Congrats to the new lads, Edwards and SEB for grabbing a couple of goals and finally given us something to cheer about at the weekend, writes Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd.
Ok, it was a victory against a League One standard team and Scunnie were certainly not without their own chances to snatch something from the game.
But by playing wingers on the wing and with a bit of creativity in the middle with Edwards, leaving Henry to drop and carry out his defensive duties, it certainly was a much improved Wolves performance.
Mick finally dropped Stephen Ward from his left wing responsibilities and we saw Jarvis put in undoubtedly his best performance in old gold.
We really shouldn’t get carried away as MM has put it, but at least Mick has finally realised that the right players in the right positions really does make a difference.
I got a bit of a panning from some fans when I wrote my last blog.
Frustrated and bored at most of the football dished up this season, I suggested that unless MM changed his tactics and team selection, then perhaps it was time for a change at the helm.
Although to early to really tell, Saturday might just prove to be a turning point and I would be gladly proven wrong if Mick could deliver success to the club.
At the end of the day I am just a bloke with an opinion. I’ve been asked recently why do I bother writing a twice weekly blog, when all some people want to do is have a pop at me.
But that’s what a blog is all about; it’s simply my thoughts which then hopefully kick off a bit of a debate.
I have an extremely thick skin and I actually like to see some fans fervently disagreeing with me.
It shows that people have a real passion, as I do, for what goes on at our club.
Opinion is split on Mick. But what is for certain is that every one of us wants success at this club.
He may be stubborn and have his favourites, but Mick wants the same as all of us and will have liked what he saw in Edwards and Jarvis at the weekend and will hopefully realise that this is the way forward.
A midfield of Jarvis, Henry, Edwards and Kightly when fit, certainly has a better feel to it than Ward, Henry, Gibson and Potter.
And could SEB play up top with Freddy playing in his more natural deeper role?
Let’s hope we can get in some central defenders before the January window closes. It could be the difference between success and failure.
We have sold out of tickets for Vicarage Road at the weekend, where we will certainly be making more noise than the Watford faithful, who you wouldn’t have thought will turn out on mass.
This is an indication of the fantastic away following this club has always had.
I look at some of the pathetic attendances posted by the likes of Wigan, Blackburn, Bolton, Fulham and Reading in the Premiership and just know that we would do so much better.
I feel proud to be a Wanderer and feel honoured to write about the club I will support until the day I die.
Wolves fans have your say below
51 Comments
Well written keep up the good work.Agree about the center halfs though,truth is were still some way away from having the squad we need.At least tree defenders plus a couple of strikers out and a target man in.Cup run would nice
UP THE WOLVES!!
good blog..
think im the same as you really, would like mick to succeed rather than fail but was unsure if he could turn it around. at least he has got the vital win which gives him the chance to turn it around.
unlike other managers i.e hoddle, taylor i wouldnt be to upset if they lost and got sacked when under pressure, i cant say same for mick, i really want him to turn it around for us
one more signing would be nice, come on you wolves lets get in those playoffs
I agree
we have great support and me being one of them are very passionate about then club. I also think that this is why some wolves fans are getting on MM’s back but we should stand by him and give him time. After all he worked wonders us last season and is the best man for the job.
Lets get behind the boys for saturday
Cant believe i have missed out on a ticket to Watford cup game as its right on my doorstep here.
3 hours on general sale for a team playing crap football is some effort. If anyone has bought 1 too many let me know and I would be happy to buy it off you as well as a pint before the game.
We do have some of the best supporters in the country, sure we demand the best but whats wrong with that?
Here’s hoping for another win at Watford where we will face a real test (unlike Saturday.)
I agree with Nick the Bubble. A cup run would be great. We all know winning is a habit.
we8wba, I’ve never been happy for us to lose what ever the reason, personally I don’t think Mick’s the right man, but I would love to be proved wrong. I want Wolves to be successful, whether that be with Hoddle or Taylor in charge, Sammy Chapman, or Tommy Docherty I don’t care. It’s not about individuals it’s about the team and the club. I think that’s half the problem with our support, personally every player that pulls on an old gold shirt gets my full support, I believe some people though decide they dislike a player and then set out to destroy them, and that’s plainly wrong, Lee Naylor was a great example, fortunately for Naylor they failed.
i agree but what happens on saturday in the cup when Edwards & SEB are both cuptied?…..comments please…….
is it back to the sideways and backward passing of Potter and strikers that couldnt hit a barn door from 6 yards or do we throw caution to the wind and play Eastwood & say Gleeson in midfield….I dunno what do u lot think?
twig1968 (8.)
Good point about the new boys being cup-tied, but hopefully with Jarvis playing with Elliott on the other flank, its only the centre of midfield where might have the problems.
Could be the game where Freddy finally cements a place.
nathan, the next 3 or 4 weeks will prove make or brake for MM, some hard games to get through, it will be how the team performs in these matches that will determine our whole season.
I for one would hope we come through the other side with our feet firmly in a play off birth and once again point out that Sunderland came from nowhere last year, C Palace look like doing it this year.
COULD WE?
Are we making a big assumption that Jarvis will start again? After all most of us would have had him in the team are the start of the season.
Why not give Gleeson or Gibson another chance and it has to be freddie BUT you know MM will put his chum Stephen Ward in instead…
The constant cries of “Pick Freddy” are surely getting tiresome. He started well, but has done nothing since in all of the games he has played. Folks say he was dropped when he was playing well. That’s not true. he wasn’t dropped. He had a slight injury coming back from Wales duty, and was “exhausted.” Mick rested him, and he came back to a reserve outing. As a result, he threw his rattle out of the pram. People say he is only getting substitute games. I played Rugby League at a good level, and I have to say that if I was ever given 15 minutes as a sub I would have made sure that was the 15 minutes the head coach remembered seeing.
Would you honestly pick Eastwood over Ebanks-Blake when he is back for the league games? Some say that they should play together with Keogh behind them? They also talk of a balanced midfield. How would the second of these be achieved? Surely first choice would be Kightly, Henry or Olifinjana, Edwards and Jarvis. Do we therefore play three at the back in order to get Keogh in a support role, or drop Edwards? That doesn’t make sense to me.
Sorry, but Eastwood is where he deserves to be, on the bench. Keogh and Ebanks-Blake up front for me. All Freddy wants to do is hit shots from 20-25 yards out. Good defenders know that, and will close him down, or get their bodies between him and goal. That is why he is not scoring. A one-trick pony. If Keogh is unavailable I would, however, make Eastwood my next choice, as there is a possiblity that him arriving late, and Ebanks-Blake in the box may give defences problems. This will especially give problems with Edwards also arriving in the box late. It gives the wingers three options, and variety is what troubles defenders.
Totally agree,frustration of week in week out negative tactics playing players out of position is why most of us have had enough of MIck.He has a long way to go to regain my faith and trust.He needs to shake up his management team,Clipboard Connor is part of an old set up that failed.One win against a poor Championship team isn’t the be all and end all.
Totally agree, we really do need some defenders, particularly centre halves. Our recent bad form has been due to our defenders (particularly centre halves) having the inability to deal with the high, long ball. However, when we get Breen and Craddock back they may make a difference!
11 - What? play Jarvis when he was injured???
13 some very good points
however with reference to FE not to many people stopped him scoring 20 odd Goals last season in a poor team
wolves played brilliant the lads are fully commited in there jobs and i think that they will try and push for the playoffs however mick needs to sort out his defence i mean collins and gray are pathetic and they should never wear a wolves shirt again can’t wait for breen and craddock to be fit again
14) How can can you say he’s gone a long way to regain your faith? I wish I could be so stary eyed but I’ve jsut witnessed 3-4 months of absolute rubbish.
A couple of potential good signings and a win against the bottom team in the league does not restore much faith at all in my book.
Win promotion from here and that would regain my faith but anything less than that and Mick has failed this year.
Hear Hear Nathan !!!
THE FRED & EB UPFRONT
ARE YOU LISTENING MICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Play our two best strikers, upfront, from the beginning
ARE YOU LISTENING MICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
COME ON YOU WOLVES!
Excellent points 13…..look at the footage of some of the goals we’ve scored this season and you see Freddy arriving in the box a couple of yards off the ball eg Jarvis goal recently…he still doesn’t burn the gas to get into the box.
Also significant that MM felt he could play 2 wingers because Edwards could get up and down the pitch to provide the necessary midfield cover….which suggets he’s worried about 2 wingers when the midfield is less mobile & might get over-run. I’m digging deep to remember quite how McIndoe played compared to Jarvis in terms of workrate and cover last year. Any thoughts….?
Also….. if you remember Blues and Tescos at home end of season you’ll know why he’s not prepared to go gung-ho….
i like to read the Blog and often disagree but thats football, keep writing the Blog and have your own opinions not like the sheep minority trying to split the club.
19,I suggest you reread what i put in comment 14.I agree with you!
Good blog Nath, cant disagree!
WOLVES ARE BY FAR THE BIGGIST CLUB IN THE MIDLANDS…
Being a good team player doesn’t mean liking everybody (maybe that’s Mick McCarthy’s mistake), it means co-operating to succeed, and the same thing goes for being a loyal fan. You and I have to push together with McCarthy to try and gain promotion for Wolves.
I would not have kept McCarthy in December, but Steve Morgan, although he had his chances with Paul Jewell and the Korea option, has given us strong leadership and fully backed the manager. No Wolves’ fan should doubt that we have to cheer for McCarthy to succeed this season.
Many famous managers have been through a torrid time in which they flogged dead horses, and they’ve come through it and gone on to success. McCarthy could do the same. Like it or not, for the immediate future supporting Wolves means supporting McCarthy’s 2nd chance.
At this point to do anything else is suicidal, and, therefore, disloyal. If McCarthy continues to be besotted by his favourites, and to fail, then we can start calling for his head again when the play-offs are out of reach. Right now, we have to rally round the flag and save Wolves’ season.
Come on, you Wolves!
I don’t care what anyone else says, I think MM is doing a great job - people keep moaning about him playing Ward on the wing but he didn’t really have much choice as Jarvis wasn’t fully fit (which was pretty obvious when you see the vitriolic attacks by some fans on Jarvis’ performances over the last couple of months). The biggests problem MM has had is the absence of Kites and it his absence over the last couple of months that has hurt our chances - yes we are a bit too dependant on Kites but then it is still only a season and a half since we worried about being relegated. MM has only recently had real money to spend because of the devastating effect of the Twoddle era - he bought great players last year (kites,keogh,) and has made one (possible) mistake in Eastwood. FE cost £1.5m and hasn’t really proved his worth - maybe it is time to send him on his way if we can get our £1.5m back. Jarvis, now that he is fit, will prove to be a great player and Edwards and SEB already look good.
Think about how many bad players Fergie has splashed cash on over the years! MM has bought good players at good prices.
Get Jarvis and Kites fit and on the wings and the world is our promotion winning oyster (Oh, I think we should swap George for Henry in defensive midfield when he returns from Africa)
Glory, glory Wolverhampton
It will be very interesting to see the makeup of the team for Saturday’s match. This will tell us if the lesson has been learnt. Please let’s have a balanced attacking side. How we play is more important even than winning trophies to me although I wouldn’t say no to the occasional prize and want to win each game fervently. That is why the thought of Little or Big Sam filled me with trepidation. Keegan is right about entertainment. If we play the right way the results will eventually look after themselves as there is no crowd more able to provide an electrical atmosphere than Molineux when it is pleased with the flair and attitude on show. Still need a couple of defenders to make the playoffs or even a top two place certain.
“I look at some of the pathetic attendances posted by the likes of Wigan, Blackburn, Bolton, Fulham and Reading in the Premiership and just know that we would do so much better”.
Even Leeds had 36,000 last weekend!
Wolves are the only club in the Black Country (sorry West Brom)who, if the circumstances would allow,are capable of pulling in 30,000+ crowds week in, week out.
To do so would mean filling in the corners (Morgan’s plans to increase capacity to 40,000)& give us a Premiership team.
Wolves have a bigger fan base than majority of Premiership teams only dream about.
If Wolves were to get to the FA cup final/Play off finals , they could easily sell 50,000 tickets!
FACT
I think the key to MM’s future and to the Wolves season is if he sticks to the more positive team selection we saw on Saturday.
If you compare a midfield of Henry, Gibson, Potter and Ward against what we could see if Mick remains positive of Kightly, Edwards, Henry and Jarvis - well there really isn’t any comparison. We would become one of the most exciting teams in the division, score more goals and surely climb the table. Any two from Ebanks Blake, Keogh and Eastwood would do for me up front.
I hope all the doubters (and I have been one of them) would get behind a team set up like that and be prepared to put up with the fact that we might concede a few more goals along the way.
I believe we can still get where we want to be if MM goes with that kind of approach and it will be great to watch - but will the cautious/negative tendencies of MM re-emerge and spoil it all. Hope not.
Kent 30 - can’t disagree that you get bigger crowds than us - and who know, maybe you could get 30,000… but what are you trying to prove ?
You say leeds get 36000 - and your right. Are they any good - NO !
You have a large fan base in a large catchment area - but the only people who benefit from that are morgan and Moxey - cos its bringing in money.
It gets you no extra points, certainly doesn’t equate to extra goals, and definately doesn’t get you promoted.
So enjoy your attendances - I’m sure Bolton, Blackburn Reading etc… (and hopefully us next season) are happy to be getting smaller crowds but playing better football.
Not being nasty - I just never understand the wolves facsination with crowd size.
So the scriptwriters finally wrote in a win for the Saturday Muppet Show and suddenly the fans think Kermit is the Muppet King again instead of the king of all muppets. It’s no wonder the stripey lot call us dingles (village idiots).
That win does not disguise the fact he is the worst mis-manager in the history of the game and his tenure here will end in tears.
I just hope when the end eventually comes, the tears will be exclusively his and not that of my club.
i get to all our home games and after i travel back doun the m6-m1 with the noise ov super super super mick still ringing in my ears.
can 20 odd ooo people be wrong? good blog keeps us all debating.
come on me babbies.ooops as anyone got a spare ticket for the watford game.
Just continuing my discussion with kent Wolf (one of your actually fair minded fans). The title of this blogg is Fantastic Support.
Now I know its naughty - but whatever size crowd you get - based on your record of getting onto the players (and managers) backs, you can hardly title yourselves as “fantastic” supporters.
I know there are 1000’s of fans who never boo - who support through thick and thin, rain or shine… but nathan’s assessments of you as “fantastic”, given that last week he was calling for the managers head and demanding some players (the Irish ones ?) be dropped, seems a little steep.
Crowds of 30,000 ?? The boos will be defening.
Large yes, numourous maybe, fantastic…??
Great blog good to see some positivity again! The first half of the season has been a real let down after last years (over?) achievements.
Hopefully Saturday was the turning point and MM can continue to make sensible team selections… though from previous experience I suspect he’s already lost some of the fans support terminally. From my point of view I hope he keeps his job, if for no other reason than being Wolves manager job is fast becoming a poisoned chalice. It’s got to be better for how the clubs perceived from the outside that there’s some continuity?
18. Agreed I’m a bit surprised there’s been no incoming defenders we really could do with cover at LB and a decent CH with Breen and Craddock both struggling for fitness, while scoring not conceding goals has been our problem surely a stronger defence would allow for a more progressive midfield selection?
32 Happy_baggie:
The title to this blogs is:
Fantastic Support. I was just passing comment on the blog.
30,000 is a realistic gate when you consider the opposition vyeing for the support.Our closest opposition are Walsall, where as you have to contend with Villa & Blues.
Granted at the moment your team ARE playing the better football & are getting in amongst the goals, but your team is more settled & the man management skills of Tony Mowbray/Mark Venus are superior then those of Mick McCarthy & Terry Connor.
We let a damn good man go in Chris Evans.He gave us the likes of Lescott,Naylor & Robbie Keane, and in my opinion would have done a better job than Connor.
32-Agree a fascination with crowds is pointless in the long run and defend the likes of Wigan’s place in The Premiership. I would say it often seems a two way thing though, when if we do get a smallish crowd we get lots of your fans commenting, retaliation maybe, but it a circle which goes round.
33-”Worst mis-manager in the history of the game”, what game? If your talking football that is ridiculous. It totally ruins the credence of any of your other comments, after putting that ha. Really come on you’re emabarrassing. What are you talking about?
Kent Wolf 37 - as i said, you have a large crowd - but why do wolves fans feel the need to constantly go on about it ?
Every week, even if we have won 5-0 there is a wolves fan on our pages bleating on that we only had xx crowd - even when we had 22,000 against cardiff which i actually thought was ok.
I wasn’t posting a “albion are better than wolves” comment - just that your (the fans) fixation with attendances is just strange.
Your example of the Leeds crowd just proves my point - its no reflexion on a club in terms of quality or status.
39 Happy_baggie:
I should be able to get tickets for the March game(due to my disabilities) & you are one of the few Albion fans I would like to meet up with over a pint.
I’ve never slagged of the “small crowds” at The Hawthorns.In fact, as you know, I used to bolster the “small crowds” as a youngster when Wolves were playing away.
My next comment might have one or two Wolves fans scratching their heads in dis-belief but West Brom are a better passing team & Wolves the better defenders.
If, Heaven forbid, the two teams were to almagamate to form Black Country United, the ground would have to have the capacity of around the size of Wembley & a trophy room the size of Bescot to hold all the silverware.
Kent - thats a nice compliments and a kind offer - all things being equal i would be “happy” to take you up on it.
Happy.
I would have to disagree with your last comment.
“A crowd is no reflection of a club in terms of quality or status”
Do you really think Wigan are a bigger club than Leeds/Wolves/Forest/Sheff Weds etc??
Better team, yes.
42 - depends on your definition of “big”.
if big only means large crowd (and don’t forget you are NOT getting 30,000 or anywhere near) then leeds are a big club.
If you mean playing in a higher league, playing in europe, playing better football then there are teams like Blackburn who are bigger.
yes the crowd is PART of what makes a club - but I think norwich get more than wolves so it dosen’t always work.
Wigan, reading and poss fulham are small clubs that have made it big - Wolves, leeds, forest are big clubs that have made it small…
Albion are NOT a big club now - but we are a good team, and I’l settle for that.
Amazed how people turned on the blog writer in the last blog, nice to see you haven’t beaten him so hard this time!
I would have said Albion and Wolves were very similar sized clubs. If Wolves go up we know that the support and excitement would be so much more than the clubs mentioned. Chuck Boro into that mix as well.
GET FREDDY IN!!!
its clear he is unhappy and he has said he is, he is better than keogh and is a goalscorer which keogh is not. and either get D.Ward and collins out of the team or get them to pass the ball about rather than just hoofing it upfront! like kevin philips said, they never do that and look at how they play, we hoof it and look how we have been playing, collins will never be good, get him out.
WOLVES $ LYF
44 Wandering Star - Its also amazing that nathan hasnt been reprimanded for “dissing” the players and the club by the in-house new owner of Wolves - Doris Morris
We can remember Wolves V Middlesborough in the FA Cup - the old Molineux - the ground was rammed full - must have been around 40,000 ish - In those days people could stand up
Wolves in the Prem could easily get 40,000 at each home game - and with regards to the booing rubbish - we feel that the media, MM and probably Moxey have spun this to their benefit as we felt that the only real booing was the substitutions that MM made
UP THE WOLVES!!!
38 If we get beat this weekend are you going to disappear again ? Noticed after the Palace game not a word out of you !!!!
Great Blog Nathan and yes it is good to generate debate, I for one enjoy it so much, I only discovered the blog a few weeks ago and I do so enjoy reading the comments, even from Happy Baggie as he does talk some sense and there is no place for all this hatred and bad feeling. I don’t support Sandwell Town but I have a lot of friends that do and its good to have healthy friendly banter.
I’m not an MM fan, can’t say I rated him as a player nor manager. As an exiled Yorkshireman myself I do regard myself as Yorkshire first and English second, rather than Irish first and Yorkshire second???? However, I do want my beloved Wanderers to do well always.
As for whose got the biggest following, I agree with Happy, its not so much how big the crowd but how much noise you can generate to spur the team on. Lets face it when Wimbledon were in the Premiership they had small crowds and boy did they do well for a time. Once upon a time football clubs relied on the gate receipts to pay the players wages, those days have long gone and its down to how much business through sponsorships, merchandise sales and other external money spinning ventures that goes so much toward what clubs can afford these days plus buying and selling players. Remember just how much we needed the money from the sale of Robbie Keane and Jollean Lescott to mention just two.
Keep up the good work and keep on bloggin.
Fantastic Support ??? Very debatable. Yes there are large numbers of us, but the dictionary definition of support doesnt describe that mardy miserable nit picking booing set that are turning match days into a very negative experience. Its not the size of the crowd that makes it fantastic its the nature of it and right now Molinieux is far from fantastic. Lets get behind the lads and MM who is by the way the same MM that we sang the praises of not so long ago. Lets get behind them !! p.s dont get the freddy brigade at all. He has done nothing yet to show he deserves the shirt !
Dear Freddy fans I wish to inform you that if you check the facts he has scored 5 goals in his last 49 Championship appearances. Blobby, Frankowski and Branch would have been/were crucified for that!
Got my ticket for saturday, hey all those lot who ay got tickets go next week, i know it’s on tele but it’s a good day out, £10 adults & £1 under 16’s. I know it’s asking a lot for fans to go to the same place 2 times in a week but lets get behind them this half of the season, the lads cor hear you sitting at home or the pub.
I agree with this blog, yes wolves do have great and loyal support whatever our position. But i wish things could turn around on the field, we need no tweeking in the terraces.
C’mon me babbies all the way to wembley! ha ha