Brendan King is a very happy Wolves fan this weekend as his team climb out of the bottom three in front of a record crowd.
Another fabulous and memorable afternoon, on Saturday, to even outrival that last 1-0 win at Molineux against Manchester United!
Great points about this sinking of the Seasiders:
1. Molineux was full to bursting, even though Wolves were lying bottom of the table as the game kicked off. A record attendance of over 29,000 for the current stadium; the first time this figure has been achieved since Molineux was refurbed 17 years ago.
2. The 4-0 result was Wolves best in the top flight for 31 years;
3. As well as the rare four goal tally, the magnificent defence kept a clean sheet so well that goalkeeper Hennessey did no more than gather in the ball all afternoon — no real goals did he have to save.
4. At last Wolves have gained three points from a team who rival us for the drop (a genuine six pointer) in addition to out-matching the cream of the league as we have all season. This win really counted for six points in our survival struggle.
5. Not only did Wolves lift themselves off the bottom of the league with this result, they also dragged themselves right out of the bottom three relegation zone.
6. And, sweetest of all, in pulling out of the drop zone, Wolves sunk our deadly rivals into the dreaded drop zone for the first time, for them, this season. Even if this is only until the Baggies visit Stoke on Monday evening.
I don’t often wish for the ugly and boring Pullis inspired long ball/ long throw Potters to win. But, like every old gold fan on the planet, I pray for the Potters to beat the navy-stripers from Sandwell and so keep them within the drop zone and Wolves out of the mire.
Okay Wolves critics and even neutrals will point out that the Tangerines (clad in white for this occasion) were without their talismanic playmaker and vital marksman, Charlie Adam. He was suspended through picking up a top-up booking on Tuesday night. Such folk could also point out that our opponents were down to ten men, throughout the second half, following the senseless strike on our defender Stearman by their top scorer D J Campbell.
Admittedly, the tide of fortune turned in Wolves favour on this occasion. But they were looking by far the most accomplished and dangerous team long before Campbell was sent off. On a pitch resembling a West Coast of Ireland peat bog, Wolves outclassed the distinctly obese and slow moving Blackpool team.
Their bragging manager, Ian Holloway, should stop spending his time rehearsing unfunny quips for TV and get out on the training pitch to fitten up his fattening squad. The Wolves team looked distinctly anorexic in comparison and it was no surprise that our late substitute, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake scored a brace in the closing phase, as the tubby Blackpoolers ran, distinctly, out of puff.
As with the recent Manchester United win, in respect of this demolition of Blackpool, it would be invidious to pick out a man of the match, as the whole team performed with huge effort as well as no little class and style for the whole 90 minutes.
The two January recruits, midfielders O’Hara and Hamill were different class. Hamill set up Jarvo’s goal, before going off through injury. And the bull-dog like O’Hara was ‘quality’ all over the pitch — scoring the second goal early in the second half, running in from central midfield — with a shot that slowly trundled into the goal over the quagmired, plough-like surface.
Of course, our old favourite SEB, coming on and scoring two was worthy of man of the match. And Kevin Doyle, despite not scoring (again!), toiled diligently for the team throughout — and laid on the great pass for SEB’s first goal.
But my favourite player on Saturday was the young local Wolvo’ lad, Richard Stearman, in defence. ‘Stears’ was immense, not only defending supremely alongside the equally heroic Christophe Berra, but also in bailing out potential goal leaking mistakes made by Hennessey, who still is unsure of when to come off his line or to stay put within his goal area. Also, Stearman’s close and rough-tough attention to D J Campbell eventually led to the Blackpool striker losing his rag and launching his two fisted strike, with the inevitable sending off and making the win all the more inevitable.
So, is Wolves next big match the clash with Spurs next Sunday? Of course it is and a repeat of our last season’s win at Molineux against Tottenham would be another big survival step. But the clash at the Britannia Stadium between Stoke and West Brom is a big match for Wolves as well. It certainly is for the Baggies and I hope they lose this one for us!!