Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
The beginning of the end for Mick?
Friday 5th February 2010, 9:15AM GMT.
Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd is starting to doubt whether boss Mick McCarthy really is the man for the job ahead of the trip to Birmingham on Sunday.
Mick McCarthy cut a rather forlorn figure on the touchline at Selhurst Park on Tuesday night, as he tried to digest one of the worst performances in living memory.
Our manager looked like a bewildered and beaten man. After the comprehensive thumping dished out by a Championship team no less in Crystal Palace, Mick reportedly locked his players away for an hour to asseverate his dismay at them for such a lousy performance.
OK, some of the blame does need to go to the players who were outfought, outmuscled and outplayed by a unified Palace side. But if I was him, I’d forget having a go at the team, I’d instead have locked myself in the broom cupboard and berated at myself for an hour or two.
Tuesday night’s dismal offering illustrated yet more tactical naivety from the great eagle. I think McCarthy managed to beat his own record for placing square pegs in round holes in one game.
We had a right-back on the wing, a right-footed centre back at left-back, a centre back in midfield and a right winger on the left, so on and so on. I’m amazed that goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey actually made it between the sticks! I mean with his height, surely he should be the club’s new target man up front, a modern day Kevin Kyle?
The performance against Palace was an absolute shambles, a disgrace. Just because it was the FA Cup and not the Premier League doesn’t dissolve Mick from any blame, far from it.
How can we believe that he has any confidence in the players brought into the club over the summer when he flatly refuses to play them in the positions they have trained in all their lives?
One of his signings, Ronald Zubar, may have had the fans chanting his name, but for me he makes too many critical mistakes, wildly flying into tackles. Kevin Foley now needs to be reinstated at right-back, his rightful position and you have to feel for him being crow-barred onto the wing where he is ineffective.
Mick also claims to have finally found his plan B with the shiny new 4-1-4-1 formation. This may have been effective in boring Liverpool off the park at Molineux, but it looked a complete mess at Selhurst Park.
The idea with defensive formations like this is that the team should be able to quickly switch to a 4-3-3 formation when they are attacking and get the wingers bombing up the flanks to whip in a ball or two into the box.
But how was this supposed to work on Tuesday night when we had Foley on one side and the right-footed Geoffrey Mujangi Bia operating on the left? By the way, I can’t recall a worse Wolves full debut since Robert Taylor nearly 10 years ago, so let’s just hope Mujangi Bia isn’t this January transfer window’s Tomas Frankowski!
With the exception of Kevin Doyle and the occasional good game from Nenad Milijas, is this Premier League side any better than the one operating in the Championship last season?
I would argue that, despite the millions spent in the summer, we have taken a backward step. Mick took the Stoke blueprint too literally in the summer, by narrowing the pitch and then paying over the odds for Greg Halford, who’s one show stopping talent is that he can ‘throw a ball a long way.’
Part of the foundation of our title winning success last season was built on Matt Jarvis and Michael Kightly, when both fit, bombing up the flanks to provide the service for Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Chris Iwelumo to score goals aplenty. So why narrow the pitch?
Now, after an unsuccessful summer transfer window where Mick wasted millions on the likes of Halford, Andrew Surman and Stefan Maierhofer, we have had a disastrous January transfer window.
Chief executive Jez Moxey and Mick can moan all they want that their selected transfer targets never wanted to come to the club. But didn’t they get just a little obsessed with Stephen Hunt?
As for Robbie Keane, why would he want to come back here in the mess we are in and then pick his playing position out of hat? No, Robbie wanted to join yet another team he has supported all his life and apparently it was always his dream to join Glasgow Celtic. I thought that was Liverpool?
Anyway, it’s a joke that all we brought in the January transfer window was two unknown kids from one second-rate Belgium club, and it’s simply not good enough.
Mick still doesn’t have a clue what his best side is and you have to wonder if we stay up this season whether it will be because he has done such a fabulous job, or will it actually be down to the mediocre standard of football in the Premier League?
And no, I wouldn’t support a change at the helm, as that would be completely pointless at this stage in the season. But you may have deducted from the rant above, my confidence in the manager’s abilities to deliver us top-flight football again next season is beginning to wane.
The points picked up against Liverpool and Hull were welcome and have kept us out of the bottom three, but we need more than just a point here and there to keep us afloat.
Whilst I feel fully justified to have a moan in a forum like this, we still need to get behind the team, beginning with the trip down the M6 for Sunday’s televised game against an in-form Birmingham side.
At least with Doyle and Jarvis back in the side we should pose some attacking threat, but Mick and Terry ‘Clipboard’ Connor are going to have one hell of a job lifting the team after the cup exit.
How many of you would have thought that Blues would have scaled the dizzy heights of eighth in the league, after they looked so unlikely to get promoted last season?
Their success has been built on a stable starting XI with honest professionals playing in the positions they were brought to the club for, an incredible obdurate defence and proper investment into their attacking options.
But a good friend of mine went to the game where they got a lucky draw against Tottenham last Saturday and reckoned that it was some of the most clueless football he has ever seen, so there is hope!
I was hoping that this would be a positive bit of blogging, talking about beating Palace in the cup and the fantastic bit of business done in the transfer window.
As it is, we now have to believe that Mick has enough at his disposal to deliver around a point a game for the final 15 games of the season, which I believe would give us enough for another season of top-flight season.
Would we still want him at the helm after that? That’s a discussion for another day.
Have a great weekend. Up the Wolves!
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I agree i thought mick looked a beaten man on tuesday night
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He IS a beaten man!! He’s completely out of his depth! he is a good championship manager, but we go on about players not being able to make the step up, i don’t think McCarthy ever has!!
We need to stay in this league (because we will lose players if we don’t) but i feel it is too late and the only way we will is through default! with the likes of Hull and Burnley being worse. it is 50/50 we can stay up. It could go either way! The main thing is which ever way it goes MM needs to go!!!
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We need to stay in the Prem – have you seen the new SKY TV deal? £1 billion that means each team nets £50 million!!
Tell me that JM & SM don’t want that??
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Strange for you and I to believe but I firmly believe no they dont.With the extra money that comes with being in the premiership comes the extra pressure of having to buy decent players.The way the club is run comes under closer scrutiny.Moxey likes an easy life in the championship.20,000 plus gates ,get beat in the playoffs(but we will do better next year!!!),.He is out of his comfort zone in the premiership.
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£50 million might be the average – but there won’t be equal distribution…
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The fact of the matter is that Birmingham were 10 points behind us when we were promoted and look where they are now. The first signs of trouble are when management start mouthing off in the press. “Not here to make up the numbers” “Job done” The management who know what they are doing just get on with it and do their speaking in the results.
When a manager constantly makes contradictory statements it only emphasises the fact that he is clueless. To think that mark Hughes got the sack for losing twice in 14 games and this muppet appears to be bomb proof. Possibly indicative of how much Morgan cares about the club.
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Yes they both want it the thing is they are not prepared to spend to ensure it will happen.
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Grey Wolf, You are wrong on that one .The overseas television rights are shared equally among Premier clubs.I do not know the no of years the agreement is for,probably 3.I posted it was likely to hit a billion on this site the day before transfer deadline day.I forlornly hoped the people that run our football club might do something on the last day.But I suppose if you think you have lost the war why waste money on ammunition.
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I actually believe that we will stay up entirely by default this season. Pompey are dead in the water and Burnley without Coyle are doomed. I can just about see us picking up enough points to finish above at least one other team as long as Doyle avoids injury. Blues have been on a run based on a consistent side being picked (11 straight games)I may be wrong but I don’t think Mick has picked the same side for two halves let alone two matches. The fringe players are clearly not good enough and Mick now needs to select what he deems to be his best 11 and hope they can keep him employed until May.
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I’ll be there in 10 minutes. Room for 3Ms!
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Thwere have been a number of very poor performances this season.We may stay in the Premier by default by virtue that much of the Premier is so mediocre.I would hope that we could learn from this and move forward.If we are to move forward,i’m afraid that siome faces are going to have to go.
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Couldn’t agree more with the comments about MM.
Tactically bereft of ideas, too defensive in his outlook and players out of position.
I do think that a different man at the helm would give us more chance of survival and for me it is not too late – if the club really wants to remain in the top flight !!
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time for steve morgan to discover his back bone and get rid of mick mcarthy and terry connor who are clearly not up to the job of keeping wolves in the premiership.mm is tacticly inept ,doesn,t appear to have a plan “a “let alone plan” b.” also keep jez moxey out of playing affairs, should be restricted to commercial side of business.get mark hughes while he is still available.
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Well if it didn’t Tuesday his defiance on Sunday fools no one – he is so out his depth its untrue.
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Oh deary deary me.
How totally predictable that this sort of attention seeking drivel would bob to the surface!
Could possibly see this if we were 10 pounts adrift but horror of horrors we’re disgracefully 4th from bottom! 15 games or so left and probably 4 wins and 4 draws from safety!?!…..also how exactly did Blue look ‘unlikely’ to get promoted last season? And how many points ahead are teams like Sunderland, who’ve spent about £100 million in the last 3 seasons (4 last time i looked)….bit of perspective please.
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John I don’t agree at all, I think that what Nathan is saying carries some weight because MM picks the team and the players only respond to what they are being asked to do, MM is the man that is not attracting the players to the club, it is nothing to do with money, Wolves are the greatest football team IMO and always will be, but they must get a natural leader that the players and fans respect.
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I think Wolves position in the Prem is just out of luck rather than any strategical brillance by Mick.
Why couldn’t we get anybody in during the January transfer? Is it because we have a manager at the helm that nobody wants to play for?
We had cash to spend, apparently, but Mick couldn’t spend it. Brilliant. And now we have two useless signings from Belgium.
The best scenario would be for Mick to keep us up and get a golden handshake in the summer from Morgan and go and manager Korea.
Birmingham 4 Wolves 0
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Luck has nothing to do with it. We are where we are because there’s a huge correlation between the wages clubs pay and their league position.
We didn’t get any game-changing signings in January because by definition those kind of players are good enough for at least a mid-table club – so why would they join a relegation dog-fight ? I doubt it has anything to do with Mick.
As many fans have pointed out, the time to splash out is in the summer. If you get to January and you’re in trouble, you’ll only get loans (so they can scuttle away), the washed-up and the desperate (like Zaki !)
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Totally agree with you, I also saw a TV interview on Sky that MM gave in which he stated the club actually tried to sign 4 or 5 other players in addition to Hunt. But these other players (except the Palace full back I presume)all wanted bonuses if we stayed up and escape clauses if we went down (talk about having your cake and eat it!) anyway no doubt they would have been the 30 somethings (i.e. Beatie)who would be looking for a last big pay day (or a chance of another one if we went down and they left via the escape clause). These sort of players were condemed by all and sundry in these forums not long ago when everyone was saying we should only buy the young and hungry brigade (why didn’t we try for Moses?), anyway someone with one eye on a big bonus might have helped but not someone with an eye on an escape clause. They should only come to the club if they are prepared to give their all, which the lack of signings suggests to me, that these players weren’t prepared (or more likely trusted) to do so.
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Jon, do we LOOK, and PLAY like a team that will GET 4 wins and 4 draws from its next 15 games? Sure we´re above the drop zone but by how much? Where do YOU think the passion, the desire and the WILL to win will come from, never mind the GOALS. Are you, like MM, satisfied with the squad he´s got?
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Jon…
I am with you 100%. I’d rather get hammered against Palace in the cup instead of the league.
We sit 4th from bottom on merit and not luck! People forget the shambles we were in last time in the premier league.
This time our team is young, still improving and if we stay up its a great advocate for football that money isn’t the only thing keeping teams in the premier league.
So back the team and MM…last thing they need right now is moaning fans.
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I watched Tuesday’s match with Palace on TV and squirmed with acute embarrassment at the lack lustre shambolic display put on by so called premiership players. Every single one of them should be fined a weeks wages (as they certainly did not earn them that night). I have always stood up for McCarthy in the past but this time he was as much to blame as the players. Why was Vokes on as a single striker? He is a target man and therefore needs someone around him to direct his headers to! Craddock and Berra were playing like complete strangers to each other in fact all Berra seem to want to do is let their Strikers (notibly Lee) know that he was around with petty pushes and shoves at every opportunity. The midfield could hardly string three passes together and the new winger looked totally out of his depth. The only positive I can come up with is to quickly nip down to the local bookies and get a few quid on us being relegated before the odds change to 1-10 on!! I don’t blame the club for not signing anyone either as most of the so called Striker targets (Beattie et al) are past there sell by dates and looking for one last big payout with assurances of a big bonus if we stay up or an escape clause if we go down (talk about having your cake and eat it!) and don’t forget it was not that long ago that everyone was saying no more elder player type signings we just want the young and hungry brigade (why didn’t we bid for Moses?)oh and that Crystal Palace lad (19) who turned us down, he must have a wise head on those shoulders and must have thought thank god I didn’t move to that lot after playing against us.
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Look at the overnight scores… Hull beat Man C… guess what! Hull take a shot from outside the box & beat a top 6 side. Did u see it Mick? Did u tells your boys u don’t want none of that happening on Sunday. Sideways passes only cos that’s the only page on clipboard Conners tactic sheet. God forbid if Milijas, DJ or KD score from open play. They will be dropped immediately for insubordination for going against the Serg Major. By the way we are 2nd bottom cos Burnley won as well. FFS they scored from outside the box too from a free kick, how dare they make it so difficult for us!!!
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I agree with you tottally. as for the responces, in some rare cases, players may not come because of the manager we have, but your having a laugh if you think thats the reason we havent signed many players. The ‘main’ reason for players not coming to wolves is because we are a club that has just been promoted. They look at us and think to themselves, do i really want to go there and possibly get relegated.
Yes i do like to read peoples oppinion, and i believe if people didnt have their own oppinion, the world would be full of fools, but where as with my oppinion i try and back it up with some substantial facts, some of the responces on here are just mindless drivel, “now we have two useless signings from Belgium” You havent even given them a chance to prove them selves and yet your already condeming them.
At least Jon was basing his oppinion on a few facts, one of which being the fact that were out side of the releagtion zone, call it luck if you want, but half way through the season and we had (in theory) half the points we needed for survival, in my oppinion, thats not luck, its common sense based on the statistics of past teams who have all survived in the premier.
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Wolfhedd – totally agree.
We also need to look at overall activity in the window, basically very few clubs did any business.
The highlight of the window was Keane going to Celtic on loan!
Charlie
ATLANTA WOLVES
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You’ve got to admire the optimism of some of the people on here “and probably 4 wins and 4 draws from safety” Jon Coyle confidently predicts and asks for a bit of perspective!
I’ll give you the perspective Jon, we’ve managed just 5 wins and 6 draws from 23 games and now you expect us to get 4 wins and 4 draws from 15! And that’s when you take into account that our form in the first half of the season was much better than our current form!
You say perspective, I say reality!
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While we’re on reality…
You want to run through Burnley’s form now compared to early in the season ? They haven’t won since October.
How about Hull ? Haven’t won in their last 10 games.
Pompey ?
…and what do you think Wigan’s fans make of their FA Cup exit to a League 2 side ?
Reality is that we’re currently useless, and thankfully so are most of the teams around us.
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The simple answer to your last question is NO! Not now or in the future. MM has done a sterling job getting us to where we are but he is not tactically astute to get us higher up the Prem league. Sorry Mick your time is up!
Lets just hope that if he does stay he manages to keep us up otherwise its another scrap in the Championship for us!
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What puzzled me and disturbed me about the Palace debacle was the complete lack of any emotion on the players’ faces and more than anything the SILENCE. There were no rallying calls by the so-called captain, no calling for the ball, no running into space, no encouragement, no belief. It was indeed the “Silence of the Lambs”.
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Well said Rich.
This current regime of players HAS NO LEADER ON OR OFF THE FIELD. WE NEED A CAPTAIN TO SET THE EXAMPLE AND LEAD US.
Look at some inspirational skippers we had over the years -
CULLIS, WRIGHT,FLOWERS, BAILEY, HIGHEs, INCE
each one so much better and influential thab HENRY!
I rest my case!!!!!
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Henry is not a leader. He is MM’s yes man, that’s why his position is untouchable. Muppet could not cope with a leader, it would show up his arrogance and stupidity and undermine his authority. That’s why Henry is never rested!!!
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very good report and i totally agree. think if we lose on sunday that will be it for mick! think the fans will start to sing for him out! we’ve all had just about enough this season now!
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Well said Nathan. I totally agree with you.
Mick has made mistakes in the Palace game and got it right in the Liverpool game. You have a measuered and balanced responce to the current prediciment and I totally share your thoughts. Sacking McCarthy would be knee jerk and churlish to say the least.
But to critisise Mick and have him correct the current plight is exactly right an proper.
The pressure is on Mick for the next 2 games, but I am sure he will get us trhough it.
I also think that a team will stay up on 30 points,because the quality is so poor in the bottom 6 or 7 teams
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I think that you are spot on with the last comment. Hull, for example, have Man City at home tomorrow and then I think they have got 4 away games. The points tally will be low but as of last week, we cannot lose the 6 pointers.
MM has to shelve the 4-5-1 or if he insists on it he needs quick players like Jarvis to support Doyle. The midfield were lethargic against Palace!
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Hull, for example, have Man City at home tomorrow … DIDN’T YOU NOTICE THEY TOOK A POINT OF CHELSEA THEN?. HAVEN’T YOU NOTICED THEY ARE STEADILY IMPROVING WHILE WE’RE GETTING WORSE.
HAVE YOU SEEN OUR UP AND COMMING GAMES, GET A GRIP HAPPY CLAPPER .. WE’RE GOING GOING DOWN ..FACT.. GET USED TO IT.
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Has it escaped your notice that we got a point against Liverpool and a point against Hull, which incidently is exactly what Chelsea did.
Has it also escaped your notice that we are above them.
Thought not. Staying up, trhough grit and determination. I am no quitter. If you want to be, then that is your choice. Not mine.
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If you are going to bring up decent results – when you were sitting in your armchair – we won at Spurs and drew with Villa and Liverpool.
Anyway we can have this debate in the Wanderer at a home game of your choice!
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Hull are steadily improving ?
They haven’t won in 10 league games.
And if they’re so much better than us, how come we drew with them at their place, and came pretty close to winning ?
You’re just making things up to suit your defeatist agenda.
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Nathan you make the Palace game sound like a comedy programme, perhaps it was for I have not seen the game!
Everything you say about McCarthy echoes my own thoughts and I agree about not dismissing him before the season ends, there is really no point, what could a new manager possibly do with the time left?
I sincerely hope though that Steve Morgan is giving the matter of a new manager very serious thought? Does he really want to own a Championship club? Quite possibly that is what Wolves will be come May although I hope we can avoid relegation – somehow!
Birmingham set the standard for us to follow in the Summer but we made our own blueprint and it has proved a big failure whereas Birmingham’s has proved a great success – why oh why did we not do what they did?
Come Sunday, no doubt we will know who will have the Blues and unfortunately I cannot see it being Birmingham, I just cannot raise my optimism level to that height!
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I’ve tried to back Mick through and through, but the excuses are now paper thin. The Palace match was all about approach, and it was almost like defensive from the start.
Face facts. We were playing a Championship team, so put the same out against them – we have enough players only good enough for that league!
SEB and Iwelumo should have started at least. I thought the new Belgian boy, Milias and Zubar looked outclassed, yet strangely all three showed small signs of what they could do in the right set up. The rest just came over as ‘boot’ boys – when the ball came close ‘just boot it’.
I think Mick has lost the plot. He buys players in then seems to have no idea what to do with them. I get the feeling he’s great at bulling it up to get them in, but then saps confidence faster than a hungry vampire bat can drain your veins.
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Good to read a decent literal analogy, though Mick did look as if a vampire had drained his blood when he stood at the touchline at Palace. Sadly the days of when a Stan Cullis type could have bullied the players into a decent team have gone [with exception of Mr Ferguson]. Nowadays the players expect to be pampered and loved as Steve Bruce seems to do. Still let’s hope that the air has been cleared at Molineux and the players look to restore their pride by playing attractive attacking football. We live in hope.
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Well I have been a Wolves supporter for 57 years and sorry to say I have that same old sinking feeling coming on again.You are right we do not look like a premiership team.Both against Tranmere and Palace it was hard to distinguish who was actually was the top flight team.More worrying for me is that our opponents in the relegation battle look much better teams than we do with better quality players.Unfortunately changing the manager would not change the squad of players he has assembled,and whether a new manager playing the existing squad in their correct positions would rectify the problem is hard to say.I wait with bated breath and everything crossed that we can survive relegation.
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im monty panesar the cricket player. i supported wolves all my life. but i think mick mccarthy should get sacked and i want billy davies to be the next manager
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No your not you would not call yourself a cricket player but a cricketer, and Monty is a leicester fan!
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Both of you get your facts right – Monty is a staunch Luton Town fan. He was at Wembley supporting them during the Auto Windscreens (or whatever it’s called) final last season.
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I am the real Monty Panesar, and i’m afraid to tell you all that i don’t support any of those teams mentioned. They’re all rubbish aren’t they? I support Chelsea (Been a lifelong supporter for 6 years), i used to like Liverpool, but got sick of them not winning everything like they did in the 80′s when moustaches and shellsuits were the daddies.
I have a bit of a soft spot for Man.City too, but i’m not buying a shirt until they start winning stuff.
Signed
Monty.
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Having made the trip to the Palace game, I can only whole heartedly agree that Mick made a tactical error in his team selection. I can support him in a change of system, but only if the appropriate players are played in key positions to that system. As you said Nathan, attacking wingers are key to our new shape.
However, I have to disagree about the pitch narrowing at the Mol. It’s makes no sense to me to welcome the likes of United, Tottemham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa, City etc. etc. and give them the space to play. Quite simply, these teams are better than us and were always going to be no matter who we managed to bring in this season. The best chance of survival we’ve ever had is to accept this and adapt our style for the Premier League accordingly. One day we’ll get to that level and we can go back to an attacking style. The three M’s should be applauded for their pragmatism on this.
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Poor article.
The players didn’t care about the cup match and were up against players who cared a great deal! That was clear to anyone who went to the match. Birmingham will be totally different. We may still lose but I guarantee the players will be up for it.
“we still need to get behind the team” – the author should try taking his own advice.
PS – Who is Nathan Lloyd anyway?
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What you mean like they were against the blues at home! Idiot!
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“We may still lose but I guarantee the players will be up for it.”
That just about sums up Mick’s managerial style. Lots of huff and puff but we don’t have the quality.
You sound like that bird from Big Brother…. who is he, who is he? Why do you need to know, why do you care?
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Nathan is a guy with an opinion, like us all. Let´s see how accurate your assessment of the fight will be, come six on saturday
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We play Sunday…
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DER, OK Himleywolf, make that Sunday and probably 5.45. OK?
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Shouldn’t they be up for every game? I don’t think they could have been any more “down for it” against Blues at the Mol. Also, The last Manager who insisted on playing players out of position was Mr Hoddle and didn’t he do well. I will always be greatful for what MM did for us after he took on a club that couldn’t even field a team of reserves for a lack of players, but I have started to think that for him, the Premiership is a bridge to far.
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Paul The Wolf its taken you a long time to start thinking the prem is a bridge to far for mad mick a lot of us on here new that as soon as we got promoted/remember the run in to the championship season he started to lose the plot then that was a sign of things to come,just ask the sunderland fans about him.he’s got no tactical sense he plays players all over the place and he will not listen to us muppets he dos’nt care its his way and his way only and im sorry to say but his stubbornness is going to get us relegated/just like it did at sunderland mad(relegation)mick is not good enough and it will be proved on sunday against the blouses,,,WE ARE WOLVES,,,in mad mick we dont trust,,,ilk
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It is all too easy to start complaining straight away so in the interests of fairness I reserved comment until after the Transfer Window closed. MM didn’t have any money when Sunderland was promoted so I prefered to give the man a chance when he had money to spend. Now, having spent his money we can see the result, Poor, note the capital P. Never the less, having been going up for 43 years I will still support them, the management is not in my hands.
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Both Moxey and McCarthy deserve the chance to see it thru to the Summer
If we are relegated then both should go. Last time Dave Jones took all the blame, despite the fact that we missed out on countless signings before ending up with players no one else wanted, when Moxey tried to play negotiation hardball far too often
The lame PR spluttering from him this time was an insult to any loyal and intelligent fan.
The trouble is that every single year he earns a fortune .. a life changing sum for most people..and we are not really any further forward than the day he arrived
Last chance saloon
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Royreanie,
JEREMY PEACE is the OWNER and CHAIRMAN plus
CHIEF-TRANSFER NEGOTIATOR for my football club WEST BROMWICH ALBION.Three positions
filled by a top class business man for the price of one,Think about it.
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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…and last year you came bottom and got relegated. That’s a model we want to avoid, not emulate.
Think about it before you comment – just a little.
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Agree with a lot of this post. Kevin Foley is the best right back at the club and it is astonishing he has hardly played there this season. The 4-5-1 formation has only worked because of the brilliance of Doyle. Although a very boring draw with Liverpool and scraping a draw against a poor Hull team is only a degree of success.
To ask the inexperienced Vokes to lead the line on his own at Palace was ridiculous and can only have damaged the lads confidence.
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MANAGER: Clueless, arrogant, inept, stuborn, out of his depth!
CEO: Money pinching, overpaid, short sighted, self interested, careerisst, manipulative.
Chairman: Not to be seen or heard – Waiting to bail out his beloved Liverpool.
NO COMMITTMENT, NO AMBITION, NO IDEA!!!
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Agree with all of that (never ever replied to any blog ever in my life)
No movement, hospital passes, not aware of the opposition,always need 5 touches,I feel sorry for doyle what has he done coming here, sitting watching ITV4, how embarrasing for all concerned and how will we ever attract any class now.
Sack the scout and buy some british lads from the lower leagues.
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Lads from the lower leagues? Would this be an innovation you wish to bring in? Pity we haven’t tried it before.
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Totally agree, I used to be a coach in the Army last year and I tried desperatley to offer one of my players to the Wolves Scouts but I was ignored, I can confirm very clearly that the said player Kyle Maclleman(British) who is an attacking central midfielder 6ft, both feet great, excellent skills, pace and strenght, is better than anything at Wolves I have seen this season at the matches I attend!!! Sad no one will ever see him because of his particular job and location.
FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The timing of this might be argued to be like a bad tackle; then again when would be good timing.
Much accuracy in what you say.
Two things stand out for me re this season. Firstly, the captaincy/lack of effectual captaincy, despite the man’s best efforts. Secondly, by way of continuity with previous seasons-tactics. Tactics always matter but in the premiership they are of such acute importance. Mick is an admirable man but his tactical nouse/lack of betrays him.
Still I hope he proves me/others wrong. After all, Phil Brown kept Hull up last season. Anyone for ring-a-ring-a-roses half time-middle of the pitch?
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Interesting blog – How things change in a week! And it could all be the same as last week if we win at Blues.
On Mick I’ve given up caring if he stays or goes! (I dislike stubborn and arrogant people) We are stuck with this squad till end of season and have to live with it. Changing the manager now may not be a good idea sends out a bad image. We are 17th and where we would like to be at the end of the season, so is 17th not good enough now. Also I don’t see any good managers out there that will be able to work this squad.
I agree a stable 11 is vitally important and he doesn’t know his best team. It is most important of all to have the same back 5 so they know how to play with each other. That hasn’t been helped by 2 sending’s off in recent months.
That said I hate seeing square pegs in round holes!! However good of a footballer someone is (Foley!) doesn’t mean he will be effective in every position. If we have no right wingers I’d play a kid where it is his natural position, be more effective wouldn’t he???
Bia is supposed to play either wing so we will wait and see, and if he hasn’t got a left foot it wont be any different from Jarvis playing there!
Up the Wolves, I’m off to spread my germs onto the Brummies Sunday Lunch time
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SEEING HOW EVERY PARAGRAPH YOU WROTE CONTRADICTS THE PREVIOUS ONE .. I SUGGEST YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND ABOUT WHAT YOUR TRYING TO SAY .. THEN RE WRITE IT SO WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND THE POINT YOUR STRUGGLING TO MAKE.
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‘Your’ should be ‘you’re’. Best to get things right yourself before criticising others.
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Think thats the whole point of what Im saying is to be a balanced post, seeing both sides!
I suggest you look up contradicting
in the dictionary as I dont see many in this mate. PS TURN YOUR CAPS LOCK OFF!
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Yes its alright saying get rid of Mick he is tactically inept then again other managers in this league play weird and wonderful formations so there’s more to it than that. We need an ‘expert’ someone indepedendent a psychologist or whoever to analyse what is holding this club back. Is it poxey Moxey or (Captain Rum) Morgan. I greatly envy Wigan’s set up, a bright, young exciting manager and an ultra-supportive board who enable him to sign the best young talent in the country, all this from a much smaller club than ours. It’s a long road ahead but we are Wolves and the Club is greater than Moe, Curly and Larry!.
Fight, fight wherever you may be!
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It doesn’t require an expert to tell you what is holding the club back – just an economist.
By almost every measure, we’re pretty much where we should expect to be – size of the city, average crowd, money spent on wages…
If you’re talking crowd size – yes, there are ‘smaller’ clubs ahead of us, and there are ‘bigger’ clubs below us (Newcastle, Leeds and yes people, even Derby).
If you want to do better than your normal income dictates, there are only 2 choices – either find a sugar daddy or go into debt.
It doesn’t look like Morgan is the first, and thank god we’re not going for the second.
As for Wigan, they’ve got where they are on the back of Dave Whelan’s money, but that isn’t going to carry on – and are you really that jealous of a team 1 point in front of us, who got knocked out of the Cup by Notts Co ?
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getting a bit bored now with the same old moaning every week! if wolves were to win sunday everyone will be reverting back to super mick! yes we were rubbish on tuesday, yes he played a lot of players out of position and had a rubbish formation but he tried to stick to what played well against liverpool and unlucky for him it didnt pay off! if i was being paid the silly amounts of money each week i’d play wherever i was told to play! just because you are left footed doesnt mean you can’t play on the right! it’s silly! and it’s funny how Liverpool were “boring” yet when we held them to a draw everyone was happy but because we lost to palace we were playing a rubbish liverpool side! talking nonsense! support the team and get behind the manager, you should all know what mick is like now, doesnt give 2 hoots what any of us think! he did what he set out to do and got us in the premier league and as far as i am concerned we are still there for now! the time to moan is at the end of the season when our fate is known! calling for his head half way through the season is stupid!
come on wolves!!
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I am sorry…..you seem to have missed the point
Any decent manager can change a formation during a game. After 15 minutes against palace it was crystal clear that the game plan/formation MM had set out was not working.
All he had to do was change the formation BUT he stuck with it – WHY?
Tactics and players in their rightful position win games.
Look at Darren Fletcher fo man utd – out of sorts in defence and now playing in his rightful position a world beater again!
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I agree
I’m a total “happy clapper” and even I was stunned by the cup result.
The season is far from over, let’s all get behind the club and those of you that are lucky enough to be able to go out and support this great club evry week, send them the positive vibes to lift them.
Make Molineux a fortress
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Good Blog:I think the problem has been we havent replaced Kightly, he was our Rooney, Our Drogba, Our Fabregas when we were on fire the first half of last season and since he got injured the team has lost its balance. Mick has tried to fill his boots but no one seems to measure up. I think that was why Stephen Hunt became so important but as always at Wolves we leave it too late we should have looked ahead with a contingency plan in the summer. Also the problem is if you keep playing an attacking 442 and getting beat even if you play great for 60 minutes then get torn apart in the last 30 what do you do? I mean Wolves are championship players, they are playing against seasoned premiership players who probably cost individually more than most of the Wolves team put together. Do you carry on or do you try something different, dont you think our players make too many mistakes defensively, are too naive at present at this level to go `cavalier` (after all this is still a young team they will learn this league)why not try a cautious approach pick up some points, become hard to beat, dont forget it was after he changed it 442 against palace the wheels fell off!!!
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No I don’t
I think the players that MM has bought are not up to it
Berra – like an oil tanker turning
Zuber – playing out of position
Stearman – playing out of position
Mancienne – playing out of position
Halford – very poor at this level
Milijas – no confidence better in 4-4-2 with good defence behind him
Jones – needs games
Kightly – the premier league is to big for him
Jarvis – can cut it settling in now
Belgium lads – only time will tell
SEB – no confidence, MM has beat it out of him by playing a defensive team giving no support to the strikers
Doyle – ok
Henry – ok
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HENRY OK?????
Which games have you been watching this last three seasons then???
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Probably more than you
In all comps when Henry played alongside Jones in the championship we averaged 2.3 points per game.
When he played alongside MM other array of “midfielders” we averaged lss than 1 point per game
Henry needs a playmaker beside him and wingers to pass to
Simple really
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Kightly has only played a couple of game and the last one against Brum he looked like changing the game, unfortunately it ended to soon. Some folks on here are as thick as Mick!!! Have you even been to a game?
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So you are a home and away seson ticket holder like me are you? I also played at semi pro level as well . Why do you think Stoke were happy to sell him?????
He is rubbish a player and worse as a skipper. Ask anyone who has played the game at a decent level they will tell you the Skipper leads by example and DRIVES THE TEAM ON!
Anyone care to say when you last saw our Captain demonstrate this?
It’s not all down to Henry, I know, but the captain of any team needs to be a born leader and have an influence on the pitch.
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Nathan, I take it you wrote this straight after the game – you are a complete reactionary and are just pandering to the base views in the vain hope of making yourself look more popular.
E&S however much you pay this clown it is clearly too much, you could get a 12 year old girl to come up with a more reasoned piece of journalism
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Newbridge
Can you honestly tell me that the tactics of MM are correct?
That the team selection is correct?
Ok MM has more experience than us,he got us into the premier and should be given a fair crack…..which I believe he has been given BUT is this the man you want at the helm of YOUR precious club for years to come?
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all you have said Nathan is what the faithful have been saying for the best part of 5 months
people saying look at his record in the prem …and he is to stubborn to manage high class players were all spouted before this campaign..back then they were called the Mick haters…now the local press have the bravery to publish what they all thought in private 5 months ago…so tell me are you expressing your thoughts for the good of the club you love or circling like a vulture, getting in first before the red tops do after we lose this week end???
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Totally agree,
Things have really come to a head now following the Palace debarcle. Before that point I think most were unsure wether they were pleased or annoyed with progress so far this season.
Tusdays game was the tipping point and it now seems clear as day that we have let oppertunity after oppertunity slip through our fingers.
How can something so simple as playing players in the positions they have always known be so difficult for a professional football manager?…at any level!
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I am not taking the michael here, but it seemed to work for Palace. Wasn’t Butterfield a defender playing as a striker?
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And yes I watched the game on ITV. I may be a baggies fan, but I’d like to see all our midland sides in the Premiership. I can see where you are coming from as I thought your team looked very nervy.
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Very fair summary of the position, in my view.
Do you think anybody inside Molineux knows what we’re all saying over here on the E&S..?
Do you think anyone inside Molineux gives two hoots about what we’re all saying over here on the E&S..?
What strikes me as interesting is that Wolves plc have followed the same old pattern after such a dismal display. Offer up one of the players to wax lyrical about the forthcoming game, same very little to explain to the fans what on earth they were thinking or doing, absolutely at no cost apologise…
…Wolves fans should threaten to protest at Molineux. Jez might buy everyone a pie to make us feel better.
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i will admit that when mick did deliver us back to the premireship i said it was then that he had to go.he did great with the cockup that hoddle had left behind.mick and his no2 had the players playing football and not the long ball like now.but since his no2 had his op and moved to a desk job and connor come back in to training them the players have gone back years,connor must have something over the club for him to be still there he has seen managers come and go.the players mick has brought in,who are they ,and from what i have seen aswell as all the true fans,what can they do ,mick has watch them for what they have done at other clubs so why play them out of there positions,doyle must be wondering what the hell he has done coming here ,even when wolves had their chance to bring back a good player he went to celtic there is really some thing wrong behind the scences and its us the true fans that will suffer not those who are getting thousands of pounds a week to play and train the dross that we have to watch
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What a great blog, right to the point about square pegs in round holes and the mess that goes along with it. We need someone like Shorey at left back, Foley at right back, and Stearman continuing to develop in the middle of the back four. As it is we have 4 centre half types, including Zubar, across the back 4.It stood out a mile when we played Arsenal, 4 tall centre halfs marking small, mobile, skilful forwards, the result was no surprise.
The fans can see it from the stands, but not Mick or Terry Connor, and of course MM is too bone headed to listen. Doyle is real class and Milijas will get better, the other signings were a waste of good money. MM needs to get back to basics if we are to stay up, Cmon the Wolves !
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Dreadful article comes across as fickle and inconsistent.
Lets be honest if Mick goes who would want to be Wolves manager with vicious delude fans chastising every decision expecting instant success (mainly armchair fans or E&S staff on the wind up) Hughes & Curbishley wouldn’t get the job remember Moxey & Morgan are scrooges won’t pay the money so we would end up with a Martin Allen or something if we are going by the wild accusations.
End of the day only an idiot would sack a manager at this stage of the season if we go down at the end of the season obviously then yes he should go if we stay up he should stay.
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Alex
He didn’t say sack the manager!!!
But if and it is a big if, we do stay up by the skin of our teeth (there are 6 very poor teams in the premier) we need to address the managerial situation.
Most people on here are confused as to why MM has changed tactics so drastically. Surely first of all MM should have tried playing players in their correct positions?
I am at a loss as to MM thoughts and decisions BUT he must live and die by them
Like most of you I will still be here supporting the club I love – LONG LONG after the 3 M’s have gone
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you’re right Nathan – am also waiting for the announcement that Fergie has been sacked for losing to Leeds (not forgetting they are ONLY 2nd in the Prem too), Wenger to be bumped after THAT Stoke result and as for Benitez……
get some perspective – Wolves are 3 points off 13th. The last time they were in the prem they were all but down by Feb.
stick with him – he has proven time and time again that he knows what he is doing.
come May when you are still in Prem will you remember one loss to Palace who, having been put into administration, were playing to prove a point!!
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…and Martinez for losing to Notts Co.
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Yes
Bt 5 games later they had all taken 10 points and more, by playing attacking football wih players in correct positions.
If he had payed Foley there for 1 game ok, but this is becoming a joke!
And before you say man utd an others have better squad/players/budget – MM has bought all of these players to wolves and spent over 30 million
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So you think £30m buys you a squad as good as Arsenal, Man U or Liverpool ?
I hate to break this to you, but…
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Nathan, Mixed blog! Like many of us we are not qulaified to know the complete ins and outs of football or how a football club is run. However we are all loyal fans of what was once a massive club within european football.
How can these days return to Wolves????
10 year plan at the minimum.
Short term lets give it until the end of the month for MM to turn things around and if we are still playing like the under 11′s (no offence kids) then make the change!
Sorry MM, i have always liked you as a manager from millwall to the RoI, not so much at Sunderland although you did do a good job on the £1.99 you were given to buy players. But you need to adjust your outlook and plan now to save our PL status and your job!
Curbs, Hughes, Pardew, will rally the troops if not!
Fingers crossed for 3 points on sunday!
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Steve Coppel??
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The club talked a good talk in the Summer and the beginning of January, but failed to deliver on any of it.
The 3 M’s will be the reason we go down combined.
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Agree with all that you say apart from getting rid of MM. Get rid now and give somebody with some common sense and footballing nouse a chance.
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I second this. I have really warmed to the idea of Steve Coppell, but I wouln’t be disappointed with Curbishley either.
There is no room for sentiment in football.
Thanks for getting us up Mick, but now its time for you to leave and give someone who knows something about tactics and passion a chance.
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Well said Nathan!
Sums up perfectly how the majority of us feel! One point though, I think Mick should be sacked. It’s obvious to us all that Mick can’t cut it at this level.
I suspect the two M’s motives for not sacking will be driven by financial rather than footballing reasons. Far better for Mick to resign rather than be sacked will be their line of thought.
Let’s hope the penny has finally dropped and he plays people in position, but the hapless Karl Henry will no doubt be leading us out at Blues on Sunday again.
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Yeah but the cash saved in the Jan window can be used to pay Mick off. Including Terry Conner (how has he managed to stay with so many succeeding managers since McGhee), bring Gerard Houlier as Director of Football with Kevin Keegan as Manager/Coach along with Terry McDermott. We would then have a Liverpool successful combination….if not KK & TM, still stick with GH but Curbs or Coppell would do for me
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Is it my imagination, or does Nathan Lloyd start spouting this sort of stuff about this time every year?
Seems he hasn’t got the balls to support a team for a full season.
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At last, a piece of journalism / blog that tells truths and goes some way to exposing Micks managerial ineptitude, I honestly thought that the club had put a gagging order on such pieces as to keep line with their ‘positive spin’ policy.
I lost a lot of respect for MM after his ‘nuggets’ poke at us fans and his subsequent failure to go on the annual lap of honour with the players 2 seasons ago as decided to slope down the tunnel and sulk over the critisism.
Over these years, his poor, verging on awful signings have outwieghed his good ones, for every Kightly/Foley there have been 4 Kevin Kyles/Darren Wards.
It is not a new thing this season to see his love of playing people out of position and he must have had 20 attempts at least to sort the defence out and with respect, he still hasn’t improved on Jody Craddock.
I cannot deny that he got us up, as Champions aswell. The bloke should be viewed as some sort of superhero for this but why hasn’t this he had his name ringing around the stadium ever since? Will he ever go down in Wolves foklore as the great manager who succeeded where so many have tried and failed?
NO he won’t.
He too often puts the back up of the fans (he doesn’t give a fiddlers’ what ANYBODY thinks !!).
He is way out of his depth with both his signings and tactics, something that he got away with in the Championship, but he was and has never been good enough to step up to the Premiership plate.
I’ve been a season ticket holder for over 30 years and have very rarely been more bored and disillusion than this season…..and I can’t see past blaming our manager with his wasting of money, poor signing and truly bizarre tactics that often result our players looking like schoolboy amateurs….no wonder nobody wants to sign for us !!
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Pretty spot on, and frankly I’d rather get relegated than put up with the most boring football I’ve had the misfortune to watch at Molineux. Mick may not give 2 hoots about entertainment, but I do. The early bird gets the worm, which one assumes is juicy and delicious. This is one early bird that suspects the worm on offer is dry and rancid.
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By the way, does anybody here go and watch the youth team at compton? Apart from our wonder kid in midfield ( the one described as potentially britains first #50 million player) there’s the best winger I’ve ever seen in a wolves shirt! Mark my words, he’ll be a big big player in years to come!
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The big question is can this right winger play left back, or anywhere apart from his natural position, because he wont be playing there…lol
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Agree with everything you said, That performance reminded me of Chorley and i should know i was there!, The difference being that the players that night were a bunch of lads who were just not up to it, 3 or 4 exceptions and not players who were meant to be from the top league in europe!.
Why did`nt we give Halford, Surman, Casillas, Iwellumo and Blake a full game? All players who should be wanting to prove a point about deserving a shirt.
I am also beginning to question whether or not Mick is up to being a premier league manager given his past record and should go now and give us a chance of stopping up, It will only take Pompey to find a bit of luck before they will overhaul us given our upcoming fixtures.
Dreading sunday!!!
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“That performance reminded me of Chorley and i should know i was there!”
That makes 8,971 different people who claim to have been there
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The total gate for all 3 matches was just over 15000.So you have some way to go to find the rest.Personally I just went to the first one at Bolton on the Saturday.Andy Mutch scored with about 10 minutes to go.But I remember as I left that match thinking things were going to get better because we had just signed a new striker who was ineligible for the Chorley game.He went by the name of Steve Bull.
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I agree with ‘Ere we go’.
When people say ‘the’ Chorley game, they’re implying that they were there at Bolton the night we got drubbed – even though most were probably only at Molineux for the draw.
There were hardly any Wolves fans there the night we lost – a few hundred maximum. Read these Message Boards and you’d think there must have been thousands.
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This Chorley business is getting boring,does it make you better fan because you were there that night?
Well i was not, cant remember why but i do remember Saturday afternoon at Goodison last game of a relegation season when there were only 13 yes THIRTEEN of us sitting in the upper tier behind the goal.
Does that make me a better Supporter than anybody else on this site NO.
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Malta, It is a marker that is all and is often looked upon as our lowest point.Personally I think the season before was a lower point.But it is also a response to the PR team that is the Friends of Moxey when they say remember the Bhiattis.Well some of us stayed loyal and a lot just stayed away.Moxey seems to think 20000 fans are guaranteed no matter what.
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Chris you, was not to be taken as meaning you personally.Literal statement.
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Grey Wolf.Just a few hundred,yes.That is what happens when you fail to invest properly in the team and let the fans down.In any event are you trying to say those that went that night at the Mol or like me just went to the first match were not loyal to the club.You really have got no idea ,have you Brereton.
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Two things which strings to mind about this season.
We dont have a capt. End of. Karl Henry ok, does break up play, but he hasnt a scooby doo on how to motivate players. He looks like Mmickey Mouse and his demeanour looks like a player who does not command the respect from his players. A capt should be seen to be looked up to.
The Manager. Sorry Mick, you have given us some great laughs, but too many managerial mistakes this season is going to cost us. I will list.
Players brought in the summer, Not good enough in terms of quality.
Playing your favourites week in week out.
Narrowing the pitch, ok I call it damage limitiation as you have no faith in your own players.
Square pegs, round holes enough said.
Formation change, its fine but we dont have the personnel to play this system.
Anyway,, Palace was a disgrace but lets ALL move on!
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A quote from Matt Jarvis…………“We’ve just got to keep playing the way we are”…..well if thats the view in the dressing room and what MM is telling them, then it really is time to start worrying……..
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luv this blog lol
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Predictable drivel.
You said much the same after we lost to Blues in the league yet he was Super Mick McCarthy a couple of weeks later after 3 wins in 4.
Nathan, your up and down attitude amazes me. If we were to get 4 points in the next week you would be on here saying McCarthy was the best manager in the league.
As for playing people out of position, I agree to an extent but when does someone become a specialist in a position. For example Mancienne has looked so much better in midfield than at centre half I don’t think you could class him as being a centre half. The first season Kevin Foley played for Luton he was a central midfielder so would you say he was out of position at right back?? People’s position can change and professionals should be able to adapy, look at the number of positions Gerrard and Rooney have filled over the last couple of years.
We’ve been in the bottom 3 for 2 games out of 23. We’re still outside it now, your fickle negativity never ceases to amaze me.
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Mick has not lost the plot, you need to have a plot in the first place before you can lose it.
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Only plot Micko has is the one in his back garden he grows vegetables in…..theyre prob awfull too!!
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a source told me he was putting the carrotts in the cabbage patch, the cabbage in the onion patch and the onion in the potatoe field…he wonders why they are not performing their growing duties! square pegs round holes mick!!!
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Thanks John, good to have a laugh. Well done.
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Another decent blog Nath.
I have a theory on the Foley situation, Whilst I rate him as a footballer in his natural position, I felt people got a little carried away last season, because the one thing he doesn’t have is pace, which a fullback has to have in this divison & as such I feel he is being accomodated in mid field.
This has been a dreadful week for the club, hopefully the team can get a positive result on Sunday.
I’d take a draw if it was on offer now!!!
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Well said but again, lets get behind the team for the match ahead. I was not so bothered about the result against Palace but the performace wadisgraceful. Time to forget about that now and concentrate on the league
Come on Wolves!!!!
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The only success this year is the supporters chanting at the matches, keep it up lads !!!! UTW
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As another of those long time supporters (since 1959), I am still embarrassed by the performance at Palace. I was amused to see that the manager had locked himself away with the players for an hour after the match, was he trying to tell them it wasn’t his fault that team choice and tactics were out of Sunday league or was he prepared to accept part (or most) of the blame? I would love to know if after that, Morgan in turn, locked himself away with McCarthy to read him the riot act. Probably not as we haven’t seen any sign of the customary “vote of confidence in the manager” spiel.
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just supprt the team whoever is in charge we only care about the results
cmon me babbies
born a wolf, die a wolf, forever a wolf
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Blindly support the club until we get relegated?
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Or live life as a miserable man, silasluzhny your a negative, depressing character who quite frankly winds me up every time I see your comments on here.
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Just happy clap and chant a mantra. The magic will work for us, I just know that it will! Please trust the fairies!
KEEP THE FAITH!
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And you think that negativity and defeatism, and spouting vitriol at the Owner, the CEO and the Manager on the Message Boards of the local newspaper has what positive effect, exactly ?
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lets look at the facts about wolves, we buy average players from average clubs normally from below what ever league were in at the time,pay them below average wages,then we hire cheepest manager available (mm)and then we still expect to see good results,we need to get rid of three mmm,s and start again,but we all know it aint going to happen so we just have put up because it appears Morgan dosent have the backbobne to do anything about it.ps good luck sunday we”ll need it
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And who are you going to replace Morgan with ? It took Jack Hayward 3 years to find someone who would take the club for nothing. You think there’s a queue of billionaires down Waterloo Rd, all waiting to spend 10s of millions ?
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Nathan I agree with the fact that Tuesdays game was the worst I have ever seen Wolves play.
But having said that and I agree that we have to get behind the lads as they are probably feeling just as bad as us fans about their performance.
Mick McCarthy looked ill on Tues but I am sure that he also has looked at it. I know that Mick says it how it is but he too was hurting at that performance you could see it etched on his face.
Mick McCarthy has been with us for three years and if it was not for him we would not be in this division at all. Don’t get me wrong I don’t agree with everything he does but you tell me who is out there at the moment to take his place.
He did say at the beginning of the season that it would be a hard season. I am still think we will still be in this division next season and remember Nathan what happened after we had a bad show when Birmingham came to us.
I think Mick and the Lads know how bad it was they don’t need to be kept reminding of it. We have to move onto the Birmingham game now but at least Wayne Hennesy will not be in goal. Wayne has not been the same since Bobby Mimms left us, I know our defence was rubbish on Tues but if Hanneham had been in goal it would have saved two of them.
The first one by the way was not a corner so should not have happened but having said that again our defence was rubbish.
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ok we lost and played badly against Palace. Move on and stop writing such negativity before a huge game. Manchester United lost to leeds does that mean they’re not title contenders? Do me a favour.
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Man Utd and Wolves? Chalk and cheese. Until Fergie starts playing Nani at left back and Rooney in goal, I think his job might be safe.
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Great shout – I agree totally!!!
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Firstly, Mick has done a fantastic job in getting us promoted with no parachute payments and starting with 11 pro’s on the books. He brought in non-league and lower league players and within 3 years we won the championship. With the 2nd lowest budget in the Premier league we currently sit outside the relegation zone. We cannot knock his record so far and I will always be grateful for the success he has brought the club.
I think he deserves to stay until the end of the season and whatever the outcome it is then time for him to move on. I personally would like Steve Coppell or Mark Hughes to come in.
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Imv I cant see where the next points are coming from – the squad is so short on quality and ideas that we resort to a 10 man defence against most teams – which doesnt give us many options when attacking?
Lack of better quality players appears to be the main reasons why we dont/ wont go 4-4-2 against any teams – even against Palace???
The fitness of SEB (weight problems) Milijas must be a major concern – as the Premier league doesnt allow players the ‘luxury’ of not being fit and the obvious lack of abillity makes the last 15 games a potential nightmare!
People talk about us being 4th from bottom and that is a positive BUT we are 1 goal better (maybe a game in hand aswell) off – I can recollect SM making it known that Wolves will look to compete in the Prem and 4th from bottom isnt really good enough – well Mr Morgan what are you saying now???
MM’s ‘arms folded’ throughout the Palace game looking like a bemused sportsteacher must have given his players no encouragement whatsoever!!!
Alot of fellow Wolves fans have said most of what I believe and fear to be true – nothing to do with negativity – just being honest
How can we compete in the Prem without the proper tools??? Job done Mr Moxey??? You got to be kidding!!!
NB* I hear Wolves are going back in for the lad Clyne at Palace??? Ahem, He didnt even want to talk to you Mr Moxey – Can you take a hint???
Currently we look like a rudderless ship, meandering aimlessly in the sea of the Premiership have’s and have not’s – I’ll leave you to guess which one we fall into?
Good Luck Lads against Blouse – Up the Wolves!
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well it took you long time to smell the coffee, i said this the same time last season that
he may get us up in a very poor championship
but would never be any good in premier league.
you do not need to know any thing about football to know if you change the team EVERY
WEEK and do not play people in right positions
that you are not going to be any good,the man
clueless and MUST GO.
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Nathan, if I had a pound for every time you changed your mind I’d be a wealthy man indeed.
Go ahead – pander to the message board moaners if you want to, take the plaudits from them, boost your own ego along the way, fuel the fire, fan the flames and then stick in as an afterthought that we should ‘get behind the team’ – but recognise that this club needs people to pull together and stick together right now (an integral part of the Stoke blueprint to which you refer) and that you are playing one big part in undermining this club’s chances of survival.
We were awful and lost to Palace. Get over it and move on.
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Timmiswolf – Only problem is we were awful against most other teams as well!!
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itl be all over by the shouting if we go on a 4 game loosing run,hard to see us getting owt against chelski or man utd, which leaves us the daunting task of beating blues away and getting sumat outa tottenham hate to say it as ive backed mick from the start but a change may be needed for everyones sake, but WHO will want to COME?????
UP THE WOLVES AND LETS HOPE MICK GETS IT RITE!!
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I used to box for a living and all the Wolves players need to show a bit more fight and aggression.
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Sadly, spot on.
Obviously we all need to get behind the team and hopefully somehow we will pick up a couple of wins quickly which will make the world look different.
I can take us getting beaten if we have given it our best shot. At the moment we look clueless and let’s face it have rarely looked like scoring from open play for much of the season.
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Some very good points but two things I need to say are:-
i) As poor as we were – and that was down to in my opinion the very negative midfield selection and bad defending – I think you are harsh with your rating of Palace. They are not a poor team and beat the Tescos away.
ii) Blues have not majorly invested up front. I think you will find that although Benitez has pace, he lacks goals.
One thing is for sure we better put in a performance against Blues after the dismal display at home. We must put Foley at right back, drop Berra and bring back Ward.Hahnemann, Jarvis, Jones and Doyle must start and bring in Castillo or the new tough tackling Belgian in midfield.
I think after the lack of signings there will be a major drop in Early Birds and so there should be!
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You’ve got the Managers job – When can you sart, are free on Sunday at 1.15pm?????
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In the dugout and you could be my assistant. Thus ensuring that Foley does not get put in midfield, Hennessey gets sold and Halford never plays again!
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Nice one! I look forward to working with you. Which one of us is going to carry the CLIPBOARD?????
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Bang on Nathan!! I agree 100% with this blog. Tuesday’s team selection (personnel AND system) left the players in a daze, not knowing what was expected of them – no cohesion, no shape, nodesire to get at Palace – why should they ? The manager showed no desire by starting with one 5th-choice striker, one fullback and Geoffrey as his supposed 3-prong attack. Do me a favour!! The guy lost the plot back in the summer and I don’t think he’s anywhere near finding it again. Sorry, but those are the facts.
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Couldn’t agree more Nathan, apart from one thing, I would have sacked the manager months ago. To be honest at times I was suprised we actually got promoted last year!
This years signings have in the whole been a joke, tactics have been woeful at times. However the biggest problem is MM attitude, the man is a so negative and stuborn its beyond belief.
Yes I will be watching again on Sunday, as we have all year but I’m getting so fed up with watching some of the most boring football ever produced bt Wolves.
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No to billy davies we should try for mark hughes mm should of had the sack when he made the 10 changes at the man u game. My 5 yr old daughter could do a lot better job than mm.
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I know the faults are not all down to Karl Henry, but as the only player not to have missed a single game this season – PLEASE REST HIM. MM tells us every player needs a rest so why not him. If its just because he’s captain then he shows very little leadership on the pitch – has he got a voice???
Lets try a different midfield for once !!!
Rant Over
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SPOT ON MATE!!!
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I have said it time and time again.
Broken promises and taking the fans for a ride.
Well enough is enough and it’s about time some of you did something about it.
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WOLVES FANS HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME
NATHAN LlOYD SHOULD BE BOOTED OFF HERE
GANGING UP ON MM AND WANTING HIM OUT IS A DISGRACE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH DAVE JONES AND LETS NOT FORGET WHAT HAPPENED THAT SEASON
IVE NEVER SEEN SO MUCH NEGATIVE COMMENTS BY SO CALLED LOYAL WOLVES FANS
HES A JOKE THEN HES A GREAT MANAGER THEN A JOKE AGAIN
FICKLE LOAD OF IDIOTS WHO DONT DESERVE TO SUPPORT SUCH A WONDERFUL CLUB
YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES !!!!!!
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Go back to your boats on the river and let fans have their say. If you don’t like it, don’t read it!
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Get a grip. For starters Nathan didn’t say he wanted him booted out. And others are such sharing that concerns about the way things are heading.
Blind faith and happy clapping will only take this club in one direction.
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as will negativity and fickleness, lets see what the doomsayers get up to when we stay up.
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Spot on tasmanian wolf – my guess is they’ll disappear for a while, just as they did when Mick had the audacity to actually go and lead us to the championship title.
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Clap, clap, wherever you may be,
“I am the Lord of change”, said he,
“I’ll change them round”,
Even if they’re square”,
“And I’ll ignore your moans”,
“As I just don’t care”.
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Stunning work, are you published?
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Ok Stourport
Ideal scenario – We stay up
Do you think MM can then take us to the next level?
honest answer please
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It depends what you mean by ‘the next level’. The reality is that League positions are mostly dictated by money – the more you spend the higher you go.
Much as we might like to think it’s otherwise, those who pay the highest wages do best, and the competence of the Manager has relatively little impact.
So. Whether MM take us to ‘the next level’ (Prem mid-table security ?), depends entirely on whether we continue to operate with one of the lowest budgets in the Prem.
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52 Stourport Wolves
At last a Wolves fan with common sense.I applaud you.
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Great point on Sunday and if it hadn’t been for Joe Hart, we could have taken all three points back to the Mol.
What a difference a more balanced defence makes. Foley at right back and a left footed player at left back. Who’d have thought that we’d have looked much more stable at the back with round pegs in round holes. Just a shame that Berra gave away the penalty – although actually removing Ridgewell’s shirt whilst waiting for the corner to come in didn’t give the ref much option really. Great save by Hahnemann though.
Not sure why we deceided on three defensive midfielders when Birmingham had pretty much the same. Still, Mancienne was my man of the match – he was able to take advantage of the space in the middle of the park to catch up with the ball after his first touch.
Fair play to Jarvis – I only counted 6 occasions that he jumped for a bouncing ball and it went over his head. A marked improvement from the last game. His pace had Blues in trouble on a few occasions – his crossing had the fans in trouble on more than a few.
I thought Doyle was fantastic too – trying to split the centre halves as well as intelligent use of the channels given our lack of a right winger. Thought he was unlucky with the big up and under he did from the right wing into the box when he chased it himself and got the header on target. In fairness, that was the best service he got all game. I was also impressed with the way he looked up to the heavens when it started raining and it stopped. He’s that good.
Substitutions were a little dodgy I have to say. Hennessey for Doyle, Zubar for Jarvis and Stearman for Surman. Meant we had 7 defenders, 2 goalkeepers and 2 defensive midfielders at the end. Still,that’s why Mick gets the big bucks.
Anyway, great point. Bring on Spurs.
We are Wolves
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Great write!!!
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I totally agree with everything in the article wrote by Nathan other than the part where he says it would be pointless changing the manager right now, sorry Nathan but that is exactly what the club,players and fans need right now!. If we can get a premiership quality manager in soon we still have a chance of staying up!, and there are a few candidates available out there who could do this ie,Curbishley and Mark Hughes to name but two who spring to mind. The one thing we need to remember is not one of us fans or anyone at the club actually know if this group of players are good enough collectivly to keep us up or not due to the shambolic way they have been managed this season.
“We want McCarthy out!!!”
“We want McCarthy out!!!”
“We want McCarthy out!!!”
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More rubbish spouted by someone who does not have a clue about football. Hang you head in shame ! It was only a month or so ago that people were saying ‘we should be were Burnley are’, well look at them now! Teams are not judged on single matches, let’s see how it ends up at the end of the season.
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Sevlow
What clue do you have about football?
Are you a premier manager?
No….thought not….
He and we are expressing an opinion – here – instead of at the game
I think that change for change sake is no good, however I can not see WHY MM persists with tactics and players that dont work
2 points from 5 premier games……
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i have been backing MM all season, but in my opinion the palace game was the last straw.
ok, it was the cup and we aint going to win it. but the players showed no desire or want to do anything for mccarthy.
if we are going to stay up then im sorry but mick has to go. Alan Curbishly is proven at this level and the boys would actually want to do well for him.
forever wolves
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Theres no point getting Curbs in, he’s notorious for not being able to pick up points after xmas
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“We want McCarthy out!!”"
Or
“You don’t know what you’re doing”
Preferably both please!
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As a Wolves fan for 50 years I have been witnessed many ups and downs. But I hate having to say that I have never felt so embarassed as I was at the performance at Palace. The fact that it was televised, to see the way we made Palace look good. I was looking forward to the game, a chance for the team and Mick to redeem themselves and get in shape for the weekends game. It was like a bad dream.
This together with the pathetic tactic of giving in at Man Utd where we would have had a chance with a few more fist teamers, and the lack of a serious attempt to sign proven Premier quality players, is really the last straw.
I feel sorry for the players, they must be totally confused, especaily the likes of Kevin Foley, who last season was rock solid.
Enough is enough. Unless there is a major improvement against Brum it is time for Mick to go. We have nothing to lose, it cannot get any worse.
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Palace was a joke and McCarthy looked like a man who had finally thrown in the towel.
If we lose to Blouse on Sunday, he should walk away and lets see if somebody can come in and save our season.
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Crystal Baller, that made me laugh, but in all seriousness I’ve just been down to watch the lads at compton… Some superb stuff going on, they looked well up for it…
Mancienne was doing hair brading for the kids down at St Peters, Blake was selling hot dogs and doing a roaring trade, Wardy was busy plastering the changing room ceiling, Jody was doing face painting and sketches for 50p a go, Mad Mick was in the stocks and the kids were throwing tomatoes at him, but I didn’t get a chance to have a go, the queue was too long.. All in all a good mornings work out for the lads.
A couple of Belgian lads were having a kick around , but to be honest they didn’t look too good, I think they must have been on an exchange visit with the local schools.
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Nathan – I agree with your sentiments totally and you express an honest opinion unlike Steve Bull’s bull (excuse the pun) in his last commentary. However, I have to say that everything you have identified has been on parade for MONTHS!!! So where have you been?
Doyle has been the only excellent signing and he has been left isolated by this crazy formation that MM is playing.
It is really depressing to watch the team I have supported for 50 years play this negatively. The quality of our play is particularly disturbing from individual player’s first touch to the lack of quality passing, movement off of the ball. In this League the “work your socks off” routine will not get you very far.
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Spot on by N Lloyd.We were a better side last time around & that side probably would have done well in this current league . We are only where we are currently because the league is so poor .I was at Hull game & despite what MM says we did not play well & needed an own goal to get back into the game.
Everyone can see that Foley is ineffective in midfield , how many more games does MM need to watch to get the message .Perhaps MM should watch the games from the stands instead of the dug out where he would get the same view as the fans.
Blues have one of the best defensive records & we cant score so whats the solution play one up front ? me thinks not.
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Time for Mick to go i’m afraid.
Lets face it we limped into this division from a very poor championship last season and the football we play is just negative and don’t loose at any cost.
I can’t abide with one up front but i think if you put all 4 up there at the moment they still wouldn’t score.
We are a very poor team and it has been for some time. Can’t remember enjoying watching football down the Wolves for some games now it’s just a chore.
Blues,Spurs,Chelsea,ManU,Bolton come on Wolves fans realisticly where are points coming from? We are down but lets go down fighting and playing the players in the right positions….it’s not rocket science Mick!!!
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We ‘limped’ up 7 points clear of Birmingham, who are now proving how weak that Championship was by being 8th in the Prem ?
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Blimey, just an hour or so and so many replies already. Clearly there is much conjecture and speculation on our current plight. I have to agree with Nathan on MMs tactics, and yes, he did look like a beaten man on Tuesday.
Just when I thought my week couldn’t get any worse, Nathan rekindles the memory of Robert Taylor and Tomas Frankowski, possibly two of the very worst players to don the old gold and black, and now I’m having a nightmare in the daytime!
Apart from Freddy Krueger, are there any other names from the past that will keep my daymare going???
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Oh dear, the internet is a dangerous weapon isnt it. Someone writes an article for all to see, someone who isnt literate enough to appreciate that the word ‘ABSOLVED’ is to blame as ‘DISSOLVED’ is to disprin. I couldnt bring myself to continue reading past the bit about Kevin Foley. I completely agree that he is too ‘crab-minded’ to play on the wing but to suggest that he’s crow-barred in there is a complete misnomer. Foley has always stated that he’d like to play in a more advanced position. I assure you he’s not having his arm twisted to play there.
The window is closed, no more recruits. Nothing can be done now. If we dont pick anymore points up in the next 5 games then look at it. The final 10 games equals 30 points. If were floundering at that stage bring in someone for an impact. Now isnt the right time.
This is a Poor Poor Article.
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Get real – He ain’t going anywhere.
The internet rants of about 50 people writing under about 150 names ain’t going to change a thing. Do you thing Morgan wastes his time reading all the vitriole posted on internet forums? Nah – he’s too busy making money in the real world to bother reading people’s hatred being displayed in a virtual world.
Am I happy with where we are now? No
Do I want MM as manager of Wolves? No
Do I think my 2-year old could do better on team selection? Yes
Do my opinions make a blind bit of difference to what goes on at WWFC? No
Will I watch and support Wolves again this season? Yes
Will I watch and support Wolves next season, prem or Championship? Yes
Will I buy my early bird again? Yes
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WITHOUT DOUBT THAT IS THE MOST ACCURATE SET OF STATEMENTS OF ANY COMMENTS ON ANY WOLVES TOPIC THIS SEASON !.
SADLY YOUR SUMMARY IS 110 % CORRECT .
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too many pints old mate
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I’m sorry to say it Andy but you are just the type of person Uncle Jez loves – you write about how unhappy you are about things but quite content to buy another early bird for next season, whether PL or Championship.
What has to happen for supporters like you to make a stand and for the club to realise that the fans discontent is not to be ignored but is to be acknowledged and the necessary actions to be taken to put matters right?
The fans ARE the lifeblood of any club, without them there would be no directors, no players and of course no club!
The Wolves board conveniently overlooks the fans feelings as does McCarthy who from the various comments he gives out, considers the fans are an inconvenience and his job would be so much easier without them baying for blood each and every matchday!
It would not take too much effort on the club’s and McCarthy’s part to patch things up but unfortunately no one at the club will listen. They have their own agenda and nothing or no one will change it!
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I think you hit the nail on the head with your first two words WolvoWolf
The main point of my comments was how pointless it is to gob off about being discontent with things on the internet. You then decide to gob off about being discontent with things on the internet. Hum.
I said I’m not happy with where we are now – being above the relegation spots on goal difference at this stage of the season is hardly something to be content about. I doubt you’ll find anyone that would disagree with this. I’d be happy with that at the end of the season if that’s how we stay up mind.
I think we could do better than MM for manager and think that his team selections are disappointing. Hardly controversial.
But then I admit that I can’t change the world – certainly not on an internet forum. I say I’m still going to games to support my team this year. I’ll also still go next year. I went to games before the MMM’s were anything to do with Wolves. God willing I’ll be going to games when the MMM’s are nothing more to do with Wolves.
I think I’m in a very large majority of fans with these opinions.
You say “What has to happen for supporters like you to make a stand and for the club to realise that the fans discontent is not to be ignored but is to be acknowledged and the necessary actions to be taken to put matters right?”
Who the hell are you to say that I shouldn’t support my team? So I should stop going to matches and stop saving money on the early bird because you believe that by doing so it’ll change the way Wolves is run? Get real – it’s might not be brilliant being a Wolves fan at the moment but it’s hardly as doom and gloom as you make out. Your brain cell must be very lonely on its own.
Read the last bit of your last sentence again and appreciate that not even the great internet poster WolvoWolf can bring about an uprising against the evil board
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Who the hell am I? I am Wolvo Wolf and I did not ‘tell’ you anything, so get your facts right!
I ASKED ‘What has to happen for supporters like you to make a stand…’ – clearly you have no intention of doing anything of the sort but pay will continue to pay your money each game and be frustrated, maybe even angry, discontented or whatever but if this is what you want, then fine by me!
My single disillusioned braincell as your sidekick ‘erewegoagain’ puts it appears to have more intelligence than either of you!
I, out of interest, will not spend money upon anything which does not give me satisfaction in return and at the present time that is exactly what is not happening with Wolves, that is in MY opinion just to make that clear!
As for my being sorry, obviously you have taken that the wrong way, I am not sorry at all but what I should have said was ‘I sympathise’!
Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the the rest of the season although there is the real possibility of Wolves going down – that would be a shame if it happens but when taking everything into account ie manager, no players brought in, players out of position and etc. etc., it would come as no great surprise!
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I think you’re disillusioned Wolvo Wolf
Andy – spot on
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I agree with most of what you say Nathan.. My only worry is that this article will wind disgruntled Wolves fans up even more. With the Birmingham match coming up we need all the positives we can get. God knows how you got the job as blogger on here, but you have thousands of fans who will read your words, so please be thoughtful in the timing of your words.
Let’s hope Mich had his dark night of the soul against palace and he wakes up to soem of his crazy selections. We need to group together and fight for every point.Then come the summer we can get a manager that will bring back our former glories.
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Just who is Mich?
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It must be soems friend
Apparrently MM wakes up to him/her and the crazy selections
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Collectively the 3M’s must be held responsible for the lack of success in the summer/winter transfer window.
However, the shocking standard of football we are having to watch i.e. negative, long ball tactics is Mick’s responsibility. Players out of position as different starting XI each week is down to him.
I am embarrassed at the moment, we are not well respected by other fans. Mainly down to an inept manager who is out of his depth and rested a whole team away at Man Utd. This will come back to haunt him.
I do not doubt Mick’s ability as a manager when it comes to taking over a threadbare squad, giving young players a chance and managing in the lower leagues. I thank him for the job he’s done but I do not think he is the right man to take us forward in the premier league.
If we stay up, I would still let him go as he is tactically inept, can’t attract star players and wouldn’t be able to manage them either. how could we progress as a club with a manager like this?
Just because he did a good job for us in getting promotion, doesn’t mean we should continue to operate with blind faith. The man is not a premiership manager.
There is no shame in thanking him for the job he’s done and brining in someone else who is better equipped for the role as a premiership manager.
I can’t stand his stubbornness, lack of humility and what appears to be contempt/neglect/resentment/towards the fans. If he improved his PR skills then maybe we’d be willing to give him a bit longer.
For me, he’s proved he’s not up to the job, regardless of whether we finish the season by achieving the lofty ambitious target of 17th place.
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from what your saying its a good job he didnt play a full team against man u because we would have lost,talk sense mate,u been talking to bob wolf to long
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mick did look a beaten man. i believe that his current tactics really could cost us. 1 striker and 5 midfielders isn’t a fromation to win especially when everyone is out of position like our player of the season from last year now playing as a winger.
i worry that this could lead to relegation which is why my confidense in micks ability is going completely
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IAM 100% CONVINCED WOLVES CAN STAY IN THE
PREMIERSHIP BUT ONLY WITH ANOTHER MANAGER
WHO HAS SOME TATICAL NOUSE,WHEN YOU LOOK AT
OUR BEST CURRENT AVAILABLE 11 THEN IT ISNT
REALLY THAT BAD:
HAHNEMANN,FOLEY,CRADDOCK,BERRA,ZUBAR,
JARVIS,MILIJAS,HENRY,SURMAN,WARD,DOYLE.
EVERY TIME ALBION GET A NEW MANAGER THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO GET A NEW RIGHT-HAND MAN I.E
MEGSON/BURROWS,ROBSON/PEARSON,MOWBRAY/VENUS,
DI MATTEO/NEWTON. WOLVES SEEMED TO HAVE HAD
TERRY CONNOR THERE FOR AN AGE SO ITS DEFINELTY
TIME FOR A CHANGE OF MANAGER AND BACKROOM STAFF.
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i agree that we can stay up with a different manager. but i dont thik that is our best 11 at all.
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I Just HOPE you have to eat your words at the end of the season AGAIN Nathan . Apart from that your spot on about Foley replacing Zubar and perhaps using Dave jones on wing and Jarvis left until Kights is back … as for Sunday i think we need to stick to 4-5-1 and if Doyle, jarvis and Jones (should start) attack well enough we could nick a goal ….
THINK POSITIVE >> Come on you Wolves
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Believe me, I would love a slice of that humble pie at the end of the season.
There is just too many mistakes happening at the club to just shove my head in the sand and hope for the best.
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Negative comments or statement of fact
I think the latter
There is an old motto of “if it aint broke don’t fix it” we had an attacking team that got us promoted.
That team has been dis assembled and replaced by…..well I don’t know what it has been replaced by!
MM – Please, please play playrs in their correct positions. Lets at least go down fighting.
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Great blog Nathan! You’ve covered everything I think about the current shambles at Wolves.
I’m tired of some fo the fans on here saying ‘it was one game get over it’
What about the other shocking games we have suffered this season along with McCarthy’s shocking tactics and obsession with playing players out of position. This coupled with jokers like Moxey at the club leave us in a pretty shambolic state ahead of a crucial game on Sunday which we must win.
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Nathan – you have gone off the deep end my friend. Why start dragging up “Frankowski-gate”, Robert Taylor etc… You are digging too deep into your traumatic past Nathan – relax a bit, all will be well. Super Mick has it under control, I have every faith. And if we do go down, so what!? We are still the Wolves..
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I don’t want us to go down again! I’ve had enough of this pathetic lack of ambition.
Reach for the stars! Get rid of the looser legacy, and go for it!
That’s what makes Aussies and Yanks different from cautious, miserable Europeans. Think big like Stan Cullis, not small and pathetic, like Moxey!
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This is absolute tosh.
1) It was never going to be easy to stay in the Premiership
2) Awful performances in sequence are what constitutes a manager having lost the dressing room, not the one here and there
3) It took us 3 goes to get here, with a plan and strategy. Why are we now knocking the guy who delivered that after 6 months in the hardest league in the world?
4) Kightly not played, Edwards long term injury, SEB downturn in form/confidence. It’s not blinkin easy you know and just cos we are playing 442 aint gonna change that.
I can’t stand this subversion. Some journo blogger saying that he thinks it’s the beginning of the end. What experience have you got in managing a team, building a squad?
I’m all for opinion, but this goes further than that, it is pathetic, suggestive nonsense.
It was a terrible result and an awful performance, but how on earth do you go from that one result to sacking the manager?
I don’t like the system either, but he has to be given the chance to keep us up, they are ‘his’ players. Mick has created that team, the ethos and the togetherness and this article is suggesting that it should be thrown away cos we lost to Palace in the cup.
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What twoddle you spout dear boy!
Have you missed the other games this season that were remaniscent of the Palace game?
They were against Hull at home, West Ham at home, Wigan at home,Swindon at home, Blackburn away, etc etc etc etc
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Spurs away, Wigan away, Fulham at home, Bolton……..
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By the way second half of your name says it all – doom!!!!!
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Radoom, you’re a legend.
Couldn’t agree more from top to bottom of your post.
Some perspective, some reason, and a Nono pant wetting or tantrum throwing.
Well done, Sir.
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1 result.t? Blackburn away Hull away Sunderland away,Pompey,Hull,Wigan,Blues, West ham home.
Cant score cant defend,players playing like total strangers(Sky Sports).
Every Wolves fan wants Premiership survival but in reality unless MM Has an abrupt change in tactics where can you honestly see the points coming from.
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I dont think it is so much we have a bad team.
It is not great , but I think it could scrape 16th or 17th place.
I think the issue is that he plays most of them out of position.
I agree that Bia had a stinkre but it was his first full game in a blood and guts tie and he played him out of position. Amazing.
I don’t know whether Bia can play or not but we can’t tell from that game and he is an international!
I will be at Blues on Sunday and I fear the worse. What team he will play I don’t know because he willl dig up Dougy to play up front or ask Bully to get his boots on……maybe not a bad idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Mich is a typo, but at least I don’t hide behind ficticious names. I come on as me, as I having nothing to hide, nor do I waste my time making jokes about others, instead of giving constructive criticism.
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Another day another predictable bombardment of anger, rage and fury in unleashed on here.
You lot weren’t here supporting the team when times were hard so why don’t you find other means of releasing your frustrations and dissatisfaction with your pitiful lives….
You could try – shouting at reality TV, screaming abuse at your chav children, fighting in the pub, playing war games on Playstation, XBOX etc.
I will sit here and wait for the inevitable tirade of abuse and use of the term which is the last resort of the illiterate moron – “Happy Clapper”.
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You could try reading comments and respecting other peoples opinions.
You asked for a reasoned argument on a previous page,I gave you one surprise surprise no reply.
And yes i was there in the 80s Season ticket holder every away game so i will give you MY OPINION,MM is clearly out of his depth.
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Said the Blind Man………
Clapety Clap, Clapety Clap……….
And once again – Clapety Clap……..
Ooooh Mick Can I walk your Whippets – e by gum……..
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You asked for a reasoned argument,OK Crystal Palace put 5 past us in the two cup games,Norwich city put 8(EIGHT)past us on the way down to division 1.
We have conceded 2 or more in 11 out of 23 league games this season just under 50%.
We have kept only 4 clean sheets.
We have scored in only 11 of the 23 games.
Sunderland conceded 106 goals in their relegation season under MMs Tenure.
Team changed every game and not just 1 or 2 changes.
Over half the team playing out of their position.
As teletext stated last night Wolves played like a team of total strangers.
Reasonable enough for you.
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My diatribe above was aimed at the numerous posters who cannot come up with anything more constructive than “Mad Mick out” and use that pathetic phrase “Happy Clapper” to abuse anyone who isn’t 100% negative.
It may be a little childish but it’s fun to play devil’s advocate and watch the abuse roll in.
A balanced view would be :
Positives –
We are in the Prem with a chance of staying up – last time round that never looked remotely possible.
We have a young team with a lot of potential.
We have no debt.
The team nearly always give 100% (Palace excluded) and have a good spirit).
We have improved a great deal since MM replaced Hoddle.
Negatives -
The transfer window – missed opportunity
Negative and confusing tactics.
Lack of goals.
Little consistency of selection.
Poor defending.
I agree that MM and Terry Connor may be struggling at this level but we are still in with a shout. I am sure that they are working hard and doing their best – constructive criticism is fine, mindless abuse and personal criticism is not.
MM will be manager until the end of the season come what may so the best we can do is fans is get behind the team and try to make a difference. Atmosphere at some home games has been poor – the fans can step up regardless of how the team is playing.
I do genuinely believe that some fans have such a dislike of MM that they want him to fail as it gives the opportunity to dish out abuse and feel disappoitment if the team win – are these people true fans??
There is a danger that we become another Newcastle – fans impatience and unrealistic expectations putting pressure on the club to make poor decisions at board and management level.
A significant number of Charlton fans drove out Curbishley because they were unhappy at survival in the Prem and wanted the club to move to the next level. Result – League 1 football and financial mess.
The point of all this – 2 sides to the argument, both have some validity.
Coming on here and posting “Mad Mick out” etc doesn’t really add to the quality of the discussion.
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A little bit if thinking and a decent response.
Majority of posters on here just want Wolves to Survive this season.
It is not a case of hating/loathing Mick McCarthy it is more looking at his overall performance as a manager at the highest level.
Whilst nobody can deny he deserves his chance to Manage Wolves in the premiership it would appear that in mine and obviously quite a few other peoples opinion he has been found sadly lacking.
As the window of opportunity has now gone all we can hope and prey for is that MM somehow hits on his best team plays a settled side for the remainder of the season and that we can survive to rebuild for 2010/11
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Was it not a 5 year plan to get us into the prem-get another Manager in and look forward to another 5 year plan- if he lasts that long with some of our fickle “fans”, and before anybody jumps on me I said some.
I bet none of you were on the pitch chanting his name last season eh!
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A lot has been said about Tuesday’s performance and I would like to add my tuppence’rth.
I went to Selhurst Park but I cannot give an opinion of the whole 90 minutes because I left after the third goal (the third of three scored by an average footballer who has made his name as a right back. Whilst appreciating he was playing in a more forward role than normal, this guy scored a hat-trick, he is a right back – he made history against our team – the statistic is a woeful,woeful indictment!!).
I watched the kid from Charleroi, he aint gonna set the premier league alight let me tell you – Milijas had to blast him for waiting for the ball to come to him – this was knocked out of me at school!!! Taff Evans scouting needs looking at.
Michael Mancienne – just aint got what it takes. He slices the ball, he has no direction in his headers – if he is the future of English football we are all in trouble!!
This is arguably the worst performance I have seen in many a year following the Wolves. No shape, no urgency, no pattern of play – all the superlatives you would attribute to a team going nowhere.
Those that post here, ‘we won’t go down’, I really wish I could share your optimism. hard work only gets you so far, we need craft and guile.
We only got promoted because MM stamped his feet at the critisism directed at his ‘football chess’ tactics. He started playing two wingers and looked what happened, we won the league, and got dillusions of grandeur!
If Steve Morgan has any genuine ambition for WWFC, he will be seriously considering MM’s position, and whilst I don’t profess to know who could turn it around, there must be someone waiting in the wings to cheer us up?
(Trying hard to…) Keep the faith!!
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Essex Wolf – Mancienne is (was) a good player until MM & TC coached it out of him. If he was really bad Chelsea would have got rid …..as for the other players I believe Surman has quality but is still young. I have no comment about the Belgium guy… I’m happy DJ is back in the side, hurry up & get fit AK & MK we need you….
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Even if we do stay up, we will flatter to deceive, as it will be because there are three worse teams than us, not because we’ve been a revelation this season.
Mick’s an embarrassment. He’s out of his depth and isn’t a premiership manager.
However, the other M’s will stick with him as they don’t want to pay out a salary that it would take to land a top notch manager, just like they don’t want to spend the wages on quality players!
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What’s happened to Mendez-laing.
Supposed to be good. Right winger
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Worst player i ever saw in a Wolves top was Dick Leflem. Anyone remember him. Got him from Forest if i remember.
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Bring back Dick Leflem. He did score 5 in 19 appearances.
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The key is only 19 appearances.Hinton the guy we swapped him was already an England international and he went on to win another cap plus a Leaguye winners medal.Le Flem’s miss against Sheff Utd in 64 is worth recalling.In the last minute in a crowded area, he went passed a couple including the keeper,side stepped somone on the line.He could have blown the ball into the net,but blasted instead and the ball hit the woodwork and rebounded out.Le Flem himself ended up in the net and he blushed with embarrassment.No TV to record it though.That is just my memory,surely someone else was there.
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I wasn’t thrilled by MM’s appointment and there are lots of things wrong but he is the most successful manager we’ve had since ….. John Barnwell probably, maybe Graham Turner at a different level.
I just worry he can’t take us any further, like a CC player you’d sell when you get promoted.
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Supermarket giant Tesco has yet to start work on its new £200 million development in West Bromwich – a month after the official start date.
‘Is this their new ground then…?’
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Really down now after reading Jodie Craddocks comments, it shows he and the others don’t know what reality is. Perhaps it was the kick up the backside we needed he remarks. Who is he kidding, a kick up the backside was needed months ago. As for the happy clappers who believe MM is up to it are simply living in cuckoo land. Nathan you are spot on. Fingers crossed for Sunday but can’t see us scoring so will hope for a draw.
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WWFC Premiership quality:
Hahneman ; Craddock ; Berra ; Jarvis ; Milijas (for 60 mins) ; Doyle
We need to add to this list if we are to compete in the prem. Morgan needs to decide quickly in which league he wants us to play.
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This entire blog could have been cut and pasted from all the comments from sensible Wolves fans on these pages. How come we are supposed to pay attention to it when he writes it, but when we write it it’s being negative and we are not real supporters!! makes me spittin mad!!
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People talk about Mancienne playing out of position but I think, with his pace, skill on the ball and tackling, just in front of the back 4 is dead right for him. As many have said, he doesn’t have the physical presence for centre-half.
However, it doesn’t help to haul him off when he’s playing ok. And the whole team needs to get used to the formation they’re using…..could have been sorted out in Aussie???? rather than leave it all up in the air. The contrast with Blues is instructive.
But the law of Mr Sod demands victory on Sunday!
Up Mick, up the Wolves!
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It’s not so much that Mancienne is OoP it’s more that we’re playing yet another player who has trained for most of their lives at one position or in one area (CB/full back) and is now being used in another (DM).
Mancienne has proved himself to be a good player, with quick feet, decent distribution and is quick to close down. The DM role suits him quite well……but…..we already have a dedicated defensive midfielder in Karl Henry.
We don’t need 2 DM’s in one team – neither of whom offer an attacking threat.
The Liverpool game was the worst example of this, where Karl Henry had clearly been told to get forward and support the lone striker (Doyle). KH found himself in completely foreign territory where he looked uncomfortable and ineffective.
Defensive midfielders strengths are covering, tackling, ball winning, holding, distributing.
Attacking midfielders strengths are creativity, link-up play with forwards, taking on players, shooting etc.
It is perverse therefore to play one type in the other’s position. It doesn’t play to their strengths and experience. It weakens the team.
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Dick le Flem..poor guy always had a streaming cold.
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I’m sorry MattWolves I didn’t realise this was all about opinions and not just your blinkered opinion on the situation at Wolves!
Also you talk about rage and anger. Look at your own post which is full of insults, anger and sweeping generalisations.
If your happy with the situation at Wolves good for you but there is no need for such an infantile post just because other fans aren’t as happy with you at the current goings on at Wolves. Just deal with the fact that this is a messageboard where fans will air their views be it negative or positive and take a chill pill mate!
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Excellent response.
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The only changes that can now be made prior to the end of the season are either the Manager or his Staff. No business can struggle on in blind faith and hope during bad times, you either face facts and make changes or except the inevitiable.
That said I feel the Manager should remain and see the job through but what he must do is take a very serious look at his coaching staff, which is obviously where there is room for improvement and whilst his loyalty toward them is commendable, they have becomes his achilles heel.
There are some really exciting young coaches who would walk bare foot for the opportunity to help Mick and the players, surely it’s time for Mick to bite the bullet and change the backroom and quickly.
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We need a too revitalise the team. Player’s need to be chosen by zest,vitality,enthusiasm from all levels of Player’s. Not the same player’s who have been losing games.
“Revitalize Wolves” to impart new life for vigor.
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In answer to Monty Panesar (number 10),my name is Dr William Gilbert Grace and I am a DEAD keen cricketer and DIE hard wolves fan and I too think that Mad Mick has to go.It`s enough to make a fellow TURN IN HIS GRAVE watching the old gold at the moment and I think a new manager would bring some STIFF resistance to our team and ensure our performances are not so GRAVE. So come on Mr Morgan before we end up in the same league as BURY.
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why isnt mick playing Jarvis in the :”corridor of uncertainty” on and just outside offstump? If we want to get in behind Blues’ defence on sunday we should try playing a legspinner and crowding the bat with some chatty fielders. We sure as hell wont beat blues at football so maybe using cricket tactics might pose them some problems.
Clearly we are playing Foley in the wrong position. After wednesday we should try playing a right back up front.
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Sorry but the defence let us down and is why we are in the position we are.
Craddock and Mancienne on the 1st and 3rd goals were comical. The way Craddock lost his man makes me think he had a side bet on 3-0 away loss.
Awful.
Leave MM in till the end of the season.
Charlie
ATLANTA WOLVES
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the only way to gtve our lovely wolves a chance is to sack mick our manager and lets see less of his favourites played game after game. we seen enough of this mess at selhurst park and now more loses coming up at st. andrews on sunday im sorry us fans cant take anymore of this rubbish after what they did telling lie after lie about new players in the transfer window and landung up wiyj nothing no more excuses its time to now before its to late
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94 Stuart ??? Have you been drinking. John Barnwell was the start of the rot that ruined this club.
Dave Jones was a better manager by a long shot, but he wasnt perfect. He would have come good with some backing though.
Mick is a terrible manager. Tactily inept and constantly playing his favourite players no matter how poor they are.
Top of the pils is Karl Henry. A player so average he could easily disappear into Rotherhams team and not even get a mention.
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I cannot believe you are having a go at John Barnwell. His record is the best since the early 1970′s
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Get Real!1.The truth is most… yes most teams promoted to the premiership face a struggle for survival 2.Consolidation is the primary issue and that could be one place above demotion at first.3.Cliche after cliche..”change the manager” “they will have to spend”..”the players are not premiership class” yawn yawn yawn.. heard it all before,knee jerk and unrealistic.4.Its difficult to adjust from winning in the championship to battling in the premiership some succeed for a while but then get found out(Reading,Hull),even Stoke may need to change tactics.5.Regular gates of around 30,000 do not entitle Wolves to spend £££s its just not financially viable in the longer term.5.You have still have a chance.. a real chance to make it.Was it really ever going to bee anything other than a battle I dont think so
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Don’t see Brum struggling for survival!!
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True – there are always exceptions. It’s not unheard of for a team to go up and make a first season splash (e.g. Reading), only to sink back into oblivion.
Might not be the case for Blues. Apparently they’ve got a sugar daddy.
The fact is that Wolves are doing exactly what a neutral observer (for example the bookies…) would have expected.
To do better would have required much bigger spending last summer – much more than our crowds justify. In other words, a Morgan subsidy.
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Grey wolf It is already well documented that Wolves have the money or so they have us believe. Unfortunately in the summer we went for minis when a Mondeo would have been better.
No need to buy Jags more quality and less low value items would suffice.
Morgan/Moxey promised we would not do an Albion so Exactly WHAT are we doing?
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In answer to the above
I can tell u wat a new manager would bring to our beloved club!
1 – centre halves @ centre halves positions!
2 – right backs @ right back
3 – midfielders @ midfield
4 – wingers on the flamin wing
5 – right sided player playin on the right side
6 – left sided players playin on the left side
7 – is this too much to ask for.
you flamin muppet…..
I am so frustrated its untrue!!!
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well do the blues,pride comes first before a fall!.blues 0 wolves 1 doyle
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stop being so negative get behind the boys,WE ARE WOLVES
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Nathan yet again you have written a load of utter drivel. If you want wolves to stay in the prem write blogs that say this not rubbish on how this is the begining of the end. Ok bad result against palace, it’s a cup game in the league WERE NOT BOTTOM STILL !!!
ok we didnt sign any big names with prem experience, NEITHER did any one else !!! To start asking if this is the begining of the end for a manager who got us here in the first place is hardly what i would call supporting your team !!!!! I dont like seeing my team being made to look poor but come on this is the prem and did you think we would do anything but struggle !!! think you and many others on here need a reality check !! hope we stay up not just because i think we can, but it might shut up some of you so called ‘ i have a right to an opinion ‘ supporters.
Come on you wolves !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Palace are not premier league mate!!!
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MGD, maybe you should have a quick read through before you post eh? With the club financially stable, surely now was the time to bring in those players who could have made a difference.
I’d love to read your blog, at least there would be lots of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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one point why spend 5 million on a 29 year old, wolves tryed to get new players they just didnt want to come! u lot moan about the defence mick trys to stop leaking goals and what do you do still moan, give the guy a break!against pool and hull it wasnt pretty but it worked, the guy can only pick the players, he can not stop them making mistakes.The wigan i suppose that was hes fault loony bin stearman got sent off!!
hes fault WE cannot stop a 36 year old defender turned striker for 30 mins scoring a hat trick!!
The players should look in the mirror there to blame gutless and got no bottle,if they dont put in a good peformance against blues,play the kids mick because this shower ay fit enough to play in a wolves shirt!!..
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Heres a game plan that YOU might be happy with…
PUT ANY 10 PLAYERS ON THE GOAL LINE AND KEEPER INFRONT – 15 DRAWS & WE STAY UP!!!
WHOOPEY DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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sounds good,what u use that tactic on football manager 2010?
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you name me a manager now who you would rather have and who we have got a realistich chance of getting?
Mick got us here, so let him have a go at least, if Sir Alex Ferguson was 3-0 down, he’d look a beaten manager on the sidelines as well, so dont just direct that at Mick.
i’ll admit his tactics of playing 6 defenders vs a Championship side was disappointing, but its finished now, concentrate on staying up, we were never going to win the FA Cup, all it would have been was a spanking from Villa.
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Mark Hughes
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we are a championship side!ido agree who wants to manage us Grant perhaps,sorry hugh,bet your doing somthing better.
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Happens as regular as Wolves then does it.
2 goals or more conceded in just under 50% of prem games played scored in more than 50% of games,Hardly rocket science is it.
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should have read less not more doh
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disappointing… disappointing ??? is that your level of emotion when our beloved team gets hammered into oblivion by a chumps side … disappointing…
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Ok quick recap
1. west ham – settling in, we missed a few chances and they took theirs
2. Wigan – away from home good result, it shows now that we miss keoughs industry
3. Man city – away poor team selection however MM recognised his mistake and changed it to 2 up front and we had a go
4. Hull – battered them for periodsbut couldnt capitalise
5. Blackburn – woeful could have lost by more
6. Fulham – won but average game
7. Sunderland – complete shambolic defending
8. Portsmouth – another “we will put it right”
9. Everton – battling draw
10. Aston Villa – lucky draw
11. Stoke – battling draw – poor team selection introduced Milijas, changed game
12. Arsenal – showed our slow defence and midfield how to play football without breaking sweat
13. Chelsea – poor poor showing
14. Birmingham – another “we will put it right”
15. Bolton – and we won, milijas playing and scoring
16. Spurs – backs to the wall 9 minutes battling performance
17. Man utd – I will never forgive MM for this surrender and role over attitude
18. Burnley – won against a very poor side, maybe we have hope as they will finish below us
19. Liverpool – sending off changed game, can we tell ur players to keep their hands off the opposition
20. Man city – huffed and puffed but quality came through
21. Wigan – very poor showing, no idea of how to change team and tactics
22. Liverpool – very poor liverpool, we had 1 up front with 9 defending!
23. Hull – stick with a non losing formation mick, thank god for the own goal
24. Palace – worst wolves performance for years hang your heads in shame
so yeh….it could be that there are 3 teams worse than us in this very poor premier league.
Strap yourselves in, buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life….
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With Micks job to say the least becoming a little uncertain. Perhaps its time to hand the reins to that great survivor Terry Connor
Colin Lee, John Ward,Dave Jones,Glenn and Carl Hoddle,Stuart Gray,Chris Evans and John Perkins have all bit the dust in Terrys ride to the top
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This was a well written blog, and I agree that MM has not raised his performance from being a good championship manager, and you have to say that Mcleish and Coyle have.
Mcleish , has kept a settled side throughout cup and league games and developed a winning mentality and its no surprise that they had gone unbeaten for so long.
Have to take issue with no2 jon and gibraltar wolves, when you say the the cup game means nothing and how better this campaign is to 2004s.
Lets compare our 2004 prem campaign to this.
Dave Jones was never given the level of investment needed to keep us up particularly in defence,with Lescott and Murray out all season where MM has that investment and look what he’s bought in? D Jones planned for promotion and had the likes of Ince,Rae,Miller,irwin, kennedy who mostly already had plenty of prem experience and I would argue are far better than most of the players we have now. He also improved the squad with Camara,Cort,Ganea. By feb 04 ALL of our strikers, midfielders had scored a least one goal. unlike now, and in Feb 04 we beat kiddiminster 2 nil after a replay in the FA cup and our next game beat Man utd 1 nil Remember??? .
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Thats probably the biggest understatement that anyone has ever made on thi site….
Winning or not winning the FA CUP the Club should ALWAYS pick the best team and the TEAM should always give 100% regardless of the opposition, competition or game!
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so we’ll play doyle and jarvis and anybody else what if they get injured,wembley u talk total rubbish, who in the right mind would play ur best striker against a neil warnock side, defo carnt remember when he tryed to get his players to cripple bully,full of it mate
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Very sorry stoneislandwolf but I conpletely disagree with you.
McCarthy is the same manager who plays a right back on the wing and has failed to strenghten the wide areas whilst the likes of Wigan sign Victor Moses.
He is the manager who plays Mancienne, a centre back, in midfield whilst the likes of Castillo and Surman, who he signed in the summer, cant get a game.
He is the manager who has never given Maeirhofer a chance. He is the manager who signed Halford!
We shouild have taken a punt on someone such as Ambrose from Palace, who is a good player and can play on either wing rather than an unknown Belgian player.
IMHO our side is currently worse than last season and that says it all to me along with a a manager who doesnt appear to know what he is doing!
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mancienne as played in midfield for qpr and foley used to play in midfield for luton mate.
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so really they should be used to playing in this position
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hmm QPR,Luton yep says it all.
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BYE BYE
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Here is the squad for Sunday, now you “experts” can pick your team,there are 100+ of you above that can have has many chances has you like – Mick has 1!
Wolves (from): Hennessey, Hahnemann, Zubar, Stearman, Craddock, Berra, Ward, Elokobi, Foley, Surman,Jarvis, Guedioura. Henry, Milijas, Jones, Mancienne, Castillo, Bia, Doyle, Vokes, Ebanks-Blake, Iwelumo.
120-you going to support tesco town then-BYE,BYE.
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Micks had more than one, he doesn’t know his best side and in february that is very concerning.
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i see the usual negative idiots are still on here, depressing everyone else as well as themselves . fact wwfc will survive comfortably and super mick will be given a new contract.
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Happy, Clappy, Clappy, Happy Thoughts.
The bad things never happened,
Only good, happy times lie ahead,
Just have faith!
McCarthy for Sainthood!
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Well…as some of you know who bother to read my posts, I’m usually a 50/50 guy between happy clapping and dim and miserable bob wolfian. But, after watching tuesdays debacle (which i actually found amusing, not embarassing) i’m starting to lean more to the dim and miserable brigade.
I didn’t go on tuesday, never had any intention of, but i was there at Hull on saturday where for the first 45 minutes we looked every inch a pathetic excuse for a premier league side. Second 45 was an improvement, but as highlighted in this very accurate article, square pegs in round holes does not work. Just because Kev Foley is Right Footed does not make him a right winger. Its the Sqaure peg syndrome that is causing all of our problems…
Team for sunday (4-5-1)
Hahnemann
Foley (RB)
Craddock (RCB)
Berra (LCB)
Ward (LB)
Jarvis (LM)
Milijas (LCM)
Mancienne (DM)
Henry (RM)
Mujangi (RM)
Doyle (ST)
ROUND PEGS, ROUND HOLES. Simples!
I’d also like to see some fight, determination, and a desire to win…
Ill join the “Mick Out” Brigade if we are humiliated (as we were on Tuesday) at Blues
KTF UTW!
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117 – you say that Mcleish has kept a settled side – ok, but know tell me how many injuries have they had compared to us – remember we lost our two top scorers from last season + our record buy add to that kites and jarvis, Mick won’t use that has an excuse – but it is worth remembering, if I remember correctly the same can be said of coyle at Burnley!
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Johnwolf, injuries are a part of the game. Hardly any team has no injuries in a season and this is why teams have squads to cover for those eventualities. Wolves’ squad is weak and full of Championship level players hence we are struggling to keep pace with some of the other clubs.
The club had a great opportunity to buy the players we required last Summer but because we always go looking for cheap options, we get cheap players in return and not the experienced players we really need.
Birmingham have invested wisely and have played more or less the same team week in and week out. They have not been rested like our players have but still put in consistent performances and by looking at the league table you can see where it has got them!
Wolves decided to take a different route and look where we are in the table. Enough said!
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mmmmmmmm122 you have asked for it now, get ready for the jibes. I agree though!
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good blog,i must agree with your sentiments.
i am a very worried wolves fan,but will still give full support and hope for the best.
i have stated in other posts over last couple of seasons that mick still keeps making same errors, if we survive this season it will be combination of sheer luck and poor league.
playing players out of from.
playing players out of position.
constanly changing the team.
poor transfers.(very few exceptions)
poor business in transfer window.
1st season fair enough we had to put a team together and mick and team did brilliantly.
but since then we have squandered millions.
players we spent good money on hardly get a game and then we can’t give them away.
and paying over the odds for poor championship players has continued.
i hope mick can be big enough to learn and learn quickly. if we survive this season the we should then be able to attract a better quality player, get relegated and it will be tough getting back up.
go and have a go at brum and hope we sneak a 1-0 win.
!!!!!!as always come on the wolves!!!!!!
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I may be a dreamer but 4 points from next two games will make all he difference!
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Looks a beaten man he is a beaten man as with Sunderland at this level out of is depth,And as regards to signing players I wouldn’t give the bloke the bus fare home Jumanji or whatever his name is couldn’t trap a bag of cement,And now as I expected the whole lot of em are coming out with the usual post abortion match claptrap. Noticed the express and star billboard the other night MM show me the real Wolves o.k. mate give me you address I have a dvd of em in the 70′s.
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Nathan,
Let me get this straight. Season before last -difficult season- you were wanting Mick out and slating his every move. Last season, team running away with the league, you were pro Mick and wanted him to stay.
This season, after some bad results, you want Mick out.
Wolves fans fickle? Never….
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Last season Mick got lucky and the opposition floundered, this season the luck of the Irish hasn’t spun in yet!
Last season he was doing the same stupid things and we were all screaming exactly the same things as Nathan has listed above.
This is why those who think about the problem quickly realise that the Championship is Micks limit, and he is out of his depth here in the Premiership.
Surely Mick must realise this himself, and as an honourable man he should step down and let us employ somebody with the extra qualities needed at this level.
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I haven’t said get Mick out, far from it, I think we should support him until the end of the current campaign.
I’m just pointing out a few things that will need to change if survival is even remotely possible.
I did want Mick out after that dreadful season, but I said I would support him whilst he is at the helm and I have yet to call for his head.
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Man Utd v Leeds 0-1 will be remembered in years to come, Wolves v Palace will not, this was an over reaction to one cup game. The simple fact is the status at the end of the season. We were always in a relegation battle when we were promoted & would new signings in transfer window have made a difference? I doubt it! The fact is some of the supporters forget what Micks done for this club. There will be a few more blogs no doubt, negative & positive before the end of the season. I’m glad Nathan’s a writer not a manager as his opinion changes more than Micks team selection. Good luck for Sunday
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There has been some debate on here about the relevance or not of Chorley. At that time we had just signed Steve Bull.I can clearly remember the great lift the club, the fans and no doubt the players got from this signing even before he had kicked a ball for us.He was a lot of money for our budget ,young ,quick and with a reputation for goals .At the time no one could have dream’t just how good he would turn out to be.But the lift such a signing can give to a football club you don’t find in an accounting manual.How we the club and the players could have done with such a lift in the last transfer window.Another missed opportunity Mr Moxey.
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Chris, carrying your argument on a little. We’d just signed Bully and immediately lost to Chorley which surely ranks as our lowest point in history. Agreed?
I would question your suggestion of the lift given to the club when Steve Bull was first signed. I remember those days and they were dark indeed compared to today.
Bringing it forward a decade or three, we’ve just signed Mujangi and then lost to Palace in what appears, for many supporters, a result that is as awful as that day in Lancashire.
Perhaps, just perhaps there is a comparison to be made…..??
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Further point if you are so good at statistics .What was our league position the day we signed Steve Bull and what was it at the end of that season? As I recall we faced losing our league position,but after the Bull Thompsom and Dennison signings we made the playoffs.It is called investing in the team.
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Just to remind us all of Bully’s reputation for goals before joining WWFC:
He made his league debut as a substitute against QPR on 12 April 1986; it was his only league appearance that season. He played three Second Division games for Albion after they were relegated in 1986, scoring twice, and also scored one goal in two League Cup appearances for the club.
I’m not putting down Bully whatsoever, just asking for reasoned arguments based on solid facts.
UTW v the blues, we need the win!
Forever WWFC
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The reputation for goals that I recall was from the Central League and the comments made in the Sunday Mercury and possibly the Express and Star at the time.Not the bald statistics from a current book.He was a big signing at the time. To pick out one petty point and try to change the impact of the signing at that time is pretty low.I can recall how I felt at that railway station in Bolton after the Chorley game.’We have got a new centre forward the people in charge are giving it a go.’THAT WAS NOT HOW I FELT THIS TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY.
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stoneislandwolf, Foley played in central midfield for a few games for Luton in league one and Mancienne again played a few games in central midfield for QPR in the Championship. Hardly inspiring is it?!
The fact is Foley is not a right winger and it shows and Mancienne continues to get pickede in midfield when Castillo, who McCarthy signed and is an international central midfielder is totally overlooked along with Surman.
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I am well and truely behind wolves however looking at the team selection I am just wondering where Milijas is NOT EVEN ON THE BENCH
What is going on Mick are u trying not to create goals and are the 2 loan signing going to get a real game
COME ON time to put up or shut up
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Totally predictable,Ward destroyed again this time by a 35 year old for the second goal,12th time in 24 two or more conceded,Manager tactically naive,Mcleish changed the game with his of substutions whilst our comic duo McCarthy and clipboard wait until 88th minute.
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McCarthy out.
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MICK OUT!
CURBS’ IN!
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Excuse me Nathan why the hell do you and so many other fans keep going on about the money wasted on Stefan Maierhofer? He has scored 1 goal made up of the odd 15mins here & there!! He played against Man Utd for a very weak Wolves team which would not have given anyone who played up front a chance!! If you look at the player stats of min’s played he has only played about 120min’s compared to SEB 1300 min’s!! So why not give the guy a bloody chance for 2 or 3 games we can’t do any damn worse than what is going on at the moment!! CAN WE????? How can you or anyone else say he is not good enough for this team???
I think Mad Mick is to loyal to a good few players who are in the team week in week out!! Such as Henry he is such a negative player, I think most of the Wolves team just expect to be picked and play every game and do not give 100%. If Mad Mick dropped a few of the under performing regular players we may see a change in attitude from some of them!!
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I’ve seen Maierhofer play, that’s why I can judge what a poor player is he.
Karl Henry as been one of our best players this season. Why do fans get on his back?
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We got unfairly mugged today but it changes nothing: MM must go.
No settled side, wasted millions, doesn’t even play most of the dudes he’s bought, promised us all new signings must be better than we’ve already got, disrespects the ‘nugget’ fans who pay his wages, only buys ‘yes’ men not leaders, no quality, no tactics, no strikers…no chance!
If we go down, we’re going to be in a right mess. Kiss goodbye to top flight football for at least 3 years, possibly 5. So much for the “we aint doing an Albion”, Moxey. You can pack your bags too. If Morgan doesn’t take some firm action, he can disappear too, back to his true love, Liverpool. I’m sick of seeing a golden opportunity absolutely destroyed by rank amateurs running the show. Wolves fans have been taken for a ride, just like the previous Premiership season. I despair.
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promised us all new signings must be better than we’ve already got.
Yet Ward is the best left back at the club?.
Done by a 35 year old yesterday,Craddock finished Berra slow.
No ambition from top to bottom.
Moxeys overview will make interesting reading in Wednesdays programme.Bet he tries to defend his no buy before the window and he is happy with the squad.Living in cuckoo land alongside the comic duo McCarthy and Clipboard.
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We need a premiership manager to get us out of this quickly.
McCarthy`s total premiership managerial record is now 61 games 7 wins 10 draws 44 losses. Or 31pts out of a possible 183.
Like certain players there are managers who can`t hack the premiership. Sadly mick is one with a lack of know how and lack of ability to attract big signings. That has been evident with the recent transfer window activity. We need Kevin Keegan to inject exciting attacking play and get the best out of what we have. If available his appointment would create a HUGE sense of confidence in the players as well as the fans.
If we are to go down I would rather see wolves fight and scrap and give us supporters something to look forward to next year.
On the other hand we could play a 4-4-2 attacking and exciting style of football which Keegan injects in his teams and you never know we could beat the remaining teams around us this season, which has obviously cost us this season so far. If the board tried desperately to get Keano, Adam Johnson and Stephen Hunt, then they should put all stops out to get Keegan. At this rate we will be down with portsmouth by end of april.
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It was clear from the Blues game that it was Berra and Craddock that needed resting in mid week. Instaed they got a chasing at Palace from diminutive Butterfield, and as a result their legs were gone in the last 20 minutes, allowing the equally diminutive Phillips to stick the knife in. Next up is Defoe who could prove a huge problem on the break. Root Cause is the lack of Quality cover both at Centre and Left Back, and Mr Morgans promises made in May are now shown to be hollow. Having played the bottom six clubs at home I can’t see where we can possibly get another 4 or 5 wins this season.
This season is a Golden Opportubity wasted!!
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If we go down, im my opinion the reasons for this are:
1. Narrowing the pitch. Last year we made the pitch bigger, played attacking football with two wingers and won the league. This year we have narrowed the pitch, still tried to play with wingers and look where we are in the league.
2. Signed the wrong players. Craddock/Berra are not quick/strong enought – should have signed another centre back (Dann or R.Johnson anyone?) and a left back (should have signed Danny Fox!)Instead we have signed a load of midfielders. Well done.
3. Constantly messing with the team. I dont know why Mick can’t pick his best available players, with players in the right position and stick with them.
4. Negative tactics – we played 4-4-2, couldnt defend but were creating chances (even though we couldnt finish them). No we are playing 4-5-1/4-3-3 which means we still cant defend but now have 6 defenders and 2 striker on the pitch so have about 2 shots a match!
I always try to support the manager, as I dont believe sacking managers is always the best way to go. The only manager I have wanted to see sacked was Hoddle but I am very quickly starting to lose faith in McCarthy. I am grateful for what he has done for the club but he seems to be losing the plot now.
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I said before the start of the season that MM should be replaced. He is OK at a lower level but completely out of his depth in the Big League.
I agree with several bloggers that we do not want to stay up, despite the financial incentives. Unlike Birmingham, we seem ambitionless and want football “on the cheap”
After analysing the team selections this season, the match (lack of) strategies, and our farcical transfer window (lack of) activity, I can only agree with John McEnroe – “You cannot be serious”
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