Wolves Sliding Doors Moments

[Hoganstolemywife]

I sometimes find myself pondering these scenarios in the shower, so I thought I'd share them. Does anyone else have moments which the beauty of hindsight proves would have changed the direction of the club, for better or for worse?

- Steve Bull makes a decision with his head, instead of his heart, and joins Coventry.
He goes on to have an impressive Premier League career, firing in 111 goals. Coventry are now established as firmly mid table side, and avoid all of the problems that their ownership brought on over the ensuing 30 years. Bull is regarded favourably inside Wolverhampton, but he doesn't have the legend status. He never gets his name on a stand.

- Joleon Lescott avoids injury after Play Off win.
A poor Wolves team struggles to 17th place, aided primarily by the defensive steel provided by their young, talismanic homegrown centre half. A newly enthused Jack Hayward christens himself as the golden bosom, and pumps in 200 million to the club.

- Michael Beale becomes manager.
He wins his first three game then takes the Tottenham job. A tattoo of "Wolves forever" on his left lower leg is the only remnant of his reign.

- Wolves sell Raul Jimenez to Juventus for 75 million
Jimenez - playing in a league with no David Luiz - wins player of the year for Juve, dovetailing perfectly with Ronaldo. A move to Real Madrid follows, where he wins the Champions League.
A newly minted Wolves spend the 75 million windfall on two more Fabio Silva type players.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Raul scoring that penalty in the europa league quarter final.

 

[Zico]

Add Matt Murray to your play off winning team and we avoid relegation comfortably.

 

[Zico]

John McGinlay is sent off for assault, Wolves win the play offs, get on the Premier League gravy train at the start, and become regular Champions League contenders.

 

[Very Proud (AKA Still Proud)]

Wolves managed to seal the deals for Michel Platini, Zbigniew Boniek, Peter Reid and those skinheads don't chase Charlie Nicholas out of town. Wolves are now 5 times European Champions and play in a 50,000 seater Molineux

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

Delefeo just slightly overcooks his shot in the 79th minute of the FA Cup semi-final for Watford. Wolves go onto win 2-1, surviving a late scare when Deeney pulls one back via the penalty spot.

Wolves put on a tactically perfect display in the final against Man City, winning 2-0, despite the Sky Blues being much the better side.

This poster goes onto get the tattoo of Nuno on his bum he promised he’d do if Wolves won the FA Cup after defeating Man U in the QF.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

As mooted, Alex Ferguson takes over Wolves.
He signs Mark Robbins, who scores a late winner in the FA cup to save him from losing his job. We go on to dominate English football

 

[Tring Wolf]

Geoff Thomas doesn’t get assaulted by Lee Howey and leads Wolves to automatic promotion.

Sir Jack Hayward outspends Sir Jack Walker as Wolves, Blackburn and Man Utd engage in a three-way battle for domestic supremacy in the late 1990’s.

 

[WolfLing]

Raul scoring that penalty in the europa league quarter final.

If that goes in, we undoubtedly go on to win that game!!

 

[JayStringer]

-Rather than selling Keane for 6 million and then spending half of that on an inflated fee for Akinbiyi, we turned Coventry down, asked Keane to give us one more year, then signed Akinbiyi for the 1.5 million we were originally quoted. Their partnership fires us up.

-Nuno doesn't take Neves off in the FA Cup Semi Final. We see out a shaky nervous last ten minutes. Go into the final all bets off as one of the teams who are known for pushing City.

-McGhee starts the Semi Final with Bull and Keane.

-Mghee doesn't make the stupid comment about Barnsley. Wolves hold on to a top-two spot. Promotion brings with it the rumored Stan Collymore deal, and the next few years work out far better for both Wolves and Collymore, and Bull gets to play for Wolves in the prem before in juries take their toll.

 

[AndyWolves]

Wolves actually appoint Dave Bassett instead of Mark McGhee

 

[sedgwolf1980]

In chronological order…

Thommo’s car broke down and couldn’t make it up the A41

Roger Freestone lined up a wall and wasn’t a complete clown.

Peter Shilton didn’t roll back the decades.

Muscat didn’t sign a pre contract elsewhere.

Jota didn’t get subbed.

Raul didn’t get assaulted.

Nuno didn’t get sacked.

Lopetegui didn’t get appointed.

 

[Boss Hogg]

Wolves scrape together to find the funds to sign on loan Jim Melrose in the early 80s. He scores a hatful of goals to avoid our slide through the divisions

 

[sedgwolf1980]

-Rather than selling Keane for 6 million and then spending half of that on an inflated fee for Akinbiyi, we turned Coventry down, asked Keane to give us one more year, then signed Akinbiyi for the 1.5 million we were originally quoted. Their partnership fires us up.

-Nuno doesn't take Neves off in the FA Cup Semi Final. We see out a shaky nervous last ten minutes. Go into the final all bets off as one of the teams who are known for pushing City.

-McGhee starts the Semi Final with Bull and Keane.

Jota not Neves

 

[Norway Wolves]

John McGinlay is sent off for assault, Wolves win the play offs, get on the Premier League gravy train at the start, and become regular Champions League contenders.

This really was the biggest sliding doors moment in our modern history, I am convinced that if that team got promoted under Taylor we'd have comfortably stayed up and built on it, and Sir jack would have financed it much more than he did when we eventually did go up in 2003.

 

[Zico]

Delefeo just slightly overcooks his shot in the 79th minute of the FA Cup semi-final for Watford. Wolves go onto win 2-1, surviving a late scare when Deeney pulls one back via the penalty spot.

Wolves put on a tactically perfect display in the final against Man City, winning 2-0, despite the Sky Blues being much the better side.

This poster goes onto get the tattoo of Nuno on his bum he promised he’d do if Wolves won the FA Cup after defeating Man U in the QF.

I think we would have beaten Man City that season.

 

[JayStringer]

Jota not Neves

I think Neves for Bennett was a more impactful change. Taking Jota off meant we weren't pushing them in the final third, but the damage was done, taking Neves off had opened a big hole in front of the defence.

 

[VancouverWolf]

Peter Knowles realized he could serve god and still play for Wolves.
Ahhhhhh……alas, what might have been.

 

[Poztin]

That last minute handball decision against Doc at Burnley. We’d have likely gone to Chelsea for winner takes 4th and champions league.

 

[Golden Arrow]

Southampton flounder in front of goal and waste their only five shots on target.

F.T. Result: Wolves 0 v 0 Southampton

 

[Contrarian]

John McGinlay is sent off for assault, Wolves win the play offs, get on the Premier League gravy train at the start, and become regular Champions League contenders.

Yeah, a lot of us have thought that would be the case. Though when you look at the those who were on that gravy train, most have fell off since! We would have done better for sure, would have clocked up far more seasons in the Premier than the 9 we have now. But given the club standing, would still have been more of a Charlton/Bolton/Middlesbro than a Spurs/Chelsea.

Another way of looking at it - how we were run from 1995 on, would have been the same people running the show as bought in McGhee. Sir Jack would have pumped the money in, but I reckon chances are it would not have been spent wisely. We made plenty of unwise spends then, it would have been same a division higher.

Interesting OP though @Hoganstolemywife ! I can't decide whether to go for the Butterfly Effect - that a change then would have resulted in even bigger changes now. Or whether the pull of history is back to the mean. In long run, the the Premier League seems a oligopoly. Plenty of clubs have challenged it for a few seasons and wound up back in the Championship. It's all guesswork, but I just reckon that the more likely outcome than us becoming the new Arsenal or Man City! BTW Man City got relegated at that time, then dumped in League 1. They were lower than us for a few seasons, yet it didn't stop them becoming what they are today. Another pointer to me, that while it was a setback, losing that playoff did not prevent us becoming one of the elite. (arguably, simply not being one of the best 20 run clubs in the country was our problem..until the 3M's!)

In short run, if Raul scores than penalty and we go on the win the Europa League, I'm still not sure how different we'd be now. Raul would still have led the line and possibly got his injury. We'd maybe have attracted 1 or 2 higher quality players, but the Fabio and Semedo deals would probably have happened anyway. And not much else? Leicester won the league and cup and got to Europe semi-final , but Covid effectively broke them.

 

[Zico]

Yeah, a lot of us have thought that would be the case. Though when you look at the those who were on that gravy train, most have fell off since! We would have done better for sure, would have clocked up far more seasons in the Premier than the 9 we have now. But given the club standing, would still have been more of a Charlton/Bolton/Middlesbro than a Spurs/Chelsea.

Another way of looking at it - how we were run from 1995 on, would have been the same people running the show as bought in McGhee. Sir Jack would have pumped the money in, but I reckon chances are it would not have been spent wisely. We made plenty of unwise spends then, it would have been same a division higher.

Interesting OP though @Hoganstolemywife ! I can't decide whether to go for the Butterfly Effect - that a change then would have resulted in even bigger changes now. Or whether the pull of history is back to the mean. In long run, the the Premier League seems a oligopoly. Plenty of clubs have challenged it for a few seasons and wound up back in the Championship. It's all guesswork, but I just reckon that the more likely outcome than us becoming the new Arsenal or Man City! BTW Man City got relegated at that time, then dumped in League 1. They were lower than us for a few seasons, yet it didn't stop them becoming what they are today. Another pointer to me, that while it was a setback, losing that playoff did not prevent us becoming one of the elite.

In short run, if Raul scores than penalty and we go on the win the Europa League, I'm still not sure how different we'd be now. Raul would still have led the line and possibly got his injury. We'd maybe have attracted 1 or 2 higher quality players, but the Fabio and Semedo deals would probably have happened anyway. And not much else? Leicester won the league and cup and got to Europe semi-final , but Covid effectively broke them.

Spoilsport.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

VAR and Covid don't exist in 2019/20.

We'd have got top 4 I'm certain of it. People forget just how good we were at that point. Even at the end of the campaign, after all the technology **** overs and the impact of the break, only Liverpool had lost fewer games. I'm also convinced a 2nd leg at Molineux against Sevilla at 0-1 could have been turned round.

 

[oldgolded]

Wolves manage to accrue one more point in the 1959/60 season and go down in history as the first team that century to do the league and cup double and Stan Cullis is hailed as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game. We go on to build on that success. Get plans passed for the new space age Molineux and become a dominant force in England and Europe.

 

[SquaddieWolf]

Talisca arrived

 

[oldgoldheart]

Avoiding deeney diving at wembley we go on to beat city in the final

Or against leeds it goes in after hitting the pist and we seal our 5th cup win

 

[JayStringer]

That last minute handball decision against Doc at Burnley. We’d have likely gone to Chelsea for winner takes 4th and champions league.

Damn. The trauma of this had been wiped from my memory.

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

VAR and Covid don't exist in 2019/20.

We'd have got top 4 I'm certain of it. People forget just how good we were at that point. Even at the end of the campaign, after all the technology **** overs and the impact of the break, only Liverpool had lost fewer games. I'm also convinced a 2nd leg at Molineux against Sevilla at 0-1 could have been turned round.

I knew you couldn't leave VAR out of the what ifs scenarios.

 

[whitnash wolf ex.dewsbury]

lost 2 potential England strikers in Roy Swinbourne and Ted Farmer through injury

 

[JadeWolf]

Definitely Covid. Took away our momentum.

Rauls head injury too.

 

[Frank Lincoln]

Mike Bailey doesn’t get injured before the 1972 UEFA cup final, second leg at Tottenham.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

If I could have one in my time I think it would be burying Bolton in the first leg of the play-off semi-final, (as long as we'd won the final!). Bully deserved it.

 

[I'm the Wanderer]

Nuno should have left in the squad at Wembley until the end of the match. We'd gone on to give City hell in the final.

 

[goldfish]

Ryan Bennett doesn't make that incredible sliding tackle vs. Chelsea. We go 2-0 down, our horrible start continuing. Nuno's sacked a few games later as we're rooted to the bottom.

 

[JadeWolf]

That last minute handball decision against Doc at Burnley. We’d have likely gone to Chelsea for winner takes 4th and champions league.

Mike ****ing Dean.

 

[Golden Arrow]

Danny Hegan's audacious punt from the half way line passes Jennings and hits the back of the net, which knocks the stuffing out of the visitors. FT Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v 1 Tottenham Hotspur

Wolves go on to draw at White Hart Lane (which they did), and Jim McCalliog lifts the UEFA Cup !!

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

Wolves manage to accrue one more point in the 1959/60 season and go down in history as the first team that century to do the league and cup double and Stan Cullis is hailed as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game. We go on to build on that success. Get plans passed for the new space age Molineux and become a dominant force in England and Europe.

Not getting planning permission to build the new stadium while we were a rich club and could afford it I’d the one for me. Of course it would have needed redevelopment later on but if we get the stadium built and paid for in the 60’s then Harry Marshall never has to take out that loan to build the John Ireland stand and we don’t go broke. We can buy players to supplement the ones we have in 1980 and that 6th place finish becomes the regular bench mark. We don’t fall down the leagues in the first place.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Definitely Covid. Took away our momentum.

Rauls head injury too.

Everything spiralled since then the squad has gone stale hence the need for a total overhaul start something new with a new identity moving forward

 

[Chisels_n_ommers]

Top of the table Wolves playing Forest off the park at the City Ground March 2002 for an hour.
End up drawing the game.....but that last half an hour was like a balloon being deflated.

That was the point that City effectively won the league (about 8 games left).

In an alternate universe, Wolves win the game, go 5 points clear, win the league.

Puts Wolves on a trajectory that City went on.

Sheikh Mansour decides to invest in Wolves, not City.

We play in the Champions league final this Saturday.

 

[ombyman]

I sometimes find myself pondering these scenarios in the shower, so I thought I'd share them. Does anyone else have moments which the beauty of hindsight proves would have changed the direction of the club, for better or for worse?

- Steve Bull makes a decision with his head, instead of his heart, and joins Coventry.
He goes on to have an impressive Premier League career, firing in 111 goals. Coventry are now established as firmly mid table side, and avoid all of the problems that their ownership brought on over the ensuing 30 years. Bull is regarded favourably inside Wolverhampton, but he doesn't have the legend status. He never gets his name on a stand.

- Joleon Lescott avoids injury after Play Off win.
A poor Wolves team struggles to 17th place, aided primarily by the defensive steel provided by their young, talismanic homegrown centre half. A newly enthused Jack Hayward christens himself as the golden bosom, and pumps in 200 million to the club.

- Michael Beale becomes manager.
He wins his first three game then takes the Tottenham job. A tattoo of "Wolves forever" on his left lower leg is the only remnant of his reign.

- Wolves sell Raul Jimenez to Juventus for 75 million
Jimenez - playing in a league with no David Luiz - wins player of the year for Juve, dovetailing perfectly with Ronaldo. A move to Real Madrid follows, where he wins the Champions League.
A newly minted Wolves spend the 75 million windfall on two more Fabio Silva type players.

Not the kind of scenarios I ponder in the shower