Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Ward to make his Wolves comeback
Stephen Ward will make his long-awaited comeback for Wolves hoping to gatecrash his manager’s plans for Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Birmingham.
The 24-year-old left-back is likely to play central midfield in a side crammed full of first teamers against Fulham at Molineux tonight (7pm).
Kevin Foley, Michael Mancienne, Matt Hill, George Elokobi, Michael Kightly, Nenad Milijas, Stefan Maierhofer and Andy Keogh are also included.
Just to underline the competition in a position that has given manager Mick McCarthy plenty to ponder this season, Ward is one of four left-backs in the team.
Hill, also making his comeback after recovering from an ankle injury, lines up at centre-back, while Elokobi takes the No 3 role and reserves’ captain Scott Malone is set to figure at left midfield.
Ward has been out since the end of August after cartilage surgery, but returned to full training last Thursday and is already desperate to rejoin his team-mates in the Premier League.
The manager said: “Wardy has already been on to me telling me he’s fit and ready to play.”
Ward is determined to be available as soon as possible, for what would be his 100th appearance for Wolves since his bargain £100,000 move from Bohemians.
He said: “I’ve had a taste of the Premier League and I just want some more. It would have been a lot different if it had happened in pre-season and I’d be looking to get back into it now.
“I’ve had some experience, I know what to expect, and am looking forward to being available again and hopefully giving the gaffer another option.”
Admission to tonight’s game is £4 and £1 or free to season ticket holders. The game has been switched from AFC Telford, who now host Stalybridge in a FA Trophy replay.
Wolves reserves: Hahnemann; Foley, Mancienne, Hill, Elokobi; Kightly, Milijas, Ward, Malone; Maierhofer, Keogh.
Subs: East, Dunleavy, Metcalf, Rooney, Spray, Szabo.
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Mancienne in at Left-Back, Stearman at Right-Back, Keep Berra and Craddock together. (They had a bad game, but so do Rio and Vidic)
3 points is a must on Sunday otherwise we’re all but down.
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Sorry Stephen. You will need to wait like everyone else has this season when they have come back from injuries.
I hope there is no favouritism shown here Mick
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What has happened to Mendez-Laing since his quality debut in the Mickey-Mouse Cup? I can’t find any info on him anywhere. Injured or on-loan??
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1 – ‘we’re all but down’
There are 25 ganes left and we are 2 points (taking into account goal difference) from 17th place. Muppet!
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NO DOUBT MICKS LOVE CHILD WILL BE STRAIGHT BACK IN ON SUNDAY.
MUPPET MICK OUT A.S.A.P!!!
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No 2, No favouritism ?!?! have you been to any games this season ? Ward (and not just in comparison to Elokobi) was fantastic earlier in the season !
Bring it on Bob Wolf !
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Ward, if fit, is our best bet at left back. Stearman, Zubar and Mancienne are all right footers.Mancienne was meant to be class for the under 21’s but played as right back. He definitely needs to play this week – either right back or holding midfielder.
Subject to fitness this is the team I would pick for Sunday -
Hennessey Foley Craddock Stearman Ward Jarvis Mancienne Milijas Edwards Ebanks-Blake Doyle
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Ward was impressive earlier in the season and I’d get him straight back in the side. I’d say it would show favouritism to keep someone else in the position when they haven’t justified it.
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sorry Wardy, your not match fit and your best chance of getting on will be from the bench.
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Get him straight back into the team! He is better than what is currently available!
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Mick will have his son straight back in the team. Strangely enough I would actually have him in at left back if fit and Zubar is still out so that we can play Mancienne at centre back again with Berra – no room for Craddock after he gifted Chelsea their opener, he is too slow at this level and we need the pace of Mancienne to deal with Benetez and Jerome who have pace to burn. Back four of Stearman, Mancienne, Zubar and Berra should be the way forward.
Get the Hoff in the team Mick, he will frighten the Blues defence to death with his height and power. If not then it is time for Keogh to come back into the team as Ebanks isn’t producing.
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Well, it’s 25 games left to rescue the season, including 10 games against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal,Liverpool, ManCity and Tottenham. So this means realistically that we are looking to obtain 28 points from 15 ‘winnable’ games (or 8 wins 4 draws and just 3 defeats in these 15 games).When you look at these statistics, it kind of leaves you with a sinking feeling. Although it is not out of the question that this can be done, it is already beginning to look like a very tall order. Of course, it all depends on how the other sides are doing around us. Sides have stayed up on 34 points in the past (Tesco for instance under Brian Robson). Whatever happens WE ARE WOLVES….WWFC FOREVER!!
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5. Muppet Mick, The only child around here is you with your idiotic post.
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Best left back at Wolves, simple as that really.
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I am getting worried no comment yet from Bob Wolf.Are you rolling Bob?Personally I don’t care who he plays on Sunday as long as he gets us the 3 points.
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Should he not be playing at left back tonight? That would be ideal practice for a left back who is to be drafted into the first team on Sunday at left back.
It’s a world gone mad
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number 6: Sylvans goals got us promoted and he still needed to wait to play and so has Jody C when he has been injured. The list goes on.
Yeh you will say he was not match fit but there again is Ward going to be match fit?? These are two games we need to win.
Stephen McCarthy not to be in squad
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Seems to me that some peopls just cannot grasp the problem with MMs tenure.4, left backs in the game,Striker turned left back now considered the best left back at the club? Big George now playing Centre Back,Young Malone Left Midfield.How on Earth are we going to get a settled team when being played any where to get a game is considered the norm.Iam all for for versatility but the players must be good enough,and as current position results indicate this does not appear to be the case at WWFC.
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@ 14 – Hardly a high bar is it
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SEB and doyle do not work ,two wingers and start the hoff with one of those two!!!If we are going down lets go down fighting and playing the way we came up!!!
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Ward is actually our best left back!
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gotta agree with bobwolf – the Hoff is our best option upfront with Doyle…
SEB’s in no mans land and Andy no good in front of goal. If simply by elimination the Hoff should start, that and he gives us so much more in the box.
Birmingham is the marker lads, this is where we get to see if we have what it takes.
No Injuries and No Excuses.
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I have just read Doyles coments about too tired and fatigued – for £6.5m and high salary try telling that to the average postie or soldier in afghanistan. Its only a game of football for goodness sake grow up and starting doing what you are paid to do score goals and get us out of the depths.
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would be great to see Foley play on Sat.
As far all you muppets saying SEB, Foley, Kights cant cut it, they have been out with injuries for varying lengths of time.
I tell you they can.
Might be too late.
Is Castillo on loan or perm does anyone know?
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I’d put Ward at least on the bench. He looked surprisingly good early on, especially going forward. He is also a striker & should know how to make something of a goalscoring opportunity. We are desperately short of players who will take a shot in open play unless its put on a plate for them…even then its usually squandered. I like Edwards, but he missed 2 chances before Malouda’s far more difficult opening goal. Put it this way if Malouda played for us & Edwards for them we’d have been 2-0 up after 4 minutes.
It is clear with Arsenal & Chelsea that every outfield player they have can score from any distance, and quite simply ours can’t.
But Foley knows how to score too, as does Milijas & even the Hoff. Keogh has a shocking goal to shot ratio but he does create a lot in open play before missing most of them. If 1 in 10 go in, thats still as many as SEB & Kightly’s contribution put together.
With only Doyle & Craddock looking like scoring its pretty clear how to defend against us…which is get numbers goal side of Doyle, put 2 on Craddock & prevent Berra or Doyle’s flick on for set pieces.
Until we can threaten from other positions it will continue with Doyle’s one man crusade into a brick wall.
Hennessey
Zubar Craddock Berra Ward
Edwards Milijas Henry Jarvis
Keogh Doyle
Subs: Hannermann, Hoff, Surman, Mancienne, Foley
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18 well said,someone with a brain at last
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In my humble opinion the best team [on the books all fit]
Ikeme —-Murray
Foley Stearman Zubar Mancienne
Kightly Henry Milijas Jarvis
Doyle Hoff.
There are some in there that I dont rate but it highlights the fact that we have a very average squad who will have to play to their maximum ability EVERY game for us to survive.
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Hennesey
Zubar,Mancienne,Berra,Stearman
Keightly,Castillo,Milijas,Jarvis
The Hof Doyle
Bring on the Blues!
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wolvesmod your comments deserve a better stage, skysports pundit??
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Ebanks-Blake scored a few goals on Johnson and Dann last season, plus 1 against Blues.. so hopefully Sunday will see him back on the scoring trail!
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Blimey ! Bob Wolf on the tablets eh ! Yes Ward should be in at LB and I agree with comments about Mancienne being in to counter the pace of Benitez and Jerome.
Where are you TorquayMan ? Quick, I need to read some garbage tonight.
How many morons can you get in a Torquay phone box.
Save a place, MUPPET MICKs on his way down the M5
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Tenbury Wolf says;
Calm down, its only Birmingham.
If Mick picks a team in their correct positions and they play with confidence then we will win.
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Steven ward may be the best left back at the club but that just sums us up. Again a clear example of mccarthys ineptness. Why not strengthen the area in pre season oh no he needs to play his son so he puts as much crap as he can in at left back to make ward look good! I still cant believe people think we will be ok. Honestly who on here would put their mortgage on us staying up? Support the team yes but dont cloud your mind with dillusion cause its boring me now
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33 well said, another sensible fan with a brain.
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Yay..let the Lord be praised…Ward is back..wah!! another average squad player that will make no difference to our situation whatsoever. Hope Doyle is well rested now , poor love….whatever shall we do?
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what a pity doyle cant show us the same passion and comittment he shows for ireland he stops trying and drops his head after 20 minutes for us.make sure you catch up on your sleep son,so you can do nothing 4 us again on satur day were going down boys unless we sack mm he hasnt got a clue
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That was a strong line-up to loose to Fulham reserves. Not a good sign …
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37- Indeed! If we play our best 2nd team and they can’t even beat a bunch of kids what chance have we of doing anything with our best team. All very dissapointing!
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all to no avail sack thick mick nowwwwwwww
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Lets get something straight… ward is terrible.
Our best left back ? You have to be joking, he’s continually out of position and our left back position is the weakest area of the team by a mile with Ward in that position. The blokes a second rate striker , not a left back.
Drop Henry, Drop Edwards , Drop Craddock and play the following against birmingham….
Hennesey
Zubar,Mancienne,Berra,Stearman
Keightly,Castillo,Milijas,Jarvis
Seb, Doyle
We would stuff them,, however, this is my prediction from the mad muppet…
Zubar, Berra, Craddock, Ward
Edwards, Henry, Castillo, Jarvis
Doyle, Keogh.
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Very poor showing from most of the team, we do NOT have a reserve goalie, Manciene still making schoolboy errors, Foley ok in defense but poor coming forward, George still out of his depth, Hill looked ok in centre of defence, Nenad promises but not delivering much, Ward dives superbly, Kites dismal on right wing and when switched to left kept coming inside,did have a reasonable shot or two tho, Keogh entertained but never threatened to score and DONT start me about that damn Hoff lump. That just leaves the lad Rooney and he looked idle. Good job we season ticket holders got in free or refunds might be in order a la Wigan style.
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if this guy is the best left back at Wolves it shows how badly prepared we were for the premiership. he made silly school boy errors in the championship and cost us points so why didn’t thick Mick go out and get one for the prem.
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If Ward is our best left back it shows how inept our managment are, we only have one premiership player on the staff…Doyle…Foley is the best full back we have but he has had the stuffing knocked out of him by MM. Ward might look good when he has no one to matk but whne he has a winger playing his flank he is totaly out of his depth. You cannot knock the players it the management who coach them and have brought them to the club. It will be the end if we do not beat B’ham on sunday,
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Continuing to rely on a centre forward to play left back after all the financial outlay on defenders is proof enough that MM cant sign quality players and is out of his depth. End Ov
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