It was Terry Connor’s children who bemoaned that life wasn’t fair when his dad missed out on the Wolves job, apparently.
Tell me about it lads.
On a day when history was made in a generation defining afternoon of football, I lived outside the bubble of hysteria that consumed a nation, listening instead to Richard Wilford’s dull, lifeless radio commentary from a morgue-like DW Stadium.
Years from now my own son will ask me what it felt like watching the scenes of drama unfold on that fateful Sunday afternoon in May 2012.
I’ll have to tell him I had no idea, as I was listening to an Aylesbury born Barbadian score two goals past us in a 3-2 defeat at Wigan.
And in the most damning indictment on this most miserable season in living memory, I could actually empathise with those patronising national newspaper reporters I used to take issue with so regularly…
…That in the grand scheme of all things Premier, we are nothing more than an irritating inconvenience.
Jeff Stelling may as well screamed out loud when having to check in on the DW Stadium for a Wigan goal update. ‘Does anyone really want to listen to this’, you could hear him think.
Lee Dixon and co over on the Beeb wouldn’t have bothered to go at all, telling anyone sad enough to care to tune in for 30 seconds on Match of the Day later in the evening.
Back on Radio WM, Paul Franks was calling it a shambles and an utter disgrace.
For a brief second my pulse raced from the dull thud of a racehorse in the hope he might be stimulating some sort of discussion.
He was talking about the Villa.
The game typified our entire 2011/12 season, by the sound of Richard Wilford’s drone.
We defended pitifully and packed our team out with faded Championship players who would struggle to get near to their 2008 vintage, let alone teams of varying Premier League quality, as proven by a Lancashire outfit we used to deride as being relegation certs.
Jarvis and Fletcher scored, the only two players guaranteed to leave the club this summer, and we enter the Championship in much the same way we did when Mick McCarthy arrived back in 2006.
Low in expectation, high in desperation, and yearning for another wizard with a magic wand.
Prediction League
Thomas: Congratulations to Kowloon Wolf for winning the 2011/12 Prediction League with an impressive 32 point haul. A prize will be winging it’s way across the globe to you shortly.
Kowloon was also one of the 9 pundits to correctly predict defeat against Wigan without getting the correct score. Only 1 person said 3-2 and that, triumphantly, was me.
Thanks again to everyone for taking part this year, not only in the Prediction League, but everything to do with the blog.
Whether you’ve been logging on daily to leave a comment, or simply picking up the reports via email, you’re the reason we carry on.
Up The Wolves.
Thanks to Thomas and Ben for a great blog which, for me, takes on greater significance now that I won’t be able to watch the boys every week, or maybe even at all. (Hopefully we will be gloriously promoted, like the yo-yos we so often accuse our neighbours of being, and so this sad state of affairs will only last for one season).
Unlike Ben, I did watch the match and can report that Jarvis’s goal was a beauty which has probably added a million to his asking price. Arguably our goal of the season (and I’m usually one of his biggest critics).
But our defence, as so often, was dire …
Thanks again guys.
Well played sir, well played.
I guess I’ll settle for a Champion’s league place in the prediction league since it’s my first time of asking!
Big thanks to Thomas and Ben – I love the blog and it’s the first place I check for results. I like Kowloon Wolf won’t be able to see many/any games on TV now, so I am looking forward to your analysis even more!
I hope that we see some decisive action from Stale to get us positive for next season!
Up the Wolves and long live Wolves Blog!
Good blog Ben and Thomas, this season has been one to forget but you somehow managed to stave off the depression enough to keep on writing.
As for yesterday, I just didn’t care anymore,I knew we would lose before kick off. Same mistakes as ever, same tactical ineptitude. We need that kick of a new manager more than ever and part of that has to be saying thanks but no thanks to TC. He was given a chance and has proved beyond doubt he does not have what it takes to manage or organise a team. Loyalty without ability does not deserve reward.
Bring on 2012/2013
got to tryreally hard to find any positives …. all i can find is -things are changing but how they will change is unknown …we all want a successful team and boy does it seem a long time ago we were successful..i would be happy with mid table prem but you can bet that so many of the young fans would end up screaming for the managers head as was in the case of curbishley at charlton..i think whats changed over the years is the inability to enjoy following your team when success is nowhere to be seen.how nany fans would be at the mol week in week out if we did drop back into the bottom tier? its not wrong to want success but if it doesnt come..just enjoy the journey…wolves till i die !!
Stale talking about bringing one ot two new faces to back room team-looks like he is planning some changes-now its time for Clipboard to SHUT UP and go and find his mate MM.
Looking good again after the shambles.
Defence, defence, defence!
Mercifully we can look forward now just heard Stale on the radio his English is good and he sounds intelligent.Hope there are more changes TC looks a spent force now and JM has never really been much more than a commercial manager.
Terry Connor only second Premier league manager to go his first 13 games without a win – the first was Mick Mccarthy at Sunderland.
Hope the Norwegian is the man for the job, dont know what he is going to do about Johnson, he got some stick from the fans yesterday but then made worse by applauding the Wigan fans.
What a tit!
Dave H
Alty Wolves
send blue boy to alchoholics anonymous….what a true proffessional!! just cant work out why hes not player of the season?…no actually put him in with the kids until his contract expires!!
Well done Ben and Thomas. The boys done good.
Don’t want to talk about yesterday’s game. Just want to forget this season ever happened. Passanmoves stats about TC and MM says it all. A new era starts today when Stale is introduced to us all. I am hoping to see a complete shake up of the club. I want to see
A team that marks and tackles hard
A team with pace and mobilty
A team that keeps the ball and plays on the deck
A team that has a cutting edge
A team that can shoot with power and accuracy
There are a lot of players in for a shock in my opinion judging by the delusional crap spouted by the likes of our superb LB on the sanitised.
It’s been all too cosy for far too long with the coaches and players happily producing the same inept and inefficient performances. They desperately need a change of mindset and direction. The first thing you need to solve a problem is to recognise you’ve got one.
First impression of SS is very encouraging. I’m hopeful again at last and the good news is we won’t lose another league match for at least 3 months. See, improvement already. And the bugger’s balder than me. I love him already!
Cheers mate. Very nice of you. The good thing about the Stale appointment (or one of many good things I should say!) is that we won’t be short of blogs over the summer months too, so you’re not getting away from us that easily. Thanks for your kind comments over the course of the season too – means a lot to me Martin.
Morning fellow sufferers.
It is a hard life, walking on the beach at sunrise, watching the pelicans feeding, the frigate birds friggin’, and the dolphins dolphining, but someone’s got to do it!!
Wolves result from yesterday?
Don’t give a shit, except to see ( I think ) that Mr Consistently Shit, our glorious left back, has been on the pitch for every minute of every league match. Sez it all really, about this record breaking season.
Onwards and Upwards next year.
Fuck the European Cup Final, Fuck the Euros an fuck the Olympics, I’m done with sport for a while…..just like Joey Thug Barton!!
Wonderful stuff all season long on this blog, great banter between the greatest fans of the greatest football club in the world.
And that does NOT include you, greasel.
Dog bless all of you!!
Can the pelicans get more in their beak than your bellycan Clive? Just wondering like.
Clive, even after the thoroughly depressing season we’ve all had to endure. I have to say your posts always put a smile on my face. I think it’s the way you just tell it like it is without the sugar coating. Thanks for lifting the gloom mate. By the way you seem to get around the good ol’ US a bit Clive, can you not sit still or what?
Yes I do.
I got ants in me pants, and me and ‘er indoors love to travel.
This is a big ol’ country, and there are many, many fascinating places to see, so it is our aim to see all of them afore we die!!
You never know, might find some decent footballers out there!!
FOWB
Clive you’re a proper Wolverhampton fella! Say it as it is . Fair play to ya kiddo!
I see our new manager is taking 38 DVD`s home to watch next week, and not one blue movie amongst them apparently. I would think that by the time he has got through a third of them, he will have a shopping list for a left back, dominant centre half, some pacy midfield players, some players who are mobile and can move as well as pass, some physicality and height needed also. This list has been hanging on the wall of the managers office for around three years already. Lets hope the “war chest” is actually spent on what we have been desperately needed for how long!!, and that Moxey helps the new manager get these players in.
After about 6 of these DVDs he will probably have lost all his hair, and will have decided the coaching staff must go. At least he can bring in some new tactics to suit whoever the players are when we get ready for next season. Happy days.
I thought about that Mark. Can you picture the scene as Stale takes a box of those DVDs home, and steals the remote control to interupt his wife from watching Norwegian Homes under the Hammer?
His wife will have divorced him by the time Newcastle go 2 up.
He’ll be saying: “10 down, 28 to go dear.”
She’ll be saying: “You’ve signed a one year rolling contract to turn that around, you idiot? You need 10 years!”
It’ll be interesting to see whether Stale is given time to assess our current crop and train with them before Jez starts touting them to other clubs. I’ll bet neither Fletch or Jarvis get to train with our new man and his team, Jez will have sold them on a cut price deal whilst pocketing a fat finders fee.
I thought that Sheffield. There must be players who are a bit disaffected who feel slightly margianalised by their treatment under Mick and Connor.
Their agents will sure to be touting them out to other clubs, well before the month of July comes round.
And in addition, all players in this current squad are taking a 50 per cent pay cut due to relegation (I am told) so you have a good point mate.
Surely factoring all this in means a number of players could be out the door before Stale has got through his batch of DVDs?
And if this is the case, who is giving them permission to go? Good ol’ TC and Moxey, I am guessing.
I don’t want to be scaremongering but surely Sheffield Wednesday, for example, are going to be scouting for Danny Batth on a full time deal, so too Forest for Adlene?
That’s an extremely good point. The thing i thought was odd was that we wasn’t starting until July. I know there’s all the European nations comp to watch and not much happens in June when players are away on holiday and such, but shouldn’t he be in charge straight away? What’s trhe point of the delay. Trying to save a month’s wages?
It does give Moxey the chance to do some deals before Stole knows what is really going on. Don’t like the sound of that. This was a question that should have been raised at the press conference.
I still think this is great though.
Hang on guys, Morgan has just appointed the bloke. I doubt he’ll now go behind his back and sell his best players before the ink is dry on the contract. Surely the DVDs will give him an idea of what system he might adopt and who will, and will not, fit into it. While I have no doubt TC will be asked his opinion I am sure that SS will have the final say in any moves or non moves.
What evidence is there to suggest that players will be sold? We don’t have to sell; there are no debts to clear; no premier salaries to pay, (apparently,) and many players are on long term contracts. Why would the club want to sell players at a cut price / below market value unless they wanted to get shot of them?
I am sure some players will go but I very much doubt it will be done without SS’s knowledge and agreement.
A lot of what you say makes sense Steppen. However, sometimes clubs have to sell players they want to keep because the players are desperate to leave. The likes of Jarvis and Fletcher will probably get offers from Premiership clubs who ARE willing to pay them premiership wages; and substantially higher than we have been paying. We won’t sell them at cut price but i reckon they’ll go.
Let’s hope you’re right and Stole has the final say.
Fair comment. I think it may boil down to how long the each individual player has on their contract. I have no idea how long Jarvis has to run on his contract but let’s just say it was a year. In that case it is as well to cash in on him now rather than lose him for nothing when his contract runs out. On the other hand, if there was still 3 years still to run I would be tempted to tell him he had to stay for at least another two years. In that time we may get promotion and be a premiership club again paying premiership wages. If we don’t get promotion we can still sell in a couple of years. We have ambitions to bounce right back and we’ll need players like Jarvis etc if we are to consolidate when we do get back.
The month’s delay is due to his existing contract with Kolne. He is however going to be spending time during that month working towards his new post in England.
If you expect to see shit, you will find it.
Try smiling, it’s free
That’s interesting Sleachy. Cologne have sacked Stole but he’s still under contract to them.How does that work exactly?
Sounds like shit to me, but i just can’t help myself !
yeah would loveto be a fly on the wall watching his jaw drop after the 4th game of the season..hell be in a nursing home by the end; a dribbling old man in the corner being restrained by 4 male nurses ready for his valium injection!!! good luck stale!
Thanks for the blog. Don’t post hardly at all but a frequent reader. It’s going to need to be an active blog next year as I’m from the states and wont be getting near the amount of info on the Championship league as the Premier.
Fletcher and Jarvis are gone for sure, Doyle will be tough to keep in the Championship, and Johnson needs to go regardless of the offer price. Hennessey’s injury may be a blessing as it might keep big offers on him away as he was the best player on the squad in my opinion. Hopefully with those funds, and not much more investment in the stadium/academy in the near future, Stale will have some flexibility to bring in some quality that will fit his system. GO WOLVES!
Good afternoon Ben.
If Stale is as successful as we all hope, I see a career for your Dad as his double. Could be lots of opportunities as we move forward, can John blag a couple of season ticket renewals to start with!!.
My only concern with his appointment is while watching the 38 xrated DVDs, who is doing the scouting for the new players, or is it too much to hope that the backroom staff have all the out of contract championship, premiership and Div one players who are looking for new employment. The good ones will be picked up very quickly, eg. Mcready at Forest is rumoured locally to be going to Reading, one out of contract player onto big money for him at £15k a week, three times his Forest wage. Thats our market place. I appreciate the new manager has to see what he has got in the current squad, that should take him about 2 days to sort that out, then back over here get some new players in. How well or not does he know the UK market, or who at the club is able to help him – surely not Moxey? Maybe we will see an influx of european players, either way I wish him well.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall when the straw finally breaks Stale’s back as the poor bastard watches those DVDs.
I reckon it will arrive by Everton away, when Hennessey hoofs it from kick-off for a throw in for the 234th time of the season. He’ll put his size 10 straight through the TV and call the whole thing off!
There still seems to be a few unanswerd questions doesn’t there Mark, such as the scouting?
Does Dave Bowman and co bite the dust now, as Stale brings his own men in?
And what about the pre-season / close season fitness? We usually get a great big article at this time of year on bespoke summer training plans, with players looking at dossiers on themselves.
At least it makes for an interesting time.
Also, I can’t see us coming straight back up next season. Not saying this to be negative for the sake of it, but I just think we need to be realistic. It is too leftfield an appointment to expect us to hit the ground running IMO. Going to take a bit of time!
Never mind you’re old man, slap a bit of Veet on your bonce and I reckon you could get a few bookings as a Stale lookalike yourself mate! Kids parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs…funerals. You could make a packet. Only kidding mate.
Fantastic blog as always. I’m inclined to agree with you regarding your prediction for next season. Mind you, based on my shabby prediction league performance, I think my opinion counts for very little!
Cheeky bastard. At least you included Veet in the pisstake. You could have just said I was a bald bastard and leave it at that.
Get back to your rescue dogs and malnutritioned Shetland ponies!
“rescue dogs and malnutritioned ponies” …… wolves fc players for sale..anything considered.. johnson free .. mansager -great defending record..contact molineux-c/o fat shiny face
I’d never be able to find a new home for Johnson.
knackers yard it is then
Ben and Thomas it is the best football blog on the Net and a source of solace amongst the many defeats of last season.
Personally am optimistic.
I think we are the most likely of the relegated teams to return to the Premiership.
I think Stale will be a great appointment and already has players from his Koln/Copenhagen days, who are already committed to playing for him.
He is intelligent and forceful so am sure will know what will happen pre July 1st.
In fact we are a good bet for promotion.
Finally, after you have had major heart surgery time becomes more valuable and it suggests to me that Stale will want us to go straight back to the Premiership.
Hi Robin. Thanks for kind words! Means a lot to us both. I’m conditioning myself to wish for a play-off place at best, but you do have a point about the other 2 relegation clubs.
Bolton have 14 players out of contract and are 90m in.debt, while Blackburn are similarly stricken by all accounts.
It’s the Leeds, Derby, Leicester, Blues, Forest of this world that worries me more. They all hate us and they are all bloody tough to beat!
Thanks Ben.
One of the defining factors next season might be finance and in the championship, we will be better off than most.
As you say, both Blackburn & Bolton are in dire straits.
I note Stale indicates that until he has watched his DVD’s; he doesn’t know who will stay or go, and that Morgan says, he does not have to sell anyone. It suggests that until July 1st, there will not be any departures from the playing staff.
My brother supports Forest and says that even if they want Adlene, they have no money to pay a fee for him.
If any club deserves some fortune after this unfortunate of seasons it’s us!
Once more many thanks for the blog…..
Love this comment from his Press Conference:
“I don’t want this to be a Cologne press conference, I think that chapter is finished.
‘But I don’t have any bad conscience, and Jesus and Jose Mourinho would have struggled together at that club this year.”
Thanks lads,
A top blog which you managed to keep going through that miserable excuse of a season. I’m hoping that the bald eagle (Ben – you’re dad’s there) will be more willing to use some of the youngsters that we hear so much about instead of farming them out on loan until they’re nothing but a faded molineux memory!!
I will be interested to see which players go and who’s brought in over the summer break, next season must be a fresh start. In my opinion, play-offs are a minimum but i can’t see us finishing top 2.
Here’s to the future!!!
Well the defeat came as expected but it was nice finally to put that season to rest. Roll on 2012/13!
I also want to thank Ben & Thomas for the blog and the effort you put in. Not a frequent poster but an affectionate reader, I enjoy popping by a couple of times a day.
I am all smiles about the appointment of Ståle and I am sure he is a man with a plan – in particluar after having watched the last 35 of the 38 DVDs. Also, his knowledge of Scandinavian players and his Scandinavian network definately opens some doors to that market and I fully expect a few players from that part of the world to join us during the summer. On Danish forums a Swedish left back named Oscar Wendt whom Ståle knows from his Copenhagen days is touted as an obvious signing given our problems in that area since he is really struggling in Germany at the moment. The problem could be that he is more ambitious than playing in the CH and maybe the wage structure may also be a problem but we will see.
And just some bonus info on the small letter ‘å’: you can replace it with ‘aa’ although it is old fashioned. That is how Norwegians and Danes usually type it when we are abroad. So Ståle and Staale are both technically correct.
I agree with you about Staale having European players in mind for Wolves.
In fact, think he has already got some on a promise, prior to taking the job.
After all he seems intelligent and must have some idea of how much we are in dire straits as a team.
It could be an interesting summer.
A few points from me to end the season:
Cracking last trip for a while to Wigan – shame about the football and shame won’t be back there a while as if Martinez goes, I think they are likely relegation candidates for next season and having watched Ståle’s press conference, I’m much more confident of bouncing straight back than I was some weeks ago – the bloke just says quality – if he is half as good as he seems AND Morgan backs him AND we keep the quality players we WANT to keep it might not be such a hard slog next season as I thought it may be.
Ståle seems to ooze confidence and how refreshing it was to see Moxey quiet – if we look back to MM ‘unveiling’ there seems a world of difference between now and then and to me at least it augers well. Time will tell of course but after last season thing can’t get much worse can they?
Finally thanks Ben and Thomas for the Blog!
UTW
Bloody hell, tuned in to watch the press conference and i can’t believe whats going on. It said Stale Solbakken on the table i know, but i’m telling you, our new manager is the bloke who used to present the Crystal Maze talking in a funny accent. Another Moxey scam.
To be serious though, just wanted to add my thanks to Ben and Thomas for the blog. I read several other Wolves blogs on the net, and can honestly say this is by far and away the best there is out there. Although i read others, this is genuinely the only one i contribute to. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe the abuse and threats of physical violence between supposedly fellow Wolves fans on other blogs, it’s disgraceful.
So from me, a big thanks to the boys for their time and efforts in giving us some where to blow some steam and chew the fat. Also a very big thanks to all the fellow posters on here (especially Clive for the laughs) who make the blog what it is. Especially for respecting everyones opinions without resorting to abuse. We may not be Premier League anymore but our blog certainly is!!! Finally, just wanted to say thanks for putting up with me chaps, i’ve really enjoyed your company during the season.
Enjoyed your company and posts Yosser and look forward to their continued presence!
Ditto robin, cheers mate
For the first time this season; some interesting and informative free videos on the official website. First impressions of the new manager are good; an excellent command of the English language which means the players should clearly understand his expectations. His manner is personable and he seems quite genuine, it was also pleasant not to be listening to the usual trite remarks that are usually used by new managers. In answering the press questions he spoke a lot of sense, in fact he spoke more fluently than Morgan. Most importantly he promises a different style of football which I guess is what we have all been posting on this blog about for months.
Final impression; a striking profile, not just the bald head but also the pointed ears, perhaps the product of Norwegian and Vulcan parents – “Live long and prosper Mr Solbakken”
Stale is Morgans first own selected manager as club owner, and he got rid of mm against moxey will. Morgan will want him to succeed so will back him. No good getting champ league manager and not giving him money. I applaud morgan as he has put his hand in his pocket and finally found his balls. But keeping moxey and TC is wrong. Good luck stale.
Agree with your totally, and what better way to get rid of TC but to have a tough astute young manager who knows how to maintain a winning mentality. Let’s hope JM gets found out!
Come on ye WOLVES!
My favourite Solbakken chant suggestion so far:
Solbakken oh oh oh oh
Solbakken oh oh oh oh
He comes back from the dead
He’s got a shiny head
now thats a great song tetts…have been waiting for some new ones
I am usually an optimist for the close season, and sometimes for as long as til Christmas or even Easter!
I have a warm feeling about our new gaffer, everything I’ve read and heard so far is refreshingly reassuring, particularly following a season where every single missive issued by the club resulted in at best cringes and at worst four letter tirades directed at the telly / paper / website I happened to be reading.
What I cannot for the life of me fathom is how any of my fellow Wolves fans can be so bold as to predict either a successful or otherwise season. Can you please all use your crystal balls to tell me the lottery numbers for next week? just make em up… you’re about as likely to hit the nail on the head as you are guessing what fate will befall the Wolves next season.
All the negativity is particularly confusing and upsetting. I understand how frustrating and horrible this season has been, and I can see why you expect to be let down again, but all the comments along the lines of ‘he’s not starting for a month to save the club money’ are just so wrong-headed it’s difficult to know how to respond appropriately.
Cut the club a little slack. Mistakes have been made and I think learned from, I’ve just read that we’re gonna get a director of football to presumably help with decisions along the lines of whether to sack to manager and who should replace him, or whether our defence is fit for purpose. This is the sort of progress we’ve been hoping for!
If we get off to a shocker, start selling our best players and buying donkeys, or are bottom by Christmas or whatever then by all means have a rant. Assuming that point doesn’t arrive, as Old Goldy says, just enjoy the ride!
You lot will give yourselves bowel cancer with all your moaning!!
PS – As said many times above, still my favourite site on the internet… keep up the good work and thanks!
Great post. I feel more positive than in ages about our team and I like that feeling. Already I’m delighted that TC, Bruce, Megson or Reid didn’t get the job. SS was only unveiled yesterday – surely there can’t be much to be negative about. Let’s just see how the story unfolds.
Steppenwolfe – Totally echo your sentiments about TC, Bruce, Megson and Reid. Only trouble is, someone on here a couple of weeks ago put forward a really good case that they’d heard Reid had been lined up as director of football. Co-incided with his odds being slashed for the managers job at the time. Would make sense from the boards point of view, he knows English football to support Stale, knows football management but also knows a bit about the running of a club financially from his time at Plymouth. Plus he’s a scouser so talks the same strange language as Morgan! I hope not though, I’d prefer a more modern, forward thinking appointment in line with the new gaffer.
well said ..need to pick all our toys up and give him a chance….and it may take a lot longer than we all want it to..be patient everyone(and you clive you naughty boy)
Shock, horror!!
How about making players honour their contracts?
There’s a novel idea.
You sign a contract, for however many years, with whatever relegation clauses there may be, and stick to it.
Actually take responsibility for your actions, or inactions as is the case with most players this season.
Now if the new manager doesn’t want to play you, tough shit. See how a spell in the stiffs feels, playing in front of less than a hundred spectators. That should deflate a few egos pretty quick, make ’em realize they have a finite shelf life, and they can be on the scrap heap damn quick if they don’t buck their ideas up.
And to answer the points about how we are gonna end up next season.
We all want us to win the title at a canter, and why not?
What is the point of turning up every week if we don’t intend to win every game?
No, we won’t, but we should go out with that aim, and we as fans should hope for the best every match.
So, my hope/prediction is to finish in one of the two automatic promotion places, only not the second one!!!
We are Wolves and the title is only in East Manchester on loan!
FOWB
Bookies have McCarthy as second favourite for the Villa job ha ha ha. I hope he gets it and comes back for the shite players he lumbered us with.
Finally having found some time to sit down and give my views on the happenings of the last few days, here we go!!!
Firstly, and most importantly, I also would like to give a huge thanks to Ben and Thomas – you have kept me sane through this season with your informative, witty, light-hearted and constructive blogs. I sit in amazement reading your write-ups of games which I could barely describe in more that two words – those words generally being “absolutely useless”.
The season, as we will all accept, was an unmitigated disaster. The less said about it, the better. However, I do not subscribe to the FOTC brigade. TC was not given a choice – he was made to look a total fool by a board which offered him a job he felt obligated to do. He is not Sir Alex Ferguson, he is not Jose Mourinho, however I don’t think he ever wanted to be. He was handed a poisoned chalice after a farcical sacking and a farcical pursuit of a new manager. He has done his best. No, I didn’t want him to be given the job, but I also didn’t want him to fall flat on his face as he has done.
These are the players I believe will go this summer:
O’Hara
Johnson
Jarvis
Fletcher
Hennessey (possibly – much less likely now he has picked up the injury)
There are a few players I would like to say, however, most of them I couldn’t really care less about.
I have a question for Mr Moxey – Will those of us who renewed our season tickets in March get an extra incentive above those who choose to do it now? We should, but we won’t.
Anyway, onwards and upwards…and where does upwards lead? NORWAY!! Some people seem to have been unhappy with the appointment. From listening to what most fans wanted, I thought what we were after was: a young and upcoming manager, with a proven track record and no baggage…I fail to see how Solbakken doesn’t fit the bill here. I’m not going to sit here and say he’ll be a phenomenon who will lead us unerringly back to the Premier League and into the Champion’s League within 5 years. But I think he’s an interesting appointment and he hasn’t made me go “Oh no, not **INSERT NAME HERE**” – names that spring to mind are Bruce, Hoddle, McLeish, Venables etc.
So here I am, two days after the season’s end and feeling good. Looking forward to summer and what next season may bring. My biggest disappointment from this season…Johnson? The Stan Cullis Stand? Losing 5-1 to the Albion? No, they are all overshadowed by the disappointment I felt when Balotelli didn’t manage to get to Barton…seeing the two biggest nutjobs in the Premier League going toe-to-toe would have made my day!!
I don’t want to be seen to condemn Wolves latest initiative to re-engage with their loyal fans, I refer of course to the re-opening of the Early Bird scheme; it has to be a good move when fans, re-motivated by the recent managerial appointment, are able to purchase season tickets at discounted prices. However in what was referred to only yesterday as ‘a new era for Wolves’ it is a shame that the promotion was not introduced with the honesty and transparency that is so often absent on the official website. Why bother reporting that this initiative is to mark the arrival of Stale when we all know it is because many fewer tickets were purchased earlier in the year.
It does not take an accountant to work out that there must be a significant hole in the club finances following the abysmal season we have all just endured. The disappointing number of Early Bird tickets purchased only added to the on-going problem of falling attendances both home and away. If the home match attendance figures shown on the website are to be believed, the total for the season is over 38,000 down compared to the 2010/2011 season. Using £20 as an average ticket price results in a loss of more than £40k for every home match and a total of three quarters of a million for the season. A similar reduction in attendances for next season will only compound the shortfall and result in less finance to fund high-wage players and new players so for once, I applaud this exercise and encourage all of you who were reluctant to renew to take advantage and in so doing perhaps we can afford to keep one of our stars or attract exciting new squad members from abroad.
As Mr Solbakken might say ‘It’s logical Captain’
Echo the thoughts about the superb blogs by Ben & Thomas, they so get the angst & frustration that this torrid Wolves team has put the fans through this season. I struggle to remember when I last celebrated a goal at Molineux. In the Guardian today interested to see that Roger Johnson was more than a few football writer’s choice as flop of the season. One even went as far as saying that he was not just crap on the pitch he also destroyed the team as well!
The biggest waste of money ever RJ! Where will he be next season? Only Jarvo, Fletcher & Doyle, plus maybe Karl Henry are anywhere near premiership quality out of the current team. It would be great to keep them. The entire defence has to be sacked, and the style of play which is actually more league two than premiership has to be overhauled.
Glad there is a new approach for the new season, am reasonably optimistic of success, play it on the ground please Staale. Get a defence & get them players fitter & working harder. From the brief highlights on MOD v Wigan they were given so much space that it seemed that most of the Wolves team had left the pitch & gone home early. What was Stearman doing for the Boyce header? He was completely on the wrong side to defend the cross!! Onward & upwards, come on you Wolves!