Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Big night follows script
Thursday 17th May 2007, 1:15PM BST.
It was a night when few could argue with the outcome, writes blogger Andy Toft.
Albion into the play-off final and Wolves leaving The Hawthorns beaten but not bowed after a brave showing against their closest rivals.
Football is full of surprises but here in the Black Country matters have largely stuck to the script with the Baggies’ percieved superiority transforming itself into firm reality over the course of a season which has pitted them against Mick McCarthy’s men five times.
Four wins from those five games say everything about where the balance of power currently sits.
Albion’s supremacy took a while to show itself – a shaky first half at Molineux could have seen their promotion hopes disintegrate.
But it was shown up vividly throughout last night’s game at The Hawthorns.
While the scoreline remained goalless the tie remained submerged in tension, but in truth Wolves rarely looked like restoring parity.
The tide of hope and faith which carried them through an exhilirating first 45 minutes on Sunday had already dissipated by the end of that game and they simply could not rediscover that momentum again.
Nevertheless once the disappointment of so-near-yet-so-far defeat has subsided they can reflect on a season of progress and surpassed expectation.
Right to the end last night visiting supporters chanted Mick McCarthy’s name.
His achievements in crafting a promotion push from the modest materials he inherited last summer have rightly positioned him as a Molineux favourite.
Tellingly his opposite number Tony Mowbray is still to find a similar place in the hearts of the Baggies faithful.
His name was conspicuous by its absence from last night’s victory songs.
For all the jubilation in the aftermath of another derby win Albion fans know a play-off final was the very minimum requirement for a team blessed with more ability than any other in the Championship.
In any other season four wins from five games against Wolves would have earned a Baggies manager a unique place in Hawthorns folklore.
But this is not just any season for Albion and their supporters know it.
Anything less than promotion will be recorded as failure for Mowbray and his side.
A win against Derby is still needed to complete the connection between manager and fans.
Sponsored Links
Business Awards
Book a Business Awards table
Join our celebrations of the region's best in business on Thursday March 22 - book your table now
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Best team won, end of that story. We need to focus on boosting the centre of defence, some pace please and we still need a twenty goal forward. Sort out those and we will spend all season on top of the table. No idea who to buy but MM has a knack of finding them, just make sure they are young and hungry. Well done lads, great season, enjoy your hols.
Report abuse
Is the E$S biased towards Wolves!!! why is it Wolves lost the game but get all the praise Yet WBA win and E&S concentrate on the negative side for us such as the lack of mowbray’s name being chanted. Been an avid reader of E&S for years but the coverage of these 2 games have been through orange and black specticles!!!!
Report abuse
You don’t need to ask if the E&S is biased towards Wolves it is the most biased rag ever. We as Albion fans should boycott it until we get parity in the coverage. The reporting throughout the season and up to the play off encounters has been nothing short of a disgrace and totally biased in favour of Wolves.
Report abuse
Congratulations to all at the Albion, Job well done.
I am obviously rather pleased with the result, however, I would not be a true Baggie if I did not have a little grumble as I feel this squad should have achieved automatic promotion, sadly that was not to be, so lets hope all goes well at Wembley.
One other quick point, I dearly love watching the Albion beat Wolves but I would rather that happen in the Premiership than any where else.
Fingers crossed Albion, Wolves, Villa and Blues get to meet each other in the Premiership soon – after all, that is where they ALL belong.
Boing Boing
Dr Nom
Report abuse
E&S always been a Wolves rag and all ways will be.
I agree with you Carribean wolves you need to strengthen your defence but a lack of know how up front has been your major problem for long spells this season. An old head up front is what Wolves need next season, not another kid.
Lots of Wolves fans at the start of the season took the mick when we signed a 30+ forward, not many were laughing after last night.
Boing Boing
Report abuse
doh thought everyone knew the E&S is a wolves paper as there are more wolves suppporters to sell there paper to.
Report abuse
E & S is certainly biased and has been for a long time towards Wolves, and that clown Andy Toft has not got a clue about the albion.
Report abuse
his name was sung actually! may not have been that loud, because its a longer song. tony, tony mowbray, with his leadership we’ll reach the premiership, tony, tony mowbray!
Report abuse
It is the Wolverhampton Express and Star Lee, although it does have editions for lesser places like Sandwell.Best team won last night but you still have to beat Derby, dont rely on any best wishes from the Old Gold and Black masses(you having bland colours like white and blue wouldnt know a decent colour)See you next season.
Report abuse
Didn’t you know. Blue and white is dynamite. Gold and black is surely cack ;-) Not getting too confident but one thing, I’d rather face Derby than Southampton and it’s really a shame we can’t face Wolves again.
Report abuse
Who says they were giving Wolves more coverage and postive speaking. The press whoever they are will always big up the underdogs and what might happen
Report abuse
The future’s bright, the futures Orange
Report abuse
As I feared Albion’s quality showed over the two legs but given the fact that we couldn’t even muster a team against Kidderminster harriers in a pre- season friendly before the season started is a great testament to Mick “The magician” McCarthy’s ability to find good players from lower leagues and bring the best out of them.
We could do with some pace in defence and Kevin Phillips type of striker who can get 20+ goals per season.
Report abuse
Ummm – Wolverhampton Express and Star might give you a clue as to why the paper is predominantly Wolves. Been as the Baggies are Birmingham’s third club, behind the Villa and Blues, they get the coverage they deserve in the Brum papers… all the best for the final, but got a hunch we’ll see you again next season without Kamara, Koumas, Gera et al…
Report abuse
As a Wolves supporter since 1956 I must say that after so many players left the club last season our expectation was to avoid relegation.
The arrival of Mick McCarthy has more than surprised us with some young players showing their potential as well as the new signings who have helped the club to a play-off place which must be considered as a bonus.
Yet I am very pleased to see Wolves again in the Championship for next season as the young players need some more experience before thinking of the Premiership.We must look at Reading who have shown how patience can work wonders.So to all Wolves fans who have been tremendous this season we are sure better things are ahead for our team and once they get promoted they will be a force to be reckoned with.The manager will have more time to prepare his team and to seek some players he requires and then we can be sure of a better season.And also our aim is that when we reach the Premiership it is to stay firmly there.Let’s hope so.
Report abuse
Nick, do you want some wine to go with the sour grapes!!!
Report abuse
red white and blue on the albion top, they am proper colours representing club and country!
Report abuse
Last night proves a point to me, If we cannot beat a bottom of the league premier team, which is all Albion are,over 2 legs, then we as a team are not ready to go up. We need another year or two in the championship to mould a side that when it is promoted, can sustain its premier league status. Not like Albion who, if they can overcome Derby and get promoted, will come straight back down!! Well done to Mick and the boys you excelled in a season when everyone had us down for struggling. You have made me proud and I know that in a year or two we WILL get promoted but not only that. We will be ready for life in the top flight.
Report abuse
Nick, keep that bitter taste until next season then ah!
Report abuse
If West Brom won the Champions league, the Express & Star would still lead with a story about Wolves hero Steve Bull getting a parking ticket. It’s been a good year for Black Country football & with a bit of luck Albion will make it into the Premier league, followed a season after by a matured Wolves squad. As for me, I think I’ll save my Express and Star money and buy something nice with it.
Report abuse
On what parksey said Phillips has done a great job for albion but how loyal will they be next season if they go up he can’t do it in prem so it will be thanks Kev goodbye Kev and albion will boing boing back down again
Report abuse
There’s not much to write about West Brom which is why E & S don’t bother. Super underachievers should have gone up with this squad automatically.
They will probably write a story about Koumas taking his hook to a premier league club when Derby give you a thrashing.
See you next season then with your depleted squad.
Come on the wolves
Report abuse
WOLVES FANS CAN KEEP KNOCKING US,THEY WANT TO PRAY WE DO BEAT DERBY BECAUSE IF WE DONT THATS SIX POINTS THEY WONT HAVE NEXT SEASON COS WE WILL BEAT THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN….UP THE BAGGIES….
Report abuse
If the E and Star is biased in favour of the Wolves it is probably because it is a black country paper and wolves are the black country side. Baggies can buy the Birmingham mail if they want to read about their brummie team :)
In seroisness though I would like to congratulate Albion on their success in reaching the playoff final and hope they can finish the job off at the new wembley. Workrate, commitment and courage can do wonders for a team but I have to hold my hands up and admit that the class of Albion was too much for us overall.
I remain tremendously proud of my young side and Merlin’s management of Wolves.
Losing to Albion is never pleasant but at least Wolves played their part in another tremendous chapter for football in the black country. I can’t wait for the next installment!
Oh yes, keep the game on the pitch. These are emotional occasions but there’s no excuse for the kind of incidents after the game.
Report abuse
Yeah as sour as sour grapes can be.You lot were saying how much better than us you were when you went top and in the end we finished level points, Ok you beat us over 2 legs but you were not that much better in both games.I have had to use E&s online as I live in Dorset now but I still have my season ticke, do you go to games or just read about it? As I said, see you at Molineux next year
Report abuse
We are going to Wembley and we are going to beat Derby. We belong in the prem. I know that the lads are going to give their all on Saturday. The team has learned a lot about the ups and downs of the Prem and will be better prepared for it this time.
Report abuse
As the head office is wolverhampton and a large majority of copies are sold in the city it only makes sense to be biased towards wolves.
Fair play albion are the better team but we have a young team and lots to look forward to.
I would like to point out that I thought anyone that ran on to the pitch would be banned from the final. The fact that the Albion players were teasing the wolves fans no surprised that the fans act the same.
There is little mention of the supportors on the pitch in the paper. I was disappointed as our team would of like to thanked the players but had this chance ruined by the idiots who still get to go to the final!!!!
If the wolves fans had gone on the pitch the E&S would soon be calling the wolves fans a disgrace!
Report abuse
It ‘s a big disappointment to lose to the Albion but it’s great to have a young team who are proud to be at Wolves. The effort put in since January has been fantastic and next season with perhaps a couple of new players Wolves will be a force to contend with. Albion whether their supporters like it or not will stuggle again next season with probably the same result as their last visit to the Premier League.
Report abuse
Over the two legs the better team won and the experience showed. But my hat goes off to wolves who have come on so much since McCarthy came. If they can sign a few experienced players next season not old has beens like hoddle signed they will win that league easily. Boing Boing Baggies!!
Report abuse
Wolverhampton, in the Black Country? I don’t think so.
Ok it may have found it’s way into the modern definition of the Black Country but that wasn’t always the case.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blackcountry/content/articles/2005/03/15/where_is_the_black_country_feature.shtml
So come on you Baggies, the only Real Black Country team.
Report abuse
Jusy read some the Wolves comments in amazement. How you can critisise WBA after losing to us 4 times in one year amazes me. never read such a load of one-eyed tosh in my life. You have a good manager and some good young players but you aint able to compete with us – yet. Thanks for the good wishes from the balanced minority and live with it all you other dingle clowns !!
Report abuse
Happy Baggy – the most important word you used was YET !! If you dont go up this season…and points scored in the league suggests you wont – then you will lose most of your side. Then you will be in the shite and then you will return to your true place – below The Wolves !! Cat may mew but Dog will have his day !! ;-)
Report abuse