Panic on the streets of Wolverhampton. Some Wolves fans have very short memories, writes Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd.
Six games unbeaten before we came unstuck at Portman Road, which is turning into a bit of a fortress this season for Ipswich.
We then draw against a well-organised Bristol City team at the weekend, in a game that we admittedly should have put to bed before the break.
So why the negativity and panic?
We are sitting one place outside the play-off places and in a much healthier position than teams who have invested much more in there squads, or who are still enjoying the fruits of parachute payments having come down from the premiership.
The table has an odd look to it.
Whereas teams such as Bristol City, Burnley and Barnsley are perhaps punching above their weight towards the top of the Championship.
If everything was clicking, we would be flying at the top of the table.
But can you imagine how it would feel being a Norwich fan at the moment?
Bottom of the table and unless Glenn Roeder turns it around like Roy Keane did last year at Sunderland, it will a long season with nothing to look forward to.
It’s a great time to be a Wanderer. A young, talented squad with some new investment.
And yet we still get people on here calling for Mick’s head and questioning his judgment.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how negative or puerile.
The team selection is and should always be a topic for debate.
Lets discuss the merits of Rosa’s inclusion though rather than whether Mick McCarthy deserves to stay in his job.
The first half of football on Saturday was a joy to watch.
It was a good game as well, although it fizzled out in the second half.
A special mention must go to Kites, who ran his socks off, what a performance.
Yes we missed some chances, but then so did City.
I didn’t come away from Molineux too disheartened though.
We are not far away from being a title challenging team.
This blog is not, as everything else at the clubs seems to be, sponsored by Chaucer.
Wolves fans, what do you think? Have your say below
42 Comments
Stockport?? do you mean scunthorpe?
Well said Mr Mainwaring
Sorry, yes Scunthorpe…. Slightly rushed my blog yesterday, didn’t have masses of time to write it. 10 points aussiewolves!
2 - it was Jones not Mainwaring.
Panic or not to panic ?? Yes you are 7th in the league and you have had some good results (Charlton was excellent)…. BUT !!! There is there a feeling that things are going ok DESPITE McCarthy not because of him ?
There are questions over his buying policy, and definate questions over his selection policy. His management style has been brought into question and the harmony that you worked so hard to develop last year is not there throughout the squad (maybe a few of MM’s faves are still positive).
How can you seperate the Rosa debate from whether MM should keep his job ? It’s his JOB to pick the team - if he gets it wrong then who is to blame ? Same with Freddy Eastwood - these are not smoke screens, they are genuine questions !
Are Wolves going forward from the good season you had last year or not ?
Panic - Maybe its too early - but worried…. ??
all is ok??!!…and yes ok might be o.k at some club`s but not at wolves! we have spent a little and now after last season we expect alot! not realy but we do expect a left back at left back and a winger on the left and a striker to be in the box when have played good football!!!it`s not science whats missing but we still haven`t put them right!! and that`s why we`re where we are and not in the top 3!
the problem is we need to go up automatically,forget the play offs,that would only give us a 25% chance of going up.as for this young talented squad, kightly is the best player outside the prem’ but most of the others are championship players & no more,they aren’t as good as we thought they were
Saturday was another match to add to the category of “should have won in the first half”. Unfortunately, once again we didn’t and once again, the other team came back at us in the second. The best thing about was that we didn’t collapse and concede a late goal.
The team on the pitch wasn’t far from the best we could field and it looked good for the whole first half but poor for much of the second. I don’t know how we can hold the manager responsible for that.
It isn’t a bad position to be in right now with a long time to go before the end of the season. A couple of additions to strengthen the squad from the loan market or during the transfer window could see us pushing on after xmas, just like last year.
Still think a fit Jarvis could make a huge difference. He seemed lively for his 20 minutes on Saturday and will get better with some first team experience to sharpen him up.
“how dare you” !
Yes,, how dare you indeed, get on the case of the odd fan who dares grumble at what has been a less than impressive start to the campaign.
Especially after all the funding and players bought in.
You see, my good man there may well have been a run of SIX GAMES unbeaten, but the performances suggestd that all was not well, and the thumping at Ipswich was I suppose what most of us thought was on its way anyways.
We have been grumbling (and for most its been little more - only the odd chap here and there has been calling for Micks head) at the lack of effort and determination exhibited by parts of the squad, the questionable team selections at times, and the inexplcable statements issued by Lord Mick.
The team is not firing on all cylinders, and Im wondering if Mick knows how to rectify it - we’ve all witnessed and made comments about our poor defence, yet there has been ZERO attempt to fix this - apart from recalling Jody.
That said, i think most fans are reasonably happy at the minute, as long as it is understood that a fair amount of work still needs to be done.
2 defenders, and either a proven goalscorer, shuffle of the pack to suit Freddy, or give Rosa a run out.
When its mentioned about 1 or 2 players required from either loan or buy, dont you think that the other teams above us are also looking at the same idea, and would you let a up and coming forward or defender come to us to sit on the bench !!!!!
I think our performances have been more than acceptable. Ipswich are one of only two teams to have a 100% home record in the league, Man City being the other team.
I think if we invest in a new striker in January and give Rosa or Mark Davies a chance in the middle, then we are not far off a challenging team.
I still think that Craddock and Breen in the middle of the defence works well, highlighted by the fact that we don’t concede many when they are together.
Lee, do you really think that we should mix up the team simply to panda to Freddy? I think he looked quite sharp when he came on against Bristol, albeit a bit too late in the game to really make a difference. I think Andy Keogh needs a rest from the first team to regain some early season form and maybe Freddy could have a run in the team with Bothroyd.
Happy_baggie, do you really think we should be talking about a Managerial change when MM is so close to getting it right?
“Panic on the streets of wolverhampton” ??
Has Primark got a sale on or is the TV detector van doing the rounds ?
Or maybe Netto has run out of Sunny Delight….
Nathan 10 - as I said, maybe its too early to panic but if I was a Wolves fan I would be worried… but how long do you give the manager ??
We had a similar situation last season with Robson. We were doing ok, but ok wasn’t good enough. There was a good argument for giving him longer, but once we saw what Mowbray was doing regards the style of play and the ethos we realised just how negative Robbo had been.
I’m not saying MM should be sacked now - but is it a question of “when” ??
What a load of rubbish,im sorry but apart from Foley our team is no better than last year,and as we all saw..it WASENT good enough then.Forget freddy because we never play him…Defence is very average and slow as xmas,midfield is ok but cant see many goals coming from there consistantly and as of yet they have done nothing to prove me wrong.And Mick hasent got a clue what he’s doing up front!!!!!Rosa is playing his socks off in reserves but cant get on the bench unlike Potter who has done what??Owe yeah he’s IRISH!!We need 3 real quality players to take us from being NEARLIES to real promotion hopefuls.
12.
No qustion of Mick being sacked. In time, now the funds for transfers are in the club, I am sure we will see Wolves build on last season.
We have sacked too many managers too quickly over the last 20 years. Taylor shouldnt have been sacked, nor for that matter Jones. After all Jones was succeeded by a better manager who found all the missing pieces and lifted Wolves up…….
Of course I am dissappointed with some results this season, but I really do believe we are moving steadily (very steadily) in the right direction.
Up the Wolves!!
Oh and with regard Mowbray, the Albion fans I know down here still don’t rate him or have confidence in him…depends on who you talk to and who you are trying to wind up.
and therein lies the beef - IF WE DONT GO UP WE WILL LOSE SOME OF OUR BEST PLAYERS.
sorry for being grunmpy, but lying “just outside” the playoff places doesnt fill me with much glee.
We need a top 2 finish, and on current perfromance we dont stand a hope in hell’s chance.
thats why Im grumbling Nathan
arent we all glad too see our number 1 wolves fan “Happy Baggie” back!
Well i am, what happened, was you in shock over your win mate??
As for the Blog, i wouldnt quite say there is panic! Anyone who goes reguarly writes positively on here! We all know as wolves fans we get both ends of the spectrum! We get the over optimistic and the worst of the pesimistic! (If thats how you spell it!)
I agree we are not far from challenging, a good quick centre back and i think we have the rest! We have the squad but at the moment 1 department is not firing on all cylinders and that is the strikers. When they get on fire, we all know the league can watch out then.
Also we go on about freddy, but you just have to look at Nugent at portsmouth to see that some players dont just “fit in” straight away. It can take time.
I agree about Rosa, but i can remember back when hoddle was here, and people questioned playing him!! people called Rosa our weak link then, so why the sudden change now.
I want to know though, happy baggie why would you be worried if you were a wolves fan? (cough cough in the closet!)
You had a great weight of expectation at albion, you had just come down dont forget, we havent, were on the up, not coming down and wanting to go back up. MM is building, i agree he’s under more pressure now with the new investment, but surely if he built once he will be given the season to do it again!
keep up hope, i believe we will get a draw tonight! come on the wolves!!!!
Happy_Baggie, I don’t think it is a question of when we sack MM at all. I enjoyed last season, and I’m enjoying the majority of football we are playing this season.
Lets see if MM makes the right moves in the January market. I think he would be the first to admit that he made a mistake sending Jody to Stoke and not strengthening in the right areas of the team before the season kicked off.
I still think that with the right tweaking, then this Wolves team could achieve.
this hurts to type but happy baggie is not far off the truth, “ouch”. We have the right to put forward our concerns, thoughts and create a debate, we are not having a knock. It just seems obvious to the majority of us that our manager would rather play his mates out of position than do what we see is obvious in getting the ball in the net, jarvis instead of s.ward, freddie up front given a run of a few games along side jay. To me as stubborn as you are, as big as your ego is MM you have to change it before its to late,
let’s see what the situation is in january, then we might be panicing if we’re 15th,and if we are nearer to 15th, then mr morgan better start writing a few more cheque’s out,because our defence are a joke,
>>>UP THE WOLVES
Dublin - glad to know you missed me.
You ask - Would i be worried as a wolves fan… and the answer is yes. In the same way I was worried about Robson last year. we were ok, but we were losing games we should have won and the team selection was often “baffling”.
We moved quickly and things improved - now that won’t always happen, but again I ask - how long do you give it ??
I think your point about the finance is wrong - Morgans money was available in the transfer window (the deal was done i believe) - plus I’m sure you were not broke before he came - MM decided the squad was good enough when everyone knew different, plus there are questions over his buying policy.
And I flatly refuse to believe that Windsor wolf knows baggies fans who aint happy with Mowbray - whats not to like ?? We play good football, he has re-built the team with some fantastic players and we are getting results… And people accuse me of trying to stir things up !!!
why does the character happy baggie worry so much about wolves and why does he repeatedly,i said REPEATEDLY, suggest that Mick isnt the answer for wolves getting promotion…do you all not think that he wants whats worst for our team being a tesco fan?? if he genuinely thought Mick was so awful would he not wanna keep that to himself rather than trying to put ideas into wolves fans thoughts…come on wolves fans wise up!!!!! IN MICK WE TRUST HE AINT LET US DOWN YET
Happy, refuse all you want, my landlord is a baggies fan, and he hasnt stop moaning about Mowbray….
I’m happy with Mick, some fans arent. Thats life.
Mick will be sacked one day, as will Mowbray. They will be sacked or go to a “bigger” club, thats football.
WHY ARE THE WORDS MICK AND SACKED BEING USED IN THE SAME SENTENCE….SOME SO CALLED SUPPORTERS SHOULD FEEL ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES….GO TALK ON THE ALBION PAGES ITS THE RIGHT PLACE FOR YA
Spot on Happy Baggie (4 & 12)! Most of us are worried because we have indeed been doing ok but when the chips are down, will ok be good enough? When we play your team (WBA) I fear we could be in for a footballing lesson and then everyone will be worried! MM’s team selections have been puzzling at times to say the least and to refer back to his patience request, some of us have been patient for so many years we are running out of time! Will tonight see Rosa get a game, will Freddie play, will we have a proper left-back etc, etc? Southampton is not a lucky place for us and should we gain a point it will be as if we have won but I cannot see it, 2-0 to Soton because we cannot take our chances … BUT THEY WILL if we are as careless as we have been so far this season!
Whats not to like about Mowbray, well the fact you hardly win away and put a run together. (And dont say well we beat watford, because its only 1 win out of a few).
I am right about the finances, as i said the other day, if MM just scrapped the team that got us to the play offs there would of been uproar! he had to give the lads a chance to show they could be the ones, i think in January there will be changes, he is identifying the ones who can do it, and the ones who cant. But they deserved to stake a claim to stay.
Also you have parachute payment money aswell as your selling players money. Ok we got Morgans money, but it was near the end of the window we got this and Im sure MM doesnt just believe in buying because we have the money to do it!
I am not worried one bit, if in January we are 15th and not signing anyone, trust me, ill worry!!!!
I am worried for various reasons.I cannot see the team has made any progress since last season.I dont think any of the new players purchased has improved the team overall(and I include Foley).I dont see any youth team players apart from Hennessey challenging for a place.I see an apparant reluctance to spend money on players.I hope I am wrong but i feel the club are happy where we are ie challenging for a play off place in The Championship.
Roy (24), are you another Baggies fan pretending to be a wanderer? What are you talking about? I am in doubt at the moment that the Albion are probably slightly a better outfit than we are, especially up front with Miller and Phillips.
But they will not be giving us a footballing lesson, what utter garbage.
Rosa probably deserves a place on the bench. Who are you going to give his place to in midfield if he does play? Karl Henry was superb at the weekend. Ok, he should have shot after dancing round the Bristol City defence, but he had a good game. Oli was off-key has can occassionally happen with George, but he has been one of our better players so far this season.
And if Matt Jarvis leaves up to his billing, then we could finally have the answer on the left. I won’t even mention player of the season elect, Micheal Kightly.
MM knows that with Gray injured, he doesn’t have a lot of options at left back. Mark Little was on the bench on Saturday and could well be given a run out in that position. However, Neil Collins probably had his best game in a Wolves shirt and looked more comfortable in that position than he has before. If MM can find a Foley type player in the transfer window to come in at left back, I think we would all be happy.
Roy, you need to take a more positive attitude to football. Yes, a trip to the Saints will be difficult and we will be underdogs, but don’t write the boys off, get behind them, its called SUPPORT?
This Blog is a breath of fresh air after reading the words of the “faithful” doom mongers. Post 6, yes they are mostly a team of championship players, but then we are in the championship. Ask the likes of Charlton, Sheffield or our pals in Sandwell if so called premiership players are the answer in this division.
H_B, nice bit of s**t stirring but our situation is miles away from where you were with Robson this time last year, and you know it.
The only problem Wolves have is up front. When will MM realise that running around like a headless chicken ( a la Keogh) does not win matches. Does Michael Owen work his socks off? No but he scores goals something that Keogh doesn’t. Therefore stick Freddy in a tell him he has 5 or 6 games to show us what he can do, Keogh has had his chances and only scored 2. Freddy has hardly played and still scored 4. It isn’t difficult to change the team around, why not play 2 strikers and FE just behing them, he would be deadly here. Like against Bristol City he only had 6 mins but got into 2 or 3 shooting positions, Keogh was rubbish had 1 shot in whole match and that nearly hit the corner flag. Also have seen Rosa in reserves he deserves a place on the bench so he can come on when others are tiring. Agree with comment abouut Potter what has he done to deserve a subs spot.
MM must change things to ensure goals.
Also FE scored early in his Wolves career and was then dropped, MM has managed him badly so the presure is now on him as was the case against Ipswich. Drop Keogh and play FE FOR A PROLONGED RUN NOT JUST ONE GAME HERE AND THERE he is a proven goalscorer.
If MM is more flexible then we can go up automatically.
CAN SEE US JUST MISSING OUT THIS SEASON BUT WHEN NEW CHAIRMAN GETS FEET UNDER TABLE AND HANDS IN HIS POCKETS NEXT SUMMER WE WILL RUN AWAY WITH THE LEAGUE 2008-2009.HE DOESNT SAY MUCH DOES HE.
Some Nice comments Nathan. Cant disagree
21. YET!!!!
25 - how come when we are discussing west brom you always want us to “ignore” things…
Earlier this year we had to “ignore” last season when talking about wolves V albion, now we have to “ignore” beating the league leaders 3-0 at their place when talking about our away form. Do we also ignore being the first team to beat Scunny at home for 9 months or how about gettin a draw AT bristol (you were happy with your home draw).
When we sold our “star” players (LOL) you lot were laughing - now you say we had ythe money - at least we SPEND our money. I see you gloss over morgan’s money very quickly
we support different teams - but at least i can come here other Wolves fans sometimes agree with my points - yours just seem to be anti albion at any cost.
No albion fan I speak to has anything but praise for Mowbray - we aint blindly loyal (in MM we trust) but we know a good thing when we se it !
Nathan (27), a lot of ifs in your comment but ifs do not win football matches do they? I could say, IF I had been lucky I could now be a millionaire, what a load of eyewash! My attitude as you put it is not one of being non-positive but realistic for we have not really improved from the last season, ok we are there or thereabouts but the expectation was lifted by last seasons achievements and it was assumed we could kick on from there but we haven’t! As for players being dropped to be replaced by others, are all current players immune from being dropped? One good game does not make a season and performing players deserve to play and that means week in and week out not just every other game. Nathan, you have your opinion and I have mine and for your information I have lived in Wolverhampton all my life and never supported WBA but maybe my perspective is not as clouded as yours would seem?
wow wow wow happy baggie! i have supported you above most on here! i am not anti albion at all! if you read my views they make sense, if you dont agree then thats your view!
explain how any of my views are anti albion please?? to think i actually was glad to see your comments back today!
Dublin - sorry mate, I mixed you up with windsor and his stupid anti Mowbray piece.. too many threads for my overworked brain !!
Yes i know you post constructivly, but I still stand by my comments regards our away form.
p.s - regards the blogg… “the table has an odd look to it” ? We’re 3rd and your 7th. Whats odd about that ?
phew to think i was going to take you off my xmas card list then! lol! if i had one ……..
i do make 1 comment, ok if your happy with your away form, just think with the team you have it could be better! but we werent happy with the home draw to Bristol, quite the opposite we were actually dissapointed and angry to have only drawn the game.
yeah they are good results, but wernt there too many burnley results (2-0 up before losing 3-2) away last season that cost you automatic promotion! just think it could be the same this year, you win 1 away but lose next 2!
what do you think HB?
Roy (34), lets not fight amongst ourselves!
All Wolves fans want a common objective, to get promoted playing good football. At the end of the day, the blog is my opinion and hopefully a reflection on what the majority of Wolves fans are thinking.
I’m just not a big fan of negativity this early in the season, and especially when there isn’t masses wrong with the current team. I don’t think my judgement is clouded, I just have an opinion like you.
I would rather concentrate on the positives at the club. If we were rock bottom of the table with an awful team then maybe my views would be different.
And Happy_Baggie, didn’t you berate Wolves fans earlier in the season for saying that we were higher in the table than you? It hardly matters this early on does it?
Anyway, good luck lads tonight. If they grab a point away at the Saints, I’ll be chuffed.
Dublin - I agree that our away form was letting us down - we were scoring well but conceeding too easily. Mowbray looked at it and replaced Barnett with Cesar - and we have let in 1 goal in 3 games since.
We lost 2 away games 3-2 and people were making an issue of it but I was always confident that we would sort it.
We just have to keep it going now and I know we will still lose games - but i think we have sorted our “away” problem.
Also - last seasons team has no bearing on this one - we are far more resiliant now with more spirit and more workmanlike.
Nathan - yes I though 2 games and 5 games was a little early to be celebrating, and even now its all to play for - so my comment above (37) was tongue in cheek.
However the season goes on and league position DOES get more relevent the further we go.
Tonight is a big tonight between us - we could be 1 point or 7 points apart at the end of it.
There was a rumour I heard a while ago. It was that a chap at my works knows someone who works in a certain restaurant and he so happened to serve Mr Steve Morgan along with his guest. A certain Paul Jewell. Afterall, he is scouse too I believe. Look into it as you will, but as I said. Just a rumour. Up the Wolves !!!!