It seems that Wolves have decided to condense a whole season’s excitement into the meaty end of their campaign, writes Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd.
And I think it’s safe to say that the award for the best game of the season now has a new contender with that monumental encounter down in South East London on Saturday.
Of course the headlines were grabbed by SEB and his fantastic brace, especially his sublime second.
I’m sure plenty of kids will have attempted his nutmeg in school playgrounds across Wolverhampton over the last couple days; it was just a moment of absolute genius.
There were also good performances on Saturday from Elokobi, Jarvis, Gray and Craddock who was making his 500th league appearance.
Henry put in a much improved and probably much needed performance. He is a different player away from the pressures Molineux, where perhaps some fans are quick to jump on his back and the goal will have done his confidence the world of good.
Hennessey was outstanding in goal and was certainly much busy than Weaver at the other end.
And so we are back in a play-off spot and just as we are bang in form, we unfortunately have to take the foot off the pedal and sit back for a fortnight.
The likelihood is that by the time the lads have to lace up their boots again for the tricky trip to Ashton Gate; Wolves will probably find themselves outside the play-offs once again.
And that should make the Albion game even more tantalizing.
So can we sustain this current pace in the race for promotion?
Only Hull are in better form than Wolves at the moment and Mick is beginning to prove all his doubters wrong, including myself.
Whoever does manage to claw themselves out of this league come May, will they be able to manage more than one season of top-flight football before returning to the Championship?
With the gap from the Premiership haves and the have-nots growing further apart, Derby have been relegated before April and look set to take an unwanted record away from Mick McCarthy with the lowest points ever scored in a Premiership season.
Of the other two promoted sides from last season; Sunderland look well placed to avoid the drop, whereas Birmingham have a tough run in and a real 6 pointer against Wigan coming up this weekend.
So what fate lies for the teams going up this season? At the weekend, Lawro said that it is a 99.9% certainty that whatever team goes up through the Championship play-offs this season will be relegated from the Premiership next season.
The Premiership has been running since 1992 and Derby’s failure to survive this season means that out of the 16 teams that have gone up through via play-offs, only 5 have managed to survive the drop, which I don’t think is quite 99.9%.
Championship teams with the financial clout and the big fan bases such as Norwich, Sheffield Utd, Southampton and Charlton find themselves well off the promotion pace this season.
Therefore it is likely that at least one of the 2 automatically promoted teams from the Championship this year will be a ‘smaller’ team in Bristol City, Hull or Stoke.
I hope it’s not too condescending to say that I’d put a wager on that team finishing bottom of the Premiership and with a smaller points total than Derby this season!
My only concern though is seeing Wolves amass enough points to sneak a play-off place and get to Wembley continuing our cracking form of late.
Two weeks now to sit tight and hope that all the teams around us starting dropping bags of points.
52 Comments
Nathan, Agree with most points. Hull, though have a wealthy owner, and he would be able to provide financial clout. I would be happy with a place in the play-offs, and even if we then lose out, I believe we should then give MM a chance to start next season as our manager. If it doen’t look good by Christmas, then we might start looking at a replacement.
If Steve Morgan had the ambition to run Liverpool surely if we go up he’ll back us financially. It will take a huge amount of money though to give this team a chance of survival, look what Roy Keane has spent at Sunderland. I hope we avoid “that lot” down the road if we make the play offs I fancy us against the other contenders. Good blog btw.
Thanks again for a good Blog Nathan !! However I don’t think it’s just about having the financial clout. It’s about being able to attract the talent to the club that is going to help us stay up. It’s at times like this that the money grabbers come to the fore, those that have no real desire to do well with th club, the ones that just want to make a quick buck and then get out when we get relegated the following season. Hopefully with the business accumen of Messers Morgan and Moxey together with MM there’s enough savvy to avoid that.
Anyway I’m strapped in to the rollercoaster and ready to go. All I can say is bring ‘em on and let’s get behind the lads 100% putting all the moaning and groaning about the manager & Freddy to one side.
As always enjoy your write ups Nathan.
However, i cant see MMs popularity rise with a humble bow out in the playoffs followed shortly after by selling off one of the fans favourites…
Mick has proven he is no premiership manager. Hasnt addressed the back 4 which was weak before the season started, so shy keep him a minute longer than we have to?
I am thrilled to see us hitting some form, and do think we have the nucleus of a very good team, if we can hold on to Kights, Wayne, SEB, AK and dare is say FE, but MMs dire handling of the fan revolt, and playing of favourites, (the list continues) means we have very little reason to believe next season would be any different.
A new season, a couple new defenders, and brand spanking new Paul Ince or facsimile, and next season will be ONE TO REMEMBER
Come on You WOlves !!
Glad we one on Saturday. But we were lucky in the end. In the 1st half we closed them down and gave them little space to operate in. However, we didn’t in the 2nd half and nearly paid the penelty. What does all this mean. Simply we are still a long way off understanding the game of giving the opposition minimum space for the whole match. We will not go up because of it I think. We have to learn these lessons for next season.
Good positive Blog, great to see people talking about the playoffs instead of Mick bashing!
Agree that Hull, Bristol, Stoke would more than likely drop like a stone. Whilst Hull may have a wealthy owner, none of the teams have the infastructure to survive in my opinion.
With our facilities and a significant investment, we would attract a better standard of player.
Just hope we can keep our form going, the playoffs are all about momentum, and we have it!
I think we would be better equipped than anybody, except for Albion in terms of having a shot at staying in the Premiership for more than one term.
Comment 4 Spot On! MM has stumbled on a winning formula, but no man is bigger than the club.
If we are still in this form come end of April when kightley could potentially return we will have a real chance of promotion. Who would want to face us in the play offs? The players have gained more experienced plus we have a striker who knows where the goal is.
Regarding promotion, we have the infrastructure and the management + owner to attract and retain the right sort of players. We are also lucky enough to have the financial cloat of many premier league clubs. If we go up this year we will have done it the right way, not by splashing money around, but by investing in youth and talent. I just hope MM doesn’t revert to playing the likes of elliot and ward again because they are not good enough.
Fingers are still crossed.
Papering over the cracks. We are a rubbish team with a rubbish manager. The season will soon be over and we will have achieved diddly squat.
All well and good trying to be positive, but you lot have short memories.
How awful have we been most of the season? A couple of decent results and a wonder goal and all of sudden we are going up.
It aint gonna happen.
We will lose at Ashton Gate and then at home to the Baggies and Mick will pack his bags and go. And for me, he should have gone a long time ago.
Clueless leadership and a lot of average players.
Good blog Nath.
Agree with pretty much all of it to be honest.
At the moment though wolves in the prem is all “if’s”, “buts” and “maybe’s”, there is still a long way to go and we have the toughest run in out of all the promotion chasing pack! That might turn out to be a good thing in the end but on paper it certainly looks tough.
Call me negative or cynical but i would like to get our blip out of the way now, lose a game then go on a run. I’m a realist so i can’t see us winning all of the remaining 6 games, although i might be wrong.
Dave Jones said when wolves we’re in the prem, it was much harder to attract the calibre of players he wanted then he thought it would be. Has anything changed since our last prem outing, can we really attract the big boy’s?
Does that matter though, look at wigan, reading, bolton, surely we are a bigger club then them in every sense of the word, it may come down to the manager, does Mick have the weight to attract the big boys?
As i said all if’s buts and maybes.
Its good to put all the Freddy talk aside and concentrate on the important stuff.
Forget the rest of the season, its now that matters. We have our destiny in our hands and half a dozen games to cement that sixth spot.
All of a sudden we look a half decent side. Keogh didn’t get involved enough on Saturday, but still managed an assist. SEB is just amazing. If we stay in this division next season we will probably be hard pressed to keep hold of him.
When you think Chopra went to Sunderland for £5m and has hardly had a sniff, what would SEB be worth at the moment?
I remember when we last went up in 2003 thinking that we would have to virtually replace the team to stand any chance of staying up. Unfortunately we didn’t really buy in players who were any better than what we had. This time around we have a real nucleus of a Premiership side with Hennessey, Foley, Jarvis, Kights, Keogh, Olofinjana and SEB.
Exciting times ahead!
BRING ON THE BAGGIES!
4 & 8 - FOOLS
MM has done a terrific job bearing in mind the injuries he has seen. He is playing a constant line up which is winning games - if the moaners just supported the team like everyone did last year I think we would be 4 or 5 points better off than we are now - then we would be challenging for automatic promotion not struggling to get to the play-offs.
Support the boys
lets not get to excited lads n lasses,it’s bristol city next then the boggies,if we get over them hurdles then we’ve got as much chance as anyone,look at the great job hull are doing,if the train is finally moving lets hope it’s like an express against the boggies,so come on you wolves.
Rubbish blog, utter garbage.
You are all getting far too excited. Remember 1 win in 9?
15 Mrs Ebanks crawl back in the small dark hole you live in. The light has affected your brain.
Well folks it sure ain’t boring! We are doing well away from home so if we can get 4 points out of the next 2, who are our toughest test, we are in with a shout. The team is looking better, SEB is fantastic and has given the lads some belief. Fantastic for Henry to grab the winner and shows there is the fight in the team. It’s going to be a fantastic end to the season come what may as long as we don’t resort to Elliot and Ward. C’mon you Wolves!
15. Mrs Ebanks if that’s all you can be bothered to say then I suggest you stay away and go and wash your blue and white striped shirt ready for the weekend. It beats me why people like yourself even bother.
Truthful Wolf:
Why all the negativity?
Just sit back & enjoy the ride.
Or are you TWB in disguise? After all it is April Fool’s Day!
Mrs Ebanks - thank you for that well thought out, constructive critism of a comment!
Me thinks one or two Albion fans posting on here using pseudonyms as an April Fool’s prank!
Mrs Ebanks & Truthful Wolf for instance.
Wolves have come good,hopefully not too late to bag a play offspot.
And with Kites almost fit again,ANYTHING is possible.
I bet I get offers of a lift that day if I can get 2 tickets,one for me one for my carer!
15 - Yes, we do remember. Look at our recent form. Can’t argue that we are now playing better football. We all realise there is a lot of work to do, but why not look at the positives. And after all, we are football fans, if you don’t get excited after a win like last weekend then why bother?
4 and 8 the words to describe u i cant use as i will probably get banned from posting comments again.ur on about a winning formula? wasnt it you who z we would never reach the playoffs.where are we now?wit a game in hand.and only 7 points with a game in hand off automatic.again there is always some1 who is never happy but even when weve only lost 1 in 8 [have won most of them] you still think we should get rid of him.theres a sale in tesco for the cup two baggies jerseys with every plastic bag.so grab a couple go to wembly and support a second rate team who in my eyes u are best suited to.Wanderers til we die were going up {this is for u 4 and 8] the thick mick way.magic mick and wolves in the promised land
Well the maths says that if we win every game we have a play off berth and would probably get an automatic place. Sounds simple but why not? We are not good enough at the back but if we keep scoring three every game who cares. 442 please, 451 against Bristol or the baddies and we will lose. Mick play to our strengths, push them into their own half.
Loving every minute and this blog was spot on!
15….look at our current form compared to others in the championship
I like reading your views and opinion Nathan but I’m afraid that this week is a bit too rosy for me. I so enjoyed the game on Saturday it was really exciting and SEB’s goals were very special. However, we were very lucky if it hadn’t been for the heriocs of Hennessey we could have been out of sight. I’m glad that we’ve at last hit a bit of form, cos the last few months have been really dire. But I’m not sure that this team is good enough yet for the prem, and I still don’t think MM is the man to either take us there nor keep us there for any sustained length of time.
Blog blog wherever you may be…
Nathan I hope you don’t get paid for the rubbish you write. Your blog really does state the bleeding obvious - Wolves on the up, hopeful the other teams drop points and lo and behold stop the press teams that go up from the championship tend to struggle in the premiership. I hope you don’t get paid for your thoughts, you must be having a laff.
Well done Wolves - keep it up
MM has almost decided what his strongest side is and its only taken him three quarters of the season. At least he now understands that if he plays players in their right position then the team do better. MM is about as obvious as a nathan blog.
All this negativity is beginning to bore me.
Just get behind the lads at every game, especially at the Mol. The atmosphere on Saturday was electric and they never gave up despite Lita’s late equaliser. In fact it seemed to inspire them!
No we haven’t been great this season but we are starting to get it together at the best time. If we get to the play-offs, no-one is going to fancy playing us.
I live near Hull. The last thing I want is for them to go up and not us….
Nathan, good blog mate and I have to repect your comment “Mick is beginning to prove all his doubters wrong, including myself.” as I have been critical of your comments in previous blogs.
We are now hitting form and on a great run, but our last games will not be easy, but then what game in the championship is. I think we will see big changes at the top of the table over the next 3/4 games with an exciting finish going to the wire. Exciting times for all fans I think.
As far as wolves in the premier league goes, I think Moxey, Morgan and MM are a good team. Business savy with an eye for a good value player, and not a do or die attitude. Wolves as a business could gear up with loans and have Morgans investment generating £50m plus for new talent but lets face it we will not be looking for European football in Season 1. Survival is key and thats where the management team will prosper. I honestly think if we get up we have the squad and management to stay up.
classic Nathan - enjoyed it.
But classic Wolves to start thinking about the Prem when we have only just got into 6th place in the championship.
As Karl Henry says, “one game at a time”
Come on you Wolves - despite Moxey
8
You make me laugh. So your basic theory is if we do bad it’s all MM’s fault, but if we do good he doesn’t get any credit. Your logic? There isn’t any. I don’t ask that you suddenly start liking MM, that would just make you hypocritical. But someone with intelligence would be able to hand credit to someone, despite not being a fan.
28, A very astute post, I too have stuck with MM and his ways this season as I never forgot how brilliant he was last season, for me Nathan Lloyd & Co have been far to hard on a very talented manager.
All said and done the season has yet to bring any success and mid season was difficult. Opinions are opinions. We’ve had our injuries too, African cup etc, but now, other than a soon to return Kites, we are looking really strong. Surely credit must come when credit is due, Mick has kept his head.
We have all seen managers come and go at Mol and we are no nearer to the holy grail than when Sir Jack first took over. So the hire and fire policy has failed us so many times.
A bit of time & patience could get us out of this league with Mick at the helm, Morgan and Moxey are two men who can generate cash for the future so Ive always struggled to understand why some fans are so panicky and cut-throat.
I will be enjoying this last hurdle with a confidence and just to repeat the majority on here, lets get behind the lads and do what Wolves fans do best, sing our ‘earts out!
Come on me babbies!!!!!!!!!!!
Ps, If Rooney or Ronaldo or any other over paid **ss*r had have scored that Ebanks goal Saturday, the London rags would be comparing them to Maradona! Quality. Even better seeing it down there. Best game ive been to since Cardiff 03.
How a wonder goal can turn heads.
There is no smoke without fire in football. Look at the smoke signals everyone.
Spurs watched SEB at the Valley. They will activate his trigger clause in the summer.
Wolves are after Murphy, Scunthorpe’s goalkeeper. Wayne goes in the summer.
Kites was just too evasive in his Soccer AM interview. He goes in the summer.
Freddie has gone to Coventry in all but reality.
All the noise coming from the club suggests, strongly, that MM is ‘bomb-proof’ after the Korean episode and is here to stay.
32 Sue D ‘ Nimm:
Are you trying to say Steve Morgan will emulate the Bhatti Brothers?
A minimum £30,000,000 is up for grabs IF Wolves reach the Prem!
26. Spot on
One win and we all start dreaming again. Glad to see you hate the blog as much as you hate MM.
Me too!
Great blog.
Whats that Mrs Ebanks or Soopa Stylin’ on about?
Soopa, what else is a blog supposed to be about? At the weekend the Wolves battled hard to win the game and if we do go up it will be a struggle.
Personally, I think the blogger should have written about why do we play Carl Cort on the wing or as Andy Thompson still got the legs to be effective in the left back slot.
Really looking forward to the run in and reading more garbage from Soopa Stylin’. I thought April Fools only applied until 12pm?
RealistWolves said: Apr 1st, 2008 at 1:25 pm 8
You make me laugh. So your basic theory is if we do bad it’s all MM’s fault, but if we do good he doesn’t get any credit. Your logic? There isn’t any. I don’t ask that you suddenly start liking MM, that would just make you hypocritical. But someone with intelligence would be able to hand credit to someone, despite not being a fan.
Read my post again..,… Did I say any of that….? I am a harsh critic of MM. If we went up I wont be the 1st to say “MM we trust blah blah blah” because I wont be and yes you can call me a hypercrite if I did. Will it help you to say that SEB was an inspired signing by MM….. “There’s abit of credit to MM”
Now now children.
I’ve already booked my hotel for Wembley.
BELIEVE!!!!!
I haven’t looked forward to a black country derby as much as this one in years.
Bring on the stripy lot, they are going to get battered.
Great blog nath… stay positive my friend and good things will happen.
Still think Freddy up front with SEB would be amazing.
Bring on the albion!
I can’t believe you mugs are talking about promotion! Our recent run consists of beating a couple of teams at the bottom of the table, failing miserably against a poor Southampton side at Molineux, scraping a 3-3 draw against QPR once again at home, then winning, (only just) against a Charton side who haven’t won since the 1970’s. Then look at “super Mick’s” substitutions in the second half. He took off Michael Gray, the best player on the pitch, took off SEB, and then had the nerve to tell Sky sports that he was angry because the players were sitting back, when his substitutions made that situation inevitable. When that goal went in from Karl Henry , the first thought that entered my head was “You jammy sod McCarthy”! Yes, SEB is a star, but don’t let it distract you from the fact that McCarthy is still a dud. Anyway, about those tickets to Wembley, don’t make me laugh.
oh my god, nathan posts ONE positive blog all season and he’s a winner. Jim Duggen all I’m saying is that I hope Nathan doesn’t get paid for writing REALLY obvious stuff.
As far as MM goes he’s finally clicked that he shouldn’t be playing players out of position and its working out for him - most fans had pointed that out to him months ago when he was all over the shop with S Ward and Elliot and even Henry being swapped around (why Rosa wasn’t given a chance when fit is still a mystery), you’re supposed to try that stuff out in training and not on match day. If he had tried it in training then he would have known that it didn’t work, apart from a couple of good games for elliot. I am still hopeful that MM can get us up and although I would like it to happen this year I would back MM to stay next season even if we don’t. He just needs to get his team selection sorted at the beginning of the season.
Looking at the table after Albion drew with Cardiff this morning (AEST).
1) We have a game in hand over a lot of clubs above us.
2) we’re 8 points from an automatic promotion spot.
3) We have a LOT of home games in the run in.
4) We’re the form side and everyone around us seems to be dropping points for fun.
Is it just me or is the miracle of an automatic spot possible?
25, i bet your glass is always half empty.Goalkeepers can help win games just like Hennessey did,thats what hes there for.It was not lucky it was every player doing his best for the team.If we had taken our chances in the first half,we would have been out of sight.
Comment 46 acka - agreed - probably the best team performance all season!
Acka
Just for the record my glass has never ever been more half full I drink the first half
Nathan, good blog mate. I’m new to this game having being introduced by Twid78 but I have to say, do we think that it’s a typical Wolves fans’ nightmare looming? Great form of late, all the hype starting to pick up, the so-called big teams of this division not so big after all? I have to sit back on this being a Wolves fan for a few years now and try, whilst biting my nails, to stay calm. I really do hope we sneak a play-off place and get a game at Wembley but we are still very close to dropping out of the play-off zone. I just don’t want to see another 10th spot season. With the team we have, I can’t see us losing grip now, come on Wanderers!!
TO ALL THE FAN’S, MAKE THE MOST OF FREDDY EASTWOOD AS HIS TIME AS A WOLVES PLAYER DRAW TO A SHORT,UNPROVEN OF HIS TALENT.
THERE ARE THREE CLUBS WAITING UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON TO TAKE HIM FROM WOLVES, CRYSTAL PALACE,COVENTRY & DERBY ?
ANY FAN’S FROM THE CLUBS LISTED KNOW ANY TRUTH IN THE RUMOUR ?
ALL WOLVES FAN’S WHO CHEER FOR FREDDY,FORGET HIM OR CHANGE CLUBS IT MIGHT BE THE ONLY WAY TO FOLLOW FREDDY !!!
MY PREDICTION AFTER THE LAST GAME IN MAY IS AS FOLLOWS
1/HULL
2/WBA
3/STOKE
4/BRISTOL CITY
5/IPSWICH
6/CRYSTAL PALACE
7/WOLVES
8/PLYMOUTH
50. paul h
Have you no faith that we will finish in the top 6?
All we need to do is keep faith with MM, we can all start to see what he has ben trying to do. I ask would it be a complete disaster if we don’t go up, another season in the championship would allow the team to mature, then just watch us go next season. Any way look on the bright side it would be another six points from Sandwell Town FC!!.
Good luck to Portsmouth in the FA Cup, its difficult to see past a Pompy win.