Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Festive cheer for Lalley and Wolves
Tuesday 5th January 2010, 9:30AM GMT.
The festive period saw a few illustrious stars go up and down in the estimation of Wolves’ Sporting Star columnist John Lalley – and get this for a team of ‘the noughties.’
No Wulfrunian born and bred like me has ever tried to paint Wolverhampton as a beauty spot and I suppose we will just have to live with being classified as the fifth worst city in the world by the ‘Lonely Planet’ travel bible.
Not that I’m troubled a fat lot by what they think, but I’ll gladly accept finishing this season as the fifth worst team in the Premier League and qualify for another crack at the big time next August.
The Christmas programme did us no favours and hard luck stories count for nothing in football, but certainly our defeat at Liverpool on Boxing Day has left us with plenty to gripe about.
Stephen Ward may have been a touch naïve in getting himself sent off, but when you compare the minimal contact of his fateful second tackle with three unpunished wild lunges from Steven Gerrard and the possible bone-breaker inflicted on Ward by Lucas, you do have to wonder quite how the hapless referee Mr Marriner interprets serious foul-play.
The sickening sight of goalkeeper Reina sprinting the length of the field in high agitation will linger in the memory with a feeling of contempt. His burning desire to see a fellow professional sent off for an innocuous challenge bodes much about Liverpool’s recent fall from grace. Such an ostentatious display of desperation left me for one with a lot less respect for a football club I have long admired.
Until then, we looked bang on course for a positive result and a massive confidence boost, the type Birmingham took from their draw at Anfield at the start of the fabulous run they are enjoying now.
Then well as we played for half an hour against Manchester City at Molineux on Bank Holiday Monday, we could have no complaints with the eventual outcome. They squandered numerous chances and, by the end, they were cutting through our defence almost in exhibition style.
It might just have been our ill-fortune to have met City when we did at the outset of the Roberto Mancini reign, with their superstars intent on impressing the new boss. They had not won away from Eastlands in months, so just maybe if we had bumped into them a few weeks back, we might have nicked something from the fixture.
City striker Craig Bellamy is indisputably a belligerent little irritant who deliberately walks towards the sound of gunfire but, if Reina went down in my estimation this Christmas, Bellamy’s profile took a positive upsurge.
The crude chants directed at the supposed sexual proclivities of any high calibre player of Welsh extraction he is no doubt fully used to, but having to listen to an incessant barrage of ‘There’s only one Kevin Muscat’ must have made Bellamy want to spit.
The psychopathic assault Muscat inflicted on Bellamy at Molineux all those years ago was a vile piece of thuggery which made Hannibal Lecter look like a veggie.
One Kevin Muscat? Well thank God for small mercies, because one of him is more than enough, one too many to be precise. Even now, catching sight of any photograph of him sporting our famous colours makes me wince. That other terrace chant ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ could have been hatched entirely with Muscat in mind, a player who happily matched Satan for malevolence.
As for Bellamy, apart from turning in a top quality performance and sportingly spurning a great attacking position for City when he saw Christophe Berra concussed, good on him for signing autographs for the Wolves fans who had only moments before had ceased verbally slaughtering him.
I suppose when you have got as much dosh as he has you can indulge yourself in the kind of charity work he fronts in Africa, but the fact that he voluntarily chooses to do so is to his great credit. What is it that the Good Book says about the joy in heaven at the repentance of a sinner? Perhaps Muscat has seen the light back home in Australia, but then again maybe not!
Anyway, we started 2010 with an FA Cup win, although depressingly the dawn of a New Year means that it is a staggering 50 years since Bill Slater was the last Wolves captain to lift the trophy at Wembley.
With a new decade upon us, it seems to be the time for trite retrospectives and selecting the ‘best’ Wolves XI of ‘the noughties’ only emphasises that the last 10 years have not been the most distinguished in our glorious history.
But it could be a lot worse so, as an awful alternative, try this outfit for the direst of Wolves 2000 to 2009 and rejoice at our current squad! To wit: -
Jan Budtz in goal, Oleg Luzhny, Darren Peacock, Jean Thetis, Ryan Green, Steve Corica, Steve Sedgley, Rohan Ricketts, Hassan Kachoul, Robert Taylor and – last but by no means least – Tomasz Frankowski.
Happy New Year!
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You put Hassan Kachoul in the worst wolves team of the noughties, are you mad!!!!
Can’t you remember our last premiership outing, Hassan coming on at half time 3-0 down at home to Leicester and totally changing the game so we came back and won 4-3, that one performance alone should mean he is not in the worst wolves team of the decade!
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So why did NathanBloghead have that moron Muscat in his ‘probables’. We all new what a total idiot he was. I was in the South Bank when he got sent off against Grimsby for a vicious and needless elbow. It started the rot that season (Tescos and all that !)….and there were morons around us that actually clapped him off. Hang your heads in shame !!
Why is Steve Sedgeley in the direst team ? Wasn’t the best, but there were players far worse.
Budtz in goal got me thinking. Who’s the worst keeper you’ve seen in Wolves’ goal (not just the last decade) Mine has to be Alan Boswell, 0-6 home to Liverpool, but, he wasn’t a one match blunder, believe me ! Any takers ?
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Worse keeper – Dave Beasant when he lost all his confidence.. Amusing to see, but terrifying as a fan.. Worse players of all time.. Well, how about the most overrated…
Akinbyi..
Peter daniels.
Karl Henry..
Could go on forever really.
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Where is Michael Gilkes?? Awful player, Neil Collins should be in there!!
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Great article John.
Bertie, your spot on about the Moronic Muscat. Check out http://www.expressandstar.com/2007/11/09/wolves-blog-worst-ever-xi/
I put him in my worst ever XI and I stand by that. I made him eligable for selection for the Wolves team of the decade, but to be honest he was never going to get anywhere near the final XI.
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I too was disgusted by Liverpool’s antics and after the second goal headed straight to the Arkles pub near the ground. Torres – a class centre forward – was constantly diving and the Reina 80 yard dash stunk od desperation from a once great club. All this is down to the fat, failed Spanish waiter Rafa Benitez. I think Reina will be bombarded with abuse in the next few weeks.
As for Muscat, yes he was dirty sometimes but he put in a number of very good performances in a Wolves shirt and to put him in a worst team is a bit harsh. Furthermore, do not paint Bellamy to be angel like. The amount of scrapes he has been involved in and I will never forget his mentality when he played for Newcastle in the FA Cup and had just got beat and pointed to his Premier League badge. That man has got no loyalty to any one club unlike legends like Hibbitt, Richards, Parkin and Bull. Yes a couple played the odd few games for others but remained loyal to the old gold and never lined their pockets like a certain Mr Bellamy!
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Phil Parkes for me, I’ll never forgive him for us losing the UEFA Cup. The sight of him floundering at a 50 yard shot from Chivers is etched in my memory – we were the best side in both legs and still lost.
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3
Karl Henry????
No wonder the rest of the country think we are crap fans.
Tool!!!!
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richwolf64 – Karl Henry? You are a tool. Akinbiyi? I seem to remember he scored plenty for us and we sold him for a profit? Perhaps you’re getting confused by his career after that?
Mr Lalley – I think you’ll find it was Manuel Thetis! Whoe the heck is Jean Thetis?!
Craig Fleming has done well to escape so far…
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the worst player i saw in wolves shirt was jermaine wright, cant remember if he played in the nineties or the noughties, total waste of space, he then went onto ipswich in the prem and was an regular for them!!! couldnt believe it!!!
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7.ROSWOLF,Went to both legs and we certainly played Spurs off the park at White Hart Lane,But Boswell ( Then a record signing for a goalkeeper) was the worst i have ever seen.Over the years we have certainly signed some donkeys Dick le Flem springs to mind,however some very good times down the Mol during the late sixties early seventies,how we could do with a Mike Bailey know.
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i’d say james kelly was the worst player we had. anyone remember him? he played for the reserves, stabbed someone to death, thats pretty bad. or are we just talking pitch performance?
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Have you been on the sauce Mr Lalley? Craig Bellamy is no better than Joey Barton in my book.
Lets not forget when he walked off the Molineux pitch and pointed at his arm badge mouthing ‘thats what its all about’. All the grace you would expect from such a despicable scum bag. Shame that stray firework in our last Premiership encounter with Newcastle 2003/04 didn’t finish the job off that Muscat started all those years ago.
As for suggesting Muscat was ‘not fit to wear the shirt’ – I bet you are the first to criticise fans that vent frustrations at current players so it’s a disgrace to judge a former player in this way. Yes Muscat did deliver some terrible tackles, and definitely had a dark side – but was he any worse than other players of this era (Savage et al)? But I also remember Muscat as putting in some good performances in the old gold shirt.
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Muscat, Grimsby, Disgrace.
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Rafael Villizan say no more!
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Nathan Wolves you are spot on with your views on Hassan Kachoul. I can’t believe we didn’t do everything possible to sign him. His second half display against Leicester was one of the most impressive inspirational displays I’ve ever seen from a Wolves player. Its up there with Bully’s 4 at Newcastle.
Akinbyi: may have been overated for everyone else but for Wolves he did fine & made us some good money.
Muscat: An Australian Vinny Jones. Did more harm than good. Could & did play the game ok but his unsporting nature made Wolves the team all other teams hated & had to beat.
I’d put Darren Ferguson on the list.
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I am a bit lost with lally’s abuse of Kevin Muscat in this article. Muscat might not have been the best player in the world, but I would be glad to have 11 players at wolves with his heart & fight for the cause. One tackle does not make a players career he was far better than lally’s thoughtless comments.
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When muscat put on the old gold shirt it was war nothing less than what any football fan would expect from there players. yes he mad some harsh tackles but never did he show disrespect unlike bellamy at pointing to his prem badge live on tv infact he might aswell put two fingers up to our club. and as for liverpool keeper cant wait for when they come to the mol bet the guy is cacking himself of the thought lol.
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Malta Wolves and Bertie, I agree about Boswell, but Malta he came quite cheap from Shrewsbury,the record signing I think you are thinking about was Alun Evans,who scored I believe twice for Liverpool that day.We had just sold him to Liverpool for a record fee for a teenager.Also NO 7 ROSWOLF I remember those mistakes from Phil Parkes in the UEFA final as well.There is a lesson in this for our current position.At the time we signed the Doog we were linked with Gordon Banks but the Directors didn’t go ahead with the signing because they said they had faith in Phil Parkes.Can you just imagine how we would have got on in that era with Banksy in nets.
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The fact that loads of fans are comparing Bellamy’s point to his badge with Muscat breaking someone’s leg is ridiculous.
Where’s your sense of proportionality?
Who cares about the badge point. A bit cocky but that’s about it.
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Players unworthy of the shirt include Robert Taylor, Paul Jones (the midfielder), Darren Anderton etc etc Not Muscat.
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17) Leon Muscat? One tackle ? you must have been staring out the window, pal.
What about the Italian forward who was carried off in the World Cup match v Oz, just to mention one.
The man was an embarrassment. There’s a difference between playing the game hard and going into the tackle with boot, elbow, knee or head flailing, with the intent of trying to injure your opponent.
One tackle ? You are joking !
Probably coaching the cub scouts in Woolagong now….hmmm nice thought !
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I seem to recall we would not have reached the UEFA cup final were it not for Phil Parkes saving not one but two penalties – and whilst I agree we were the better team in both legs, and that Chivers did nothing but score – it was a great strike … and not all Phil Parkes fault.
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worst players in a wolves shirt caven and cambell chapman awful picked by the worst manager tommy docherty
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Bit harsh with Jan Budtz, he only had a couple of games as an emergency loan and I thought he did well, Paul Jones’ second spell at the club was disastrous!
I also liked Sedgley and Ricketts, neither were amazing but they had a lot of good games for the club and although a bit injury prone, Kachloul played well for us.
Great shout from no.4 with Gilkes, he was terrible. I felt Potter never fulfilled his potential for us, Robert Niestroj didn’t do a lot and how the hell did Silas escape this side!?
Would like Glenn Hoddle as my manager for this rubbish team. When he was manager, i’ve never seen a team play such restricted, dull and pationless football. It was horrible!
3 – Akinbiyi got 16 goals for us in his only season, we’ve had a lot worse and Henry has been one of our best players under McCarthy!
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How about a certain Darren Ferguson? The master of “pass and hide”, undoubtedly the laziest big-time charlie ever to wear the gold and black, and not fit to lace the boots of the aging Gordon Cowans over whom he would get the nod……
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I never ceased to be amazed at Frankowski. He was bought by Hoddle ( I think on the basis that he had scored a goal against England)and described as the icing on the cake. I reckon Hoddle must have consulted his “Mystic Meg” woman who told him that the runes/tea leaves indicated that Frankowski was a wonderful investment.
Then we had Luzhny. I think he was bought on the basis that he played for Arsenal so he must be good.
Over the years we have bought some right turkeys. Remember when Fergusson brought his son to Wolves and dumped him on us. Not good enough for United, now which sucker club could I offload him to…. ah I know!!
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every team needs a kevin muscat, remember man.u had keano, west ham had julian dix wimbledom had vinnie jones, need i go on. as for bellamy he,s a muppet one good deed does,nt make him a saint mr lalley. worst player got to be norman bell, remember him from the late seventies used to play up front he was that slow i was quicker than him after a night on the banks,s.
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19,Chris i am relying on memory now but i am pretty sure we sold a young Alun Evans to liverpool for £100000 as you rightly say a record fee for a teenager but we paid £35,000 for Boswell then a record fee for a goalkeeper,Alun scored a hat-rick that day.Regarding Banks the board would not pay the money for him,some things dont change hey.
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Steve Claridge would be captain!!!
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1 Malta. Sorry you are right he did score 3 of the 6 that day. Also I suppose Boswell’s fee would have been a record for a keeper for us at the time.
2 Bilbrook, I left Mol after that Spurs match rightly or wrongly blaming Parkes for both goals.But I have to say you have reminded me how well Parkes played in a no of the matches in that cup run.I still would have preferred to have had Banks in the nets mind.
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Yes Steve Claridge as captain! He was great for everyone else but was disasterous for us. Seem to remember Claridge & the equally useless for us Robbie Slater were brought in for the Arsenal FA Cup semi final, at the expense of Robbie Keane & Bully. D’Oh!
To be honest though, I think these were 2 relics from the last Millenium, not the Noughties.
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Midfield general Jens Dowe!!! Rememeber him? Slower than a one legged donkey!
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I second Glenda for Manager – he always thought he was too good for our club and has never worked since.
God knows what he did in his previous life to come back so totally useless! Idiot with stupid beliefs!
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30. Grace- spot on! Claridge had always struck me, prior to McGoo signing him, as a ‘lucky’ player- one paced, cumbersome, peculiar-looking; but with a happy knack of landing in teams who were having purple patches, and going on to scramble some notable goals. True to form, he came to Molineux, DISPLACED BULLY FOR THE ARSENAL SEMI!!!!- strolled around like he couldn’t care less, and promptly shambled off chortling to himself and counting what had no doubt been a fat signing on fee. I’ve heard him commentating on several Wolves games since then on Radio 5, and to my ears, he’s manifested a distinct antipathy towards our club.
Mind you, we’ve had some ropey forwards- Sami Al Jabir? Fat (not THE) Bob Taylor? John Paskin? Frankowski, of course. Stefan Iverson, too. And I’m far from convinced that ‘The Kneck’ isn’t about to avoid following in that distinguished company…..
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3. Plonker!! Peter Daniel was responsible for marking John Robertson out of the game in the 1980 League Cup Final.A tactic that won us the game. He also tried to run off a badly broken leg at home when Cowans did him for Villa !!
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Jiwal
It was Tony Morley that broke Peter Daniels’s leg, not Cowans.
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Yes Simon, I stand corrected
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