Mick McCarthy has been warned by former Molineux boss Graham Taylor that he reaches judgement point next season for Wolves.
The firm belief from the former England coach is that all managers deserve three years in the job and, as McCarthy approaches his third season at the helm, the play-off’s are the very least McCarthy must deliver this time around if he is to survive.
“There comes a time to deliver and Mick will be aware more than anybody that anything less than the play-offs again and it’s going to be very difficult for him to survive,” said Taylor, who failed in the 1995 play-offs. “It was very similar to myself with the play-offs.”
But Taylor has called on Wolves fans to rally around McCarthy, insisting the Yorkshireman deserves another crack at promotion before he can be truly judged.
He said: “After two years since Mick took over, with the money he has had, I don’t think they should be booting him out. I am a big believer you haven’t given the fellow a chance in anything less than two years.
“He has had to do a lot of rebuilding. He hasn’t had millions to spend. I hope they stick with him and the supporters get behind the team. The problem in today’s game is that everything has to be delivered yesterday, not tomorrow. I understand the Wolves supporters.”
Taylor believes McCarthy’s job is harder because of Albion’s promotion as Wolves – just as in 2002 – are left to languish in the Championship.
He said: “Mick has had to pick everyone up, including himself, from the major disappointment of losing out to West Brom – of all people – in the play-offs. The problem is just on the doorstep. West Brom have gone on and won the Championship. There is an intense rivalry there.
“They call it the Black Country but it should be the black and white country, because there’s no shades of grey with the supporters. I totally understand their frustrations and with Albion going up that doesn’t help them.”
79 Comments
I think 4th / 5th is a very realistic aim for us next year. Like everyone keeps saying, we have the nucleus of a very good squad, so it is up to Mick to prove that he is progressing, and with a couple more additions (we all know what they are, lets hope he does!) I can’t see us fearing anyone.
Top 2 is the minimum requirement,not the top 6. No excuses this time Mick!
Its gona be harder next season with some strong clubs in the mix and it all depends on who mick brings in to shore up our defence. We know we can score goals with Kites, Jarvis and SEB in the middle but keeping the like of QPR,Blue Noses and all the other teams who finished strongly last season at bay will be the key.
Top 6 is realistic. Palace, Brum, QPR, Ipswich, Sheff Utd, Reading, Norwich, etc will all be in with a shout. there may be others including Forest, Swansea, Doncaster, etc who may prove to be surprise packages. I will be surprised if Bristol City feature again this season.
Top 2 was the minimum requirement last season and he failed. Somehow despite all the things that have gone on he has survived, next year there will be the same excuses but maybe people won’t be as stupid in believing them.
It’s all pointless now but we should have kept the faith with Graham
i’m pretty sure he HAS had millions to spend!!!
about 8million.
Taylor talking nonsense for a change there…
Mick McCarthy will be gone by christmas and then we will have wasted another season and the whole process of starting again will begin…it is inevitable.
Taylor, please stop spouting rubbish if you don’t know the facts.
McCarthy has spent around £10 million in 2 seasons which in the Championship is a lot of money, to say “he hasnt had millions to spend” is complete tripe
if were not in the top two at xmas,he should be tarred & feathered & sent back to barnsley or ireland or where ever it is he comes from!
Don’t want play offs. We need to be promoted automatically. Teams who get to the Premiership via Play offs always seem to struggle. When we go to the Premiership we need to stay there.
We should not be concerned about the other teams. The talk is Gunter and Gerrard at the back, sign a midfielder and possibly Lafferty and we have a miles stronger team than last season.
Forget top 6, automatic. We have got to make Molineux a stronghold, as we know we can win on our travels!
If we are languishing mid-table by the end of October then the knives will be sharpening.
It has happened before as Mark McGhee, Graham Taylor, Colin Lee and Dave Jones can all testify.
Nothing but a sprint start to the Championship will suffice, otherwise this Board will again bow to the inevitable pressure of seeing the Premiership slip away once more.
Our season will depend on mad mick sorting out the problems that should have been sorted last summer, 2 pacey centre halfs and a centre midfielder, another 2 widemen incase of injuries and a experienced centre forward to coach the youngsters.
3.
I think you’re right about Blues and QPR. To get out of this league you’ve got to beat the teams around you at the top, something which we failed to do last year.
I posted this near the end of last season, but this was our final record against the teams that finished above us:
West Brom - Lost at home, Drew away - 1 / 6 points
Stoke - Lost at home, Drew away - 1 / 6 points
Bristol City - Drew at home, Drew away - 2 / 6 points
Hull - Lost at home, Lost away - 0 / 6 points
Palace - Lost at home, Won away - 3 / 6 points
Watford - Lost at home, Lost away - 0 / 6 points
So…out of the top 6 teams we have
P12 W1, D4, L7
Out of a possible 36points, we managed just 7.
To me, that was our downfall.
i think there is a very good chance the muppet will be gone by christmas, but that shouldnt affect how we support the team.
very few below-par performances will go unpunished in a much stronger league, so its imperative that the Mol becomes a much happier hunting ground for the home team.
mick, you’ve had 2 years to mould your squad, have got rid of your “troublesome” players, time to prove us critics wrong.
The clock is ticking.
A good start is essential for Mick. If were not challenging near the top and playing badly he’ll be gone before christmas.
Leave him alone!
and Henessey off to Arsenal for £8 mil??? According to yesterdays paper………….
lets stop the speculating and see what happens hey……….Im worried about Moxey balancing the books and selling though……….
Moxey for Albion.
6. The football under Taylor was absolutely awful!!! I can count on the fingers of one hand how many good performances there were! E & S stop trotting out rubbish in the close season!!!
Could they not find a better picture of him?!
I can’t understand why we are wasting another season on this idiot, he has got to go and take terry connor with you!!
WOLVES FINALLY WANT A DEFENDER ..
have a look on the transfer rumours on the 30th of may .. under WALSALL ..
we are after ANTHONY GERRARD ON A FREE AS HIS CONTRACT HAS EXPIRED ..
i think this would be a quality signing ..
WHAT YOU THINK PEOPLE ???
I agree with the Top 2 Only will do brigade. Mr Morgan has to put his money up and MM has to get the selection and tactics right. It may NOT be MM that takes us up - but it has to be this coming season. Playoffs are great for the crowd when you win but a disaster when you dont get a full pre season for new signings if you do go up via them.
Its already been reported in one newspaper that if Steve Coppell had left Reading that Steve Morgan would have replaced Mick with Coppell at the end of last season .Says a lot for the managements confidence in Mick I believe they will keep a close watch on his transfer targets and his days will be numbered if we have a bad start to the season.
MM was not the man I would have chosen in the first place. That said, he did a great job in his first season. He had me believing I was wrong about him and that maybe he could take Wolves up to the Premiership.
I began last season full of hope and, for the first time in a while, excitement over our prospects of gaining promotion. Then it all started to go wrong before we even kicked a ball.
First there was the summer signings… or should I say lack of them. With all the fans believing we needed new blood in centre back department we got Dave Ward. His success was mixed but the fact he is already transfer listed is evidence enough. The same goes for the signing of Stephen Elliot. We also needed a quality central midfielder but we didn’t even get as far as bidding for one.
We did manage to buy one of the most promising young strikers in the division, who after a promising start saw his career in ruins thanks to MM’s odd management decisions. So there’s another £1.5 million on Eastwood wasted. After his time at Wolves we will be lucky to get half that fee back for him.
At least MM has finally seen that some of the turkeys he has bought in are not up to the job and transfer listed them… I doubt the queue will be too long to sign most of them though.
So we face another summer of rumour and speculation over our few good players and whether we can hold on to them. We will also have all of the supposed targets that we may or may not sign. All I know is that we do need centre backs and central midfielder’s even more than last summer!
We also need our manager to stop making bizarre selections (like playing a third rate striker with little pace on the left wing) and tactical blunders every week.
It wouldn’t hurt if he stopped talking to the press about matters that should stay in the dressing room (like with Eastwood, Breen and Bothroyd).
He has very little time before the baying for blood form the terraces will begin. After all he didn’t even achieve his own minimum acceptable level of achievement last season, let alone meet the expectations of the fans.
We need to show a marked improvement from day one this season. We can’t afford another year of underachievement from second rate signings who will be sold again in less than a year.
and this from the same guy who stated at xmas that WBA would not win the league, ok manager, poor pundit!!!
Give him 8 games - if not playing attractive football & top four ……….get rid of him!!!
Already close -season - all we are linked with his forwards.
WE NEED DEFENDERS AT THIS CLUB - A FULL SET TOO!!!
I’m backing mm all the way. Even if we dont get promoted next season, we need stability
I seem to remember the quotes attributed to GT in the above article were made a number of months ago. Do the E&S have an agenda against the club - the majority of stories are very negative with an underlying theme of either trying to drive a wedge between the club and the fans and also unsettling the key players. The local paper should support the club and report the facts.
To all the MM supporters, can he establish us in the premiership should we ever get there? No chance.
TOP 2 is the requirement, nothing else. Even if he gets into the play offs then he will be on borrowed time. There is only so much a owner can take, and Morgan is backing Mick “foolishly in my opinion” this season. So no BS Mick, its needs to be automatic, champions would be nice. You did it with Sunderland no you need to deleiver for Wolves. Let us all forget about last season. I have! Next season is make or break so MM needs to galvanise this team. GT is right he will be judged on this season onnly and if Mick thought last season is pressure, just you wait until this season! Forget about the Derby’s Brummies or Reading, they are a team like us, just score more then them. Simple dont you think!
28. Wet Wolf, you make some good points, BUT:
It’s Darren Ward, not Dave.
We did bid for a creative midfielder, his name was Joe Ledley. We had a bid accepted and he turned us down.
You question Micks ‘odd management decisions’, but you obviously don’t know about Mr Eastwood’s attitude problem that upset the majority of the dressing room. One man, no matter how good he is perceived to be, does not make a team.
Stephen Ward was played there becasue Jarvis was injured. He did his best with what he had available. Our other replacement, Daniel Jones, was out on loan and could not be recalled.
Mick McCarthy’s biggest ‘mistake’ was overachieving and raising expectation. That same expectation can be seen in the comments today, and it is those pressurising comments that are going to get him sacked.
31 - crewe had stability with the same manager for how many years. They did well, but didnt go anywhere as they were a selling club. Eventually they went down.
To right i want to see us have the bottle and win it next season. no more 5th & 6th in the bloody playoffs!!
We will be in the top six by christmas as long as SEB doesn’t have to do time. MM and the supporters deserve a change of luck, two goals off the play-offs with Kites comming back to form. But that’s football! Stoke and Hull showed what can be achieved with team spirit and a winning mentality and that’s what we need to develop, we have the team we just all need to pull in the same direction.
I agree about the Sprint Start. If we are top 6 at Christmas we should be OK but if we are not the fans lack the patience…perhaps rightly.
I think we need to buy experience players who can get us out the league, but will probably not go on much longer. A Paul Ince character. We do lack mental strength.
Sounds like last season. Talk about automatic promotion, then talk about play-offs and then talk about nearly making the play-offs.
Same old story. Every Wolves fan would have liked Ince and next season everything would be fresh and exciting.
Wet Wolf …. agree with all your points except that in the first para. .
The Board dictated what the manager had to do 2 seasons ago. Their directive was to get rid of the high wage earners because the club could not afford them without the parachute payment. The Directors themselves were not going to cover any shortfall. MM was given a wage budget he had to keep to.
Everyone keeps giving MM credit for bringing in youngsters. That credit is misplaced. Whoever had been appointed would have had to do exactly the same under that directive; namely, use academy players were possible and top up with cheap to make up the numbers.
The academy players and those who came in were all on comparatively low wages with the … promise … THAT IF THEY DID WELL THEY WOULD GET A MUCH IMPROVED LONG TERM DEAL.
That is the reason team did so well in MM’s first season. The players worked their b–ls off to get that contract.
The fans have been fed up of other clubs’ crocks playing here and had been calling for the kids to be given a chance and finally here was a manager who thought like them and ” hey , look; we were right all along. We’ve been saying give ‘em a chance and they are doing great”.
That self gratification is the reason MM still enjoys support amongst many fans.
It is totally misplaced. Last season he showed his true calibre as a manager.
He is not for me, never has been and never will be.
wbabomber
In fairness nobody gets all their predictions correctr.
36 - Whats your point? Look at Man Utd, Arsenal, Everton. Stability is vital.
On the fence with Mick, but feel he should be given next season to deliver automatic promotion, no less. A couple of quality centre halves and a creative midfielder are essential - calum davenport for CH!
We know MM cant manage ‘characters’… he got rid of Incey…and McIndoe… and now Eastwood. No more excuses, if we’re not in the top six by Dec08 then I hope we get rid…
29) I think that you are one of the decent Albion fans that come on here unlike some. In all fairness to Taylor, at Christmas a lot of people would have said Watford but they had relegation form from January onwards!
38) That is one of the most positive posts that has been on here for a while.
I totally agree with you. There was some strange decisions last season but we had the likes of Murray, Gobern, Kites and Davies out with injury for most the season with others like Jarvis out for a bit!
shouldnt have let you go graham old son, lets not make the same mistake twice!!! but hey we will
One question, would any premiership club appoint MM as their manager?
The answer is NO, so get shut of the muppet now.
49 would any conference north team have him
infact would anyone want him
Mcshane from sunderland would be a good signing for you dingles
Bring back Taylor!
49, totally agree. Whats the long term ambition of this club? MM will not keep us in the prem should we ever get there under him.
9 - 10 mil???!!! Give us a break down!!!
load of tripe…
What’s it got to do with you Taylor? You are history (and sour grapes would be nothing to do with it I suppose)? MM for me…..
35 S*U*P*E*R
You are correct, obviously I meant Darren. Unfortunately I was talking to someone named Dave Ward at the time!
I believe the whole world is aware of an “attitude” problem in the Wolves dressing room. It wasn’t just Eastwood who had it though. There are several players including Breen who had an attitude problem in the dressing room last year. That begs a question as to where the attitude problem actually lies.
Also I am aware that Jarvis was injured before the start of the season. The fact that we sent Jones out on loan with McIndoe sold as well is an odd management decision in my mind.
I would also like to point out that when it comes to raising expectations and making pressuring comments, MM has dug his own grave. It was Mick himself who said that the target last year was to gain an automatic promotion place and that failing that, a playoff spot was the absolute minimum acceptable achievement.
I would add that MM has found some promising talent in Jarvis, Kightly, Edwards, Foley, etc. I do give him credit for that (sorry 41 Grumpy!). I would also accept that had they been fit for more of last season we would have done a whole lot better. That said we are clearing out a number of his recent purchases to make room for more. I just hope the next lot prove to be better for the club.
Ultimately I don’t care who manages the club if they bring success. I was willing to see MM prove me wrong last season and I’m willing again this time. I just find it hard to believe he will.
A bad start and the knives will be in his back. A good start and I believe we could lead by a mile at Christmas. At Wolves it is all about momentum and confidence, once we are winning regular and early then we will be unstoppable.
I amy not live in the Black country any more but follow the Baggies daily from 10,000 miles.
I am deeply saddened by the state of the Wolves under McCarthy.
It appears to me he has no plan or playing style or ability to spot or keep a talented player.
The Wolves should be in the Premiership but that is easier said than done - look at the struggles of the Albion even though they made Champions in the end. No one ran away with the league nor will they next year.
IF you are going to give a manager three years ( which is a long time in any fans life) then make sure he is enthusiastic about the game, open minded to adapting style of play to what is needed to go up, have the foresight to understand what players and style will survive when in the EPL.
Such a manager has to be able to attract young quality players to the club for a decent price in a fair wage structure and have a philosophy on the game they want to play in.
This is NOT Mick McCarthy.
Time for change if the pride of the Gold and Black is to thrive again - Maybe Paul Ince can bring back the light.
Anybody else seen the link on SKY SPORTS about KYLE LAFFERTY saying :
” Lafferty has signalled to Burnley saying .. Molineux is my preffered destination ”
” Lafferty hopes a compromise between Wolves and Burnley can be reached ”
HOPE WE GET HIM .. WOULD BE A GREAT SINGING
£2.75M (PLUS S.ELIOTT) I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD DEAL .. WHAT YOU THINK PEOPLE ??
7. & 9. - 10 million over 2 seasons is chickenfeed in this day and age - MM has done very well, with one or two exceptions, with the money he has been given.
And as for Taylor, he was sacked by Jonathan Hayward - hardley the sharpest stick in the box - I’m sure he would have got us up with the right support.
Luckily for MM he has the support of a more clued up board - and most of the fans. However he should not be lulled into thinking that 4th or 5th is OK for our club(despite the threat of the mighty Doncaster????? - who wrote that??). We expect to be serious contenders next year so if we don’t make it automatically - there had better be some very good reasons why not!
..and why does anyone think for one minute that wolves will do any better than this season or the one before? MM’s technique and the lack of spending willingness between Moxey and Morgan will see the team flounder in the middle of the Championship with the odd climbing into the top six.
Certainly with some quality teams, even Derby are better than us we can’t possibly get into the top two and the playoffs are like kissing your sister.
35. S*U*P*E*R
“Mick McCarthy’s biggest ‘mistake’ was over-achieving and raising expectation.”
Where has this ‘over-achievement’ myth come from? Well, of course we all know it has its source at the door of the master spinner, Jez Moxey.
The team of 2006 did not ‘over-achieve’, they played to their maximum capability and ‘achieved’, in exactly the same way that Man Utd. (spit) played to their maximum capability and won the 2 major trophies they wanted to win. But nobody says that they over-achieved!
Playing to a teams maximum capability is not over-achievement, it is what a good manager should be aiming to do each year.
The whole concept of over-achievement is just a Moxey spin, and I hope that we can stop quoting this rubbish on this board.
Playing to maximum capability was normal in Wolves glory days when we had leading managers and players.
Now, let’s look at last season. What did our sad specimen of a manager do with this ‘achieving’ team from 2006? He sent them away on loan and bought in a load of journeymen, who were no where near as good and failed us all very badly, i.e. ‘under-achievers’.
In spite of this abject failure Mr Morgan is giving this sad failure another go at failing in a different way, but it will still be the same way under different spin, because mono-Mickey only knows one way to fail!
I had high hopes for Mr Morgan, but now I worry he will join the long list of Wolves failures at all levels in the club.
53. RC
Don’t worry about it, there is little chance of pathetic Mick getting us into the Premiership.
I believe that next season will start with a bit of excitement, but then the fixation of ‘keeping a clean sheet’ will overtake Mickey once again, and we will see the same mysterious decisions being made again. But now we know what to look out for!
I believe that this next season, even the Billy Quiets will call for his blood if he inflicts the same dire football on us again. The South Bank will be ready for revolution!
Sadly, I don’t think that the club management will get rid of sad Mick voluntarily, I expect that sooner or later the fans will have to do this dirty job. I wish that we had some real leadership at this club.
Top 2 - no excuses…
WELL PUT GRUMPY OLE MAN !!!!!! And Wetwolf for that matter.
no 15 great point about points from those above us. allthemoneyin the world will not buy team spirit, and once you have it, top two is the min. for the season ahead. Having a manager who can get back team spirit after a few bad results…where , there is the problem.
41, total bull rubbish. How can anyone pass such damning judgement on MM, are you all word class managers now? Didn’t think so, there is a reason why some of the people here are football FANS and not football MANAGERS.
Former international manager, track record of promotion, fantastic first season… is that really a form to be sacked on? Name me a manager that hasn’t been through a bad season (seem to remember United fans saying similar things about Fergie).
If you want to sack managers for “fresh starts”, take one look at Leicester in League One.
With MM promotion is just not going to happen be realitic…he’s an ex-manager. His time has been and gone..punditry is his next best offer.
taylor says its been made worse by the team just down the road doing so well,is he on about the supa baggies,,oooops..STAYING IN MID TABLE THE MCARTHY WAY,,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,,OOOOOOOOOH YES.
P.S GET RID OF HIM…
Never keen on Taylor’s tactics as a manager. Preferred the ball being played on the ground with only occasional route one play. Admit he could be and was on occasion an effective manager. Punditwise he often makes a lot of sense but like the rest of us can get things wrong.
If Wolves make the signings a lot of us wanted last close season, availability, desire to come and cost being the catches, then I can see no problem in being in the top four next season. Centre backs, ball winning centre midfielder and wing cover being necessities. If we do not sign suitable players for these positions then we will be up there but lacking the required class to get to the holy grail. Out of darkness.
Anybody else seen the link on SKY SPORTS about KYLE LAFFERTY saying :
” Lafferty has signalled to Burnley saying .. Molineux is my preffered destination ”
” Lafferty hopes a compromise between Wolves and Burnley can be reached ”
HOPE WE GET HIM .. WOULD BE A GREAT SINGING
£2.75M (PLUS S.ELIOTT) I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD DEAL .. WHAT YOU THINK PEOPLE ???
i think taylors got a point. this will be mccarthy’s third year now, and so the squad is now in the shape he wants it. if they can’t produce this season, then things may be looking bleak for mick, which is unlucky but true
45. Tipton your a real joker, check your facts mate
How can graham taylor say he hasn’t had much to spend. Hes had 30 million pounds to spend!!!! I can kind of agree with taylor with giving mcarthy 3 years but at the same time i think when you have been given full backing and 30 million quid and you don’t get anywhere near the p[lay offs and don’t look a good team then I think you need to give mcarthy till christmas see how he does and if he is doing rubbish then sack him.
there should be no excuses this season,if stoke could go up last season!,im sorry, but with the squad we have,weve got to do it!
To be honest I just hope we see good exciting football like we did in McCarthy’s first season, that’s what I pay my money for and anything on top of that is a bonus. I don’t expect us to go up but I do expect us to be in the mix
YES GIVE MM ANOTHER CHANCE, OR EVEN ONLY UNTIL CHRISTMAS. ALL THOSE WHO SAY WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR AUTOMATIC ARE RIGHT, CHAMPIONS WOULD BE BETTER. WHO EVER STAYS IN THE PREM AFTER GETTING A PLAY OFF PLACE. EVEN COPPLE COULDN’T KEEP READING THERE AND AS SOME WISE WAG ASKED ALREADY, WHO IN THE PREM WOULD HIRE MM? ANSWERS ON A FAG PAPER PLEASE
i say boot him out now and get someone like billy davies in charge because hes got a club up to the prem recently albe it, they came straight back down, but the got up there!!!
The rebuilding is in progress. As Taylor puts it, MM needs to move forward now with the rebuilding.
Lets rally around MM for the sake of moving forward. Hopefully MM comes out wiser now