Stearman and Iwelumo in comeback
Tuesday 29th September 2009, 10:58AM BST.
Wolves defender Richard Stearman will makes a surprise comeback for the reserves – as striker Chris Iwelumo also returns to action.
Stearman gets a run-out for the second-string against Chelsea at Telford tonight (7pm), after missing the last two games with a badly bruised lower leg following a nasty kick in training.
The news is a big boost for boss Mick McCarthy, who was concerned that the player would be out for much longer.
The versatile England under-21 international had been performing impressively at right-back before his injury and his return to full fitness would open up a three-way challenge for that position with Greg Halford – who currently has the shirt – and Player of the Year Kevin Foley.
Iwelumo is also in the team, to end a long absence after breaking a bone in his foot back in mid-July in the first pre-season friendly in Australia.
The Scotland international has been back in full training for the last few days and gets his first taste of action since the season began.
A return for the pair means McCarthy should have his strongest squad to pick from for Saturday’s clash against Portsmouth, with only Andrew Surman, Stephen Ward and Matt Murray out of contention.
But the 31-year-old forward faces a huge fight for his first-team place, with Stefan Maierhofer and a fit Sylvan Ebanks-Blake already straining at the leash to dislodge £6.5million club record signing Kevin Doyle and Andy Keogh.
Doyle has scored two goals in his last two Premier League outings and is approaching top form. But even he admits he is starting to feel the heat from the competition.
He said: “Myself and Andy are both under pressure now. We’ve got Stefan Maierhofer and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is back from injury now and he’s been the leading scorer for the last two years.
“Chris Iwelumo is training again and Sam Vokes is still here as well. It keeps the screw tight and on your toes.”
McCarthy was full of praise for his current first-choice strike duo after Sunday’s unfortunate 5-2 defeat at Sunderland. Doyle feels the partnership has done well.
He said: “We’ve played up front a few times for Wolves now and it’s a case of so far, so good.”
Reserves: Ikeme, Little, Malone, Stearman, Hill, Davis, Mendez-Laing, Rooney, Vokes, Iwelumo, Hemmings.
Subs: East, Griffiths, Metcalf, Szabo, Ismail, Harris, Landell.
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great news to see them both back! I can see chris make quite an impact if he gets a chance to play this season. He holds the ball really well, throws himself at the ball from corners and crosses and will take a shot if he has a chance.I can see him and the hoff getting a few goals if were going to play the long throws.
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Why is Vokesy playing in the reserves? Isnt he off out on loan this week? Surely it’d be better to play one of the other kids against Chelsea, Sam’s going to be playing fairly regulary in a first team, plus the fact an injury tonight will hamper that opportunity for him. Wheres the sense?
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Good to see striker Chris Iwelumo is back because he adds another dimension to our game with his power and strength. I feel he will cause problems to defences and allow others to come into the game. Stearman should be playing in cetre half position rather than right back.
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Now thats great, but where is Zubar. Couldnt get off language school??
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Good to see Chris knocking on the door for a recall.Hope the Hoff can pick some tips up from him regarding holding the ball up & heading.For a tall bloke,his heading skills need work.
Stears for me ,would be a stright swop for Mancienne.For all his skills,he is sadly lacking in vtal inches.
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We definately need either Stearman or Foley at right back. Halford is a reasonable emergency option but no more than that in that position.
Interesting to see that Zele Ismail seems to be making the reserve team sheet which suggests he is making rapid progress.
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Berra/Craddock/Zubar and Stearman as centre backs and Mancienne at left back!!
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Good news to see Chris returning and assuming he plays well tonight must be included in the squad for Portsmouth if for nothing else to run with Ebanks as they did so well last season.
I have watched Ebanks in the last two games and he is going nowhere without a forward that understands his style of play, and Chris does better than any other forward Wolves have.
The early success of Doyle and Keogh is because they understand and feed off each other,and until Ebanks and Chris are back together, I believe Sylvan will struggle.
I will also be pleased to see Stearman return, also Foley and Craddock, as I believe that Berra’s style of play is too agressive and being eyed by the referees.
I think Foley and Craddock provide stability
My team for Portsmouth would rest Berra, Hough, and Hennersey, and include either Craddock, Foley,Iwelumo and Volkes Stearman & Hill
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Iwelumo and Vokes need to be shipped out, can’t see either getting a game for us this season.
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Must admit that I would have liked to have seen kites, SEB, Foley, Cradock & Miljas given a half. They need to find some sharpness And why is Zubar not in the squad?
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good to see both on the road to recovery. with kightly, SEB and foley all fit now it’s time to play the strongest team possible on saturday. not just those that mick thinks will put a shift in. so for me (as robbie dennison would say) the team should be…
hennessey
elokobi, mancienne, berra, foley
kightly, henry, castillo, keogh (jarvis’s lacking confidence)
SEB, doyle (man of the season so far).
if they’re all fit, they should definitely all play. massive, massive game on sat.
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I’m surprised to see the likes of ebanks blake, the hoff, kightly, craddock and foley not in this team for tonight. Surely an ideal chance for them to get some match fitness, something that all of them, especially ebanks blake, look very short of!
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What we must do is both tighten up at the back and probably play a 4-5-1 away from home. We were unlucky on Sunday but the fourth goal from Turner was down to poor marking and why do we never have players on the line? This season both Turner when at Hull and Richardson on Sunday cleared certain goals off the line.
The Pompey game will be extremely tough. Their newer players are starting to gel and they will have height on set pieces. The fans will have a big part to play.
Wolves 2 Pompey 1!
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5. Kent Wolf. I agree with your comments about Mancienne. He just does not have the stature for a centre half for all his silky skills. Might make a better left back in place of Elokobi who is proving to be a bit of a donkey at this level.
By the way are there many Kent Wolves? I used to have a mate called Brian down there. Is that you??
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What has happened to Zubar – did we really sign this guy or am I imagining it???
Learning some English for football purposes cannot be that hard can it??. Makes me think that something else behind it.
Good to see Stearman back earlier than expected. Good luck to big Chris – not sure how much he will feature this term but a good option to have on the bench or in the physical games to come.
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7 Spot on – Big George is BIG but not very good as a footballer. Mancienne at left back is an option, we need height at centreback this weekend. Pompey have one or two big lads that can cuse problems in the air from set pieces.
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Why does MM let Keogh start every game, isn’t it a strikers role to get the goals, surely he’d play better as a sub because then he has a point to prove. Let SEB start and get his match time up to speed. Or is MM going to unleash SEB for the bigger games? Well the man knows best, we can only support the bloke.
UTW.
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we wont see either of them anytime soon as mick has his “wait your turn” policy after coming back from injuries. Stearman is now behind craddock and foley in defensive pecking order and Big chris is behind seb and the hoff to get on the bench.
Its pathetic really the team is picked like that. Suppose it protects a few favorites
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I think Mancienne at left back is a good shout, and I share everyones frustration over Zubar, he was signed with a big rep and other than the language thing the club have really said nothing else. I think we deserve to know what is happening, if he is struggling language and fitness fine, if he has stepped out of line and MM has turned his back on him fine, if he has not produced in training fine…just let us know!!! Be good to get Stears back, Looms will be good to have as back up and to push the Hoff. i’m very nervous about Pompey game right now I would take a nil – nil. Whatever happens the season will not be over just look at results of the teams around us, in my opinion noone is going to be dead in the water until the very end
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Agree with the Zubar comments. Where is he? With every passing goal the question gets louder!
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The Zuber situation is so frustrating because we have seen it so many times before,we do not need to name the players do we? Why on earth do the Board not learn from this.Moxey exacerbated the situation with comments like,’we think we have been clever in the transfer market’. That quote came the day we signed Zuber, I believe. When will they ever learn.OK he may come good,but I imagine by the end of the season we will be saying they may as well have put that £2.5 million in a wheelbarrow and given it a push down Waterloo Road.
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Beverley Wolf:
I escaped the Black Country 8 years ago,but still get to ALL the LONDON games & some home games too.Not bad for someone who is sadly now disabled.
I know some peeps like Henry,but some of his distribution for an holding midfielder needs some work.
Henns is commanding his box better,though if fit,would like to see Ikeme taking his place.
Defending from set pieces is atrocious.Why MM doesn’t insist on covering both posts is beyond me.
SEB would get a run out tonight,along with Foley & Kites,just to regain the edge.
7 Points from 7 games is a bit worrying,especally when you consider how many BIG teams we have still to meet.
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I keep my own mini-league (sad I know) based on the following:
0 points against the big 4.
1 point only at home against the next big 4 (Vile, Man City, Everton, Tottenham)
2 points average from home games and 1 point average from the away game against the other relegation candidates.
This means the mini-league of 12 are all targeting 37 points – which is pretty much the safety level.
At the moment, this mini-league looks as follows:
Burnley +5
Wigan +5
Sunderland +3
Fulham +3
Stoke +2
Blackburn 0
Bolton 0
West Ham 0
Birmingham -1
Wolves -2
Hull -3
Pompey -7
So, based on the opposition played, we’re bottom 3 and 2 points behind target.
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WE SOME QUALITY IN THE JANUARY WINDOW TO MAKE ANY REAL DIFFERENCE. BIG CHRIS AND STEARMAN AIN’T NO BETTER THAN WE’VE GOT NOW.
WE NEED NEW, AND MUCH BETTER PLAYS ALL OVER THE PARK..WE DIDN’T GET THEM IN THE SUMMER AND NOW WE’RE SUFFERING FOR IT. BUT AS THE AVAILABILITY OF THE BETTER PLAYERS IS LIMITED IN JANUARY, EXPECT TO FINISH THE SEASON PRETTY MUCH WITH WHAT WE’VE GOT NOW.
WE’LL BE IN THE BOTTOM THREE BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH, AND I FEAR THAT’S THE POSITION WE’LL OCCUPY TILL MAY… SAD YES, BUT TRUE I’M AFRAID. ROLL ON SATURDAY, AS IT MAYBE THE LAST CHANCE OF A HOME WIN.
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23. Stato interesting reading, what it doesn’t allow for is freak results like Burnley have had, but I bet over the season that will get the bottom 6-8 just about bang on, I remain confident that we will survive this season and I feel we are still a way off our best at the moment I think a point a game this season equals survival this year. I think 3 sides will fall some way short of 38 by the end. I’ve got us for between 5-7 points in Oct, that should keep us chugging along nicely.
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after looking through the relegation figures since the premier league started, we need at least 45 points to survive, so another 38 from the remaining 93 avalable thats basically 13 wins from 31 games left which i think we will comfortably achieve, utw
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Truewolves 45 really, I wouldn’t have thought that. I reckon 45 would see you 15th. Ledley in Jan. I’d love us to raid Tesco for Brunt and Morrison but I don’t think its very likely
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this zubar thing is just a bad joke just like
shackell never played him, he came in july 3mts
ago now must be fit and must know some english by now my
daughter went to live in france and with in 4mts
was Nealy fluent.but i think m.m do not like him he only played for marseille and in champion league so not ready to play for wolves reserves yet.
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26 – truewolves. At least 45 points to survive? Don’t forget that at the start of the premier league, there was 22 teams (i.e. each team played 4 extra matches).
But for your information, the following would have definitely kept you in the prem (no reliance on goal difference) since the league moved to 20 teams:
2008/9: 35 points
2007/8: 37 points
2006/7: 39 points
2005/6: 35 points
2004/5: 34 points
2003/4: 34 points
2002/3: 43 points
2001/2: 37 points
2000/1: 35 points
1999/2000: 34 points
1998/9: 37 points
1997/8: 41 points
1996/7: 41 points
1995/6: 39 points
highest needed: 43
lowest needed: 34 points
average needed: 37.2 points
average last 6 years: 35.7 points
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I’m amazed that Zubar isn’t playing in the reserves. Surely he needs to build up match fitness and get used to team mates?
He must be injured or surely he would play tonight? Also why no Milijas to build up his match fitness?
The Zubar situation is beginning to get really frustrating particularly when you consider our terrible defence!
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17,keogh has shown he is better suited to the premier league than championship. While scoring our first goal, he also creates lots of chances.
He is a top footballer who at the moment has formed a fine partnership with Doyle (our best player so far with Henry and Mancienne)
To all the Mancienne moaners. He’s a top player, and very calm. Give him a break
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Beverley Wolf,
There are a few Kent Wolves, like myself and some others who are in London Wolves. Can’t remember a Brian though, maybe…
Agree about Mancienne for Elokobi. Pity as we’d all like to see the big fellow do well but maybe he’s just too big for his own good at this level…
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30 million+ from promotion plus 30mill invested by Mr Morgan but only 18mill spent on players. Odds of not staying up? Hope January brings in some better quality.
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It’s good news that MM wil have a solid group of players to call on.Let’s see what happens.
I’d like to see less talk and more action from the payers though.They need to do their talking on
the field and a little less to the Press.
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It’s good news that MM wil have a solid group of players to call on.Let’s see what happens.
I’d like to here less talk and more action from the payers though.They need to do their talking on
the field and a little less to the Press.
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29. Stato, good post, feeling pleased with myself that I gave the shout of a point a game average equals survival for us
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Great to Stearman back playing when Wolves were at there best last season Stearman and Mancienne were in partnership,don`t see what Berra has added to the team,,,,,,wot has really happened to Zubar he could be the answer along with Stearman and move Mancienne to LB,though i don`t know along with everybody else as we have not seen him
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17 – Simon. Keogh is playing because he’s easily adapted to the Prem. He links play better than anyone, he has time on the ball and he’s the most creative player we’ve had available. Whether he’s a striker or better suited to a role “in the hole” is another matter. Either way, you can’t drop him.
Why nobody has put a question mark of Jarvis yet is beyond me. He appears terrified to run at defenders when he does get the chance.
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zubar is currently ijured also learning english
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zubar is currently ijured.
hopefully a win on sat
team:
hennesey
mannciene
craddock
stearman
berra
kites
castillo
henry
edwards
doyle
seb
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I would play Doyle and Keogh against Portsmouth, and should there be a point in the second half where changes need to be made, I would take them both off and replace them with Ebanks and Iwelumo who understand each other…I would not attempt to mix and match, Ebanks, the star that he is, does not understand Doyle’s style, and having them together at the moment would be a waste.
We must understand that we have two different style strike force, with appropiate players to be fitted in around the forwards as Mccarthy thinks fit.
I believe that would be a winning combination
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