Wolves v Crystal Palace
Molineux
Kick off 3pm
Darren Ward makes no bones about it – he wants to captain Wolves against his old club Crystal Palace.
The 29-year-old defender reckons he is ready-made for the job and relishes the responsibility in a Wolves team fighting to re-convince the Molineux public it can sustain an authentic promotion challenge this season.
Tomorrow’s clash with Ward’s former employers can be seen as a critical moment for Mick McCarthy’s side.
After their seven game, win-less sequence amid some stuttering form either side of Christmas, they finally got a victory under their belts in the FA Cup albeit against non-League opposition.
Now comes an acid test against a Palace side who have been gathering momentum under Neil Warnock while Wolves have been sliding, so much so that they have leapfrogged them in the table to advance their own promotion claims.
Ward acknowledges that winning the psychological battle is as important as anything else as the second half of the season unfolds.
“I told the gaffer from the outset – if he wants a captain then my hand is up for it,” says Ward, who led the side in the absence of suspended Karl Henry last week.
“I realise Karl is back available tomorrow but the offer is still there. I like the responsibility of leading the side and feel I can produce that for people. I can take the pressure.
“We’ve got this situation at the moment when people are talking about the fans being difficult but that’s not having a go – that’s just frustration. Believe me, I played for Millwall and I know what fans having a go is like.
“It’s taking all that on board and helping the young lads through which I believe I am equipped to do and I would love nothing more than to captain a club of Wolves stature.”
Ward’s leadership qualities were certainly put to the test last week as McCarthy’s team trooped into the dressing room at half-time with a real crisis on their hands.
It doesn’t bear thinking about what might have happened had their 1-0 deficit to Conference opponents Cambridge got any worse but Ward knew what his young team-mates needed to hear in their hour of need.
“I must give credit to the manager and the staff for the way they handled the interval because there was no ranting and raving,” said Ward. “The fans were booing, we were 1-0 down to non-League opposition. It was a tough situation.
“They were calm and told the lads ‘Look, stay patient, keep playing the way you are playing and you will win this game.’ And that’s what happened.
“I tried to do my bit as well. People forget that this is still a young team and they need to hear that.
“Although Cambridge scored a goal, a lucky goal in my opinion, we gave them a football lesson and I don’t care what League they are in. It was an FA Cup third round match and that still counts the same. A game is a game.
“The lads needed to hear that. I don’t want to come across as a ‘know-it-all’; you’ve got to speak to them in the right way, so they will accept it.
“You won’t see me ranting and raving – you have to speak to young players in a way in which they will listen.
“They don’t know everything, I don’t know everything but I have seen a bit more and feel I can help them.”
Ward is bound to be a captaincy contender now that he has bolted down a place in the centre of defence after an initially hesitant start to his Wolves career following his summer exit from Palace.
That followed some tensions with former boss Peter Taylor but there is no bitterness from the defender who is relishing life outside the capital for the first time while his partner Samantha, to whom he became engaged on Christmas Day, prepares for the birth of their first child.
Only now does he feel that he has regained his sharpness after losing his Palace place mid-way through last season and he accepts he will need it tomorrow.
“They are a good side with a lot of talented players – we are in for a tough afternoon,” says Ward.
“I have nothing but respect for the place though. It’s a terrific club and overall was good for me.”
Tomorrow, his key job will be to shackle James Scowcroft who was officially crowned the best striker in the Championship over Christmas in the latest Actim index stats.
And in partner Clinton Morrison, Scowcroft has someone on a blistering scoring run of nine goals in the last 11 games.
The former Birmingham striker sums up the mood at Palace at the moment saying: “We’ve got a great chance of playing in the Premier League which is where I want to be again.
“The first time up there wasn’t so good for me at Birmingham, I was in and out of the team. But with this group of players and management team we’ve got a good chance.”
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21 Comments
Got to admire his honesty.Give him the armband,Mick!
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Please give him the armband,Mick.
Henry isn’t worthy of Freddy’s place on the bench!
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Don’t give him the armband Mick.
He’d never put his head where it hurts in the way that say Craddock, or even Breen would.
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Give Him The Armband, and put Collins on the left bringing Edwards into the middle With Wardy Foley RB as normal.
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how dare you MM said what about the greatest footballer i have ever signed
up stepped S Ward the new Captain
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mick said yes Ward will be captain STEVEN
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Don’t really rate him that highly. If he does get the armband it will only be through default. No real leaders on the pitch at the moment. It’s ok getting all these young/hungry players but look back historically and teams with strong leaders are the teams that win promotion.
Look at the team that wolves won promotion with: Butler, Ince, Blake, Kennedy, Rae. All players that can motivate tyhose around them when things arn’t going great. (Pretty much the situation that we are in now!)
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Give him the armband. He was terrible at Palace so that can only aid us in another Palace victory.
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Give him the armband mick.
More leadershipr qaulities than henry who in my opinion shouldn’t even be on the bench.
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im not sure! ill sit on the fence with this one! he is very strong and not too bad in defence all though i think he has a toblerone shaped head! the ball never goes where he intends to head it! i think he would be a good leader until craddock is fully fit! henry is a good player but captaincy is too much pressure for him.
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Help him out Mick, who else is going to hold calamity Collins hand throughout the match!
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It should be craddock or breen when fit and grey when they are not fit. Lets hope we get 3 pts 2moro.
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Put keogh in the centre of midfield and give him the Captains armband the kid will go from strength to stength believe me.
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Give it him or not, we’re going to get thrashed tomorrow unless somebody steps up to be a proper mid-fielder. These new forwards can’t score goals if they never see the ball.
Our tried and trusted 1-8-2 formation has to be changed for something remotely intelligent. In the meantime, whoever has the armband we are on for a thrashing from a motivated team, managed by somebody with a tactical knowledge beyond MM’s beloved “Go out and do a shift!”
Stan Cullis must be tossing in his grave that we have dropped to such pathetic depths.
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The more leaders in a very young team the better.
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Is this man worthy of following in the footsteps of Stan Cullis,Billy Wright,Mike Bailey,Emlyn Hughes,Paul Ince and several more infuential players of the past ?
YOU’RE ‘AVIN A LAUGH
He is rubbish.
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like to say he much improved in the last 2months and looks our most solid defender. but mind you collins would make anyone looks good
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Why do people want Keogh in the Middle ?
We will get slaughtered if that happens……………
Please drop Collins, Mick !!!
How on earth is he better than Rob Edwards or even Keith Lowe !!!
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he’s having a laugh aint he?? that post christmas party has clearly gone to your head young man. you stick to defending (at an average standard) and just hope that when new defenders come in that the new owner installs heaters in the dugout.
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every time i’ve seen ward play he has made mistake after mistake, he is big and clumsy, his only positive point is that he’s good in the air.
that said, he’s better than breen!
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We got thrashed, again…
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