Is it a bird, is it a plane, no it’s a kite, writes Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd.
Swooping to the rescue at the weekend to save the Merlin from the probable dole queue was superhero Michael Kightly (Kites).
He grabbed a game we were struggling to get back into by the scruff of the neck and nearly single-handedly turned it around.
No Wolves fan probably thought we were really going to hammer Cambridge given our current form, but to be 1-0 down at halftime against a non-league side really was embarrassing.
Jimmy Quinn’s team played a 3-6-1 and successfully stifled the game.
But without Kites introduction who knows what we could have been talking about today?
I think Kites turning the game around on Saturday (let’s face it, it was mainly down to him) has given the club a massive lift.
And drawing Watford away in the next round of the cup means that if we do go out, it will be no disgrace and MM’s employment with the club won’t be under threat.
The cliché is that a cup run is good for morale, but as much as I love the excitement of a cup draw, I wouldn’t be too fussed if we bowed out of the competition down at Vicarage Road.
My last blog was quite disparaging about MM’s tactics and stated how he basically rotates the same 16 players, often playing square pegs in round hole (Ward on the wing etc).
I then went on to say that despite this, I still support him and I don’t believe it is the right time for a managerial change.
I think a few readers found this a bit confusing, but I still think Mick should be the manager of our glorious club, but he certainly needs to up his game.
Trouble is where do you start when trying to improve the team in the January transfer window?
Some creativity in the middle, a decent central defender to replace either Craddock or Breen and then there is this “target” man that we have heard so much about.
We need five or six, but three players is probably the best we can hope for and even then we will be paying over the odds for whomever we eventually end up with.
I still think its crackers that the likes of Rosa, Davies, Gobern, Little or Gleeson haven’t been given a chance to show what they can do before the transfer window opened.
But then I’ve been saying that in just about every blog this season, and when I don’t mention it, you guarantee that someone will on here.
So who would you ideally like to see the club?
We have read that Morgan has put his money where his mouth is and that new signings are imminent.
I’ve already said that I like Earnshaw, who is excellent at Championship level.
But he is even dinkier than Elliott and would he really suit the way we currently play?
I’ll keep checking the rumours and hopefully we can soon start tolook ahead with renewed optimism for the second half of the season.
Wolves fans, what do you think? Have your say below
62 Comments
Very lucky to beat Cambridge at the weekend.
A decent left back and a creative midfielder in the Mark Davies mould…. hold on, what about Mark Davies?
Question then to decide what we really think of the cup.
Watford away two weeks in a row..
Would you take a win in the first game and progress to the last 16 as promotion seems unlikely. Or
3 points the week after in the league??
Personally id take a draw in both.
Stuff the cup, take the 3 pts.
Didn’t we have the same scenario in the past with Watford? We stuffed them 3-0 in the cup away and then lost away in the league the following week? Memory a bit vague - blame ale.
The Mirror have reported that MM is interested in the Ireland job….again…..
I agree with our Nath. MM needs to up his game, but he CAN be the right man for us.
Earnie would be a decent signing. I think he is a lot more predetory than Elliot and well proven at this level.
But unfortunatley, like my Sun Dreamteam, we need about 4 or 5 proven players. Not easy to get hold of and attract when everyone is in the same boat.
Keep that faith that seems to be waining daily.
Hi Nathan i hope you are well.
As an outsider looking in i often wonder why MM has not signed a big bustling centre forward before now, his tactics seem to warrant having this type of player playing alongside an Eastwood or Elliot. Along with a creative midfielder and i think you will turn your season around. As for the cup, i to wish to see my team progress as far as possible, but i seem to be in the minority.
Let me tell you about Mark Davies … if Mark Davies doesn’t get his chance someone will come in for him like Man Utd and he will go there and in 12 months time be in there 1st team .. just like Keith Andrews thrown onto the scrap heap by WWFC afetr recovering from a broken leg,,,,,, now Leicester want to pay £1.5m for him.. Our coaching staff are negligent of misleading the fans. MM seems to have his favourites in the dressing room
( Collins , Breen , Gray , Oli ,Henry ) and he will pick them come what may.. Read Roy Keane’s book to get a feel of the insight into MM’s ability to coach.. No wonder Roy Keane came back from Japan …… Why has Chris Evans left why has MM’s assistant left.. He uses bully boy tactics… At best he was only an old type rough and tumble centre half…. no skill in him was there. Paul Ince for manager… oh and by the way Steve Morgan plays golf with Paul Ince ……… read between the lines…….
Do you know, I believe some people would clutch at anything positive rather than just admit that Merlin and Moxey have failed the club big time!
Talk about smoke and mirrors!
Lets hope it doesn’t turn into a comedy triple bill with the three M’s!
MM’s whole team couldn’t score against a non league side without one (still injured) player. Just remind me how many strikers were on the pitch?
McCarthy is turning the team into a mirror image of himself, which means we will be totally inconsequential by the end of the season, but lets hope we don’t break the wage structure because the year end balance sheet will be the only thing well done this season.
Step up Jez Moxey - our hero!
7.
You are right!
Chris Evans is a great loss to the club and pin points unbelievable short sightedness!
5
“Keep the faith”
Isn’t that what Neville Chamberlain said just before Hitler rolled into Poland in 1939?
I wish all you ‘keep the faithers’ would pull your heads out of the sand and start to think about how things should be at the club!
abdonwolf are you another who wants to jump on the Ince for manager train?
With oly away and the other MIDFIELDERS not doing the bizz, isn’t it time to get a guvnor back in the middle, someone who can pass a ball more than just to the opposition.
Anyone got any reasonable or realistic suggestions.
11
No, are you another one who thinks MM is doing a good job?
12 - how about lenny Mclean (the Guvnor)… not the most mobile of people but you don’t get past him.
I think he has done a good job, but this season has been dreadful to watch.
Not sure if keeping him at the helm is the right thing or not, but changing him now would be a disaster.
Let the season pan out and if necessary make the change at the end of the season.
15
There is a lot of sense in not changing things until the end of the season.
It does make my blood boil reading comments from people saying the Mick is the best manager we have had etc… etc…
Chris Evans left the club with hardly a peep from all those supporters who claim to be true Wolves (In Mick we trusters) If there was anybody running the club that wasn’t a pea brain he would have been appointed at least assistant by now.
To be honest I despair at how things are and a quick fix now will not change a thing. There is no vision or ambition at the club and if I was Steve Morgan I would be making wholesale changes come May!
How much fear would the players be under if Lenny was the Guv?
the mark davies thing is worrying because(i know two players on wolves books)despite what we keep being told ,he is not injured,just a minor shoulder injury that does not prevent him from playing,they say a simular thing about rosa.what is going on?
Well Nathan you are at least consistent, then again so is MM. Agree with you that he could not have survived a loss but we must be wary of celebrating a win against a pub team. Unless MM has a mind set change then all we can expect is more of the same this season and that is just not good enough. Being consistent is great if it is taking you somewhere but if not then change. I have been a consistent critic of his mindless tactics and will happily change but he controls my viewpoint and I have no choice but to look on in despair as my beloved club under achieves for another twenty years.
Great blog again Nathan, I personally admit that I am no supporter of Mick McCarthy and ALso I will categorically state that WE ARE A 1 MAN TEAM!! look at the drivel we were served up with in the first hour of the game against Cambridge, then on comes kites and everything changes. If we had a team with the work rate and ethics that Kites has then we would have no problem storming this god forsaken league, but, I have said time and time again there are too many of our so called players in the comfort zone! Mick McCarthy should instil in these clowns that “Putting In A Shift” means exactly that, giving their all for the club, wearing the shirt with pride, giving 100% on the pitch, not just going through the motions with a couldn,t care less attitude which we have seen from so many of them this season. At the moment I am so disillusioned and cvoncerned with what is happening at the Golden Palace because no one seems to have any ideas as to how to take the club forward because all I see is us on a downward spiral. I would give McCarthy till the end of this season then if we have not got into the play offs again then send him on his way along with Jez (Clown Prince Of Wolverhampton) Moxey and start again from top to bottom and bring in The Guvnor as manager who would be the best managerial appointment this club would of made in years since the great Stan Cullis.
You do speak some sense my good man, but your insistence with Mad Mick is very dangerous.
We dont have time on our hands, and even though we seem capable of finding gems, i think it will take a LOONG while to “replace” the likes of Hennessey and Kights when they leave come season end.
Mick, as likeable a chap he may be, is no premiership manager, and since this is where we hope to be someday, it makes perfect sense to replace him now.
COME ON KIGHTLY’S WOLVES !
If my memory serves me correct, Lenny Maclean died about 10 years ago (guess) so I don’t think he’ll become the new manager.
People go on about Mark Davies as if he has been great for us in the past, I seem to remember under Hoddle he was one of our poorest players alongside Rosa who was dire! People go on about quality, I remember people saying on here how Rosa lacked quality under Hoddle and just worked hard!
You get dropped by the wolves and fans seem to make heroes out of them if things go wrong!
Face it people, these players look good in the reserves cause the reserves league is shocking! People say about Keith Andrews who was useless and overweight at the Wolves, but your honestly telling me because Leicester (YES LEICESTER!) want him, we made a mistake, so does this mean people are saying Leicester are bigger and better than Wolves to show what a mistake we made!!!
Dont get some people, they want a settled team so MM keeps a frame work of the same team, then people want constant changes!!
I am not defending MM at all, I think he has badly under-performed this season, and if we had done this in our jobs we’d all be sacked by now.
But I do think there are too many doom and gloom supporters out there who just want to complain and critise where they can!
Send Davies out on loan along with Gleeson, Little and Ikeme.
Sell Bothroyd, Elliot and Rosa for whatever we can get for them.
Bring in 2 strikers, Earnshaw sounds good but a big centre forward too, maybe Alan Lee from Ipswich if they would sell.
As for a winger maybe Whittingham from Cardiff.
Top if off with a good pacey Centre back and i think we are done, Maybe Fontaine from Bistol City who looked good when we played them earlier in the season!!
Give Gibson a fair crack at the Centre Mid berth, think he could be good in there with Henry.
anyones thoughts?
4
1992/93 season - played Watford away two successive weekends. Stuffed them 4-1 in the cup then got beat 3-1 in the league… I was at the latter
Glad to see some people can’t see the point in getting rid of Mick now. I still believe that he needs more time. If things don’t improve then make the call in the summer but I can’t see anyone else making a difference on this season.
Mark Davies only just getting back from injury,wolves have been loyal to him why shouldnt we expect the same in return,Mick did a great job last year and this season as been sticky but lets keep the faith dont be sheep lets get behind the team and the players dont take the easy negative option, baaaaa,baaaa,baaaaa.
Rumours are that the successfull liverpool youth team coaches that bought through those great players are coming to wolves.Be positive.
oh and Keth Andrews worth 1.5 million dont make me laugh,desperation signing for leicester, he can pass the ball but cant run or tackle.
23
What very strange comments!
Mark Davies was very young under Hoddle. He also had some cracking games and so did Rosa!
Davis is considered to be one of the outstanding young English players of his generation, hence his captaincy of the England under 19’s.
Why not get rid of the youth system altogether and just buy a few more journeymen?
Great strategy Dublin, do you fancy being McCathy’s number two, sounds like your tactics are spot on for that!
Thank god for Kites! Unbelievable the difference he made to our team of labouring journeymen. I think Jarvis could come good if played on the LEFT wing, his cross led to the goal. The rest of them including Eastwood were poor in the box and we had enough chances.
Rest Keogh until fit and then make all his training shooting practice. Don’t bust a gut to beat Watford in the cup and crumble in the league match. Wake up Wolves, Wake up Morgan, Wake up Mick, stop playing Ward as a winger. Hang on to Kightley and Hennessy and lets crack on!
pip (26) Yeah but at least THE GUVNOR!!! has got him scoring goals from MIDFIELD maybe we should bring him back to the Mol!!!
THERES ONLY ONE PAUL INCE THERES ONLY ONE GUVNOR!!!
If Morgans got any brains then he would rid us of Muppet Mick and install THE GUVNOR as gaffer at least he would get these clown playing as a unit and if not then they would get a good kick up the backside and be shipped out! there are too many fools in the gold and black and THE GUVNOR doesn,t suffer fools gladly.
NUFF SAID.
Lets face it every fan in the country wants their team to be at the top but most accept they will not be. Wolves fans still seam to believe it is their divine right to be one of the elite. It is clearly not so.
I believe that the policy of finding and developing good young players is the best way to ensure long term success. Lets face it just spending big in transfers and pay does not work, we have tried it. Yes we do need to ask why our homegrown youngsters are not getting a chance and the club might well take away some criticism if they explained this. However they may also do more harm than good. At this point it may be useful to ask, why if these payers are so good the reserves seem to lose far more games than they win. When Wolves were truly great all their teams won virtually every competition they entered from affiliated youngsters through youths, reserves to first team with one ethic running through the club.
MM is a good manager with excellent previous experience and anyone accusing him of being autocratic and self willed should remember that our greatest ever manager Stan Cullis was very much both of these. As are a number of currently very successful managers. I am not putting MM in this class but sometimes these are the traits that build success.
Patience is a virtue, but not for Wolves fans. Building the club into what fans want it to be is more than just about having a good first team its about the whole infrastructure and as a good and successful businessman, I guess Mr Morgan recognises this and is playing the long game. GIVE HIM A CHANCE AND MM A REAL CHANCE.
Pip (26) then tell me how come THE GUVNOR!! has got him scoring goals from MIDFIELD?? which none of these so called midfielders we have at the moment can do at the Mol! NUFF SAID.
Abdon, Keane was also very young but atleast he performed and you could see he had it! Sorry but so many players play well for youth teams and reserves and under 19s sides for there country but dont actually make it! I work with a former ireland under 21, doesnt make him a great player!
As for the comments, what about them, Im saying send them out on loan if we are not playing them which we are not!
As for hte journeyman, you know its what gets you out of this league, youth doesnt, it never has, you need to mix both!
My tactics would be no where near the same as MM’s, you come on here and just moan abdon about everyone elses point of view, so what are YOUR views? you dont actually seem to have any other than to criticise people! id like to hear yours!!
6 post’s today abdon and not 1 view!
Think you need to look at yourself for smoke and mirrors mate!
IF we got promoted,how long would it be before we came back down? How many Premiership players do we have at the moment? 1 or 2?
Could you see MOXEY investing in a complete new team IF we do go up?
NO!! He would take the money and come straight back down.
We must get a CEO with footballing ambition, not one with £££££ signs in front of his eyes!! GET RID NOW
-up i
MM should be given to the seasons end, to turn things round, l feel he can and will do so. Every team goes through rough times, and come out far better and stronger. So give Mick a chance, all these knockers on here could be eating there words soon. COME ON THE WOLVES.
Regarding the speculation about Erlend Hansveit, I undersatand that players in Norway are now in pre season training. Presumably this would mean that it would be some time before the player is ready to play in the first team.
Out of the players i mentioned Earnshaw 26 years old, Alan Lee 29 and Liam Fontaine 21 years old……..you class that as Journeymen??
My comment regarding doom and gloom is just that its quite a depressing club to support at the moment, and the fans are too blame for this as much as the management and the team! I actually hate these pages most days cause its filled with just negative views.
CREATIVE MIDFIELD PLAYER NEEDED, I WILL REPEAT MY QUESTION WHY HAS DAVIES NOT BEEN GIVEN A CHANCE, MY MEMORY IS THAT HE HAS ALL WE WANT, IS IT STILL THERE? CAN SOMEONE CONFIRM THE LAD STILL HAS IT?
A DELIVERY BOY IS NEEDED, TO PUT THE BALL IN THE BOX WHERE THE FORWARDS CAN AT LEAST RECEIVE THE BALL FACING OPPONENTS GOAL.
BRING BACK WAGGY.
JAMIE CORNWALL
Dublin wolves (32) I take it you are an advocate of the muppet mans strategies and tactics? McCarthy would be better suited to the Ryman Or any other none league divisions, that is all he is good enough for. THERE IS NO WAY ON GODS EARTH THAT HE IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS FOOTBALL CLUB
Dublin
Views:
1. Don’t get rid of MM until the end of season
2. Don’t let him waste money now
3. Use our youth players
4. by the end of the season we will have more choice for manager and the people we are looking at will have proved they can sustain.
Is that better?
I only criticize people who I think talk nonsense, you can make your own mind up about that!
It could all be much much worse, I could still be going on about ‘Stan Cullis’ !!!!!
Latvia not at all, i for one am not happy this season, i pay every week for flights to and from Dublin to see around 90% of the games home and away and its crap to watch what we are putting up with now! But all i am saying is it can be put right. I think MM needs the season, if he fails, its like Mclaren, results will dicate his job, he fails to get promotion then get rid he gets promotion then wahay we are up!
Latvia if you read all my comments you will see im not an MM fan, but i hate the doom and gloom from fans all the time, its depressing! Also just dont like the fact of Abdon constantly criticising peoples views but not having his own!
What are your views Latvia, what you suggest we do?
I’m actually looking forward to the Palace game, I think it could be a cracker given their form and Kites introduction.
McCarthy aint going anywhere, so lets get behind me and the team and then if he doesn’t make it, get rid at the end of this season.
Abdon i like the views, i would however give him a bit to spend, not much but i do agree he seems to waste the money with crap!
Agree with youth too, our team was built last season on young and hungry players, but the pressure seems to be getting to a few and think some good level heads may help! Lee is scoring for fun at Ipswich and is a target man, was just an idea!
38, bloody hell mate, now theres a name I haven,t heard mentioned in years. Dave Wagstaff was a 1st class winger always gave hi all for the shirt unlike some of these clowns we have today, now, hows about Mike Bailey midfield general, Jim McCalliog, Derek Parkin to return at left back Phil Parkes or even Bert (THE CAT) Williams in goal, John McCalle, Peter Knowles, (one of the best strikers I have evr seen in the gold and black) Norman Deeley on the wing.
If we had these players in their prime today we would have no problem getting out of this league. OH IF ONLY DREAMS COULD COME TRUE!!!
Paul Ince is a proven ex- International who ha splayed at the highest level .. yes the highesy level Man Utd Inter Milan , Liverpool his knowledge of the game is vast and he is attractive as a manager. He would commend respect in the dressing room and at boardroom level. His record in management at the moment is amazing. Players of the highest ability would come to WWFC. I don’t think Mr Morgan will suffer fools gladly. MM WILL be sacked before January is out to give the new manager a chance of attracting the correct player. Do we have to keep going on about employing a top drawer manager before someone else gets him. Paul Ince will come to WWFC as long as Mr Moxey is gone as well . Mr Morgan you need to stick your neck out and if you do this the Wolves fiathful at leats will have some trust in you. You do have respect at the moment but just imagine if you employed a fans favourite Steve…………………
Rob Hindmarsh 22 - well i said he wasn’t very mobile…
U2 Wolf 46 - Bobby Charlton was a terrible manager but he played at the highest level… or maybe you would like Bryan (one up front) Robson ?? If you really want an ex international how about Keegan - or Toshak?
Not sure what you (and the other wolves fans) see in Ince, he would be a HUGE risk, and would only stay until a better offer came along (he wants to manage Inter Milan)
Now Sammy Lee has helped manage the England set up…..
47
You’re a very bad man!
I’m sure you come over from the dark side just to stir it up!
You will of course notice that ’stirring’ is my job here!
Sammy Lee… how scary was that rumour?
Was I alone in almost screaming noooooooo…. when I heard that one?
Abdon 49 -you have a lot of plates spinning on here so i just thought i would give one a quick spin for you… but you are doing well without my help !
48 HAPPY BAGGIE … HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY INTELIGENCE GET BACK TO YOUR TESCO SHELF STACKING JOB……..WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MANAGERS.. YOU MUPPET..YOUSHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON WOLVES PAGE KEEP AWAY
52 - what happened there ??
You have gone from being a fairly reasonable, articulate and well presented poster (46) to a mis-spelt, caps lock moron (52).
If this is what happens when anyone dares to have a different opinion or to try to debate football with you then no wonder you are know throughout football as a self booing, fickle joke team.
Excuse me now as i feel the need to scrape the sole of my shoe…. ugh.
U2 Wolf you seem to be causing quite a stir on most pages at the most, Happy just has his fun, maybe you should try doing the same!!
U2 WOLF
Why the shouting?
Happy_baggie has been on this blog since year dot and mainly writes sensible posts unlike abdonwolf who just likes to wind people up and shift the attention to himself.
I like these fan blogs, well written and with a bit of humor.
I like the theory of Macca stayin until the end of the season and then do something, lets not panic.
We will finish mid-table this season, Ince will be in at the end of the season with a sizeable budget so it aint all doom and gloom is it?
WANDERERS FOR LIFE.
1 player doesnt make a team, you seriously need to rebuild, with breen and gray as defenders why doesnt MM use your youngsters when the elders are havin off days. As for Kightly like every other non wolves fan i see him as highly over rated and over weight
SUPER SUPER MICK, SUPER SUPER MICK, SUPER SUPER MICK, SUPER MICK McCARTHY
Were we not all singing that 10 games ago? Or do you not go to the games but prefer moaning on here? Come down to the molineux and support the team on. Yes we need some additions to the team. Come on we can still do it. I knwo mistakes from MM have been made but hes done more good than bad for the club… I think top 6 finish.. harder league then last yr with QPR buying watever they wish, Albion (sorry but quality) Watford will be their, Charlton will go close, Palace also improoving but we will get in the playoffs and hope we win the most exiting lottery in the world!
Look Happy
Lets be honest about Saturday, we where on a hiding to nothing, if we play like that on saturday against Palace and win we will all be happy the fact is we played non league cambridge instead of one of the form teams in the championship.
The introduction of Kightly certainly gave everyone a lift and like most people I thought we where out of the cup but we are not and we now play watford.
I like a few do not see the point of sacking MM this season we have had to much upheavel over the last 10 years we seem to change managers like people change their car. The benchmark for not changing their manager is Man U and look what they have achieved he won nothing in his 1st 4 seasons. I am not saying we are going to do a Man U but lets keep things in perspective at the moment some comments are utterly ridiculous and we are at the stage where no matter what MM does he will always be wrong in some eyes.
We all pay our money and are entltled to our opinions but on Saturday from the time the 1st ball is kicked give the team no matter who is playing loud and vocal support and if after 90 mins we have not played well make your feelings known but while the game is in progress we need to act like the 12th man.
Lets try and help the team and not hinder it
happy baggie ….. Sole of your shoe lol…. Well lets just say some of your opinions are quite good others are pitiful.. As you can well imagine the whole situation is quite amusing at The Golden Palace and I know a lot of inside info as I have said before as I was a scout. I loved the scouting and found some real talent (Tom Huddlesson)and would even scout for you guys because Iw as good at it but certain people drove me out cos I would have commanded a lot of money once the youth’s I had found turned pro. Any way keep the faith but its wearing thin lol
I can’t believe some of the rubbish I am reading on here. Wolves fans must be some of the dumbest in football.
U2 Wolf,
You claim to have discovered Tom “Huddlesson”, yet you can’t even spell his name correctly. What’s that I can smell….. wait, it’s bull….!!