Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Magic 13 lucky number for Doyle
Monday 8th March 2010, 12:00PM GMT.
Wolves striker Kevin Doyle has set the team a 13-point target as a marker to stay in the Premier League.
Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Manchester United left Mick McCarthy’s side 17th and out of the relegation zone on goal difference following third bottom Hull’s 5-1 defeat at Everton yesterday, a result that leaves the club’s goal difference eight better than the Tigers.
This Saturday’s crunch clash at Burnley is the first of 10 games left, with Villa and West Ham to follow in successive trips plus journeys to Arsenal, Fulham and Portsmouth. Fast-improving Everton, Stoke, Blackburn and Sunderland also still have to come to Molineux.
And Doyle said: “We probably need four wins and a draw, and there are a few of us in a similar situation. We’ve got 10 games to go and things will turn our way.
“Apart from Arsenal, there are nine easily winnable if we play well.”
Having taken 24 points from 28 games, Doyle’s projected total of 37 means Wolves will have to increase their points ratio.
Thirty seven was enough to stay up in three out of the last six seasons and also the average amount of points needed for survival over the same period.
But the £6.5million record signing insists they can do it.
He said: “I believe we can do it and the lads believe we can do it if we put in performances like we did against United.”
Boss Mick McCarthy believes the target for safety will be lower than in previous years.
He said: “I don’t think it’s going to be the highest tally it’s ever been to stay up. All the teams involved have got to play each other. We may drop into that bottom three but there are games coming along we can win.
“We just have to believe if we keep playing that way, we’ll win them because there are plenty of games to go.”
Six-goal top scorer Doyle suffered relegation with Reading in 2007-08 but insists Wolves possess a better mindset than the Royals.
He said: “We’re playing better than when I got relegated at Reading, and they were mid-table at Christmas. We never felt we would get relegated.
“Wolves have been in and out of the bottom three all year, so we’re well aware of the situation.
“We’re in that mindset and we know what we have to do.”
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Kevin, its time for all the players and MM/TC to STOP talking to the E&S and media,about how well we are playing and keep going on n on n on about how you beat Tottenham twice. That game is long gone and forgotton, and get on with what matters most to us supporters, and thats to SCORE GOALS and more importantly WIN MATCHES in the next 3/4 games. I dont care if on Saturday WE play CRAP as long as we SCORE 2-3-4 GOALS and WIN the game 3pts is ALL i/we care about this stage of the season. GOOD LUCK SATURDAY LADS UTW
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Tom, thanks for pointing that out. The players didnt know they had to score and win games. Now you have cleared that up I am sure we will avoid relegation.
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Jake…..
The problem is the players and MM keep talking a good game but they dont deliver!
If we’d done this if we’d done that!!!
Do the talking on the pitch…..win games to stay up….
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WEva, last time I looked we were in 17th. Ive also been told that if were in 17th at the end of the season we stay up.
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I like Doyle’s thinking but I can’t see us getting 13 points with the current setup. I think that we need to alter the formation against Burnley or we will not have the fire power to cause them problems. I hope Mick is not going to keep his favourites in just because of hard graft. Hard Graft has got us 17th this season in the Premier . How about Some creativity and flair = GOALS .
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Play 4-4-2 on Sat.
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I disagree, our problem is not the formation, it’s confidence when it comes to that final finishing touch. The formation is working well, we are having good possession, good control of the game and breaking down attacks. We need to cut out the silly lapses in concentration in defense and regain the confidence so that we can put the ball in the back of the net when the chances are created… The formation is allowing us to make far more chances than when we have played 4-4-2… We just need to capitalise on those chances. Afterall, that is what Paul Scholes did, he capitalised on the only chance he got in the game. Also exactly what Didier Drogba did for Chelsea against us, two chances and he finished them both. Welcome back Edwards and Keogh.
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Oh ok…..nothing to do with a striker at left back and a right back as a winger?
All I want is players playing in their correct positions
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By my reckoning, we’ve picked up 8 points of our total of 24 (I include Wigan away) employing 4-5-1, scoring 5 goals in the process. How does that suggest we are more creative using this formation??
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To win we have to score!
Doyle; is to busy retreating to midfield to bring the ball out but then has no on in front of himself to pass to (this suggests he has little faith in the midfield).
Blanks; Say no more. Still struggling at the PL level
Vokes; Showed why he only managed 1 goal in a free scoring Leeds team two divisions below and why they didn’t ask to extend his loan. Although does get into the positions to have a go.
Hoff; Training with the nippers????
Keogh; Can’t fault the effort but not a goal scorer.
Big Chris; out on loan. Maybe worth giving a go.
Our midfielders have shown why they are not strikers, they get in front of goal and it looks like a deer in the headlights, they freeze or pass it to the goalie.
Manchester evening news said that Fergie choose this game to reunite Ferinand and Vidic because he thought “it would be an easy game for the defensive pair due to Wolves lack of attacking punch”!
We can still stay up but it’s going to be real ugly. UTW
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I pretty much agree with everyothing said so far. To get 13 points we have to win games and to win games we need to score – Thats what were not doing .
I think a change of formation is required with a more atacking approach. sorry to say , but still gutted after saturdays defeat ..if only Ward and then vokes had scored…i will keep the faith but don’t know for how much longer. sats. drive home seemed like an eternity
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its bloody close this year ! loook at Bolton, 2 wins in a row and they’re well on their way to a Champions league spot !!
Scoring goals. thats our problem. can we fix it? who knows.
Needs repeating how well we played on Sat.
Well done lads we can ask no more.
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You had better learn how to WIN young man and a bit quick !
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I agree.It’s no use saying how well we played and lost.I’ve heard that all season.We are thinking like losers.We need to start thinking as winners.
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Bring Back the Bull Mister, he would still hit the back of the net given all the chances we have had this season its a no brainier, 13 pts means at least 10 goals what chance have we got????? I’m off to the bookies
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Change this 4-5-1 ‘we must not lose’ system and go on the attack!
We are giving our opponents too many opportunities and invariably they score form one or 2 of them and that makes us chase the game. If we attack (and somehow manage to score?), our opponents will have to chase the game instead of us.
That will give more opportunities to pick up points but playing 4-5-1 will result in only one outcome – relegation!
As for Doyles optimism about requiring 13 points to stay up – nice dream Kevin but not playing 4-5-1!
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Bad luck on Saturday—–RUBBISH.Alack of concentration at vital stages is where we were let down.Mick hasn`t got it into the players about being proffessional enough.They should not really need telling but,I`m afraid this is what you get when you buy on the cheap.The blame lies with bad management not the players,who I do admit work hard but in all honesty most are not good enough.The owner has to wake up and get rid of the idiot and get in a proper manager who is capable and competent in doing the job.
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13 points from the games left in my view is a BIG ask! Unless the tactics change right now! We are just so dam negative in every game! No matter who the opposition! I agree playing this way against top teams to try sneakung a point but against everybody is ludicrous! There must be different tactics for each game surely??? But i cant see what mm changes from one game to the next! So in actual fact you could have a potato sitting where he does because he doesnt seem to do alot! Same subs at the same time every game also! When was the last time mm changed his tactics mid game to get us a result from being behind?? Anyone?
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How can we be playing well when we’re level on points with Hull and 1 point ahead of the circus that is Burnley.
Thank god this league is shocking this year otherwise we would be sitting at the bottom.
Even if we do stay up, the teams replacing Pompey, Hull and Burnley are a lot better!!!
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Garbage! Who are they then? Newcastle? they were good last year weren’t they? Forest…See Derby under Billy Davies for that. Baggies… Worse than they were last year and will more than likely be stripped of at least two key players. Whoe else Middlesboro, Leicester, Cardif etc.. give me a break. Should we stop up we will be in a better position financially and in stature to aquire better players. We have not played that well except a few games but we have not played badly in that many either. We have had some horrific decisions regarding penaltys but that is football. We are out of relegation zone its in our own hands which is the best we would have all been hoping for last May and the teams below us much like when we won the CCC do not seem to want to take advantage of our poor results. Get a grip.
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wolvesmod – why not end it all now? Just don’t get it, 2003 we were bottom and being turned over by everyone. We are fourth from the base and no one is turning us over, we even done the double over Spurs who lie fourth from top! What on earth were you expecting this season? Champions League qualification? We are doing fine and that bit of luck we have been missing is on its way, all seasons balance out eventually. So please go take a happy pill and get rid of the doom and gloom, what’s the worst that can happen? We get relegated, so what we will still support Wolves.
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Caribbean, The difference between now and 2003 is marginal.I read somewhere we have the exact same no of points as last time for the same no of games. I always imagine rightly or wrongly that you are living it up in the sun.Some of us don’t fancy Doncaster on a Tuesday night next Feb.But you are right we will still support the Wolves.
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please try out the hoff to help doyle it could well pay off after seeing vokes i think in the same position he might well have scored or put the ball at someboyds feet after all he has the height and thats something that might help what did we buy him for if not to play good luck for next game
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I suppose the E&S have to dig these articles out to sell papers, but, I’m sick of Wolves players and their predictions.
One post further up says Doyle breaks from midfield and then has no one to pass to. Not entirely true. I counted at least twice on Saturday when he had Jarvis and Jones either side in space and opted to (first) shoot from 30 yards and then take on defenders and lose possession. I’m not knocking him, far from it, but, with 4-5-1 we get limited chances and we must maximise our opportunities.
Just pray we can keep Saturday’s form for Turf Moor and by the law of averages we have to score sooner or later.
Good to hear Dave Edwards is back in training. He should be that missing link on the right side. Musn’t be impatient, mind you, he’s a high tempo player and needs to be 100% fit.
Why oh why are there posters knocking Karl Henry. Yes I agree some of his sidewards, backwards passes can be annoying, but, without the covering and tackling in the engine room that he gets through we’d be in the deep and pungent stuff. He’s performed most consistently this season. No wonder the professional pundits pick him out and Villa are watching him.
The angry brigade, who’ve probably never kicked a ball in their lives won’t agree, but, hey, that’s their perogative
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At last someone who appreciates Karl Henry. He has been superb this season. He never hides, he always gives 100% and, most of all, he is the only player who doesn’t give the ball away.
Don’t agree about Edwards though – he couldn’t trap the proverbiable bag of cement. He couldn’t even get in the side last season.
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I’m afraid that if M.M thinks all we need is a change of luck then relegation is inevitable!!!
Its got nothing to do with luck and more to do with negative tactics.
You can’t blame Doyle for dropping deep, its the only way he can get the ball.
Its as plane as the nose on Micks face, you will always struggle to score when you constantly pick a team with only 2 attack minded players, Doyle and Jarvis. Foley has been a complete none entity in R. midfield but is a better fullback than Ward will ever be.
I seriously think 34 points will be enough but its breaking my heart that Mick is more concerned with not get a good hiding than actually trying to win a game.
The negativity started in the summer when he narrowed the pitch and the theme has continued since.
You have proved beyond all doubt Mick that the Championship is your limit and you are not up to it in the Prem.
For Gods sake swallow your pride, admit your tactics are wrong and go on the attack!!!
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No 13.Eastwood’s Rubbish, I fully agree with you comments as ive wrote virtually the same. And as for Karl Henry he is without doubt my player of the season so far,and cant see at this late stage anyone beating him now. MM says Kevin Doyle is the best player yet if he’s had such a good season and played so well why as he only scored 6 goals all season. And an old man of 34 on his last legs as scored 4 goals ? like you ive said Henry does pass back/sideways to often even i screamed at him once on Saturday when he had Jarvis and Ward to his left in a forward position and he turned and passed back, but people dont see or want to see how much graft he puts in and how much he breaks down the oppositions breakaways. nice to see a few of our better players coming back like Keogh/Edwards we need everyone fit and up it for the run-in UTW
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There is one missing ingredient. Luck.
Everybody is scratching there head as to what the problem is. We are creating chances and we are playing well. But we have no luck at all.
We need some lady luck. ANd the goals will come.
I am sure if we get anohter Vokes moment. We will not miss.
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So can you please tell me where these 13 points are coming from cause i cant,i see wigan won last night in front of only 17,000 if they can do it on those gates why cant wolves,plus its only £20 in.
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Here we go again. You don’t get any luck when your at the bottom so stop going on about luck as many of you have highlighted its goals we need.At the moment Burnley and Hull along with Portsmouth are going down all we need to do is to continue playing well and the rest will sort itself out.Any team can up thier game when Utd visit. See Wolves in the prem next season no worries.
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