The run in...

[Big Mack]

So, after tonight it's out of our hands again. I think that sixth spot is now between Palace (65pts), Ipswich (64pts) and us (62pts). Can we still prevail? I think we can. Ipswich have to come to Wolves while Palace face both Watford and Hull in their last three. We could be clear in sixth this time next week. I believe in miracles...

Sat 19.4.08
Watford v C Palace
Wolves v Ipswich

Tues 22.4.08
Wolves v Cardiff

Sat 26.4.08
Coventry v Wolves
Hull v Palace
Preston v Ipswich

Sun 4.5.08
C Palace v Burnley
Ipswich v Hull
Wolves v Plymouth.

[OCD Wolf]

We need four wins out of four to sneak in, I can't see Palace getting maximum points and Ipswich can't because we will beat them!

[HIGHLANDER]

We won't make it due to our inability to win games at Molineux. In the past five months we've won four home games, which were against, Preston, Colchester, Sheff Weds and Scunthorpe....Says it all really.

[jrpb-3]

Palace have two tough away matches against Watford and Hull
unless they win both of those it could be back in our hands if we win on Saturday

A win on Saturday will put us ahead of Ipswich.

Still a few more twists and turns yet I think

we need a bit more composure than today though

[UEAwolf]

Nope, its all over now. We're not good enough. Roll on next season.

[5150]

We needed to win our two games in hand to stand a chance.

PO's are gone IMO.

[5150]

Palace have to tough away matches against Watford and Hull
unless they win both of those it could be back in our hands if we win on Saturday

A win on Saturday will put us ahead of Ipswich.

Still a few more twists and turns yet I think

we need a bit more composure than today though

See "The run in" thread.

[glasgowwolf]

No where near all over.

The last 2 games were always going to be our hardest.

We have played well in both.

With a bit of luck we could have had 4 points.

MM needs to pick the lads up, get them ready for Saturday

[HIGHLANDER]

We needed to win our two games in hand to stand a chance.

PO's are gone IMO...

[glasgowwolf]

We needed to win our two games in hand to stand a chance.

PO's are gone IMO.

Why ?

We are playing ok.

Palace will not win all their games.

Ipswich wioll not win all theirs.

We need to win our next 2 games, if we do I believe we will be in the play off positions

[WaltonOnTheHillWolf]

Its going to go down to the last game of the season...

[Bevan]

We need to be clear in 6th place on the final day to make it, IMO. Palace should definitely beat Burnley and we should beat Plymouth, so we'll need to be at least 1 point ahead of them.

[glasgowwolf]

I can see Palace losing 2 out of 3
Ipswich have us and Hull, last game of the season.

They wil lose 2 out of 3

We only really have Ipswich to play, and their away form is dismal.

We should take at least 10 points

[rathmineswolf]

We really have to fix the "Molineux Factor", or we will never get anywhere. We lose too many games at home.

[HIGHLANDER]

Why ?


We need to win our next 2 games, if we do I believe we will be in the play off positionsTell us something we dont know.

We dont have a chance of winning our next two games.

[marrs-guitar]

why does everyone discount cardiff?

aside from us, they have already-relegated scunthorpe, mid-table burnley and a final game against surely by then safe barnsley

and unbeaten in their last 10 games

[jrpb-3]

Tell us something we dont know.

We dont have a chance of winning our next two games.

Of course we have a chance of winning our next to games
It's no given I'll grant you but if we go into the next games with that attitude we may as well not bother

[Big Mack]

why does everyone discount cardiff?

aside from us, they have already-relegated scunthorpe, mid-table burnley and a final game against surely by then safe barnsley

and unbeaten in their last 10 games

Good points, but the cup final will start to play on their minds. Could affect them making challenges, picking up bookings etc as they won't want to miss their big day would they? Well, let's hope not.

[Professional]

We aren't going to do it. Not good enough all season- don't deserve to go up. Palace are going up through the play-offs. Hopefully big changes at the club next season. $$$$ing gutted- we didn't half have a chance this season, spunked it away once again.

[kidder_wolf_II]

Draw again Ipswich beat Cardiff dont lost to coventry and beat Plymouth and we should just sneak it. Anything better and will just make it even more confortable.

Its not over by a long $$$$ing way. Its closer than alot of you think.

[DurhamWolf]

The simple fact is if we 'sneak' on then it's just prolonging the agony, if we're not able to beat Ipswich at home on Saturday I'd rather get on with the cricket season ASAP!

[Stewarton Wolf]

Glasgow will we still go up automatically as we are the form side?

[Mr Wolf]

Thats game over for me now as far I as I'm concerned. This squad does not play well under pressure so you can forget about winning 3 must win home games.

[glasgowwolf]

Glasgow will we still go up automatically as we are the form side?

I never said we would, I said we had a chance. That dissapeared on Saturday.

We seem to be playing ok.

Today we were up against a team on average 4 years older and more experienced.
against a club that are 3 or 4 years ahead of us in terms of players.

We did ok until we got in the box, for whatever reasons it did not happen in the box today.

Once they got the goal, we had to pile forward leaving space for them to exploit.

We are still playing catch up after having an older team that split up.

If you look at it reasonably you will see that we had ago tonight as we did in the PO's last season.

In the league last season and at the toilet bowl we defended deep, kept it tight, hoped for a break.

The team the players have made progress over the last 18 months. I am as dissapointed as anyone in this season, I am just more realistic than some.

You need to see the bigger picture.

Everyone knew last season when we started buying young it would take time.

Last season we got dicked out of site this season it has been closer.

[glasgowwolf]

Thats game over for me now as far I as I'm concerned. This squad does not play well under pressure so you can forget about winning 3 must win home games.

Young squad, inexperienced squad.

You cannot compare games against Ipswich, Cardiff, Cov, and Plymouth to a game agaist the stripy lot.

[Mr Zuki]

Thats game over for me now as far I as I'm concerned. This squad does not play well under pressure so you can forget about winning 3 must win home games.

Were you there tonight?

This squad played superbly under immense pressure. On another day we could have won it.

We looked the young side still under construction that we were always meant to be this season.

The Playoffs are still comfortably within reach and both the team and the crowd tonight proved they can play a part in reaching them.

[bod101]

if we dont get promotion then its time for a new manager simple as. two years is plenty of time for a manager to gain promotion especially with the resources available this season. no excuses.

[Stewarton Wolf]

Were you there tonight?

This squad played superbly under immense pressure. On another day we could have won it. Garbage

We looked the young side still under construction that we were always meant to be this season. Utter Garbage

The Playoffs are still comfortably within reach and both the team and the crowd tonight proved they can play a part in reaching them. Most in the crowd can probably pass a ball better than the 11 on the pitch

Huff and puff - no tactics no thought

[ProudWolf]

if we dont get promotion then its time for a new manager simple as. two years is plenty of time for a manager to gain promotion especially with the resources available this season. no excuses.

Maybe if we had bought players at their peak in their late 20's, early 30's then promotion should've been expected.
We have bought young players who arent at their best yet but in the long term they will be better investments. Two years is not plenty of time. Two years is only the start when this method is in operation.

[Powelly]

if we dont get promotion then its time for a new manager simple as. two years is plenty of time for a manager to gain promotion especially with the resources available this season. no excuses.


Agreed..

especially given the £8m + spent on a side that finished 5th in a much harder league last season...

[glasgowwolf]

if we dont get promotion then its time for a new manager simple as. two years is plenty of time for a manager to gain promotion especially with the resources available this season. no excuses.


Sorry BOD I disagree.

2 years is not enough to totally build a team.

He took over when we had less that 14 players, and none with experience.

He may have money, but money will only buy success if we go and buy experience.

We are buying young players with a good future in the game.

If you look at all the young players we have they are all capable of going on to the next level.

It remains to be seen if they will develop as we want.

[Powelly]

As for the Play offs, it's still very much in our hands.

It only changes if we lose on saturday.

Palace will be lucky to get a draw at Hull now that Hull are well and truly in prime position to take 2nd spot.

3points against ipswich on sat effectively means they have to win both remaining games and hope 3 teams above them mess up.

[Atlas 1951]

As for the Play offs, it's still very much in our hands.

It only changes if we lose on saturday.

Palace will be lucky to get a draw at Hull now that Hull are well and truly in prime position to take 2nd spot.


But it is in their hands, not ours. Winning our game in hand takes us below them on GD.

It may swing back in our favour at the weekend, but that´s another story.

[glasgowwolf]

Agreed..

especially given the £8m + spent on a side that finished 5th in a much harder league last season...

Powelly it is not what you spend, it's what you spend it on.

8 million, on 2 or 3 28 year olds will get success quicker than 8 million on 22 year olds..

Look at Arsenal.

I saw the average ages of the top 4 in the prem.

Chelsea 30 +
Man u 28 +
Liverpool 25+
Arsenal 23

Arsenakl have played awesome football, but will win nothing because they are to young and inexperienced

If I had to hazard a guess, Wolves are by far and away the youngest team in the top 10 of the championship

[bod101]

Sorry BOD I disagree.

2 years is not enough to totally build a team.

He took over when we had less that 14 players, and none with experience.

He may have money, but money will only buy success if we go and buy experience.

We are buying young players with a good future in the game.

If you look at all the young players we have they are all capable of going on to the next level.

It remains to be seen if they will develop as we want.


the chance to address the weaknesses in the squad has not been taken. i know you love peddling this squad building line but the players who are good enough to take us up will move on, we wont. if that is the plan then we need a manager who has the tactical nous to be able to adapt to loosing young stars.

we still have glaring weaknesses in the side we have had for at least one and a half seasons do you not agree? why with the resources available are these not addressed? 2 years is plenty and if no promotion then we have not moved forward and a new manager should be brought in.

[Space Wolf]

I just don't understand why people are saying Palace will suddenly start dropping points. The same Palace that are unbeaten in their last 9 games having won 5 and drawn 4. The same Palace that only last week went to Stoke and won.

[306NOTOUT]

Trouble being though Bod, if he was going to get the push it would have been a couple of months ago.

[glasgowwolf]

the chance to address the weaknesses in the squad has not been taken. i know you love peddling this squad building line but the players who are good enough to take us up will move on, we wont. if that is the plan then we need a manager who has the tactical nous to be able to adapt to loosing young stars.

we still have glaring weaknesses in the side we have had for at least one and a half seasons do you not agree? why with the resources available are these not addressed? 2 years is plenty and if no promotion then we have not moved forward and a new manager should be brought in.

I agree there are weaknesses, I don't believe we were in a position before the change of ownership to address those weaknesses.

We needed experience, especially at centre half, we did not have the money to go and buy that experience.

I do not think we will lose any one before the end of next season.

I also believe we have a few youngsters that have the ability to play in the prem.

I just don't think changing managers will be any good.

I am as disapointed as anyone in losing tonight, and in not challenging for auto.

I believe in the bigger picture.

Some do some don't

I got fed up of seeing players coming in for one last pay day and not giving a $$$$

[glasgowwolf]

I just don't understand why people are saying Palace will suddenly start dropping points. The same Palace that are unbeaten in their last 9 games having won 5 and drawn 4. The same Palace that only last week went to Stoke and won.

Stoke are not on good form.

Watford now need a win after tonight
Hull are the inform team in the whole division.

If palace beat Watford, and Hull then they deserve to go into the po's

[Powelly]

Powelly it is not what you spend, it's what you spend it on.

8 million, on 2 or 3 28 year olds will get success quicker than 8 million on 22 year olds..

Look at Arsenal.

I saw the average ages of the top 4 in the prem.

Chelsea 30 +
Man u 28 +
Liverpool 25+
Arsenal 23

Arsenakl have played awesome football, but will win nothing because they are to young and inexperienced

If I had to hazard a guess, Wolves are by far and away the youngest team in the top 10 of the championship

Fair comments but the same argument can be thrown the other way around...

Not disputing the "youngsters" element but the only real loss from our squad that made it last year was Mcindoe.. Mick must have been blind if he couldnt see that Mcindoe was one of the main reasons we made the play offs in the first place..Mcnamara was never replaced either.

fair enough we've had our fair share of bad luck with injuries ( would be interesting to see where albion would be if Phillips/Gera had missed the same length of the season as Kites has), but that doesnt cover the fact that Mccarthy should have got the mix right in experience and youth.

Nothing against us buying players for the future and developing them but it has to be an even balance.. easier said than done i know...

Bottom line is that Mick has spent nearly a third of morgan's total investment in the club and ultimately in 3 weeks time we might well be worse off than we were last year in a MUCH poorer division than it was last season..In my eyes that isnt good enough when we only lost 2 first choice players from last season.

This division will be much tougher to get out of next year than it has been this year. Albion's inabilty to pull away is understandable considering they lost all their key players in the summer bar phillips.

[glasgowwolf]

I don't believe Mcinwho was the reason

Murray was, he is worth 10 points a season.

Hennesey is good, but is inexperienced

He may become a better keeper than Murray but at present Mat is better

[Gratters]

What is with this 'building a squad' $$$$$$ !! At our level it doesn't happen - if you 'build' a team of stars Moxey will sell them.

We won't go up as we don't beat the better teams in this league and year after year we don't score enough goals. I have never been so sure of anything in my life that we would lose tonight.

However theres hope next year if we stick with Hennesey,Elokobi,Kites,Jarvis and SEB (Eastwood is too much to ask for I guess) as the nucleus and $$$$ off the rest !

[bod101]

I agree there are weaknesses, I don't believe we were in a position before the change of ownership to address those weaknesses.

We needed experience, especially at centre half, we did not have the money to go and buy that experience.

we had money last season in january, the summer and this january how much longer is needed?

I do not think we will lose any one before the end of next season.

Maybe not the summer but if not performing in december we will loose at least one or perhaps underthe current regime they wont realise their potential and wecan keep them.

I also believe we have a few youngsters that have the ability to play in the prem.

Possibly but i think it prob less that most think and will they reach that potential under the current regime

I just don't think changing managers will be any good.

why if the current one isnt progressing the team?

I am as disapointed as anyone in losing tonight, and in not challenging for auto.

i didnt expect to win tonight and would be surprised if we made the play offs

I believe in the bigger picture.

as do i and don't see progress so its time to change to take things on to the next level, stabilisation is complete lets now move forward.

Some do some don't

I got fed up of seeing players coming in for one last pay day and not giving a $$$$

not every slightly older player is like that, tonights opponents for example bought well for largely less than we did albeit with a beter base to start but what they did get cost less and largely seems of a higher standard

[Space Wolf]

largely seems of a higher standard

You're not wrong. Tonight reminded me of an FA Cup 3rd round replay. We're the plucky underdogs who somehow managed to take a Premiership side to a replay. The first half we tried hard but in the second their class shone through and they ran rings around us at times.

[Powelly]

I don't believe Mcinwho was the reason

Murray was, he is worth 10 points a season.

Hennesey is good, but is inexperienced

He may become a better keeper than Murray but at present Mat is better


Mcindoe's influence on our run in last season was as important as anyone else in the side, he poped up with his fair share of goals and gave us a balance/creativity in the side along with the ability to deliver a set piece. That hasnt been replaced

No arguments on Matt Murray being the best Keeper out of the 2 but at the same time Hennessey would walk into any other side in the current top 10 of this division quite comfortably.

the most annoying thing my personal perspective is that we still lack the same players in same position that we were when Mccarthy took over. After 4 transfer windows and £10m+ over that period then the areas should have been resolved IMO. If they had been earlier in the season, or even january then we would be in a much better position.

out of Mick's signing there is only Kights and SEB who i would class as a real success in the signing and making an impact.. all others have been fairly average, with the possible exception of Micky gray who has been outstanding since his move to midfield in the last few weeks.

[PeteWolf]

We are buying young players with a good future in the game.

If you look at all the young players we have they are all capable of going on to the next level.
It's so obvious that you aren't a regular match goer, something which makes it so frustrating in reading your assertions that everything is all well and fine.

Hennessey and Kightly are the only young players that will go on to the next level. SEB might as well, but I'm not convinced he has the pace or urgency about his game to make it in the Prem against better defenders.

The rest (and especially Keogh) are playing at the peak of their level and haven't got what it takes to step up, young or not. Foley is the only one who could break that mould, although he has a lot to prove considering he has gone backwards since he joined us and failed to recreate his early promise.

What Mick has assembled is a bunch of hard working, enthusiastic young players who ultimately on the whole aren't quite good enough to be the best in this league, let alone playing in the Prem.

He's failed to create a blend with experienced professionals for them to learn from and you'd have to seriously ask questions of the coaching staff given the way that certain members of the team have gone backwards or at best stood still in their progression (for proof of this, see how much Lescott has improved at Everton in a short space of time). Combine it with a manager who is tactically clueless and any hope of building a side who will progress is pie in the sky at Molineux over the next few years without some radical changes at management and coaching level.

[Black Suit]

It's so obvious that you aren't a regular match goer, something which makes it so frustrating in reading your assertions that everything is all well and fine.

Hennessey and Kightly are the only young players that will go on to the next level. SEB might as well, but I'm not convinced he has the pace or urgency about his game to make it in the Prem against better defenders.

The rest (and especially Keogh) are playing at the peak of their level and haven't got what it takes to step up, young or not. Foley is the only one who could break that mould, although he has a lot to prove considering he has gone backwards since he joined us and failed to recreate his early promise.

What Mick has assembled is a bunch of hard working, enthusiastic young players who ultimately on the whole aren't quite good enough to be the best in this league, let alone playing in the Prem.

He's failed to create a blend with experienced professionals for them to learn from and you'd have to seriously ask questions of the coaching staff given the way that certain members of the team have gone backwards or at best stood still in their progression (for proof of this, see how much Lescott has improved at Everton in a short space of time). Combine it with a manager who is tactically clueless and any hope of building a side who will progress is pie in the sky at Molineux over the next few years without some radical changes at management and coaching level.

Hurray for common sense. :)

[shenfieldwolf]

What Mick has assembled is a bunch of hard working, enthusiastic young players who ultimately on the whole aren't quite good enough to be the best in this league, let alone playing in the Prem.

He's failed to create a blend with experienced professionals for them to learn from and you'd have to seriously ask questions of the coaching staff given the way that certain members of the team have gone backwards or at best stood still in their progression (for proof of this, see how much Lescott has improved at Everton in a short space of time). Combine it with a manager who is tactically clueless and any hope of building a side who will progress is pie in the sky at Molineux over the next few years without some radical changes at management and coaching level.

My endorsements aren't worth much, but this post is spot on.

:-(

[HIGHLANDER]

It's so obvious that you aren't a regular match goer, something which makes it so frustrating in reading your assertions that everything is all well and fine.

Hennessey and Kightly are the only young players that will go on to the next level. SEB might as well, but I'm not convinced he has the pace or urgency about his game to make it in the Prem against better defenders.

The rest (and especially Keogh) are playing at the peak of their level and haven't got what it takes to step up, young or not. Foley is the only one who could break that mould, although he has a lot to prove considering he has gone backwards since he joined us and failed to recreate his early promise.

What Mick has assembled is a bunch of hard working, enthusiastic young players who ultimately on the whole aren't quite good enough to be the best in this league, let alone playing in the Prem.

He's failed to create a blend with experienced professionals for them to learn from and you'd have to seriously ask questions of the coaching staff given the way that certain members of the team have gone backwards or at best stood still in their progression (for proof of this, see how much Lescott has improved at Everton in a short space of time). Combine it with a manager who is tactically clueless and any hope of building a side who will progress is pie in the sky at Molineux over the next few years without some radical changes at management and coaching level.

Pretty much agree with your post 100%

[RoffeyWolf]

Hennessey and Kightly are the only young players that will go on to the next level. SEB might as well, but I'm not convinced he has the pace or urgency about his game to make it in the Prem against better defenders.

The rest (and especially Keogh) are playing at the peak of their level and haven't got what it takes to step up, young or not. Foley is the only one who could break that mould, although he has a lot to prove considering he has gone backwards since he joined us and failed to recreate his early promise.

Can you tell me what the lottery numbers are please?

FFS.

[northnorfolkwolf]

Oh ye of little faith! No, we don't deserve to be any where near the pos but due to most of the other sides being as s***e as us we are! Palace will not win their away games and we will beat Ipswich and Cardiff to sneak in.

[Templeton Peck]

IMO we need 7 points from 4 games. Ipswich are very poor away from home and Plymouth will have nothing to play for. I think we will make the play offs I just hope we don't meet West Brom again. If we don't make them then MM can have no complaints if he is sacked.

[RoffeyWolf]

IMO we need 7 points from 4 games. Ipswich are very poor away from home and Plymouth will have nothing to play for. I think we will make the play offs I just hope we don't meet West Brom again. If we don't make them then MM can have no complaints if he is sacked.

Agree. WBA are the best in this division by a LONG way. Everyone else is beatable especially over two legs.

[Black Suit]

11 defeats suggests that they are beatable too.

[Templeton Peck]

11 defeats suggests that they are beatable too.

Exactly. They are not the wonder team many on here seem to think they are. They will probably win this divsion with a record low number of points - just how they stayed in the Prem for that crucial extra season too. And Adrian Chiles goes on about how hard done by they are - he hasn't got a $$$$ing clue.

[RichRalph]

If youwould have said to me 5 or 6 weeks ago that we would be 3 points off the play offs with a game in hand, I would have laughed my t1ts off, so I'm still not too disappointed with where we are.

It will be tough, but we could still just do it. 3 wins should be enough.

[Ches]

Just completed the BBC run in thing for the championship, got us losing out to Palace by goal difference for a place in the playoffs :-(
And that was with us winning away at Cov and at home to Plymouth
:-(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/predictor/default.stm

[Dewsburywolf]

Just completed the BBC run in thing for the championship, got us losing out to Palace by goal difference for a place in the playoffs :-(
And that was with us winning away at Cov and at home to Plymouth
:-(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/predictor/default.stm


A 9 Goal Difference to make up????? Looks like we not only need to beat Ipswich, Cardiff, Coventry & Plymouth but stuff em out of sight in the process. And Palarse to get done over as well. One Hell of an ask.

[Templeton Peck]

A 9 Goal Difference to make up????? Looks like we not only need to beat Ipswich, Cardiff, Coventry & Plymouth but stuff em out of sight in the process. And Palarse to get done over as well. One Hell of an ask.

On the positive side we have three out of 4 games at home against one side with a poor away record and another with nothing to play for. Palace have to go to Watford and Hull. I know which run in I'd rather have. We are still in pole position but if Palace win at Watford we are $$$$ed.

[Dewsburywolf]

On the positive side we have three out of 4 games at home against one side with a poor away record and another with nothing to play for. Palace have to go to Watford and Hull. I know which run in I'd rather have. We are still in pole position but if Palace win at Watford we are $$$.

Agreed on most of what you say but I'm a bit wary of our Home form.

Am I being too Pessimistic?