Shadow squad ready for big chance
Tuesday 25th August 2009, 10:59AM BST.
Wolves’ shadow squad will launch the Carling Cup campaign with a tough reminder that it represents their only route into the team.
Manager Mick McCarthy, admitting that the first week of top-flight action had taken its toll on the squad, could field a totally different team against Swindon at Molineux tonight.
Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, George Elokobi, Andrew Surman, Dave Jones, Christophe Berra, Sam Vokes and Ronald Zubar are among those in line to play, after missing the start of the Premier League campaign.
Club-record signing Kevin Doyle will be given vital extra “game time,” as he builds up fitness following a hernia operation in his first weeks at the club.
But McCarthy is adamant his squad rotation for the visit of the League One side should not be the prelude for a “flat” Molineux occasion, before Saturday brings the return of the Premier League points battle with the visit of Hull.
The manager said: “These players have got to be up for an opportunity such as the one this game provides, because they have not so far been in my team.
“There’s only one way to change that – by playing well in training, in the reserves or if a chance like this comes along, in this kind of game. That’s the only way.
“I am not a manager who sends his players out to train to play, but rather to train to get selected.
“The players have found it physically tough coping with three games in a week in the Premier League.
“It has taken its toll and they will welcome the break – but it is a chance for their mates.”
Most eyes will be on Doyle, whose 45 minutes at Eastlands on Saturday had Wolves fans longing for the day when he is fully fit and starting games.
McCarthy said: “It would be impossible for him to be at his best ye. We’ve got to get him minutes on the pitch. The two bits we have had of him so far have shown us what a good player he is.”
Despite the early success of Andy Keogh, Wolves fans will be wondering if the attacking spearhead of Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is nearing its public bow.
“Sylvan is going well and has an outside chance to be fit for Saturday.”
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this is all well & good but when is kightly going to be fit & playin again???
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Never quite saw the quality of AK in the CCC yet it would be disheartening if he did not keep the shirt after performing so well. Obviously SEB and Doyle are the best two forwards at the club so MM has a difficult decision. Just hope he doesn’t play AK out of position where he’s less effective that in turn leads to some fans getting on his back…wouldn’t like to see this new bond damaged.
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Some might not like this cup and say its worthless, and i agree we have to make sure our best players are fit for the leugue battle. But with the top teams also playing there second teams in this cup it could possible be an outside chance of a route into europe. I can dream can’t i.
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Forget the Carling Cup, the Premiership is our priority, I hope Mick plays every reserve possible. That includes Collins and Shackell. Keep Doyle fresh for Saturday, knowing our luck he’ll get injured tonight.
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4 – how do you expect players to get match fit if you don’t play them in matches? You can’t wrap them in cotton wool, and allow them only to work out in the gym and in take part in non contact training sessions. It just won’t work…players, especially those new to a team, take time to gel and build up an understanding with each other.
We need Doyle, Elokobi, Surman, Vokes etc. playing tonight – either to help them recuperate from injuries or to keep them sharp.
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Shackell aint there nomore you puddin!
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wolvesmod
What is the point of playing Shackell and Collins except to put them in the shop window? Is it not better to play Surman, Vokes,Zubar etc to develop match fitness and play some younger fringe players for experience of competitive football under the spotlight?
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1. i think you will see kites when he loses a few pounds..!
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We still need another quality striker. Why don’t we try for Beckford. I know Bolton want him, but he would be a good move for us. Smithy from Newcastle would also be a great move. :-)
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Surman, Vokes & Zubar can all play aswell i don’t see what the problem is?
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sometimes i read the comments on here in disbelief.
We clearly need to get our players fit, and you can hardly call Doyle, Zubar, Surman, Vokes as not first team quality.
I think the club should go for it in this cup, and forget the fa cup. The big teams neglect it and often there is a chance to sneak in.
Its our only taste of real silverware since the start of the 70s, so lets respect it and try and win it.
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4) Shackell will not be playing as he is at Doncaster.
Not an easy game tonight but the players quoted should be playing for their places and easy good enough. I am looking forward to seeing players like Zubar and Surman in their first competitive starts. Pre-seasons mean nothing.
Wolves 3 Swindon 1 !
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Get ‘em in the team and lets get the game won. I want us to have a good cup run – keeps the players sharp, keeps up the competition for places and builds confidence – and we could do with a day out at Wembley – I’ve never been one for dismissing cup competitions and playing weaker sides.
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I FOR ONE, AGREE TOTALLY WITH MICK. WE HAVE SOME VERY GOOD PLAYERS ON THE FRINGE AT THE MOMENT, GET THEM OUT THERE PLAYING AND READY FOR THE LEAGUE MATCHES. YOU ONLY HAVE STRENGTH IN DEPTH WHEN THE WHOLE SQUAD IS FIT AND AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION.
I FEEL IT’S GOING OK AT THE MOMENT, BETTER BY MILES THAN 2003. TONIGHT IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GET A FEW PLAYERS READY FOR SATURDAY, THAT’S THE IMPORTANT ONE. 3 POINTS SATURDAY WILL PUT US IN GOOD SHAPE. JUST ENJOY TONIGHT FOR THE LIGHT RELIEF IT IS.
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I am encouraged by our start in the Prem this time round. Its poles apart from the mess we made 5 years ago ….but we do need more strength in depth. This current injury list proves this and its as though its a timely reminder to those who can influence it – we need more players !! Quality players too !! Then we have a great chance of doing more than just survive !!
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Bournemouth Wolf i agree smithy would be a quality signing, wouldn’t mind seeing papa bouba diop either. Would definatly have Zubar, Doyle, Surman, Vokes, Elokobi etc playing tonight give them all a chance to shine. competition for places isnt a bad thing.
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Or maybe since the eighties?
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11. a couple of good draws out of the hat and a couple of good results and its semi-final time.
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11.
Didn’t we win the League last season?
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No.11
Think you will find we won this bit of silverware in 1980 – after the early seventies !!
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So, number 11 “Our only taste of real silverware since the early seventies”
I could have sworn I saw Andy Gray scoring the winner against Notts Forest at Wembley in 1980 !
The shadow squad have a chance to put right the recent League Cup embarrassments. Go for it
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11. think you have point..already caught up by cup fever! point is that we have less matches to play than last season and a run in the cup will provide more positives for the club.
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kevin doyle hat trick!
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We Won Silverwear Last Year We Won The Leauge
And in 2003 play off final :L just before the 70s lol and yeah play a few new players like doyle to get there match fitness up also it will be good to have a good cup run and no body cares about the carling cup so why not go for it.
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bit biy dont we spend a bit of the money we are hoarding instead of standing back and expecting last seasons players to keep us up we need experienc players otherwise we be back to the same old straight back down get the players in now before its to late we are not a yoyo club
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Must admit our record over recent times in this competition is very poor. To be honest, i’m more interested in the game against Hull City on Saturday. If we are serious about staying in the premier league, these are the sort of opponents we MUST beat at home. If we win, it means 6 points from 4 games which is a fantastic start considering we have played West Ham and Man City. We need to take inspiration from Burnley and make Molinueux a hostile place to come for visiting teams. Out of darkness cometh light !!
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Sylvan should have a run out also if he’s got a chance to play on Saturday. Can’t wait for kightly to be back.
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I think we have a chance of doing very well in the cup as big teams dont care about it. A good cup run would provide confidence for the squad to stay in the division. My team for tonight would be-
………………Hannemann………………..
Stearman……zubar…….berra………Elocobi
Halford…….jones…….surman………ward
……………Vokes…..Doyle…………..
subs-
Hennesey
mancienne
craddock
jarvis
henry
zele ismail
keogh
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get players fit is all i seem to read yet micko only picks players who train hard HE SAYS!!! KITE AND BANKS these to need trimming around de waistline for sure!!!! so micko get de old whip out as these boys need to be superfit yesterday!!
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well said primark, Molineux can be rocking when the fans want it to be and it will define our season in the premiership. If anybody thinks hull are gonna turn up and we roll them over is mistaken this will be our toughest game yet, so lets show em were louder than stoke and burnley and anyone else who wants to have a go at us…. Deep in my heart i do belive.
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With the top 4 winning the FA cup from 96 untill 2008 this is our best bet of winning some thing this season what do you win for staying up?
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8. Oh is that all that’s wrong with Kightly then? Thank god for that.
I thought cos he’d been out injured since April there might be something wrong with him.
29. We might as well get Barry Bethel onto De coaching staff init rarse
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Mccarthy has no interest in the cups. check all 3 of our previous attempts.
I agree though, we should give it all we;ve got. we have less games in the prem, and supposedly a bigger squad.
COME ON YOU WOLVES !!
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2 strands here…1stly go for it tonight, winning breeds confidence.
2ndly, the crowd factor. To keep saying we should be like Stoke or Burnley really means that our support is hit and miss at home. Away, like many other teams, it is brilliant. Our home support is good for at least the first ten minutes but needs the team to play well to keep us going. Just not the type of support that stoke have…in my opinion anyway.
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What’s the matter with Kightly??
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25) What Language is that in. Bit biy ?????
Fringe players good enough to get past swindon as long as they out the work rate in. As Mick said they are tired after 3 prem games in a week. Get past Swindon and then we can take a first team into the next one.
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32. it was meant as tongue in cheek to add a bit of humour…lighten up
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28. mancienne wont be on the bench cos chelsea have made sure he cant play in th cup 4 us – it was part of the deal!!
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I have been told that Kights hip injury has not been solved by the operation and that the medical team are very worried. There is no prospect of Kightly playiny time soon, I hope my source is wrong.
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39. Knew it!
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Did anyone else notice Morgan and Moxey at the Liverpool game last night. I could understand Morgan being there but Moxey aswell? Watching anyone or am I reading too much into this?
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39……is your source HP or HEINZ mate, you wern,t a journalist in a previous life were you?…..
i suppose it could have been regggae reggae sauce
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Cannot wait for the return of Kightly, it will be interesting to see the changes mick makes when Kightly, SEB & Doyle are fully fit.
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11. Silverware since the start of the 70s?
I swear blind we won the league cup in either 1980 or 1981 with a goal from Andy Gray.
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To the fans who say its a waste of time i bet you will be the 1st ones after tickets if we got to the final!!
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Good luck
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heres a choice watch wwfc in the championship as carling cup winners and 1st round europa league qualifiers, or as i would prefer another season in the premier and lose maybe in the quarter finals as we dont have a squad big enough to do both things. utw
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For all those asking about Kites.
He had 2 injuries. He was playing through the pain with a hip injury then his broke his foot. Once his bone mended he had an op his hip. He tried to come back in pre-season but it was too soon. Kites is very hard to handle when he isn’t playing, because he just wants to play all the time. He is expected back by the end of September
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We are a Premier league club and it is usually a Prem club that wins cups, so why not go for it!
Anyone know who Steve Morgan & the fat controller went to meet at the Liverpool/Villa game last night?
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11.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1980 league Cup Winners!
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Fat controller ? That’s not very pleasant, I’ve been looking after myself all summer.
Me and scouser weren’t watchin’ anybody in particular we just had playlist for Stevie Gee’s next disco.
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The Carling Cup is more important for keeping squad or rotation players match fit than it is for the silverware.
Simon :)
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7 first team hopefulls played tonight – and we couldnt score a goal in open play against League 1 opposition. Worrying !! More Firepower Wolves ….and quick !!!
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went to the game, elekobi and zubar were both awesome and collins should be sold to berwick rangers for £2.50. utw
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Shadow Squad not about to get any sunshine any time soon… Enjoy it under them thar trees boys – that was effing awful.
I am still slightly shocked to the core, that IN THE PREMIERSHIP, bringout out our big guns means bringing out Keogh Edwards and Jarvis.
DOnt get me wrong the 3 are playing brilliant, BUT THATS OUR BIG GUNS ??????????
Clearly this is as far as we get in the cup – no idea what it is Zubar (ok second half i guess) Berra and Collins do in training but I doubt it has anything to do with marking or defending.
Only plus points: Doyle and Elokobi (whilst fit), Hahneman and young Mendez Laing.
Mick, flog the rest for a 100K add it to the 3mil from Lescot adnd GO BUY SOME COVER FOR MANCIENNE AND A LOAN STRIKER
Sheesh, witnessing that last night brought me right back down to earth.
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Err….has the match finished? I’ve just awoken in the Billy Wright stand and every one has gone. Anyone who needs a cure for insomnia, come and watch this lot of shadow puppets!
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