Just how good were/was/is/are (Wolves Edition)

[Deutsch Wolf]

A top half Championship player which is why he looked too good for league one and decent in the Championship but with his one footed and sloth like limitations shown up more. Can't remember which game it was but there was one goal where he was run past by someone so quickly it didn't look like he was moving, akin to Barry against Germany in South Africa.

Came to us acting like a nob, left us acting like a nob. At least I didn't let him shag my wife.

He was genuinely disgraceful in the 0-5 at Derby. And that was one of his good seasons!

 

[Tony Towner]

Perhaps that was it as I was at the game. I told my son it was character building. He was 6, but since that day he hates Derby, kids at school and in his team weren't kind. We watched the play off final last year hoping for opposite outcomes.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Ken's love for Chris Martin grew tenfold that day. He bloody loved him. Just because we couldn't defend against the fat prick.

At least you didn't have far to get home, I always consoled myself with that when I lived in Manc and we lost at Bolton and/or Blackburn.

 

[Alan]

Depends how far back you're going. Simon Osborn was better in that respect. As was Paul Cook. And Gordon Cowans.

Saiss as well now I think about it.

Really just going back to the 10/11 season when I properly started paying attention.

 

[Templeton Peck]

Late to the party but pre crash Richards was as good as any CB I've seen at Wolves. He was quick, strong in the air and fabulous on the ball. Mate of mine is a big Bradford fan and they were incredibly excited about him up there and thought he'd go to a bigger club.

The tragedy is that on the day of the crash he gave a wonderful performance at Spurs and it says a lot that he still played over 100 games in the Prem when essentially half the player.

I'd rate him above Curle, Pollet, Lescott and even Stancliffe.

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Late to the party but pre crash Richards was as good as any CB I've seen at Wolves. He was quick, strong in the air and fabulous on the ball. Mate of mine is a big Bradford fan and they were incredibly excited about him up there and thought he'd go to a bigger club.

The tragedy is that on the day of the crash he gave a wonderful performance at Spurs and it says a lot that he still played over 100 games in the Prem when essentially half the player.

I'd rate him above Curle, Pollet, Lescott and even Stancliffe.

Hindmarch was the bet centre half ever

 

[Deano]

He was definitely never as good as Lescott imo.

 

[Templeton Peck]

He was definitely never as good as Lescott imo.

IMO he was quicker and better on the ball. Albeit for a shorter period of time.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

14. Andy Thompson

Andrew Richard Thompson (born 9 November 1967 in Featherstone, Staffordshire) is an English former footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He was inducted into the Wolverhampton Wanderers Hall of Fame in 2017.

Thompson began his career as a midfielder with West Bromwich Albion, where he made his debut in the Full Members Cup in November 1985. He scored in the penalty shoot-out, although Albion lost to Chelsea, who went on to win the competition.

Thompson moved to rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers with Steve Bull in November 1986 for a combined fee of £60,000 and made the transition to full-back. 'Thommo' became a fans favourite at Molineux, known for his speed and penalty taking. He was an integral part of the team that won back-to-back promotions to the (old) Second Division in the late 1980s (also lifting the Associate Members' Cup). He remained a vital player in the team as they twice failed in the play-offs, as they tried to break into the Premier League during the 1990s. He eventually left the club in 1997 to join Tranmere Rovers, after making a total of 451 appearances for the Midlanders.

He played three seasons in the second flight at Prenton Park, helping the club to the League Cup final in 2000 (although he was an unused substitute at Wembley) before being released in May 2000, and subsequently joining Cardiff City on a free transfer. His time in Wales was injury-ravaged, as he tore his stomach muscles in only his second game, and damaged his ankle ligaments in his comeback game.

These setbacks and the arrival of Alan Cork as manager, saw Thompson being loaned out to League Two Shrewsbury Town in January 2002. He made the move permanent in the close season, but his only full season with the club saw them lose their league state for the first time, during another injury plagued season for the defender. After being released, he moved to non-league Hednesford Town but managed only one appearance before injury forced him to retire in 2003.

Since retiring from playing, he has completed a sports science degree at Wolverhampton University and gained a UEFA B coaching licence. He now works as a PE Teacher at Chellaston Academy in Derby.

 

[darlowolf64]

I loved Thommo, cracking left back and a great penalty taker

 

[sycophantia]

I know he wasn't perfect but I generally liked him for us, not particularly gifted in any area but always gave it his best and could play FB or midfield if required, decent penalty taker and a good attitude

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Cracking is going a bit far! There's a reason why we kept trying to replace him.

He's a good guy and he loves Wolves. But he was so limited. Hammering it down the line was about the limit for him in terms of distribution. Rarely got forward when he played at full back. Very frustrating that both Taylor and McGhee seemed to view him as more defensively reliable than Jamie Smith so kept swapping them around all the time. He wasn't really and we lost so much in an attacking sense every time we did that.

Could never fault his attitude and overall you'd have to say he was decent for us, particularly for the money spent. But we should have got rid long before we actually did, having him hang around as late as 1997 was perverse.

 

[Sniffer]

I’ve been waiting for this one!

 

[Sniffer]

Fabulous penalty taker for us, a tidy footballer but no better than a lower half championship full back. I don’t know where the speedy description came from as he wasn’t a slouch but not what I’d call quick.

There’s a reason why we kept buying full backs to replace him (hadn’t seen DW’s post so apologies for it being almost identical although I’ll swear that I said the same in the greatest side Thread that he shouldn’t have got into!)

Don’t get the love in for him from a few on here.

 

[Johnny75]

We've had two top drawer left backs in my time watching Wolves. The rest have been average at best.

Thommo is in the latter category. I liked him as a player and character but looking back he was limited at best and not as defensively sound as I remember.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Fabulous penalty taker for us, a tidy footballer but no better than a lower half championship full back. I don’t know where the speedy description came from as he wasn’t a slouch but not what I’d call quick.

There’s a reason why we kept buying full backs to replace him (hadn’t seen DW’s post so apologies for it being almost identical although I’ll swear that I said the same in the greatest side Thread that he shouldn’t have got into!)

Don’t get the love in for him from a few on here.

I thought you needed a place to vent

I do kind of get it, he was a connection to an era that many were very fond of. Myself included to a point, after all they were my very first years. But I can view a player objectively and he wasn't particularly great. Given the level of second tier football at the time - you could make the case of keeping him around as a squad player due to his versatility, he'd never ask to leave and he wouldn't ever have commanded much of a value anyway. But he played far too often.

I have seen him play up front, now that was a sight.

 

[AndyWolves]

A good pro, wouldn't let you down but wouldn't do anything amazing either. Obviously a great penalty taker.

Certainly not the worst left back I've seen play for us

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Nah, he's nowhere near that level.

Paul Edwards, Mo Camara, Jack Robinson, Michael Gilkes, Jamie Clapham, Maurice Dross, Dariusz Kubicki or Fat Doherty. I wouldn't even know what order to put them in.

Edit: Deslandes as well, fucking rubbish.

Edit 2: Dennis Pearce. Terrible.

 

[Paul]

#claimtofame he was in the year below me at Cheslyn Hay High School, totally unremarkable footballer at school, the only thing I remember about him was his blazer was two sizes too big, it was obviously brought 'to grow into', Never spoke to him and only saw him a few times with the school team and he never stood out, one of those lads who, without jealousy, was lucky to have a career in football.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I've said it before but I played against/with Karl Henry a number of times as a kid. He was pretty good (I was the superstar, clearly) but you would never have picked him out as being a future pro footballer, let alone a Premier League player.