Ex-Wolf Watch

[Deutsch Wolf]

Nice little story about Mati from Bobby Madley.

“I met Matija in 2016 when refereeing my first U19 Euros qualifying game between Montenegro and France. Matija was the captain which, as a goalkeeper, isn’t always the easiest for a referee.

“Standing in the tunnel before the game Matija came down and shook hands. Given that my grasp of the Montenegrin language wasn’t the best, in a shocking broken English accent I tried to explain to Matija with many hand gestures and ridiculous facial expressions that as a captain and goalkeeper it would be hard to work with him.

“My question of ‘Is there player in team, speak English, maybe can speak with me if problem today?’ was met with a blank look from Matija. I tried again with even worse broken English and the stone look remained on his face.”

“I was defeated. I looked at Matija and said clearly I’m wasting my time and getting nowhere. Matija half smiled. He replied in a strong Balkan accent, ‘Nine. Speak English him’.

“Delighted and very proud of myself I replied ‘Ah you understand English little. This is good. He speak good English?’ Matija smiled and replied… ‘Yeah, it’s not bad, it’s my brother Oliver, we’re from Grimsby…I just wanted to see how long you’d carry that nonsense on’. He’d done me like a kipper.”

 

[leedswolf]

Just read that on fb.

 

[lemonjelly]

Jamie pardington has signed for Lincoln City.

 

[Tony Towner]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1802744842805502209

 

[NicholasG1973]

Just heard Conor Coady on BBC2 - said “what I will say” about 800 times in a row.

Can’t see him lasting long out in Germany with that bantz.

 

[Mel Evo]

Just heard Conor Coady on BBC2 - said “what I will say” about 800 times in a row.

Can’t see him lasting long out in Germany with that bantz.

It’s quite a show. Joe Hart looks like he’s being operated by strings. He’d get rejected from a Thunderbirds audition for not being lifelike enough.

 

[Del Woppio]

Just heard Conor Coady on BBC2 - said “what I will say” about 800 times in a row.

Can’t see him lasting long out in Germany with that bantz.

Seven times. Seven!

 

[Tony Towner]

Looks like Kights has had a pie for every time LJ has called him a cunt

https://twitter.com/x/status/1805574774220878225

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Got a bit of a shit waxwork look going on in the one photo too.

I didn't particularly hold it against Kightly (or Fletcher) at the time and certainly not now, if you want to keep your best players then don't get relegated.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd also say that 2008/09 was my favourite of the three promotions to the PL.

We were shite for huge chunks of 2002/03 (and had totally blown it the year before of course) and as brilliant as 2017/18 was, come on now, we had Willy Boly, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota in the Championship, we were simply way overpowered for the division.

2008/09 certainly wasn't done on a shoestring but it was clearly the lowest budget of the three (especially adjusting for inflation from our 2001 spending) and we were devastating for the opening months to put us in a seriously strong position. Mostly a squad of good eggs too (we shall ignore what Kaptain Karl has become).

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Of a similar era, but certainly not similar attitude.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Of a similar era, but certainly not similar attitude.

I struggle with feeling sorry for him, because he quite often talks a load of shit about his time here that isn't even close to true and he brought so much of it on himself anyway (as he slightly admits there, but nowhere near as much as he should if he really does want closure). I don't doubt he struggled MH-wise at times and I wouldn't wish that on anyone of course. Even then he can't simply be proud that he worked his way back to playing Championship football for a decent club in Fulham, it has to be an act of petty revenge against people who doubted him.

The weird thing with his attitude was that it was exemplary (on the pitch at least) when he was on loan here. Couldn't fault him at all, he won us a fair few points on his own, I think a lot of us feared him being a bit of a flash bastard who'd disappear when it got tough (we were of course permanently in a relegation scrap) but he didn't fit that profile at all. Until we signed him permanently.

Watching him slap the ground as one of his amazing passes sailed miles out of play like everyone else was too stupid to recognise his amazing vision and continually letting players run off him like defending was for other people was fucking infuriating.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

Of a similar era, but certainly not similar attitude.

Think that’s a bit harsh. He made some bad decisions, some bad things happened to him, he lived the best and worst of his life in the spotlight…he suffered for it.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

He didn't have the same application as Jarvis or Henry (for example) though did he? That was my point really

Watching that made me a bit more aware of what happened to him, and also now I'm older, how bloody young he was!!

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Oh and £8million in wages! Wowzers.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Oh and £8million in wages! Wowzers.

Puts him around £35k a week on a 5 year deal. A lot of money back in 2011.

Think he and Johnson had it written in that their wages wouldn't drop if we went down too (unlike literally everyone else).

 

[The Saturday Boy]

He didn't have the same application as Jarvis or Henry (for example) though did he? That was my point really

Watching that made me a bit more aware of what happened to him, and also now I'm older, how bloody young he was!!

It was his attitude you questioned originally, not his application. If you take what he says at face value, his “attitude” was a consequence of his life falling apart in the public eye. I have absolutely no frame of reference for what his personal experience was but I do known that my “application” at work has been severely tested at times when my personal life has been challenging.

 

[Squeak]

Great on loan. Awful once he'd signed his contract. Understand the issues he was going through take priority but you'd think there would be more reticence there about wasting the best years of his career. A classic example of being given too much too soon before you've actually achieved much but it's all history now and at least he has been willing to talk about what was going on in his life during that period. Wish him a happy rest of his life... hope he helps others with the experiences he has had.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

It was his attitude you questioned originally, not his application. If you take what he says at face value, his “attitude” was a consequence of his life falling apart in the public eye. I have absolutely no frame of reference for what his personal experience was but I do known that my “application” at work has been severely tested at times when my personal life has been challenging.

I've always considered application and attitude as part of the same thing? When his attitude dropped, so did his application?

But I get what you're saying, and that's part of the reason I watched it and reposted it, as it gave an idea of what was going on for him.

 

[Del Woppio]

Looks like Kights has had a pie for every time LJ has called him a cunt

https://twitter.com/x/status/1805574774220878225

That group is still my favourite team, despite the relegation, and obviously Nuno's amazing team. Maybe because I was home and away back then, but it just felt like the connection was unbreakable. Plucking people from non/lower leagues, freebies, playets you thought were shit before they got here, and Mick with all his gruff and huff and puff. Felt like we went from contenders for relegation to the most swashbuckling, likeable side the Championship had ever seen. Incredible times