Manager Mick McCarthy has challenged David Jones to bring a new dimension to Wolves’ midfield starting tomorrow in a battle of the new boys.
Jones was one of four arrivals this summer, but the former Derby man has the added pressure of replacing departed £3m Stoke buy Seyi Olofinjana in the engine room
On a day he is set to face Plymouth’s £750,000 record signing from QPR, Simon Walton, Wolves boss McCarthy believes Jones can change the face of his team.
He said: “David is comfortable with the ball. His use of the ball is better than anyone else here and shows he’s a really good passer.
“I think we’ve got good players in midfield but Dave is a left-sided central player, which gives us something we don’t already have.
“I would hope he’ll give us some more quality at set pieces, that’s one of the reasons I liked him, when ticking the boxes as to what he can or can’t do.
“On his CV, it includes the fact that his delivery from free kicks and corners is very good, which is an added bonus.”
McCarthy wants a repeat of Jones’s performance in the 4-2 win against Blackburn last Saturday.
He said: “He was excellent on Saturday. Karl Henry is the best all-round midfield player we’ve got but we’ve got David, while Dave Edwards has got bundles of energy and makes runs from midfield and will get goals.
“There’s a nice variation, so we’ll see. It will be good to have options all season long.”
McCarthy also re-iterated Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Andy Keogh are his preferred strike partnership going into tomorrow’s curtain-raiser at Home Park.
He said: “Keogh and Sylvan are still in pole position. Whether they start or not, we’ll see down in Plymouth, but there are certain players who have earned the right to be in pole positio,n because of their performances together last season.
“They proved they were a good partnership and continue to be one. No one can afford a slip-up or mess about and not play right.”
McCarthy is expected a battle royale in the Devon sunshine.
He said: “Going down to Plymouth, I guarantee it will be 85 degrees F and everyone will turn up screaming and yelling. The atmosphere is fantastic early on in the season there.
“It’s a tough place to play. They try to make their ground a real fortress, so it’s a hard place to get points, as is everywhere.”
60 Comments
“It’s a tough place to play. They try to make their ground a real fortress, so it’s a hard place to get points, as is everywhere.”
the excuses have started already and we havnt kicked a ball.
No1 - who’s the muppet? Take a look in the mirror…
new season,..clean slate for MM and players in my book,…I feel optimistic about this season,…C’MON YOU WOLVES!!.
Just wanted to leave a good luck message for the season ahead. I love the banter like most and i am sure the season holds many more opportunities to wind each other up, i know the Championship is going to be as competitive as ever, but with players like Kites, Blake, and Hens you have as much a chance as anybody else.
Good Luck.
1:
He’s not making excuses, he is just stating a very true point!
Number 1, it is people like you who really rack me off you muppet
I see on another story that you have a shirt made of cake - I can already hear the clumping footsteps as John Hartson Waddles down the A5 from Wales to sign up !!!!
Mick McCarthy said: “David is comfortable with the ball. His use of the ball is better than anyone else here and shows he’s a really good passer.”
You could have changed David to Jay in that sentence last year and it would have been true. Other current players could rightly be unhappy with that statement.
Mick McCarthy said: “Karl Henry is the best all-round midfield player we’ve got.”
This is guaranteed to motivate the rest of the midfield players.
Mick McCarthy said: “Keogh and Sylvan are still in pole position”.
That’s really encouraging for Vokes and Chris.
I thought the performance against Blackburn was really encouraging and the new players looked promising. I feel a lot more positive about the coming season than a year ago when Mick made so many bad decisions (eg preferring Elliott to Eastwood), but I do wish he would stop making comments like these and I really hope he doesn’t start with Ward ahead of Jarvis tomorrow.
Too right number 1, we haven’t kicked a ball yet and your starting on the Wolves manager. No it isn’t exscuses that Mick McCarthy is coming out with, it’s plain common sense, and it’s being realistic too. MM’s comment is just the type that Alex Ferguson, Bobby Robson in his prime, or any other decent manager would come out with. What do you expect our manager to say? ‘Plymouth will be a pushover, we will definetly beat them, we are a much better team than them, Plymouth aren’t that good really and they have few real fans’??? That wouldn’t gee up the opposition would it? Goodness me, get on board or support someone else number 1.
G&B Army:
Too right, let’s get behind the boys tomorrow, shame the atmosphere’s not so good at home games
1. muppetout
The season hasn’t even started and the beloved ‘muppetout’ shows what a positive outlook on life he has, with support like that the future doesn’t look bright, it looks slightly faded.
Myself like most of the people I speak to can see what potential the teams seems to have and it looks like there is a hell of a good chance of fulfilling that potential this season so lets wait and see ay!
Come on Wolves! I think we’ll win 3-1.
McCarthy is expected a battle royale in the Devon sunshine.
He said: “Going down to Plymouth, I guarantee it will be 85 degrees F and everyone will turn up screaming and yelling. The atmosphere is fantastic early on in the season there.
funny because the weather forcast said its gonna be raining lol
i’ll be there cheering the team on tomorrow,looking forward to it
c’mon wolves we need a good start
C’mon Lads try to be positive! I feel we have a stronger squad this season and he has sold/listed players that most would agree with. Good signings plus Kightly, Jarvis and Davies fully fit! Leave the negativity until we have something to be negative about.
We’ve tried to make our own ground a fortress for 10 years but it never works!
1.
muppetout - out!
Keep the Faith - SUPPORT the Wolves
Keep it solid at the back (right from kick off!) and I’m sure SEB and Kites will help do the buisness. My prediction is also 3-1 to Wolves.
C’mon Wolves!
CMON THE WOLVES. Im gona go for a 2-0 victory to wolves. SEB 1 and KEOGH to get 1.
Well I haven’t posted all summer…..but Post 1 has brought me out of my close season hole.
16 above……I would agree entirely, we could seriously do without all this rubbish before the season has even started. I have a really good feeling about this season. Let’s just get behind the boys from start to finish…it’ll be worth a few extra points come the end of the season and it could make the difference. This is even if Ward plays, which no doubt will get plenty of posts from the likes of ‘1′. Mick picks the team, we should get behind them, whoever they are.
Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad to see Muppetout shot down - he’s a moron.
Shut up you moaning idiots. If you were at Bolton on a Monday night seeing us lose to Chorley, then you saw a shocking Wolves side. This side has some quality, young players and a good back up squad. We only need a centre half, as I worry about Collins as defensive cover!
Must get at least one win from either Plymouth or Ipswich, we must start well and maintain the pressure all season, no late catch runs, be there from day one.
muppet out 1 - i’d really like you next to me in the trenches when the going gets tough! We were superb against Blackburn and looked sharp, movement and passing superb and stuffed them proper - so it was a friendly, it still was a win and a great perforamnce.
probalbly not good enough for Muppet out though.
lets just give the boys the support they deserve and appreciate the fact we are not long ball merchants
Happy Baggie every time I log on your on our page is there nothing on your page worth looking at
Still need more reinforcements in this area.
Last year we cried out for someone in central midfield who could play with George.
But the facts are this lad hardly played a game last season because of injury.
We need another quality midfielder with experience to go along side this lad or play if he gets injured or suspended. I’m glad to see Mark Davies back but hes not the creator he’s a worker who will score a few goals and make a nuisance of himself, i like him but we need to spend some real money and buy some recognised quality. Not young and hungry translated into cheap and maybes someone recognised. I think this has been the problem area for 2 years, because we dont concede many but we create very little.
blah blah blah,talk talk talk
Let your feet do the talking and lets see what happens on the pitch
ive got a rely good feeling about this season if we put in the performance we did against blackburn we will be there or there abouts
Up The Wolves!
I think MM will start with Ward and bring Jarvis on, it’s up to Matt to make a big impact and prove he should start. I think that the problem for MM is that if Ward doesn’t start it’s difficult to see why he would be on the bench; he’s certainly no impact player! Either way it’s a good problem to have. Draw would do, win would be fantastic.
1….you really are a moron
we should start at a high tmpo right from the off, see if plymouth can live with it, creating wont be a problem with jones kites and jarvis supplying the ammo….just hope SEB takes his “golden” boot(s) with him cos i cant see keough getting 15 this season…but still…c’mon boys!! 2-0
1. Mr Out, Or is it ok just to call you by your first name?
It’s really going to ruin your life (if you have one) if we do well this season isn’t it?
Looking forward to it no matter what.
CAN’T WAIT.
Ps. Cheers Bomber but I think its likely that we (not including our mate muppet) will have the bigger smiles tomorrow night
It’s going to be a great games. Crowds at home park are usual vocal. If they get full house it will be good. They struggled to last season.
Play a high tempo and get the crosses in Kites and Jarvis.
You can see exactly where Mick is coming from, he will probably play the expected line up with Ward on the left and hound the Plymouth team with high tempo football (Wolves were the 2nd busiest passing team in the championship last season!!). If though as sometimes in the past that doesnt reap the dividends (goals) he is not afraid to make substitutions and will bring on BIG chris and Sam, put Jarvis on the left and cross countless balls into the box from the wings (by the way did anybody know also we put in more crosses than any other team last season in the championship) - the difference this season is we do have a squad, and we have real impact players - I for one am very excited about this season because if it works I cant see many teams that could live with us!! I think this is the culmination of 2 years work!
GOOD LUCK WOLVES 0-2 WIN ON SATERDAY
On the eve of the new season, I would like to appologise to Dave Wagstaffe for the insult meted out to him by the Mick this week.
The number 11 should not be awarded to anyone, let alone the person who was given it this week
Leave poor Muppetout alone!
Whereas “excuses” may be overstating it, clearly Mick is playing down expectation and covering a potential bad start.
Nevertheless, Plymouth are a decimated team and are looking down not up! If we have any chance of top 2 we need to win matches like Plymouth away and with the pre-season we’ve had and lack of injuries, there really shouldn’t be any excuse for not winning.
For those who’ve posted already that they like Mick because he tells it as it is then in this case, he isn’t! Any away match is difficult but this one is easier than most!
Good luck lads i’ll be there tommorow do us proud
come on you wolves!!!!
Barmy Army
Dave Jones is a very good passer of the ball - maybe the playmaker we need - just hope that MM doesnt use S Ward on the left again - or does he use S Ward inorder to change the formation to 4-3-3 during a game? Any thoughts?
Really hope we get a decent centre half in alongside Stearman soon!
2 nil wolves kites seb.happy days
I’m off tonight, can’t wait until tomorrow. The excitment is killing me, C’MON YOU WOLVES we can still win, even without the C B we are missing. 2 0 WOLVES
Prediction for tomorrow, I could be wrong though.
Plymouth 8 1 Wolves
If Karl Henry is your best midfielder I would suggest that the rest are pretty useless. Lets look at your very best starting 11.
1. Hennessey - Excellent
2. Foley - Average CCC Player
3. Elokobi - Headless Chicken
4. Karl Henry - PMSL, Absolute Garbage.
5. Craddock - Over the Hill, slow.
6. Stearman - Unproven, very bad against B’Burn
7. Kightly - Very Good Player
8. Jones - Check the Derby forums, lightweight, goes missing
9. Elikes-Cakes - Very Good CCC Striker
10. Keogh - Banjo and cows rear spring to mind!
11. Jarvis - Decent CCC Player
My prediction, 8th in CCC at best. Thats my serious assesment.
Manager: Clueless ( as proved )
Only good thing for you this season is you wont have to be embaressed by Albion again.
See ya Dinglescum
I for one think that whoever MM decides to play or not to play, the whole team if involved will give us their best shot.
I wish everyone of the team the very best of luck for the new season.
Come on the Wolves
Beers in the fridge, cannot wait for 10.00am local time tomorrow. Good luck MM and Wolves - clean slate and know this is our season.
This was it!
Great entertaining football and promotion was Albion
Poor entertaining footbal and promotion was Stoke
Average entertaining football and promotion was Hull
Entertaining football and no promotion was Ipswich et al
Poor entertaining football and no promotion were the others
But this is it - if we can do something extra a centre back, before the window closes?!
42. ELIKES CAKES I nearly forgot you had John Hartson he liked food more then anyone eh
He’d walk into your team anyday and you know it
So would Kightly, Hennessey Foley and Stearmen he can’t be worse then Cement pardon my spellin’
Ya should be concerned about yourown Towns season
As for 8-1 won’t that be Arsenal’s result the week after
HAHA
Put up or shut up
not another season of happy baggie comments i dont think i can take it
42. You are too far below a snakes belly to even be called scum.
just everyone ignore 42 and hopefully he will just go away. How long did that take you to compile tesco trolley boy? All wik?
2-4 to the boys, 1st scorer SEB
Wolves_till_i_die
Just read that Elikes Cakes has got a £4.5m buy-out cluase, so you may not have him muxh longer!!
Go get him TM! We dont need him, just want to upset you lot.!
are those empty seats i see behind him aye boing boing
Hey, Grumpy Ole Man, Waggy was my all-time favourite player, too. But let’s not even think about “retiring” shirts as we do here in North America. Some sports teams have more retired shirts than they do current players. It’s daft.
28.The Magician, I agree with you totally, it is a good problem to have, and have to say Ward played well against Blackburn, looked fit, sharp & injury free & used the ball well, but so did Jarvis when he replaced him & scored a cracker,…C’mon Wolves fans lets show a united front until we have something to moan about at least!!!
42. totally wrong
HENNESSEY - EXCELLENT
FOLEY - GOOD PLAYER
ELOKOBI - NO NONSENSE DEFENDER
CRADDOCK - SAME
STEARMAN - GREAT TACKLER
KITES - EXCELLENT
HENRY - V GOOD
JONES - DECENT ENOUGH
JARVIS - V GOOD
SEB - CLASS
KEOGH - V GOOD
cant wait to see you lot get stuffed EVERY SINGLE WEEK!!!
42. Just wondered how you come to rating Wolves players? How would you know who’s good and who’s not? Unless you actually go down the Molinuex then I can only presume yo have ‘word of mouth’ to go by. Just go and enjoy your relegation battle you muppet.
Everyone wants to be optimistic but if we start the season with the same poor team selection as last then it’s going to be another tough nine months.
There is only 1 person in Wolverhampton who would prefer Ward to Jarvis - it’s so blindingly obvious why is it even being considered???
All last season we were being told “Wait till we get our 2 wingers back from injury and playing together!”.
So now MM picks a team with only one of the wingers. Why am I not surprised?
17 My thoughts exactly. My only concern is that we could be so hyped up to blitz the opposition that we could leave the back door open. How ofeten did it happen last season and it just sucks the confidence out of a talented side. Craddock and Henry are going to be essential today to keep Stearman calm and cover that area in front of the back four. If that is covered we have the fire power to burn most sides in the division. Looks like Nyatanga is being left out at Derby today, may be worth a shout.
42 & 54. How about a more objective assessment as follows:
Hennessey - Excellent (and don’t forget Murray)
Foley - Very reliable, makes few mistakes
Elokobi - A fast, strong, headless chicken
Craddock - A decent CCC defender
Stearman - Too early to say but has potential
Kites - Probably the best player in the CCC
Henry - Very average
Jones - A good left foot but lacks consistency?
Jarvis - A good and improving CCC winger
Ebanks - CCC’s most prolific stiker last season
Keogh - Works hard but limited
Others:
S Ward - A donkey who will likley start today
Gray - An excellent versatile squad member
Owulemo - A big, difficult opponent
Collins - Another donkey. On the bench today?
In summary, we could do with a bit of steel in central defence and central midfield and a proper finisher to support Ebanks. If we can get these in by the end of the month and key players stay clear of injury we have a real chance. Without this it is probably play-offs at best again.
Ready for the booing and Mick out chants to start? when you realise letting freddy and your best midfielder go, together with really poor lower league standard signings…..it’s gonna be a long hard season. You are nowhere near as good as Blues, Palace, Watford, Derby, Reading, QPR! lol mid-table would be good for you lot this year!