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

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I wonder how different memories of Cav might have been if Cardiff hadn't missed their 2nd penalty too. An absolutely mindless challenge from Cav, that whilst he slipped he ran over more than a little crazed!

(i still think we win the league if we draw or lose that game by the way, just thought it could have been a slight fork in the road for us.)

 

[Tony Towner]

I liked Cav and would have kept him for this season based purely on football. Even more so in hindsight as we switched back to 343. I'm convinced he would have come on in those games where Nuno wasnt making subs because he didn't think he had an option. Cav would have given him one

...but theres enough info out there to suggest he's a bit of a sulky sod, so I think it's better for all he left rather than being an impact sub.

In a parallel universe where we kept Lambert I think he would have gone that Summer. Much as his sending off at Derby was bloody stupid if also showed someone who was very frustrated.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Cav. Perfect for what we needed when we signed him. Loved the guy. But we went into the stratosphere and he and Helder couldn’t follow. Shame he couldn’t sort his feet out at Wembley. I think he is a Premier League player, but it is in the 12th to 20th position fight. We have hopefully gone beyond that forever. It would be nice if he got promoted at the end of this elongated season. I don’t miss Ivan as much as I feared I would. Same with Helder. Diogo, Raul, Adama are different level, and I am sure Podence and Neto will be too.

It’s a thanks and good luck sort of feeling for me.

 

[AndyWolves]

He had possibly one of the best chants in recent memory and fully deserved it. He came on leaps and bounds under Nuno and looked too good for the championship. There is a mid table premier league player in there and maybe we did let him go a bit too early but no real regrets.

Will always be part of that magnificent season

 

[nimrod]

It was the first time I'd been to Old Trafford since Sammy McIlroy scored a hat trick against us in the early 80's, when I went on a minibus full of United fans from Bridgnorth with a mate and his Dad. Only Wolves fan on the bus - fortunately I was young enough to not get too much stick. Drove up in 2003 and spent hours getting home. I could still see the floodlight glare and I'd been in the car an hour.

I'll be honest that even with their recent [relative] decline, I still think any point there is a good one.

the day bryan robson signed for them wasn't it? didn't george berry try an overhead kick clearance at some point and completely miss the ball? long time ago now.

camara's finishing was dreadful initially but he did improve over the season and was definitely not shit by the end, at least as a player.

for a while that season we could hardly get the ball out of our half but him chasing everything down took a lot of pressure off.

but in the end he was a rat in the pink shirt, so anything goes.

what ever happened with mackay and that cardiff guy's plane anyway

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

the day bryan robson signed for them wasn't it? didn't george berry try an overhead kick clearance at some point and completely miss the ball? long time ago now.

It was - on the pitch before the game in the style that was fashionable at the time. Same way Gray was unveiled for us. I don't remember George's missed overhead kick, but it would have been a very Berry thing to do.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

19. Mike Stowell

Michael Stowell (born 19 April 1965) is an English former professional football goalkeeper, and now first team coach and goalkeeping coach at Leicester City, as well as joint caretaker-manager. As a player, he spent twenty years as a professional, eleven of which were with Wolverhampton Wanderers. He is married to women's footballer Rachel Stowell.

Gaining his chance in the professional game at Preston North End in 1985, he impressed enough to receive a contract with top-flight Everton later in the year. In his five years at the club he was loaned out to Chester City, York City, Manchester City, Port Vale, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Preston North End. He signed permanently with Wolves in 1990, and was their goalkeeper of choice throughout the decade, making 378 league appearances. In 2001, he signed with Bristol City, before retiring in 2005. He had five separate spells as caretaker manager at Leicester City in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2017 and 2019.

His two-month loan spell at Wolverhampton in the spring 1989 was to prove the most influential in terms of his career. Impressing during his seven games as Wolves won the Third Division championship, he was signed by manager Graham Turner in July 1990 for £275,000. He was named as Player of the Year for the 1990–91 season after making a total of 41 appearances. Stowell finally had the chance to gain regular first team games and became firmly established as Wolves' main goalkeeper throughout the 1990s, playing 448 times in total as the club tried to break back into the top flight. During this time he fought off competition from stoppers such as Matt Murray, Steve Mautone, and Hans Segers. He eventually lost his first team place to Michael Oakes, who was signed for £500,000 in October 1999.

He was given a testimonial match against Aston Villa in July 2000, and the following summer was released by the Midlanders. He was given a farewell appearance as a substitute on the last day of the 2000–01 season, against Queens Park Rangers. From 1998 to 2001 he also worked as a goalkeeping coach at the club's youth academy.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

As mentioned before, i had always felt Stowell was really good for us, but looking back on a lot of old 90s reviews lately he seems to get beaten from distance a hell of a lot, often his positioning is lacking, he's 2 or 3 yards further forward than he should be, you often seen the ball go "through" him too. However, the trouble with season review videos is that you generally only see the goals that are conceded, so perhaps a little unfair.

His distribution was pretty good, i can't really remember him screwing up from a bad decision in that regard, however he always looked as though he was straining every sinew to get the ball down the pitch, when you look at most keepers now their technique is effortless (Hennessey for one)

He wasn't particularly good on penalties either, the big penalty moments for Wolves in the 90s were Segers at Elland road and Jones against Sheffield Wednesday (for example).

So basically, in watching him lately my opinion has fallen somewhat.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Think he saved a pen in both the opening two games of 92/93. But otherwise yeah, not his strong point.

The long range thing was quite notorious at the time as I remember. He did sort it out eventually. He also improved on command of the box halfway through the decade, he wasn't always the best at that.

I never really thought upgrading him was ever a priority when he was in his prime, obviously eventually he was getting on and bringing in Oakes was fair enough.

Nearly 10 years as first choice almost all the way through when fit, all for under £300k - worked out as a great value signing all in all. He was a huge step up on Kendall.

Shame we never got to make much of him as a coach (he's not just a keeper coach either). Clearly he's got something about him for all these different Leicester managers to keep him on board.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Yep 300k for 450+ games is superb value, he is clearly a good bloke and was well liked at the club and as you say was much better than Kendall.

I like how wiki suggests he fought off Steve Mautone

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

:icon_lol:

A bit like how Oasis saw off the challenge of Northern Uproar in 1995.

 

[Tony Towner]

Thought he was a brilliant keeper particularly in his first few years with us.

Have to admit that a number of goals on various YouTube clips challenge that view, although that's probably judging today's standards versus those 25-30 years ago unfairly

 

[Premier Quality]

Thought he was a brilliant keeper particularly in his first few years with us.

Have to admit that a number of goals on various YouTube clips challenge that view, although that's probably judging today's standards versus those 25-30 years ago unfairly

This. Was really surprised watching some of those back, my memories of him were obviously slightly gold tinted. Top man though.

 

[Derby Wolf]

Think he saved a pen in both the opening two games of 92/93. But otherwise yeah, not his strong point.

The long range thing was quite notorious at the time as I remember. He did sort it out eventually. He also improved on command of the box halfway through the decade, he wasn't always the best at that.

I never really thought upgrading him was ever a priority when he was in his prime, obviously eventually he was getting on and bringing in Oakes was fair enough.

Nearly 10 years as first choice almost all the way through when fit, all for under £300k - worked out as a great value signing all in all. He was a huge step up on Kendall.

Shame we never got to make much of him as a coach (he's not just a keeper coach either). Clearly he's got something about him for all these different Leicester managers to keep him on board.

Dave Edwards says hi :zytrafumay:

Admittedly, Pearson, Renieri and Brendan are of a slightly higher pedigree than Lambert, Zenga and Jackett

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Dave Edwards says hi :zytrafumay:

For clarification - most of those Leicester managers were good :icon_lol:

 

[AndyWolves]

Keepers were generally a bit dodgyer back then anyway weren't they?

I always thought Stowell was one of the better keepers outside the premier league

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Stowell was a great favourite of mine in the years of getting in to Wolves (you have to remember that bar wanting us to win the 1980 league cup final it was basically 1990 that I became a fan).

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

I'm firmly in the Stowell camp.

Was a really good servant and more than good enough for the time he spent with us, in fact I always felt he could have gone higher. Not sure about his distribution though [mentioned above], I think the new backpass rule hastened his demise.

Was at Mansfield when a keeper got injured in the warm up. It was either Stowell on loan before he signed or the injury gave Stowell his chance, I can't remember. Definitely either one of his first games or should have been one of his first!

Was also in Sir Jack's for the meal after his testimonial. Interestingly all the players from both teams sat together (the Villa ones that stayed) and messed around continually. The likes of Thommo, Dennison and the rest that had come through the divisions with Stowell. Only one player sat away from the others and bar a brief chat when Thommo came over to him, was completely ignored by the rest. Not sure of the reasons why, but Bully didn't seem like a popular former teammate that day.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

This is him in nets vs Bristol Rovers (Kenny Hibbitt's homecoming, Nigel Martyn playing for them and the first ever game I saw us lose) - a few days before Mansfield. Maybe his debut? I don't know. Line-ups from this era are a bit hard to find, there's a book I had many moons ago which would tell me but that was lost several house moves ago.

I know we couldn't play him in the Sherpa Van which is we ended up with that bellend Hansbury between the sticks vs Torquay. It might have been 31 years ago but I haven't forgiven him.

 

[machin05]

This is him in nets vs Bristol Rovers (Kenny Hibbitt's homecoming, Nigel Martyn playing for them and the first ever game I saw us lose) - a few days before Mansfield. Maybe his debut? I don't know. Line-ups from this era are a bit hard to find, there's a book I had many moons ago which would tell me but that was lost several house moves ago.

I know we couldn't play him in the Sherpa Van which is we ended up with that bellend Hansbury between the sticks vs Torquay. It might have been 31 years ago but I haven't forgiven him.

Fucking hell, I think this might have been my first ever game