‘crab’ then was he?
Scooped I’m one of the few who critisied him for that, I like him for it. But I’ve never see him do balls like that and don’t get why you are attacking me.
As for you Ben, that’s not on. Let’s compare Stephen Ward, a player who works tirelessly for the team to a murdering lunatic. Nice one.
I’m disappointed in you guys, I was angry at first but after looking at it don’t think it’s all his fault. It’s a stupid tackle yes, but ask the question why he’s facing the opposition on his full back with no support. The second goal is purely unlucky, it’s not a great ball but the ref get’s in his way. Then we fail to clear it, and it falls perfectly for Pavluychenko from a block.
I’m not saying it’s not his fault for the goals, but to jump on his back instantly after being one of our best players this season is just plain silly.
Oh dear.
You might not have seen Henry do it as often as some because, and wait for this… he is operating under instructions from McCarthy, thus winning and distributing the ball accordingly.
I’m not saying it’s all Ward’s fault for the three goals either. I actually attributed it to a completely arbitrary ‘footballing god’ if you read the blog.
To make the lazy link for the sake of your own moral highground is a bit transparent.
And to say he’s one of our best players this season is just plain stupid.
I’m not criticising Henry at all, he’s one of my favourite players! Just praising him, that not allowed?
Ward has done well in each of the games, but one mistake and everyone remembers they don’t really like him.
Let me clear that up with Henry, meant to say that I’m one of the few who defended him for going sideways and all that stuff. Didn’t I have an argument on here defending him. Probably.
Remains the same with Ward 😉
haven’t criticised*
but important mistake there. But (i think) the rest of it makes sense
Louie, Ward’s tackle for the penalty was atrocious. Cover or no cover, he was the left back, he had to deal with him. If it meant taking him out, fine, just don’t wait until he gets in the box.
That’s where he’s getting criticised, regardless of what’s gone on before. To blame solely him for the second is harsh, but the penalty still infuriates me now
Louie, I accept we have different opinions on Ward (as I think we did about Keogh) and I was gobsmacked when you said Henry “played in some great balls behind the full back that I didn’t know he could do.” Dont you get to many games????
But to construe my comments as an ‘attack’ is way over the top. Dont be so touchy and accept some friendly advice:- when you’re in a hole, stop digging:-)
Does it matter if I go to many games? I’ll go to as many as I can, but i watched the whole Spurs game twice and watched MOTD.
As far as I know, Henry has never been one to create. He does his job, effectively, and I was just commenting on his passing. And I was praising him for it!
Gutted. Some (muted) observations:
1. We are really struggling to deal with pace. Bale, Jenas, Hutton and (at the end) Lennon were sprinting at us and we were like deers in headlights.
2. Henry played like he’d been castrated. He seemed very reluctant, if not scared to death, to put in a big tackle. Sadly the media “hype” appears to have taken a toll.
3. Ten seconds before the penalty I remarked to my wife that Ward was a candidate for our best outfield player(!!) Next time I’ll keep me mouth shut.
4. We played our best football in the 10 minutes after their equalizer – the only time in the match when we put together a string of three or more passes. Otherwise, I wonder if our players listen to “Give it Away” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers just before kick-off.
5. What on earth does Guedioura have to do to get a start?
6. Cracking prediction, Thomas.
I would think more like “down,down” by Status Quo
Just from the MOTD highlights it looks as though we threw this game away rather than them winning it. The first and third goals were down to really poor defending and the second was a bit of bad luck with a scuffed shot falling straight to their man in front of goal.
Completely agree with what everyone’s saying, Van Damme at left back and give Guediora a chance. The guy looks like quality when ever he plays, much prefer him to mancienne. I don’t think Ward’s as bad as most people make out but he’s definately one of our weakest players.
I love Mick but as Scooped says, he can drive me mad. I don’t understand how he can’t see what we can all see so easily.
Not panicking yet though, wasn’t expecting anything from the last couple of games. It’s just gutting to be 1 up in both and come away with nothing. If we’re still in the same position after the next 3 games I really will be worried.
Got my Wigan ticket today, the pies up there are quality.
It was the difference is the quality of the substitutes that changed the game.We populate ours with average players,,, Spurs had Lennon and Pavlayuchenko. Local derby next week… oh dear
Saw the football first highlights in the pub tonight. Ward’s tackle was possibly the worst attempt at a tackle i’ve ever seen, why not take him out before, outside the area. Gifted them a chance back in, disgusting.
And Stearman for the third was a joke, he’ll be back out the team like a shot, though i’m not sure Berra’s any better. The defence needs sorting sharpish
I’d expect Mouyokolo (if fit) to start against Villa.
I expect Berra to go straight back in
We should have played Danny Batth… we all know Stearman is hopeless, that Moyokoulu isn’ fit and that Berra was suspended…give the kid a chance
I think i’m going to be too scared to read Clive’s next blog. Ok, the lad’s a weakness at left back and if our players aren’t premiership quality we’re going to end up out of it no matter how many ‘shifts’ they put in. The real blame, of course, goes to the management who paid £2mil plus for a left back then realise when he arrives he can’t play there. Back comes ever willing Ward to put his own head on the block again. Mick does tend to sign players sometimes on recommendation(if Taff says he’s alright that’s good enough for me) without seeing them. I can’y believe that(George Friend was one example). I could never see Harry Redknapp doing that for example. Failing to sort the left back problem could be fatal this year.
Spot on Martin, buying a left back who can’t play at left back is scandalous
What about mancienne left back? He played there enough times for qpr and did well there when ward struggled – aherm – had knee and flu against Nathan dyer. That would free up a spot for adlene and we’d have some much needed pace in the back line. Thoughts?
Couldn’t agree more Ben. To me, Mancienne has always been the answer; what i believe Basil Fawlty would describe as ‘ stating the bleedin’ obvious’.Not only played fullback for QPR, but also the U21’s and for us when he first came on loan. He’s quick, tackles and defence is his natural position-probably why he doesn’t get the job!
Great call but you do realise that Jarvis or Jones would have to go to find a shirt for Ward?!
hilariously hysterical (if a little desperate) Raoul Moat comparison.
and who is this clive you all seem so afraid of? does he like wolves losing? you all seem to think he’ll be pleased about something. how odd
Glad you liked it mate. And it was tongue in cheek if I really needed to qualify it. As for Clive..he’s just a chap that’s supported Wolves for 55 years or more, who has kicked more cats when we lose than Raoul Moat has attracted facebook friends.
Certainly not someone that anyone on here has, or ever will, be afraid of?!
is this what is meant by ‘clockwork mice’?
Ha ha! I think it probably is mate, fair one! (clive, is that you?!)
Get back on your boat!!!!
You sound like Mork
Well, anyone who thought this season was going to be easier than last year is now coming crashing down to earth with a bang!
Our defence seems to be the problem at the moment, the sooner Zubar comes in at right back and we get to see Mouyokolo the better. As for Ward – cant someone tell him not to let players take him into the box? Time after time it was the same last season – better to make a tackle outside the box!
I take back my positive comments on Stearman too – I think it will be a long time before we see him back in the starting line up now.
Looking at the game overall though I thought Wolves did ok, we made a number of chances and were beaten by an unlucky deflection falling straight to the feet of their striker (the game was already over before Stearman’s stupid error).
I just cant understand how Adlene is not getting a chance in the first team. With Hunt injured this should be his time to show us all what he can do. If results continue like this I dont give it long before we revert back to 4-5-1 home and away. With a tricky game against Villa up next we need at least a point to take into the West Ham and Wigan games.
On a positive note at least I predicted the score correctly!!! And at least we have two goals in the MOTD goal of the month competition!
Just read Mick’s comments on the Wolves website about Ward.
He’s definitely shagging him!
Shades of It Aint Half Hot Mum. Lovely Boy!!!
Just a thought – whats Wards date of birth? When was Mick managing Ireland??
Nah – that doesnt work. Guess you’re right Exeter. he must be shagging him!