The Wolves Archive

[Alan]

He was our mad bastard.

What Podence should have been, I’m reading

 

[KiwiWolf61]

Been busily looking into website development these last 2 days, the biggest cost/hurdle is hosting the videos.

There’s a quite few options around, no immediate hurry though.

Just had a discussion with my son who runs his own sports media IT solutions company, and although he doesn’t do websites he did say it’s something he wants to get into. He’s a wealth of knowledge anyway.

Ultimately I want to concurrently run my own website and the YouTube channel.

 

[KiwiWolf61]

Today’s update:

2005/06 Season (48 matches)

Season Summary:
Championship = 7th.
FA Cup = 4th Round.
League Cup = 2nd Round.

The return of Hoddleball where Glenn Hoddle’s Wolves managed to rack up 19 draws out of 46 league games whilst finishing in seventh place, falling nine points short of a place in the promotion play-offs. In addition, early exits from both the League Cup and the FA Cup resulted in a largely forgettable season.

Following this season, a summer of changes occurred with Glenn Hoddle suddenly resigning in July 2006 and many of the club's first team players departing.

It was clearly apparent that Hoddle never had his heart in the role; he was probably using it as a potential springboard for something better which thankfully never materialised. However, he left the club in a precarious position with a squad of 14 outfield players and no money to spend.

What followed in season 2006/07 shows what a committed manager and his squad could do to overcome adversity and set the groundwork for future success.

 

[KiwiWolf61]

Today’s update:

2006/07 Season (52 matches)

Season Summary:
Championship = 5th (Play Off Semi Finalist).
FA Cup = 4th Round.
League Cup = 2nd Round.

Mick McCarthy became the new manager of Wolves with the sudden departure of Glenn Hoddle in July 2006.

McCarthy’s appointment coincided with a new approach by the club after their parachute payments had ceased stemming from their Premier League relegation two years earlier. After numerous senior players departed under these new financial conditions, a fresh strategy of recruiting younger players from lower league sides emerged. The ethos of "young and hungry”.

Mick McCarthy would go on to manage Wolves for just over five and a half years and although it all fell apart in the end during the 2011/12 season, you couldn’t help but warm to his no nonsense, blunt and honest attitude.

Initial projections for the season though were gloomy and a relegation fight was certainly being predicted by many, but McCarthy and his squad, despite limitations in both, put pride back in the shirt which the fans responded with great support after the rank tedium that had been witnessed under Hoddle for the previous 20 months.

This probably reached its zenith with the bizarre 6-0 home defeat by Southampton, one of the most remarkable games ever seen at Molineux, where the Wolves fans managed to continue to support and applaud the team despite the scoreline which flattered to deceive their opponents.

Certainly McCarthy was helped in no end with the return of goalkeeper Matt Murray from long-term injury. Murray would go onto to win both the Fans and the Players’ Player of the Season awards plus he was in the PFA Championship team of the year. He was simply a colossus and it was a tragedy that this would be in effect his last full season as a player.

Dan gives an excellent summary of Mick, Matt and how the whole atmosphere changed at Wolves from the following post from Oscillating Wildly.

Golden games: Wolves 1-0 Ipswich, 8 August 2006

The team ultimately finished fifth and qualified for the play-offs. Their promotion hopes were ended by local rivals West Bromwich Albion, whom they met a record five times during the season, who beat them in both legs of the play-off semi finals to win 4–2 on aggregate.

Realistically, promotion for Wolves at this time would probably have been a step too far. That seasons Play-off winners Derby County were relegated the following season, winning only one game and earning only 11 points in a disastrous campaign. But a strong platform had now been established at Wolves.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

One of my very favourite non-PL, non-promotion seasons. In fact in some ways I prefer it to 02/03 or 13/14.

For once I've actually summed up it fairly succinctly in that article Although not mentioned in there is the later arrival of Michael Kightly who was like a late 80s throwback for Wolves - someone signed to no acclaim for pennies who went on to be outstanding for us. I never bought into the playground hate for him when he left either. Don't want to lose good players, don't get relegated then.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

I will be forever grateful for Mick McCarthy and that season. Genuinely gave us back our club.

 

[KiwiWolf61]

One of my very favourite non-PL, non-promotion seasons. In fact in some ways I prefer it to 02/03 or 13/14.

For once I've actually summed up it fairly succinctly in that article Although not mentioned in there is the later arrival of Michael Kightly who was like a late 80s throwback for Wolves - someone signed to no acclaim for pennies who went on to be outstanding for us. I never bought into the playground hate for him when he left either. Don't want to lose good players, don't get relegated then.

You could argue this was Mick's finest achievement as manager given the state of the club at the time he took over and what he managed to achieve ie reach the play-offs.

 

[Tony Towner]

Probably the most over performing versus expectation season of my Wolves supporting career. Started looking at 4th from bottom ended it in the play offs. Even moreso than Nuno's first in the PL

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Probably the most over performing versus expectation season of my Wolves supporting career. Started looking at 4th from bottom ended it in the play offs. Even moreso than Nuno's first in the PL

Before my time and a totally different era (in fact 06/07 is arguably a different era to now) but were we expected to go straight back up in 82/83?

 

[Tony Towner]

Before my time and a totally different era (in fact 06/07 is arguably a different era to now) but were we expected to go straight back up in 82/83?

I was 9/10 so difficult to provide much context. There was a lot of positivity though due to the Dougan factor and before the Bhattis were what we now know they are. Receivership wiped out debts without the consequences it does today. We had some good young defenders like Humphrey and Pender and kept the likes of Clarke, Eves, Gray and Hibbitt.

 

[KiwiWolf61]

Before my time and a totally different era (in fact 06/07 is arguably a different era to now) but were we expected to go straight back up in 82/83?

I'd left for NZ by then but my mates at the time told me that expectations were mixed after the drama of the close season but the nucleus of a reasonable side still remained in Burridge, Palmer, Hibbitt, Clarke, Gray and Eves.

Looking back I'd say at the beginning promotion expectations would have been fair; however, the chickens would come home to roost the following season.

 

[Law's Bus]

Before my time and a totally different era (in fact 06/07 is arguably a different era to now) but were we expected to go straight back up in 82/83?

Yes, we were. There was general disappointment that we didn't win the division as well.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's such an ODD period from the outside looking in. Like we're only a couple of years detached from winning a domestic trophy (when it was genuinely a big prize) and playing in Europe, but also completely collapsing in on ourselves in a ground that's literally falling down and can't pay the milkman.

Portsmouth is the only modern comparison that comes anywhere near and they had different problems to us.

 

[KiwiWolf61]

It's such an ODD period from the outside looking in. Like we're only a couple of years detached from winning a domestic trophy (when it was genuinely a big prize) and playing in Europe, but also completely collapsing in on ourselves in a ground that's literally falling down and can't pay the milkman.

Portsmouth is the only modern comparison that comes anywhere near and they had different problems to us.

It certainly was ODD !

I experienced a few of the seasons and in 79/80 Wolves were sexy and the flavour of the year with their record transfer fee purchase of Andy Gray. Winning the League Cup, finishing 6th and also defeating every team above them (including the double over Man Utd) it looked like we had a team that was going to go places.

But it all started to disintegrate in 80/81, narrowly avoiding relegation despite reaching the FA Cup semi-finals, but the team now looked aged and without any regeneration, relegation occurred in 81/82. However, it was only confirmed in the penultimate game in May (in late April Wolves were 16th).

Law's Bus post on OW is an excellent review of what happened.

However, in 82/83, the team achieved promotion, and at times looked like they'd go up as champions. A number of the aged players were let go, some astute pick ups were made, especially John Burridge.

The typical team of 82/83 was Burridge, Humphrey, Palmer, Hibbitt, Pender, Dodd, Livingstone, Clarke, Gray, Eves, Matthews. Four of the players - Burridge, Humphrey, Hibbitt and Gray - made the PFA team of the year. It was a far better team than that of 83/84.

But in Division 1 for 83/84 only a handful of that group played more than half a season - as the team fell apart with many being transferred and replaced by youngsters as the Bhattis revealed what they were really doing to the club.

Owners who are total dickheads who put the short-medium-and long interests of the club and the team as a sideshow leads inevitably to a collapse which in Wolves case was near catastrophic as we suffered 3 successive relegations.

Now where have I seen that before recently ?

I'm not saying Fosun are like the Bhattis but their sheer incompetence (ie you Jeff Shi) in running a football club may result in some potentially serious issues for the club down the track - and I'm not just referring to relegation to the Championship.

I'm now of the view that Fosun lucked out with the success we had under Nuno ie they got the right man at the right time; but after 4 years, Shi had to assert his authority and we've been in slow decline ever since.

Yes it was ODD 40-45 years ago. I'd also say it's bloody ODD what has been occurring in the last 4 years as well.

 

[KiwiWolf61]

Today's update:

Kenny Miller: Wolves Goals

Kenny Miller played 191 games for Wolves for a return of 63 goals (of which 62 are included in this compilation) - a very decent ratio of a goal every 3 games.

At Wolves for near on 5 seasons and was top scorer for 3 of those seasons and he had significant injuries in the other 2 seasons.

He will probably be classed as one of those strikers who was excellent in the Championship but not quite good enough for the Premier League which was probably a little harsh given he had injuries in his one and only season in the top flight with Wolves and was often played out of position in a right-wing role.

He still scored one of Wolves most memorable goals in the winner against defending PL champions Manchester United in Jan'2004.

 

[Sniffer]

Wasn't one in there a last game of the season goal which he danced around a few players and scored? Can't think for now who against.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Wasn't one in there a last game of the season goal which he danced around a few players and scored? Can't think for now who against.

Scored on the final day of 02/03 at home to Leicester and the final day of 04/05 at home to Sheff Utd

 

[KiwiWolf61]

Wasn't one in there a last game of the season goal which he danced around a few players and scored? Can't think for now who against.

As per DW I reckon it's the goal against Leicester.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

My favourite (in terms of quality) is the one at home to Preston in 2004.

In terms of moments, obviously either the playoff final goal or the winner against United.

There are many things I'll never forgive Dave Jones for, key amongst them being the way he treated Miller which meant he eventually left for free. "He's been on the list for months and who's come in for him, exactly".

Great man management Dave.

 

[KiwiWolf61]

Today’s update:

2007/08 Season (51 matches)

Season Summary:
Championship = 7th.
FA Cup = 5th Round.
League Cup = 2nd Round.
Top Goalscorer = Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (12).
Player Of The Season = Wayne Hennessey.

The close season saw businessman Steve Morgan take control of the club for a nominal £10 fee in return for a £30 million investment into the club, resulting in the departure of Sir Jack Hayward after 17 years as chairman.

After the previous season's unexpected play-off finish, hopes were high for the club to go one step further this time, with manager Mick McCarthy stating automatic promotion was his aim. McCarthy had identified that a regular goal scorer was a weakness from 2006/07 so Freddy Eastwood was signed from Southend for £1.5m. But last season's Player of the Year, goalkeeper Matt Murray, who had only just recovered from a broken shoulder, missed the whole campaign after suffering a knee injury in pre-season training.

The saga of Freddy Eastwood was one of the most bizarre episodes at Wolves in the last 20 years. It was apparent after only a few matches that Eastwood was not the player that McCarthy hoped for and only started in 10 games for 3 goals but he remained popular with many Wolves fans which caused some angst between some in the fanbase with the manager.

On the field, the team started the season inconsistently, but a strong October and November saw them push as high as third, just three points from the summit. However, an injury suffered by key player Michael Kightly seemed to severely weaken the team's creativity and preceded a dismal Christmas period that saw them pick up just 4 points from a possible 21, leaving them mid-table and without hopes of an automatic finish.

However, McCarthy did find the right goal scorer with the signing, during the January transfer window, of striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake from Plymouth Argyle for £1.5m. Ebanks-Blake or SEB as he became affectionately know, scored 12 goals in the remainder of the season, finishing the division's top scorer on 23 goals. However, his goals alone could not bring about a second successive play-off finish as the side finished outside the final spot on goal difference, two goals short of Watford. Despite suffering just two defeats in their final 15 games, several crucial late goals that were conceded in the second half of the season ultimately proved costly. Indeed, just two more goals on the final day of the season would have booked them a playoff place.

It was very much a nearly season, although it did produce one the great Wolves games in the last 20 years, with the visit to Charlton Athletic in late March 2008.

Wolves led twice only to be pegged back twice by Charlton with their 2nd equalising goal coming in the 2nd minute of added time; only for Karl Henry to score a memorable winner in the 4th minute of added time.

Of course, this is the game that SEB scored THAT goal (his 2nd of the game). It’s one of my all-time favourite Wolves goals in their entire history. It should also be noted that both his first and Henry’s winner were both outstanding goals in their own right. It may be there hasn’t been a Wolves game where 3 such high quality goals were scored in the one game.