Jody Craddock returned to Wolves after being given assurances on his first team future, the defender revealed today.
Craddock is back at Molineux just a month after leaving for Championship rivals Stoke as boss Mick McCarthy plans a radical defensive rethink for the crucial visit of Norwich.
And the boss’s first decisive change will be thrusting the 32-year-old former skipper back into the starting line-up for Saturday’s must-win clash.
Craddock today revealed his delight at being back at “his club” but warned the Molineux faithful: “I’m no saviour”.
“I was happy to get the call. I’ve enjoyed my time at Stoke but Wolves is my club and I’m happy to be back,” he said.”The impression that I’ve been given is that I will be coming back and into the team - or certainly into contention. I’ve been playing first team football for Stoke and, to be honest, it would be a bit disappointing to come back and not be playing.
“It is the gaffer’s decision at the end of the day and I will do all I can to get back.”
McCarthy’s decision to bring him back comes after supporters called for his return during the dire defeat against Hull on Tuesday.
“Somebody did tell me that the fans had been chanting my name at the last couple of games and that is nice to know,” Craddock said.
“The fans know what I can do - I’ll be giving 100 per cent just like I did last season. But I think they know I’m not a saviour or anything - I can only do what I can do,” he said.
“I’ve been keeping in touch with things and I know how it feels to be under a bit of pressure at Molineux and it won’t affect me in the slightest.”
Craddock is now hoping to secure his long-term Molineux future .
“I thought I was being moved out of the club, but I’m being called back and now it is up to me to prove I can still do a job.”
83 Comments
We know he’s not - the best of a very bad bunch!
No one said you were Craddock…you’re just the best of a bad bunch!!!!!!
GREAT! a good decision at last from MM.
well come back jodie, mick mcarthy is a great bloke, but i think he has last realised at last our defence is terrible, should never have loaned you out, stokes loss our gain, just check on the goals they’ve coceeded since jody has been there.
Why don’t we also get Dean Richards out of retirement?
I heard Ally Robertson was still living locally too and even in his 50’s he’d be faster than Breen!
I’m going to comment before wolveswolves & the other so-called fans that jump on to the pessimistic bandwagon. I read all the pages & they keep ranting on ‘MM must go’. Do these moaners know anything about football? Have they not yet calculated that sacking managers only temporarily patches up the problems?
I am sick of coming on here and reading the same comments over again about how Mick is ‘panicking’ and ‘clueless’. If Mick were these things, he would never have succeeded anywhere. And these were the same people singing ‘Super Mick’ not that long ago, which obviously shows that they were just half-heartedly going with the flow.
Maybe he has eaten his words with bringing Craddock back, but at least it shows he is not stubborn. The position we are in is disappointing (I admit) but not worthy of sacking MM. 5 points from the Automatic zone and 3 from the Play-Offs!
For Saturday, get Bothroyd on the wing and stick with Keogh and Eastwood up top. Ward on the wing offers us nothing so at least Jay can whip in some good balls.
Rant over…
Play jody up front! joke play him with collins and Mark Little (pace) at left back! Bring Rosa or recall Jones onto Left wing! and drop Keogh into behind front too of Eastwood and JJ. No potter thank you!
Now all we need is Rosa back in the starting 11, 5 goals in 2 games must be worth a try at least. Cannot be any worse than what has being going on so far this season.
I do feel that MM is losing the plot here, he definately felt that craddock is not in his plans, farms him out to stoke and now recalls him back. There’s a vote of no confidence in his current backline, players he has bought to the club, and secondly his decision making or should I say indecisiveness is costing wolves. I feel sorry for craddock has he hadnt dont anything wrong in the first place, He is alot better than breen. DEFENCE should have been sorted in the summer, rather than the long fruitless chase for Billy Sharp! MM I still trust him but he has no excuses for the decisions he has currently made so far……
PS this aint a rant just an opinion and a observation.
9.
We were not behind the scenes at Molineux over the summer.
We only have the E&S to say we were chasing Sharp, and we DO NOT KNOW how many defenders were approached. We also have to get real and accept that a lot of defenders may have turned us down.
Defence is so obviously an issue. But who wants to join a club with the pressure we generate? It seems that there are many other clubs where the fans actually get behind the current players and support them, not players that have left or might join.
A message to all fans: can we actually start supporting the club instead of complaining? We are stating to make ourselves look disloyal, fragmented and just plain daft.
Up the Wolves!!
All you moaners shut up. Mick will sort it out.We have a great team and they will play through this bad patch and come out on top.
Eddiewolf (no 6) i doubt any of the ones you mentioned have sung Super Mick at all
After all you have to go to games to get involved in the singing.
Jody, we know you’re not our saviour but at least you can defend
Got to agree with Axel (8)…..
When are We going to recognise the talent that we have on the sidelines..or the one’s we seem to let go. Having Joddy back hopefulyl sends out the message to certain individuals that they have got to give their all in EVERY game. We are slow & clumsy at the back, even the hardest most loyal supporters would say that, its not getting on the teams back.
Lets shore up the defence..I’m sure we had the opportunity to invest in this area in the summer & use what We have in other positions that are experianced, again, a referance to Rosa..seen Him play many a first team game & give so much without recognition. I know its reserve footy at the moment…but hes showing what he can do…time to rest 1 in midfield & give this aggresive, forward attacking middy a chance I reckon.
Still keeping the faith…….
The futures bright…the futures ORANGE…N…BLACK
we really need some good defenders
I cannot agree more than winsorwolf. The squad has not changed drastically since last year, when the mood was of optimism and loyalty.
Now we have growing discontentment. MM is not stupid (I’d much sooner have him than Moperay), obviously the defence is a concern and has been for some time.
We all pay our money and the right but can you not see moaning has a negative effect. Support and encouragement on the other hand is productive as we seen last year.
Please do not turn MM era into another failure in our history. Another manager will not turn things round that quickly.
Be positive for God Sake!
10-Too right mate! I travel from Blackpool for every match and I am fed up of those true fans who always leave 10 minutes before time, having spent twenty minutes watching the tele in the bar and the other hour moaning.
Get behind the lads, for God’s sake!!!!!
he’s at best average,which is better than we have already got but its nowhere near good enough.people need to realise that last season was down to the brilliance of matt murray & not thick mick
much agreed with 13 cardiff wolf
but we play in gold n black you muppet
At last some positive comments from people! We have looked a little dodgy at the back at times, but then don’t most teams in this decision. Nobody ever mentions the signing of Foley who looks a good player and young aswell. When we get Jarvis on the left I think we will look a different team, having a right footed centre back at left back and a striker on the left wing is not ideal, but it will get better. We just have to keep getting behind the lads at times like these when they need it most. We are not doing too bad points wise and have already travelled twice to Sheffield and to Stoke, which looked a right killer line up of opening away games. This aswell as playing highly fancied Watford at home. Of the games we have lost, yes the performance against Hull wasn’t great, buit another day we’d have been 3 up at half time, a good save, goal-line clearance and Keogh’s miss - and Eastwood hit the post in 2nd half. Also, we did deserve something at Sheffield as even Blades fans I know admit!
So come on everyone, get behind the lads and ‘Super Mick’ as he was 6 games ago and still is now!
Maybe now we can whip some balls into the box from corners instead of that short ball nonsense that was going on on Tuesday night against Hull.
Welcome back Jody!!!
I am so surprised that no-one used the headline to quote Monty Python!!
Reading in between the lines of some of the above comments, i get the impression some Wolves fans are realising that due to the team having a great season last season (against the odds)the expectancy levels this season have been raised. Maybe with the raised expectations the players are feeling more pressure and consequently under performing.
I think with a couple of good results the form of last season will return, lets face it the squad has been improved.
All the best.
i’ve said many times on these pages over the last week or so that MM has not impressed me this season with his transfer signings or lack of in defence/midfield. Although i think MM has made a big blunder this season in not strenghening the defence/midfield i personally want him to succeed as wolves manager. All this talk of sacking him is ludicrous 6 games in.Anybody who took over would have the same group of player’s to work with and i don’t believe it would get any better.
The 1 thing that worries me though about MM is he state’s he’s happy with our sqaud.I believe were 3 players short of a decent championship team.CH,LB & CM.He need’s to stop playing player’s out of position and drop player’s who are not performing.
In relation to Moxey continually going on about wolves fans high expectations.Shows his lack of knowledge about football.
1. The team doing so well and over acheiving last season has brought this expectation on themselves.They set the standard last year and need to progess on it this year.
2. The media and bookies have made wolves one of the favourates.
3. Steve Morgan has demanded Promotion this season.
4Lastly,Any footballer supporter wants/expects their team to be successful.It happens at every club.
So stop blaming Wolves fans for high expectations Mr Moxey and stick to the business side of the club.
Finally all these people coming on here having a go at Wolves fans for wanting MM sacked.People are entitled to their opinion and MM is not doing a great job this year.Successful organisations have successful people running them.MM needs to prove he can be successful this season under different circumstances to last.
Get rosa back in did nothing wrong to begin with
So let me try to understand this. A few weeks ago “super Mick” told Jody your not in my plans I have a super defensive team in place already.
Only last week he was saying how great this defense was.
Now Jody is back and has been told oh you are in my plans come back?
So either he’s good enough and Mick should not have let him go or he’s not and Mick is trying to cover up for not getting any better players in.
Conclusion he has no idea what he’s doing. We will beat Norwich at the weekend, they are a poor team but this will only paper up the cracks for a while.
Midtable is all we can hope for while this clown is around
Really glad to see fanny back. He’s got more leadership skills than the others, and didn’t like the way Breen was undermining WayneH’s confidence on Tuesday. So long as we’ve got pace from the FBs I think Fanny with Breen or Collins will be fine. Hope MM comes up with something for the centre of midfield for Saturday and we’ll be motoring.
Well said WinsorWolf and wolfmeister , a handfull of games played and everybody is in a panic, if we used as much energy supporting the team as we do trying to tear it apart we be far better of. Stop moaning and let Mick do his job, he is the best manager to come our way in years and if you lot drive him out you will only have yourselves to blame. Mick knows all the problems with the defence and has probably tried for a few players and still is trying. We do not know what has gone on so lets just get behind the team and stop MOANING!!!!
I agree with the write who said play people in there correct positions. Little should be our RB for years to com bring back Davies if fit. Get Daniel Jones off loan and give them a chance. We also need an experienced CM player just like the guvnor was. I hear Keegan and Morgan have been seen together at Molinuex no smoke without fire.
Yes we whinge.
But losing is demoralising!!!
We can dream in good periods though1!!
Dressing room un-rest, is thats whats next ??
There is only one saviour. And He doesn’t play football.
Still getting comments about our failure to sign. I’d love us to sign the best players and sought things out over night.
Blame MM as much as you want - but do these players want to come to Wolves? Most wont! Face it.
Lets get behind our players. Stop moaning and support the club. - Or lets chase out another manager and start again next season……..
Up the Wolves!!
23.
Shall we give MM a chance to prove himself - or sack him now?
Shall we support him - or undermine the team from the terraces?
Our choice.
Three years ago we got rid of Dave Jones after a couple of months. That proved a triumph in the end didnt it. Ten years ago we did for Taylor. Shall we move forward or go through it all again?
Not on here to gloat or make stupid comments. Reading many of the posts on here I can only agree that Craddock is probably the best of a bad bunch for your lot. He does seem to chip in with the odd goal which is always good for any defender. To be honest I think the expectation of wolves fans this year is a bit high last year your manager did a good no sorry a fine job in finishing where you finished. I think he is doing a decent job with what he has got to work with and again no offence wolves are not the most talented of squads. I beleive your new chairman/owner will not tolerate poor results and I can see Mick mcarthys days number just my opinion.
welcome back jodie should have been made captain this year, good leader & best of mediocre defence dont lets just get on mms back he can only do so much once the whistle blows the teams lacks confidence but were not a million miles away from a good championship side, but rosa must be given a chance 5 goals in 2 games speaks for itself what does he need to do to get a game
desperate , desperate , desperate…..
enough said….
im sick of u so called wolves supporters saying that fans that want mm out never go 2 games i go home and away missed 2 games in 2 years.So the amount of money its cost me a year i think my opinion should count a bit more than others so sack mm and ask mourinho if he wants to have the job.haha
This is a quote from Simon Grayson, Blackpool manager about his clubs support.
‘The fans are superb… they have been ever since I took over, so supportive, home and away. The team are inspired by the fans and the fans are inspired by the players. We are all in this together’.
Now fellow Wolves fans really think about his words.
Forever Wolves
Morgan Sort this mess out! if you want to your money double in 1 season we need to be pushing harder we may aswell play in formation 1,0, 8, 2 because once its lost in midfield we are so poor
Any good manager will defend his players and talk them up in public. It breeds confidence! As a manager you should always take the flak and deal with it behind closed doors.
Obviously MM thought Craddock was lowest in the pecking order, by sending him to Stoke he stays fit keeps sharp and has the option to recall him. Which is what he’s done.
I think he should drop Breen, and play Craddock along with Ward or Collins. Edwards has played in the reserves this week maybe he’ll be a sub. Theres no quick solution to the problem as the transfer window has closed.
I also think Rosa has done enough to get a recall. I know MM has said before he doesn’t fit in but he gives us something else.
Surely the answer is to get behind the team and support them; we all know where that can lead that can do!
Well said Eddie!
Your not wrong Jody!!!
Back in the fold with the other pensioners they will be happy to see you……….if they can remember you that is.
Hair dressing day tomorrow, a nice wash and set just like Mikey Gray!
i am glad to see cradock back.
good solid defender, at least he can do the basics right, and also he can score too.
breen, ward and collins have been a nightmare.
it is all well and good saying we have played well some games and we deserved somthing from watford,sheff utd games. but how can missing great chances and then making schoolboy errors in defence mean we deserve anything from a game. in some of the other games we were lucky to get away with it.
we have played poorly from the start of the season with the same problems every week, not taking chances and our defenders making stupid mistakes or giving away stupid penalties.
losing 1 game down to bad luck etc is ok like with watford but we can’t keep saying its all ok when it keeps happening.
i trust mick to sort it out and i trust morgan and the board to back him in the january transfer market.
we need qualtiy cb’s,lb,and i also think if keogh cannot become a regular scorer we need to but another proven goal getter.
basically we over achieved last season and we all wanted to see the same fight and determination and progrees this season. we have got non of this so far and are going backwards as a team. its early days but very worrying.
why not give rosa or young dj a chance.
come on the wolves!!!
come on craddock give us a clean sheet and a convincing win against norwich.
freddie win it for us, and would be delighted if keogh knocks in a couple, he needs to score we cannot have a no9 playing every week that cannot score.
i will back the team and mick all the way, but we all have the right to our opinions good or bad positive or negative thats what makes football and supporting this team so great.
give us all a lift stuff the canaries!!!!!!
One of the things that makes Wolves a great club is its fans and I for one am glad they are critical when it is justified.
In some respects there are uncomfortable echoes of Hoddle about MM.Southampton improved when the former left and we’ve all seen what Keane has done for Sunderland.
Comments suggest that most fans are unhappy with the defence and have been since pre-season, are they all wrong?
lets try bothroyd up front with eastwood and keogh in the middle of the park its gotta be worth a try he runs his socks off so i dont think we have anything to loose
Just play like you did before your loan move, at least you did get forward and bang 1 or 2 goals in good luck mate.
I hear MM has 4 games 2 turn it around. Paul Jewel is being lined up. Im not sure about manager churn? However, Our new owner wont take prisoners, he’s a self made winner and will not be associated with failure. as for the tescos who have nothing better to do than trawl our web sites & they do in legions, its just jealosy. sandwell have nevr been a major football club as the woffs were in the 50’s histoty I know, but it will not go away. Wheres their billy wright, england captain & all those caps. its tough being a woffs fan, but at least we were great once, sandwell never have been. so all they can do is try to wind the great WOLF up, little song bird. They are just football plankton, ignore them & they will disappear up where the sun downt shine…
Whilst we all think we know better than the manager in fact, any manager, I still have faith in MM. He is not God and like us all he makes mistakes and sometimes cannot see faults in his favourites ie Breen Ward and Gray.
We certainly need some more pace at the back (shame about Cahill) and badly need a playmaker in midfield, perhaps it would be worth giving Rosa a try?
Find it rather worrying that Davies is out of favour, I know he is injured but never-the-less does not seem to be in favour. Rather odd as I have always thought him one of our most valuable players.
I’m very interested to see the team line-up this weekend. Who will he drop for Craddock? Will Gray start? He SHOULD be recalling Jones, but that won’t happen. Will Rosa at LEAST get a place on the bench? Will he persist playing Keogh as an out and out striker? I like MM, but he has to be bold now and show he’s not afraid to make changes when things aren’t going well.
I would just like to add my support for Denes Rosa, he has definitely earned the right to prove himself in the first team, in all honesty i’m not sure what he ever did wrong to deserve to be dropped in the first place. He seems well up for it! Surely this is how we should be using our reserves and show them that if they perform at that level then there is a place in the first team waiting for them. Quite simply we need goals and Rosa is proving that he can deliver them. I’ll be singing for him on Saturday, hell we got Jody back that way!!!!
right !
send this to the wolves fc
HENNESSEY GK
FOLEY RB
GRAY LB
D.WARD CB
CRADDOCK CB
S.ELLIOTT ML
KIGHTLY MR
OLOFINJANA MC
HENRY MC
EASTWOOD FC
KEOGH FC
SUBS
STACK
BREEN
COLLINS
S.WARD
BOTHROYD
WITH DISCIPLINE AND GENERAL MANAGER THEY WILL SUCEED !
JOSE MOURINHO OR NEIL WARNOCK AS GEN MANAGER
You know what, despite what I’ve seen this season & what I’ve read on these strings, it’s Thursday evening, the weekly tingles are starting and I can’t wait to get down to the Mol on Saturday to see the lads! These are still the same bunch of guys who made me proud last season. I see absolutely no reason to change my mind.
Thank the Lord…
drop Breen and Ward, play Foley, Collins, Craddock and Little or Gray.
We need a creative midfielder in there - this is where Denes Rosa or Mark Davies come in. Drop Keogh and play Freddy behind Elliot.
And get Jones back and stick him on the left wing!
But more importantly get a decent young centre back in - we have plenty in the reserves!
Well said markc, now the dust has settled on Tuesday’s woeful performance, I have to say you’ve come up with some really sensible stuff there! It’s good to see some positivity! Oh and Tommy Gunn any chance of dropping Steven Ward and sticking Denes Rosa in your team?
well said eddie. such fickle bunch:)
I’d like to agree with the comments made about Denes Rosa. Surely worth a go on the left wing? But can he cross? Also, I’d partner Eastwood with Bothroyd. Love Keogh to bits for his workrate, but it ay gettin us anywhere is it? anyway, imagine a tiring defence having to deal with him off the bench for the last 15-20 mins!
I’m with those wantin to give Rosa a go,he always gave 100%,he looks like he still up for it, you have just got to watch him warm up before games! Never seen Bothroyed give100% an I’d like to see his attitude if he had spell in reserves, I bet he would trip over bottom lip!
One thing I was bleating on about yesterday was lack of Passion. What price a new Steve Bull, John DeWolf or Geoff Palmer? Palmer would run through a brick wall just to make a tackle!
Tommy Gunn Wolf - Are you in need of medication? Jose Mourinho?? yeh cos Wolves must be his next port of call lol, and yes Warnock does like Wolves but he draws too much attention to himself, and we don’t need a controversial manager like that thanks, Elliot on the Left and Keogh still up front? nah mate that wont work at all, Jarvis on left (When fit) and Bothroyd or Elliot up with Eastwood.
McCarthy is a great, proven manager. He got Sunderland up with no or little money, so keep the faith and don’t react to the pathetic Deckchairs down the road!
Tommy Gunn - plese DON’T send that to Wolves FC in the off chance that they might listen to it!! That team would never succeed. The only thing you changed was the obvious in replacing Breen with Craddock, and you put Elliot on the left for Ward? WOW. Now we’re bound to win!
What would this hurt?
Hennessey
Foley
Mark Little
Edwards
Cradock
Daniel Jones (Back off loan)
Offinjarna
Kightly
Rosa (5 in 2)
Freddy
Bothroyd
Bench
Henry
Keogh
Elliot
Stack
We have Rosa scoring 5 in 2, and DJ on loan who must be better than our current left sided options!
Last season I thought MM made some great decisions, however I am now beginning to think otherwise. How can he expect JC to come back and give his all after been told you are not good enough! I have never rated JC, and my suggestion to MM is to sure up the defence, and not go attack crazy like he has done. As a long suffering Wolves fan I would rather come away with a 1-0 victoty than watch great attacking footy but see us lose 3-2 or the like. Are there really no quality defenders available on loan from the Prem? Sort it out MM before its too late!
Its about time that Mick saw sense and recalled one of our best defenders. While he’s having a positive thinking session, lets recall Denes Rosa, Mark Little, Mark Davies (the best young player at the club) and Daniel Jones.
We have so much talent at this club and its going to waste in the reserves or at some other club.
For crying out loud Mick, stop letting your heart rule your head, its clouding your judgement. Are you going to keep on picking your best mate Breeny and forcing Neil Collins to play at Left Back ?
Where’s Charlie Mulgrew and why haven’t you given him a chance ?
Wake up and lets see some improvement or else the best we can hope for is propping up the middle of the table if we’re lucky, do you really think Bothroyd is going to stick around next season if you dont give him cause to stay. You HAVE to start him every game, he should be walking into that team WAY ahead of Steven Ward. Eastwood will be looking for a promotion chasing side and so will Elliott, not to mention Mark Davies. You need shooting for not playing the best young midfielder at this club he’s got a brilliant career ahead of him, he’ll be a regular england international with the quality he has in abundance. Wake up Mick we’re struggling and a lot of it is DOWN TO YOU.
Mick, just in case you’re interested, I’ve spotted a left back we should really take a look at, he’s got a few under 21caps to his name, a local lad too, plays in Scotland and shines at the highest level in the Champions League. Looks a quality player…
Do I really need to tell you who ?
wolveswolves you are a bit of an idiot aint ya!! Have you actually been to any games this season or do you just go off what sky has to say?? Get yourself down there and back them not slate them.
“We’re wolves of London said: Sep 20th, 2007 at 1:04 pm GREAT! a good decision at last from MM.”
Looks like a sad Boggie is trying to stir things up pretending to be me.
SUPER MERLIN MICK! COME ON YOU WOLVES!
Recall Rosa from the reserves…he deserves it. At least he is consistently playing well and finding the net.
MM is the man to bring us back to the premiership. We as supporters need to do our part. Support…
Fans, we played an inspirational part of the relative success story of last season. WE certainly have it within our power to ensure home advantage is once again a help for all home games. Let’s start by cheering the team on to beat Norwich which we normally do at home.
give jody his armband back
Good to see that MM is prepared to admit a mistake and reverse a decision. Properly motivated, well organised and loyally supported the present squad is easily good enough to win promotion.
What comes then is another matter, and MM proved a disaster by showing too much loyalty to the players who got him there the last time he was in the top flight. Let’s hope this little episode demonstrates that has learned a lesson or two about being prepared to change tack.
I’m going to the game Sat. First of the season and I can’t wait to watch us stuff those pathetic half rate never been anything and never will Canaries. Come on the wolves
I’de put Rosa on left and Craddock with Edwards if he can play.
Freddie’s right foot, I see you, like myself enjoyed Naylor’s presence in the team, funny how most fans didn’t, and got on his back most matches up untill he left and we realised what we missed. all for £500,000. Worth It Moxey? I don’t think so.
Cardiff_Wolf We play in gold n black, dunno if you knew that…
Think back to the start of last season. Sunderland were very slow off the mark, but gradually they got themselves in the mix and ended up winning the league! I am sure the lads have the ability and class to do the same. So let’s get behind them all the way!
no 11.
We will not with this defence.
MM have to see that.
21 - oh go on then, all together now…
“he’s not the saviour - he’s a naughty boy” !! Well spotted.
Why oh why did we not sort the defence out before the season started?MM is going down fast in my book or is the new owner not giving the right vibes or as I suspect Moxey once again holding us back.The only ambition he has is for himself to prosper It is now time for you to join Sir Jack Moxey and do something you know and keep away from football,PLEASE.
Moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan. It’s great being a wolves fan! For just a few months last season I thought we’d all turned a corner. How many lives would it ruin if we were to become successful???
21 & 77 I think it was actually Messiah. But one of those would be handy too!
prawny - I no but I can only work with the material i got !!
58 and 59
i agree but s.ward doesnt score goals any more and same with keogh
though they put in a good effort ..
to get promoted we need goals and
clean sheets and as i say ..
discipline will work as we need to
show the lads how serious this
season is !! once jarvis is fit
and transfers re open .. a new df
will suit me !
giving keogh 1 more chance before
dropping him would work as he is
very determined.
now can i send it in ?