"You win nothing with kids." A famous quote from a certain Alan Hansen, when referring to Sir Alex Ferguson's young Manchester United side that lost to Aston Villa 3-1 on the opening day of the 95/96 season. He believed that Ferguson had made a massive error of judgement in having such faith in his young players, and selling his experienced stars.
Of course, Hansen was wrong - Man United went on to do a domestic double that season. And there were many more titles to come. And it's took Hansen years to live the quote down.
It's now 2008, and its the young guns of Wolverhampton Wanderers that are making waves in the Championship, with their young squad of players impressing on their quest to the Premiership.
Five games played, and 12 points from a possible 15. Not a bad return, and a start that was needed after last season's play-off disappointment. There's no hangover here, that's for sure.
So where did it all go wrong last time around?
Well, scoring goals was never a problem last season, and you can see why, with an attack containing the likes of Michael Kightly, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, and Andy Keogh. All 3 players are only 22, and are as exciting as they come. Kightly in particular has been a revelation, making the step from Non-League to Football League with relative ease. Comparisons with Ryan Giggs are not too far off the mark, in my eyes.
And it doesnt end there. The likes of Wayne Hennessey, Sam Vokes, David Edwards, and Kevin Foley are also on Wolves' books. Young and hungry is definately the order of the day at Molineux.
However, as exciting as it was watching Wolves last season, it also proved to be frustrating. Wolves drew far too many games - games they should really have won. 16 times in fact. Naivety, perhaps? An inability to close a game out could certainly be down to a lack of experience, as could a lack of killer instinct. Either way, it cost Wolves a playoff place on the final day of the season.
It could also be argued that the young squad were not battle-hardened to the vigours of the Championship. Perhaps teams couldn't outplay Wolves, but they could certainly out-muscle them and out-smart them.
However, a line has been drawn from that campaign, and Wolves have started this season with fresh confidence and optimism. They now look like the team to beat, though doubts remain if the young stars can keep this good form up. Will they fold under the pressure? If last season is anything to go by, you wouldnt bet against it.
Of course, with millionaire Steve Morgan on board, the funds are there for Wolves. Players progressing through the academy it certainly aint. But at least money is being invested in young English players. Which is more than you can say for other clubs around the country, quite frankly.
The average age of the Wolves squad is 24, a quite startling statistic. It's refreshing to see a manager have such faith in young players, but it is, in my eyes, a gamble. Watching it unfold should be fascinating.
2 comments:
a gamble is it, but watching young players being given a go is certainly not a bad thing
obviously if it doesn't work wolves fans won't agree
with such an exciting team they look set to push hard for promotion this season, i picked them from the start, and ive seen nothing thats made me think otherwise
I actually thought playoffs at best.
You cant argue with one thing - these young players wont have any fear. They'll always give it a go and push teams, I just worry for them when the going gets tough. And it will, at some point.
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