Wolves sign Ronald Zubar!
By: Toby |
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Once again, for an undisclosed fee defender Ronald Zubar has joined from Marseille on a four year deal. A former French U21 International, Zubar rather fell out of love with the Marseille fans after a penalty miss in the French version of the FA Cup? I think. Regardless, he’s perfomed well for them in the past and I can remember a game against Liverpool where he had a very good game, so at least he’s got some idea as to what he’s let himself in for.
Does this spell the end of the Mancienne dream? I think it’s getting very close to the door being closed on that one for this season as that’ll mean we’ve got Zubar, Berra and Stearman…who knows, maybe Mancienne might sneak in to give Mick a happy defensive headache for the coming season, but I’m sad to say I think the dream might be fading.
Right then, the squad flew to Australia this morning, they took this squad.
FULL SQUAD
Wayne Hennessey
George Elokobi
David Edwards
Richard Stearman
Jody Craddock
Michael Kightly
Karl Henry
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Andy Keogh
Stephen Ward
David Jones
Christophe Berra
Matt Jarvis
Sam Vokes
Chris Iwelumo
Matt Hill
George Friend
Carl Ikeme
Kevin Foley
Marcus Hahnemann
Kevin Doyle
Andrew Surman
Greg Halford
Nenad Milijas
So all the new signings, bar Zubar make the trip, a noticable absence of Neil Collins too, thus perhaps signalling the end of his Wolves tenure?
Category: Team News
Greg Halford makes it a Hat Trick.
By: Toby | 5 Comments
News today that Greg Halford has signed for Wolves for…wait for it…an undisclosed fee. He’s long been Sunderland’s utility man, playing on both the right wing, right mid and right back. He also had a rather successful spell with Sheffield United last season, during that period they had that they were ripping up trees in the chase for the top. A great bit of cover then for both Foley and Kightly, something we certainly lacked last season, as we were often left looking at our shoes for ideas whenever either of those were injured or unavailable.
The recruitment goes on….I’ve heard rumours of Dunne?
I hope so, so I can say “It’s a Dunne deal”…but other than that, my heart’s still set on Mancienne.
Tarra-a-bit!
Category: Team NewsWolves sign Andrew Surman - The return of the undisclosed fee.
By: Toby | 15 Comments
That’s probably due to Southampton having a fire sale in order to pay the electric bill this month rather than Wolves wanting to keep it under wraps. In signing Surman we’ve added another England U-21 to the squad which already boasts Stearman, Kightly and Ebanks Blake (who apparently is being tracked by England this season). Surman was a genuine high point to a Southampton side which was very much thrown in at the deep end from cut back after cut back.
Playing mostly in left midfield, and with an eye for goal, he can also play at left back, which is music to my ears…because if I’m honest that is one of the positions which is worrying me this season, if we can sign an out and out left back to cover big George, or to simply give competition for the position as, as good a job Ward did for us at times last season, I don’t think he’ll really cut it in that position in the Premiership.
Right then, two days into July, two signings! That’s a very decent ratio indeed.
Tarra-a-bit!
Category: Team NewsWolves Sign Doyle for a Club Record 6.5 Million.
By: Toby | 8 Comments
A record signing for Wolves, and we’re talking serious money, as Kevin Doyle has signed for 6.5 Million pounds. I’ve got to say, as Wolves usually keep the fee they play for players “undisclosed” that this is perhaps a bit of a sound off to the rest of the football world that we do intend to turn up this season. With this signing we have the first player which makes me go “ooooo” and get a little bit excited about the forthcoming season, no offence to Hahnemann and Nenad Milijaš but a reserve goal keeper and a Serbian I’d never heard of until I youtube’d the guy can only excite me so much, whereas this a real signing of a player who’s been in the Premier League and done very well gets me very excited indeed.
It would seem it was both the speed and set up of Wolves which won Doyle over, and which made him chose Wolves over the host of other sides after his signature.
“I’m delighted to get the move sorted and can’t wait to get going,” he said.
“I spoke to the manager and chief executive over a week ago and came to the training ground to see everything.
“I’ve been making my mind up over the last couple of weeks and am just really pleased the decision has been made.
“The facilities here are top class and it’s great to be going back into the Premier League again.”
His stats speak for themselves, he’s a proven goal scorer, and strong in the air. With 18 goals last season he was part of a free scoring Reading side, and their form certainly suffered when he was injured. In my honest opinion in signing Doyle (and by beating a host of clubs including Fulham, Sunderland, Everton, Bolton and Aston villa) we’re going up with the two best strikers from the Championship, and now that’s something to get excited about.
Right then, who’s next?
Also, it’s another victory for the rumours post, who predicted this signing last week. Though saying that, if we were to believe every rumour I’ve had on there so far we’d have a bigger squad than Man City.
Tarra-a-bit!
Category: Team NewsWolves Sign Player Number Two
By: Toby | 10 Comments
And it’s ex-Reading shot stopper Marcus Hahnemann. Good move I say, always solid for Reading until last season where he seemed to fall out of favour with Coppell, he was especially good for them in their first season in the Premiership, which he says our current squad will find quite the culture shock -
The speed of the players has a huge influence on how you play the game. There are times that you come for a through ball and you won’t get anywhere near it because the guys you are up against are so fast.
“Players in the Premiership tend to be bigger, stronger and faster than those in the Championship and the skill level increases as well. It’s a huge jump that is almost hard to explain.
“That first game is like a little wake up call and it will happen to us this season. Hopefully, we won’t be too shocked by it and can adjust and come to grips with it quickly because we are going to need to
Great to have some Premiership experience added to the squad, and finally a keeper to mentor Henners who doesn’t have his own fitness battle to worry about at the same time.
Category: Team NewsFifa 2009 on the PS3, fancy a game?
By: Toby | 20 Comments
I’m getting quite bored of random people quitting on me as I’m about to finally win a flipping game online, so if anyone fancies a game feel free to add me I’m tobymono.
I’m not great, but I’m not terrible either, I’m more used to playing Pro Evo to be honest so sometimes it works for me and then at times I’m quite dire.
Category: Team NewsWolves make their first Premiership Signing.
By: Toby | 14 Comments
Wolves have…wait for it. SIGNED A PLAYER. Oh joy, now all the naysayers and doom and gloom merchants of the internet and your local can sit the hell back down and stop complaining that we’re wasting time and “making the same mistakes as last time” it’s taken it’s time, granted, but Mick has pulled a hell of a signing out of the bag with Nenad Milijas joining despite interest from a host of clubs ranging from Roma, Aston Villa and everyone in between. But he’s chosen us, and that’s got to say something about our intent this season, a few more additions to the squad and I’ll be let a slight glimmer of hope enter my mind when we kick off in August.
With a cracking left foot (see below) this lad could well be the bite in the midfield which we’ve been missing at times this season, he certainly seems the kind of player we could do with.
Exciting times! Here’s hoping for more posts like this one then eh?
Category: Team NewsTransfer Talk Post - Post all Wolves related Rumours here!
By: Toby | 45 Comments
Hey there guys, I’m still alive, so you can call off the search parties, I’m just very very busy at the moment. In a brief update I’m now in the middle of moving house, which adds another nice time sucking activity to add to my full time job and full time life.
But really…I’ve not missed much have I? Man United won the title they were always going to win, as did Barca, Newcastle went down…which wasn’t that suprising to anyone who’d seen them play, while Burnley joined us in the Premiership…which is the best case scenario as bar a miricle windfall of money in their direction they may well struggle. Mick said he wouldn’t move until the season ended, and with the Champions League rounding itself off last night in a rather satisfying fashion he seems to be true to his word with a trio of fresh rumours springing up over night, all of which I like the sound of to be honest, and all of which won’t probaby go through.
Essentially, I’m not going to do an article on every player we might be signing from now until the end of the transfer window, so here is the place to do it, add any rumour you’ve heard to the comment box and a link if possible and I’ll update and add it to the main post, we’ll see how many come to fruition come the end of it all.
Right then, I’ll start us off…
1)Wolves apparently more appealing than Roma? Nenad Milijas thinks so.
2)
Sale at the JJB? No, not the shitty trainer warehouse. As Michael Brown and Boyce are touted about like reduced Hi-Tecs.
3)Buying a striker from West Brom….it’ll never work! Fortune looking to upgrade a division any which way possible it would seem.
4)Wolves look to er…Millwall in the search of that elusive first Premiership Signing. Hm.
5)Mick’s memory has perhaps become rose tinted, as Darron Gibson gets another looking at.
6)Wolves look to add to their mini Welsh international team, as Ched Evans catches our eye.
7)I can hear the kitman fretting now as Wolves apparently are linked with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink
8)Wolves join…every other team in the Premiership as Lucas Biglia’s agent presses “send to all” on his blackberry.
9)…And the kitman may have only just got over the possible transfer of when up comes Marcin Wasilewski to give him cold sweats…
10)Wolves also linked with everyone’s favourite player called Danny Shittu…it’s the rumour that surfaces every transfer window for the last two years, so it’s almost reassuring that this has come up again. Makes you feel at home.
11) Wolves apparently sign a French U21 International….so say the mirror. Looks like Ronald Zubar will be a Wolves player next season…well, if you believe The Mirror.
12) Mick’s in for Duff, along with “Serie A sides” which is certainly suprising. Let’s see what happens with that one.
13) Wolves linked with Reading’s recently released US Goal Keeper Hahnemann.
14) We were going to sign Dann…but then Birmingham gazumped us. And there’s me thinking they were strapped for cash, they’re thowing it around like a diet Real Madrid.
15) We’re in for Kevin number one, Kevin Nolan apparently not fancying Championship football, I wonder if he’s got a nice little leaflet too?…
16) And then there’s Kevin number two, Kevin Doyle looks like he might be on his way if we’re willing to pay his release clause, if I were his mother, Mrs Doyle I’d tell him to “go on, go on, go on, go on, go on” Ahem.
17) Mick looks to team up a Croatian with his Serbian…obviously someone hasn’t been paying attention in Eastern European Relations class as Wolves eye Jerko Leko from Monaco.
Right, what are yours? I’ll need a link for it to qualify for the page, so go go!
Category: Team NewsWolves Target - Oguchi Onyewu - In Video
By: Toby | 22 Comments
Well they say a picture paints a thousand words, so a video must be thrice as good.
We’re apparently in for the huge CB Oguchi Onyewu, who’ll be available on a free from Standard Liege in the summer. I’ll give this rumour a bit of room to develop, after all, it is but a rumour (and I know it’s not a new one, I’ve only just found the video), but I certainly wouldn’t say no.
Category: Team News2008/9 Season Review (finally)
By: Toby | 9 Comments
Well hello there. You must forgive my wanton disregard for this place over the last few weeks, I’ve simply not had the time to even contemplate sitting down at a desk for half an hour to rattle out a blog. Mainly due to the fact that I’ve worked 7 days in a row until now, and in the last week alone worked 58 hours, a decent week’s graft by anyone’s yard stick.
So here we go, how do you start to do a write up on a season like that eh? I don’t know where to begin quite with the whole thing, I mean it’s like a well read story, everyone knows the ending, so it’d be foolish to draw a timeline for you all to follow but it’s the only way I can really think of tackling the last eight months of football so a time line it is, a wibbly wobbly time line at times, but a time line non the less.
Right then, the season starts. Having missed out on the play-offs by a single goal the season before Wolves were backed by many to match that result, by no means to be certain of a play off place but by all accounts to be in the shake down come the end of the season. We’d been bolstered by a curious signing of a very tall player from Charlton, he seemed a bit old to be honest, apparently Scottish and had an unpronounceable second name, other signings included a handful of young players, Friend, Stearman and Vokes, while some experience was further added with the signings of Hill and Shackle.
Wolves surprised everyone, including most Wolves fans, by going on one hell of a winning run, 7 games to be precise, sending up roaring up to the automatic promotion places, scoring an incredible 21 goals in the process. Teams across the country were left scratching their heads as to how quite this had all come to be, a team seemingly unchanged from last season demolishing the league. Our form continued, as Wolves found themselves in mid October five points clear of early favourites Reading.
As with all teams this year Wolves have had their fair share of wobbles, we had two major ones, things got so bad at one point I even thought that writing about them in depth would somehow unjinx us back to winning ways…which kind of worked to be honest. But there have been times this season where we’ve limped, we’ve stuttered and flustered our way through games. But the key for me this season is that whilst not at our best, we’ve still won games, as Vince Lombardi once said “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” and for the first time in years Wolves were prepared to win ugly, and did so on more than one occasion, and towards the end of the season, more than my heart could manage.
One player who had a huge impact on our season in such a short amount of time was the superb Michael Mancienne, did you know he only played ten games? Didn’t it feel like so many more? Did you also know that due to the Championship rules he didn’t play enough games to get a winner’s medal for Wolves promotion, yet Shackle did…I think we all know who played the bigger part in our promotion. Mancienne came into the Wolves squad on the back of three terrible results, our boat was rocking, we were haemorrhaging goals from all points of the pitch. Mancienne not only steadied the ship, he also set a new course and got us back on track to another seven game winning streak, his impact on our season is immeasurable and he would be an asset next season…however much of a distant dream that may be.
The closing stages of the season were like watching the final ten minutes of the QPR game…but stretched over 2 months. They were for me at least, each twist of the tale moving us closer to the big P. The loss against Birmingham was a massive blow to many, including me, but in retrospect I think this had possibly the biggest and most positive effect on our season. It was all down to a certain Trevor Francis in the Sky pundits box, if ever the team had something to pin on the message board in the dressing room before the next few games it would be Trevor Francis saying we’d thrown it away, that he couldn’t see past Birmingham for the title while a broken Steve Bull could only meekly nod his head in agreement. If Wolves needed firing up then they needed not to look any further than that to find a response.
And respond they did.
Three goals against Southampton in 21 minutes, Jody Craddock punching the air in victory followed by another three against Derby, this time it would be Keogh taking the plaudits for his stellar efforts. All this set Wolves up for promotion with three games to go, a win against QPR could seal it, promotion to the Premier League, the tension was almost too much to bear. We followed it live here on the offside, I could barely think to type half the time, willing the ball into QPRs net, hoping that this would be the day that we could once again celebrate being back in the big time. Up stepped (who else?) Ebanks Blake to send us all into raptures, it was his classic poachers’ strike which would be the goal which would end the years of waiting. Molineux erupted, the final whistle, pandemonium, a release of all the tension of the last few months let lose in one communal celebration of pride and passion.
By the time the league title was to be wrapped up at Barnsley and lifted in front of the home crowd against Doncaster I think most of Wolverhampton had partied their selves out. What a season, even now I don’t think I’ve done it justice with my fuzzy tired mind, how can you describe the dizzying vivid summer’s day vision of Ebanks slotting in that final goal and wheeling away in celebration, it’s just not palatable yet for me so I’ve resorted to a list, a best and worst of if you will.
The Season In a Nutshell.
Biggest Hero – Sylvan Ebanks Blake
Now I know the fan’s choice was Foley, and it was a close run thing for me on this one, but I think that Blake is suffering from the “it’s so obvious who the best player is we’ll give it to someone else because they’ll win everything else anyway so they won’t need this one” syndrome. Much like C.Ronaldo suffers from. To put it simply, it’s his goals which have got us promoted, we’ve floundered without him and he deserves every credit that gets pushed his way.
The Henri Camera Loyalty Award – Mark Davis
Oh I’m sorry Mark, Wolves fan all your life did you say? Want to play in the Premiership, well shit son, if you’d have waited five months and got your fitness back you may well have been playing in the premiership for the club you’ve grown up loving, not some souless long ball merchants up north. I’ve got no time for you.
The “I don’t really understand the Internet award” – Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
Simple one really that.
Best Young Player Award – Sam Vokes
Brilliant impact player, and as he showed against Southampton he possesses an ability to step up to the starting line up if needs be and lead the line. He’s a strong and powerful player who has a skill far beyond his years, he’s going to be a cracking player in a few years.
The “is that frantic back peddling I can smell?” Award – The Express and Star
For their amazing coverage over this season, veering from crowning us Champions elect in November, to predicting our downfall in January, to the villainisation of Keogh and Collins all season and then lifting them above their shoulders in a victorious lap of honour at the season. They’re like a grubby little friend who’s all smiles to your face but then bitches about you behind your back.
The underappreciated Wolf Award – Joint Winners Neil Collins and Andy Keogh.
Two lads you’ll be hard pressed to find who’ll give more effort than these two, who, despite their flaws have had great seasons, good on you lads, keep playing your own game.
And so that’s me, I’ve probably missed quite a lot out really, just a quick note to anyone who fancies adding my ps3 gamer tag it’s tobymono, I have fifa 2009 and I’m not very good at it.
Tarra-a-bit!
Below, a video of all of the goals from this season. Nice.
Category: Team News
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