Most fans want the same thing from a match; for their team to win and in the process play exciting, flowing and entertaining football, writes Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd.
We are doing the winning bit, it’s just the other parts of the mix that are missing.
Andrew, the very knowledgeable young lad who sits next to me in the Steve Bull, optimistically predicted a 4-1 win against Preston. Oh to be young and dream again.
The majority of us predicted, and witnessed, another close win, albeit devoid of entertainment for the majority of the game, but still better than the turgid game against Colchester.
With Kites missing from the line-up, we lacked that bit of spark that can often turn the game.
And possibly our second best player of the season (after Kites) was also missing in Craddock, which meant we occasionally looked a little shaky at the back with Collins partnering Ward in the centre.
Another three points though, unbeaten in six games, conceding just the one goal, but perhaps worryingly only scoring four in the process.
We are organized and resilient, but perhaps just not that exciting to watch?
Up to third in the Championship and hot on the heels of the faltering Hornets and closing in on Albion, who are themselves unbeaten in eight games.
In the last two games Freddy has been unlucky not to score, but I’m not convinced that his current strike partner Elliott has a bigger future at the club.
It might not be his fault that too many balls were just lumped up to him against Preston, but as he is a few inches off being 6 foot, he is never going to win many in the air.
Keogh has obviously lost a bit of early-season confidence, but for me he could still prove to be the ideal solution to play just off Eastwood.
On paper, December’s run in of fixtures pits us against some of the easier teams to beat in the Championship.
However, most fans will say that over the years we tend to take our foot off the gas against the easier teams and not always perform at our best.
When we played at the Hawthorns, the players were really charged up and they all put in a superb performance.
But then against Colchester and Preston it was almost as if they just felt they just needed to turn up and bag the points.
Colchester in particular probably deserved something from the game and Hennessey was the difference between grabbing the three or just the one point at the end.
And for me, the balance of the midfield hasn’t looked right for the majority of the season.
The ever improving Karl Henry certainly deserves a place in the middle and if George was more consistent, then I would never question his place in the team.
When Olofinjana disappears in January for the African Nations, it is hopefully set up nicely for the return of Mark Davies to the first team.
He has great vision and is an excellent passer of the ball, and that’s what we currently lack in the middle.
The other option is Darren Potter who for me is too reminiscent of Keith Andrews with his focus on sideways and backwards passing.
Tonight we face Barnsley, who we played barely a month ago at Molineux in a very nervy encounter, beating them by the now all familiar scoreline of 1-0.
0-0 is the likely scoreline tonight when we visit Oakwell and then 1-0 when Burnley visit for the late-kick off on Saturday.
I don’t know about the majority of Wolves fans, but personally I’ll put up with the lack of goals and entertainment if we squeeze in the top two by the turn of the year.
Wolves fans what do you think?
16 Comments
Your right, the football isn’t exactly sexy at the moment but I’ll take the 3 points rather than a 5 goal thriller. Shame we can’t have both, but lets do that when we go up to the Premiership and invest some of Morgan’s cash.
We still need something in the middle, a bit of creativity. What about Gleeson or Gobern?
We are in a good position to kick on.
The defence looks solid - even with changes, Freddy looks sharper, and surely just needs a couple of goals to get the confidence to gamble in the box.
The only negative (apart from the ‘ugly’but effective football) is the number of high balls used in the last couple of games.
Route one can be an effective counter-attack but if you use it you have to have someone who can challenge for it or hold it up.
MM has said he’s looking for a ‘target man’ so hopefully he’ll get his man, but until then, I think playng to feet and set pieces are likely to be our most effective way of breaking down defences.
MARK DAVIES COMING BACK WILL BE LIKE SIGNING A NEW PLAYER I CAN’T SEE WHY HE ISN’T PLAYING ANYWAY HE HAS GREAT VISION AND PASSING ABILITY. WE ALSO NEED TO GET 2 OF THE STRIKERS PLAYING WELL TOGETHER.
This apperars in today’s news.
EVERTON are hot on the trail of Wolves’ £4million-rated Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey.
Molineux boss Mick McCarthy says he expects top clubs to start circling for the 20-year-old.
Goodison chief David Moyes has sent keeper coach Chris Woods to have a first-hand look.
do yow think he’ll gu!
I cannot see us letting our goalkeeper leave halfway through a season. Particularly if we are in the top six. I cannot comment on Wolves’s style of play, because I am in Vienna, but I am coming over for 6 weeks from the end of December so I hope to get to a few games then…oh and please tell Steve Morgan to vacate that parking space outside Molineux, because he only has WFC1 and my numberplate is WWFC1…
Hennessy won’t be going anywhere, at the moment. But if we are still in this division next season, you can’t really expect him to stay.
nathan your blog this week makes a lot of sense, I feel that there are still certain players that will always get in the side for who they are rather than what they can offer, for me Jarvis should play more along with Keogh. I am not a fan of Steven Ward and Darren Potter if we have Kites fit then that will give you a balanced midfield, upfront with Eastwood is keogh the back 4 to me whoever plays is good enough the goals against speaks volumes. As for sexy football I would rather us get the points and go home happy even though sometimes a little dispondent.
It be suicide to let Wayne go now.
Maybe in the summer if we dont go up or Murray gets fully fit.
On the main subject :
Surely results matter more than the performance ?
Concerning the midfield….I think Potter and Henry compete for the same slot as the deeper holding player and Henry gets my vote for his better tackling and covering. I’ve not seen enough of Mark Davies to know whether the defensive side of his game is up to standard…maybe that’s where MM intends to play Gibson ?
I agree with ‘But now he’s alright wolf’. It’s the points that count now - better to win ugly than not at all. Besides, promotion isn’t achieved by Xmas, or Easter for that matter. Promotion from this hellish division is what matters. If it can be achieved with exciting, pretty football then all well and good, but I’d settle for the results being ground out. The team can sort out the pretty stuff when we’re coasting at the top.
Interesting and thought provoking Nathan !! If some one had offered that Wolves can have promotion but you’ll only win games 1-0 I’d have snapped their hand off !! However on reflection I know winning is the important thing but at 1-0 a game is never dead and heart failure for the fans is always close !! I just wish that occasionally we could bury a side when we dominate so much. Take the Bristol City game for example, really they should have been on the coach back home at half time but we ended up with a draw !! Perhaps that’s the beauty of the game - it sets you up only to bring you back down to earth with a resounding bump !! I think on the balance I’ll take the 1-0 results and just pray !!
Good blogg nathan.
Its a bit like the blogg we are having… would you rather be in the championship and win loads of games or go up to the prem and get a tatering every week…. we all want the promised land, but last season was perfect for me as a baggies fan.. we played well, won matches, scored 100 goals and went to wembley.
IF we had won that game we could be suffering a season like Derby are now (although i doubt we would be THAT bad) - yet here we are, enjoying another season of winning matches.
Would the wolves want a season of under-par performances which result in promotion, followed by a season of hammerings - or enjoy the football but not win so much ?
We all want success - but at what price ?
As Brucie says, points make prizes, never mind good game good game.
If it’s a case of winning ugly, shouldn’t we try to get Peter Beardsley out of retirement?
3 points is what counts.
I have a horrible feeling that MM is not going to play Mark Davies. I can see him leaving Wolves in the next 12 months. Football managers can be very stubborn people and I don’t think MM likes to be told who to play. I hope I’m wrong as Davies is one of the most gifted players at the club.