I’m way too late with this blog and celebrity engagements (ok, lunch) prevented me making this Sunday kick off, so I won’t try and analyse the play or pretend I know more than I do. I will say this, however:
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I know we’re still 19th, but how much better does it feel to be a point off safety and a win ahead of those losers West Ham than had we failed to get this result. For once, it was our day.
Birmingham have been a particularly difficult team for us in recent years, with our triple nemeses (I looked it up) of Kevin Phillips, Cameron Jerome and late goals being particularly painful as a Wolves fan. Yet, for once all three failed to bite us, with Jerome and then – even better – Phillips, missing great opportunities in the last 10 minutes. At last. By all accounts a great performance from a patched together team, with special praise being reserved for Messrs Ward and Ebanks-Blake. Interesting parallels with the Sunderland victory where, similarly, unintentional changes enforced on the team through injury led to a very good result.
As is to be expected – the fickleness of football fans being the one unchanging thing in the game – this result has taken some of the pressure off Mick McCarthy, who is not quite the dunderheaded fool some have accused him of being in recent weeks, although I’m sure many will still maintain he’s not up to the job.
This set me thinking on a tangent about whether actually attending games and being there to support the team (or otherwise) rather than watching by other means, affects (adversely or otherwise) our ability to think positively in the face of difficult results. I’ve been frustrated in recent weeks with results but have always maintained Mick’s the best man for the job but, being based in Brighton, I don’t go to every game – usually about 10-12 a year, home and away. I watch all of them (except Sunday’s, typically) but I think the experience of having been in a crowd of either happy or angry people does affect my take on a performance or result, as does having invested the money and time (in my case, all day) to be there.
An aside, but Mick McCarthy’s numptygate furore a couple of weeks ago is very relevant here. McCarthy described those who criticised him on message boards and blogs as ‘numpties’, before swiftly trying to counter criticism by praising the fans at Molineux, thus cleverly avoiding the point that many of these are the same people and that everyone at Molineux on Saturday doesn’t think he’s a saint.
But I digress. To test this out, just to satisfy my curiosity (and hopefully yours), I’d be really very pleased if everyone who reads this takes a minute to answer the following four questions by commenting below:
How many games do you attend a year?
Whereabouts do you live?
Where do you think we’ll finish this year?
Do you want Mick to stay?
I’ll write it up if I get enough of a response, so go on, do it. Please. Back to the actually-having-a-vague-idea-what’s-going-on blogging next week, but it would be great if you could give me your feedback by commenting below.
West Brom next up, and what better time to get a derby victory under our belts to boost confidence. Up the Wolves!
10-12 games a year, home and away
Brighton
16th
Yes
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5 – 10 games a year, home only
Wolverhampton
14th
Yes
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All home games, some away
Rugby (120 mile round trip)
16th
yes
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All home games. Some away
Wolverhampton
16th
yes
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Almost every home game
Wolverhampton
14th
Yes
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Thanks all, very much for the feedback. Lots pf positivity
A few from the-wolf.co.uk:
19, all the home games
Launceston, Cornwall
16th
Yes
…
8 to 10 a season. 2 to 3 away games included.
Live in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.
Ask me at the end of January.
Micks position should be reviewed at the end of the season, should we be relegated.
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As many as I can afford (4 home games + 1 Carling Cup game) so far this season.
Penn, Wolverhampton.
We will survive.
Yes.
…
Between 20-25
Lichfield, Staffs
17th
Yes
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In a norwegian paper we were last on the away table. Our away results are maybe the main difference between Wolves this season and last season.
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One point on the road is pretty rubbish and this certainly has to improve. We won’t be far off the bottom of the home league either I guess, so we need to start picking up points anywhere!
A lot of difficult away fixtures (not that any of them are easy) out the way now though, so I hope we won’t end too far off where we finished last year – although we got nearly half our points away from home last season, which must be unusual.
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Varies each year between 2-8
West Berkshire
18th
No
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0
every home game
wolverhampton
17th
yes
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All Saturday home games that I can
East London
16th
Absolutely.
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Not so pessimistic, Pessimistic Wolf
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About 10 home and away.
London.
16th
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As many as I can, 3 games so far this year and going to the Wigan game.
Brighton.
14th.
100%
BTW last few yrs I lived in Manchester and went to more home games as it’s easier, plus away games at utd, city, Wigan, and Bolton.
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Maybe 1 depending on what time of year I travel, but here in Canada every Premier League game is screened on TV so I get to watch every game home & away.
St Albert, Alberta, Canada
19th
Yes
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None, but watch them all.
I live in Mexico.
15th
Although I think we could do with another manager, Mick is doing a good job.
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2-3 games per year
South America
10th (watch this space with January signings that I am very excited about!)
Loved McCarthy for a long time, recently lost faith over the latest poor run of results but am regaining said lost faith. My judgement is based on whether he keeps us in the league or not.
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20 – 25
Basingstoke
15th
yes
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None, but would love to be able to get to a game one day
Summerland, British Columbia, Canada
15th
Keep Mick as manager – he has brought us so far and keeps the players level through the highs and lows of the season.
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sadly none… (4 home games last year as i lived in Wales then)
Japan
17th
I DO!
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All home – most away
Stafford
11th (optermistacly) – shit 20th, Blues 19th and the Clay heads 18th
Yes
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12-15 Home, 2-3 Away
Tettenhall, Wolves
16th
YES Absolutely. No-one better for the job, or would you all rather have Harry Bassett?
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About 16 (inc a couple of away games)
Wirral, Merseyside (150 miles round trip approx)
At the beginning of the season I predicted 13th, but now I’d be happy with 16th.
Yes (The fact that I have the same birthday as Mick does NOT influence this – although the miserable so-and-so has never sent me a card! I’ve never sent him one either, so I guess that evens it up)
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-About 14 games (3 away)
-London
-Originally I thought 12th but now believe it will be 15th
-Of course he should stay…it’s a no brainer.
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Thanks all
Really interesting – because it is and also cos I’m quite nosy. I’m going to have an exciting evening trawling through all this lot, but keep leaving your own feedback in the meantime.
Some more from those lovely folk at the-wolf.co.uk which I’m copying here for the sake of completeness:
1. Attended 30 last year, probably 25ish this season
2. Stourbridge, but at Coventry Uni
3. 18th
4. Yes
…
1. Depends on finances, at least 5
2. Blackheath
3. 16th
4. Yes
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1. How many games 23-25 depending on shifts
2. Luverrly Vulverhamperton
3. 16th
4. Yes, just to piss the numpties off.
…
1. One or two
2. Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria
3. Above the bottom three. 15th?
4. Yes.
…
1. The most has been about 20. Currently only 2 games this season so far. Attended about 4 last season.
2. Swindon
3. Where do you think we’ll finish this year? 18th (above West Ham and Wigan) although at the beginning of the season I thought 13th.
4. Not sure. So many pros and cons to weigh up. At this stage I am happy for him to stay because I can’t see that anyone else would do better with whats available. The players play for him no question.
…
1. Have a season ticket, but don’t get to all the games, my sons have “Freebies”, will probably make about 14 games this season.
2. Stoke on Trent
3. 16th , with a lot of luck!!
4. Think Mick will leave end of season, sacked/resigned
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1. 19 until last year, now 0.
2. LA this year, Toronto next.
3. Between 16-19
4. I don’t WANT him to go necessarily.
…
1. How many games do you attend a year?
2. I attended every home game from when I was 16 up until last season with about 4 or 5 away games. I’m looking to try and come back this year for 2 or 3 games, if I can. It’ll be the first season since 1989 that I wouldn’t have attended a Wolves game, it sucks
2. Originally Middleton Cheney in North Oxfordshire, currently living near Auckland, New Zealand
3. I think I said 15th again, so i’ll stick with that!
4. 100% YES!
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1. For about ten years I used to attend the pre-season games when in the UK for my kids summer Holidays. Since my Mom passed we have my Dad over here, so I have not seen the Wolves since Palace at home first Home game of the promotion season. Luckily, HK TV has every single Premier Game Live !!! ( different cable channels ).
2. Lived In Hong Kong since end of 1985. ( Pong is a district in Thailand where we spend all our down-time )
3. Think we will end up above the drop, don’t care where as long as above that line.
4. If the set up at Wolves remains the same. Mick and Terry have had their day. ( Mick with a strong technical supporting team, well a different issue )
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1. I’ve averaged around 15 over the past five years
2. Leamington Spa
3. 18th
4. No
…
Interlude on the message board for handbags about something
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1. Aim to hit around 30 a season.
2. Beautiful Tipton!
3. 16th
4. Yes.
…
Between 22 & 25, all the home games and then the odd away game that takes my fancy
Bridgnorth, Shropshire
14th
Yes
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1. Home STH, Away Games i’ve missed 2x per season (over past 2x seasons) so virtually all off them
2. Kidderminster, Worcestershire
3. 17th or 18th
4. at the moment yes, although i think its fair that his role is being questioned (not to extent of some supporters who want us to fail to get rid) i said i’ll judge his position after 19 games once everyone has played everyone in the league for fair reflection. we could quite easily lose next 2 and me say sack him at mid-point he is low than low on the other hand he could get 6pts and myself and other wolves fans think he’s the next mourinho. Let’s wait and see
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1. Home STH ,around half away games.
2. Cradley Heath
3. —–
4. YES!!
…
1. All the home games, and home cup games couple away games
2. Cheltenham
3. 17th
4. yes atm
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1. About 3 or 4, generally away games – I wish it was more but I work a lot….and only ever go with Dad or Bro
2. Manchester
3. 17th
4. Generally no, but I do see everyones point that there’s not much available to us. I personally don’t think he’s the man to take us forward but he is a strange one our Mick so fingers crossed he proves me wrong.
I will add also….admit to myself that this year we have played some nice football…..entertaining football! Okay the mistakes tend to piss me off more but in the entertainment stakes we have gone up a notch!
I just hope we don’t go backwards as a club
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