Harper could have put paid to move
Friday 28th August 2009, 11:40AM BST.
Reading midfielder James Harper could have talked himself out of a last-minute move to Wolves next week.
The 29-year-old target was poised to join his former team-mate Kevin Doyle at Molineux, until Wolves boss Mick McCarthy raised concerns about a groin injury.
But the Premier League club are still keeping a watching brief on Harper with a view to making a final decision before Tuesday’s transfer deadline – but the player’s public swipe at McCarthy’s decision has all but crushed his chances of the deal being resurrected.
The Wolves boss said: “It’s right what James Harper has said. I did think there would be an issue over his fitness, I did go and watch him play after that – and he played very well.
“But if I am going to make a mistake, I’d rather make it at this stage than when we have taken him on contract and he is not available to us. Such is life in the big city.
“If the lad wants to prove me wrong, good luck to him. I’ve no problem with that. Will I re-visit it? Put it like this – there’s a darn sight less chance now that he has gone public over what I consider to be private and confidential discussions.
“You should do your talking on the pitch and not through the newspapers.”
In yesterday’s Express & Star, Harper questioned McCarthy’s decision to pull the plug on the proposed £2million deal.
He said: “I respect his decision, but I don’t agree with it. I was just recovering from a groin injury and when Mick looked at the scans he told me I wouldn’t be ready. I think he is wrong.
“Since then he has been to the Madejski Stadium to watch me play and I hope my performance demonstrated that I can do a job.”
McCarthy was at Villa Park last night, fuelling speculation that he wants to fill the gap caused by Chris Iwelumo’s injury by signing giant Rapid Vienna striker Stefan Maierhofer.
The 6ft 7in target man has been on McCarthy’s radar with talk of a season-long loan, while there are claims that former Everton midfielder Segundo Castillo could also be on his way.
And the Wolves boss confirmed yesterday that the Red Star Belgrade player had been discussed.
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I have never rated Harper and i am glad he has talked his way out of a move,
Super Super mick!
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Mick if the lad has the quailities you think we need and has demonstrated his return to fitness then don’t let wounded ego stand in the way. Personally i’m not sure he’s the standard we need but i get dismayed when a manger lets personal feelings affect the decisions that need to be made on behalf of the club.
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If there are serious doubts about his fitness then it is far better to not take a chance and keep the money to buy someone else either before the transfer deadline or in January.
Last thing we need is a sicknote player on the books.
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I respect Mick in many ways and admire a lot of his qualities but he doesn’t seem to like to have players around him who offer an opinion. Served us well so far to get into the premiership but the further up you go in this division, I presume the bigger the ego…need to relax Mick. To me, Harper is the type of player we need to both maintain the ball and keep a cool head at times of pressure.
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if MM should be blaming anyone it should be the E&S
all the lads said is that he wants to prove MM wrong
prehaps MM should keep his trap shut and not speak to the E&S, bit hypocritical me thinks!
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Forget him Mick. If he behaves this unprofesionally before he’s he signed what problems could he cause later? Think his outburst just shows how much he wanted to join us.
We do need another holding midfielder to cover for/battle with Karl Henry though as that role is crucial away from home (and on occasions at home) in the premier league, and without it we couldn’t utilise the much talked about 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 system. Maybe this Castillo is the man? (not sure what type of midfielder he is). I’m sure Mick & Jez are working on it.
UTW
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I know its a different subject but i came on here a few weeks suggesting we make an offer for Tuncay and was berated by a few people saying i was mad that he would never sign for a club like Wolves suprise suprise he is on his way to Stoke for 5/6 mil are they a bigger club than us, I have to live in Middlesbrough and have seen this lad play quite a few times he is quality have we just given one of the teams in our mini league at the bottom a great chance of staying up
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“Put pay”? Nice English brummies.
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Too right, keep it shut mate!!!
Anyway, more to the point where’s all the money gone!!! Why are we not competing with STOKE for these signings, its a very sad day if we are not on the same level as Stoke, infact it is a sad day if we are on the same level, if we are not thinking bigger and we are bigger then we might as well turn the lights out!!!!!!!!!!
Come on scouse lad get your bread out!!!!
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Why are we making such a fuss over all of this? It’s not like we’re going for Ronaldo, is it? He’s an average Championship player playing in a team who aint won a game this season
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well done mick!!!
this is not the kind of player we want whos prepared to speak out & badmouth th manager!!!
we’ve done enough signing players with bad injury history anyway!!!
move on to the next!!!
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Right…. Time to move on from this story eh…
We are now hopefully signing a player that hardly made an impression at Everton last year, and what sounds like a copy of Harvard Flo!!!
I have faith in Mick, and always have, I just hope these are not signings just to keep some sections of the crowd happy, and off his back…
Answer this, will the Big Mairhofer come to Wolves to sit on the bench… And Castillo, I hope you are ready for a fight to get in the side, because out Midfield has not been the worry this year, cover for the Wings have…
I just hope after Saturday, when Doyle has scored the winner, all these STUPID so called Wolves fans calm down, and let SUPER MICK get on with his job…
Wolves till I die…
Comments please.
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I think in the run up to the Sept transfer deadline in 2003 when we were last in the Prem ,we were heavily linked with signing Jason Roberts from I believe Portsmouth.The deal didn’t come off and we signed nobody at deadline time.We had Camara at the time and a couple of years on Camara and Roberts made a good stike partnership for Wigan.If we had pulled that deal off maybe that partnership would have saved us fron relegation..We eventually signed Cort in the Jan window and he formed an effective partnership with Camara. But it was too late.The point I am trying to make is that the decisions being made right now will more than likely have a strong bearing as to our fate this season.It is no use complaining on Tuesday,because by then if we have not signed the quality we need , it will be too late again.
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Four questions.
Should a manager turn against a player who goes public on what are private & confidential discussions ?
Would that type of character become disruptive in the dressing room ?
Is Harper really what Wolves want or would Hamann be a better bet to cover Henry?
If the police continue to give pubs like the Walkabout to the away fans can somebody get me two pints of bitter at The Hogs Head about 1.30 please
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Is this good news, we are signing a player that hardly made an impression at Everton, and waht sounds like a Copy of Harvard Flo…(remeber him?) Lets get this straight, this maierhofer will be on the bench all season if he comes to us as he is not better than Doyle and SEB, dare I say it Keogh!!! As for Castillo, I hope he comes to fight for a place cause the centre of midfield has not been the probelm this year…
In Mick we trust.
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Tuncay Quality should have gone in, no doubt, once again we are messing about. Harper is a good player sign him, we need midfielders. And when we do sign someone lets play them, Zubar played in the champions league but now he second to craddock come on!
As for Megahoofer no thanks looked awfull.
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7) Let’s face facts. We have spent about £15-16 million and had to up the ante with wages. We are not going to spend another £5 million on a single player.
Stoke are nowhere as big as us but have big money to spend, as they have spent very little like most clubs so far this summer. I think that you will find that the £5 million we have got, if used, will be spent on a couple of players. Furthermore, would Tuncay take the place of Doyle or Sylvan. Unlikely!
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@ 8. That’s a bit rich coming from someone who can’t spell grammar.
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what a load of nonesense this story is really dont think what he said will affect the outcome either way!
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Chris Hoggard – Is there any point to your ramblings, apart from being flawed on so many issues its untrue, I fail to see what you are aiming at.
On the subject of Harper, no great loss there are others in the pipeline I’m sure, but we do have a squad that can compete already, and that makes us so much better than 2003 when we were like rabbits in the headlights away to Blackburn on that first day
P.S Roberts and Judas never formed an effective partnership.
Up the Wolves
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I think Harper hasnt said anything bad, he is speaking honestly, and we need a few more people like him in football. MM should sign him!
Up the Wolves
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17,Brummie Let’s face facts. We have spent about £15-16 million and had to up the ante with wages.Profit announced this week 15 million revenue generated from promotion 30 million.promised investment from Morgan 30 million.Add on season ticket sales Replica shirt sales (over 18,000 sold already)ETC ETC.Yet we are not investing in the required quality to sustain/maintain our posistion in the premiership.Most people who post on here recognise that our squad is nowhere near large enough to cope with injuries suspensions,and unless some real investment is made in the coming 4 days then i foresee a big struggle ahead.JUST MY OPINION.
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Micks the first to go to the press about anything like last years comments about the fans.
To complain about others makes him two faced, if the cap fit so be it.
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UB Wolf:
No you are wrong, MM does admire people with opinions, but not people doing it in public.
MM would of preferred Harper to probably ring him up and say this rather than doing it in public.
Wrong way to go around looking for a transfer, and Harper has only himself to blame!!
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no20 Probably no point whatsoever,because Morgan and Moxey will not be swayed by opinion.But I am sure you understand the point being made,which needs to be made before the transfer deadline, we need to sign some more quality players.PS Season 2006/7 Roberts and Camara scored 20 goals in the Prem between them and Wigan finished 10 th in the Prem.
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8. It’s spelt “Grammar”. nice English “Grammer Man”.
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8. It’s spelt, “Grammar”. Nice English “Grammer Man”, you sure showed us!
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In defence of the E&S, that interview was not given to them but to another website – the E&S only picked up on it!
As regards, Mick’s comments on Harper, as good as the player may be, being injured when contracted to another club is of no interest to Wolves but should Wolves buy him and he remains injury prone, who would be the first to moan about signing yet another ‘crock’? – Yes, we the supporters, of course!
Mick rightly was being cautious and having gone public about Wolves not signing him, Harper has saved our club a nice £1.7M or thereabouts.
Good luck with your football James but it will not be at Molineux, not for Wolves anyway!
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Dublin Wolves: I may be wrong and can admit to that but as I said..it ‘seems’ that he doesn’t like those with an opinion. I don’t know if I’m right just as you cannot categorically say you’re right. It’s an opinion.
As you probably read, my thoughts were generally positive but this accusation has been thrown before.
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Agree with 21..Mccarthy…you are nothing more than a ‘big girl’ You are suppose to be bigger than the news reports, or who said what & so on.
You are the manager of Wolves, a top club in the English premiership, whats it matter if the player stood up and gave his opinion !!!
If he can play football, and would fit in with Doyle and the rest of the team, then sign him.
Many great and good players are vocal and say it ‘like it is’, Most great and good managers don’t ‘throw the rattle out of the pram’ like you have done.
Grow Up.
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18. Correct. Furthermore, he omitted the necessary comma after ‘English’, if we’re splitting hairs (not infinitives). Still, at least it’s proof that he lives up to the ‘Grammer Man’ pseudonym -ironic though it may be.
As for referring to us as ‘brummies’, once again he’s in need of education. Actually, we’re ‘Wulfrunians’, as any city resident knows only too well.
I suggest ‘Grammer Man’ takes a course in local history/geography, as well as regional accents/dialects, in order to enlighten himself.
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I have to say it typical Mick, subborn as a mule, you can’t say anything in public about Mick but more than once he’s used the media to comment about players, two way street, but Mick views everything that he doesn’t like as desention. Anyway it’s up to him, to be fair Mick’s the boss, so if it goes wrong he’ll carry the can.
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UBWOlf, good point, but to be honest, do we want another Freddie, who goes public with his ramblings???? cause that’s all he has done.
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I wonder if Harper would have been quite so happy if MM had gone public after the talks declaring to the World that the scans showed a potential injury problem – I don’t think so !
MM has acted professionally in this, nobody forced Harper to tell potential suitors that he may be crocked, that was his decision, and if that proves he can’t keep quiet about something which may affect his livelihood, how can he be trusted to keep dressing room discussions private?
Time we moved on.
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Express and Star!!
The phrase is – ‘put paid’ NOT ‘put pay’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK??
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Leave the Clayheads to their own devices – they are not in our ‘mini-league’. Huth won’t get in the team and Tuncay is a glory boy.
Ebanks and Doyle would walk in their team ahead of their strikers One-goal, Mike Tyson and Mr Blobby.
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22) Forget about all the reports of turnover. What are you expecting us to spend in transfers? Morgan has already dipped into his money. Where do you think we got the likes of Berra from?
We need to sign a couple but my point is when all are fully fit Tuncay would be unlikely to be first choice as Doyle is number one and they are sure to give Sylvan a good run.
We should be signing a couple and that will be enough until the January window. We are holding our own now with 4 first choice out plus the likes of Murray – fingers crossed!
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BrummieRob Tuncay is better than Doyle by a long long long long way.
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38.PHJ Tuncay may have a bit more flair and be a bit more skillful and did well in Turkey, but as for the Prem he hasn’t done anything in 2years. Also although Tuncay is more skillful I think Doyle is a better finisher, which is what we need if we’re to stay up, I don’t think Tuncay is de-similar from Milijas too be honest!
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Saw Maierhoffer play for Rapid against Villa. Liked what i saw, he could be a great danger from long throws, also he has good co-ordination for a 6ft 7incher, sign him up.
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22 Malta Wolves – yeah, because persuading the sort of talent you want to come is oh so easy when you’re in your first seaosn back isn’t it. Some people are clue-less to the real world. You might get one or two, may be three big names, but thats all, there just is no chance
of tranforming a team in one tranfer window, and if you get the balance wrong you lose the team ethos. Go and support Blues, they seem like the club for you.
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I feel that by allowing Stoke free reign to sign Tuncay and Huth we have missed two players who would have improved our squad and the team.We now have a match tomorrow which is coming down to a MUST WIN.Tuncay plays in midfield behind the strikers and scores vital goals and Huth is miles better than Berra and Zubar.Once more its looking like complacency at the Mol. I hope Im wrong but come next Tuesday there will be” a weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth” around the notice boards.
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Brummierob,i was expecting us to spend enough to survive this season and then move forward next as Stoke have done.You cannot say forget reports on turnover as that is what clubs use as their business model.So far we have spent 6.5 million on one player and then less than 10 on 5 others.I really do hope that i am proven wrong but by buying championship players are we really good enough to stop up?.At the risk of getting slaughtered for these comments Micks record as a premiership manager is not yet proven and in his reluctance to spend on proven premiership players and relying on the likes of Ward at left back Craddock centre half and only 2 goalscoring strikers can only lead us the way Sunderland went in his last Management role in the prem.
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41,Alex I will not use childish comments in my response,Having followed this club for close on 50 years i think i know enough about football.You do not need Big names simply honest pros who have competed at the higher level and know what is required of them to establish the club in the best league in the World.Lesser clubs such as Bolton,Fulham,Wigan,Stoke have done it so why cant we?.And please stop using such stupid comments of going and supporting somebody else if they disagree with your views,This is what a debate is all about.
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Cracking game ahead tomorrow – love the way we’ve been playing – great to watch, and we do look dangerous.
COME ON YOU WOLVES !!!
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No 5
I agree I think the lad is just trying to make it known that he is fit & that he wants to come & play for our great club.
What can be wrong with that????
McCarthy needs to read the article behind the headlines!!!!
2 – 0 tomorrow, Doyle & Halford
KTF
Wolvesforever
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I do not know wich is more frustrating…
Waiting for new signings or waiting for the first home goal
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Harper has said nothing wrong, he probably didn’t go to the press and was just asked by a reporter after a game. He didn’t even say “I’ll prove him wrong”. I’m not backing MM on this one because it’s obvious he has just read the story from the newspaper and hasn’t spoken to the player directly. It’s schoolboy stuff, so immature, “he said this” “no but he said that” bla bla. Mick sign him for goodness sake!
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Again I repeat why would they come to Wolves when they can sign for Stoke who are probably safe in this league.
We are not, and if they did sign for us then they could be in a worse position than they were at Boro!!
Why do we think that any player we like would want to come to Wolves!!
42 it makes it sound as though we could have walked in any time and taken them away from Stoke. That is just not right
They were never coming to Wolves and would never have done so anyway
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do you think Mick or Harper really said anything to the press ?? did the express and star ring harper up ?? I doubt it. Old news Jog on.
We didnt sign Tuncay so what, and why are people still calling for Nolan !!!! If Nolan was that good how come Newcastle went down ???
The focus here should be getting behind the team tommorow!!!!! Come on you wolves !!!!!!!!!
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Blimey, its fairly normal for Mick to fall out with players 10 minutes after they have signed (e.g. Eastwood) but not usually before. Maybe Harper should not have passed comment in public, but then it was not professional of Mick either to reveal that Harper’s comments had affected his position. Mick didnt actually need to say anything more while Harper has good reasons for keeping his availability in the news because of his desire to move on from Reading in the next 4 days. If anything it should be his existing club who are upset with his comments that he does not feel wanted.
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Dont particluarly want Harper anyway – would prefer Ledley anyday. Beckford would also be great, surely both are realistic captures by the end of Tuesday???
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MICKO MY MAN IT COULD BE POSSIBLE THAT “HARPER” IS DESPERATE TO JOIN WOLVES!!
JUST COULD BE AT ITS A FINAL ATTEMPT BY HIM TO HAVE HIS WISH GRANTED..
I CANT SAY HE IS A GREAT PLAYER BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU FOR NOTHING THIS GUY WILL SPILL BLOOD FOR WOLVES FOR ATLEAST THE FIRST SEASON!
and for this very reason he may provide us with the bite required as i sense real desire to play for the wolves
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42. Get a grip, grow up, and show some backbone. We have a strong squad of fit and eager players. Were you there at Eastlands? I was, and our team of youngsters (and Jodie) scared the cr*p out of the most expensive team ever assembled in the Premiership. We may win, we may lose, but our boys will give it everything. Make sure you do.
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42
Mate, Huth is a donkey that plays very few games, get a grip!!!!
Tuncay is a different matter he would have been a good addition, but I think he is being paid a kings ransome.
Still think we will see at least 2 more in before Tuesday.
KTF
Wolvesforever
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