What were we all so worried about?
This team doesn’t rely on one player. They’ve proven it before and they just reminded us again with a richly deserved win against Champions League chasing Spurs.
We can sell Matheus Nunes, we can lose Pedro Neto, or Hwang Hee-chan or Matheus Cunha and the group can still find a way.
The key ingredient you see isn’t the talent of an individual, it’s a smart and energetic young coach, working hard with a group of players that take on board his ideas, pull together and deliver on the pitch.
Joao Gomes happened to be today’s match winner, scoring two very different but equally well executed goals to cap one of the finest midfield performances I’ve seen for a good while.
The Brazilian got through his usual mountain of work without the ball, culminating in winning possession on the edge of his own box before sprinting the full length of the pitch to finish Pedro’s smart cut back.
Much like Neto and Cunha and one or two others, the vultures will be circling overhead in the summer, desperately hoping to wrench this fine young talent out of our club.
I hope we shut the door, even if that’s at the expense of our own recruitment efforts because right now, Wolves have nearly all the key ingredients of an excellent Premier League side in place.
Yes, a bonafide striker would be nice but it’s not like we’re struggling for goals. And elsewhere, we’re pretty well stocked.
I thought the defence were particularly imperious today, much more compact and organised than we’ve seen of late.
Even the one goal Spurs managed owed as much to fortune as it did to ingenuity from the dangerous Kulusevski.
But that moment and one terrible headed miss from Ben Davies right at the death aside, Wolves restricted one of the more fluent, attacking sides in the league to next to nothing.
On the counter we should have added to our tally as Gary’s latest master plan played out to perfection.
That’s a league double over Tottenham and Chelsea as the London hoodoo is well and truly consigned to the dustbin.
I don’t know where this season will end up, but I’m enjoying it.
With this group and this coach, there really is nothing to worry about.
Sorry I missed the prediction thread. My old Dad, a staunch Wolves man through and through, 93 years old, seen some sights in his life, is sadly going through the last stages of his life. I went round to see him this afternoon. I said Dad Wolves are one nil up at Spurs. I’m sure he heard me. If this is his last Wolves game on God’s Earth then what a way to go. . Love you all. Wolves ay we.
Best and kindest thoughts to you Cheesey .. from the Twixes .. xx
Best Wishes CoD, Respect. 1 lv.
Give him our love Cheesey.
And, while you’re about it, have some yourself.
Mark and Sue are thinking of you… xxxx
All the best CoD.
God bless u sir
He heard you, don’t worry about that! Kind thoughts.
A lovely post COD. Best wishes to you and your family and God bless.
Mike
Really sorry to hear that you and your family are going through such a difficult time
love to you and yours from us down here
all the best Cheese mate
What a guy your dad is Cheesey. He is to honoured and you’re doing that. Don’t be sorry for missing the prediction thread.
Glad they won for him cod
Utw
Best wishes to you CoD x.
Thoughts with you and your family – Wolves ay we indeed.
Sending love mate.
A good one to finish on Cheesy, if it is to be his last hurrah!
All my very best.
So sorry to hear that. Very best wishes to him – and you.
Dougie
Best wishes to you both, its what it all about ay it.
Best wishes Cheesey. Always part of the pack, come what may.
Just reading this Cheesy.
My thoughts are with you.
God bless
Five times I’ve been to Wolves away at Spurs & five times we’ve won, don’t worry I’ll keep going.
Joao Gomes not only did Joao Gomes things but also showed real goal scoring ability. On the train home smiling.
A fully deserved victory brought about by solid defending at the back and the ability to attack at huge pace on the counter. All credit to GON who has our pack playing in a way that suits our squad members to a tee.
Jao Gomes today reminded us all of his immense all round talent. His second goal was sensational. Having won the ball decisively on the edge of our area, he had the pace, and strength to arrive at the other end to convert Neto`s cut back with aplomb. This speaks of his immense commitment and sheer desire,– amazing, given his enormous work rate throughout the game as a whole. There can be no doubt that we have a real gem of a midfielder on our hands here.
A word about Nelson Semedo. Under GON he has developed into a superb wing back. Today he used his great pace to real advantage whilst he was rock solid defensively. Who would have thought that he would have developed his game by such a degree !!
But for me the lasting memory of this game is that of seeing a superbly coached and committed pack in flowing action. This squad could well develop into a very special team in the coming months.
Nelson and Rayan looked superb yesterday
Honestly.
I didn’t think we’d get anything from today.
Usually optimistic, with Cunha out and Hwang just returning from the Asia Cup, not to mention a visit to London and high flying Spurs, I just didn’t feel it.
I didn’t believe.
I didn’t have faith.
What an idiot.
I should know better. Should have learned.
This is some team that Gary has moulded.
Essentially from a group that our previous manager walked away from.
He didn’t believe.
We can’t score?!
No recognised striker. No problem.
Boom, boom, Joao Gomes is in the room!
The team, 39 goals already, with 13 games left. We’ve beaten our total for the last three seasons. We are now on track to score more than we did in 2019/20, where we finished 7th under NES.
The change in our fortunes over 6 short months is simply breathtaking. Astonishing. Unexpected. As so bloody welcome.
UTW
I’m certainly wholly underestimating what’s happening in WV1.
With Cunha’s injury and Hwang just returning I didn’t give us a prayer today ..
What a crap judge am I .. and I’m happy to put my hand up… I missed the obvious…..
.. that this group fight and scrap for each other regardless of who’s on the pitch .. and adding to that .. we’ve got a very astute manager who knows just how to mastermind rabbits out of a hat ..
so well done boys. Gaz and Jeff .. let’s get over the 40 point line and look forward to yet another PL campaign…
I hope you are being facetious with your last line.
Greetings O Ye of little faith and Doubting Thomas,
Your friendly neighbourhood Rasta predictor here. Don’t worry, you’re all forgiven for thinking we’d fall apart without Cunha. I too feared the worst, just putting on a face.
It should have been 3, and I could have collected my full prediction points.
Its not been 3-1 The Wolves all season.
Even if The Big Possum did turn a whiter shade of pale post match.
Delighted for Gazzbo, that meant a lot to him and us after the Nylons incident. Good to see Hwang and Gomes stepping up alongside the magic Neto.
Keeps the League interesting.
1 lv & COYW
Well put Thomas. I look forward to MOTD and watching the pundits highlight Joao Gomez running from one box to the other to score the winner (If only…it might happen!) I agree with earlier comments and what a joy to see the marvellous work that O’Neil and his group are doing. A Great team performance. I just wanted to add that the person we need to hang onto most of all though is Gary O’Neil himself. In fact I’m currently listening to 606 on Radio 5 live and a Spurs fan called in to suggest they should employ Gary rather than Ange! West Ham fans and others probably have a similar feelings about their manager compared to ours. O’Neil says he enjoys working with the group of players and enjoys the rapport with the fans so let’s hope he stays amongst us for a good while because if he does I think the future is going to be bright.
It DID happen! ??
I’m so glad I have egg on my face and disgusted with myself for not keeping the faith!
Well done me babbies! Brilliant result and what a hero Gomes is!
COYMW!
Wolves came to sit deep and hit us on the counter and created way more clear cut chances than us. Just proves our posession based football means nothing when you do not have any creatiity apart from Maddison. Fair play to Wolves, Spurs fan.
Nice response Spurfect One. Much appreciated.
We have a limited squad, but O`neal has us playing to our strengths. Namely an ability to defend in depth and then to counter at great pace. We are playing again as ‘ the pack’
Good luck for the remainder of your season
The thing is Spurfect, when your opponents throw so many players so far forward, you have no choice other than defend deep and play on the counter. We did it very, very well.
I’m sure since the seventies pessimism is ingrained in wolves supporters but GON seems to be creating a more positive atmosphere, but I will always be a negative pessimistic arse until we can take maximum from the bottom clubs and befor anyone gets their knickers in a twist I’m only having a crack
A tactical maestro called Gary
Thought “We’ll beat the Spurs if we harry,
And hit on the break
That’s all it will take”
I don’t swing that way but all I can say, if I did, he’s the man I would marry…
…or Gomes… or Neto… or Kilman… or … Lemina … or Semedo … or … Oh! sod it…
I’ve had a drink, I’m going to bed. The Limerick can wait until tomorrow.
Good night all.
I couldn’t post last week because I was saddened by the overall negative tone that followed the Brentford defeat.
We weren’t that bad and Brentford just did to us what Brentford do best.
Today we did much better and so we celebrate it and rightfully so.
But we are still a mid table team, probably punching above our weight. Winning some weeks and losing other weeks.
But we are no more world beaters this week than we were hapless losers last week.
Sorry… I just wanted to get that out there in that I am just loving what I am watching at the moment even if the end result still hurts a bit sometimes.
I understand your sentiment, and I often think things are rarely as good or as bad as they seem.
But punching above our weight? I’m not so sure about that.
Considering the travesty of VAR decisions that went against us earlier in the season, we should certainly be further up the table.
A 38 match league played over 9 months is unforgiving and wherever a team finishes after that, is exactly where they deserve to be.
UTW
You’re not wrong Muttleigh about the VAR effect on our position in the table and it does not appear to me to be evening itself out over the course of this season.
I guess my “punching” remark relates more to the size of our squad than the quality.
As we witnessed during the latter days of the Nuno era.
Excellent post- the angst expressed after a defeat is understandable but let’s not question the ability, drive and desire of the coaching team and players after a setback.
Football played at PL level seems to swing on small margins and we should not forget that there are 20 teams all striving for the same outcome.
We have achieved some fabulous results this season so far and with Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City in our last 5 games we could have a major input in the title race. Let’s continue to p..s on their chips!
Well done once again to GON, his staff and the team. I posted a few games ago that 60 points would see us in 7th place and the final spot for Europe. It still looks a tough ask at 25 points from 13 games but there really is nothing to choose between the clubs in the hunt, so why not? Fascinating post match interview with GON who clearly sees the next big challenge being our ability to put away teams who sit in against us where playing on the break is not an option. With Sheffield United up next, we have the perfect chance to see if we can crack that particular nut. Our season continues to keep us fully engaged for now and long may it continue.
There’s a big difference between being a full back in a back four behind a midfield of t hree or four and a wing back with a back three more. Under Nuno we saw the latter system at its best with Doc and Jonny, both of those players struggled as orthodox full backs.
I think Semedo was signed as a wing back and O’Neil has polished him, he struggled to be a number 2 when Bruno Lage ditched Nuno’s system. Semedo is a confidence player , I would like to see him back himself for pace more often especially when there is a big space behind the opposition back line.
Great win yesterday, even Lineker had to agree.
Thanks for all the kind comments. It doesn’t go unnoticed and is a great source of support. The Old Man will be joining up again with my old Uncle- another Wolves nutter! No doubt disecting performances from up there beyond the clouds. Wouldn’t surprise me if our great mate Clive hooks up. Clive knew a Wolves fan when he saw one . Thanks all. Truly appreciated.
Got to say that all the catastrophising after one loss made this blog a difficult read so it’s good to get the feelgood vibes back. The only good thing to come out of that loss is that the possibility of Europe mantra has hopefully been put to bed, far better to pour our energy into dreaming about The FA Cup. This entertaining season continues to give and with West Ham in freefall we might just scrape into the top half as we seem to be mired in 11th place due to the good form of the best of the rest above us. I’m ok with mid table though if the rewards for climbing further are the waste of space conference cup, that would just stretch our limited resources. Great that we have players to step up when our main man is out injured, the depth of the squad seems to be surprisingly healthy given the size and GON continues to get the best out of them. The vultures will be circling around our fantastic manager come the end of the season for sure along with several of our players but that’s a complement. Potential banana skin on Saturday and then cup game on Weds to look forward to. Happy days.
I think we’ll be fine next Saturday it’s Sunday I’m more worried about!
Just heard about Sasa Kalajdzic and his latest injury.
He’s ruptured his cruciate and lateral ligaments in his right knee. Out indefinitely.
Your heart’s got to go out to the poor chap.
A lovely bloke… so unlucky. He doesn’t deserve that.
Poor bloke. A lot was said about his fitness record when he got injured first time out for Wolves, it would seem that criticism had some credence to the lack of diligence done before signing him.
AARGH , SO much bad news,,,Poor Sasa K
So sorry Cheesey too..we all go through this and it doesn’t make it easy to bear.. but what a high note to leave on?!…my thoughts are with you here. May Clive be there too for him.
Meantime, you can knock me down with a feather as I braced for a drubbing by Spuds.
The more I see this season the more I start to believe that players that take on their nearest opponent and go past them …they make instant space and opportunity…even Luton yesterday rattled the reds the same way all game long. Its risky yes and it makes for great watching and it reminds me of how we rattled Manure that first day of the season. Its the way to go….in those famous words “they don’t like it up ’em’!’
Nor did Spuds . We can go again with this approach.
Meantime (another one) ….I remain unconvinced that we have a really sustainable future without more academy stars graduating to PL quality…hopefully G’ON has half an eye on this challenge as flashing cash for new players (as as we have proved ) can be very risky. A thriving academy is a necessary foundation.
But right now , tho’, its happy days and long may they continue (I’ll take 10th after Anfield).
OODCL
AH! this is a fascinating article to my point that
‘they don’t like it up ’em’
https://theathletic.com/5048072/2023/11/10/wolves-dribbling-premier-league/
if anyone thinks that Gomes is good …read this too!
another great read (TheAthletic is the New York Times ‘ sports section)
https://theathletic.com/5283409/2024/02/19/joao-gomes-wolves-tottenham/
Spurs always throw men forward and play a very high defensive line.
They gave no thought to our pace on the counter and were thus the architects of their own demise.
However, only the full blooded commitment of our players and GON’s brilliant tactical acumen saw us safely over the line.
Fabulous performance by our fabulous team.
Rip
Paul Bradshaw
Blimey, the 1980 league cup final seems like yesterday
Utw
oh Dear … rip Paul Bradshaw …
Fantastic Goalkeeper for Wolves .
love and best wishes to his family and friends
RIP Paul Bradshaw. I was about 13/14 when he was in goal late 70’s. As he was in 1980 for the League Cup win v Forest Wembley 1980. I was also there that day.