Could the moods of the Black Country fans be any more different? writes blogger Jarrod Hill.
As Wolves season came to a shuddering halt on the final day of fixtures, they had to come to terms with finishing 7th and missing the playoffs by goal difference.
In the weeks that have followed the inquest into what has been a disappointing season seems to have placed the blame firmly at the manager’s door.
Albion on the other hand have had what many are describing as the perfect season, crowned Champions and now looking forward to another go at making it in the Premiership.
The manager, players and chairman are all receiving the plaudits and the club is basking in the sunshine of a job very well done. The Albion fans are on a high which will probably last all summer and I for one find myself counting down the days to the first pre-season friendly.
But a quick trip down the A41 finds a club surrounded by disappointment and fans divided by opinion on their current manager.
My fellow blogger Nathan wrote a blog basically asking Wolves fans whether Mick should stay or go, having read the views posted it was clear that the Wolves manager has fans that support him and fans that desperately want to see him leave.
The problem facing Wolves is that often the fans that want change tend to be the loudest, and it is my opinion that Mick is fighting a losing battle. I have many friends who are Wolves fans and as the season went on they became more and more disillusioned at what they were witnessing.
I have read with interest over the last few weeks the reasons trotted out by Jez Moxey, Mick, and players regarding the season’s events, and as an outsider looking in it feels as if the Wolves fans are being victimised for wanting success and at times referred to as football naïve fans.
Both Albion and Wolves have dropped PR gaffs in recent weeks, the poor handling of the no bus tour debacle took some of the glimmer of the trophy now sitting in the cabinet. Andy Keogh’s outburst and the club statement of a “Molinuex Factor” only served to heighten Wolves fans anger and louder calls for the manager’s head.
Too often I hear managers intimating that football fans lack any real football knowledge and simply care whether we win or lose, I would argue, that as paying customers, who spend their money to be entertained (or out of blind loyalty), they castigate us at their peril. We may not be master tacticians or be able to devise football strategies, but we know when attending games whether we like what we see.
It is clear that the paths of the two Black Country clubs have trodden different paths and the clearest indication of this comes from the fans, Albion happily looking forward and reflecting on a truly wonderful season, and Wolves, divided by opinion driven by a season that promised so much and delivered so little, but hey, this is football and things change quickly, very quickly.
Loading ...
29 Comments
what a fantastic blog! Very well observed.
2 reasons—The difference between success and failure—one’s great the other hurts—but more importantly the differences in the style of football—Albion play the Mowbray way which is good to watch although it can at times be frustrating—Wolves don’t score enough and are more direct.
I dont think Mick would be prepared to have all of his teeth pulled out like Mowbray has to bring albion good luck and its luck that we dont have any of it
A truly wonderful season ahead,yes but for which team?
the last setance is true so do not blame us for making hay while the sun shines!!
I would agree Albion had a good season, but was it good enough to push on.
As for Wolves I would have hoped for better performances but I am with the majority in that we are rebuilding and to do that you need time, and setbacks are part and parcel of that. the loss of our wingers for the majority of the season did not help, and no matter what they say Freddy ended up being a problem. The new season looks better but more needs to be done to stabilise the back four and hopefully a fitter squad will provide the action of MM first season.
Good luck to the Albion, you may need it but no one knows who may appear and provide the rock that will keep you up there.
ecent an fair veiw but must say success and everyone is a hero failure and sack the lot, who ever you support.
the best wolves and albion can hope for is to see decent football next season and hopefully get enough points to finish high enough to avoid reegation/ win promotion.
but as a wolves fan i rememeber the other season and mick was a god now he is the worst manager ever? i can only highlight that is is stubborn (good or bad) and unwilling to make changes to team plans were as tony used sub very wisly throught the season changing games minute by minute. personal i believe mick picks players on a favorites basis and not always on skill and performace, letting rob edwards go and keeping the clown in defence?
still all the best hope you get the 40 odd million, that sunderland spent on staying up, to spend. i think chairman won’t let mombray have it to spend and interestingly i think mombray want to give the players that won promotion a chance to show there metal in the prem , if he does them i hope he succedes
Hi Bomber - good blogg, but I think it will confuse all the wolves fans who seem to think THEY actually won the league…
There are so many coming on here and claiming some bizzare bragging rights that they must think that they went up as champions.
I think this article will come as a shock to laughingwolf, optimistic, michael ect… who were all lokking forward to playing Man Utd and Chelsea next season.
p.s - how big was your grin as you wrote this ???
Glad to see Jarrod Hill is in agreement with me about fans who pay the entrance fee have the right to shout, cheer, boo, cry, laugh, etc. I repeat I went to Barnsley and the Albion were very poor. I booed them off at half time, but cheered and got behind them in the second half. They still did not preform to their ability but were better. Albion V Cardiff finished 3-3 and the fans did not stop believing we could win it after going behind a few times. Fans fill the seats and if they don’t come the whole club does suffer. Comments from Moxley and McCarthy I don’t think are helping at the moment. Mick saying he has the best team but getting rid of the ones he signed and Jez saying the fans are out of order for showing their discust. We the fans have more right than those in temperary power, as if no one went they would have no job and there would not be a football team/club. If club executives quote to fans they have to be truthfull, friendly and approach on the fans level. Approached correctly they will find a better response from the crowd on match day. If they can’t be more civil, then they need to say nothing.
Good blog and sensible discussion. I may be accused of breaking the trend here and making myself unpopular, but I have to say this to the wolves fans calling for Mick’s head: You’re not good enough to get promoted yet! Look at where the club was two summers ago, what the manager had to work with, and you have to agree that he’s not only done a great job, but that wolves have probably over-performed for two seasons now. Give him time to build and get behind him! if in three years you’re still struggling with the same issues then fair play, but you shouldn’t be unrealistic and take it out on him. The fact is wolves are probably 5 years behind the baggies and you’ve got to deal with it. it’d be like the albion wanting ToMo sacked cause the villa finish above us next year.
Where’s your Gera gone! Where’s your Gera gone!!!
8. HB you’ll not even get in next season, whilst i’ll be watching my team every week like a true fan, says it all really doesnt it.
Good blog Jarrod. (Again.)
Your output seems to have increased since our season ended, will they become daily as the lack of football really bites. I think we have a very important two seasons coming up. If you can establish yourselves in the Prem, you become almost immune from relegation as the promoted teams battle it out. I think The Prem will reduce by two teams in the next couple of years which will make getting up difficult and then staying up almost impossible.
8 Happy.
Good point. There are certain spots in the Molineaux where this twisted logic seems to have taken root. They actually believe that it’s a done deal, we will not only get relegated but humiliated, while they follow winning the Championship this season by winning it again next season. Ergo they are excited by the future while we should be depressed. Fun Boy Three had it right.
A balanced and perceptive analysis. Wolves fans have a major role to play next season, but the club should think carefully before scapegoating fans for failure on the pitch. I’ve supported Wolves since the sixties, and am truly amazed at the loyalty and size of our following considering the abject failure for a generation of a cub with Wolves stature. Time to produce the results.
What is Happy Baggy on about? We’re not all that one eyed that we can’t tell when things have gone wrong. I wish Albion well next season and would like them to stay up and hope, dream, wish Wolves can join them. Sadly The premier league is awash with money, meaning that non established clubs have little chance of competing. It is reported in todays ‘Times’ newspaper that Man Utd and several other clubs have valued Cardiff City’s 17 year old midfielder at £10 million and are close to signing him this summer. That one player, let alone a 17 year old can be worth this amount is beyond a joke. We have all mocked the SPL for it’s lack of competitiveness due to Celtic and Rangers stranglehold. However, Man Utd and Chelsea will soon have a similar grip on the English game sounding the death knell for football as we have known and loved it. As for Black Country football. Let’s just hope we can all get some enjoyment out of the modern game, be it in the cups or as yo-yo clubs.
Good blog and good luck in Premiership. In an ideal world you will stay up and we get promoted next season.
as a complete neutral on this one i have to say it never ceases to amazse me how albion fans cant help but nose in at whats going on at wolves.yes they are the new premier happy clappers and well done to them.the truth is they are a very fickle bunch who were calling for mowbreys head for most of last season and now he is god!villa faithful look at albion as brums third team .traditionally they are moaners always have been.when its going well they love clapping and dressing up in fancy dress.they need to grow up and try to stay up!consentrate on becoming supporters and stick with mowbrey.if wolves stick with mm -they will come up and at long last villa can have a decent derby!!
Good blog. The success of any football club rests with the board. They run the club, select and fire managers and ultimately sanction the buying and selling players. All the fans can do is support the team by buying tickets for games and merchandise and vocal support.
HI JARROD, GREAT PIECE AND AGAIN A VERY FAIR AND UNBIASED VIEW ESPECIALLY FROM A WOLVES POINT OF VIEW.
ALBION will do well i feel next season, i can see you staying up but won’t be easy. survive and then build, mowbray knows the game and i’m sure he’ll see you alright.
WOLVES however will do nothing i’m afraid..already a few potential new names are being banded about, and not one of them would bring anything extra to the club than what we have now.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.. MCARTHY MUST GO NOW!!!!!!!
Jarrod, good Blogging once more.
As a Baggie, I don’t feel that qualified to comment on what Wolves should do; they know better. That said, I’ll share a few observations.
A. PLAYERS … Wolves fans keep telling us that WBA have an “old” team of players. I guess this means that player for player, their individuals are “younger”. Maybe so.
However as Teams go, Baggies had a major cull last Summer, so both Teams are quite recent & of similar vintage. The difference is that we were able to form & perform that much quicker, though why, I’m not sure.
B. MANAGERS … Both are a similar age, have been at the clubs for similar periods, and both have favourites {yet doesn’t every Manager?} In contrast to the Baggies, Mick’s style seems more controlled. That said, nothing wrong with that, as we all know that a more conservative approach executed well usually does well in the Championship.
C. FANS … Despite the banter, if we are honest, there really is little to choose between the two sets. Passionate, noisy, demanding, though isn’t that what every club wants? Heightened “Expectations” I don’t really buy, ‘cos we all need something to get us out of bed in the morning - why shouldn’t Wolves fans want success?
So, to sum up, little to choose between us that might explain …
However … it is my sense that one thing that the Baggies have going for them, is the fact that for years we have had no Benefactor. We’ve operated under really tight constraints, so much so that our friends sometimes use the term “poorthawns”.
Often we beat up on JP, who keeps things tight at the top, though didn’t his predecessor JT do likewise in the GM era too?
Stafford Beer once said that “Constraints are a great freedom”. By golly, we have operated under such constraints, yet hasn’t that given us the freedom to make some great investment decisions appropriate to our Club?
Yes, constraints might also be one reason why “Big” old England is not at Euro 2008, and “little” old Croatia is?
To me, at Albion we need to keep using our limited resources as effectively as we’ve done to-date. Wolves perhaps, need to start to do so? Promises of mass injections from above, like some manna from Heaven can take one’s eye off the true ball.
Only then, will we have one of those great Derbies played out in the Premiership, something I’d really love to witness.
LCW 12 - so now you are mocking us for our sell out attendances….
The depth of your stupidity never ceases to amaze me and is one of the main reason i love this site.
Super villan 17 - If you think the albion were anti Mowbray last season you have got your teams mixed up.
TM has had united the support more than any other Albion manager in my lifetime - 99.999% of fans have loved his style of football and having scored 200+ goals since he joined us its no wonder.
You claim to be a neutral but then come out with a load of biased and ill informed nonsense…. don’t tell me the Midlands “big boys” are getting twitchy already !!
11 - Yeah, apparantly him and Wayne Hennessy were spotted at Goodison Park talking to David Moyes!
17. Super Villan.
Or should that read Pathetic Wulfie. Grow up.
No.17 super villan. If that’s your idea of ‘complete neutral’ Heaven help us if you ever show any bias. I can’t recall anyone calling for Tony Mowbray’s head this season and very few last season. Villa are fortunate in having an excellent manager but so are we although our gaffer was willing to risk all on scoring goals and entertainment in an unproven environment. The Championship (Division 2) has never lent itself to purists. Mowbray set new standards for this particular League. We are all VERY proud of him. As for Wolves, most of us genuinely want them promoted so that THE BLACK COUNTRY has TWO teams in the Prem along with Birmingham who sadly now have only ONE. We are NOT part of Birmingham, never have been, never will be.
Too easy
Wolves should remember that they over achieved last year before thay worry about this year. Guve him him one more year, if you aren’t in the top 2 then, get rid. The prem isnt as strong as people say, strong top 4, good 2nd 4 and weak next 12. We’ll stay up comfortably next year.
Good luck to both of us.
If any Albion fan needs reminding who the REAL enemy is, post 17 from SuperSeal will tell you. God I am looking forward to giving those chipmunk-voiced nancies a proper pasting next year.
As for Wolves, they’ll do better next year with or without McCarthy. I fancy Swansea and Forest to be competitive too.
Sad that Mick must go crowd can’t let go. Rembermber the paly offs againstAlbion the season before last. All around the ground, “super super Mick ….”
Need I go on. We have to stop living in the past at Molineux, we have spent money, we have had managers come and go, nice ground, loyal fanbase. Need I go on? Ok.
So have Ipswich, Norwich, Southampton (Leicester and look where they and Leeds are) Birmingham CIty (ok no history) Derby County and the rest (all of them get 25,000 regularly or more at their grounds and still the whining continues.
Face up to it lads, we are no different: I will continue to travel up to Molineux, every game is an away game for me but I have heard ot all in every stand. Let’s face it we are not special and the team, yes the team, they threw caution to the wind didn’t they against Plymouth?
Well done Baggies, I have no love for you, but your history is current and relevant, not living in the dreams of the team that failed after winning the play off final, oh yes, who was our manager, yep the bloke that took a rag bag team to Wembley yesterday and you wanted hom out as well.
11 … nowhere why?
last time i checked talks were going well…loser!
Great Blog Jarrod, totally unbiassed
20. Music to My Ears…excellent post
If Mr Morgan had not come in then McCarthy would have had to play ther players that served him well in his 1st year. Instead the money went to his head and the youngsters palmed out on loan. Who knows what they would have acheived given the chance, I guess we’ll never know. But anyway, good luck to Albion in the Premier League. If you can manage to stay their for five years or so we may just get that Black Country Derby in the Prem that we’ve all been craving for.
I predict Albion staying up five points clear, Wolves missing out on the play-offs again. QPR to get promoted with I dare say it Blues and probably Palace/Hull/Watford from the play-offs