Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
I went for Dunne admits McCarthy
Friday 23rd October 2009, 11:30AM BST.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has cranked up the stakes for the derby with Villa by revealing he missed out on signing defender Richard Dunne this summer.
Dunne was a victim of Manchester City’s huge spend, but their loss has been Villa’s gain, as the £5million Republic of Ireland international has scored two goals in five games after just seven in 352 for City.
McCarthy said in May he wanted to sign players with Premier League experience, but of his nine summer signings only £6.5million record capture Kevin Doyle, Greg Halford and Segundo Castillo – albeit very brief – have English top-flight experience.
At 30, McCarthy believes Dunne ranks alongside the best defenders in the Premier League and admitted enquiring about signing him.
The Wolves boss: “He’s a fabulous signing for Villa. Martin O’Neill rang me up and I said exactly that. I said ‘take him tomorrow.’
“I even rang Dunne and asked if he would come here. Whether we could have done it I don’t know, but I knew he was on to a club that might be pushing for Europe.
“Dunney is a terrific player. I gave him his competitive debut against Holland in Amsterdam nine years ago and he was brilliant against Patrick Kluivert that night.
“He’s had a really good career. He’s solid. I’m still not convinced Manchester City have two better defenders than Richard Dunne.
“But I understand the need to change players around and get your own players in. I think he’s one of the best defenders in the league – I haven’t seen many better than him.
“He put a lot of work into looking after himself. He’s a top drawer player for me and as a guy. He’s better now than he was when I first played him.”
Irish team-mates Doyle and Dunne come face to face tomorrow, but McCarthy insists the Villa defender will underestimate his striker at his peril.
He said: “If you start thinking you know someone’s game completely, you can underestimate them. You’ve got to be constantly aware of what people do.”
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Would we have seriously paid his wages? Doubt it. At least MM approached him – he was exactly the player we needed in the summer.
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would have been a great signing for wolves as he is for villa
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If you believe that you’ll believe anything. All mouth and trousers again!!
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He was never coming to us….
Lets face it, the position where all Wolves Fans knew we needed a big money signing was at the back… The likes of Huth were the ones who ‘may’ have chosen to come to the Wolves…
As for tomorrow, I feel we could turn them over. We all have to get behind them from the kick off tomorrow…
Wolves need to be at their best to beat Villa, Villa like they showed last week can grind out results, which is excatly what Wolves need to do to stay up, especially at home…
Get into them……….
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Shame – he would have been a great signing for us. We would never have met his wage demands though, we’re a long way off signing players like Dunne.
At least Mick tried. that’s good to know. The fans appreciate it when the manager speaks, it stops us second guessing who we did/didn’t go for in the summer. I’d rather know we tried and failed to get ‘top players’ as opposed to thinking we just didn’t try!
Still we’ve got our own potential defensive legend in the making!
ZUBAR!
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There were fools on this site that criticised any interest in Richard Dunne during the summer. I won’t name the dummies; they get far too many name checks as it is….. they’ll start thinking their precious.
Wish we were playing Liverpool tomorrow and Villa on Boxing day…..Oh well !
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So he went in for Dunne no suprise there and no suprise we didnt get him either. What about going in for Campbell? He is available and can play and organise our defence to cope better at this level.
As for the Villa Match, can we defend crosses, corners, and the counter attack? If so we can get a result if not we will lose
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Dear God, Just once in my lifetime let me see Wolves beat Villa in a league game.
I dont want to go home to the Villa fans in my family who have watched it with a cup of tea and smug smiles.
Thanks
WASU
p.s. be good if we can stop up too
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Another one of our so called targets. Who elese was on the list Morgan / Jez?
Kaka, Raul, Rooney. We window shopped in Harvey Nicholls and bought from Primark.
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Boom Boom Boom let me her you say “Zubar,Zubar”.
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Number 6………..spot on! There are lots of fools about in fairness! Its ok saying “we missed out” and all that now but when we were interested all we had on here was moans!
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Wasu, I saw us win at the Villa 3-1 in the week before the 1980 League Cup Final and we did them again in Paul Birchs testimonial 3-2. Boy did we enjoy those two games in the Witton End!
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Big Chris must be a starter in tomorrows squad, if for nothing else to wake up sylvan from his slumber and for them to perform like last season.
I know I will be critised but I would also play Keogh with Doyle, if I think back to some early games, the two Irishmen understood each others game and were effective.
I would drop George for Stearman , and bring back Milijas and retain Craddock.
Result…I would say a draw 1-1
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I believe Hahnemann also has Premiership experience.
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no george tomorrow,if he play him it will prove me
right as just like george he clueless,we have steadman and mancienne, who are much better than him,and could have problem with craddock,berra
with there lack of pace. so get it right mm for ones.
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Oo ahh ZUBAR!!!!!
Oo ahh ZUBAR!!!!!
Oo ahh ZUBAR!!!!!
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& Craddockinho
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I am not sure man city have two better defenders? Is mccarthy on crack? Lescott is an England international and toure has been top class for arsenal for years. Both have beaten dunne in opta stats and dream team in consecutive years. This is mccarthy in a nutshell not a good judge of players. You will say what about seb and kightly but the fact is it is not rocket science buying the leading scorer in the league at the time and it was taff evans who scouted kightly. Mick never actually watched him play. I think this is just his bias towards the irish which he does to hide the fact his is really english born and bred
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Jake
I went to a pre season friendly at Villa where Andy Mutch scored the winner…so surely with the wins you’ve seen we are clearly on top!
Simon :)
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Dunne is a better all around defender than Toure. Watch how much better Arsenal are with Vermaelen instead. Watch how much better Villa are this year defensively with Dunne. Dunne is solid. Not many better defenders in the Prem. I 100% agree with MM. Against Man City, if you put the ball in the box you will score goals.
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Hey, Old Gold (15) Is that Alison Steadman you want in ? I know she’s a great actress but, not sure if she’s quick enough for the Premiership.
I’ve seen Wolves beat Villa home and away loads of times, but, then my dictionary goes back a long way too !
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21 so does mine to 1957 and many times when we had good managers and better players and alison
steadman would do as well as george.
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Seen Wolves beat Villa loads of times and was at Villa Park in 1979 before League Cup final win, when Colin Brazier scored. 6 years before that Villa were finishing below Halifax Town in the old Division 3. Point is, history moves on and Wolves, Villa and even Albion are proper football clubs who go back to when my Great Great Grandad watched us at Dudley Road – UP THE WOLVES and come on me Babbies.
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9. walker, were’nt you one of those last week ,saying how everton were going to thrash wolves??.
well guess what your wrong again, how can one person be wrong so many times(bobwolf,jiwal) spring to mind. wwfc 2 villa 0 berra,ebanks
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I remember ”rumours” in the E&S about us being in for Dunn with all the dummy Wolves supporters saying we don’t want him……..
Probably the same dummies who are clammering to get Mancienne back in the team when we looked more solid WITHOUT him.
A liability, send him back to Chelsea ASAP.
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