Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd laughs out loud about Marciano Van Homoet and is looking for Mike Stowell to do him a favour ahead of a special Molineux match against Barnsley.

Two Wolves games this week and I have to admit I missed them both! To prove that there is life outside football, I decided to save the pennies and watch the QPR game on the box.

Then on Tuesday I missed probably only my second home game in about five years when I went to see the superb Prodigy at Birmingham’s Carling Academy.

So there is little point in me lamenting about Andy Keogh, the comeback kid, against Derby, when I wasn’t there! Great win though. I probably annoyed my better and much prettier other half by constantly logging on to check the score at the concert.

Against QPR we didn’t really have much of the game for the first hour, but could have nicked an undeserved point when we finally came good in the last bit of the game.

This season it’s noticeable that in the last quarter of games, this Wolves team does seem to have more energy than nearly every other team we have played in the league.

Against Birmingham at home, our superior fitness, coupled with a younger average side, was a major factor why we got back into the game and almost nicked it at the end.

I think Tony Daley should be applauded for the good work he has done in increasing fitness levels and it’s noticeable that injury levels this season have decreased from previous campaigns.

Tony was pretty much always injured when he was on the playing staff, so it’s probably rewarding for him to put something back into the club.

Half a century of points before we even reach the halfway stage of the season, you can’t get much better than that. The QPR loss doesn’t seem to have dented the confidence of the team at all.

With temperamental dog-loving manager Roy Keane walking out of Sunderland this week, there is the odd rumour knocking about that our boss Mick McCarthy will be returning to the manage the club.

Towards the end of last season I think it’s fair to say that a few Wolves fans, including myself, would have welcomed this kind of speculation and the change in fortunes it could have brought.

But Mick has managed to turn the entertainment taps back on for this campaign. He has addressed the problem areas of the pitch, instead of doing his old trick of placing square pegs in round holes as we have previously seen.

Mick going back to take the helm at Sunderland is about as likely as seeing a decent actor in Hollyoaks. I’d be gutted if he’d even consider it in the first place.

I like a flutter, as you are probably aware, so I could kick myself for not putting a few quid on Chris Iwelumo to get the Powerade Player of the Month, after stating he was a shoe in, in my last blog. Well done to the big man, thoroughly deserved after some great displays and cracking goals.

Wonderful as well to take a moment to reflect on Wolves past glories, with Billy Wright and Ron Flowers quite rightly joining Steve Bull and Derek Parkin as Hall of Famers.

A piece of Wolves history that is in danger of disappearing for good is the superb ‘A Load of Bull’ fanzine. Written by fans for fans, it has seen sales hit by the ever-changing kick off times and Charles, the editor, has said that there is a real risk it might not return next season.

So if you haven’t picked up a copy, try to do so this weekend, it makes a cracking alternative to the match day program.

So on to Barnsley this weekend. The quote from Barnsley’s Marciano Van Homoet made me chuckle, when he said he knew little about the Wolves team, but was confident that Barnsley could avoid defeat!

I know little about 17th placed Barnsley, but I’m confident we will hammer them. They also have quite a few injury problems with key players Robert Kozluk, Martin Devaney and the diminutive Darren Moore all missing.

My mother turns 60 next week (sorry mum). To celebrate, a bus load of the Lloyd clan are coming up from down south for the game and then we are all off for a celebratory slap-up meal at Sir Jacks.

Hopefully she will be able to hear her birthday announcement, during half-time on the antiquated Steve Bull tannoy!

So happy birthday ma and enjoy the game. I apologise now, I did try but failed to get our former goalkeeper Mike Stowell jumping out of a giant birthday cake dressed only in his speedos!

Have a great weekend and here’s to another three points.