Manager Reveals Flaws In The Style He Changed

So how did Wolves come by the ways that saw them clean up so spectacularly in the lower divisions more than a quarter of a century ago?

Were they playing to a specific style devised by Graham Turner? Did he have clear methods in mind and then go and sign the players to implement his ways? Answers are now at hand…..

Issue three of the Old Gold Glory retro magazine carries a lengthy article in which the manager goes some way to explaining how he struck on the winning formula.

“Having watched the first few games, I quickly realised the lads were trying to string too many passes together deep in their own half,” Turner says in a revealing three-page interview.

“Inevitably, the opposition would take the ball off us and get straight at our goal.

“I looked at the players we’d got like Andy Mutch, who had tremendous pace, and they all wanted to run forward. So I changed our style so we got the ball forward earlier and played to these players’ strengths.

“At first, it wasn’t readily accepted by them but I persevered with it and then Bully arrived and he wanted the same sort of service.

“It wasn’t just ballooning the ball forward – far from it – but the forwards wanted to utilise their power and speed to get in behind defenders.”

Fans can read much, much more – from the manager and many others – in a £2.50 magazine that will be on sale at Molineux at today’s home game against Watford.

In this ‘Out Of Darkness Cometh Light’ edition, there are also pieces by regular columnists Mel Eves, Geoff Palmer, Martin Patching, Steve Gordos and David Harrison and contributions from several fans, as well as editor Graham Large and his assistant Jon Babb.

The next issue is out next month and will bear a ‘European nights’ theme, for which the publishers are seeking ideas for articles. They can be contacted at https://www.facebook.com/OldGoldGlory or at @OldGoldGlory by Twitter users.

* We once again apologise for the delay, caused by a technical issue, in adding photos to this article.