Up to the softest of last minute home bias penalties, Wolves were poised to continue the most remarkable start to a Premier league season.
Four straight wins, the most at top level since 1972, fifty years ago.
Moving up to 4th place overnight, with a home game to come to consolidate that position.
On target for the best 10 game start to any PL season, best out of 8 attempts.
Less than a goal a game conceded.
An injury time soft penalty really should not take the gloss off such a recovery from unluckily losing the first three games 1-0.
There is no justification for many of the comments on match thread or verdict thread, which are absurdly negative.
Yesterday made it clearer where the weaknesses are, but also underlined what an effective team Wolves are. Lets have some balance.
I think I may have got more likes for this post than any other. I appreciate that, but more importantly, that points
to a wider debate that is desperately needed. Put as simply as possible, the very negative, hypercritical views of a minority
here, on very many threads but especially the matchday thread, are just not representative of the wider fanbase of Wolves.
Most fans DO have perspective, and appreciate the very high level of football at which Wolves are now competing. And the fine
margins of success and failure that determine outcomes at that rarefied level. Most fans DO see a well-run club, with a good
atmosphere, intelligent and committed people in key positions. Most fans are just enjoying the ride after so many years of mediocrity.
For me, there are two lessons to be drawn:
1. Wolves' fanbase has the most incredible collective memory: of being the best, of being part of the game's invention and progress into a refined, excellence based sport in the 1950's. A long history of incredible players and performances. And, conversely, of collapse and embarrassment. We have seen it all. And surely that collective memory should allow us to avoid the modern dangers of always wanting success in the short term and of hypercriticism that is amplified through social media, like Molmix. These dangers are tearing clubs apart, as we have seen with Arsenal, to be followed by Spurs and Manutd, and many other examples. In this way, collective memory can serve as a great strength for the club, a powerful unifier. It does serve in this way, I believe, and is why Molineux is capable of generating such a will and atmosphere.
2. The hypercritics who pollute this forum need to take a good look at themselves and the impact of their constant carping. This is not at all to call for a closure of necessary debates or stifle insightful observation. I have been very critical at various times, if I thought it relevant. But this weekend really did show how out of control the hypercritics are. We really were just 1 minute or a proper refereeing decision away from having our best run of results at the top level in fifty years. We really were about to move into 4th place, with a home game coming up. There is something profoundly out of place in such massive overreactions. I would appeal to the hypercritics to look for balance, appreciate the good, avoid continual posting of the same points. This is a great time to be a Wolves fan.
