Once upon a time there was a team called ”The Invincibles”. This side had an impressive spine, contained three world cup winners - one of whom scored goals for fun - played a graceful passing game and managed to complete the 2003 / 2004 Premier League season unbeaten. Their record of played 38, Won 26, Drew 12 Lost 0 has not been bettered since and unsurprisingly that season they were crowned champions. In the year that followed they won the FA Cup.

For their urbane manager who, amongst many things, had introduced a previously unseen attacking style, overhauled dietary and fitness requirements and sought out young nuggets whom he would subsequently nurture into world class performers, 2005 would mark the high point of his impressive reign. For it would be another nine years – the FA Cup of 2014 - before Arsenal would claim another major trophy. Last Sunday they lost 3-0 to Manchester...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Norwich City 2

Norwich; ancient Norman stronghold with a splendid cathedral and latterly home to Colman’s mustard and Delia’s Bar and Grill. The woman who taught us how to cook an egg is also the main shareholder at Carrow Road, which in recent years has been home to a side whose fortunes have waxed and waned. They are currently on the wane, stuck in mid table mediocrity some 27 points adrift of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Yet, for much of the second half, it was the mid table mediocre’s who bossed the game and their equalizing goal - albeit arriving in the final minute of time added on - did not much surprise.

For Wolves the game was a mirror image of their last home performance v QPR. Only this time they were punished for sitting back too much allowing the visitors time and space to play their own game. Yes Nelson Oliveira’s wonder strike from 30 yards...

Wolves 2 v Queens Park Rangers 1

Ever heard of the tiny Swedish football club Ostersunds FK? Me neither. Seven years ago they were plying their trade in the fourth tier of Swedish club football which by any reckoning is a pretty lowly place in which to ply ones trade. In that year an Englishman named Graham Potter became their manager and over the subsequent three seasons he gained promotion twice. In 2015 Ostersunds joined Sweden’s Premier League and in 2017, and still lead by Potter, they won the Swedish FA Cup. It is through that route by which they secured a place in this year’s Europa Cup and on Thursday 15th February they play the first leg of their Round of 32 tie against mighty Arsenal.

I mention this only in as much that Potter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Potter , who played at Birmingham City, Stoke City, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion before going into...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 v Sheffield United 0

One of the benefits of penning a voluntary sports blog is that deadlines are self imposed. Come the appointed hour there is no sub-editor breathing down my neck chasing copy. I can also decide where and how I choose to watch the game and I have to admit that on Saturday I remained in the warmth of my home. Whilst the visceral thrill of communal goal celebration is clearly absent it does present benefits.

To begin with it allowed me to watch the whole of the Wales v Scotland Six Nations opener, in which the home team confounded everyone by destroying a Scottish side who were viewed as pre tournament dark horses. And then, during half time at the Molineux, I could tune in to the enthralling finale in the France v Ireland game. When in the 72nd minute Teddy Thomas’s blistering try – subsequently converted – put France 13-12 ahead it...

Wolves 0 v Nottingham Forest 2

With Derby and Bristol City cancelling one another out in last night’s 0-0 draw today’s game v Nottingham Forest offered Wolves the opportunity to extend their lead even further at the top of the Championship. But it was not to be as Nottingham Forest, under new manager Aitor Karanka, played the better football against a Wolves side that were far from their best. Indeed for all their possession the home side failed to trouble Matt Smith in the Forest goal and whilst every side is allowed the odd poor game, for some time now Wolves have been playing scratchy football and this was scratchy plus.

The match itself was decided in a five minute spell short of half time. In the 40th minute Forest earned themselves a corner on the left wing. It was not the most testing of deliveries and when Ryan Bennett headed clear, it looked like the danger had passed. But...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 v Swansea City 0

You will be familiar with the phrase “not in a good place”. As a lad who grow up in the Seventies I cannot recall it being used when the miners were striking, the country was on a three day week and I was cleaning my teeth with Gibbs SR in the flickering light created by a less than substantial candle. As far as I can tell its use has crept up on us, almost unnoticed, such that it is now part of the mainstream. I only say this apropos of Swansea City, today’s opponents, who at present are “not in a good place”. Of course it is a fleeting state of affairs. At one time, under Roberto Martinez and more recently Brendan Rogers, Swansea were in a good place. They cruised into the Premier league playing classy football and for a couple of seasons made their mark. I seem to recall reading a statistic that said that Leon Britton and Nathan Dyer...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 v Brentford FC 0

For football clubs and their players the festive season can be a challenging time. To begin with there is unloved fixture pressure; four games shoehorned into the time one would normally expect to play two and to which this season one could add the difficulties presented by tricky opposition. A home tie against stubborn Ipswich, followed by a friendly welcome at the New Den, followed by a top of the table clash away to Bristol City. Then there is the tension between players, who seek to fill their boots with roast potatoes, turkey and the odd glass of alcohol and their management who would rather they ate something gleaned from a Gwyneth Paltrow Cookery Book all washed down with a calonic cleansing kelp smoothie.

Adding to these tensions were Brentford, this evening’s opponents, who arrived at the Molineux on the back of a run of three...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Ipswich Town 0

One suspects that for Mick McCarthy Sunday 12th February 2012 is not one which he remembers with great affection. Back then the bluff Yorkshireman was managing a Wolves side struggling to keep their heads above the premier league relegation zone when West Bromwich Albion strolled into town. Though level at half time with a goal apiece the second half proved to be somewhat humiliating as West Brom outplayed Wolves to inflict a 5-1 defeat. Not best pleased with how the players representing his club had acquitted themselves Chairman Steve Morgan threw managerial niceties out of the window when he allegedly stormed into the changing room to give them a piece of his mind. Suitably undermined it was to prove the end for Mick who was shown the door the very next day.

Dusting off his not inconsiderable shoulders McCarthy was soon back in...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 v Sunderland 0

It is five years since Wolves last played Sunderland when both clubs were plying their trade in the Premier League. Via divergent paths they now find themselves in the Championship albeit bookending the division with the Old Gold looking down from a considerable height on their opponents. Thus was the midweek talk of how this game could present a banana skin, one on which Wolves have a record of treading, Saturday 16th March 2002 being a case in point. On that etched in the memory date Wolves were riding high, some twelve points clear of West Bromwich Albion (in third spot) when Grimsby rolled into town. The Mariners were bottom of the Championship but left with an unlikely 1-0 win, a victory which presaged the choke of all chokes as Wolves were overhauled by their fierce rivals, subsequently going out to Bolton in the first round of the...

Wolverhampton Wanderers 5 v Bolton Wanderers 1

These are heady days at Molineux. Indeed the fear is that like Rip Van Winkle I am shortly to wake from my slumber and realise that it was all a dream. Only, watching Ivan Cavaleiro’s 81st minute goal with the most thunderous of strikes, it looked pretty real to me.

As with Wednesday’s win v Leeds Cavaleiro was again lively and at the centre of much of the mayhem inflicted on the Bolton Wanderers defence. That said it was from a dead ball that Wolves opened their account when in the 12th minute Barry Douglas’s wicked inswinging corner was headed in by the not insignificant frame of Willy Boly. Four minutes later the same combination nearly made it two but this time Boly’s header lacked pace and was comfortably saved by Alnwick. Then on 25 minutes a floated pass over the Bolton back line from Ruben Neves picked out Diogo Jota running...