Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Steve Morgan focused on long-term Wolves vision
Thursday 19th May 2011, 11:30AM BST.
Survival Sunday will dawn for Steve Morgan with not one but two major football occasions to deal with.
His day will finish in the Molineux boardroom, of course, where he hopes to uncork “a very nice bottle of wine – or two” in celebration of Wolves once again clinching Premier League survival.
But before that?
“I’m off to the Racecourse Ground at Wrexham first,” says the Cheshire-based Wolves owner. “My boy (Redmond) is playing in an Under 7s tournament and it’s being staged at the Racecourse – so he’s quite excited about that and playing there for the first time.
“Fortunately it’s a 4pm kick-off on Sunday afternoon so there’s no time pressure. I’ll be driving down then with my wife and the kids, probably calm on the outside but nervous on the inside. We won’t be doing anything different to normal although I have made sure I have no guests to look after on Sunday – that was one thing I did think might be wise.
“Maybe I’ll have a little glass of wine to settle the nerves before kick-off. But I’m confident we’ll do it. . .”
What we’re talking about, of course – and with all due respect to Redmond’s excitement about his big game in Wrexham – is the Premier League finale with Blackburn. Of the five-team car crash at the foot of the table, Wolves are favourites to still be standing when the wreckage is surveyed shortly before 6pm on Sunday evening.
But nothing can be guaranteed. All manner of scenarios have been and will be speculated upon between now and the big day and the only way Wolves will be absolutely certain of staying up is if they beat Blackburn Rovers. (“It’s a Cup Final for us . . . and I like to think back to what happened the last time we met Blackburn in a Cup final,” he muses, referencing Wolves’ 1960 FA Cup triumph over Rovers.)
In a couple of weeks’ time the bulldozers will be taking great chunks out of the north bank Stan Cullis Stand as Phase One of his ambitious Molineux rebuild gets underway. Morgan, ever keen to reach out for the supporters of tomorrow, announced plans yesterday to invite schoolchildren from Molineux’s hinterland to see the work in progress during the months ahead.
For some fans, the project has cast added pressures on a difficult campaign for Mick McCarthy and his players. After all, Wolves delayed pressing the start button until the new year, waiting to see how their Premier League future was shaping up.
Despite being locked deep in the survival scrap, however, Morgan insists he never wavered in his intentions to begin getting the club “ready for the 21st century.”
He says: “I don’t think you can go forward in a negative manner. We’ve got to run Wolves as a business and in business you have to plan positively for the future.
“Had we been in a worse plight we would still have pressed the button. My view then was if we went down, then everything would have been about getting back up again. The stadium would still have gone ahead. We’ve got to get Wolves equipped for the 21st century.”
But had he not expected more of the team this summer after spending the third highest amount by a Premier League club last summer?
Was he not disappointed that the campaign has largely been conducted from the basement looking up?
“If we win, we’ve got 43 points; we had 38 last year,” he responds forthrightly. “It’s our second season and you can look back in some odd games at the silly goals we’ve given away and the injuries that we’ve had.
“Losing Kevin Doyle, for example, was a massive blow. We’ve played half the season without Ronald Zubar. Michael Kightly two years ago was our top player and he has not been available . . . we’ve had major, major problems. We’ve had players out for so long you almost forget they exist.
“We’ve done well despite the injuries, we’ve not moaned about it and yet we can still get five points more than last season and if we can get five points more the following season, I think we can call that progress.”
Morgan hates discussing managers and their futures and batted away all efforts by journalists to get him to expand on the subject yesterday. But one of the reasons why he is quietly confident that Sunday’s examination of the nerve of Wolves players will be handled acts as a powerful endorsement of the manager.
“If you go to the dressing room before the game and see the rapport between Mick and his coaching staff and the players you will see there is a very real, proper team spirit there.
“You don’t see splits in the camp. They are a very professional, very commited group of players who also have great rapport with the fans. We never have any problems asking them to go to support local schools or homes for special needs children . . . they are close to their community. I think that is testament to Mick and the quality of individual he has brought to this club.”
If Wolves are caught on the finishing line on Sunday and suffer a now unexpected drop into the Championship, McCarthy’s summer shopping list, both in content and cost, will be very different.
But if, as seems more likely, safety is secured there will be a focus on spending on quality rather than quantity.
Like his predecessor Sir Jack Hayward, Morgan has high hopes that continued and expanded investment in the club’s academy programme will bear fruit although it must be noted Sir Jack’s vision for a Wolves team liberally sprinkled with home-grown talent was never realised and ran at odds with the football management.
Both Dave Jones and McCarthy, the two longest serving bosses of the Noughties, have been reluctant to open the first-team door to some of the club’s home-reared talent.
“The manager will have money for players but I think we made the mistake in the first year of bringing in too many players. Getting two or three settled down in the club is much easier than eight or nine. That is where our focus will be,” he added.
“But we were one of the few clubs who could show a profit; I wish other football clubs would do the same. I wonder how the hell they are going to comply with UEFA’s financial fair play regulations. You see what happened to Portsmouth who went on a spending spree, bought players and won the Cup and then almost went into oblivion. This short term mentality in football is ludicrous
“We want to be a club for the future and that means we have to take sensible steps along the way.”
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NICE ONE STEVE!
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It’s good to know the club is being run in the proper manner, profitably and progressively. Steve Morgan has faith in Jez Moxey and Mick McCarthy and you can tell from the article and his quotes that stability courses through the club’s veins, which is vital.
There are those who criticise Steve Morgan for investing money in the stadium instead of putting all of it into the team, but, I’ve always believed the development of both go hand in hand. I have no problem with these critics as long as the criticism is constructive, life’s all about opinions.
However,I do have problem with the few numbskulls who come on these threads with little or no understanding of how to construct a sentence never mind a business and give Morgan, Moxey and McCarthy dog’s abuse.
I feel confident that we will see the right results on Sunday and enjoy Premiership football next season, then we can (patiently) watch the Club grow stronger over the coming seasons.
Well played, Steve Morgan.
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Survival is key to the clubs progress and at this point in time the over analysis is best put on hold until we’ve secured the points!
Personally couldnt care less who goes down and not bothered about opinions on MM Now is the time for EVERY Wolves fan – Man, Woman and Child to get behind the lads and give Blackburn a cauldron of sound that they will NEVER forget!!!
Cmon me Babbbbiiiieeeesssss!
Up the Wolves! :-)
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Well said Cuddly Dudley.
A massive well done to Morgan and Moxey for running this club soundly.
Fingers crossed for Sunday.
UTW
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nice to see how well the club is being run. I think we are one of the few clubs that relegation wouldnt financially cripple, and more to the point, if we continue to progress, we would be one of the only clubs who could comply with the fair play rules, without paying expensive lawyers to find loopholes. Lets hope we continue to progress, starting with a win on sunday, as its only a matter of time before many teams regret theyre financial naivity.
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Extremely positive news. We are the only club in the top flight not in debt. Stay up and things will look very good indeed, while others suffer!
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I listened to Steve Morgan,last night on WM talking to that ‘bluenose’fan Mark Regan, whilst ive had my moans about him for being to quiet has the owner of our club,especially as he only ever talks about his baby ‘quality bricks’ for the new ground, instead of buying ‘quality’ players, as id sooner sit in the ground as it is. than build a new ground, when our players are struggling every season in the BPl. But i do understand what he said, that we need to move with the times ,and grow as a club, and move forward by having a bigger ground, getting more fans inside, as we’ve got a good fanbase,so we can compete with other clubs for better players. And whilst i dont share his view that MM is the best manager to take the club forward, i have to accept it,as its his club/money funding us. So i/we may aswell get use to it MM will be here as manager,as long as he wants to keep the job? But ive said a few times before on here ,I support WWFC ‘first’ (52yrs) and whoever is manager and players ‘second/third’ and therefore will have to accept Steve Morgan decision. UTW: GOOD LUCK SUNDAY LADS YOU CAN/WILL DO IT;
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brummierobwolves – I find it funny because all season the kncokers have been slating the way this club is being run, yet we seem to be in the best possible position to have a very bright future. We all know all the other clubs in this league that are being run into the ground will eventually be found wanting, and we will find ourselve competing much higher up the table, whats the betting that the moaners will come out in force stating that we are only there because of other clubs situations, and not our own merrit?
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Morgan has been an unbelievably good chairman for us since he came in. When you look at the likes of the Venky’s taking over at Blackburn, the mess at West Ham, firstly from the chaps from Iceland & then continued by Gold & Sullivan, all that happened at Pompey, I’m still not totally convinced by the Birmingham lot as he was selling part of his stake to reduce their debt & the state Liverpool got in. All of these happened because the previous owners sold out to the first or highest bidders, not the best bidder.
Sir Jack did many amazing things for this club, but waiting to sell to the right person was so crucial for the club, writing off the debt owed to him & giving it to Steve Morgan was a fantastic parting gift from the man to Wolves.
I don’t for 1 second doubt his commitment to the club. Nor to I doubt his desire or ambition for the club. To be build a strong, sustainable club should be everything a Wolves fan wants.
& to think some were so critical of him in January because it was Gold & Sullivan showing all the ambition by paying out on Bridge & Keane…………. ridiculous doesn’t even get close to it.
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9)Well said KW. That last paragraph of yours, regarding West Ham and the mismanagement there, must really stick in the craw of some of our regular whingers who wanted us to sign player on £70k a week. Sullivan and to a lesser extent Gold are an ongoing embarrassment and Avram Grant was totally out of his depth. Only Abramovich got him and kept in in the Chelsea job and what followed is history (Was he ever seen actually talking to his players ?)
Compare that to what’s happening at Wolves, even if we do go down…which we won’t !!!
As Cuddley Dudley has said there are Wolves fans who just cannot seem to understand what is happening here.
Are you all ready for Squeaky Bum Sunday ?
Loud & Proud 2-1
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Oh, boy, it’s surely a sign of these barmy financial times when, in another article on this site, the Exp & Star refers to the Tesco Bags’ debts as “only” 10 million quid. Same goes for the Blouses who are “only” 16 million in the red. Apparently, that’s good housekeeping at this level, lol! The thing is, you can buy two half-decent Premier League players for that kind of moolah -or even build a brand new stand, to put things into perspective.
It sounds a lot healthier over at Molineux, though. A sound, self-sustaining, financially-viable club is what it’s all about in the long term -not to mention that much-advertised, 9 million Pound profit.
As other clubs drop like flies in the coming seasons -as they surely will- I hope we Wolves fans will be able look on them as the avaricious fools they are, and thank our lucky stars that we didn’t tread the same path.
Onwards and upwards. UTW.
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Thank God we’re in good hands. Just imagine what our future would be like if someone like Sullivan/Gold/Brady or Manderic had got their hands on our historic old club. We’d be owned by dubious faceless foreign companies with names like Sports Investments this or Solutions that, or Something Management Direct or some other hyped up soundbite name. These parasites hover over our clubs like the Black Death. Then again we had that Hell once didn’t we with the Bhatti’s. So we’ve been there. We deserve our moment in the Sun more than any other club having been from 1st to 4th in successive seasons… Just do it Sunday lads!
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Wonder if Steve can pick me up on his way through Shropshire from Wrexham?
Stability is the foundation of success.
UTW
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Despite the views of some we actually only need two new players this summer, and to retain the two loan players we have now. We have a few who could go and I believe that would leave us with a mid-table squad. 50 points next season
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In:
Stephen Warnock
Roger Johnson
Demba Ba
Jamie O’Hara
Michael Mancienne (loan)
Out:
Sam Vokes
Andy Keogh
Greg Halford
Matt Hill
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To all WBA fans i have only one thing to say to you.
WIM RICHER AN YOW AYE WE
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GRANTED STEVE!!!
But please if we stay up,make sure we dont have to be in this position next year,coz my blood pressure aint good on the best of days” Come on 1 more win and sign 4-5 class players and be a steady team next year!!utw!!
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The financial results that were published in The Guardian today, arguably, prove two things. Wolves playing staff are considerably underpaid as a benchmark to the rest of the Premier league and Mick is the best pound for pound manager in the Premier league. Discuss…
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Great to support a well run club in the hands of professionals. A lot of other clubs don’t have this (look who is already relegated and there are plenty of other clubs like that).We’re in a good position for steady long-term improvement no matter what happens on Sunday. Well done to all at the club and good luck for Sunday.Up the Wolves
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Hey I have to agree with Kentish Wolf on this one. It was Sir Jacks due diligence in his selection that secured an owner for our great football club with a passion for football & a vision beyond the short term. Steve Morgan in my view has been an extremely good appointment for Wolves..& Liverpool’s loss!
This season – yes I have been very vocal in my disapproval of teams selected by Mick & tactics used when we have been extremely disappointing in games that we should have won, & games that we just did not turn up… after Stoke I really believed it was all over for us.. the wheel had come off big time. I don’t know what was said to the players but since then we have been brilliant. Yes we could still go down but by golly we have put ourselves in a position that only we can stuff up, it’s in our own hands is our destiny… like many on here I have been a Wolves fan for more than 40 years, & any new young fan should know that supporting Wolves comes with a massive “GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING”
Good luck on Sunday – I know you can do it..
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But if, as seems more likely, safety is secured there will be a focus on spending on quality rather than quantity.
This is exactly what is needed to move the club on to the next level,as has been shown in certain performances we have the ability to push on,but equally in quite a few games this season certain areas have been found wanting.Most supporters seem to recognise that a Quality left back central defender and striker. are the main problem areas that need addressing.Sunday is a massive game in the clubs long industrious history,however thanks to the last 2 victories we should be playing premiership football again next season.
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Regardless of our league status next season, top of the shopping list has to be the best centre half we can afford.
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I echo a lot of you on here at how relieved i am that our club is being run by decent people. Morgan and Moxey may have had people knocking them but they are successfully running our club and keeping us afloat.
it would have been very easy to have poured money into a team and then sack the manager at the end when it didnt quite work out (take note west ham) man city have found to their cost that it takes time to build a team, however much money you spend. on the bare bones of it we have a decent squad, of course there is room for improvement, and i think it widely agreed that we desperately need a new defence partnership.
it is good to see someone like Steve Morgan who is very much a businessman, but also a football fan at heart – this means he will treat our club well, not just as a business.
the fact that he is going ahead with the stadium redevelopment regardless of which league we will be in come monday morning shows that he views us a long term investment.
i hope as we all do that we get the result we need on Sunday. nails already bitten down and terrified just at the thought of it BUT we have proven that we can rise to the occasion & theres been none bigger that sundays game.
see you all there!! boo boys get behind the boys & leave your negativity at the turnstiles – join the “happyclappers” for once our lads need us!!
wolves till i die!!!!!
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