Black-country derbies are not for the faint of heart. The players who are usually best suited for such an occasion need a certain blend of grit, experience, fitness and above all else the realisation of just how important these matches are to the respective supporters of each club, writes blogger Nathan Lloyd.
I’ve chosen a Wolves starting XI below, using players from the last 20 years who have played against the Albion.
The team I have assembled has bags of strength, pace, and the determination to win no matter what.
I have written about nearly all of the individuals I have picked over the last couple of weeks in my English, International, Ultimate and Worst Wolves XI’s blogs. However, a couple of players deserve a special mention.
I caused somewhat of an uproar when I selected Muscat for my Wolves all time Worst XI a couple of weeks back. I stand by that decision. I’ve never seen a player so resolutely positive that he was going to get sent off by hook or by crook when we played Grimsby. He was by definition a no-nonsense, hard tackling defender, but whereas the likes of Lescott could tackle with some panache, Muscat just ploughed through most players.
However, what a perfect player to have in your arsenal to face the Albion, and with Lescott and Ludo in the centre in front of Murray, it would be a tenacious and dogged barrier to thwart the Baggies attack.
Now often seen in a Wolves shirt in master’s tournaments, Andy Thompson made the left back slot his own from 1986 to 1997, making 451 appearances and scoring 45 goals. Thommo will always be a cult hero at Molineux. West Brom were generous enough to let us have Andy and Bully for about 5 bob, gawd bless ‘em. Along with the likes of Bully, Venus and Dennison (another Albion gift), Andy helped drag the club from near extinction in the late eighties to competing for promotion to the Premiership in the nineties.
He’s got no hair, but we don’t care, Alex, Alex Rae. One of the hardest working Wolves players in living memory, Rae was deservedly the Wolves fans player of the season for 2001 – 2002. He scored a cracker against Bolton away at the Reebok in the Premiership; a game we would have probably won if it wasn’t for the ball-boy named Naylor. I think we have a good current combo in the centre with George and Karl, but Rae and Ince would have scared Greening and co to death on Sunday.
Kightly is the best right winger I can remember at Molineux for the last 20 years and we have already seen how he rises to the big occasion and I’m sure Sunday will be no different. On the left wing is Steve Froggatt who played in gold ‘n’ black from 1994 – 1998. His career was cut short whilst playing for Coventry, but Froggy is the most talented player I have seen play down the Molineux left flank and was an ideal replacement for another Wolves great, Robbie Dennison.
George Ndah (my lord) sitting behind the toothless grin of hat-trick Albion assassin Iwan Roberts and Bully, would be an attack that could defend from the front and deliver goals.
So there is my Wolves XI from the past 20 years or so that could give the current Albion team a bruising encounter. Who would you pick for the team?
26 Comments
Keith Psycho Downing for definite.Never have we seen a player more committed to the cause.Ability he may have slightly lacked but drive,determination and passion he had an abundance of.He was made for local derbies, although he didn’t really care who it was he was kicking.One of my all time heroes of the “Bully Years”
My most enjoyable years as a Wolves fan.
So “PSYCHO” in the centre of midfield is a must.
It’s a long time ago but if we are talking about passion we must find a place for Les Wilson
The complete team:-
1. Matt Murray
2. Kevin Muscat
3. Andy Thompson
4. Alex Rae
5. Ludovic Pollet
6. Joelen Lescott
7. Michael Kightly
8. George Ndah
9. Steve Bull
10. Iwan Roberts
11. Steve Frogatt
Ta.
Hi Nathan, great blog, the only thing i would point out though, is that i do not think George Ndah is that keen on playing the Albion, mind you i didnt pick Matt Carbon in my team, ouch!!!!!!!!
Murray
Irwin Lescott Richards Thompson
Rae Ince Dennison
Keane
God Mutch
some names there to torment any albion fan (and team) - but not sure kightly has earned his place in a derby 11 yet.
He IS a great player but to be fair he aint really done it in a derby game has he ?? Long may that continue !
i’ll have to go back 30 years
1 M Murry
2 G Palmer
3 A Thompson
4 A Rea
5 D Richards
6 J Lescott
7 M Kightly
8 R Keane
9 S Bull
10 J Richards
11 W Carr
Yes you’re right Kightly hasn’t really done it in the derby…
YET!
Going back 40 years
Murray
Parkin
Thompson
Bailey
Woodfield
Lescott
Kightly
Knowles
Dougan
Bull
Wagstaffe
I don’t think Psycho could cope with the Albion team of today, I’d plump for Rae.
I’d also prefer Robbie Keane up front to Iwan.
maybe this sunday is the day kightly proves he”s a wolf
Andy Thompson was brilliant at Wolves and that was when we had a team that stayed together season after season.
I think Kites is a good shout, he will terrorise Albion at the weekend and I’ve put money on him grabbing the only goal of the game.
How can you include the clubs worst ever right back (in your opinion)for a derby match against the tesco’s? Why don’t you put robert Taylor upfront and Tony Lange in goal!
We have played the best Wolves team ever/ worst Wolves team ever/ the team to play Albion on sat game etc for a while; How about another version? A team of CURRENT Premiership or Scottish Premiership players who have played for Wolves, lets see what sort of team we would get:
GK Stack (Reading)
RB Edworthy (Derby)
LB Naylor (Celtic)
CB Lescott (Everton)
CB Ingmarsson (Reading)
RM Seol (Reading)
CM Huddlestone (Tottenham)
CM Keane (Tottenham)
LM McNamara (Aberdeen)
CF Miller (Derby)
CF Aliadiere (Middlesborough)
Are there any others? I’ve had to put McNamara out of position (but maybe he and Naylor would swap), the full backs are a bit ropey (Foley is a better RB)and I’d rather have Kightly than Seol and Murray or Hennessy than Stack but its not a bad side otherwise!
As soon as I saw the subject the first 2 players to pop into my head were Bully and Rae, then Ince and keane. The only 2 I disagree with are Ndah and Roberts. Both good but there have been better. Wait till Sunday and see if we find another hero!
I disagree with Murray,he is too injury prone.Mike Stowell on the other hand was an excellent all round goal keeper, lets not forget he was a big part of the revival years with Bully ,Thomo & co. In the last twenty years he would be my no 1 keeper without a doubt.
Colley Gate Wolf (15)
Iwan Roberts deserves his place simply for scoring 4 against the Baggies in one season. No other Wolves player can match that.
Ndah was fabulous against the Baggies until Carbon got hold of him. And who can forget Murray against the Baggies last year? He was the reason we won one of those encounters last season.
I would have loved to have squeezed in Ince, but how many games against the Baggies did he play?
Psycho would have been a good shout, but I wouldn’t put him ahead of Rae or Ince.
Nathan Lloyd (17)
Fair enough but I was thinking more along skill wise
Andy Y(14)
This one will make you laugh. Henri (I want to be the best african footballer) Camara
Adam (13)
I thought I explained Muscat’s inclusion in both my worst XI and the best team to face the Albion?
I’ll always remember how I felt when he was sent off against Grimsby. The club had stood by Muscat through all his troubles and that was his way of turning his back on the club.
For the game against the Baggies you need players who will stand up and be counted and Muscat is just that type of player.
I didn’t realise I was breaking any laws by including him in both? Or were just trying to be clever by pointing that out?
Nathan don’t forget when we needed Murray most, for the first leg of the playoffs, he was injured that was a big psychological blow for our defense.It falls into the category of players like Ndah & co great players but not dependable.
1. Stowell
2. Venus
3. Thompson
4. Ince
5. Lescott
6. Craddock
7. Kightly
8. Rae
9. Bull
10. Keane
11. Dennison
Laura (20)
Good point about Murray, but when fit he is the best keeper we have had since Bert Williams. Equally the same with Ndah, when he was on his game against the Baggies, he was almost unplayable. Shame Carbon contributed to his downfall.
1.murray
2.muscat
3.irwin
4.ince
5.lescott
6.richards
7.kightly
8.cook
9.bull
10.keane
11.froggatt
How about subs: David Woodfield, Chris Crowe, Ray Crawford, Hugh Curran
Coley Gate Wolf (18).
Yeah, I’d forgotten Henri Camara! Is he at West HaM now?
I had also forgotten Mo Camara (Derby but just sent on loan to Norwich) - Could play LW, I suppose, as he was no good as a LB!
no rob hindmarch criminal!!! gave me my best memory down the poorthorns