Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
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Norwich 5 Wolves 2 – analysis
Wednesday 22nd October 2008, 10:46AM BST.
The wheels might not have come off Wolves’ promotion bandwagon just yet. But there are a few nuts loose.
And if certain components continue to splutter like they did last night, then the engine may need an overhaul.
Overpowered by Reading, well beaten by Swansea and outplayed for spells against Coventry, the last thing Wolves needed was another major misfire at Norwich last night.
Three defeats in four games and 12 goals conceded is a pretty drastic downturn after seven successive wins, during which just five went in at the other end.
But as manager Mick McCarthy knows only too well, the road to promotion and the Promised Land is a long one.
And while things may look bad at the minute, a bit of tinkering under the bonnet should get Wolves motoring and up and running again.
Most Wolves fans glancing at the result will have no doubt envisaged a kamikaze game riddled with mistakes.
They wouldn’t be too far off the truth.
But rarely can so many players have committed so many basic errors that were so ruthlessly punished.
Each Norwich goal could be traced directly back to a Wolves mistake.
From Richard Stearman’s needless but bookable fouls on Leroy Lita that led to free-kicks for the first and fourth goals, to Michael Kightly’s woeful pass that sparked the second, to Carlos Edwards’ suicidal header for the third and Jason Shackell’s lunge for the fifth, all were elementary mistakes that should have no place in a team chasing promotion.
For it to happen once in a match is bad enough, but to commit five such errors in one game is extremely shoddy.
And from a side managed by someone who places such importance on organisation and defensive solidity, this whole sorry episode must have seemed like a personal insult to McCarthy.
In McCarthy’s defence, he can spend all day on the training ground running through method and pattern of play.
But he can’t legislate for the sort of fundamental howlers that plagued his team last night.
As unpalatable as it seems right now, maybe this was what the team needed; maybe they had it coming in the wake of a few decidedly lukewarm performances.
The stellar displays against Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Charlton and Preston suddenly look a long time ago.
Wolves can’t expect to attain those levels every match and not even the most optimistic fan could have expected them to continue steamrollering teams.
Especially as Championship top dogs, where they are there to be shot at.
As Swansea and Coventry showed, sides are now raising their game against Wolves, and Norwich, with just three goals in their previous six games and three successive defeats, certainly cranked themselves up a few levels on recent showings.
Perhaps the die was cast as early as the third minute when a poor pass from Carlos Edwards allowed Leroy Lita the chance to show the Wolves defence a clean pair of heels.
Thankfully, keeper Carl Ikeme read the situation brilliantly and sprinted from his line to twice bravely block with his feet from Lita then Antoine Sibierski.
Norwich continued to look the more dangerous side and right-back Elliott Omozusi had Ikeme at full stretch to tip over a vicious, rising 30-yarder after a corner from Wolves Academy graduate Sammy Clingan was partly cleared.
At this early stage, Wolves were trading blows with the Canaries, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake forcing keeper David Marshall into a scrambled save at his near post and Chris Iwelumo failing to get proper contact from just inside the area.
In between, on-loan Reading striker Lita flashed a diving header a couple of yards wide.
From Wolves’ point of view, the last thing such a delicately-poised clash needed was a helping hand in the opposition’s favour.
But that’s quite literally what Norwich got as Stearman naively and needlessly bundled over Lita chasing a ball near the touchline in the 26th minute.
Clingan’s curling, hanging free kick – not unlike Kightly’s effort against Bristol City – was dropped over the line by Ikeme.
Whether Ikeme arrived on the ball a fraction too early or maybe could have tipped it over is a debate he will probably chew over with goalkeeping coach Pat Mountain, but either theory seemed worth examining.
If Norwich’s first goal was much of Wolves’ own making, then the same could be said of the second.
Kightly’s square pass – as he retrieved a Wolves corner – was intended for Karl Henry, but it was never going to reach its target.
Instead Clingan – who never made a senior Wolves appearance – swept the ball on for Lita. He teased Stephen Ward one way then the other before burying an angled shot despite Kevin Foley’s attempt to clear in front of the line.
Wolves were anything but beaten, though, and after Kightly saw a free-kick beaten away by Marshall, Neill Collins opened his account for the season when he headed home Carlos Edwards’ corner four minutes before the break.
Stearman headed just wide from Foley’s free-kick but Ikeme again saved Wolves when he denied Lita from point-blank range.
Wolves improved slightly after the break and Iwelumo should have done better than to slice wide, before Lita made it 3-1 in the 59th minute, lobbing Ikeme after a header which will cause Carlos Edwards nightmares.
Again Wolves gave themselves a lifeline, Ebanks-Blake slamming home a 67th minute penalty for his seventh goal of the season after he was tripped by Wes Hoolahan.
But Stearman’s second moment of madness, shoving Lita as both chased a lost cause, saw him sent off and Wolves facing another uphill battle, Lita’s flick going in off Collins from Lee Croft’s resulting free-kick on 70 minutes.
Four minutes later, Croft started and finished the move for Norwich’s fifth after Lita had hit the post following Shackell’s wild lunge on halfway as Wolves conceded five goals away for the first time since Chelsea on March 27, 2004.
Sibierski was denied Norwich’s sixth by more heroics by Ikeme, and, although substitute Dave Jones hit the angle of post and bar in injury-time, Wolves suffered their biggest defeat since losing 6-0 at home to Southampton on March 31, 2007.
By Tim Nash.
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Neil Collins is not good enough and Ward is not a left back, stop playing your favourites MM and realise that the fans are having a right to boo (4games 1 win 3 defeats and conceeding 12 goals) sort it out or its bye bye
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This is an embarrassment, laughable boing boing
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MICK SAYS THE DEFENCE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, WELL MICK WE US FANS HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS ALL SEASON, DROP COLLINS FOR A START, HE’S CRAP.
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team for sat has got 2 be
hennessey
foley
craddock
shackell
hill
edwards
jones
henry
kightly
iwelumo
seb
subs
keogh
collins
ward
ikeme
edwards
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it was shoddy yes but let’s hope it’s a one of !!
Going to Watford on Sat… come on the boys
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Absolute shambles.
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We are still there in the top two but now is the time Mick to tamper with the starting 11 before we start dropping down the table.
We have suffered key injuries eg Elokobi, Craddock and Jarvis but we have a squad. Collins and Ward must be dropped and Carlos Edwards is not ready yet. As well as Ikeme played on Saturday, it is time to bring the more experienced back in the starting line up. Hopefully he was watching the catching brilliance of Ikeme against Coventry!
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Hennesy dropped for Ikme, Dan Jones on loan and playing out his skin at Oldham, Carloss Edwards brought in and Steven Ward at left back.
The only thing that will stop us going up is Mcarthy, sack the fool now before it is to late.
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Now for ALL you doubting Thomas`s it is time for us to get real.Mad Mick should go he couldn`t pick his nose,Kightly was on planet zog having a walk about ..What was that all about,Ikeme well the less said..WE aint going No where under this Muppet,a decent striker is a must cos we aint got one.
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this is where MM earns his money…
this is also similar to what happened last year, in that we hit a bad patch of form… then MM decided to stick with his favourites and hope they turned it round…. has he learned from his mistakes? OR when things are going bad its time to freshen things up, make changes use your squard…
which way will you go MM?? we are still second and have a long way to go, but we can’t allow slip ups with the likes of reading and birmingham churning out the results..
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Show some balls Mick and drop the favourites.
You admitted yourself on the radio that 4 goals were caused by mistake.
Well stop messing about and give other players a CHANCE. Put Hennessey back in for starters. He plays brilliant for Wales in Germany and you don’t see this!?
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So much for supporting Wolves then. Lets all get back to slagging off our manager, our players, our club….
No wonder we are considered the worst supporters by many other fans.
This kind of attitude really encourages people to come to Wolves doesn’t it? I can see the queue of potential players and manager all keen to be stabbed in the back by their own supporters.
A QUARTER of the way through the season and we are 2nd. I think that is something to celebrate.
Get over last night’s disaster. Put the knives away and get behind the boys. God knows they need it now.
Up the Wolves!!
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He’s quick enough to berate the fans but I notice he said nothing about a 300 odd mile round trip last night to watch that rubbish.
No apology, nothing. They’ve all probably probably had a nice lie in thsi morning while the rest of us got back at about 1pm and hat to get back up for work at 6
Start of season was a flash in the pan, we are going nowhere and McCarthy will be out be Easter.
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That result is a disgrace and despite our current poisition, this doesn’t give us any confidence going forward. We have no real leaders or experience in the team for when the going gets tough. How we need someone like Irwin and Ince right now. Cradock is the closest thing we’ve got. Too many mistakes by a naive young side who let their heads drop. I really think Dave Jones shoukd be recalled and given a chance at left back. I don’t think we can get an automatic spot with this squad, we need to sign some experienced pros, that’s exactly what Reading and Blues have at their disposal. I worry that Mick can get the players back on track, as highlighted by last seasons run of dreadful results, but I’m certainly hoping he can turn this round. To not go up this season would be a crime and I’d struggle to see how we’d keep hold of our best players. C’mon lads get stuck in and the fans proud!
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sacking mcCarthy would be the stupid! wat happened to super mick mccarthy. he should never have dropped jones (and we dont want to hear rubbish about him being tired). carlos edwards looks useless. number 9, you think we need a decent striker “becasue we aint got one”, looks like you’re a moron.
saturday he needs to drop collins because he is a liability at the moment. hennessey also needs to be back in the team and jones and keogh to. what is the length of stearmans suspension?
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Here we go, all the collins abuse starts! if any of you dummies were at the game last night you would realise golden boys kightly and dave edwards along with the other 2 in midfield were the ones to blame! they never gave the defence a chance as they never kept the ball, they were always 2nd in a tackle and were utter useless.
Out of the defence, Ward did seem affected by his recent knocks, foley actually looked distant from the game, and stearman looked like he wanted to get sent off from the word go lunging in left right and centre. The one saving grace last night was actually collins who was steady after his performance on saturday! some of you need to badly lay off and look at the “WHOLE” team. just cause we lose, doesnt mean its naturally collins/ward fault.
Also, to whoever else went to the game last night, did anyone else think Iwelumo looked a different player to the one we had before his sending off. Nothing stuck upfront, he was fouling all the time and looked like that miss might of affected his confidence!
To all of you that didnt go that are just spouting crap, go to a game then make your comments!
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its time he went now,he,s had his chance we will never go up with this clown in charge,
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last night was nothing short of a disgrace i bet there loving it on the albion page,if we play like that at watford it will be another five mick must go now.
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Mick out now (17&18) so its mick’s fault that 4 different players made mistakes for 5 goals, its micks fault that his keeper carried the ball into the net, its micks fault kightly made a dire pass and edwards panicked for some reason for the 3rd, its micks fault for the so far faultless stearmen to get sent off, then its micks fault that norwich broke, shackell jumped in leaving collins with 3 on 1 for the 5th!
let me think, no that was the players fault who badly let the manager down! Not individual faults either, the TEAM were bad last night, simple really.
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16 Dublin. …Thanks for comments from someone who was actually there. They seem balanced and sensible.
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Here we go again – a couple of defeats and it’s “MICK OUT!” and “MICK THE MUPPET!”
You’re all BONKERS!!!
And as to say we haven’t got a decent striker (11), Sylvain Ebanks Blake, you moron!!
Grow up or bugger off, the lot of you.
KEEP THE FAITH!! UP THE WOLVES!!
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16 and 19 – Dublin Wolf, yes I was at the game last night, in fact I never miss. If you think Collins had a good game then I begin to wonder if you were there yourself! Collins is not good enough, end of. By the way, yes Mick is to blame for Ikeme’s mistake as he picked him ahead of Hennessey!
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Why r people so convinced that we wud walk this division?? We have a strong squad in certain areas such the front line or wide areas but our defence has never been really gud enough even at the start of the season!! Mick shud of never brought 2 LB’s but instead 2 CB’s, Shackle & a more experienced player!! Either Friend or Hill shud of never been brought in, for me we shudn’t of bothered with Friend!! I appreciate he’s “young & hungry” but isn’t that the case with George??? Waste of money considering he’s only played once!!!!!
But still theres no need for all the negativity!!! All I’ve read so far is “the wheels have come off”, which apparently they came off against Reading & Swansea too so how many bleeding wheels have we got??!!
Also keep reading “get Mick out” not sure how that wud help the situation?? Who wud come in?? plus who sacks a manger when his team is 2nd in the league??? MUPPETS!!!!!
Just in case sum wolves fans have forgotten wot the word ‘supporter’ means!!!
sup·port·er
1. somebody who supports a cause, person, idea, course of action, or political party
2. to give active help, encouragement, or money to somebody or something
3. to be in favor of something such as a cause, policy, or organization, and wish to see it succeed
4. to give encouragement to somebody or something by being present at an event
5. to give assistance or comfort to somebody in difficulty or distress
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Brummie Wolf, what I am saying is Collins was better than the other 3 he was playing alongside of, not saying he played well, but he was far better than the other 3 defenders!
and I think we will all agree after Ikeme’s performance on Saturday he could not of been dropped last night, so for saying that is micks fault is utter tripe! the player didnt perform, if he picks him again saturday after last night and he makes a clanger again I will agree with you, but last night I am sure none of us could of dreamed that many clangers happening in 1 go.
I like many other believe the best defence would be without collins in it, but the lad has done well and gets abuse for wrong reasons and last night he should not be singled out, we were poor everywhere last night, not just 1 player or 2, i mean every single 1! if you could not see that brummie wolf then Im afriad it was you not at the game!!
I travel every week from Dublin to watch, I have been on these forums many a time talking about the games so people know im genuine, are you?
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So brummie wolf, if you went, i commented on every player i think on comment 16, care to do the same or be a moron and single just 1 player out with the rest….go on be the wolf and not a sheep like the rest who just follow each other!!
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At the end of the day, so far we’ve played one good team. That being Reading. We got battered 3-0.
But to concede 5 to a team at the bottom who hadn’t won in 4 games… is ridiculous.
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if we go up it will be because of the players and if we don’t it will be because of MM inability to sort out the defense and now and then picking the wrong team.
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Fair enough it was a bad result. I just wish u so called wolves “die hards” would get off the players and managers back!! it seems to me that u lot can’t wait for us to loose so u can have a good moan!! yes we were poor but we are still 2nd in the league! why can’t we just get behind MM and the boys through the good and bad times! Just look at where we are now compared to when MM took over it could b alot worse!
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24 and 25 – Dublin Wolf, you agree with me that Collins should not be in the team then?
As for the ‘keeping situation, I wouldn’t have dropped Hennessey in the first place but then I don’t pick the team, Mick does and I think he has made a mistake.
By the way, I don’t have to justify my credentials to you! As for your rant in 25, I haven’t commented on every player, just took you to task on a couple of specific points. If this is being a moron I think you’ve been on too much Guinness!
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So your saying that certain players are immune to criticism and some players just get it cause the rest play along are you?
as for “taking me to the task” like to know what task your referring too. I agree Collins is not as good as Craddock or Shackell, but hey Craddock got injured, when Shackell arrived we had won 3 on the bounce, so why change that. I agree now there needs change, but I do not for 1 second think its only Collins.
As for the keeping situation, I think if you remember Hennessey himself had a mare against Reading and was rightly pulled out for what both player and manager agreed was the right choice, but Ikeme has done well and deserved the jersey since. Last night proved that maybe now is the time to bring back in Hennessey but we needed last night to see that.
My point would be this, not only collins and ikeme got found out last night, most of the team did. Henry was average, Stearmen was nervous and run ragged by Lita, Iwelumo didnt look half the player of 6 games ago..and thats for a start.
So can you not comment on the team??
oh and i ask kindly for you to retract for the guiness comment.
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Apart from every thing else I don’t think that the choice of an all BLACK strip is a good idea, especially for night matches, the players need to be helped to pick each other out, if you look at the photos the team seems to blend into the crowd !!!!
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30 – Dublin Wolf,
As this is a forum I thought I would make two points:
1) Collins is not good enough.
2) Hennessey is a better keeper than Ikeme.
If you don’t agree that is fine, it is a forum after all! However, you agreed that Collins would not figure in our strongest defence yet when he was criticised by people you asked if those “Dummies” (a term YOU might care to retract by the way)had actually travelled to the game! Yes, I did travel and I am not a Dummy! That is what I took you to task for. You falsely accuse me of saying some players are immune from criticism, well Collins obviously is in your opinion!
As for the ‘keeping position, I’m not so sure that Hennessey agreed with being dropped, from what I’ve heard.
As regards commenting on the rest of the team I have neither the time nor the inclination. I shall still be at Watford on Saturday though whoever gets selected.
Apologies if my comment that you had imbibed too much Guinness offended but your rant in 25, inferring that I am a moron for saying Collins is not good enough,indicated that this may have been the situation.
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