The grand old clock on the South Bank roof was telling the wrong time this afternoon, which was probably the most inappropriate sight of all when Leicester were peppering our goal.
With a second successive East Midlands team threatening a last gasp equaliser, it was pretty much the same time, same place but for the grace of God and a lick of paint.
There’s no doubting the sweet taste of this win – against a promotion candidate of some repute – but there’s also no doubting that we are a long way from being a finished article.
With Ståle Solbakken’s vision of progression clearly some way from bearing fruit, each point gained from this formative season is all the more vital, making this win really quite big.
But by god were there some fingernails bitten during those 95 minutes!
With an alarming drop in fitness, epitomised by a bizarre Bakary Sako performance, we looked leggy and desperate the longer the game went on.
But we survived, we won and we can all look forward to Ipswich with some degree of confidence.
Despite Waghorn hitting a post, Nugent heading inches wide and sub Knockaert going close twice, the defence were as good as I’ve seen for some time, believe it or not.
Johnson and Berra were clear man-of-the-match contenders, while Ward was impressive and Stearman as enigmatic as he was heroic when scoring our second.
The lack of support from midfield appears to be the biggest problem, as Henry and Doumbia became increasingly isolated as our wide men failed to offer adequate support.
If we’re trying to play narrow, it didn’t look like it today and as tired bodies gave way to tired minds, we were hanging on at the end.
Another positive was the front-two of Doyle and Sylvan, who actually represented something of a partnership, particularly in the first half when terrorising a shaky Leicester defence.
The latter scored a header from a Sako free-kick, while the Frenchman delivered a corner which ended up at the feet of Stearman who scored against his former club.
Peszko was busy, while Doumbia looked a class act alongside Karl Henry, who underlined what an indispensable player he really is for us.
Sigurdarson also looked a handful off the bench, to suggest that all in all, there isn’t a great deal wrong with the squad when judging individual showings alone.
Collectively however, we still look one bleep test short of a picnic, with a midfield offering little support to a back four with enough on its plate.
If Solbakken’s demeanour was anything to go on the touchline then he’ll iron out such problems soon…
…Hopefully in the time it takes to fix the clock on the South Bank roof!
Agree with pretty much all that mate.
In particular I think your point about it being a massive win in the context of any point being vital as we attempt to mould a decent team together, is spot on.
One would think we’ll get stronger as the season progresses, in theory.
What happened to Sako second half?
#legsgone?
Surely Hunt would be a good option on the bench to give a tighter feel to the midfield? You can’t argue he gets up and down.
Also, why was Blake taken off when he had them on toast all game. Should have been Doyle.
Agree that the two center halves were impressive but SEB was my man of the match.
Thrilled with the win.
Thomas, think its called ‘talking your own book’ when awarding SEB MOTM. Yes he played better and took his goal well but still needs consistency as do a few of his team mates. Think the general award of Doyle as MOTM was well deserved followed by Roger Johnson.
Ha, I don’t think so mate.
SEB not only scored (as per my ‘carries a greater goal threat’ point) but he held the ball up superbly throughout and showed great trickery at times to beat his man.
What about the reverse through ball for Doyle in the first half too? That was the one moment of true class in the entire game, from a Wolves player anyway.
I think you’re ‘talking your own book’ by giving Doyle MOTM. He was strong and much better than previous weeks, but my personal view is that SEB pipped him.
I don’t want to get into a season-long point scoring of ‘whose better’ as I think they both have their strengths and weaknesses. As a partnership yesterday, they did what we want them to be doing every week, which is asking questions.
Agree SEB better than Doyle in this game, he looked the most dangerous, I was bemused when he come off & not Doyle. If one moment summed it up it was when Sigudarson crossed for an easy tap in. I reckon SEB with his more predatory instinct would have been there to slot that one home, Doyle unfortunately does not get into the box in dangerous places often enough. Saying that of all Wolves players I admire Doyle & Henry the most. I don’t have to explain why just look at their work rates, they die for the cause.
who’s better ?
Sako in my fantasy team will help me move up the Wolves Blog league! XP
As for the match – well, it wasn’t easy, it was tense, but I don’t htink anyone expected this to be easy anyway. Performance wasn’t exactly great but three points is three points and I’d gladly take that!
Onto Ipswitch!
Agree with pretty much everything said.After making a long forward run SEB signalled to the bench he needed to come off.Cant see us being among the front runners and the style and formation still looks much as it was.Sigurdarson doesnt battle like Doyle and Blake but he has got some silky skills and perhaps a touch of class.
Main thing is we needed to get a win any which way and thats what we did.
Massive 3 points that.
A good feeling.
Why are our players so tired after a 2 week break???
Pretty much agree though 1st half was great. 2nd half we were hanging on again by our fingernails.
Good feeling though about getting 3 points and beating a decent foxes team..
We can only inprove further…
Why do we defend a lead so deep….??
1) Perhaps Ståle is running them to death? Or perhaps not enough? Plenty of the fatigue doesn’t come from matches but from preparation being tilted too heavy or too light.
2) Ståle commented after the match ” they got a little bit anxious, made some stupid mistakes, defended too deep and too narrow” – so he’s not happy with it either. That dropping deep is a real legacy of the McCarthy era, where time and time again (this used to drive me mad in the first 2 seasons of the Prem) we’d go ahead and then sit back and invite pressure. In my view we need to keep the attacking threat even when we’re in front, to keep the opponents from overloading us.
Obviously in the 3rd season of the Prem we rarely went ahead in the first place to surrender the lead.
A good summary of the match, I thought Johnson was outstanding and Berra fully committed. The midfield is a work in progress. It was good to have Henry back. He is excellent when the opposition have the ball but less so when Wolves have it. Agree with you about a partnership developing between Doyle and Blake but they need more support from midfield. Ikeme made a brilliant save in the first half which kept us in the game. We rode our luck like Ruby Walsh in the second half and it was a relief to hear the final whistle. Every point is a prisoner and all three could have escaped today.
Interesting to listen to the match on the radio, and hear both the commentator and his side kick, Matt Murray, go on how unfit the players looked.
Back before the Boer War when I was a strapping teenager/early 20’s kid, I would play 4 times over a weekend, through most of the season. Sat. morning in a league of college teachers, Sat afternoon for Goodyears, Sun morning for Sporting Star and Sun afternoon, after a few bevvies, with me mates in the park.
No, I’m not saying I was fuckin’ superman or anything, but trying to make the point that if an untrained youngster can run around all weekend, why cant overpaid footballers, whose job it is, be fit enough to play twice a week?
To me, it points to the trainers. And do we still have a bunch of leftovers from McDickwad’s time? methinks we do.
Any rode, rant over. Dont care how we win, pretty, boring or just plain ugly, as long as we win.
And for those who havent seen the score from Craven Cottage Fulham 3 the shit 0, and odemthingy sent off to boot!
Glorious weekend of footie!
It’s almost like modern professional football is played at a far quicker pace than 70’s amateur football isn’t it?
Who’d have thought it
Wooosh.
That’s the sound of something going completely over your head when you miss the point totally.
If the game is played at a faster pace than a million years ago, how come our players seem to be at the 70’s amateur pace, and do not seem as fit as any of our opponents?
I suppose its because back then no one seemed to get the stupid little injuries that are all too prevalent now, and we didnt have things like crucible ligaments and metatarsickle bones and all the other bollocks they come up with to underperform.
Whatever happened to the magic sponge of yesteryear?
One dab of that and even players with broken legs were fit again instantly!!
Oh how great it is to look back with rose coloured spectacles!
Nostalgia aint wot it used to be!!
Still happy with the results from the Mol and the Cottage.
FOWB
I feel that today showed how weak we are in the middle of the park, when Edwards came on for doumbia I felt that he just didn’t contribute anything.
If I could, I would strongly urge solbhakken to get a player similar to Frimpong on loan to act as cover for us as Henry-doumbia aside, we look very very weak in the middle of the park
First ten minutes he was on every Leicester attack seemed to start with Edwards though he improved a little after that.
Before my comments on the match, anyone other than me, see the shot on Sky of Sir Jack and Morgan watching the game, and Moxey nowhere to be seen?
We were a different class to Leicester in the first 25 minutes.
For some reason we didn’t seem to know, whether to kill the game off or sit back and pass it neatly around.
In the end we let them back in the game.
Pesko, Sako, Boukhari all need time to adjust to the pace of the English game.
I can see that Ståle has improved both Berra and Johnson.
Also Stearman, Blake and Doyle seem to be adjusting to the ‘new’ system.
I think, with time, Pesko and Stearman could be a good combination.
Nail biting second half.
We need that combination of Henry and Doumbia who really compliment each other.
Onwards and upwards I say.
Next stop a clean sheet.
We need to ‘gel’ more, become a team….
Good blog Ben thanks…
Not conceding the late equalizer was massive on the confidence front. Really something to build on . Get the momentum going now. I’ll take three points today however they came.
Thought we looked decent in the first half, and despite a few shaky moments at the back were decent value for a lead at half time. My mate in the pub said best first half at Molineux since the vile game when keano started hammering nails in our coffin.
Second half we faded quickly. Has Doumbia played a full game yet? Without him our midfield is far more pourus, and his substitution was the turning point in the match for me.
I also thought the ref got a couple of big calls wrong. Konchesky would have walked in the prem for his challenge on Doyle in the early minutes, and there was a clear pen in the second half too (was it pesko? Memory fails me).
Still, delighted with the 3 points, and the shit score, can’t wait for the team to gel a bit more…
I admit i only watched it on the box unlike you stalwart season ticket boys but, i’m sorry, i can’t agree with these largely upbeat reactions to the game.
We’re so used to losing, everyone’s ecstatic that we actually won a game. Don’t forget we’re back in the championship now and Leicester’s finishing was appalling. Despite a 2 goal lead against the run of play, we still almost managed to throw the points away and only survived with a lot of luck and a couple of great saves by the keeper.
We must be the only team in the whole football league who actually lose confidence when it scores. Instead of it becoming an advantage where you don’t have to chase the game we just become totally negative and give the momentum to the opposition. And getting a 2 goal lead resulted in blind panic for the rest of the game.
Every time Leicester got the ball, the whole team retreated all the way back to the penalty box inviting them to cross or shoot and they really could and should have won.
There is no doubt we’ve got some decent attacking players in particular and we won because of two excelent deliveries from Sako. But our confidence levels and self belief are woeful.
And has our style of play improved at all from the McCarthy days? I think i saw more balls played back to the keeper to boot upfield than ever.
I agree the three points were massive and hopefully we will gain confidence from it but we need a more positive mentality and a more positive defensive system pdq. I’m hoping that the new coach who comes in will make a big difference.
Let see what happens at Ipswich.
I’ll take 3 points however they come but agree we have a long way to go.
Stuck in Oz I don’t get to see so many games, only seen Derby and Leicester so far. Peszko was disappointing for mine, and we really seemed unbalanced down the left. Stearman doesn’t really impress me at full back (despite a well taken goal) but from all accounts Zubar has been reverting to his Marseille form and Foley not yet fit. Decent stop gap.
I was again impressed with Doumbia and think that he adds a lot to us. Complements Henry like no-one else in the squad.
I think we’re quick to focus on the negatives at the moment. I thought we created enough to justify the win, with both sides being quite open and quite wasteful.
How nice to have a real set piece threat who’ll keep his place in the side each week. We’ve missed that since Dave Jones with Milijas never really establishing himself.
*Unbalanced down the right, sorry, Stearman and Peszko.
Agree regarding Peszko, t’OM. At least Matty Jarvis used to beat his man with electric pace before not delivering the goods. Peszko, without wasting too much energy, just seems to go straight to the ‘not delivering’ bit. Their winger Knockaert (spelling?) did thrice as much in half the time on the pitch.
Not so hot on Doumbia either (yet). He battles, he’s combative, good a good engine, but is he creative enough?
Still, it was bloody nice to finally see SEB play at his level. And I mean that in a good way.
I suspect the pro-Henry brigade will be out in force now saying how much better we looked with him back. We didn’t. We scored from two set pieces and we got lucky for a change. The new signings look decent but my overall impression at the moment is that it’s like watching a McCarthy team but without the workrate. On the plus fron that was the best game Doyle has had in a Wolves shirt in two years.
Dont really get why some fans scream at Karl if he puts his foot on the ball for more than 2 seconds.
I don’t scream at Karl Henry. If anything, I tut and roll my eyes. Every team needs a physical presence in midfield and a calm head to take the heat off, keep possession and build again. It’s just frustrating that Henry has this as his default setting and he does it irrespective of the circumstances. Watch him for 5 minutes: Receive short pass, look for options, decide there are some but all beyond your limited passing capability, turn away, pass 3 yards to central defender, check shoulders, realise you weren’t under pressure in the first place, ask for it back, now you’re under pressure, play 3 yard pass to fullback, who is so close to you that the pressing player is now on top of both of you, full-back hoofs ball to opposition. Doumbia does everything that Henry does and more. We don’t need both of them. We need wingers to pull their weight and we need a bit of flair in the centre. Statistically we are a worse side with Karl Henry in the team. In 2010/11 he missed 9 league games and we won 4 of them (we won 7 of the 29 he played in). Last season he missed 7 league games and we won 2 of them (we won 3 of the 31 he played in). There has been a notable change under Solbakken. Karl Henry is occasionally trying to pick a forward pass to someone who is not standing right next to him. Half the time it goes straight to the opposition because he can’t actuallly pass a ball acurately over more than 6 yards. Hence the default setting. He’s been getting away with it too long and he’s holding us back. So he’s back. We were just as poor as we were whilst he was away but we won so he’s our saviour. Right now he’s probably not our biggest problem but he’s certainly not the answer.
Nice one Ben,
Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that.
I’m not sure about Peszko – I think its his haircut.
Leicester will be top 4 IMO.
Reference Sako.
Solbakken admitted the 24-year-old, who speaks fairly limited English, needs to work more for the team. “When he gets fitter he’ll be a better ‘two-ways player’, defending positional-wise and helping Stephen Ward out defensively,” said the boss.
Copied this from Express and Star.
Does this mean Ward will be picked every week?
If that’s the case, we are doomed, Captain Mainwaring, doomed!!!
Who else for left back Clive? Given the current squad?
Anyone! Did you notice that nearly every attack came down our left side with Ward doing his usual “Take your time fella, tee it up and deliver that perfect cross for your team mates, I’ll be standing over here, about 10 yards back, but I may jump in the air after you kick it to make it look like I’m trying”
If he retreated any further Ward would be sitting on someones knee in row Z! He’s okay going forward and not afraid of throwing himself in front of a shot, but the lad ain’t got a decent tackle in him!
Seems like all the Championshit managers are all aware of this as well, shame our illustriuos management aint!
I still prefer Wardinho over Elokobi, as much of a beast as he is! 😛
That’s my point, unless you’d like to go to a back three I think he, limited as he is, he’s the best option.
I wonder how much he’s on, whether he is providing value for wages?
Since Ward, bought as a forward, has been tried and found guilty, I would suggest any one else is just as capable, and could do no worse.
We might actually find a gem, by trial and error.
Cant get any worser, can it?
Dont we have any left backs in the development squad or academy.
It seems clear to me that one of Ståle’s aims is to have interchangeable wingers and full backs. In the first half it worked well with Pesko and Stearman and Ward and Sako.
However after we went 2-0 and started just defending both Sako and Pesko tired which led us, partly, to defend to deeply.
Potentially, with Berra and Johnson central and Doumbia and Henry in front of them, by championship standards, we have a good defence.
We need to get the feel of winning, which should imbue some confidence into the team.
At the moment we need a three goal cushion, by half time, for any form of comfort….
Driving back from vacation so only getting updates. Sounded like we were going to give it up at the end again.
A win is a win and I will give SS time. But sounds like same old issues. We need someone to really run the show on field and set up the midfield.
Dissappointing to hear we didnt look too fit, why on earth should that be.
Ok we were not as fast but I used to play Sat and Sunday at least at a competitive amateur level I dont ever remember being of the pace. Mind you I was a Keeper sometimes a RB or RW, my enthusiastic sprints down the wing were legendary, sometimes i used to actually take the ball with me to.
Points points points.
If Bakary Sako gets caught doing drugs, do u think the headline would be Bak Sak On Crack?
No, but if Sir Jack Hayward, in a raincoat, was getting ready to fire him for poor writing and talking about no drugs the headline could be:
“Jack in mac on track to sack hack Bak Sak for yack re lack of crack.
I need to get a life.
New to this post, miss 606 and completely disillusioned with express and star sites and comments. Wolves fan over 30 years (born and bred in Wombourne) and my son, my nephews and myself form a cohort of Wolve’s fans in deepest Kent. Watched the match on Sky with a resigned sense of deja -vue. Nothing seems to have changed, only the opposition is weaker, thankfully. Could you imagine what a Arsenal or Manchester team would have done to us.
Stollen as been here only a short time i know but what i imagine you must do as a priority is organise. Could you imagine a Martin O’Neil team being so dis-jointed! I heard the Sky commentator exclaim that Wolves towards the end were a defensive and midfield shambles. I hope against a weak Ipswich team we some semblance of cohesion and understanding and a game plan. I don’t want to be negative but merely offering a perspective to some gushing pieces i have seen on other sites. I will support the boys but wish to see some more progress and the ability to pass to each other and retain the ball, and make the odd pacy break. Anyway, fingers crossed and good luck against Ipswich and thanks to everyone who sends in all this intelligent insight.
Welcome mate.
Yes, I definitely share your view on the need for organisation.
Against Leicester, Derby and even Barnsley in patches, the opposition found it far too easy to play their way through us.
Wolves, unlike any other side I know, struggle to cope when playing just two central midfielders.
The reason for this I feel is that the wide men play too far forward and too wide. We need to make the pitch narrower in a 442.
I believed Ståle would do exactly this, particularly when we sold Kightly and Jarvis. But he’s just brought in like-for-like replacements, who still hug the touchline, thus isolating the two central midfielders.
The only way I see us becoming tighter defensively is to play someone like Edwards, O’Hara (when fit) or Foley tucked inside one of the flanks alongoside Doumbia and Henry. If we carry on playing two of Sako, Peszko, Boukari we’ll always have to out-score the opposition or rely heavily on the central two and our defence to cope.
Thankfully, for the moment, we’re not playing Arsenal or Manchester United, so there’s time to get stronger 🙂
For god’s sake stay away from the bloody E&S comments! Someone needs to remind those lot we actually won – you’d think that we were marooned at the bottom of the table with 25 points reading all those…
Why a 2 man midfield. Hasn`t SS learnt from watching those DVDs that a 2 man midfield is at least one, probably 2 players short in both Champ and the Pem. Derby played us off the park with numbers in midfield, Pearson probably watched the game, and Leicester did the same. Our two isolated wingmen should be significantly tucking in and working back, neither did this enough.
Looked short of fitness, football nous, and Sako didn`t take his man on enough for me. Very lucky 3 points, but hey ho lady luck was with us yesterday. Rather drive home with a stuffy win, than another premiership home defeat.
If we can beat a settled and expensive side like Leicester, we shouldn`t be scared of anything this season, except leading, winning, and enjoying our football.
Mark, Agree all points. in my book you have to control midfield everything comes from that. Its not all you need but if you dont you keep losin possession which is of course our downfall.
Short of nous has been a problem for a while, who is the creative ideas man and organiser?
I will take the luck and give them time (again). We should not underestimate the teams we have played so far this season.
I really do think SS is going to have a problem with holding shape while Ward is left back . he is a workhorse I like his effort but I am with Clive on this one, he gets caught out of position and never has the measure of any one running at him.
Time to reflect on yesterday’s game.lady luck was with us again but how long can it last with a
team for some reason when going 2-0 up in a bright first half to almost committing football suicide after they scored a goal,have’nt we learnt anything from last season i think its time they re-employ the shrink they got rid of last year,because their heads went when that goal went in.the only way we’re gonna get out of this play football with confidence and battling spirit.
Its only the player’s that make the fans jittery.
You got that right, but is it a shrink they need or good positive coaching. I think a good positive coach will get the heads right. I hope SS picks a good un.
Time to get them heads up high and start believing. I now its memory lane again but i can not imagine Shanklly or Clough needing a shrink. Well at least for the players.
alarming the way the midfield was surrendered in the second half, and how much the defence retreats and allow teams to run at them.
don’t believe the new players are up to the pace yet, and would always have Hunt instead of Peszko. better work rate and the possibility of nicking a goal.
got to mention the fact that Konchesky should not have been on the pitch after his lunge at Doyle. yet not even a booking.
The gap between berra and ward is fuckin huge. Any sensible centre forward steps into this space and is played through. It is so easy. Leicester had 2 golden chances because of this. One in first half which went over bar and one in second half which hit the post. Centre midfield – No wonder doumbia is knackered and we really miss henry when he doesnt play. Its because of the ground they have to cover. Games are won and lost in centre midfield. It is so ancient to just play 2 in centre midfield. You start with 3 midfielders and then build your team around these 3 players. Thank god the opposition are not very good esp in finishing. Come on stale-sort out the basics. You have my support esp as you have to work with this current board of incompetent fools
I thought that was the idea of tucked in wingers – to give you 4 in central midfield…
Also while on my soap box. Roger johnson. I would have either sold him or stuck him in reserves for rest of contract after what he did last season. But….. I thought he played very well yesterday and won every thing in the air. Good to see him have a moan at sako for not back tracking but carried the rant on for too long. Still has a long way to redeem himself with me, but goin in the right direction that he wants to play and be a succesd fir wolves. Maybe it is because he is no longer captain and can concentrate on his own game. Bad decision by mad mick.
As I said 451 throw sako in behind one of the established front men. Championship football. Horses for courses. Now not that formation always…. But defo an option for a lot of games!
I wouldn’t be too unhappy with a formation like that mate. I thought SS would have taken off SEB or Doyle for Edwards to pack up the midfield a bit, to be honest. I actually think the 4-5-1 could work better away from home too. If Sako and Boukari (big if) can offer some atacking intent we could do well in a system like this.
The Good news is Jez is monitering Blake and Berras contract situation – the bad news is so are Leicester City.
Leicester City are welcome to both.
Berra’s head is swollen coz he plays for Scotland. That is not something I would want on my CV.
Let’s face it, Scotland havent had a football team since Bully scored at Hampden.
Fatty Blake is flattering to deceive.
He needs to lose 30 pounds and gain 30 feet of pace, then he might become a decent sub.
Neither player has covered themselves with any kind of glory over the last 3 years, so…..thank you and goodbye.
On another topic, watched the Everton/Newcastle match last night, and that linesman who denied two perfectly good goals looked slightly overweight.
No it wasnt me, Scooped.
What are y’alls thoughts on goal line technology?
Everton should have won last night, and if it had been The Wolves, we would all be steaming about it.
Answers on a postcard to…………..
FOWB
I think you’re wrong about EB Clive. He WILL score goals at this level and three already this season ain’t a bad return. Good strikers may not have a touch most of the game but are there to convert the chances they might get. Where would we be without his goals so far this season?
Thanks for your reply Clive know where your coming from but if you were in charge of the current squad would there be enough players left at the end of the week to field a team ?
I had given up on Blake but i have seen 4 live games this season and he is playing better and is effective at this level,
Have a nice day.
Good afternoon Ben. i`d be happy with a 451, but not with EB as the lone striker. He won`t run from the halfway line nor outpace any holding defenders.
In fact 451 with those French wingers actually fit and speaking a little bit of English could be a good move. Sigurrson or that ex WHU lad, should be the one up front. Don`t forget EB got his goals mainly from playing with Big Chris, and from in and around the box.
Shame the player who could have provided the cohesion to knit the play together, O`Hara has the longest to mend groin injury, or pelvic whatever in the history of professional football. I`m sure his continuing absence wasn`t planned for by the manager. Thats some bad luck, lets hope as Doyle suggests, and we ought to be given our recent history, new stand and money in the bank, in the top six by the time I open my Chrsitmas presents.
Just got back from Festival No6 at Portmeirion. Brilliant weekend in a beautiful setting watching the likes of Primal scream and Richard Hawley while over indulging in most legal (and nearly legal) substances so I missed the score predictions. I was going to go for 2-1 to the lads anyway. Can I have a retrospective point please?