The Worst Twelve Months in Wolves History

Wolverhampton Wanderers are a club who have what is regarded as a rich history in football. Their most successful period came under manager Stan Cullis in the 1950’s and many fans still regard Wolves as a ‘big club’. Yet with one game remaining this season Wolves appear doomed to be relegated to League One just a year after relegation from the Premier League. The past year has been nothing short of a shambles yet as The Whitehouse Address discusses, it may be the best thing for the clubs future.

February 13th 2012 may be one of the most important dates in Wolves history. It was the day they sacked Mick McCarthy. Following a 5-1 home loss to rivals West Brom the board decided that a run of one win in thirteen games meant a new man was needed. The club had 13 games remaining to save their season. Now whether the number 13 is mere coincidence cannot be said, but since that decision Wolves have been in free-fall and they now find themselves about to make history by suffering a double relegation. 

February was the wrong time to sack McCarthy. In all fairness they should have decided to move on after the club survived by a goal on the last day of the season in 2010/11. McCarthy is a good man and did wonders for the club yet his talents and style were limited for the club to progress further. However to let him go without any idea of a viable replacement in a crucial part of the season was utter lunacy from the board.

The chief executive Jez Moxey believed  that "We felt we had to act now. We had to get a new manager in to try and halt the decline in results."

However him and owner Steve Morgan made the club a mockery in those following two weeks. Every manager available was linked to the position yet either their interview went poorly or they decided the job or proposal being given to them was not suitable. 

Neil Warnock and Steve Bruce both of turned the opportunity down, Warnock chose the Leeds job instead and Bruce because he was offered just a 13-game contract. Alan Curbishley slipped out of the running after holding talks the board and names like Poyet were linked yet dismissed. It appeared the board had no idea who they wanted to appoint and if they did were doing a poor job of convincing these men to take the job.

In their pursuit of a new manager Moxey said: 'So far I think we are just about on schedule to keep to what we said which was, if at all possible, that we’d like a new manager in before our away game to Newcastle United. We can’t be absolutely sure that will be the time frame but ideally that is what we want to do. This job requires a certain type of manager and someone who is going to give us complete commitment and enthusiasm. We would only ever appoint somebody who clearly demonstrated to us that they really want the job.’

And who did they end up appointing? Terry Connor. Wow. All these candidates with experience of managing in the Premier League and Moxey and Morgan hire McCarthy’s assistant who had absolutely no experience of management. Out of love for the club he accepted the offer to manage the team for the remainder of the season, a decision which would cost the club their Premier League status.

Sometimes the assistant, or someone without experience can come in and be a revelation. Yet Wolves were in a downward spiral and Connor had been a part of that. Nothing changed at Wolves except that the motivator, the ‘gaffer’ was no longer there. Effectively Wolves board decided to allow their ship to sail without a captain at the helm, and it was no surprise that the club was effectively shipwrecked by the end of the campaign.

Wolves ended up finishing rock-bottom, claiming just four more points from their remaining 13 matches under the (caretaker) management of Connor. It was ultimately a terrible decision from the board and yet those decisions didn't get any better.

A Danish risk

Championship football beckoned yet before the season had even ended Moxey and Morgan had thrown another curveball at the club and the fans. A new direction had been decided upon yet  the decision was another ‘risk’ from Morgan. 

He decided to bring in the ex-FC Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken who had enjoyed great success in Denmark. Solbakken's success earned him a move to the Bundesliga with Cologne, but he was replaced by his predecessor Frank Schaefer shortly before the club were relegated from the German top flight. His arrival at Wolves was something of a surprise for sure as he had no experience of managing in England or any knowledge of the Championship. And it showed.

It was clear that Solbakken had been given a remit to ‘revolutionise’ the club and introduce a more forward thinking, progressive style after the more limited and British approach of McCarthy. However he was not received well. Many players wanted out and Wolves best two players Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher were granted their moves, pocketing Wolves £24m in the process. A good business deal yet not good for the quality of the team.

The Dane brought in some of his own players yet he was showing a lack of knowledge for his new league and its style and the culture of the club which had become cemented by McCarthy. A case of too much too soon was his problem. 

Another issue was the fact that Morgan wished to keep Terry Connor in his role to support the new manager. He was there to ensure ‘continuity’ which seemed very odd if the club were looking for a new direction. It must have also been difficult for both Connor and Solbakken whose philosophies were very different. If Solbakken alienated Conor then the players would feel sympathy for Connor and resented towards the manager. By keeping Connor Wolves board were showing distrust in the new manager which confuses the players and which as results proved, caused disharmony and confusion in the camp. It was an unnecessary dilemma which Morgan did not need to have made. 

The writing was on the wall for a while and on January 5^th Solbakken was sacked after the loss to Luton in the FA Cup. He left with Wolves 18^th in the Championship, six points from the relegation zone. Perhaps the decision to sack Solbakken was fair considering the results and potential relegation battle yet it did appear to show an admission by Morgan that he had got it wrong once again. The ‘risk’ had failed and questions were being pointed at Moxey and Morgan for their handling of the club.

Another wrong choice?

After McCarthy, Connor and then Solbakken Steve Morgan needed to make sure he got the next one right. Talk was of Billy Davies who would have been ideal for the job after successful spells with Derby and Nottingham Forest. Yet Morgan took another ‘risk’, this time hiring Dean Saunders. 

Now some argue that Morgan hired Saunders more because of links with Liverpool in Saunders playing days and while at Wrexham as manager. And although Saunders had done okay while at Wrexham, he had just overseen Doncaster’s relegation to League One. That being said he had impressed in League One with Doncaster this season. However, was this the man to change Wolves season and keep them in the league?

After 10 games Saunders still hadn’t got a win and Wolves were very much now in a relegation scrap. An improved runs of games pointed towards possible safety yet home losses in April to Huddersfield and Burnley and the last minute loss to Charlton had put Wolves in a near impossible position. Relegation appears a certainty and Saunders will have another relegation on his record.

A terrible 12 months for the club which have always been regarded more of a yo-yo club. Yet to see Wolves relegated to League One highlights serious issues with the team and board whose decisions have cost them this past 12-14 months.

"If you want me to go, I'll go."

The blame must go to Steve Morgan, the owner of the club. He bought Wolves in 2007 after failing to buy Liverpool, his boyhood club. Morgan made his money in building and has fortune of £350m. 

Although he saw Wolves promoted while owner, it has been his decisions which have put the club in the position they are in now. Following widespread criticism, Morgan has told the fans "If you want me to go, I'll go” and admitted that  "The last 18 months have been crap” yet stressed that "I am fully committed to this football club and I want exactly the same as you [the fans] want.

Perhaps fans are right to be cautious of Morgan's decision making; this week Solbakken came out and claimed that "I have no confidence in the owner. He’s a fantastic businessman and he could be a good owner if he had someone competent to deal with the footballing side of things.” 

Solbakken claims that Morgan hired him to ‘build a new culture, create a new identity’ yet was shocked that Morgan expected this to happen in ’15 minutes’. The Dane believes Morgan got scared, reacted too rash and ended up going back to the ‘old ways’. 

Whether Solbakken would have kept Wolves in the league we will never know yet it is clear that Morgan’s rash decisions and failure to plan effectively have cost Wolves dearly.

It is darkest before the dawn

With League One all but confirmed perhaps Wolves fans can look upon this as the ‘dark before the dawn’. Wolves must now make drastic cuts to their wage bill and the possibility of a mass exodus of players like O’Hara, Doyle and Roger Johnson (whose arrival at Wolves could be argued to be the catalyst for Wolves demise, especially as McCarthy decided to hand him the captain armband immediately, stripping Karl Henry of the role). 

Wolves will have money available still from their parachute payments, roughly £16m on top of the money made from Jarvis and Fletcher. However perhaps this start which Morgan appears keen on should happen now. The McCarthy era brought good times yet in the long term is flawed when considering what the modern game entails. McCarthy is part of the ‘old school’ method which although effective to an extent is limited in the top league. The team is still very much a McCarthy type one and if Saunders wishes to bring a new approach a new start involving a mass exodus may be necessary  

Promotion will be expected next season yet it is feasible that Wolves can achieve this playing a much more attractive style of football. Southampton are a great example and lesson for them; it was only a few years back that the south coast club was in the same position as Wolves will find themselves yet with a new approach under Pardew and then Adkins the club propelled themsevles to the top league. And what was the catalyst? Youth.

Wolves have been awarded category one status in the new Elite Player Performance Plan which means that they have one of the best academies in the country. Unfortunately not enough youth players have been given the chance to gain first team opportunities these past few seasons yet this may be different now. Saunders may look to the youth players in order to instil his style on the team and look to get rid of those who have failed the club in the past few seasons. It may be just the necessary change which can spark a new era for Wolves. 

The hope is that Saunders embraces this and looks to the academy for Wolves future. Southampton proved it can be done and there is no reason to believe Wolves can’t do the same. For too long now the club has relied on the same players on high wages and has failed, the style of play needs improving and the playing staff needs a revolution. Wolves fans may look at this as disaster yet it may be a blessing and the dawn of something new for the club.

Steve Morgan has a lot to answer for this past season, bad decision making has made Wolves a laughing stock, he now must put more trust in his manager and allow the team to be developed. A good owner is patient and trusting, Morgan needs to improve his ways or he will be asked to leave by the Wolves fans who have grown understandably frustrated with his management and decision making at the club. He has a chance to put Wolves on the road to progress and a brighter future, he needs to make sure his next decision is a good one. 

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address