George Elokobi will start at centre-back for the first time for Wolves in tonight’s friendly at Motherwell.
Boss Mick McCarthy has revealed the 22-year-old left-back will continue the 19-minute experiment started at Dundee on Sunday.
He will line up alongside either Richard Stearman, Jody Craddock or Neill Collins at Fir Park.
He said: “I played him as a centre-half in a 4-4-2 in training yesterday and I intend trying him there again.
“I want a left-footed centre-back and someone who’s quick. He fills all that criteria.
“So I’m going to have a look at him at centre-half tonight.”
McCarthy intends to give 11 players around 70 minutes tonight, after fielding two different teams in each of the three friendlies so far.
He said: “I’m going to try to get 70 minutes into the team that starts. Once you start making substitutions in the last 20 minutes, things can go a bit awry.
“If it does, it does, but the thought is to get as much out of them as I can. If I can get 70 minutes out of most of them, I’ll be delighted.”
McCarthy insists it’s too early to say whether tonight’s selection will be his first choice line-up for the big kick-off at Plymouth.
He said: “We’ll see whether it’s a first choice line-up because they’re all still fighting for places.
“We’ve still got to play tonight, Saturday, Tuesday and the following Saturday. Whatever team turns out on August 9 will have earned their places.”
David Jones will almost certainly not be risked, but fellow midfielder Dave Edwards is fit after missing training on Monday following a kick on the knee against Dundee.
41 Comments
It’l be a white wash if he plays at centre back- he’s fat and useless!
oh dear - last minute tweaking of the defence! God help us!
I dont mind MM trying out new things in the pre-season…good for him. The great things is it doesnt matter cos it’s pre-season…cheaper than balde to say the least!
George always looks unfit in all the pictures I see. Is this an optical illusion?
I think he has the potential to be a great centre back, strong and powerfull, he could really intimidate the opposition strikers. He would need to work on his positional play, however as being a left back he tends to get forward alot at the moment. Not sure if this would be a long term solution
Oh dear. He’s already started with tinkering.
If we move George does that mean we need to buy an new left back? I think Ian Harte would b ok as cover but i think if we are going to push for a play-off/auto place we need a quality player who can link up well with Jarvis
…and better than Balde. Balde can’t run ffs and has played 14 games in 2 years.
Elokobi could most definitely do a job in the centre. What I would say is that the side tonight will most definitely not be the starting line up at Plymouth. The reason is that David Jones will be playing if fit.
its only worth converting Elokobi if we see Harte as being a starter at left back
How dare he! How dare he try to tinkle with the system in an all important pre-season friendly! MM is putting square pegs in round holes and we don’t like it. Next he’ll want to try Stephen Ward at left back again… get Mick out before he causes any more damage to our team.
I hope that is enough encouragement for all the negative numpties to start moaning again.
P.S. That’s how silly all the negative poster appear on these pages, and you wonder why MM calls you all nuggets!. Grow up and support the team properly, or stay away and let the real fans help get us promoted.
Cloughie turned alot of forwards into defenders.
George does tick alot of the attributes required for that position as Mick states, im not sure he is that good a header of the ball though, and im yet to see if he has that footballing brain all quality defenders have, still he’s got a good teacher.
Wasnt George on about working on his attacking down the wing play the other week??
Even if he can adjust, we still need another centre half.
Why not experiment in pre-season, its a great idea. MM is key to us achieving something this season, I am so pleased the Board have backed him and that we are building foundations before trying to build a tower block.
MM stated that Elokobi was the second best left back in the Championship last season (behind the thug from down the road!) so why weeken the defence?
Sign a quality centre half and stop the tinkering!
GOING NO WHERE, THE MCCARTHY WAY !
he is the worst defender ive ever seen
7, Yep, I agree.
I agree with 8 but if we cant get a quality centre back because a)we cant match the wages they demand or b)our rivals wont sell any decent players to a club in the same division then perhaps it is easiest to source a new left back .
What about Craine from Fulham …. i think we was a left back at Southampton (?)
Lets see how he gerts on
sorry i’ve stumbled onto the albion page by mistake…Ooops perhaps not i thought you were talking about some of your players then boys…i can see schools out early in Sandwell..again.
why are you lot moaning???
its either Elokobi or NEIL COLLINS!!
id rather have no1 at the back than Neil Collins!
He fat hes round he bounces off teh gronud Elokobi elokobi
This is the time to experiment obviously cos it’s pre-season….negativity starting this earlier in the campaign WILL affect the players performance and like what I saw at Wrexham….sarcasm from fans will not improve the players ability or confidence…patience! is the word of the day.
Please stop whining and moaning. It’s a friendly, the whole point of it is so that the manager can try things without it counting for much if it fails.
Just give them your support or SHUT UP.
grow up ragster
I think that this is definitely worth looking at but that does not mean that I agree with all of MM’s team selections or tactics - does that mean that I have to stay away just because I am not a brain washed happy clapper who sees Wolves through rose coloured spectacles?
Get a life!
For goodness sake, if MM can’t tinker around during pre season when can he?
What a perfect chance for him to see if Elokobi can cut it at centre half. If he can’t then no harm done and he can go back to being a left back, if he can then great, we’ve just got ourselves another option.
Shut up moaning!!!
i’d love it
i’d love it if we won the league, and i had to hear many of you say you were wrong….. its pre-season, calm down….. i wouldnt mind if he played his gran on the left wing,,,,, its about getting fit, trying things out and passing the ball between each other
before you all go why is he doing this? i will tell you why it is because although u may think elokobi is a left back he is not he is a defender who can play lb cb and rb
and whats wrong with ian harte i cant say ive ever seen him play but he cant be that bad and anyways we coyld have dan jones at lb and mark little at rb what a defence.
makeing a position for S ward, never mind in mad MM you trust
We have some Tesco clowns on here and they are calling Elokobi useless. Here is a fact…our defence was about 10 goals better than you last year and you are conceding loads in your friendlies. Result unless you sign some quality defenders you are going down, as unfortunately your prolific goalscorer is no longer there. Oh I forgot about Luke’Chip on my shoulder’ Moore!
elokobi said a few weeks ago he wanted to be the best left back in the world.well you better watch out rio elokobi coming up behind
Nothing wrong with tinkering now, this is the time to try things out. As long as he has clarity of roles for the start of the season, that’s all that matters!
He’s allowed to tinker you know people. He is the manager and does have a “right”, especially if it works (which you would not moan about if it did)?
Good to try things out, but as others have said whats that mean for the LB position?
As for the baggie boys still got a leaky defence????
Well said Ragster (11), absolutely spot on mate!!
God help us. The guy is a defensive nightmare at left back. No-one in their right mind would play him in central defence where his frailties can be expected to be even more cruelly exposed. When I read this kind of clap trap, I wonder why I renewed my season ticket.
28 Ian Harte would be quality, I reckon he’d contribute at least 10 goals/assists from free kicks.
Interesting-Yes. Not an easy friendly-are they not in the EC next year–So a draw is not a bad result-MM is I suppose allowed to experiemnt but what I have seen he is not a centre back. to one footed and lacks certainty will be looking at the write up-But what can you tell from a friendly———-Crazy Dave.
Everbody else signs quality, we sign overweight, unfit useless namby pambies and thendon;t know where to play them.The whole club is run like a dog.Totally embarrassing to be talking about this guy like he’s some sort of saviour, when, in real terms, he is an average player, in a very average team
Elokobi is the best LB in this division.
All the people bad mouthing him obviously haven’t seen him play.
only seen him on tv but he impressed me.he can tackle,old wolf