Danny points the way.
"Danny Batth's from Brierley Hill,Brierley Hill,Brierley Hill.Danny Batth's from Brierly Hill,Fuck off Johnson" This is what the Wolves fans sing to our young centre back and occasional captain Daniel Tanveer Batth.Now i realise that as a song it's probably not up there with anything Bob Dylan,Neil Young or even Miley Cyrus may compose(Although Miley's interpretation on video would be interesting) but to Wolves it speaks volumes...
The malaise that enveloped the club these last few years has been well documented and one of the main totems of that maliase ----Roger Johnson,he named in Batth's song---Has been banished to Sheffield Wednesday---In an obvious attempt to add to his record of three successive relegations---- to be replaced by local youngster Danny Batth at the heart of Wolves defence,a defence that has conceded only ten goals in seventeen games.In the few games Batth played last season, either alongside or in place of Johnson it was obvious to all those watching he should be a permanent name on the teamsheet.All except the manager at the time that is.It was only the arrival of Kenny Jackett in the summer who instantly recognised Batth's importance to the club that prevented him from being cherry picked by other clubs.
As the song says, Danny Batth was born in Brierley Hill----A small Black Country town about five miles from Wolverhampton----and has been at the club since the age of ten,it was only last season however that he broke into the Wolves team at the age of twenty two after playing nearly a hundred league games on loan to Colchester and both Sheffield clubs.At the start of this season he was made first choice centre half and in truth it's now hard to imagine a Wolves team without him in it.
Batth(pronounced Bart) is of Punjabi Sikh descent and at a solid 6" 2" gives lie to the prevailing belief among some that Asians would never make good footballers cos' of their slight build----Have they never seen Kabaddi? It's brutal! Those lads certainly are'nt lacking in the physical stakes---The same nonsense used to be said of footballers from Afro Caribbean backgrounds many years ago.That they were'nt brave enough or that they could'nt read the game.Is'nt it about time this rubbish stopped?
Anyway i digress.From the moment i first saw Batth on his Wolves league debut i was impressed.He was playing alongside Roger Johnson and within the first couple of minutes he was covering his back when he cleared a through ball that Johnson failed to intercept and his ability to read the game and speed to cover impending danger is what places him above any other centre half in division one,or indeed the Championship,in my opinion...If he continues to progress he has a great future in the game,whether it's at Wolves or not remains to be seen...
He's also good in the air and uses his timing to win balls against bigger opponents,although to be fair this has not really been needed too much as most of the football i have seen this season has been played on the ground rather than lumped up to a grizzled old hairy arsed striker.With his ariel power he's also a danger in the opponents penalty box at corners and free kicks.
One slight criticism is that sometimes his distribution out of defence could be better,hopefully that's something being worked on in training.
But Daniel Tanveer Batth is not just a good player.To my mind he represents a whole new beginning at Wolves.A local youth who's come through the ranks to put pride back in the club.a local lad who will hopefully stay with the club and one day become Captain in his own right rather than as stand in Captain to Sam Ricketts(Who's done a sterling job) Batth is the best home grown defender i have seen at Wolves since the heady days of Joleon Lescott.I admit there's not been a lot of competition but just to be mentioned in the same breath as Lescott shows how highly i rate Batth...
Danny Batth.The heart of new Wolves...From Brieley Hill.
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