Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
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McCarthy’s challenge on cup run
Monday 4th January 2010, 10:27AM GMT.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has challenged the team to embark on an FA Cup run and boost their Premier League survival hopes.
Yesterday’s 1-0 victory at Tranmere was rewarded with a fourth round tie at home to Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace on the weekend of January 23-24, as Wolves avoided crashing out to League One opposition following Manchester United’s shock defeat to Leeds.
As the club prepare to mark 50 years since they last won the Cup, McCarthy believes a run in the world’s oldest knockout competition would only enhance their prospects of staying up.
He said: “I’m very pleased we’re through and have Palace at home, which makes it a good draw. We’d like a Cup run and I think it would help our season. Why not?
“We can try to get some good results alongside it in the Premier League. Neil is a mate of mine who will try to upset the applecart, that’s for sure.”
Warnock is relishing the tie and warns his Palace team will not come to lay down for their Premier League opponents.
He said: “I’m not sure what team Mick’s going to pick, but we’ll be looking to have a go.
“I love going to Molineux – it’s one of the old, traditional FA Cup venues and there’s always a cracking atmosphere there.”
Wolves matchwinner Matt Jarvis’ only preference for the next round was to play as the hosts.
He said: “It’s great to get a home tie. There’s nothing better than winning games and success in the cup can only help our league form.”
McCarthy added: “I don’t really know what it will do for our confidence but I can tell you what losing would have done – had a real adverse effect.
“We played well against Liverpool and Manchester City without winning. We played well in spells last night and won. You just have to get into that habit of winning.
“We certainly knew we’d been in a game but we wouldn’t expect anything else from the third round of the FA Cup.”
Record signing Kevin Doyle (ill) and Christophe Berra (concussion) missed the tie.
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NICE 1 MICK PLAY A 2RD TEAM IN THE LEAGUE AND A 1ST TEAM IN THE CUP….MICK OUT MICK OUT MICK OUT MICK OUT
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We Won good news, but does anyone feel we are missing a few players!!!!
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And if we had lost I am sure we would be whats the phrase concentrating on the league!
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I firmly agree with MM in that winning the last game is the best preparation for the next one.
But what I don’t agree with is the need to change the side so frequently. This makes building up understandings and partnerships impossible.
That said, we have built a side around Karl Henry so although we are hardworking and combative, we are also negative, fragmentated, slow, stuttering, uncomfortable in possession and lacking any attacking guile and incision.
Maybe if we built a side around Milijas instead and played to his qualities and strengths we would be a better side?
MM would give an emphatic “no” as an answer to that.
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Watched it on the internet. Tortuous.
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Watched match on the internet last night, we ceratinly made hard work of it but the important thing is we’re through. Thats the FA Cup for you ask ManUtd fans, we were sure favourites of a giant killing so well done Mick and the boys.
Lets get back to winning ways in The Prem now, take those first half spells from Liverpool and Man City. Three points has got to be a realistic target, these are the ones we gotta win!!
No negativity please, Sideshow Bob your Fired!!
Up the Wolves!!!
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The only cup run Wolves will be on is for the tea and coffee’s after the display against Tranmere. We are lacking in everything on the pitch, no goal scorers, not enough creative players, no pace. We will not survive in the Premiership after any of our recent performances.
Like most fans we all expected some investment in quality players not millions spent on players that only ever make the bench, when new players are brought in you would expect them to improve the team.
Why are we still playing almost the same team that won the Championship having spent millions in the summer, it’s down to the manager, say no more!
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We didn’t turn up yesterday and won so maybe its a good omen that we can go on a bit of a run this season.
Depends on whether Mad Mick picks the right team though.
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Of course its nice to go on a bit of a Cup run and it will do our confidence no harm but I would have swopped getting knocked out yesterday to be in Blues’ position.
Bring in:
1) Gardner if we can.
2) Mancienne, permanently (heard nothing about making this happen yet, which is worrying).
3) Ledley
4) Victor Moses (Palace need to sell and we are playing them in the cup so get in there Mick and have a word with Warnock before the big vultures gather!)
Fight, fight wherever you may be.
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MICKO “”"”OUT”"”"!
League is the priority we need to develop a system of playing a sticking to it!!!
I continue with the same judgement and conclusion that our way of playing is very very poor.
Sadly we look in-capable of passing and creating chances!After all this was TRANMERE the least we should have done is gone out and imposed and expressed ourselves we did neither!!yes we came away with a win but surely thiswont continue? Were we play poorly look disjointed and still win or will it?
As MICKO cannot get us playing as a TEAM WITH SOME COHERENCE!yes we are scrapping and fighting but surely more will be required surely?I cannot see Why we cannot perform to an average standard not asking for an “ARSENAL”just average as we can look very ragged!Take a look at LEEDS its because they won but they played the game and looked a UNIT we dont..Please those who beleive we look like a FOOTBALLING UNIT dont reply as you ar as crazy as MICKO.Please get real for the sake of our club.ITS not about MICKO and staying loyal etc I am only concerned with the way we perform on the pitch as in the long run this is what will get us places no matter the desire and fighting spirit!Yes these are required ingredients but surely they would mean more coming from a TEAM that can play and create also.I can count the number of chances we have created on two hand this season from open play!!Morgan you need to invest in quality otherwise forget fourth from bottom never mind your highly ridiculous claim you want “MIDTABLE”!As you can gather from my view points I am not asking for the premiership title fourth from bottom will do lovely.
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MICKO take JOHNWOLF with you please….
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One immediate improvement…
Jarvis up front (alongside Doyle) playing right on the shoulder of the last defenders. He’ll scare them to death with his pace and Milijas will find him.
This will create more space for Doyle if he comes short for the ball too. Eire use this tactic with Keene on the last defender.
Jarvis could very much be a Darren Huckerbee/Craig Bellamy type player literally just looking for that through ball.
As Hanson says, pace scares defenders to death.
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Can we please sign Mr Nolan from Newcastle, Mr Ledley from Cardiff and Mr Beckford from Leeds United and then I will feel comfortable the we have a squad that will keep us in the premier league.
Hope everyone enjoyed the festive season.
Thank you over and out….!!!!!
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Is it me or is that contradicting yourself mick ?
On one hand your resting players because of too many games in a short space of time.
Now your saying “lets have a cup run”, wont that mean more matches to play ?
My opinion is with mick on saying go on a cup run, i think it can really give players a break from league thoughts, and maybe enjoy playing at wembly, the magic of the cup maybe ? ….
But on the other hand survival is a good possibility given the state of some other clubs in the premier….
you thoughts please
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Wanderer in eire- I go to home and away matches, dont miss a kick and i agree at times we look disjointed. But we are playing in the toughest league in the world and at this current time, half way, we are not in the bottom 3. This means that however bad we have done in your eyes we havnt done as bad as some others.
Personally with the team we have I believe we will struggle to stay up and this window is vital but until I see who we bring in I wont comment on what our chances are. I would also add with the current squad we have done very well so far to be out of the drop zone.
I would not sack Mick now, if we go down even we know he can get us out the division so id keep him then and change once he got us back up. Either way I cant see Mick going anywhere for 2 years minimum so get used to it!!
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Wanderer in Eire, chill out mate, try and enjoy yourself, we are in the prem, and competing (just) for the first time in about 20 years. Get off your high horse and accept that we aren’t going to beat all the people all of the time and just relax, be happy. That kind of vitriol (although passionate) is so wasteful you are going to do yourself damage. I worry about you physically and mentally.
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1.Lee- your an A grade Pleb.
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need a left back!center half.Quality midfield.Were a championship team without a doubt.Not 2 forget we have spent 16 million on a team this year.Halford,surman,costeilio(loan)hill,friends,shackell,d ward.Last year quashie(loan)harewood(loan).Poor signings 9 to be fair.Steve morgan he’s waisting yours and our money!MOXEY get a grip! We aint staying up with what we got!FACT! Were just lucky there’s 5 other poor teams with us!!We were a better footballing side with the TURNIP in charge!!Mcarthy out!!!!Poor manager!!We go up as champions last year,lose 10 games.Dont win for 10 games on a trot!Very lucky man MM.Poor championship last year.Lets see wot next!!!!
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Personally, this season, I don’t care about the FA Cup. Our priority is staying up.
That said SEB and Chris were awful last night, pity as it was an ideal opportunity to get some goals and confidence, which is all there lacking really.
Thankfully Milijas is looking more and more like a great buy.
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For any of the armchair/negative supporters, I went last night and the pitch looked rock hard and obviously got harder as the match went on. We did not play very well first half but still managed to miss a sitter. Much better in the second half and once again – as at Chelsea and at home to Burnley – from a great cross from Ward Sylvan had a gilt edged heading opportunity and the keeper made a brilliant save. What was evident from last night is that Jarvis and Milijas are a must in this side. Mancienne and Stearman were class. Foley is only a stop gap as a right midfielder and Vokes was more effective than Iwelumo up front. We have a few injuries and definitely must sign in the window about 3/4 players.
Still this was a win and I still say that there are at least 3 teams that are worse than us. At present I would say that Pompey, Hull and Burnley are most likely but there is also West Ham, Bolton, Wigan, Blackburn and Stoke in the mix!
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I thought last night’s match summed up the enigma that is Wayne Hennessey. He made one or two top class saves and he handled the crosses, (surprisingly)very well. Then he gives Tranmere their two best chances with some woeful distribution and handling. He’s young and I still see a bright future for him and hope it’s at Wolves.
10)Wanderer in Eire. The way you’re going on about MICKO you’ll make yourself SICKO. Calm down and have a few pints of Guinness. Calling each other THICKO only makes us all look DICKOS
Just ‘cos you SHOUT in capitals doesn’t necessarily make you RIGHT ! ……ALRIGHT ?
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I FIND IT UNBELIEVABLE THAT MICK HAS MADE THIS COMMENT IF HE WAS INTERESTED IN SIGNJNG MANCIENNE HOW COULD HE HAVE NOT MADE IT HIS BUSINESS TO KNOW THE ANSWER QUOTE When asked if the move could become permanent, the manager said: “We have never discussed that. We took him on loan and whether I would like or him or not, it has never been discussed. I think it is wrong to have a quote from me saying ‘I would like to sign him.’ THIS HAS BEEN POSTED HERE AS THERE WAS NO OPTION TO DO IT ON THE RELEVENT PAGE, GOBSMACKED!
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Following last night’s performance I am extremely concerned both with the cohesion of the team and the manager’s ability to manage in the premier league . His previous effort with Sunderland appears to suggest that while he is a capable , if dour ,manager in the championship he unfortunately does not have the vision to be successful if the premier ship . His team selections against Manchester United and Manchester City was an insult to the fans and showed a capitulation without effort against the top teams . I was particularly disappointed with the selection for the home match against City because , despite their spending power , they are not good defensively as proven by Burnley scoring 3 goals against them in manchester . To put out a side with a goalkeeper , 6 defenders and a defensive midfielder spoke volumes for his negativity and once we were a goal down there really was no way back . Against Tranmere last night any watcher not knowing either side would have thought that tranmere were the premiership side and that is an indictment of his selections both in the transfer market and in the way the team play . I have been watching Wolves for 55 years and will always be a supporter but this current manager is trying my patience to the limit .
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we have have at best5/6 average premiership class players
and the rest a 6 out 10 championship players and a
manager who at best 6/7 out championship class.
would you give your money to muppet mick to do your shopping he would come back with all tesco
value packs. the man is out of his depth.
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13-Bournemouth Wolf, I think those three would be decent players. Trouble is that they are not Premier League players, and if Mick buys them the folks on here would go berserk.
It amazes me that they say, “We need to buy proven Premier League players,” as though that is the easiest thing in the world to do. You know the scenario, turn up at Premier League teams with a shopping list and say, “We want him, him and him. We will happily pay 5-6 Million each for them.” In the scenario they imagine, the Chairmen of the other teams then say, “They are important members of our squads, but if you want them, …. okay!!” It works on Football Manager, and so it must work in real life, …right???
Unfortunately, the truth is, that if they are any good, their current clubs don’t want to let them do, as they also want to use them. If they can’t hold on to them they usually go to top four teams or foreign teams. If the Prem teams don’t want players and we look to sign them, the wombles on here will say, “If they aren’t good enough for them they are not good enough for us, so why has the “Muppet” bought them.” Yes folks, we want players with Prem experience, but the ones that are available we don’t want. Another case of “He’s damned if he does, and he’s damned if he doesn’t.” That is why he goes for players he hopes will make the bridge to the Prem. Some do, and some don’t make it. But that is the case with all players bought by all managers.
Please let’s have some realism on here. This is not “Football Manager 2010.”
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i wish mick would play a settled team.milijas is our only creative player and is left out most matches. we must make more chances and he is the man for the job
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Why rest 10 players at Old Trafford giving up the chance of premier league points and then actually try and go on a cup run when you have such a small squad lacking quality in depth?
It’s got my mind boggling!
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Hi again guys not been to molineux since Hoddle but season ticket holder before and after Bhatti’s.
Went to Liverpool game Corporate Hospitality and all that, aint paying to watch this rubbish.
What did Mick do when we went down to 10 men at 0-0 “Rested” Doyle and then Milijas only players with the guile to get anything from the game. Looked very much like a white flag like at Man Utd.
Look at general results lately positive thinking and play is bringing results, I am so fed up of hearing “the players need a rest”.
BE MORE POSITIVE AND ATTACK,wolves will eventually go down due to negative thinking,very dour manager imposing his beliefs on the players.
As someone has already said imagine building a team around Milijas okay you can always dream.
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I don’t really care what we do in the cup, the prem is where we need to concentrate.
I like Mick but I think he is a poor reader of the game and his tactics are questionable. Against Man City we had some dominance around the 60minute mark. Mick should have bought Milijas on then as Man City were beginning to look worried – Milijas would have created something for us. In reality Milijas should be playing every Prem game. We need to go to a 4-4-1-1 system ala Liverpool with Milijas supporting Doyle. My team for West Ham would be:
Hahnemann
Mancienne (LB)
Zubar (CB)
Berra/Craddock (CB)
Stearman (RB)
Friend/Surman(LM)
Castillo (M)
Henry (M)
Jarvis (RM)
Milijas (Forward)
Doyle (S)
That team should give us Henry to protect the back four and Castillo to marshall the middle. Milijas then has a free role. He is the only one in the team that really makes things happen from the middle. We can then bring on Vokes for Surman/Friend when we need more firepower.
Seems pretty obvious to me though that we need at least one decent CB, LB, M and Striker if we are going to survive this league.
If Mick can get the team selection right and be brave with his tactics, i.e. build the team around Milijas, then we should be able to get something out of the West Ham game.
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29. Milijas would never touch the ball in that line up. Who’s gonna find him, Henry?
Milijas is not a “in the hole” player. He is a Paul Cook type player.
Remember when Cookie got the ball, Bully would always be looking to make that run off the last man.
This was happening against Tranmere with Jarvis (who should be moved centrally) and is another weapon we should employ (along with our 2 other offensive weapons…set pieces via Milijas and Doyle creating his own chances).
Any port in a storm
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…Although Cookie wasn’t really the best at shooting from range whereas milijas can certainly hit a ball!
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See your point GB’s Yead and I think you’re right. Was just trying to come up with something differnet – don’t laugh but I reckon that Milijas could do a Gerrard type role for us.
However I see your point and having Jarvis central like Tevez/Bellamy (don’t laugh) is definitely worth a go with his pace. So maybe take Henry out of that line up, bring Milijas into midfield with Castillo taking on the defensive duties. Jarvis goes central along side Doyle. That leaves the right midfield spot open and I’d guess we’d have to go with Foley in that position? On paper looks a much better balanced side than anything MM has come up with this season.
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The players we are being heavily linked with will be good signings if we can get them, Craig Gardener (villa), Matt Kilgallon (Sheff Utd) Adam Johnson (Borough), Andy Carrol (Newcastle)all young quality players with Premier League experience but we are crying out for a left back. I would like to see Ryan Taylor from Newcastle or Michael Ball (free) come in to add some more Premier League experience. If we can stay up this season it is a fantastic chance to build as I feel that the three promoted clubs from the championship will struggle next season and clubs who have spent more than they have will continue to make cut backs. If the rule about british players does come into effect how high up this league could we go? We dont have that many foreign players.
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