Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Tottenham Hotspur 3

Like the Wolves fixture list the blog is suffering from discombobulation. Hence its late appearance. The Premier League seems not to concern itself with either the sensibilities of the supporters nor in this particular game, the local council. 7.30pm on Saturday 3rd November had been set aside originally, for the town’s annual firework show. Then, with all the sensitivity of a kick in the groin, the Premier League decided to switch the Wolves v Tottenham kick off to a time that clashed with the pyrotechnics. In the ensuing standoff, the PL triumphed and thus was the council forced into moving its roman candle crescendo to the day before. Oh for the stability of 3pm Saturday.

Stability is a premise to which Coach Nuno Espirito Santo also aspires. But in Wolves’ last home game v Watford it was used as a possible reason for the lacklustre...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 v Watford FC 2

Walter Zenga. Remember him? Some time manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, quite high on the fruitbat scale, whose three month rein at the Molineux ended almost two years ago to the day on 25th October 2016. 4 wins from 14 games was not the most successful of starts and for all the supposed claims that he retained the support of the players out he went.

Contrast Zenga’s record with Nuno’s. 4 wins out of 8. Three draws. One defeat. Fifteen points out of a possible twenty four, with Wolves riding high in 7th place. It is all rather surreal the sole defeat against Leicester leading me to an Eeyore like view that in spite of their emphatic Championship success, Wolves were insufficiently prepared for the battled hardened units of the Premier League.

To gain a foothold in season one of a Premier League campaign the promoted team must gain points...

On Thursday morning I just happened to be sitting in the lobby of the Double Tree Hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi (pron. Bloxy) reading a copy of USA Today. America’s sole national newspaper has a price tag of $2.00 though I would doubt many pay that as most copies are given away for free. Anyway I mention this only in as much that the sports section had a small feature on the forthcoming Ryder Cup in which it predicted that the twenty five years of hurt – the length of time America has failed to win on European soil - would end this year with a 15.5 to 12.5 American victory. Given the strength of the American side which contained amongst others Dustin Johnson, World No 1 golfer, Brooks Koepke, US Open and US PGA Champion, Patrick Reed, US Masters Champion together with recent major champions Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth and multiple major champions Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson you...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Manchester City 1

12.30pm, Saturday 25th August 2018. A date with destiny as Wolves took to the field for game three of their fourth season attempting to establish a toe hold in the Premier League. Their opponents, none other than Premier League Champions Manchester City. Managed by Pep Guardiolo - one of the greatest managers of his generation – with a squad brim full of battle hardened international talent. The portents suggested a one sided affair. Only the home side hadn’t read the script in what was to prove an incident packed and thoroughly entertaining game.

After a relatively quiet start things came alive in minute nineteen when Vincent Kompany was harried into making a clumsy pass. The errant ball was collected on the half way line by Ruben Neves who fed Diogo Jota. Advancing towards goal his deflected shot fell to Raul Jimenez who poked home only...

Re-reading the sports section of this morning’s Sunday Times I was somewhat remiss in overlooking a short piece on Francesco Molinari under the title “Magical Molinari still in the form of his life”. Perhaps that can be explained by me considering the quiet Italian something of a plodder lacking a level of charisma which one might more normally attribute to the likes of say Jordan Spieth or Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Tommy Fleetwood. Yet in the game of golf an equable temperament and being in control of your ball-flight - such that you consistently hit fairways and greens - are attributes to be cherished. And when it comes to hitting fairways and greens there are few better than Francesco Molinari. As 2017 tipped over into 2018 all that he really needed was an improvement in mental approach and a better putting stroke.

For some time now Molinari he has been working with Dave Alred...

Croatia 2 v England 1 (AET)

When at the start of the first period of extra time Clive Tildesley declared “Had we known before the tournament started that England would be entering extra time in the semi final of a World Cup we’d have taken it.” That is certainly true but in uttering those words he was probably trying to compensate for a first half in which England could have been home and hosed had they converted two guilt edged opportunities. First Harry Kane and then Jesse Lingard.

As it was they went in at half time only 1-0 up following an excellent Kieron Trippier free kick. But unlike France last night, who with Kante, Pogbe, Griezman and MBape defended a similar lead against a fine Belgium side, England lacked the footballing quality to win the game. In fairness, Croatia are a fine side and had they lost this semi final it would have been something of an injustice. But with...

England 2 v Sweden 0

In all the euphoria of Tuesday night’s historic penalty shoot out win against Columbia, I was remiss in not mentioning Jordan Pickford’s excellent save which set up the victory. And it was Pickford again today that England must thank for ensuring that, for the first time in 28 years, they cruised comfortably into a World Cup semi final.

In times past England were pre-programmed to concede a goal when in the lead. In fairness they did it against Tunisia in their opening game and again v Columbia on Tuesday. It nearly happened here for shortly after the break Pickford made an excellent save to deny a Berg header and then fifteen minutes later he produced an even better save low down from Claesen following a lovely Swedish move.

By then however, England were 2-0 up and Sweden were forced to chase the game. This situation suited England, because apart from those...

Columbia 1 v England 1 (England win 4-3 on penalties)

First off the above in brackets is not a typing error as for once in a major championship, England managed to win a penalty shoot-out. Apparently Manager Gareth Southgate has made penalty taking a regular part of the training schedule and on the 3rd July 2018 against Columbia in the last 16 of the World Cup finals that strategy paid huge dividends. Hats off to all those who stepped forward, and particularly Eric Dier, on whose shoulders the hopes of a nation rested. The jubilant end was in marked contrast to the 120 minutes that had preceded it as matters sashayed from hope to despair to resignation that England’s World Cup journey would once again end in abject defeat. But it’s never over until the you know what and after more penalty shoot-out failures than Cheryl Cole marriage break ups, we were due a change in fortune.

…...

Belgium 1 v England 0
Scant are the occasions when one can watch an England World Cup Qualifier with the relaxed air of someone enjoying an ice cold Pimms on the lawn at a sun drenched garden party. In my 59 years of following England at major tournaments I would suggest it has happened on only one previous occasion, the 1990 Third Place Play off. England lost that game to Italy 2-1 though in mitigation were still nursing the wounds of having gone out to the Germans on penalties in the semi final – something that is thankfully not going to happen this year.

Anyway Belgium v England 2018 offered a similarly relaxed prospect though matters were somewhat skewed by the respective team selections which rendered the match something of a non event. A straw poll of the level of interest could be taken at the Tennis Club Bar where I began my viewing. After forty minutes barely half those who...

When, some while ago, England were drawn into a group containing Belgium, Tunisia and Panama, there was a collective sigh of relief that the odds on breaking free into the knockout stage were high. After all the team had qualified on the back of an unbeaten campaign and neither Tunisia nor Panama presented anything more threatening than the teams they had already overcome.

But such a sentiment ignores England’s lamentable performance at recent championships, none more so than the defeat just over two years ago, against tiny Iceland a side fashioned from a populace of barely 300,000 people. All of which explained why, in the run up to the tournament, Manager Southgate was at pains to play down expectation.

Thus far his plan appears to be working. Just under a week ago stubborn Tunisia were overcome with a last gasp winner from Harry Kane. And today, tournament debutants Panama were...