Wolves Premier League Season Review

Here, I give an account of how I saw the season.

We started the season with high hopes, mid table looked a  possibility even though we all would have taken seventeenth. We were quickly brought down to earth after the opening day defeat to a West Ham side who I thought were destined for a top ten finish, how wrong was I. We had played well, had the majority of the ball but lacked that killer instinct. Sylvan limped off injured to add to our woes, as did Foley. Milijas looked a star, and Mancienne was brilliant. We went into the Wigan game a lot less optimistic, Keogh upfront on his own in the Premier League was a worrying factor. Yet, he scored the winner and we won our first ever away match. We came ever so close at Man City, and disappointingly drew with Hull at home. Another disappointing result followed at Blackburn, we lost three one. Wolves, as I have said numerous times this season, bounced back. We beat a good Fulham side two one and Doyle got his first goal of the season, as did Edwards.

Around the next month we began to see the emergence of Kevin Doyle. A record signing, injured for the start of the season but came on against Man City. After that, we saw what a good player on the ball he was, how he could win it in the air and his unbelievable work rate.Surely him and Ebanks-Blake would be the perfect partnership?


After the Fulham game, we faced Sunderland. What an odd game this was. Two nil down, one harsh penalty decision and one penalty not give to us. We came back to two all. We looked like winning but they took the lead, we were done on the counter twice more. It seemed like we were never going to get any luck, and the next game made it even worse. Portsmouth, had lost all seven games of the season must have looked down their fixture list and thought 'It's ok, we've got Wolves'. There was a horrible feeling that we would lose this (even if I did predict a win) and of course, we lost. Again, we should have had a blatant penalty but of course it wasn't given. Doom and gloom around everywhere. Wolves, again being Wolves, bounced back to draw impressively three times at Everton and Stoke, and at home to Villa. Then, we were cruelly beaten four one by Arsenal. We conceded two own goals, and another where the ref got in the way of our attack and led to them scoring. See what I meant about luck? It wasn't about luck the next two week though, probably the lowest point of the season. We were easily beaten four nil by Chelsea (we played 3-5-2!). Mick dropped Hennessey for the Birmingham game and brought Hahnemann in. Three minutes in, we were losing and in the first half played the worst half we played in the league all season.

Guess what? Yep, we bounced back. From looking completely sunk, the new relegation favourites overcame Bolton. The return of Nenad Milijas and his magical left foot put us back on track for Premiership survival. First he created the first goal of the game for Craddock, and then he scored our official goal of the season. He took Doyle's pass to the side a bit and then from 35 yards smashed it past Jaaskelainen. He carried on where he left of against Tottenham. His third minute freekick set up Doyle to put us ahead at White Hart Lane. We held out, and caused one of the shocks of the season. If that hadn't got us enough publicity, three days later we certainly got a lot. Mick made TEN changes, and caused a real stir throughout the Premier League. Arsene voiced his anger (his team head drawn with Burnley the same day, surprise surprise). Yet we got through it, and Mick was vindicated by his decision as we beat a tired Burnley side comfortably two nil.

After this, we had a bad spell which put us right back down there. An unfortunate defeat to Liverpool, a three nil loss at home to City and the crushing defeat at home to Wigan brought us back down to earth. Mick decided a change of system was needed. Sylvan had missed a glaring opportunity to put us ahead against Wigan and hadn't had the best of times. We changed to 4-5-1 and drew at home with Liverpool. After which Mick said that Kevin Doyle's performance had been the best ever by a centre forward at Wolves. It certainly was superhuman, which became a common feature of every game. After the Liverpool game we faced Hull. It was obvious that they needed the win more than us. We twice equalised and it ended all square. Next up, we wanted revenge against Birmingham. We led, and looked like getting another but who popped up to win the match for Birmingham. Kevin Phillips grabbed two more to add to his tally against Wolves.

Again, after a match with Birmingham, we looked in trouble again. Our bounce back ability showed as we defeated the odds and overcame Spurs. We completed a shock double with a brilliant eighteen pass goal. A player who emerged from that game was Adlene GuediouraCarlisle set us up nicely for another big game in midweek at West Ham. And what a game it was. Surely the best performance of the season, we won three one. David Jones masterminded a win that almost saw us safe. We followed that up with draws against Villa and Everton, and lost in the last minute to Arsenal. Things were looking much better.

We pretty much sealed it with three straight draws (Stoke, Fulham and Blackburn) and it was Ebanks-Blake late equaliser against Blackburn that kept us up.Though the next week we put in a lacklustre performance at Pompey and lost three one. Mick went 4-4-2 for the last game of the season, and we put in a brilliant end of season performance. Doyle got his ninth goal of the season and Adlene Guedioura scored the goal that won the match and himself a permanent deal at the club.

Top Scorer: Kevin Doyle - 9
Most Assists: Matt Jarvis  - 5

All in all, a great season. Well done Wolves, got what we aimed for.