Sylvan Ebanks-Blake goal merits Wolves tinkering
Wolves boss Dean Saunders today insisted striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s match-winning display justified his tinkering with the team after victory at Millwall.
Saunders made four changes for the 2-0 win at the New Den last night
Stephen Ward, Dave Edwards, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Jake Cassidy replaced Jack Robinson, Stephen Hunt, Kevin Doyle and Bjorn Sigurdarson from Friday’s 1-1 draw against Watford.
He was rewarded by Ebanks-Blake, who scored a stunning overhead kick for his 12th goal of the season after setting up Edwards’ opener in a man-of-the-match performance.
Saunders has used 24 players in his 10 games in charge as he has struggled to find his best team. And he may be closer to discovering it after the most complete performance of his tenure.
The Wolves chief said: “I put Sylvan and Jake Cassidy in after Bjorn and Kevin had worked their socks off against Watford.
“Thankfully, Sylvan paid me back with his performance and his goal. He and Jake were getting to the ball first.
"That’s why we were on top of them and Sylvan scored a magnificent goal.”
Comments for: "Sylvan Ebanks-Blake goal merits Wolves tinkering"
English Exile
This was a welcome but small step on our way to recovery.
Having seen the mess we are in it will be a long slow recovery.
I wish Dean all the best.
Do you fans remember when Moxey took over and John Richards was ''removed'' fro his post for not putting a sell on clause in Robbie Kean's sale?
Seems Moxey has done the same with players wages..... no provision made for the ultimate embarrassment of a double relegation.
Perhaps you should go Jez??
Bazrat
Get real mate do you believe that anybody thought we would be in this mess.
Filtonwolf (Bristol)
Yes my friend...................I predicted this last Summer. I said if we lost Jarvis & Fletch without re-investing & strengthening that we would struggle and maybe finish just outside the relegation zone. I didn't think it would be quite so 'squeaky bum' time though. Lots of fas were on here saying how we were going to destroy the Championship and I took a fair amount of abuse for what I said. The only sad thing is that I wish I wasn't right !!!
purewolves
Filtonwolf (Bristol)
I said exactly what you said at the end of last season too. In fact I wrote to the Express and Star and said as such. I am gutted that this is happening and I hope I am proved wrong and we can survive and then next season push on.
hoppo
Yes
luke skywalker
Spot on Bazrat!
English Exile
Bazrat, of course not and perhaps JR didn't think Robbie Kean would be sold on.
Why the hell wouldn't Moxey write into all players contract that there wages drop 50% per division they drop.
Not bloody rocket science is it......
Lifer
Does any team relegated from the prem put first division relegation clauses on the players they sign when they are up their or those they sign the first season they go down? Who would sign such a negative contract and what does it say about the ambition of the club?
Ye Olde South Bank
Many congratulations on last night's cracking strike, Sylvan.
Trust me, bagging twelve goals for a team that's been so utterly and embarrassingly poor this season really IS an achievement in itself, mate.
Now, go treat yourself to a few more sizzlers and save our bacon!
UTW.
Mandurah Wolf
I was thinking that. By his own admission he has had a bad year but has still bagged a few. Imagine if he hits form!
Ye Olde South Bank
Agreed, MW.
Imagine, too, just what might happen if Sylvan actually had a half-decent supply line in place of the thread-bare 'service' he currently receives....
manc andy
Im sure if all this tinkering is due to ur managerial genious or desperate panic, but it worked last night so well done,,,tinker away.
John De Wolf
Never had any gripes with Embanks-Blake. He's done so much for the club since he's been here. Even in the Premiership he wasn't given a fair chance and has never been unprofessional or asked to leave. I hope he signs a new deal as he will always score goals, he just needs better service. Hopefully he can fire us to safety and promotion next season.
Mills wolf
what about trying kevin doyle in the middle of the park ???
he certainly aint a goal scorer but has a great work rate....
deffo need to play blakey EVERY match as he and sako are the only consistant goalscorers
WELL DONE for dropping Hunt also...... the man has no future here so leave it that way
Doog2
I agree ....I've always thought Doyle should be in midfield, his work rate is second to none and there is also the chance he may score the odd goal or two from this position.
PeteNuts
Ah, that sight gladdens the heart. It's like seeing a plump turkey spread its wings and take to the air.
Golden Nugget
Constant moronic references to Seb's physical appearance. Do you people really think that all these managers would play him if he wasn't 100% fit. It is just the guys build for heavens sake. If you can't say anything intelligent don't bother
PeteNuts
This is normally the point where I point out that if you're going to call someone's intelligence into question, you shouldn't make a bunch of grammatical and punctuation errors.
Instead I will just say: oh, evolve a sense of humour, you frowning great moanbag.
Lord Molineux
Note to Golden Nugget. Peenuts doesn't attend matches, he sits in the pub thinking up moronic wisecracks and marking other poster's punctuation and grammar. Such is the life of an ameoba, eh ?
Note to Peenuts. Disappointed I didn't spot you in the photograph of the motley crew demonstrating behind the Billy Wright with your head swathed in a teatowel looking like Yasser Arafat. Unless you bottled it and hid behind that wide guy.
Stalking you ? Your conceit knows no bounds.
....and, yes I know, it's amoeba. Gotchya !
PeteNuts
"Peenuts". Solid gold material from a recognised master of the withering zing, or dreadfully weak material from a borderline stalker? YOU, the public, must decide!
Do you go to matches? There's a reason not to go right there. You never know next to whom you're going to seated. No such worries in the Newhampton, the pies are better and the football is too.
You spelled "gotcha" wrong when you were trying to tell me that you'd "got" me. Forty love, baby, forty love. Gotcha!
Solbakenwasright
Not only can you correct spelling you can also invent words like moanbag.
Is there no end to your literary telents?
Think I got you there??
Solbakenwasright
"You never know next to whom you're going to seated"
Think you might have missed the word "be" out?
Oh dear your english is slipping.
I feel a little frustration coming from your direction?
The Teecher
You're struggling Petenuts
Slang is spelt however the locality wants to say it and therefore spell it.
Gotcha, Gotya, Gotchya my little red book by Chairman Mao says so
I'd say it's moved from deuce to advantage Lord Mol
Incidentally, don't be concerned who you may be sitting by if you come down, the chances are you'll be surrounded by empty seats.
Golden Nugget
I see you didn't bother then!
spell check
lord molinuex and golden nugget, petenuts lives in london,works as a journalist and hates the freelancer that works with him at times because he supports( wba).
he loves the newhampton for obvious reasons, but cannot stop himself from picking at anyones grammatical errors,because it annoys him.
and because he lives in the big smoke he has this superiority complex. but over the years he has developed a wicked sense of humour.
PeteNuts
@ spell check
I don't have a superiority complex because I live in London!
I have a superiority complex because I know I'm superior.
hoppo
Lighten up man, he's just the wrong height for his weight
old golds worth more
Ah, but winning last night was like all our Christmases coming at once, which brought said Turkey out in numerous cold sweats.
DAVWOLFUK
Not even funny mate. No idea why people like you even claim to be supporters.....doubt if ur, prob just a boring computer nerd
PeteNuts
Except it WAS funny, it's just that "ur" humourless.
What have you got against computers? If it wasn't for computers, you wouldn't just have been able to bore the pants off everybody with your advanced grump.
Solbakenwasright
Abbreviating now are we?
Is that allowed in your world?
What a real prize plonker you are.
Dingo Unchained
ha ha ha, great stuff petenuts keep those witty retorts coming, you can't beat a bit of lighthearted humour, it just seems so lost on some people...:o)
PeteNuts
@ Solbaken
At least I can spell the name of our last manager correctly...
"Plonker"? What is this, the early 1990s?
Pig sick
Grow up fool PN.....
PeteNuts
How do you manage to make a grammatical mess of a four word sentence...?
TheRetroChief
Manc Andy....that's "genius", not "genious"....oh, the irony.
manc andy
i knew sombody would pick up on that,,lol just testing the grammer police,,well done retrochief,,full marks.
lanemeyer
Im sure most right thinking Wolves fans would want Ebanks Blake in the team Mr Saunders.
However, could you please
1) not play him on his own up front (that doesnt work)
2) not play him with Doyle (that doesnt work either)
But do play him with Siggy upfront for more than 30 minutes of a match.
Also a right winger (no, not hitler) like Peszko on the right wing would be quite refreshing although i know DS says we have 6 or 7 right wingers (we dont)
Ohara just behind the front two and infront of the midfield where he can thread through balls to the forwards (not playing deep where Henry and Doumbia both play)...oh and Sako kept on the left and not on the right to accomodate Hunt.
Oh and keep the same team for more than one match.
Bazrat
Haha keep the same team I would hunt up front with ward,any midlfielders you care to choose as long as its not Sako if you must play him only on the right only, defence who needs one after our last win.
spanish ray
You can tinker as much as you want if it brings this kind of result,but,come on it couldn`t have been too hard to drop that waste of space Hunt.I still think you need to bring in another midfielder and striker [not Church] he`s no better than what we`ve got.
royboywolf
Well done seb! Worked hard last night deserved that goal wot a cracker!more of the same against forest saturday.we still need another striker though m+m so don't even think about saving money you pair of cheap skates.an attacking centre midfielder is also a must.well done to all the players +manager on a hard earned victory.
The Real Bangkok Wolf
The tinkering should not be needed as Doyle should of never played last week.
Seb would have scored 20+ goals this year if he played all the games.
Doyle instead of Hennry?
But don't get carried away just yet as Millwall are in a worse run then ourselves.
Bazwolf
DS struggles to find a "best team" because .... there isn't a best team. So many players are out of form (or just plain consistently crap) it is hard to find a consistently performing team> Chopping and changing at least communicated that you are not a shew in to the side if you play badly. Davis is worth a regular game and has never let us down.
KARLWOLVES
NICE TO SEE BLAKEY,SHUT ALL THE DOUBTERS UP. you dont score a quality goal like that,if you are not fit and aledgely over weight. this will do wonders for his confidence.
PeteNuts
"Nice to see Blakey shut all the doubters up. You don't score a quality goal like that if you are not fit and, allegedly, overweight. This will do wonders for his confidence."
Tipton Wolves
Well done Blakey maybe you start scoring goals with those new football boots.
Bazrat
TRUE fans like you know he is our leading scorer this season.
AucklandKiwiWolf
Scoring goals is what he is paid to do.One of the main reasons we are where we are is because of of our inability to score goals.Scoring more goals would take some of the pressure of our suspect defence.To all the forwards-GET OU THERE AND DO WHAT YOU ARE PAID TO DO!
nigel wolfnut
Much relieved and a much needed win. Reality check 1 - this was against a team who are arguably in a worse run of form than us and with one eye on a pretty vital cup match at the weekend. Reality Check 2 - 24 team changes in 10 games doesn't make Saunders a tactical genius. By my reckoning his tinkering cost us results against Barnsley and Cardiff. Reality Check 3 - we are still deep in the mire and one very much needed win doesn't and shouldn't mask what has been going on this season or answer the questions such as why are we in this position?
BUT.....it was a win and SEB worked his socks off and scored a much desrved goal. Well done mate. Now on to Forest and what I suspect will be a much sterner test. Anyone prepared to guess how many changes there will be in Saturday's team? Shall we run a sweep?Onwards and upwards {I hope}
paul davo
All i get is negative waves, we won , so lets get positive, seb scored a great goal so go to it seb, DS please get that target man in to play with seb, Beat Forest and the momentum will carry us to safety .
Charlie
Interesting stat that he has used 24 players in 10 games. I am encouraged by this. He has not listened to current regime or looked at prior teams and he has been open to bringing in the youngsters and dropping the ever-presents.
Fair play to him for this, I hope we can kick on at NF. We have a decent record with them.
On the SEB thing, having met him I would say that confidence plays a huge part in his ability to perform. he is that type of bloke. His record this season is decent and a few more goals could have us safe. Stop knocking the bloke.
Charlie
ATLANTA WOLVES
Vonovitch
It seems to me that Doyle is the one who needs to justify being kept on not Sylvan, at least he always gives 100%
oldgold46
sorry but i am not that convinced that saunder know what he doing making 3/4 changes every game do not give much time to
get it right lets see what happen saturday there a long way to go before we are safe. but millwall was a start. the first bit of
hope for a long time.
Watchman
FORM TEAM AT THE MO.
Ikeme
Doherty Johnson Gorks Robinson
Davis Doyle
Siggo Ward
SEB Sako
REASONS
Johnson too good to drop but Baarth should get 30mins each game
Same with Jake Cassidy to develop them and keep them match level.
Wingers must be strong runners, able to run for attack and defence,
and to switch and interplay with midfield and front runners.
Midfielders must be unselfish and anticipate to receive ball by runs
into position and be aware of teammates around to pass to.
This formation should give SEB and SAKO more chance for strikes.
J.OHara as supersub for intro after 60 mins or so.
Win games by attack strength and defence tenacity.
Dont expect too much agreement, but am there to be shot at. Cheers.
Bazwolf
Nice goal from SEB against poor opposition He will need to perform better and scre consistently for me to re-new his contract. He has been lightweight in open play for several seasons> Championship is his level but he has been indifferent like so many of the relegation squad. Good to win withour heavy reliance on Sako who can't be expected to run rings round team every game. What had gone wrong with Doyle ( too many disrupted nights as a new dad). He should be a leader and a consistent performer and Celtic will pick him up for £1.5 m in the summer. Mr Morgan be prepared to take a thumping LOSS on the players who got us relegated last season and have been so poor this season. They are pretty worthless on the transfer market. Whatever is the player malaise it will only be cured by clearing our about 13 of the failures and then re-forming the playing squad.