When we announced the signing of Tommy Doyle on a season long loan from Manchester City, with an option to buy of £5m (a 50% sell on fee was attached), I simply thought it was too good to be true.
Having followed his progress on loan at Sheffield United last season, where he was amongst the best players in a side that got promoted in 2nd place in the Championship (only behind Vincent Kompany’s bulldozing Burnley side), I thought it was the perfect signing for Wolves, side renowned for having quality midfielders since their promotion to the Premier League in 2018.
The likes of Joao Moutinho, Joao Gomes, Mario Lemina and of course, club stalwart Ruben Neves had all shone at Molineux in the six months prior to the arrival of the Englishman towards the end of the August transfer window and following what was seen by many at the time to be the lacklustre appointment of Gary O’Neil following Julen Lopetegui’s dramatic exit just five days before the season opener against Manchester United.
How would Doyle fare in following in the footsteps of such great and in some cases, legendary Molineux midfielders, as well as the likes of Vitinha (now at PSG) and Matheus Nunes (now at Man City)? How did the Englishman plan on making his mark?
It was a slow start admittedly. You can’t help but feel since though, that Doyle has encapsulated O’Neil’s reign as manager, stepping up due to suspensions to Lemina and Gomes and performing progressively better each game, as O’Neil’s adaptive tactics continue to impress plaudits, neutrals and Wolves fans alike. The duo of Lemina and Gomes have started most of Wolves’ games this season and were previously deemed to be undroppable, but since the New Year and Gomes’ controversial dismissal away to Brentford in the FA Cup 3rd round, Doyle has held the fort superbly, even scoring the equaliser in that game.
What endeared the ginger from City to the Wolves fans so much though was yet to come though. Having beaten Brentford in the replay of the initial 1-1 draw in West London, Wanderers had drawn fierce rivals West Bromwich Albion in the 4th round of the FA Cup, which would see the two sides face off in front of fans for the first time since 2012 (a 1-5 battering of Wolves that saw Mick McCarthy lose his job).
Having not won at the Hawthorns since John Major’s reign as Prime Minister and as it was a local derby, form had gone flying out the window. Despite being unbeaten since a 3-0 loss away to West Ham in early December, many Wolves fans pointed to the record at the Hawthorns as a signifier that this wasn’t going to be an easy game. Albion also boasted an impressive home record this season under boss Carlos Corberan, suffering defeat just four times in 29 games since the Spaniard took over. It was poised to be a fierce, brutal and huge occasion.
This didn’t faze the likes of Doyle however, who produced a mammoth performance in a Black Country Derby that will go down in history for a multitude of reasons, but not least the 90 minutes produced by young loanee.
Despite having various missiles thrown at him when taking corners, routine booing from Albion fans owing to the fact that he plays for their arch-rivals and the Hawthorns turning into a cauldron of chaos 80 minutes in leading to the game being suspended for 30 minutes, Doyle’s composure, tackling, passing and defensive duties all garnered huge praise from the old gold and black faithful.
100% tackle success rate is not to be sniffed at in any game, least of all a Black Country Derby with so much on the line, but 84% pass accuracy, 7 long balls and a key pass, as well as 2 crucial interceptions contributed to a glowing performance far beyond his modest 22 years of age.
Previously spending time on loan at Hamburger SV, Cardiff City and Sheffield United, where he gained cult status for playing a huge role in the latter’s promotion season chipping with 3 goals and 4 assists will have helped Doyle make his name at another club in English football, whom many had written off as dead and buried prior to the season’s beginning.
After being used sparingly at the beginning of the season, where Wolves suffered a 1-4 home defeat to Brighton, a 3-2 away defeat to Championship high flyers Ipswich and were also on the end of a controversial defeat to bottom side Sheffield United, Doyle has begun to make his mark on the team in recent weeks. Before scoring in the Brentford FA Cup game, he featured in the resounding 3-0 win over Everton and played the full 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw away at Brighton, a marked improvement on the 6-0 defeat Wolves suffered there in April last year.
Doyle’s steady improvement only reflects and encapsulates Gary O’Neil’s Wolves tenure so far. Things started off quiet and uneventful, but have blossomed into a side that have got their mojo back, reconnected with the fans and won the hearts and minds of supporters over. An excellent signing with bags of potential, who will hopefully be conducting the midfield at Molineux for years to come.
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