Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
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Wolves striker commits to club
Monday 22nd October 2007, 11:31AM BST.
Striker Jay Bothroyd is refusing to walk away from Molineux because of the four-way battle for a starting place in Mick McCarthy’s team.
Bothroyd’s first Championship start of the season ended with the vital first goal in a 2-0 defeat over Charlton, one of the clubs which tried but gave up on getting the best out of one of football’s nomads.
Since playing a lead role at the dawn of the McCarthy era, Bothroyd has watched Andy Keogh, Freddy Eastwood and Stephen Elliott arrive to push him down the pecking order – sparking predictions that he would once again be seeking a fresh start elsewhere.
But Bothroyd made it clear after his goalscoring comeback that he is determined not to take “the easy way out” and move on.
“It’s been difficult not being involved because I’m an emotional player and I want to be playing all the time,” he said.
Read the full story in the Express & Star.
Striker Jay Bothroyd is refusing to walk away from Molineux because of the four-way battle for a starting place in Mick McCarthy’s team.
Bothroyd’s first Championship start of the season ended with the vital first goal in a 2-0 defeat over Charlton, one of the clubs which tried but gave up on getting the best out of one of football’s nomads.
Since playing a lead role at the dawn of the McCarthy era, Bothroyd has watched Andy Keogh, Freddy Eastwood and Stephen Elliott arrive to push him down the pecking order – sparking predictions that he would once again be seeking a fresh start elsewhere.
But Bothroyd made it clear after his goalscoring comeback that he is determined not to take “the easy way out” and move on.
“It’s been difficult not being involved because I’m an emotional player and I want to be playing all the time,” he said.
“It wasn’t to be, but the staff and my team-mates have helped me to keep my head down and keep working hard which is all I can do.
“Hopefully I’ve given the manager a good problem now but that’s what it’s all about and it’s healthy competition.
“Stephen Elliott’s done really well, Freddy has scored a few and Andy as well, and I think the manager would say he wants these sorts of problems.
“I could have maybe thought about going elsewhere to try and get first team football but I didn’t want to.
“I want to stay here and honour my contract. I love being here and love the fans so I just want to keep working hard and fight for my place.
“I could have taken the easy way out but I wanted to fight for my position and earn it. It would have been easy to carry on moving around and with a team like this wanting promotion it’s hard to keep your spot.
“But, while I might have been at the back of the queue, hopefully I’m not now.”
Bothroyd believes Saturday’s success was significant for Wolves’ long-range prospects.
“Charlton are looking for promotion and are one of the favourites but I think we are as well,” he added.
“At home we have to win games like this if we are to make our position more solid.”
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Fair play to Bothroyd, scored and created a goal for us. Also won us a fair few free kicks, and was keen on taking them too! If only he could perform like this week in week out!
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Pleased to see Jay working for the cause on Saturday. After that dispaly, my minds made up. Keogh & Bothroyd!
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Well done Jay, one of the best in the Championship on his day.
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I think Jay has matured a lot over the last year at Wolves.
He is undoubtedly a talented player with the potential to be one of the best strikers in the division. He now seems to realise that on its own, talent isn’t enough. He has a great example to learn from with Kightly. He also found that talent alone wasn’t enough. He had to serve his time at Grays learning his work ethic: a much sharper shock than Jay has had to contend with. Kightly’s rise to glory is is a fantastic example that hard work brings rewards.
Hopefully Jay’s learned his lessons and is set to be a “Wanderer” but not in the nomadic sense! He just could be the best player at the club if he puts his mind to it. I sincerely hope he does.
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haha this is the kick up the arse he needed! he will be up for it now cus he knows the score! well done to him for saturday very impressive from his usual standards. if we could put him and elliot into one we’d have a world class player- elliots pace and determination and bothroyds skill and finish.
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Well done Jay fantastic all round performance on Saturday.
Fairplay to MM aswell for bringing him off just before the end, to allow the crowd to show there appreciation.
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Not convinced. Still didn’t put in a proper shift.
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We would be in the top two if Mick has played a goalscorer in the rest of our matches
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7 – Scored and created one what more do you want
a defensive striker?
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I would play Bothroyd and Fredie at Cardiff, on Saturday Keogh was running on empty and needs a rest.
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Cpt_Wolves (comment 7)…
sounds like Happy_baggie to me!
Of course he can’t use his normal name ‘cos he hasn’t much to be happy about this week :-)
This was Jay’s first start in an age so to expect a virtuoso performance would be a little unfair. That said, he did pretty darn well. He was involved throughout, showed good movement and a few flashes of the skill we could expect if he got to start more often.
I feel he did more than enough to deserve a second start. Let’s see if he can step it up another notch.
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7 and 8 – I swear that IF and it is a big If at this stage, we get promoted this season, these two will still not be satisfied.It is the easiest thing in the world to knock somebody down but try being more supportive and patient for a change, or are you both examples of natures born moaners?
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Steve Morgan got out of his seat and applauded Jay off too.
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I would agree with Number 10. Bothroyd played well on Saturday and tracked back which he would never do in the past.
Keogh couldnt hit a barn door and on Saturday he didnt work as hard as usual.
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you go jay,super jay bothroyd.hes a brill striker …keep going my son
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Where are the wba fans they usually have something to say on a monday morning?
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i agree with Roy’s comment.
Lets see how those 2 play together and give Keogh a rest, after saturdays performance he could do with it.
Another clean sheet for our so called old defence. They my be old but there still good, more than i can say about the albions defence.
After all the comments the albion fans put on here about our defence, isnt it great when there’s are so bad.
Loving being a Wolves fan
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It should be Jay & Freddy upfront. Keogh looked knacked but he may aswell switch to Attacking MF because he creates more than he scores.
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If only……Jay has the build and athleticism to really go places neat finish on Saturday,in fact you would be hard pressed to recognise the same player week in week out. However there’s the problem and what does MM do to turn it round.Some good strikers at the club but the lazy brand is applied to one too many i think.
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Wolves the Champions (17)
I agree with you re. the Albion fans and our defence.
The mischief makers kept on and on about how bad (and old) our back four were.
They are being made to eat their words BUT it’s early days. Let’s just have a contented smile on our faces for now.
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Regarding comments 16. 17 etc,
I think the tescos fans are commenting, they are just too ashamed to use their usual names and are pretending to be Wolves fans instead :-)
I agree with Roy and Bully. Keogh does look tired.
Maybe our two black sheep should get a run out together. I reckon Bothroyd and Elliot could be a really potent pairing too.
I know Keogh works hard but a couple of times recently I haven’t been that impressed by him as he’s seemed tired. Lets face it, what Keogh does IS work hard, so if he’s tired, he doesn’t offer us much. Maybe he should get a rest now and then, he might be all the better for it.
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Think we would have seen freddy on Sat had he been fully fit…
Gibson did OK but Mick admitted after the game that he had been taken aback a bit in the first half…
if Freddy is fit start him against Cardiff… Give Keogh a rest for a game or two…
Up the Wolves…
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17 – agree with the sentiment, but my big problem with it at the moment, is that Jay and Freddy have previously displayed similar unwillingness to try and get the ball back.
Jay has responded – but for just one game, I think we need to see if the penny has dropped or if its just a flash in the pan.
We have yet to see if Freddy will respond to being dropped in the right way.
Tend to agree that using Keough in behind them to provide chances, could be an answer,but who do you leave out of midfield?
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I like Jay Bothroyd. We all know he can look lazy and can certainly drift out of games but he is a quality footballer and I think it would be a loss if he moved on. He did the business on Sat and I don’t just mean scoring one and setting up the other. Personally, I was pleased for him. However, there were a few blokes sat behind me in the Billy Wright who did nothing but slag him off- totally pointless! In fact they went so far over the top it was comical! However, they were quite happy to celebrate when he scored! They were constantly shouting for MM to tale him off- I wonder what they thought of MM’s positive comments about Bothroyd after the game?
Proud to be a Wolves fan.
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To most of you it seems more important as to what the Albion fans are saying. You’ve just had a cracking result and fair play to you guys. Why you still bothered about us though, your above us, you won the weekend, we lost, we conceding goals you ain’t. Concentrate on yourselves for once. Same goes to certain Albion fans “were gonna do this, were gonna do that” chit chat is rubbish, it’s what actually goes on matchday’s that counts and certain areas for BOTH teams need addressing.
The season is a long old ride and here’s to both making a good push
for better things.
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Really happy for Jay and all this competition for places is so good for the team. He seems to be saying all the right things of late and it seems he’s now got the bottle and the rite mentality to cement a place in the squad, but saying that I think all our strikers are going to play an important role sometime this season.
I said a few weeks ago I was going to enjoy watching the battle between our strikers and it seems Jay is enjoying it the most.
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Cpt_Wolves , I must be missing something, Bothroyd scores and makes the other one, and you say he isn’t putting in a proper shift. Keogh work is socks off again, but his general play was poor, perhaps he does so much running he doesn’t have the energy or composure when he gets opportunities. I’ts all about balance and Bothroyd gives us that quality thats been missing, the question is if he runs about chasing lost causes will he still have that quality??????
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Hey Tony sense on a Wuffie blog, nice one.
How many “fans” are still calling for MM’s head now, compared to a week or so ago….
Both teams have good managers in their own style. We score more goals than anyone else but we have startyed to concede more too!
It sounds like you are grinding them out and I suspect MM has a copy of “The non spectacular way to promotion” by Gary Megson..
But hey we will both be there at the end of the season I dont need to remind you of a certain ten point lead you once held now do I ?
Chill out forget the pointless diatribe and invective concentrate on the footie results.
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TonyWBA i must agree with you 100%, a bit of banter is fine but far to many wolves fans and albion fans just never seem to grow up! And to think most of these so called men work and drink together. Lets all concentrate on getting our own clubs into the prem where both clubs should be.
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Maybe Merlins played it right making Bothroyd wait so long for a start. Hopefully the penny has dropped and he realises that to keep his place he needs to show commitment to the cause. Hopefully we’re now building up a head of steam for a concerted push for the title!
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Excellent result on Saturday, would of settled for a point but to get all 3 against a team of Charltons calibre was excellent.
There were some excellent performances from Foley, Kightly, Henry and Bothroyd.
Whatever happened to the headline ‘striker crisis’??? didn’t see one on saturday!!
Bet the boggies wish they had our defence now!! lol
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TonyWBA I agree with you, my dig isnt at you but at a Happy Baggie and Terry Walsall WBA who did nothing but comment on our aging back 4.
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The next 12 games will determine where we are likely to be at the end of the season. A win at Cardiff would do everyone some good, players and supporters alike. I still think Keogh would be better playing behind the front two. He is a worker and can set things up. Fingers crossed for Wednesday!
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My post were’nt directed at yourself but most the quotes on here, instead of so called supporters talking of the positives from a good wolves win it seems many would rather dig at the albion, or vice versa albion take a dig at Wolves. Pointless really. Banter is good but when it takes priority over your own teams fortunes then it’s ridiculous.
Apologies to you true supporters who want to comment on your team & a well earned 3 points against one of the better teams in the league.
Bear in mind though if we do beat you in a few weeks time i might ahave a little hehe and a smile lol (notice i did say “If we” and not like many others “When we”) every game is a different day and i will still hold the same tensions whether we in form or off form. Been a baggie to long to believe anything is a foregone conclussion.
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Jay is one of the most talented players at the club. When he gets the ball there is always a chance something good will happen. Just look at the second goal against Charlton for evidence. From a nowhere position we get a goal because he had the composure to stand and think and play the incisive pass to Henry. I hope he gets a regular start.
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Wolves the cham… 32 – your back four ARE old but so what – they are playing well so power to them… but they ARE old.
In the same way you lot say our new players are foreign – you’re right.. but so what.
At least i can also post positive comments on here – unlike you and your small minded stuff on our pages…
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JAY WORKED REALLY HARD FOR THE TEAM, GOT A GOOD WIN FOR THE TEAM AND A GOOD GAME FOR HIMSELF, KEEP IT UP JAY AND MAKE THE PLACE YOURS, IF NOT, YOU WILL HAVE A FEW WANTING YOUR SHIRT. I AM SURE THIS IS WHAT ALL AT WOLVES WANT.
JAMIE LANYON H.P. CORNWALL CUBS JAME AND JENNY
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36 – i agree with you happy our defence is old and thats a fact.
much in the same way yours is crap, another fact.
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Potentially, Bothroyd is our best striker. His attitude of late suggests that he could be growing up.
Come the end of the season, I reckon if Bothroyd does the business, Wolves will be up.
David Bartley, Tipton.
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Fair play jay for the goal and the set up, but can he carry it on through the rest of the season,and in parts of the game he was to lazy on the ball. gd choice MM for te two strikers it paid off!!
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I too agree with number 10 – but whoever plays alongside him Jay should get at least a 3 match run in the starting eleven to get the same chance that Freddie and Sleeves were given…
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I dont quite agree with 3. On his day,Jay is the best in this division however we dont see many of these days do we? Totally agree with LCW though. Jay and Freddie upfront with Keogh playing behind would be awesome.
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I agree with 42[roz]Bothroyd and Eastwood with Keough Just behind,awesome.Iwas chuffed with Bothroyd on Saturday,he certainly set his stall out, now he`s got to prove how proffessional he can be and maintain that form,good luck Jay.
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