Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Wolves are the ones that are targeted
Tuesday 7th September 2010, 9:10AM BST.
Wolves columnist John Lalley takes a closer look at how his team could be perceived as ‘physical’ from here after the battle with Newcastle.
You pay your money and take your choice – many Wolves fans were left howling blue murder over the performance of referee Stuart Attwell during the Newcastle game last week.
But it surely cannot have been a cakewalk to officiate such a torrid game as this one.
Players from both sides loudly disputed just about every decision he made, even the calls that were stone cold certainties. Petulant gestures and dismissive body language all lent themselves to an overall picture of disdain towards his authority.
We have come to accept it these days, the last thing on a player’s mind when he steps from the tunnel is any adherence to any ‘respect’ campaign directive that the feeble Football Association might care to instigate.
At every Premier League venue in the country the contemptuous refrain ‘you are not fit to referee,’ will ring out from the terraces if the home side isn’t getting every decision in their favour.
And, apart from holding up an illuminated board to show the amount of injury time, the sole purpose of the fourth official appears to be that of impotent whipping-boy there to be roundly abused by snarling and often demented managers suffering from myopia.
Yet Kenny Hibbitt, a man with a very special niche in Molineux history and now a referee’s assessor, viewed Attwell’s performance in a very contrasting light.
Hibbitt believed that Attwell had responded splendidly, displayed a genuine feel for the action and played a significant part in an entertaining and robust spectacle.
By now, Wolves fans are used to the editorial team of the ‘Match of the Day’ programme showing just the briefest snippets of our games.
But their decision to highlight at random seven tackles made on Joey Barton, emphasise that it is all too easy to take any match out of context and, by doing so, deduce an overall impression that may, at the very least, be misleading.
The inference that Barton had been singled out to be targeted to suffer premeditated assault is in my view, a fabrication. Make no mistake, whatever his previous personal shortcomings, Joey Barton is a very tidy footballer more than capable of fighting his own particular corner.
What’s more, the due process of the statute book has seen him pay his dues for all manner of ‘previous’ and as such, he deserves no less consideration and respect than anyone else.
At the same time, his theatrical posturing at the final whistle – all injured innocence and startled bewilderment – lacked any modicum of authenticity.
His protestations contrasted sharply with the response of Jody Craddock, who was invited to comment on the flying elbow from the marauding Andy Carroll that necessitated yet another match day visit to the medical room.
Craddock grinned benignly and said: “That’s Premier League football. They told me they could stitch it or glue it – I chose the glue!”
No fuss, no recrimination and certainly no hint of criticism of Carroll.
No doubt in the North East, Karl Henry was identified as the main villain of the piece and there’s no denying that a couple of his challenges were hefty and clearly designed to make a statement of intent.
But the tackles were within the laws of the game and, as such, beyond reproach. If anyone wants to rid football of such physicality, then it is the spectator who is the loser.
There is, of course, a line to be drawn and the poorest challenge of this game rightly saw the cautioning of the otherwise excellent Jelle van Damme.
Van Damme admitted as much and had the good grace to apologise for the tackle. He suggested, and this applies to most players in most confrontations, that he was a fraction of a second late causing a miniscule misjudgement making a genuine attempt to play the ball appear a crude and callous assault.
So many bookings are made for this reason. Stephen Hunt, talking about his returning fitness, cited the breakneck speed of the Newcastle game and the competitive element inevitable in such games.
After all, the bottom line for both Wolves and Newcastle is a final finish in 15th place, giving yourself the chance to fight another day in this division.
This being so, a strong competitive element seems to me to be inevitable. Where I would take issue with Henry was with him taking a verbal swipe at Barton after the match, questioning the Newcastle player’s courage.
The Jody Craddock approach to post-match appraisal seemed a hell of a lot classier I reckon!
The last thing I expected was for the season to begin with Wolves gaining a reputation as an overtly physical outfit.
Having seen off the frequently vilified Stoke, who Arsene Wenger had just likened to a rugby team, in a game that saw Jody Craddock wrongly berated for an injury to Kenwyne Jones and then left Everton with David Moyes complaining about the legality of the Adlene Guedioura challenge to set up our equaliser, the Newcastle clash seemed to be following the sequence of perceived brutality.
But when the dust had settled both managers, Mick and Chris Hughton viewed this game in its correct and altogether saner perspective.
Both clubs have found their respective names mentioned in abundance as strong candidates for relegation and for this reason alone, some semblance of siege mentality is inevitable.
For Wolves, from the evidence of the season so far, this is no bad thing. We are no more likely to overstep the mark regarding physicality as anyone else, just as likely to be violated as be the violator.
When the likes of Paul Scholes transgresses as he has done for nigh on 15 years, the Match of the Day pundits on the sofa gently excuse a truly great player by expressing the simplistic cop-out that Scholes simply cannot tackle properly.
When a couple of Wolves players mix it with Joey Barton, the viewer is invited to deduce that a gangland vendetta is in operation.
Those of us old enough to remember might just recall too, the actions of chief pundit Alan Shearer in front of the same cameras at the old Leicester ground at Filbert Street one winter’s afternoon, when he was sporting the black and white stripes of Newcastle. Now that was not a pretty sight!
Lord knows, the World Cup final just a couple of months back was no vicarage bun fight.
Karl Henry was the picture of gentility in comparison to the one-man wrecking ball that was Mark van Bommel operating in the Dutch midfield. Nigel de Jong’s chest high martial arts flying assault would have been the envy of Bruce Lee.
Referee Howard Webb took the limits of leniency to the extreme and was judged by the British press to have performed outstandingly well in difficult circumstances.
Overseas pundits were clearly less impressed, believing that Webb copped out and failed to shoulder his responsibilities.
One thing Wolves fans can be sure of is that come the season’s end, more than one Premier League referee will have given us far greater grounds for complaint than Stuart Attwell managed against the Geordies.
You never know, we might at some stage end up as the beneficiaries ourselves!
Sponsored Links
UK Sport
Latest Blog — Lou’s Women on babes, ducks and chicks
In the old days it would have been “madam” – but now it’s more likely to be “babe (or round these parts ‘bab’)”, “love”, “duck” or “chick/chuck”, writes Louise Jew.
Lou's Women
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
newcastle were just as “up for it” as us – a draw was a pretty fair result though
shame we couldnt have got the penalty though – i think the fact jarvis foot knocked the ball away in the opp. direction from the tackle made it look like a good tackle
on another note – you all see Zeli scored last night !!
Report abuse
Newcastle play with 3 clubbers in the middle of the park, Nolan, Barton and Smith they just kick the opposition so for Karl Henry to smash Barton a couple of times, they can have complaints and to be fair to Alan Shearer and Hansen they said that Henry put in some great challenges. Barton is moaning, trouble making little bully who didnt like it back.
That may of got them out of the poorest ever championship but they wont kick there way around at this level.
How the referee didnt give the rugby tackle on Jarvis that was about 5 foot from the ball I do not know, he should be pulled up and disciplined for that, the FA need to look at this.
Report abuse
We certainly seem a more physical side this season.Most fair minded Wolves fans I am sure wiii agree.At the match my impression and most of those around me were of the opinion that Barton had been singled out.What is more important is what will be the consequences of this more physical approach.More points hopefully,but equally referees marking us out and retaliation from opposing players.Who knows.But I do know I remember our previous quality players rather than the physical ones.Give me Munro over Jefferson every time.
Report abuse
I thought MOTD reviewed the tackles with the good humour they deserved.
It was along the lines of “Let’s see Joey Barton being kicked up in the air…. don’t snigger!”.
I liked it.
I don’t like the “and finally, Wolves…” on MOTD though. Waste of time.
Report abuse
Finger on the pulse, Mr Lalley. I think the theme of this article will be revisited more than once over the course of the season.
PS, wonder how Kenny assessed Attwell’s performance in not giving the penalty, even the MOTD team seemed to be on our side for that one, just a thought.
Report abuse
people still watch MOTD???
Football First on Sky Sports is where it is!
Report abuse
The only reason MOTD highlighted the tackles on Barton was because of the presence of Shearer!
Has for Hibbitt I have a lot of respect for him has a player and his love for the Wolves, but his assessment of Attwell is bordering on a joke, the man should not referee another premiership match again – he is a cheat and an idiot,has for Henry he was more than justified having a swipe at Barton after the redicule he recieved off the press,toony fans etc, he has since dismissed it has rubbish that we targeted Barton, I would say it was the other way round, that they targeted our players? – my wish is that after all the abuse Henry has had off the loony fans is that he goes on and scores the winner – now that would be something!
Stoke a rugby team – nah I would liken them to pub bruisers, as with Newcastle who have clearly been set up to intimidate teams, we have showed that we will not be intimidated by any team, long may it continue.
Report abuse
Great stuff John. I love reading your eloquent columns.
I do feel there is a vendetta against Wolves this season. It feels like the press are trying to find a label to brand us with. With Stoke they have the rough and tumble of there midfield, coupled with the long throw of Delap.
It feels like they are trying to label us as the hardmen of the league. We will see how hard we are when we play Arsenal. If Henry tickles any of there players Wenger will have the press castigate us from the Football league let alone the premier.
Great to see the lads show a little steel and match whatever anybody throws at us. It is a mans game afterall.
Report abuse
The problem with the media attention leaning to Wolves as the villains in a totally fair but hard match is that our team could be judged beforehand with another yardstick to other teams.
But I hope that the referees can see through this unfair labelling of the Wolves team and keep up the standard of their work.
Report abuse
What a fantastic article, and having seen the highlights on MOTD and then the extended highlights later i agree with every word written.
The fact is the PL has increasingly become more physical over the past five years, and as the players become fitter and stronger the game gets quicker and quicker.
I think Wolves have a good balance between physicality in Henry, Craddock,Van Damme ect and craft with the likes of Jarvis, Fletcher,and Hunt.
The teams without the ability to mix it when required struggle, as an Albion fan i witnessed this when we were last in the PL with Mowbray.
Report abuse
Joey Barton moaning? He`s nothing but a little thug who does`nt like it back.Smith is similar.Both had talent but replaced it with thuggery,shame.The referee never ought to referee another game in top flight football send him back to sunday leagues where he belongs.
Report abuse
It was a physical game, and theres no doubt that there were a few bad tackles by both teams. As for the penalty gaf, its understandable that the ref didnt give it as it was difficult to see when the ball went in the direction to suggest a fair tackle. Saying that Jarvis will cause most teams problems and is looking a better player every game, and hopefully will get us a few goals this season.
The problem with todays game is, when a player as honest as jarvis gets fouled but gets straight back up, its deemed a fair challenge, but when the theatrical players get tackled and roll around on the floor as if they have broke their leg, its deemed a foul.
I dont want Jarvis to lower himself to start using these thetrics to cheat the refs, but i would like the refs to take a closer look at players reactions. Maybe if they roll around on the floor screaming in agony, the ref should force them to stay off the pitch for a few minutes?
Report abuse
Stuart Attwell has a substandard reputatio as a referee it is going to take him years to shake off (if he ever does).
Surely that had more to do with the way his games turn out.
Report abuse
Number 10 – wbabomber.
What a nice, balanced opinion. That’s made me think the world isn’t all bad!
Report abuse
Excellent atrticle
Report abuse
I think everybody is reading far to much into MOTD and this game.
Wolves arent kickers, we play some great stuff on the ground, particulary where Henry, Jarvis and D jones are concerned. Wolves are just more confident this season going into their games in comparison to last season.
Thats why we are unbeaten so far, we are getting results because we have learnt how to compete better.
If you show too much respect to the opposition and start wimping out of the physicals, you will get stuffed.
Its a very physical as well as a very skillful league.
There will always be sore losers and moaners….who cares, We are Wolves!
Report abuse
The current refs are not good enough and I don’t know why we don’t import some of the better foreign refs.
Every week there seems to be some glaring unfairness inflicted on teams and its no good saying the bad decisions are balanced by the ‘good’. I can remember some horrible decisions going against us a few years ago and we ended up out of the playoffs by goal difference. Had justice prevailed we would have gone up that year.
Anyway just realised Spurs play us after their next european game. Maybe we can do a Wigan???
Report abuse
I’ve just posted on another string about wolves latest format of play. It has already been said wolves will take any type of action
to gain three points from any game. All wolves games this season have an essence of violence in them. Barton like Kenwyn Jones did nothing wrong but Craddock and Henry did their utmost to take them out. Craddock being successful.
How Henry stayed on the pitch only the lenient
referee will know. Wolves are well on the way
of building a ” Clogger” rputation. Be ready for repercussions, as not all clubs will stand for it. Wolves have enough injured players coming back to fitness as it is. JtH.
Report abuse
Wolves are far more physical this year, no longer are we putting up with being pushed around like last season, and that is a good thing.
Wolves have a wonderful player in Jarvis who plays the game up front and fair, and is one of the few players in the Premiership who would not dream of committing a ‘professional foul’
Its a great shame however, that while players like Jarvis are an inspiration to the game, far too many players are diving, disent, and generally playing up when the referee makes a decision, not to their liking, and a few of our team fall into that catagory.
Kevin Doyle, good player aside,is guilty of continued disent, and is not beyond diving whenever the opportunity presents itself, Ebanks too, would be a better player if he kept his feet more, rather than desending to the turf whenever he is challenged.
Report abuse
12. Wolfhedd: if the ref thought Perch got the ball in the challenge on Jarvis, why did he give a goal kick? One or two TV pundits also made the same contrdictory point.
We just about deserved a draw. We didn’t play much football to feet in the attacking third and didn’t really create any other chances apart from Sylvan’s header,wheras Newcastle got round the back a couple of times and were presented with two opportunities by cock-ups in central defence.
Well done the boys for being undefeated so far, some big tests in the next six matches-UTW!
Report abuse
Wolves clearly went into the Newcastle match with strict instructions not to let Barton, Smith and Nolan dominate. It built up from there and the Newcastle trio didn’t like it one bit and were constantly in the referee’s ear.
For me the worst two tackles were Jarvis’s on Barton (for which he was rightly booked) and Barton’s on van Damme (which he got away with, scot-free).
Well said Kenny Hibbitt.
Attwell did well to keep the game under control and finish with 22 players on the field. To call him a cheat and an idiot (7 Johnwolf)is wrong. He made some mistakes, which referee doesn’t ?
Those of us who consider ourselves to be fairminded often have to cringe at many supporters (all clubs) who don’t understand or don’t want to understand the rules.
Having said that, why FIFA keep changing things is sometimes beyond me. The Linesman (sod that assistant referee title) having to wait for the ball to land before he raises his flag for offside causes as much misunderstanding on the terraces (okay seats!) as anything. Whether a player is active or non active (another piece of nonsense) is irrelevant, it’s the instant the ball is played forward. That hasn’t changed.
I think I’m missing Eddie Clamp.
Report abuse
18) Jack the Hat. Craddock’s tackle on Jones was RIGHT IN FRONT of Tony Pulis and he considered it completely fair. Those of us in Molineux could see he toook the ball and anybody watching the television replays could see the injury was caused by an awkward fall. Henry is our midfield enforcer, but, none of his tackles were illegal, just hard. Barton got away completely with the worst tackle of the afternoon which put van Damme on the treatment table. hey, at least it wasn’t a lighted cigarette burn in his eye.
You constantly bother us with your ignorance and attempted banter, which is usually that childish it’s embarrassing.
Go away and practice somewhere else. Try the Villa site, they’re from Birmingham too.
Report abuse
Nice one no.10.And thats why my beloved wolves will be top half this season. Im going away now to think of somthing nice to say about albion. see you in 2025.
Report abuse
(22)
Rubbish,
So Kenwyn Jones fell awkwardly on his own did he?. Enforcer seems like hatchet-man to me. thats right turn a blind eye to wolves shortcomings. Big Bad Barton did a clog on one of yours did he?, aah.
So here we go again, I can’t help it if the truth hurts or if you don’t want to read it.
Best for you to take your own advice. JtH.
Report abuse
Hershamwolf – Good point about the penalty, i cant explain that one. As he did give the goal kick, it is evident the ref thought the defender got none of the ball, and must mean the ref bottled out of giving a penalty.
Report abuse
I posted this yesterday then this article appears, weird!!!!
Grace
September 6, 2010 at 8:10 pm
17, Chris
You make a fair point about tackling & yes for one reason or another we have made headlines for tackles in every league game this season.
I too have the same concerns as yourself, that is, about how we are perceived, because in no way are we a dirty team, if anything we have always been a ‘nice’ team to play against, too nice, IMO.
The tackles on Jones & Hertinga were not fouls, no where near, but I have to agree some of the tackles in the Newcastle game were rash, Jarvis, Guerdioura & Henry’s last one were all deserved bookings, for me too much has been made of our tackles & not enough of the rough treatment we have recieved, such as, as you mention the tackle on Fletcher, the kicking Doyle took for the first 15 mins of the Newcastle game, the elbow on Craddrock & the tackle on Van Damme in the same game, we could go on, etc
What is the option???
Roll over, ‘have our belly’s tickled’ & let the opposition stroll off with the points, I don’t think so.
Newcastle turned up with a plan, which was to knock us about & leave with 3 points, they left with a bloody nose & a point they just about deserved, but because they didn’t get there own way they haven’t stopped whinging since.
Our treatment in the national, and to some degree the local press has infuriated me, as you can probabley tell!!!
Well keep it going boys, we are, where we are on merit & not here to make up the numbers, put your foot in if you have to & keep playing, coz some of the stuff we have played this season has been great.
End of rant!!!
KTF
Wolvesforever
JTH
You whine when some of the lads on here give your boys some stick, I know you’re just a wind up merchant, but if you don’t like it back, dont give it out in the first place.
Grow up & save the banter for when we lock horns later in the season.
Kind Regards
Grace
Report abuse
Jack, I’d be more worried if I were you about your fascination with all things Wolves..
Mind you, your probably more worried about what Henry and co are gonna do to your soooper midfield (you know the ones, the one that has already stated he wants to play for a bigger club than albion, Burton perhaps, and the other one who has already covered himself via 7 clubs for nowt!)
Report abuse
No 10 Spot on matey, you can leave the dark side, come to us! You know it makes sense
Report abuse
JTH
you remind me of Joey Barton sly and snidey loves to give it out as long as it doesn’t come back
Report abuse
Well I went to both the Stoke and Newcastle games and my overall opinion was that there was such a difference in the play. For the Stoke game, the play was slick and impressive, but for Newcastle we played with just grit and determination and it wasn’t the prettiest to watch – for both sets of fans!!
I think that the plan for Newcastle was to take hold of the midfield at any cost and it didn’t disappoint. However, Newcastle can’t complain coz they played their fair share in it! Despite Mr Attwell doing his level best, he got a few big decisions wrong for me – but who can blame him in such a game……especially when several of the players on either side made such a meal of certain tackles etc.
Any way, enough of that and lets focus for Fulham away this Saturday. Fancy us to get at least a point with Doyle on the score sheet (for Wolves of course :-)!!)
We are Wolves!!!
Report abuse
That bloke with the cap.
Yo ay loffing now am ya yo big baby.
Report abuse
Calm down Jack. Your spelling has gone all to cock again. “rputation”
You will be having a heart attack next if you continue getting excited about GOOD HONEST OLD FASHIONED FOOTBALL as it should be played. You know the sort played before the foreign mamby pambies came here.
Report abuse