Wolves boss Mick McCarthy hopes he has finally found the solution to the long-running Molineux striker riddle after hailing Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and Andy Keogh for “setting the standard” at the weekend.
Incredibly the weekend pairing of new boy Ebanks-Blake and Keogh was the ninth different starting partnership in Wolves’ 31 games so far this season.
McCarthy named Keogh and Stephen Elliott as his preferred alliance early in the season but injuries sabotaged that pairing and the Wolves boss hasn’t fielded a settled duo since.
The Wolves boss has admitted that the uncertainty up front has hampered the Molineux cause, a view borne out by the fact that his side are among lowest scorers in the division with just 26 goals to their name.
McCarthy is hoping that pairing the muscle and razor sharp attacking instincts of Ebanks-Blake with the non-stop energy of Keogh is the answer to his problem.
“The standards have been set now, certainly,” he said.
“You always want a rapport between your two strikers and we haven’t really had it yet.
“I said early on in the season that Andy Keogh and Stephen Elliott was my best partnership and seemed to have the best understanding at the time. That maybe comes and goes.
“To be fair Terry Connor had done a lot of work with the strikers on Thursday and it was always my intention to play Andy and Sylvain.
“Sylvain stays down the middle, the ball sticks and people can play off him and I think that helps Andy.
“And anyone who plays with Andy knows he’s going to create openings and chances because of the amount of work he does, running into the channels and running off people.
“They did well together.”
As pleased as he is with the partnership McCarthy will be forced into an immediate change with Ebanks-Blake cup-tied for Saturday’s visit to Watford.
“It’s a shame in a way we’ve got to do without Sylvan,” he said.
“Sometimes we judge strikers on their goals but not their performances and I think the two of them were excellent together.”
35 Comments
“Terry Connor had done a lot of work with the strikers”
Me thinks Steve Bull could do a better job!
get freddy in asap,keogh is just not good enough,we need players who can cut it if we go up and freddy can keogh cant !
Keogh creates a hell of a lot more than Freedy does.
Lets face it MM doesn’t like freddy.
Some Wolves fans obsession with Freddy Eastwood concerns me. What has he done so far to make you think he is better than any other striker we have got? So he scored a couple against Blackpool - well whoop-de-doop!! I think the sooner some of you realise that Freddy is not the Messiah and stop treating him accordingly, the easier it will be for him and for the rest of us. Once he starts doing the business for us on the pitch (which, let’s face it, he has not done yet whenever MM has started him or put him on as sub) then by all means hail him as the new Bully, the new Richards, whatever, but until then please give the rest of us a break, it’s getting really really tiresome.
It’s only taken you 6 months…..
The reason so many Wolves fans have been pressing for Eastwood’s inclusion is because his goalscoring record through his career is considerably better than Bothroyd and Elliott who kept getting picked ahead of him. For instance Eastwood’s professional career has lasted for half as long as Bothroyd’s but he has scored twice as many goals. To have not picked Freddy ahead of Jay seemed pretty incredible to me, especially as we were struggling to score goals as a team.
Now though we have other options. When Keogh is playing I think we play better as a team because of his link up play. But I would be happy to see any two from Ebanks Blake, Keogh and Eastwood when teams are selected.
Is Ebanks-Blake available for the Sheff W match after getting booked at the weekend, or will the one match suspension apply to the Watford game - even though he’s cup tied?
3 - correct, although keogh doesnt score
i believe keogh, s.e.b and eastwood should all start
why not have s.e.b up front, with eastwood and keogh in rooney role behind
bit like barca do with messi and ronaldinho
dont know how i got those two in the sentence lol
When we were flying last year it was largely because of the high energy/creativity of Kites and Keogh. This season, without the balance that McIndoe offered, we became predictable. More recently, without Kites and the directness/threat that he brings, we’ve looked unlikely to trouble anyone. Hopefully with Edwards and SEB now in place, with Jarvis now firing and with (hopefully) Kites back soon, things will change. In such a line up I would have Keogh in the side every time. And if it’s SEB and Keogh that can form a productive partnership and not A.N. Other and Eastwood - who really cares? I would go with Eastwood this weekend but this obsession with him has to stop - it’s debilitating.
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Contact wolves boo-boy (any of them).
HB.
Made my drive home to see the wife bearable.
Quite a funny post for you
MM made the same comment about Keogh and Elliot then look at the farce that’s been happening since, I think I’ll just wait and see. I know who I would like to see. Freddy and SEB up front with Keogh just behind the front two, and with Edward laying off balls like he did the other day, things could be looking up.
As a wolves fan living over here in Lincs we get to see goals from teams over here and I saw Daniel Jones goal he scored at the weekend (from a direct free kick just outside the area)for Northampton, all I can say is no wonder they would like to keep him.
This striker key mick has found - is it the one he has been winding freddy Eastwood up with all season ?
wow,,,you win one game and super mick reckons hes cracked it,,,,,brilliant manager..
i think seb is suspended forthewatford cup game,not the sheff game
MM thinks he has cracked it Bloody hell Promotion here you come get a life you beat a Division 1 team, seems to me the old pals act with Connor, and what his he going to do with that world class player you have S Ward, Glad to see he gave him a long term Contract,that should keep Man u and Chelsea away, just as well no other supporters will not have to put up with the worst footballer in the Championship
I hope MM is right, but after one win against lowly scunthorpe, saying he has found his first choice striking partnership and that we probably won’t be signing any more players this season, seems a bit premature. I really think a strong fast quality centre back would make a difference, and possibly left back (to be fair Gray has been playing well recently but where is the cover?). Possibly another strong attacking midfielder for cover/variety. At the moment its going to be a hell of a struggle to grind out results and as we have seen we havn’t had a lot of depth to cover injuries, square pegs etc. I am glad the squad have got a confidence boost, but I’m a bit worried MM overestimates our squad if he thinks it can’t be strengthened further before the window ends. Anyway, good luck in the cup saturday, lets hope freddy gets a run out, he must be gagging to play by now.
the whole eastwood argument is now dead in the water as his wolves career now seems over b4 it had began..pity cos i think eastwood up front and keough in midfield is a far better bet.
Is this the key that was left behind when MM had his car broken into?
But seriously tho - Can MM just keep it to himself who he thinks is best blah blah as all this will do is wind up the other strikers in the squad AGAIN!
Keep it shut MM and GET ON WITH IT!
Get Freddy in MM or leave, you aint got a clue! becoming a bigger waster than Twoddle!!
5 and 10:- Tiresome and debilitating, tut tut.
What is tiresome and debilitating is you lot banging on about the gang of non scoreres, week in week out. Some strikers need time to settle in and be given a run of matches. I seem to recall over the years some of the best strikers in this club and country havin hard times before they settled in to regular scoring patterns. Just give the bloke a break and stop jumping on mad Micks bandwagon of publiicly slating players, damaging their confidence and then expecting them to perform for 10-15mins from the bench some weeks, that sort of stuff should be privately done and in a way that teaches and lifts players and never for selling inferior local and tabloids newspapers.
Keough and SEB stuck up an impressive partnership at Scunthorpe and MM should persevere with this pairing. Freddy will have to be content with the bench. SEB looks a great signing if he can maintain this form.
i dont think after one game you can declare a “partnership” MM but i think he was just chuffed with the result.
I’m sure fergie thought tevez and rooney would play well together but now after 20 games we know they can.
Bullys right, some of our strikers are 2 similar and I dont see how MM thought Elliot and Keogh could work.
Being a hard workin defender who scored few goals, I dont think MM is best placed to nurture the forwards we have or even understand the nature of goalscoring. We judge strikers by how many times they score a season.period, and not by how hard they graft.That why i think Eastwood is left in the cold. Ask Everton fans if there too fussed with Yakubo’s lack of work ethic when his instint takes him into scoring postions and he keeps on scoring.
(11)wolves boo boy….you forgot to say slightly soiled with no previous owners…still bet thers no takers tho.
Now clipboard has got hold of Sylvan we can kiss his goalscoring goodbye
At the end of the day though, the bottom line is Andy Keogh aint a goalscorer. Give Freddy a decent chance Mick.
Post 2:’get freddy in asap,keogh is just not good enough,we need players who can cut it if we go up and freddy can keogh cant !’
You have to be kidding me! A classic example of the ‘Freddy, Freddy’ dribble thats being served up. SEB and Keogh all the way!
“The standards have been set now, certainly,” he said.
Doesn’t learn does he. Mick, when you work with people you praise the people who have done well but you don’t at the same time knock those who you think haven’t. It doesn’t inspire them. They get cheesed (the other word might not get through) off.
ok if u read the article properly you see that nowhere in it did MM say that he has found the best partnership! that was the reporter! he has said that they did well together and that a standard has been set but never did he say that he has found his best partnership…he said that his intention was always to play Blake and Keogh but that would have been to give it a go and see what they can do together not to declare that he has found his best partnership…so stop slagging him off for something he never actually said!!! ( i realise not all of you have slagged him off, but to those who have….)
I just can’t understand people wanting Keogh to play deep behind a front two including Eastwood. Keogh’s strength is running at defenders and pulling them all over the place creating chances as furthest forward……Freddie always lies deep and can never get into the box. That means, if you play him, Freddie’s better looking for the opportunities from about 20 yards. All the “Fox in th Box” stuff about Freddie was misleading early season…..he’s always late arriving which is why SEB is a much better option. Unless Freddie starts busting a gut in the penaly box it would be better to sell him…
5 - Greg Cooper - I agree entirely. Eastwood is clearly a player of talent, but he has done nothing to justify a run in the team. The sooner the fans stop getting on the backs of the other strikers simply because they’re not Freddy, the better. Elliot has a better scoring record, but gets booed. It makes no sense at all.
Keogh is the best forward @ wolves,he will improve his goalscoring if the chances are created,instead of him having to run his roe off to get the ball.For me he would be the first name on the team sheet.
33: i agree