Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?
My last post was in March, and it felt like the right moment to fall silent. This blog has always been a bit of a “ramble,” covering a variety of topics from the political (less so recently) to the personal. The ‘personal’ includes, of course, my One True Passion, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As my bio says in a line stolen from Reepa, “There’s a Wolf on my chest and it’s not fashion.”
In the latter half of 2024, we were a team adrift, a ship taking on water, and staring down the barrel of relegation. Another season of struggle was a familiar, and frankly, tiresome battle with my own footballing optimism.
But the last time I put fingers to keyboard, we were more or less safe. We’d just beaten Southampton to put ourselves nine points clear of the drop zone with a much, much better goal difference than the bottom three, which effectively made it ten points. It would have taken not just a monumental collapse from Wolves, but also a stellar performance from either Ipswich or Leicester to see us go down.
None of those things happened. What happened was a complete and utter redemption arc, the kind of plot twist you’d expect from a half-decent TV drama, not from the heart-wrenching reality of following the Old Gold.
In fact, that win over Southampton was the first of six in a row, which was our longest winning streak since our return to the top flight in 2018/19.
The run was nothing short of miraculous. We didn’t just survive; we thrived. Led by the enigmatic Vítor Pereira, we found a gear that had been missing all season and, in a six-game winning streak, we pulled ourselves out of the mire and into the safety of mid-table. It was the sort of run that brings the goosebumps back and makes you remember why you put yourself through all this every week.
It didn’t matter that the six wins came against six relegation rivals. Not only did we beat the three teams eventually relegated in Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester, but also three teams having very poor seasons in West Ham, Man United and Spurs.
But the real highlight? Our historic league double over Man United—the first since 1979/80. That moment, as Sarabia curled in that free-kick, was pure, unadulterated joy. So what if they were utterly shite last season? It was a reminder that even when things feel a bit grey, this club can still deliver a moment of genuine, breathtaking magic.
Of course, we then only picked up one point in the final four games of the season, but by then it didn’t matter.
I think we’d all had enough of the season by then. I know I had.
Of course, the season’s turnaround wasn’t just about the manager. Matheus Cunha was a revelation, finishing as top scorer with 15 league goals. And Jørgen Strand Larsen, the big Norwegian, was immense, particularly when Cunha was out suspended. He became the very embodiment of our late-season defiance.
So, in the end, 16th in the table, and securing another season of Premier League football with relative comfort was a testament to the resilience of the squad and the tactical shift under Pereira. In November, we looked dead and buried. By season’s end, we were wondering what all the panic was about.
But now, with the new season underway and a hammering by Man City in the bag, the familiar questions arise. The summer has seen some key departures, with the likes of Cunha and Aït-Nouri heading to Manchester. While the club’s finances are said to be healthy, the perceived lack of ambition from the ownership is a sentiment that’s hard to shake. It’s the constant tension between business and passion, something every football fan knows all too well.
But does the club lack ambition? Or is it just that the club’s fans’ ambitions are unrealistic in the current environment? I don’t know, but it’s something I’d like to explore in a future post.
For me, though, after a season that turned from a desperate ramble into a gentle canter to the finish line and survival, I’m just happy to be here. We may have our frustrations, but a club that can pull off a six-game winning streak and a double over Manchester United? That’s a club worth sticking with.
Here’s to a more stable season ahead. What are your hopes and fears for the new campaign? Let me know in the comments.
