27th August 1983. Wolves 1 Liverpool 1.
The first game back in the top flight, the then Division 1, after a triumphant promotion from Division 2 against the reigning league champions. After that the season deteriorated into inevitable relegation – hmm sound familiar?
An even bigger shock was to follow in the match at Anfield when Wolves won 1-0. It was such a big shock I remember it being one of the headlines on the main evening news!
Although it was twenty years ago I remember being at the home game. However, a lack of team investment saw us inevitably fall apart – what’s going on, why is history repeating itself? ;-)
Well we’ve seen the stories banded about that the team bottom at Christmas always goes down, and barring Arsenal borrowing us their entire squad, it’s looking likely to be repeated.
However, Liverpool are no longer the team they were. Houllier is constantly linked with the sack and he’ll be looking forward to the prospect of bringing the Reds to the Molineux. However, again we seem to be one of their jinx teams in past history having not lost in the last four home encounters against them.
Unfortunately, on the road we’ve fallen apart but at home we are a much tougher proposition since the Charlton and Chelsea fixtures.
Last week at Villa, when 3-1 down we were in control, playing some really good football. If only we could ever do that from the start then we’d be in with a shout. However, with our already thin squad being stretched further with injuries Jones’s options are limited.
However, surely he can get his tactics a bit more coherent as playing Deano against Dublin was farcical.
Liverpool will be without Owen through injury, which is a shame for us as football fans, but a relief if we want to get something from the game. The thought of Heskey up against Butler should be amusing though.
Looking through the Liverpool squad you can see where their problem lies.
Kirkland ,Otsemobor ,Biscan ,Hyypia ,Riise ,Diouf (Le Tallec) ,Hamann (Sinama-Pongolle) ,Gerrard ,Murphy ,Heskey ,Smicer
This was the team last week in the home defeat to Southampton.
My football ignorant mum could name the Liverpool team of the eighties. A clued up football fan like myself goes ‘Who?’ to half of the current side.
So is it the perfect time probably to tackle Liverpool?
It seems that instead of challenging for the league title they look hard pressed to tackle for a UEFA Cup spot. But there is quality in there, it’s just not geld with so many changes. If Gerrard can stop trying to two-foot everyone he’s a great passer of the ball. Hamann, just returning from injury is an Ince of bygone years. Otsemobor was given rave reviews despite the defeat last week. Hyppia and Riise seem to have gone stale after dynamic starts to their Premiership careers. Kirkland is a future England No.1.
So don’t expect them to come to the Molineux and give us three points. They’ll still be favorites to take a win but we’ve got a chance on our home turf.
I’d like to see Jones go 4-4-2 as 4-5-1 allows Kennedy to disappear. Last week he should have been taken off before he scored. A player with less interest you’d be hard pressed to find. Push Camara up front, bring Gudjonsson in for Kennedy and just win the ball in the middle and put it through for Deano or Camara to chase in the channels (rather than up in the air).
No point trying to play a passing game. Just try and win the ball and make the Liverpool defence chase us for a change.
I’m going for yet another 1-1 draw.
Obviously, we need all three points but I don’t think we’ve enough quality to get them all.
Still give us a little smile going into Christmas.
Come on the Wolves!
E-mail me with any comments/feedback to: dave@wolves-mad.co.uk