There is something quite wonderful about our Golden Palace…
…Come Saturday at 3pm, I’ll bask in that magical Molineux aura, just like I did as a nipper.
My Dad will be beside me, just like he was in 1988, and there might even be a third generation sat on my lap, if I can squeeze him under the turnstile first.
The grass will look greener, the seats shinier, and as I limber up the vocal chords for a dose of Silver Lining, I’ll be bloody glad my weekends are back to normal.
I’ll soon be scoping around the stadium to spot any signs of change, like some new-look advertisement hoardings, or saggier/firmer goal netting.
It will be great to see how the new kit glistens, and how the colour compares to seasons of old, particularly once a sweat has been worked up in them.
And I haven’t heard the White Stripes, Sam Sparro or the little Grand Theatre ditty since May, so that will be a bonus. (I’m hoping to hear KC & The Sunshine Band once or twice as well!)
Then there’s Wendy Wolf, a furry vision of beauty, who wears an over-sized bow in her hair better than anyone I can think of.
Ah, it will be great to be back.
So why am I feeling so underwhelmed?
I feel that my first glimpse of pre-season football in 4 days time will be like a reunion with my sister, who I’ve also gone the entire summer without seeing.
Initially, I’ll be so happy to be back in touch, but within 90 minutes I’ll have a little gripe to go home with.
The high of signing Doyle was perhaps too high for me, so news of his injury was disproportionately low.
It also added gravitas to Iwelumo’s knock, which went from losing a personal favourite to a real setback with deeper implication. IE, No strikers!
Then the inevitability of Kightly’s extended absence really hurt, losing a player who I honestly wouldn’t swap for any other when fully flying. (give or take the £150k a week exceptions)
So yes, it has left me flat, and with 2003 such a recent memory, a sense of déjà vu is starting to smother me.
There’s still time for a couple of new additions isn’t there? If not, then Zubar, Milijas and the Two Step Senior Dance Academy had better be bloody good!
I have to admit, even though I’m a positive kind of guy, the sense of deja vu from the 2003 Prem campaign is scary.
In that season, my dad said we started the first game with a worse side than the one that finished the previous season in the Championship. I have to agree. I just hope we’re not in the same boat come the West Ham match.
I do love Molineux in the opening games of the season, particularly when the sun is shining (let’s hope). One thing I wish they’d sort out is the turnstile system. A lot of other teams have far quicker and more sophisticated ways of getting fans into the stadium. The queues outside the Steve Bull to get in can get ridiculous.
Don’t need to ask what you had for breakfast mate, will Rach have to make special trip to ASDA to re-stock on DOOM & GLOOM FLAKES?
Lets not try to polish turd here boys. Our team is going into the fastest, most physical and best league in the world. It’s going to be be horrible to watch at times but then you will get the 1-0 will over Man U. A glorious moment for you to cling to and treasure.
Yes it will be hard, damn hard, but it’s the “hard”, that make it great. If it was easy, everyone would be in the Prem.
So I not going to have any concerns about our striking options, I’m not going to have any reservations about our centre halves.
I am just going to enjoy our team playing in the best league in the world!!!
Good point Pete. I like your style.
Hi Ben,
Let it be known, Nick Dalton, I have you in my sights.
First of all (second really) I’m really impressed with the blog since I discovered it, the more Wolves opinions the better (other than the vanilla official site). For those who know The Offside I’m the guy who did the reports from the pre-season tour in Perth.
I think people discount the quality of Zubar, who I’ve seen play for Marseille a few times, and he’s a little shaky, and will be to start with, but once he comes to grip with the pace of the match he will be a class centre half. Add Milijas and the fact we have cover on the wings for once (Halford, Surman can play there), a fit (albeit untried) Big George back, cover in Goal from here to eternity (that is when MM is fit again) I can’t agree with the statement that we’re worse than the end of last season. Whether we’re good enough is another thing, but I think that the negativity that pervades from a few poor (and in the scheme of things irrelevant) friendly results.
We will get better with time, and we will get better with players returning from injury, and come may we might just survive. Maybe not, but don’t write us off just yet.
Exactly t’OM, these players are only going to get better as the season goes on.
We have spent the last couple of years building this squad and they deserve the chance they’ve now got at having a crack at surviving in the Premiership!! I look at our squad, and seriously believe we are stronger than Birmingham, Burnley and Hull. I’d even say we had a better squad than them before we made any signings. And thats all it will take this season. We only need to be better than 3 other teams. Then throw teams like Pompey and Wigan who will also struggle this year into the mix and I genuinly believe we stand a chance
Waiting for players to come good is a very dangerous game. Albion looked good in the last 1/3 of the season but were effectively already down by then. If we have 2-3 points after 8 games or so i don’t think we’ll come back.
For the record I didn’t say that we definitely would survive, but equally my point was that we should not panic if we don’t win our first couple of games. I am severely hoping we get Kightly and Doyle back before the last 1/3 of the season, and believe we will look a different side then.
Any points we pick up before then will be precious, but all points will be precious, whether they’re acquired in the 1st or 38th day of the season.
Keiran – Agree with you mate. Not just because of the points but in those first 8 games we’ve got Hull at home, Wigan away and Pompey at home. If we only have 2-3 points at the end of those it would mean that those teams had taken points off us. We realistically want at least 7 points out of those games there if we can. But then wanting and actually getting are two very different things!!!
Guys, stop and think for a little while. I think it was Ed Milson who said it, we only have to be better than 3 teams this season and it will be the best season we have had since God knows when.
The three promoted teams will all be amongst the favs to go down but you really have to look at Hull, Pompey, Sunderland, Wigan, and I think even as far as Blackburn will be in the mix for relegation.
I will be very difficult for us, but I think we can better than 3 of the teams I have mentioned.
Does any one disagree??
It’s a good point. Looking at the fixtures I would be dissapointed and think it will be a massive ask if we have less than 15pts from the first 10 games because we play wigan, blackburn, pompy, hull and Sunderland.
@t’OM – I think you’ve got it spot on mate. Agreed about Doyle and Kightly. If we have them fit for the majority of games, we’ll have some excellent attacking options.
@Kieran – I think your logic is good. We don’t want to be playing catchup from the off so hopefully (unlike the last time) we will get a win in our first 3 or 4 games, or at the very least, a couple of draws.
@EmeraldPete – I’m onto you and your illegal attempts to climb the comments table. I have the power to penalise big boy and I’m not afraid to use it!
That was me there who gave you the thumbs up for that comment Pete!! First time ever!!!
Nice site guys.
I agree with EmeraldPete’s point about the limitations of the other clubs.. It is so relevant and I’m desperately trying to remind myself of the state of Hull, Pompey, Burnley and Blues every time I have a panic attack about our defence.. which is quite often as the days tick by!
I’m so disappointed that the club hasn’t been able to completely blow accusations of ‘doing it on the cheap’ out the water.. £15m is reasonable but much of it has been on squad strengthening (Halford & Surman) rather than signing ”gun” players we can be confident will improve the side (Milijas & Doyle).
I am obviously gutted by Doyle and Kightly missing the start of season but can at least be philosophical and accept these things happen. I was even resigned to the fact no left-back would be bought given the regular Elokobi/Ward propaganda coming out the club. However, I was most certainly NOT prepared for only ONE defensive purchase as at 4th August.. and that, a player coming from Le Championnat with mixed reviews. We now face the very real prospect of a Foley-Craddock-Berra-Ward back 4 starting against West Ham. In doing so, MM is leaving himself wide open to the accusation that he had money and he chose to do next-to-nothing about the entire back 5. Which leaves me hoping against hope that if and when the goals start flooding in, the whole thing doesn’t come crashing around his ears to the sound of ”just a Championship manager”.
Its understandable that the euphoria of our return to the elite goes hand in hand with a touch of apprehension. At least it is to me as thats precisely how I feel as the new season approaches.
After all our poor pre-season form, injuries and only a modest £12m invested in strenghening the squad (Donkey Darren Bent has apparantly been sold for more than that today) give plenty to be apprehensive about.
But my glass is half full as I’m tingling with anticipation at this latest and oh so long awaited chapter in Wolves’ famous history.
I raised an eyebrow at Micks 4-5-1 at Doncaster. But if thats what he wants to do (and there’s no saying that a pre-season line up will be the formation a week on Saturday) who could argue?
And if he wants to start with Ward and Keogh why shouldn’t he?
In bringing us to the promised land as champions, Merlin Mick did what none of the others did. Right now he walks on water.
And when the teams take to the pitch to the strains of ‘to contrive a plastic anthem’ (ta Jez!) in front of the ‘seamless’, cathode-rayed, pictureless video screens surrounded by plywood, one messaged advertising hoardings I’ll be in 7th heaven.
Maybe Molineux is more Primark than the Harrods of Old Trafford or the Emirates but 20 odd years ago it was car-boot. We’d have taken this then!
Maybe one day, we’ll look back on this season as the one that cemented our rightful place back in the top-flight. And maybe one day. my precious little grandson will turn to me and ask ‘Grandad is it true the Wolves were once in the Championship?’
I understand where you’re coming from Ben but raise a half full glass with me and enjoy the ride.
Thomas……No too stelth then?
Promis I will play it straight from now on LOL