Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Wolves’ team of the Noughties
Wednesday 23rd December 2009, 10:00AM GMT.
Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd implores you to pick your ‘Player of the Noughties’ from the team picked by his own hand as the decade draws to a close after Christmas.
Pick your player at the bottom of the page.
Vindication, vindication, vindication. Coming to a TV screen near you; the story of a man called Mick who really couldn’t give two figs about other people’s opinions. He just gets on and does what he thinks is best for his football club.
I won’t rake over the coals of the ridiculously overblown argument of last week. Our manager Mick McCarthy rested a few players at Manchester United and then we beat Burnley with a team that looked fresh and motivated. That is what a squad is for, end of argument.
I thought Sylvan Ebanks-Blake had his best Premier League game so far against Burnley. He was always involved, linking play and was unlucky not to get a goal or two.
The return of Kevin Foley to the so called starting XI was welcome, albeit in an unfamiliar right-wing role and Kevin Doyle, who should know that December is no time to go topless, took his goal wonderfully well in his terrific game.
I spotted David Cox on the way to Molineux for the game. That name probably doesn’t mean anything to most of you. But if I called him the Wolverhampton Cowboy who has now found Jesus, I’m think a lot of you will know exactly who I mean.
He was telling passing Wolves fans to ‘believe.’ David is obviously a man of wisdom and I’d like to think that his preaching had a dual purpose on this particular day.
You would hope that with three wins from the last four games and a lofty league position of 12th that the detractors would shut up and believe themselves that Mick probably did the right thing at Old Trafford.
Certainly Andy Gray discussing the game for Sky was magnanimous to admit that the team did look fresh and deserved their win against Burnley, despite not agreeing with Mick’s rotation policy.
Others can keep bleating on until they are blue in the face. I couldn’t care less what the grincheux Arsene Wenger thinks or Piers Morgan, who I emailed this week to outline a few facts, after he stated in his Mail on Sunday column that he hoped that Burnley would beat us 4-0 at the weekend and that we would be relegated at the end of the season.
He also said in his ill-informed, bumptious, blinkered column that he hoped Mick would be sacked and that Roy Hodgson would take his place.
Roy Hodgson? Why would Hodgson leave a Fulham team who he has taken into Europe and who are comfortably going to finish this season at the very least in mid-table?
He also claimed that Mick is the most egotistical manager in the Premiership. Perhaps Piers could nominate himself for one of his own Morgan awards for next year for the biggest case of the pot calling the kettle black in the history of mankind.
Back to footballing matters. I know that the debate of rotation will once again be the hot-topic with the games on Boxing Day at Anfield and then just 50 hours later at home against Mancini, sorry Manchester City.
Talking of which, perhaps City thought that if like Arsenal, they put in a manager whose name sounds like the club, it would bring them some success? When Mick moves on, should we give John De Wolf a bell?
Anyway, I can’t imagine that Mick will stray too far from his best XI for either game, but there has to be an element of team alteration with the games so close together surely?
Perhaps he may just go with one striker at Anfield and pack the midfield? He certainly won’t be playing three left backs in the side again, what would Piers and Arsene have say to about that?
Thanks to everybody who sent in their selections in for the Wolves team of the decade. After much deliberation the team – illustrated above – is Matt Murray, Jody Craddock, Joleon Lescott, Lee Naylor, Kevin Foley, Alex Rae, Paul Ince, Mark Kennedy, Michael Kightly, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Kenny Miller.
I think most of the team picks itself. The only really tough decision was whether Alex Rae or Karl Henry made the team in the middle of midfield.
Both have proved to be fantastic servants for the club in the Noughties, but I think Alex deserves his place for that one season where he was easily our best performer in the top-flight and was so cruelly robbed of the player of the season gong. He also won me £250 at Bolton with that thunderbolt of a goal.
So, out of that team, it is now time to choose your Wolves player of the decade. This time, rather than me choosing the winner and getting in the neck, you can decide yourself with the online poll.
As this is my last blog of 2009, the poll will be on line for a couple of weeks and once the votes have been counted and verified, I’ll announce the chosen player in my first blog of 2010.
Also, as the year draws to a close, I think it’s poignant to remember the passing of three former Wolves legends in 2009 – Paul Birch, Bobby Thomson and David Burnside. They will never be forgotten.
Hopefully McCarthy and Morgan will be exchanging Christmas cards. I can’t imagine that any chairman would be too disappointed to see their newly promoted team head into 2010 in mid-table.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year. I’m sure that 2010 will bring us plenty more ups and downs at the Wolves and hopefully Premier League survival, in time to roar England on to World Cup victory this summer.
Up the Wolves!
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
Not wishing to nit-pick, but the mention of ‘Joleen’ did make me chuckle!
I can just imagine the south bank singing Dolly Parton to him!
Report abuse
He’s got no hair and we don’t care, Alex Alex Rae…. or is it Nathan Nathan Lloyd?
Report abuse
where is the mention for jon de wolf or dominic foley? and the legend that is sammy chung??
Report abuse
Lee Naylor? Are you having a laugh? I’d rather have Mo Camara left back over that rag head. Where’s Colin Cameron?
Report abuse
Alex Rae has to be player of the noughties. The guy is an absolute legend! If only he’d been 10 years younger when we signed him.
Report abuse
” won’t rake over the coals of the ridiculously overblown argument of last week. Our manager Mick McCarthy rested a few players at Manchester United”
What an ignorant statement. Had Mick rested only ‘a few players’, he would have succeeded in a) keeping a few players fresh for Burnley b) giving us a chance (albeit a slim one) in getting a point against an under-strength Manchester United and c) would not have created the media frenzy we have seen this last few week.
He chose not to do this and rested every single outfield player – recalling a player on loan at Scunthorpe United in the process.
Report abuse
Chris, 3…. John De Wolf was the Nineties! Agreed though that Dominic Foley is probably the greatest Wolves ever.
And Wolvesmod, seriously? Colin Cameron over Ince or Rae?
Report abuse
Gotta be Craddock. A mainstay of the team and is still performing well today.
Report abuse
Has to be Jody Craddock. This is the guy that when he signed fans wasnt to sure about this capabilities! He has improved that much over his time at wolves and is now a fan favourite at molineux! This guy deserves credit as he has been shipped away twice and came straight back !
this guy is a wolves legend !!
ONLY ONE JODY CRADDOCK !!!
Report abuse
Matt Murray ???
I think the boy has been out so long that he has become a romantic legend, yes he was good but never played long enough to serious contender.
I wonder if my boss would pay me to be ill at home for 6 years
Report abuse
Mark Kennedy – Lazy, Matt Jarvis is one of our best players this year for skill and work rate.
Kenny Miller – Lazy, The only centre forward to take corners, and loiter on half way line in fear of getting injured, Never was a Wolves minded player
Report abuse
I agree with all your noughties except Paul Ince I am not a fan sorry. Love your blogs Nathan sometimes I agree sometimes not but agreed with your blog re MM proved he was right, now topic should be closed now boring. Off to Liverpool on Boxing Day. Think it will be a hard match, Liverpool are a good team but are not having it very good at the mo and think it will be us they take it out off, but having said that we are more than capable of coming away with a point.
Have a great Christmas and look forward to seeing your blogs in 2010.
Report abuse
Player of Decade has to be Craddock. I recall Ipswich away 2004 and crowd absolutley slating him with some of worst verbal abuse aimed at one player in 30 years as Supporter.
To stick with club and be consistent as a player, strong as a defender, prolific Prem Goalscorer and what appears to be a damn nice bloke.
Note To Andy Keogh – Hang on in there
Report abuse
I agree with all of them…except Lee Naylor…
Report abuse
Thanks purewolves, have a cracking Christmas.
Life would be dull if everybody agreed with my blogs!
Report abuse
Nathan you are brilliant,you start your blog about how you think Mick was right with his decision to use the so called Squad system,you berate people for in your words bleating on about it,,then you yourself bleat on about it..It sounds great Nathan to state the facts we have had three wins out of the last four games,,how many wins have we had out of the last eight games????do you advocate using the squad system for the next two matches,,would Mr Morgan have anything to say iff we make ten changes for the Liverpool game,,and will our players be strong enough to play Man City so soon after the Liverpool game??or will they all need a holliday,,nothing you say will convince me it was right to chicken out against United,,we drew with Villa,we beat Fullham,and both of those teams took United on and beat them,and dont forget Fullham are also playing in Europe.
Report abuse
agree generally –
definitely not Lee Naylor – and Paul Ince no.
I would put David Jones in with Rae.
Kightly ignited us, and i give him player of the decade.
Report abuse
now that is funny.. Lee Naylor was useless at left back and lets face it Jody used to be **** but now he’s alright.. not exactly a ringing endorsement is it?
Jody is OK now, but it’s only because we’ve got a manager who hasnt bought well in the centre half position. This has to be the weakest area of the team still by a long way.
Alex Rae and Incey were great for the wolves, wish we still had them. Alex Rae was 10 times the player Henry is, or ever will be.
Kennedy was a waste of money, and Miller was all effort and little else.
MMM, in hindsight not the best decade for the wolves, but at least we made the Prem, twice!
Report abuse
Your left back and left winger are playing on the right, and vice-versa……
Report abuse
Kenny Miller? You are having a laugh. National hide-and-seek champion the last nine months he was here-too scared of getting bruised before he went to Scotland. Never, never, never a Wolves player!
Report abuse
Good blog Nate, and thumbs up for standing by Micks decision even before we secured 3 points against Burnley
Report abuse
why cant i vote for cedric rousell
Report abuse
Some bizarre negative comments on this thread to players who contributed greatly this decade.
How can anybody doubt Incey’s place? Unbelievable. The man gave everything, was a leader and an inspiration, fought for everything and never gave up. Genuine Wolves legend.
Also it annoys me people slating Mark Kennedy continuously. I admit towards the end of his time at the club it did look like he was going through the motions a bit, but the near miss season and play-off win season he was brilliant. What about that first goal at the Milennium Stadium – awesome or what? Definitely deserves his place in this line up.
Player of the decade? Toss up between Craddock and Ince, but i’ll go for Craddock on length of service.
Merry Christmas.
Report abuse
25 appearances and 2 goals…. just why isn’t Cédric Roussel included? Its a disgwace as new Wolves boss Roy Hodgson would say.
Report abuse
Agreed Nathan he will play strongest team against both teams as we have a cup game where no doubt 10 players will be rested!
Team of the Decade
The same but change Naylor with IRWIN!!!!
Report abuse
Cannot believe Ludovic Pollet is not in there. I would certainly pick him above Naylor and Craddock.
Report abuse
I think Naylor is getting too much stick and Miller and I totally disagree with Miller not putting himself about before going Celtic he did more work in the second half of the season. It’s out of Lescott,Rae and Craddock for me and considering ‘the artist’s’ contribution to the club last season and this gotta be Jody
Report abuse
A lot of so called experts have said that our team now is stronger than the one we last got promoted to the premier league with.
So Nathan chooses 7 players from the team when we was last in the premier league in his 11.
Report abuse
Come on, own up, which Albion Joker has voted for Naylor?
Report abuse
wot no sturridge,irwin,pollet/butler?
Report abuse
Leon (28) We do have some fantastic players in the current Premiership team; Milijas, Doyle, Jarvis…. But a lot of them have only played a handful of games. The likes of Rae, Ince, Lescott, Naylor and Kennedy played over 100 times for the club.
I think a lot of people have been unfair to Naylor and Kennedy. These are two players who were often targets for the moronic boo-boys, but they often contributed more to games than we gave them credit for.
I was at Stockport when Kennedy hit that shot from 25 yards into the top corner and I can’t remember many fans giving him stick that day!
Central midfield could have been 2 from 4 with Rae, Ince, Cameron and Henry all putting a strong case for inclusion. And I would have loved to have found a spot for Ludovic Pollet who was simply brilliant and not played enough.
Its all subjective though and you can’t please anybody.
So Leon, I’ve no doubt that a lot of this could well make the team of next decade, but they currently haven’t played enough games to be considered for this team.
Report abuse
milkywolf (30).
Irwin, 75 games, Naylor 294 games for Wolves.
I’ve mentioned Ludo above, but I couldn’t really put him ahead of Craddock or Lescott could I?
Same for Butler, who deserves a place on the bench at least for the digusting treatment handed out to him by the South Bank.
And Sturridge. Ahead of Miller or SEB? Kenny Miller played 162 games for Wolves and scored 50 goals. SEB has already bagged 38 goals in 72 games, whereas Sturridge finished on 28 goals in 75 games. I think SEB is a better player, Sturridge really was a one season wonder.
Report abuse
McNamara Left back anyone?……..
Report abuse
Mark Kennedy ??
I challenge anyone who had a season ticket and importantly also followed us away regularly to include him.
Rose tinted spectacles from an occasional supporter who happened to turn up on one of his ‘one in three’ going days perhaps.
An enigma of a player who never fulfilled his Milwall potential. If he’d played under Graham Taylor he’d have been one of those that he questionned ‘how they refuel in between matches’
Ironically, the best game I ever saw him play was for Milwall AGAINST us.. they played him alone up front and he was different class
Report abuse
I demand a place for George Ndah!
Report abuse
Simon, nothing would have pleased me more than to put George Ndah my lord up front. But Sylvan has played half the games Ndah played (136 vs 72) and has scored just one less goal (39 vs 38).
For what SEB has achieved, I simply had to give it to him. Sorry George, I do love you though.
Report abuse
Kenny Miller. Manchester United – 3points
Liverpool – 1point. All thanks to King Kenny ;]
Report abuse
one Jody craddock ! there’s only one Jody Craddock.
Jody Craddock is Wolves through and through.
Report abuse
TAFKAJC -The artist formerly known as Jody Craddock.
Simply the best.
Report abuse
pollet. class
Report abuse
Paul Ince – definetly, what a leader.
murray
irwin lescott craddock mcnamara
kightly ince rae kennedy
doyle ebanks-blake
Report abuse
Jody Jody Jody Jody Jody Jody Jody Jody Jody. If this team stays in the Prem for next season, Jody may even be classed as a Wolves legend.
Report abuse
If we talk about class combined with commitment, there are more defenders and midfielders with that combination than attackers over the past ten years.The trio of Lescott, Butler (almost had the class) and Pollet all deserved to make the final 11,even though Lescott obviously was going to be snapped up by a Premiership club sooner or later. Murray in goal had both class and commitment, but is sadly too injury-prone.Alex Rae is the only player who fulfills both requirements best, and for me, he would be the captain of this team. Much to Ince’s chagrin.And the person who for me runs him closest is Jody Craddock, who makes up for what he lacks in class with commitment, loyalty, bravery and the knack of scoring vital goals. Alex Rae the winner, Jody runner-up.
Report abuse
Think there is a bit unfair stick on Kennedy, Kennedy was a wide man, even as we see with Kightly and Jarvis at times it is tough to be in the mix of it in every game being a wide player.
Lets not forget the performance at the Millenium Stadium by Kennedy, the goal at Man City away anyone, his performance against Newcastle in the cup.
I think too many people are remembering his performances in Centre Mid under hoddle, think back to those 2 seasons when we nearly went up and did go up, he was different class. Also he was good in the premiership. So for 3 years he was a top player who cost 1million. not bad.
I liked Lee Naylor, good player and lets not forget was thrown in at 18. He served Wolves very well over nearly a decade so he deserves the place above everyone.
For me the selection has to be Joleon, best player we had during the noughties. Jody for sheer persistence is runner up for me.
Merry Christmas to you all, here’s to 3 points boxing day.
oh and Merry Christmas Nathan, well done on anothers years worth of blogs, here’s to next years debates!!
Report abuse
Your graphic is shaped the wrong way round with left footers on the right and vice versa
Report abuse
Rae all the way! The guy is an absolute legend!
Report abuse
Has to be Craddock.
Report abuse
dont think Lee Naylor deserves too be there to be honest, i couldnt care less how long he had been at Wolves or how young he was..he was rubbish!!!
Kenny Miller? id prefer Ndah/ Sturridge, yes they had a few injuries agreed but i dont think Miller deserves too be there.
Kennedy – Hugely influential especially in the playoff win especially with such a great goal and always put his heart into it.
Report abuse
Can I just say that Rae is the best player and where is Robbie Keane in the poll?
Report abuse