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Cantley

Wolves 2002 - Anatomy of a collapse

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No, I don''t think we''re about to do a Wolves, so please don''t flame me for being negative. But I have just clipped a few snippets of match reports from a Wolves stats website to show their fans'' thinking from match 39 onwards. It''s an interesting read, and as you will see Hucks played his part in Wolves'' decline and fall.
I think the point to take away is that they didn''t really start to panic until after their goalless draw with us, which was match 41. And just three matches later they''d pretty much given up on automatic promotion.



Match 39 Birmingham 2 Wolves 2
This takes us a small step closer to the Premiership. It also demonstrates one of the reasons why we''ve been kept in the division of death for so long. This was a typical local derby where strength and passion were more important then the football. Disappointed in the performance? Yes. Disappointed in the result? Yes. Thought we should have won when we were 2 - 0 up? Yes. Happy to get a draw in the end? Yes.
Top of the league? Yes.

Match 40 Wolves 0 Grimsby 1
Overall a very disappointing result with an even more disappointing performance. The finishing line is within smelling distance and this sort of performance is not needed. The hot headed approach by Muscatt is definitely not what is needed and I can see that being the last game that he will play for Wolves.
On the bright side we are still 8 points clear [of third place] with only six games left, the title may be realistically out of our reach but we can still show Keegan who is the better side. The reaction on his face as he spits his dummy out of the cot will be worth the prospect of finishing second.
Next season will be a different story, but if the press are correct with news of the likes Robbie Keane wanting to play for us - who can tell.
It''s going to be a worrying few weeks - where''s my bottle of JD gone?

Match 41 Wolves 0 Norwich 0
This match was given extra importance by W*** Brom''s win against Forest the night before. I listened to the last ten minutes on the radio, and so heard their late winner. You could also hear the "boing boing" of the single brain cell that they share as they realised that they could yet catch us. Only a win could settle the nerves as the scum embark on an easy run in and we face Burnley, Man City and Millwall.
Two weeks ago thinking the unthinkable meant preparing for the Premiership. Now its taken on a sinister tone and I wish someone would wake me from this nightmare. To be robbed by moaning Megson''s B*ggies would be hell on earth. It can''t happen. Can it?

Match 42 Burnley 2 Wolves 3
The press referred to us as "stuttering" towards the finishing line. After the lacklustre Norwich display, we might start to question whether we had enough "in the tank" to reach the finishing line. What a time for the return of our top scorer "Deano" Sturridge. This was a "must-win" and we were not let down.
Now the question is what team will we see on Monday - the team that lost to Grimsby or the team that went three nil up [against Burnley] in the first half? Here''s hoping.

Match 43 Wolves 0 Man City 2
Well what you want me to say, I won''t lie then I can''t then I can''t deny. I did it all for the Wolves, the Wolves so you can take that performance and stick it your, stick it up your!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not really gonna say much about the match, we were truly s***e. We gave so much room to the likes of *uckerbie that we really didn''t deserve anything out of the game. With the pondlife winning, it just puts more pressure on us. We lost and everyone else seem to win. Same points with three game to go.
Oh why was I born a Wolves fan?

Match 44 Millwall 1 Wolves 0
As all the hype said, they don''t come any bigger than this. Win and the pressure''s on W*** Brom, with two relatively easy matches to go. Lose and W*** Brom look f

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good post - just goes to show we can never be complacent in the next few games. It''s in our hands and we are not to worry about what other teams are doing. Their run in was quite tough though. We got three home games left, Wigan, Wallsall and Preston. Win these and we are ok. The way we''re playing I think we''ll get a few away points as well.

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On reflection I think the main lesson for us is to stay ahead of the game - not to get to the point where we have to win a particular match. Even if that match is against someone like Crewe.
We must never settle for a draw. Encouragingly, after Saturday, I think the team have shown that they won''t.

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God, stop doing this fool! I thought we were passed the point where Wolves began to throw it all away but we''re not. 8 point lead with 6 to go? Assuming Sunderland win at Wimbledon that will be pretty much the equation for us.
I think the only difference is the performance of the teams behind - apart from WBA, for which read Man City in the Wolves case, no team is yet stringing together the wins that will really put the pressure on. Just hope Sunderland get a few draws in their final games, they look the main danger.

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Yes Mr Beard - West Brom did have a fantastic last eight games, 22 points out of 24. It''s unlikely to happen again, but if any team has the potential it has to be Sunderland. However, after watching them huff and puff against Millwall at the weekend, they''re clearly no supermen.

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Sends a chill down my spine. I laughed at them at the time, but now I can imagine how that must have felt.

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Fool - I understand the point you are trying to make, but please don''t say "Even if that match is against someone like Crewe". Have you SEEN our record against Crewe? I would not feel at all confident needing a win at Crewe!

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I take nothing for granted and just have too many painful memories of us chucking it all away just when we thought we couldn''t.

On the subject of Crewe it wasn''t long ago that we were 3-2 up with about 2 minutes left and lost 4-3.

Its an old cliche (and Fool is right) but we have to just take each game as it comes and get the win. When we start trying to bag a point we have never ever been able to do it. Cardiff 02 is the prime example.

I always assume that the rivals WILL win their games, the only comfort being that Sunderland have a lot to play in a short time and a run against 4 of their main promotion rivals. But they could still win all of them- McCarthy has done a good job with them since Xmas.

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fool why be negative enjoy the next 5 or 6 weeks
WE ARE UP no problems the team is play quit
well we are scoring goals Hucks is on fire even matty S
has found what the white things are for still dont conseed
that many goals so why be negative?We have waited 9
years to be in this postion so just enjoy the moment
Wolves 2 years ago is totally a different situation to what we
are in now they could not buy a win + there is no WBA
coming on stong with a late run if there is a small worry
(hehe)it Sunderland who after Sunday dont look that a good
of a side plus they still have to play us.Also they will be playin
3 games a week though April so if they DO put a run together
it will be a super human effot.
SO ON THE BALL CITY ENYOY THE REST OF THE SEASON!!!!!!

isnt it fun upset the binners when we see them at the minute

:~)

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