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In beating Reading Town racked up their Seventh home victory of the season to keep themselves firmly in the race for the play off places, it may not have been a classic but it was without doubt yet another solid and determined effort from the Boys in Blue who again showed what they lack in quality they sure as hell make up for in effort and desire, they work so hard for each other and the togetherness within the squad is there for all to see. It is so important to get off to a good start in any football game but I think it is crucial for us as I believe we are very much a confidence side and when things are going well we are a dangerous animal, we showed this at Derby and have also shown it a few times at Portman Road too. In Callum Connolly we seem to have stumbled across that goalscoring Midfielder we have craved for a long long time, Mick McCarthy comes in for loads of stick, some justified and a plenty which is unfair but it was he and he alone that not only brought Connolly to the club but who decided a few games back to play the lad in Midfield as opposed to his recognised Right back slot, for all Mick's shortcomings that has to be applauded as a great piece of management, not only has Connolly excelled but even the strongest of Skuse detractors would have to admit his game has benefitted big time from playing alongside the Everton loanee, they are forging a very competent pairing, adding Connolly to the list of summer signings really does show Mick in a positive light for once as Waghorn has to be the signing of the season and along with Garner & Celina have taken Town on from the drab place we found ourselves last time around, if only we could get Adeyemi fit we would be in an even better situation. We are all aware of just how good we are at scoring this season, in fact we have only scored Five less than leaders Wolves but another stat that may well have slipped most peoples attention is that from the Eleven Home League games played to date we have kept Six clean sheets !! That is very good going indeed and Portman Road is starting to feel a little bit like a fortress again, if only we had not had that mega slip up in the dying seconds against Sheff Wed and if only we had taken our first half chances against Norwich it would be looking pretty damn good on our own patch, oh what might have been.
The one real downer on things right now is the continued slide of attendances at Portman Road, I honestly do not think the players and manager can do anymore than they are on the field right now, in fact it has surpassed most peoples expectations, winning Seven form Eleven and scoring loads of goals, playing much more attractive football too, you can only assume that those fans who fell out of love with Mccarthy and who vowed never to return until he left the club really do mean it which is a shame as that extra support from the terraces really does make one hell of a difference but I guess Rome was not built in a day and this is going to be the way of it for some time yet, it would be interesting to see what would happen should we be in the end of season play off shake up, I would bet anything the crowd for a home play off game would be pretty big, in fact I know it.
This weekend's trip to Wolverhampton see's us exactly half way through the season and every team will have been played once, it also see's us facing what should represent, on paper at least, our hardest game of the season as we take on the league leaders who are threatening to become runaway winners, they are in top form (Sunderland game apart) and are winning at will. In all honesty with the investment they have made in the squad it should come as little surprise to anyone that they are doing so well, of course others have tried and failed with the same tactic but it would appear Wolves have got it right and are destined for a return to the top flight, when you can bring a Fifteen Million pound player off the bench it speaks volumes as to the uneveness of the playing field we find ourselves up against on a weekly basis. In some respects it is a bit of a free hit this weekend, I don't think many Town fans really expect anything from this particular game and defeat here will not shape our season or our attempts to gatecrash the play offs, and that is the very reason why I think we may just shock a few people, we are dangerous when we play on the break and we cause most teams we face problems, this may just suit our style, Wolves will be expected to take it to us and win the game comfortably and that may play into our hands, I certainly would not write off our chances of a point and that would be a great way to back up the win over Reading to keep the festive period ticking along nicely, we've drawn there the last Two seasons so why not this season too ? At the end of the day Wolves have to lose again some time and we know we can score goals, I get the feeling this could be a cracker with a few goals which will make a nice change as both my previous visits to the Mol have ended goalless. So I will do a bit of fence sitting and plum for a score draw.
With this being the last Preview before the Christmas festivities I would just like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of a you a Very Happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy 2018 and I would also like to thank those that do take the trouble to read these ramblings every week. Let's hope the boys in Blue do us proud over the next Five months. COYB'S.
The Opposition Wolverhampton Wanderers
The club was founded in 1877 as St. Luke's and later merged with local cricket and football club The Wanderers to form Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 1879.
Having become professional, the club were nominated to become one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888, they ended the inaugural season in third place, as well as reaching their first FA Cup Final, losing to Preston North End. At the conclusion of the campaign the club relocated to the Molineux.
Wolves lifted the FA Cup for the first time in 1893 and added a second triumph in 1908, two years after having dropped into the Second Division.
After struggling for many years to regain their place in the top division, the club suffered a further relegation in 1923, entering the Third Division (North), which they won at the first attempt.
Eight years later Wolves regained their top-flight status after winning the Second Division title under Major Frank Buckley. With Buckley at the helm the team became established as one of the leading club sides in England in the years leading up to the Second World War, as they finished runners-up in the league twice in succession, as well as reaching the last pre-war FA Cup Final, in which they suffered a shock defeat to Portsmouth.
When league football resumed, Wolves suffered yet another final day failure in the First Division, Just as in 1938, victory in their last match would have won the title but a 1–2 loss to title rivals Liverpool gave them the championship instead.
In1949 Stan Cullis's first season in charge, he led Wolves to a first major honour in 41 years as they beat Leicester to lift the FA Cup, and a year later, only goal average prevented Wolves winning the league title.
The 1950s were by far the most successful period in the club's history, Wolves finally claimed the league championship for the first time in 1953–54. Two further titles were soon won in successive years (1957–58 and 1958–59), as Wolves cemented their position as the premier team in English football.
Although the decade opened with a fourth FA Cup victory and almost the first double of the twentieth century, the 1960s saw Wolves begin to decline. Cullis was sacked in September 1964 in a season that ended with relegation and the club's first spell outside the top division in more than thirty years. This exile would last only two seasons though, as they became promoted in 1967 as runners-up.
The club's return to the English top flight heralded another period of relative success under Bill McGarry, with a fourth place in 1971 qualifying them for the newly created UEFA Cup where they reached the final losing to Tottenham on aggregate.
They lifted silverware though two years later, when they won the League Cup for the first time by beating Manchester City in the final. Despite relegation again in 1976, Wolves bounced back at the first attempt as Second Division champions and, under manager John Barnwell, the turn of the decade saw them finish in the top six and win the 1980 League Cup.
The multi-million pound rebuilding of the Molineux Street Stand in 1979 was to be the catalyst for the club's near-financial ruin during the next decade as difficulties in repaying the loans taken out to fund it led to receivership and relegation in 1982. The club was "saved" from liquidation at the last minute when it was purchased by a consortium fronted by former player Derek Dougan. Initially this takeover, financed by two Saudi brothers, Mahmud and Mohammad Bhatti of the company Allied Properties, brought immediate promotion back to the First Division under manager Graham Hawkins, but the Bhattis' failure to sufficiently invest in the club soon saw things unravel as the team suffered three consecutive relegations under different managers through the football divisions, as well as the almost-constant threat of the club being wound-up.
In 1986 with the club again in receivership a deal saw Wolverhampton City Council purchase the club's stadium and surrounding land, while a local developer paid off the club's outstanding debts in return for planning permission to develop the land adjacent to the stadium. The new season saw Wolves' first-ever campaign in the Fourth Division, the team reached the final of the inaugural play-offs but were denied promotion by Aldershot. However, the final two seasons of the decade saw the team achieve both the Fourth and Third Division championship, and also win the Football League Trophy at Wembley in 1988.
Lifelong fan Sir Jack Hayward purchased the club in 1990 and immediately funded the extensive redevelopment of the by-now dilapidated Molineux into a modern all-seater stadium. With work completed in 1993, Hayward turned his investment into its playing side in an attempt to win promotion to the newly formed Premier League. Yet despite this substantial spending neither Graham Taylor nor Mark McGhee could fulfil this, both leading to the team to play-off defeats at the semi-final stage (in 1995 and 1997 respectively).
It was not until 2003 that Wolves were promoted, when they defeated Sheffield United in the play-off final under Dave Jones to end a nineteen-year absence from the top level. Their stay proved short-lived though, as they were immediately relegated back to the newly retitled Championship.
After former England manager Glenn Hoddle failed to bring a swift return, the rebuilding of the squad by Mick McCarthy rejuvenated the club with an unexpected play-off finish. The club was bought by Steve Morgan in 2007, and two years later it returned to the Premier League as Championship champions. Wolves successfully battled relegation for two seasons before 2011–12 saw McCarthy's dismissal precipitate the drop under his assistant Terry Connor.
Following relegation, Norwegian Ståle Solbakken became the club's first overseas manager but his reign lasted only six months before a poor run of results saw him replaced by Dean Saunders in January 2013, who failed to bring any upturn, culminating in both relegation to League One as well as his own dismissal.
Following this Kenny Jackett was appointed in May 2013 in the retitled position of head coach, and led the team back to the Championship in his first season, setting a new club record points total of 103 in winning League One.
In the 2014/15 season, Wolves almost made it to the playoffs, finishing on the same points as Town (78 points) but finished one place behind us in 7th place due to goal difference.
Last season never looked like reaching the same heights with Wolves finally finishing up in 14th place on the table.
On 21 July 2016, it was confirmed that Fosun International had bought the club from Steve Morgan, for an undisclosed amount, with Jez Moxey stepping down from his role as a CEO. On 29 July 2016, Wolves announced that Kenny Jackett's contract with the club had been terminated, Former Italian international Walter Zenga was appointed the following day.
Zenga was axed and, on 5 November 2016, Paul Lambert was appointed new head coach, with the team dropped in 19th place.
However, at the conclusion of the season, Lambert too was removed, with former FC Porto boss Nuno Espirito Santo replacing him.
On 10 June 2017, Jeff Shi, one of the executive directors of the club (as well as one of the two directors of W.W. (1990)), was nominated as the executive chairman of the board. He moved from China to Wolverhampton in the summer 2017.
Last season Wolves finished in 15th place with 58 points.
The Ipswich game is Sold Out to Wolves fans but there is still hope left for those wanting to attend..
From the Ipswich Town Official Website - Tickets.
Town fans looking to attend the Away match against Wolves must purchase a ticket before midnight on Sunday 17th December.
Wolves have already sold out their home allocation and any tickets not brought by Town fans before the midnight deadline will be returned to the Molineux club to sell to Home supporters.
The Away end will become unreserved seating with the match also being made All Ticket with no sales on the day.
Fickle bstds!!! If the Wolves were 19th, could've got home tickets for the entire family, all their friends and their pets aye Wolfie?!
Great preview again. The slump in attendances is arguably a good thing. The 3K or 4K missing may be the more negative, booing types. Team might feel that slightly more uplifting attitude, hence the beating of decent sides like Reading. Skuse's last two games at PR have seen him play relatively well and be a difference maker....... maybe the less he hears "you fkn useless c*nt, Skuse" the better. Long may the 14K's continue.
This is the type of game that Mick needs to set up to attack from the very start. He has the staff to do this,....., Wolves won't be parking any buses that's for sure and if Mick attacks, it could be a very open game. If the defence could manage to be on full alert for the entire 98 minutes, it could be a closely fought affair.
With Patthegimp on this and 2-1 ITFC. Might also be with Patthegimp on the bevvy Saturday night!
I’m ( hoping), Mick McCarthy will be at his ultra defensive, and frustrating best on Saturday. I’ll stick my neck out a predict a hard fought for draw.
marko69 wrote:Fickle bstds!!! If the Wolves were 19th, could've got home tickets for the entire family, all their friends and their pets aye Wolfie?!
With Patthegimp on this and 2-1 ITFC. Might also be with Patthegimp on the bevvy Saturday night!
to true mate, although the ticket price of £17.50 might have helped.
BREAKING NEWS
WOLVES GOALKEEPER ARRESTED IN TAX SCANDAL
Wolves goalkeeper has been arrested and charged with Tax Fraud after a sensational raid on his Cannock mansion.
HMRC officials were alerted after an eagle-eyed tax inspector noticed that he had claimed on his tax return for Persil washing powder to clean his playing kit. Realizing that his kit hadn't needed washing since QPR away in late October, they swooped. Other items queried by the Tax Man were five pairs of new gloves despite no evidence of any worn-out pairs.
The arrest comes hot on the heels of a number of Football tax scandals. It is believed that neighbours West Bromwich Albion are being investigated for claiming a bottle of Brasso despite not having won a ****ing thing since 1968.
Wolves MD Laurie Dalrymple said “We are clearly disturbed by these events and are monitoring the situation closely. We are standing right behind him on this because, frankly, it is the safest and quietest place in the Stadium.”
Bluemike wrote:As long as we arent robbed of a perfectly good goal this bloody time around.
whatever do you mean Mike,
Anyway I hope your taking your East Anglian to Portuguese lingo book with you,
pie and chips is..... torta e batatas fritas.
Pint of Lager is...... litro de lager.
We surrender is......nós nos rendemos....
hallamblue wrote:On paper you should stuff us - given your attacking power and out crap defence! But football is s funny ole game isn’t it!!
yes its a shame we don't play on paper, truth is the last 3 games we haven't played that well but keep getting results,
I think we will win by the odd goal.
goldandblack wrote: yes its a shame we don't play on paper…….
Its a good job we do not drink in the same local, Wolfie. We'd get booted out for too much hilarity! Definitely on my wavelength buddy! I really hope thats not insulting you!
Let's not waste time, voted for a home team win and would be surprised to see anything other. Best chance McCarthy favors one of his defense minded ploys and we can keep them out for ninety minutes. Maybe one of our forwards can force a strike but they should obtain more goals than ourselves.
marko69 wrote:Fickle bstds!!! If the Wolves were 19th, could've got home tickets for the entire family, all their friends and their pets aye Wolfie?!
Great preview again. The slump in attendances is arguably a good thing. The 3K or 4K missing may be the more negative, booing types. Team might feel that slightly more uplifting attitude, hence the beating of decent sides like Reading. Skuse's last two games at PR have seen him play relatively well and be a difference maker....... maybe the less he hears "you fkn useless c*nt, Skuse" the better. Long may the 14K's continue.
This is the type of game that Mick needs to set up to attack from the very start. He has the staff to do this,....., Wolves won't be parking any buses that's for sure and if Mick attacks, it could be a very open game. If the defence could manage to be on full alert for the entire 98 minutes, it could be a closely fought affair.
With Patthegimp on this and 2-1 ITFC. Might also be with Patthegimp on the bevvy Saturday night!
I'm not entirely sure anyone can get fully used to hearing it. There was once an apprentice at the gas board, mid 80s, never a day went by when that lad wasn't called a "useless c@nt" ...... he's a bakery worker now at an Edinburgh Morrisons. And those cherry bakewells are awesome!
Maybe it's time Skuse started making his "dough" elsewhere?
I don't normally make predictions lately, as I'm so often wrong.
But I'm heartened today by the news that the un-droppable Skuse will not be fit enough to play today.
If it wasn't Christmas, with so many games coming up, I think MM would send Skuse out on crutches rather than not play him. But in this case I do not think he will be risked for this game.
That being the case - and freed from his turgid presence - I feel a win is on the cards.
Full credit to McCarthy and the team, finally we see them seemingly given the freedom to play rather than shut up shop against 'better' opposition. Hopefully it's a change of attitude rather than it being forced because of lack of defensive options.
A loss, but positives are there I feel. I look forward to the reports.
I liked the team line up today at the Mol, 1-0 end result but no disgrace, was half expecting the home win for Wolves, their a tough old nut to crack this season, but well done boys COYB
Got the result a short time ago, no disgrace in losing by one goal to the team in first position, but that won't tell the entire story.
Stats indicate we were well behind in possession -again - and the opportunities they created, perhaps we got off light with a one goal loss. Bottom line it's a defeat, fair enough if the team at least tried - there appears conflicting reports - but it still reads zero points, today and at end of season.
McCarthy's first loss to the opposition since 1993 if correct which is some feat, but then you take into consideration his own tenure with them. Months from now, they'll most likely be in or around the automatic promotion places, whereas ourselves should be some distance behind. Today and those three points could be crucial to both teams once May is upon us.
Prepared to glean further information as it comes as TWTD was minimal in initial post-game reaction.
Away for xmas so no large report but we were terrible first half, all about containment with no real hunger to attack. Silly error by Connolly who should have cleared but dallied and resulted in goal. All to often we hoofed it aimlessly forward, webster in particular was awful today. Our strikers just struggled with little service. Bru is plain pointless tbh, it wasnt a disgrace by any means but we had such little pace or real attacking intent. Some seem happy with the 0-1 defeat and to a point I agree but we really werent very good at all. Ward edged MOTM for me.
The final outcome is a right reflection of the match. 90 plus minutes of the few real chances for Wolves and none for us. Yes none from us as Ruddy wasn't properly tested even once.
Not surprisingly our approach was bang defensive. Our sole intention (until we conceded the goal) was to contain them and stop them from playing. Unfortunately too much pointless hoofing which was annoying and disappointing.
That approach may have worked for the first 40 minutes as below par Wolves barely caused a havoc among our defence. Below par according to one Wolves fan I've spoken to after the game on the way back. We were too respectful for my liking. Kenlock at times struggled with Cavaleiro's inroads on his side but what is worth noticing he had a help in Celina.
People are quick to say that we are having a long injury list and it's being used as an automatic 'excuse' for the defeat. Yes we have but would we have been set up differently if we had had more available midfielders? No we wouldn't. We had been using similar tactics in the majority of away matches. Our approach would have been the same just to sit back and stop opposition from playing.
There is a tinge of disappointment for me as:
1. We haven't created a real opportunity to score.
2. Chronic lack of pace therefore no ability to hit them on the break.
3. We weren't able to beat their defenders when one on one.
4. Long balls towards Garner as taller than him Wolves central backs had no problems to deal with that
We certainly were more active in the 2nd half but no ability to cause a real trouble. Again if other midfielders had been available I'm not sure if it'd made any difference as our deeply sitting central midfield doesn't provide forward passes.
Two tame free-kicks from Waghorn and Celina in the first half from strikeable distances never caused them problems. Second half? A few corners but nothing came out of it. Any time we were receiving the ball in our half we never committed the players forward. It was laborious, slow and Wolves defenders always had a time to come back and regroup.
But I cannot say we were disastrous as we were far from it. Equally though there won't be much to remember from the match. Wolves didn't play like a top team but they won't care at all as they got 3 points and they are getting closer to the elite.
The biggest positive is that we haven't been hammered. Kevin Bru in our central midfield in compare to 15m Ruben Neves for example so there was a little hope. I firmly expected a hiding given the quality Wolves possess and our injury list so all in all not a disaster but I would have loved us to have caused them problems.
Full ground today but very quiet throughout. Nevertheless good things come to those who wait so one day in a years time we might be in their position. For the time being though to beat poor travellers QPR on Tuesday is a must.
Wolverhampton Wanderers V Ipswich Town 
@ tax scandal post! Awesome 
I liked the team line up today at the Mol, 1-0 end result but no disgrace, was half expecting the home win for Wolves, their a tough old nut to crack this season, 