Along with many others, I was wrong about Swansea.
I thought they’d follow the much-traveled path of newly promoted sides who try to play football in the Premier League; the road that ultimately saw the likes of Burnley and Blackpool relegated.
But hats off to Brendan Rodgers and his team, they’ve been smarter, cuter and ultimately better than those sides over the course of a season. They deservedly sit comfortably in mid-table, just 3 points behind Liverpool in 8th.
What they’ve achieved in a single top-flight season is something Wolves have failed to do in 3 – find a system of play that works and stick with it.
Regardless of results, injuries and suspensions, they’ve never once flinched from their preferred method and have been handsomely rewarded. Wolves have continued to change shape on an almost weekly basis, too often resembling a group who’ve never played a single game together.
We desperately need a manager who has a clear idea about how he wants the team to play and knows the type of players he needs to achieve it. That, and only that, can bring about a sustained period of success.
Norwich, Newcastle, Stoke, Swansea and even Wigan to an extent are all clear proof of this.
Tomorrow’s game ultimately serves no purpose to either side. A dead-rubber if ever there was one in Premier League terms. Still, the home side will be clear favourites, not least because they’ve only lost 4 times on their own turf all season, plundering 7 wins and 6 draws.
The Team
I’d be keeping a 5-man midfield for this one. Otherwise I just think we’ll be pulled around the pitch as we were for large periods of the reverse fixture. Quite how we salvaged a draw out of that game, I’ll never know. This is my team:
Poor old Dorus is likely to come in for a bit of stick tomorrow, having left Swansea on a free in the summer. But footballers make these decisions and have to live with the consequences. Hopefully the 10 in front of him can help him out by delivering a result to ease the pain.
I’ve been screaming for Milijas to get a start for weeks, but it doesn’t seem to be happening. What have we got to lose now? Might as well give the bloke a few games to see if he can make an impact.
Doyle for Fletcher up front is just a personal choice. I thought he was superb against Arsenal and subsequently very unlucky to be left out against Sunderland and Man City.
Prediction League
No real surprise that an avalanche of people correctly predicted we’d lost to Man City last weekend. 32 in total.
Only two of those pundits correctly bagged the scoreline though. Or should I say one? sleachy took the cunning step of copying Kowloon Wolf (who leads the overall table) and reaped the benefits for doing so. Both get a 3-point boost.
Well done lads.
I reckon we might get a result in this one. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the old ‘nothing to play for, pressure off’ scenario?
I’ll plump for the same score as the reverse fixture – 2-2.
If you’re heading to Wales tomorrow, have a great time and get behind the lads as you did superbly last weekend as the ship finally sunk.
Up The Wolves.
I’m already gearing up for another (most likely frustrating) summer of anxiously refreshing gossip columns and the like for even the slightest nugget of info on who might be on their way in or out of the Mol.
I can’t help but feel this season will end on a whimper as everyone’s attention turns to next season. On that basis I’ll plump for a very unspectacular 2-1 win for Swansea.
My turn to play copycat this week, and because you’ve made a good deal of sense there, I’ve decided that you are my victim Bagsy.
Swansea 2-1 Wolves
I think we will score, but Sigurdsson will surely test Dorus so I am gonna say 3-1 swansea.
I like swansea’s style of football. Always a pleasure to watch. I’d love someone to come in and get us playing like that.
I can’t see us getting anything even with the pressure off. But against my better judgement I’m going to go for a draw with our better players looking to impress premier league suitors.
1-1
I am sure we are due to have double figures pass our way. I say it will be 11-0 to Swansea.
We will fight but ultimately our habit of giving away possession cheaply will cost us Swans 3-1 Wolves. TC to keep up his record of no wins between now and the end of the season.
I’ll go for 1-1, Jarvis to put us ahead but we won’t hold on.
All Greaseballs spin and diatribe this week lead me to believe another defeat.
Swans 3 Wanderers 0.
Does it matter?
Not really, although I guess some players will want to impress the scouts.
Swansea 2 Wolves 2
I’ve recently started working in Swansea and work with a couple Swans fans. They all think we’ll win because the pressure is off us and we can play freely, whereas they have nothing to play for and may not be interested. I think they are just being nice. Swansea 2-1.
Swans fans being nice. Don’t be fooled my friend, but I’m going for WW to get at least a point.
Whereas the most you can get for that prediction is half a point isn’t it?
2 – 1 to swansea…I’m not copying everyone, I’ve predicted this scoreline almost the entire season!
Bwahahahaha!!! Loving that prediction Ade!
And no, you’re not allowed to change your mind! 😉
Lots of Swansea possession…complemented by a couple of nice blunders from our defence..resulting in 2-1 Swansea
When Swansea came to the Mol back in October i was really impressed with them. Some of the football they played that day was excellent in my opinion. The kind of free flowing, passing football that we under McCarthy could only dream of. Then of course, Mick made the double substitution and we some how managed a 2-2 draw.
What angered me most that day was Mick conducting his post match interview as though he was the all knowing messiah. Arrogantly alluding to the supporters as numpties due to the “you don’t know what you’re doing” chants and how the substitutions had justified him as the only person in the ground with any knowledge of football at all. The fact that we had just been given a footballing lesson by a team newly promoted and just finding their feet in the Premiership had completely eluded him.
Well Mr McCarthy who’s the numpty now?
Swansea 2-0
Totally correct. But I think your prediction is being kind as I think we are going to get a right thumping. 11-0 !!!!! The odds are going to be good on that prediction me thinks!
You should have had a tenner on it mate 3-0 after 15 mins. Are you psychic or something.
Actually Yosser6 we should have won that day despite being totally outplayed for almost two thirds of the match. When the 2nd goal went in their heads dropped totally and I think it was Fletcher who could and should have made it 3-2. This would have been undeserved but what’s that got to do with it ?
I would like to say however that by this time in the season MMc was struggling and starting to be out of his depth big-time and those subs were a last throw of the dice which almost worked.
Yes cwmbranwolf we could have snatched it 3-2 mate. Milijas had a 25 yarder that was deflected just wide at the death too. I also remember Sinclair had a chance to make ti 3-0 but for a good save from Henners just after after the substitutions. My initial point was that we were second best to a Swansea team the last time we met and that McCarthy in his arrogance was just papering over the cracks.
Should have read this before my later post Yosser!
Absolutely agree. That’s when i completely lost it with McCarthy. And don’t forget the press conference on the Monday when he pretty much forgave us all.
Well done Thomas for keeping up the good work. You probably can’t wait for this season to end like many of us. A few thoughts struck me reading your piece.
One,MM was very keen to use the excuse of being newcomers in the big time. We couldn’t expect much to start with we were told and he carried that line on into the 2nd and 3rd seasons and ultimately was as good as his word. Swansea and Norwich have proved otherwise.
Two, the reverse fixture was possibly the most important result of the season. 2-0 down and totally outplayed with 10 minutes to go, we were heading for, i think, our eigth defeat on the trot and possibly the end for McCarthy much earlier. Cue a couple of substitutions and two late goals and the manager feels safe enough to start blaming the ‘numpties’. I wonder what might have happened if we had replaced our manager then with half the season to go.
And third, something that never gets mentioned by our management. Each place higher in the league earns i believe another £250,000 in prize money. So there shouldn’t be any such thing as a dead rubber in the prem. Surely Moxey can agree with that even if just sending trhe fans home happy doesn’t mean much to him.
Oh and the result, 1-2 defeat.
No pressure but don’t see us getting a result. 2-0 to the Swans.
1-1 fair result but too late…
I’ve just received the Wolves E-Newsletter and I realise that we have got it all wrong! We wanted to go down all the time. I quote:-
“…But with relegation now secured, all at the club have vowed to learn the lessons and regroup ahead of a return to the Championship next season.”
Secured relegation?!… Well done the lads!
Oh! yes – I go for a win tomorrow, 2-1
Terry Connor – what a genius! Thanks, that made me grin! 😛
And another thing!
I forgot the one piece of good news, excellent that Davis has signed a three year contract
Got no interest how we get on ,as long as those pair of pricks are incharge.well just for the sake of it i’ll go for a 2-0 to the swans.and good luck to them next season,a breath of fresh air,me thinks…..FOJM,FOTC.
sick to the pit of my stomach that there is nothing to play for …its a bit like waiting for someone with really severe hiccups to wax your scrotum then realising youve only done half of it!! can someone tell moxey to shut up now as he is spouting again …all the weeks we all wanted him and mime artist mr morgan to speak to us and..silence..brilliant…. now cant shut him up !..andy jacobs was taking the mick out of us on talk sport today ..totally fed up with the way the fans have been treated by the top brass and just hope we get some more positive news soon ..what a poxy closed season to look forward to……….
we’re gonna lose, they’ll score 3 but I think we might nick one.
on a brighter note, there’s a decent chance vile won’t get another point this season (a****n away, spurs home, norwich away), and as we’re probably gonna lose at Wigan on the last day, if notlob can beat the a****n then we’ll have both brummie clubs to play next season? won’t that be nice!
Yes, I think it’ll be well funny if Villa are relegated!
I see your point boys but having Villa in the championship isn’t going to make it any easier getting back up.
Going for the usual – lose by 3 goals to 1. I’ll be quite happy with that, I don’t want any outstanding victories at this stage of the season or TC may be given a stay of execution. There have been quite a few suggestions for what TC might stand for in recent weeks from Totally Crap to Timid Cretin; how about Tears of a Clown!
Well, Swansea has been a pleasant surprise this season and I wish them lots of luck in the difficult second season as a top flight club. They play some excellent football.
On to the team I love. I was present in the Jack Harris for the reverse fixture and already back then got that gut feeling that we wouldn’t survive this year. Horrible game and a lot of fans singing ‘sacked in the morning’ and what not. I agreed with them then back then. We were poorer than poor and only putting in Gued and Milijas turned it around. They were never seen again but Mick wrongly received all the plaudits congratulating him with his substitutions. If he had had a footballing brain he had never had to make those substitutions but had rather started the best team. The rest is history and I just want to end this season of shame.
We will be outplayed tomorrow again since TC is of the opinion that we have played excellent the last 6-8 weeks so no changes expected from the man in charge. Sometimes I wonder whether he knows that we are already relegated?
Swansea 2 Wolves 0
Am I the only one who is very afraid that M&M will actually offer TC a permanent contract?
No you aren’t. It suits their cut-price approach alongside their…… ” long term plan of consolidation which will make WW a better PL team “……I don’t quite understand that Moxey logic either.
Clemens you are not and TC is already speaking like he is going to be in charge!
For the sake of the club, I hope we don’t win again as it will be used as evidence, that we have improved under TC !
Agree although there is an embarrassing gap between us and the rest of the teams fighting to avoid relegation.
Things have gone from bad to worse since TC took over.
Despite this there does seem to be an increasing lobby for TC to remain in charge. TC has been championing his own cause and has been supported by a number of the players and various pundits. TC is the cheap option which appears to fit the Wolves DNA. The longer we go without appointing a manager the more likely it becomes that TC will still be in charge next season. I’m hoping I’m wrong but I have this horrible feeling that he may be reappointed.
Steppenwolfe I agree and will be surprised if we get another manager.
Fact speaks for itself and TC does not sound like a man going anywhere this summer.
Frightening thought…
Can’t see us getting ther ball off them 4 – 1 to Swansea.
as far as I can see, no-one here has given our team a chance for tomorrow. Well, as someone said, Swansea may relax a bit, and our better players will be out to show what they can do, and I reckon our recent improved performances are due some reward – we’re due a win, so let’s say 3-1 to the Wolves.
Due a win? Is that how it works? If they give em out on a round Robin we must have fell asleep and missed our turn then. Na, you get a win for scoring more than you concede, which is why we’ve bob hope of winning again this season
We’ve played badly, it’s true, conceded easily and failed to score……… but we’ve had our share of bad luck, injuries, atrocious refereeing. We’ve come back before to score unexpected victories – remember the 6-0 defeat at Southampton? Trust me, we’ve got a win in us before the end of the season, our lads will be doing all they can to impress; keep the faith ! 5-1 is not bad odds against the chance of it coming today.
This season has been an absolute nightmare-I said 3-1 and I will stick by that.
Just wanted to blow some hot air.
Thanks fellow Wolves for keeping slightly sane-sure I am not just speaking for myself.
We have to believe we will come back.OODCL.
UTW
FO GREASEBALL, MORON, TC AND KNOB JOHNSON.
Swansea 1-0 wolves
Let’s pretend we score a goal!!
Anybody seen swansea play at home. They are brilliant and keep the ball as well as barcelona. The possession stats will be 80-20 if we are lucky. No chance of us scoring. 2-0 swansea. Please morgan, get rid of moxey and tc. If not, sell the club.
Main interest now is whether we “blood” some kids. Does playing someone like Zele Ismail give him a taste of Premier League and earn loyalty to the club, or does it inflate the ego that he can call hinself a “premier League player”?
Result – Swans 0 – Wolves 1 (for no good reason other than it will upset lots of Wolves fans that TC gets a win)
Swansea to win, probably by 4 clear goals.
All this about pressure off, nothing to play for is twaddle.
Swansea players will see this as a good opportunity to get some goals for themselves, added to the pleasure of stuffing a few past a former team mate.
Our players will go down the same boring path, and with our enlightened “we’re playing great” super tactician in charge, same old, same old………….
I don’t want any goals or points this season, I really dread Connor being appointed full time.
It’s nice and chilly hear in Missouri, by the way.Normal service to be resumed ASAP
I feel a win of epic proportions
Swansea 0 – 5 Wolves
We’ll win our last 3 games and Top Cat will be offered the job on a permanent basis!
God help us all!
My sentiments exactly 🙁
Wolves 2-1
players going need to shine for future employees..
Well, I think Wolves would want the win a lot more than Swansea just so that they can say they had a win for TC… whether we have the quality for that is another matter but I’ll say 2-1 Wolves anyway!
…Ugh, it was this thinking that had be sliding down the Prediction League table! >_>
Swansea 3-1 Wolves.
Swansea too strong for doomed Wolves.
It’s about time somebody gave Swa**** a pasting and at home, it might just wipe that smile off BR’s face even though I admire what he’s done. Don’t forget he’s still on a very steep learning curve. Pigs might fly as well, but wouldn’t it be nice for today to be their bad day and our good day ???
Keep the faith. WW are doomed, TC is doomed but the two Ronnies will still be around next season and Big Sam’s coming home !!!! but there’s too many if’s for V**A to join us in the CH.
UTW as ever !!! It’s time to accept our fate and try and spoil somebody else’s party.
Hey, what do you know. I’m good at this prediction lark, four minutes on the clock and my 2-0 prediction is correct.
Now if we can just hold out for 86 minutes……………
PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3-0 down after 16 minutes. A utter disgrace. Everything with the club is rotten from The chairman, ceo, manager, coaches and esp the players. I am embarrassed to be a wolves supporter. Hope the positive happy clappers are still positive happy clappers
still positive still happy still clapping
Yup, happy clapping here! U Mad? 😛
3-0 fifteen minutes gone..great to see nothings changed at the wolves .not even playing for pride!feel so sorry for the fans who bothered to make the trip.and this squad are going to get us straight back up….thats a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh shit 15 mins gone 3-0, thats blown it for me.
Well, what a start! 1st goal we didn’t even touch the ball, 2nd goal unlucky deflection but let’s face it we got carved open down the middle, 3rd goal the statuesque Foley allows Orlandi to waltz around him and cross for the 4ft 6″ Dyer, who heads in!
For f**ks sake.
The only good news here is that I can turn the game off now, and slope off relatively early to bed.
Blimey. A classic.
Lucky I stayed up.
Those who predicted 11-0 to Swansea must be potential prophets!
Get out Moxey and take the brainless manager with you…..
I eat a bit of humble pie as it is now 4-2.
Do you accept in play predictions?
Wolves 5 Swansea 4
are you pissed??
I may be pissed but in the morning I will be sober and you will be still be pissed off
i think that should read we will ALL be pissed off….in the morning
4 apiece and 20 minutes still to go. 4 -5 a distinct possibility – as is 7 – 7.
unless some changes happen right through the club i can only see us struggling all next season..someone please put a basket ball in tc s gob – i am sick of all the crap weve had to listen to .the last ones leaving me dumfounded with him thinking he may get the job and how the players have improved!! PLEASE MR MORGAN get rid of everyone below you and get some hungry new blood in…the rot has started to seep through the entire club and you are in danger of losing even the lifelong fans with the majority of decisions made!! why does it appear you really dont care?? make some proper decisions NOW starting with sacking moxey or your lovely new stand will be empty!!
Hear hear old goldy.
They will tighten their defence in this half-predict will end 6-2.
Moron get your finger out and sack those who have produced this pathetic shambles.
We’re going to win 5 4 We’re going to win 5 4
still pissed? …(but obviously sober in the morning)
What a cracking 2nd half performance. WELL PLAYED THE LADS!! Superb game of football. We bossed the 2nd half and we looked, well, like a Premier League outfit. Great goals too.
I’m exhausted just by watching it.
An excellent point today but too little too late.
I see Rogers and Savage are among those to come out and lend their support to TC getting the job full time.
Under TC we have taken 3 points out of a possible 33, (I think!). That equates to around 10 points in a season.
Am I missing something?
tc for england ! the telly tubbies are running the asylum!
I’ll second that. We can club together and get him a new clip board.
Blow me down with a feather. At long last the players show something-a point lets not get carried away.
What a game. It was a competition to see who could have the worst defence.
3 points and god knows how many goals conceded in tc short stint he really has set himself up as the stand out candidate our CEO made him out to be!
Happy clappers – we got a point. Still relegated as one of worst teams in premiership history
its great we pulled 4 goals back but how did we let them score 4 anyway? too little too late! what is the point ..i struggle to see..if only the team had done this ten games ago then we would have had a fighting chance of staying in the premier league…thanks but no thanks lads you let all the fans down all those weeks ago….shame you cant spend a few months in our shoes with our wages..you aint got a f – – – – – – clue!!