Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
McCarthy vows not to change team
Tuesday 9th March 2010, 12:30PM GMT.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has vowed to leave his line-up unchanged again for Saturday’s key collision against Burnley at Turf Moor.
The manager plans to make it five successive games with the same team for the trip to Turf Moor in a huge show of faith to his current favoured starting XI.
Since the switch to 4-5-1, the only changes have been Adlene Guedioura for Michael Mancienne in midfield against Tottenham and David Jones for Nenad Milijas at Hull. The team have won one and drew two out of seven, but played well in all of the games.
One possible change some fans would like to see is Kevin Foley reverting to right-back, behind a more naturally attacking wide man.
But Ronald Zubar has been performed impressively at full-back recently, while Foley’s ability to keep the ball and read the game offer Wolves a safe option on the right wing.
And McCarthy is not for turning because of the counter-effect any alterations would have on his current line-up.
He said: “Everyone will have an opinion on this and you can make a change to get something that maybe one player isn’t giving us.
“But by doing that I’ll take away from what that person is giving us, and this is a really solid team performing for us at the minute. We should have scored on Saturday and we should have scored against Chelsea.
“It’s no good telling me to put strikers in so we might score because by doing that we might lack the team cohesion.
“And what we have had is real good solid performances.”
McCarthy believes continuity breeds familiarity and reckons Wolves – like Birmingham this season – can only benefit from having a settled team, despite making numerous changes until recently.
He said: “When we played Birmingham, they had their solid 11 on that had been doing well for them. It does help when you play together. We had chances to have won that game.
“Then they had a substitute in Kevin Phillips who managed to change it, but he wasn’t on from the start.”
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You won’t change your team, so the result will be the same!! Another loss, thanx MM!
Foley right wing yet again can’t wait.
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Spot on! What on earth is this guy playing at? Why the heck does he think that this system is working? 5 points from a possible 21 5 points from 24 if u count the palace cup game as points since the system has been used! Who gives a hoot about us playing well in all games (which in my opinion we HAVE NOT!) what is MM actually doing as manager then is my question!! SAME side week in and out regardless of opposition, SAME tactics, so guess what MM SAME OLD RESULT!!
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Have you been to any games recently, we have played really well!
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Not missed a game this season home and away! Im intrigued to know what you think passes for playing well? ? Our football is dreadful, schoolboy at times, my guess is your refering to games against utd and chelsea! Right? Have a look back at games, we didnt really play that well against utd unless the aim of the game is to create 2 clear cut chances and miss both (ward header n vokes) do u mean we defended well?
How many gamed have u been to more like as id luv to know what games you thought we played well in!?
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Don’t think of letting Blake or Vokes in the team again. They both could not hit a barn door from 6 yards.
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Quite right Mossman. It doesn’t matter if Muppet puts out the first 11 and all of the reserves, this bunch of incompetents are never going to score. I take note of the comments re Doyle not getting service but given his goal tally, can we honestly say he was worth 6.5 mill? Compared with how Birmingham are doing, this season has been nothing short of a gut-wrenching disaster. Virtually every one of muppet’s acquisitions has either not played or been sub-standard. They may as well have left the money in the bank.
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couldnt agree more about foley,why not play geoffrey or even blake in this position,at least when a chance arises they would be better qualified in front of goal to take it.oh i forgot foley ” puts a shift in ” well mick so do the donkeys on blackpool beach.
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YES we are playing a settled line up
YES we are playing well
NO we are not scoring enough points with the system as is…
1) I would swap Milias(sorry for the bad spelling!) for Jones simply because almost all our goals came from milias set pieces! why not have the player with the most assists playing? i know he fades, so just put him on for 60 minutes!
2) Foley is playing ok, but we need an attacking option, so i would drop foley to the bench and put in keogh, again not match fit, but thats why we have subs!
The manager needs to be able to change things when things are not working.. use subs effectively!
ok thats off my chest…. just hope we stay up!
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Totally agree, altho Jones is doing well, we haven’t got another player like Milijas who is capable of striking the ball into the net from 30 yards as he did versus Bolton, I feel Milijas is the better player even if he does tire, as you say, thats when you use your subs effectively.
I’d like to see Foley taken out of this attacking role, but I would like to see him put left back instead, I think Ward is struggling for form and confidence and Foley looked much better when he moved there on saturday.
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I agree with putting Foley at left back, he’s a natural defender who is both footed, and Ward has really struggled in the last few games, this would allow someone like Keogh or Mujangi to go out wide, giving us more balance i feel.
God only knows if our season would be different if we had Kighlty on that right hand side!!
Onwards and upwards to saturday
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Milijas has to play.
1) He’s a better player than Jones. He is the captain of Serbia who are a top international team. Jones has done OK but can’t produce that killer pass. He is in the side to create openings but rarely passes the ball forwards.
2) Milijas is dead ball expert. Teams in the bottom half of the league rarely score goals from open play. Free kicks and corners are precious. We have to make them count.
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So much for my previous post about making bold decisions.
Well this is a team that is dreadfully exposed on the left hand side, has no pace in either of the centre halfs and can’t score any goals.
Well, that should re-assure us all that we will be safe come the end of the season Mick.
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I totally agree richwolf .His 2 centre backs play the same way as McCarthy used to . Good in the air ( when not challenging for the same ball )but , oh dear , on the ground they just hoof it up to our small lone forward or off the pitch.Neither of them can read the game – no anticipation ! As for Ward , he’s showing a lack of confidence as well as postioning.Perhaps MM should watch the game from high in the stands to see CLEARLY the way his defence plays.(Stay)Up the Wolves !!
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So its taken MM 28 games to realise that playing a settled team as more chance to win/draw games, than constantly changing week in – week out. and he’s our Manager who is supposed to know everything about football, im afraid he leaves a lot to be desired in his knowledge for my liking then. Plus he says he likes this system, why you may ask well the reason is because it allows us to be more compact harder to break down so we dont concede so many goals like before playing 4-4-2. As when we played that system conceding loads of goals the ‘Supporters’ were getting onto him, and we all know McCarthy hates people having a go at him. So at least with 4-5-1 it looks like we are a playing better than we really are, alas the downside to it is we dont ‘SCORE’ goals therefore we dont ‘WIN’ matches hence 4th from bottom lowest goalscorers in ALL the divisions?
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Im pretty sure no manager in the world would claim they know everything about football. Every manager still learns new techniques constantly, including the likes of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. As i recall, even when playing 4-4-2 we wenr tsetting the league allight with our goal scoring.
Have you ever thought, that the problem with goal scoring is less to do with the formation and more to do with the players. Even against Manchester United we had two clear cut chances on goal, and numerous other chances to score.
With a bit of luck, we could easily start getting a few results and then start putting away those clear cut chances with the confidence that would come from it.
And please stop comparing our goal scoring ratings with other divisions, the premier league has the better defences than the other leagues, is notoriously harder to score more goals, and consists of fewer games.
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The formation of 4-5-1 is working up until the crucial execution stage; we are creating chances and defending well, even though it is negatively frustrating at times. The problem is where Liverpool, Man Utd etc have quality midfielders (Gerrard, Lampard etc…) who can execute the final stage (score) we do not. Our midfielders fail miserably when in front of goal.
So the principal of 4-5-1 is sound, we simply do not have the tools for the job.
As for other players, I agree they have to wait. We’ve been a better side with more consistency in the starting 11.
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Well,we can’t it both ways,I suppose. Earlier in the season,we were all calling for him to pick a ‘settled side’ and now he does people are asking him to change it.
I have no problem with the 4-5-1 against the so-called big clubs but we do need to be more positive against the teams around us in the table.
If he does start the 4-5-1 (with the same personnel)then fine – as long as he is not afraid to quickly change it when things go wrong. For me,our substitutions are always made too late in the game.
United changed it early in the second half on Saturday and it worked.Blues did the same. We always wait for the last 10 minutes.
Saturday is our biggest game for years,in my opinion,and he needs to get his formation and tactics spot on or we’ve had it.
I think it’s 2 from 3 now for the remaining relegation slots and we HAVE to beat Burnley.
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my team for Saturday:
HAHNEMANN
ZUBAR
CRADDOCK
BERRA ( STEARMAN )
FOLEY ( MANCIENNE )
KEOGH
GUEDIOURA
HENRY
JARVIS
DOYLE
IWELUMO
4-4-2 or 4-3-3
Then when we lose the ball Keogh and Doyle drop back to make it a 4-5-1 with Iwelumo upfront alone as the target man.
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I agree, 4-4-2 on attack and when we lose the ball Keogh drops back into midfield.
With Wigan winning last night the Burnley game becomes a must win
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Iwelumo-surely you are joking!? He has achieved nothing for us since November 2008.Did you not see his performance against Crystal Palace in the Cup?
Our problem is, apart from Doyle,that we do not have any other forwards worthy of a place in the starting line up. I exclude Keogh from this comment as he is not 100% fit but he is the only one I would consider.
If we go down this season, I blame the Club’s failure to bring in any strikers during January. They knew SEB was struggling, also big Chris, Maierhoffer is not up to it, Vokes is still young with a lot to learn, and Keogh was injured. They needed to bring in 2 proven strikers on loan if necessary, even from the Championship level, rather than trying impossible targets like Robbie Keane.
In my opinion that is when all was lost. Please God may I be wrong!
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blakes not struggling he has bottled it,mentally gone.have burnleys or birminghams strikers recorded the big fat zero (penalties dont count)think not.when we are bemoaning not having a striker,well we have one ,he should have been good for 10 goals this season yet hes done nothing but collect his wages
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I’d like to see….
gk. hahnemann
rb. zubar
cb. craddock
cb. berra
lb. foley
dm. henry
cm. guedioura
cm. milijas
lwf. jarvis
rwf. doyle
cf. vokes
Think we need that bit of class that Milijas gives us back in the team and despite his miss at the weekend, Vokes gave Vidic and Ferdinand problems when he came on and gives us an aerial presence, altho I’ve got Doyle as a right wing forward I’d have him coming inside and pretty much playing as a second striker, this may leave us a bit light defensively on our right side but I feel Henry tends to play most of his game defending the right side more than the left side plus I doubt Fox will want to push too far forward for Burnley if he has to occupy Doyle.
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Good call thats the team I would like to see Vokes would be an airial threat and hopefully Doyle might start scoring goals.
Big problem MM will not leave WARD out because don’t forget MM said he was the best Irish player playing left back.
The Irish manager didn’t agree as he didn’t even make the squad,most WW suporters would agree with him.
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for god sake mick doyle needs help upfront we are not scoring goals
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[post 8]
h w,
I would like to know what Stan Cullis would have
said to Mick McCarthy on the current playing
formation?.Answers by post,please.
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this is difficult to judge as the team have performed well with this formation and are much harder to beat, but the most important thing in my view is the results which have NOT gone in our favour.
I dont think the results will change if we dont adjust the team selection or the formation .MM admits that at the moment we have to score first for this formation to work, and when we go one nil down we have a mountain to climb to get one goal let alone 2 to win games and we have to win games to stay up.
4-5-1 works in an attacking sense if you have 2 attacking wingers and one midfielder that gets forward too and can score goals.We dont have that.
I remember Djones using this formation in our away games when we were last in the prem, with Newton,camara on the wings, and cameron, ince, getting forward and we created a lot of chances. the trouble was we were hopeless defensively.
I cant see us beating burnley who are strong at home, with the same team selection.MM will play 451 so there’s no point arguing but I think Foley needs replacing with either Keogh, Zubar or Doyle who is really good there. Why cant we use keogh or SEB to play the lone striker instead of Doyle? This puts 2 strikers on the pitch and increases our chances of getting a goal? Miljas must feature in this game
One more point is that we need a plan B, if we concede a goal lets not wait till the last 10 minutes to make changes. MM really needs to be prepared to change it if it not working and he has been very reluctant or possibly afraid to do. Against b’ham, we was one nil up and philips and gardner came on for Brum with 20mins left to go.
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You absolute fool we could have beat ManU if you had made changes earlier. I thought this formation was put in place to keep it solid against Liverpool and get a draw. Playing it against Burnley and that’s all you’ll get at most a draw.
You said yesterday we need 4 wins so stop being such a hypocrite Mick. A win needs an attacking formation
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Totally agree
The time is over for being conservative.
Change the line up get rid of Ward and replace him Foley, switch Jarvis to the right and put Jones out on the left and ensure Milijas gets a run out. Play two up front and tell the wingers to stretch out wide to pen up the centre!
I said this weeks ago that Wolves fans in general would rather see out team go out fighting rather than a whimper.
Its a bloody discrace to the fans to put out such a negative team time and time again.
Its obvious to all that we have a really weak squad, but that cant be changed now so if it takes 20 shots on goal during a match to score 2 then that is what should be aimed at.
The time to strengthen the squad wil lhave to wait until the end of the season. Only then will we know if we are building for the Prem or starting from scratch again in the Fizzy pop league as our top talents will all certainly be on their bikes!
Wolves are aggresive animals that hunt in packs are manager should take a look at the emblem and grow a pair.
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Got to disagree with Mick on the Burnley game, if we don’t win I think we are more than likely relegated. It would leave us requiring Champions League form for the remaining 9 games, and that isn’t going to happen!
Up the Wolves and definately 3 points on Saturday.
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“And what we have had is real good solid performances.”
We have also had 5 points from 21 !
I like all on this site want Wolves to stay up, but we need Wins now and we need at least to score once in a match to win !
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I think we need to keep the formation but play another attacking midfielder. It’s tough. We cannot lose to Burnley though. You have to think that we are due a little bit of luck!
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Great news just parted with 495.00 big ones for next season, don’t let me down now Mick, premiership football please next season.
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Muppet Mick will you ever learn? If we are going to stay up lets give it a go and play like a team wanting to win games. The system you are playing is a disaster if we go a goal behind. Please try and play with two upfront. Burnley are not Manchester U or Liverpool or Tottenham!! We are batter and as supporters worthy of some entertainment even if we go down.
Put Mancienne at left back
Put Foley at right back
Put Zubar at centre back
Put Milijas on the park
Get someone to help Doyle
GOD HELP US!
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Why would you change a losing team lol?
We can play well in every game between now and the end of the season but if we don’t score we aint gonna win.
I voted for Foely last year as player of the season but he wouldn’t be in my team right now. I don’t think playing it safe constitutes as a good win.
Team for Sat (4-3-3). Which is a MUST WIN GAME Mick! Don’t you dare say it isn’t!
Hahnemann
Stearman
Craddock
Zubar
Mancienne
Guedioura
Jones
Milijas
Jarvis
Iwelumo
Doyle
Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack!
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Either he is playing mind games, and for the love of God, I hope so, or he is hoping we keep this system and let other teams around us slip up. Steve Ward needs to be sent on a “Idiots Guide to Defending”, always reminds me of the teachers pet. Need him to be replaced by Mancienne, or christ sake, give Milijas a chance there, cannot be any worse than Ward. Need to replace Foley, for Keogh. Minimum changes, with maximum impact. But MM loves to get his shiny apples each day.
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I would certainly revert Foley back to Right Back even though Zubar has been a tad improved. then we have Foley, Craddock, Berra and Ward as 4 backs (Foley and Ward can operate like Wing Backs) In the Middle I would have Henry in front of Centre Backs with Doyle and Jarvis to his Left, Guediora and Keogh to his right leaving lone striker of Ebanks or Vokes up front. This way we have two left sided and two right sided attacking men who also track back and defend and one fully fledged striker. Note Doyle has not had much experience of playing up front on his own prior to Wolves and those who watch him every week will see how much of the pitch he covers coming back to assist rather than the old fashioned “goalhanging” as most out and out strikers do.
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Of course you are right as always Mick! Why change a losing team, no pont in that!!
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If we do not score goals we go down! Obvious? Doyle needs help!!!!
Cannot wait until next season when Sylvan starts banging in the goals again. Championship obviously.
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In my mind the formation has generally worked well. Without sounding biased, I really beleive we have been unlucky with some of the results.
The problem (as others have mentioned) seems to be with the right wing selection. Foley has done an admirable job in supplementing the defence on that side but is not providing enough in the way of attacking options.
MM did not have any real options previously but, Keogh is now back from injury and he should be considered as an alternative. Maybe start the game on Saturday unchanged to soak up the early pressure from Burnley and then swap Keogh for Foley at half time.
We need to win.
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MM is losing is mind!! Were playing BURNLEY, come on we need to score!! But franckly who do you pair with Doyle? They’re all terrible.
Concerning Vokes :
I don’t care if you’re 8, 10, 12 or 20 years old. You miss a chance like that, I say : “Kid don’t waste your time trying to play professional football, go to school!”
The last guy who missed something like that was Iwelumo, look where he is now….
Players don’t make millions for nothing, this is a cruel game, there’s no place for strikers who can’t score….are you listening SEB?
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FFS, it was one chance! The best players in the world miss sitters! particularly when they have only been on the pitch a matter of minutes and its their first touch. Get behind your players!
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Regardless about “Its one chance” Vokes messed up plain and simple and we are in the toughest league in the world. Vokes needs to suck it up, take the critism dished out because he should be strong enough to rise above it and come out fighting to say he will score in the enxt match, rather than feeling sorry for himself and MM feeling sorry for him. MM needs to act tough, say it as he sees it and basically call him back in on sunday morning with the goal scoring coach and teach him how to score. We are the lowest goalscores in the league you muppet! Wake up and smell the coffee, we need to win on saturday and that does mean score goals so saying that the best strikers have missed sitters is all good and well and his 1st touch blah blah blah, but I have seen strikers who have also scored with their 1st touch on the park!
MM I implore you to change the staff personnel on the pitch because clearly we are not scoring goals. So how on earth can you be happy with the team!
Bring back Milljas, move Jarivs to the right and drop Foley. Or keep Jarvis on the left, and move The new Alex Rea to the right. Either way we need to change it around and make the team more attack minded!
One last thing,,, not sure if anyone has mentioned this,,, I thought the crowd were 1st class against Manure. Considering it was ESPN, for it to be a sell out strikes a cord on how well supported wolves are. Take note, Wigan, Hull, Bolton!
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Well done, Mick, stick to your guns….and I think Plan B worked pretty well on Saturday….we were so close to that equalizer.
Come on , you Wolves!
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So that’s it then, team cohesion is better than putting strikers on. If he is so stubbon not to play with strikers then let’s hope he puts them on early enough to either consolidate a possible win or get a win and not leave it till the 80 minute. Still beggars the question if they are good enough to come on late in the game, why not start with them and give it a real go, attack the best form of defence! We still have the major weaknesess of Ward at full back which is our most exposed side, and Henry who is giving us nothing.
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Is this the same guy, who earlier in the season, preached “squad rotation” as the way to keep everyone fit?
Now, the key is to play a settled team?
Also, it aint rocket science to realize that telling everyone on Tuesday, that you aint changing the team, is not going to be the best motivational speech for those not in the team.
Players such as Stearman, and Mancienne(who has been playing left-back for Chelsea) must be scratching their heads as to why Stephen Ward, a converted striker is prefered despite his lack of form, and while we are crying out for goals, we have Milijas, who has scored 33 goals 90 games as a holding midfielder in Serbia is rottening on the bench.-
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This is the guy who also said “I am not frightenend to change a winning side”
This guy is the guy who changes like our weather…
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Weeks ago the bawl was for Mick to change the team, b’ham etc,etc have a settled team but mad Mick won’t leave it alone, play this man, play that man, play this way, play that way – now Mick has found a system THAT ALL THE PLAYERS ARE HAPPY WITH,AND KEEPING A SETTLED TEAM, and you bloody lot want him to change it, never happy, priceless-bloody priceless.
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They don’t want anything but a chance to moan and find a scapegoat mate – but thanks for trying.
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John,
Have you by any chance noticed the scores since we have had a “settled” team playing that system? By any measure it is an abject failure, it’s goals that count, nothing else. Everyone is banging on about what a great player Doyle is. Last time I looked he is a striker. The definition of a striker’s job is to strike, ie put the ball in the net? How many goals has he scored in the last ten games? Again by any measure he is a failure. Can he run around like a headless chicken? yes he is good at that! I think he learned it from Keough.
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Thank god we have some one who as also worked out that DOYLE is not scoring…I would give as much as doyle in terms of effort ,all footballers can stop the ball and hold it up when employed to do so,,we need goals…
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JohnWolf
We need to score goals you plank! So this settled team…. hmmm how many goals have they scored recently! ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ZILCH!
We aint talking wholesale changes, we need to change the team into an attacking unit, near misses doesnt win you games, but goals do!
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i say stick to the same 4.5.1. you cant say were not creating chances we hit the post twice against bolton and missed two sitters against man, utd. our luck has got to change sometime, i would make a change after 60 mins or so if its not working and take it from there. and at the end of the day goal diffrence could come into it at the end of the season. we cant go all out attack because its burnley, come on they have one of the best home records in the premiership and have beat better teams than us allready at home.
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Doyle is a fantastic player – YES – we all agree, now tell me how many times he gets into the box and looks like scoring?
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WANTED FOOTY MANAGER -
No expierience of the Prem needed.
1 You must have the ability to pick players in their wrong positions
2 You must have a pig headed attitude no matter what the result of any game
3 You must take the fans for granted
4 You must pick out three players who are very poor and ensure they start every game
5 You must remember to use the same speech everytime you are interviewed post match
6 You must have the nouse to buy 6 players who are not beeter than those already there so that those already there play every week
7 You must not score more that 25 goals in any Premier league season
8 You must demonstrate a record of losing more than you win at top level.
IF YOU HAVE ALL THESE QUALITIES -
DON’T BOTHER APPLYING WE ALREADY HAVE ONE LIKE YOU HERE AT THE CUSTARD BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Shame that, it would appear from the job description that most 7 year olds could do that job???
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Spot on Molly. Only criticism would be you forgot – must be abusive and dismissive of the people who pay your wages.
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played 56 won 8 drawn 10 lost 38.Thats 34 points from a possible 168.
The current performance of the mighty Mick.
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You also must be capable of winning the Championship title.And if you can avoid relegation from the Premier you must be everybodies hero,even Molly’s.
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9. You must take Wolves to the highest position they have ever been in over 25 years.
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YOU SHOULD APPLY – YOU’D GET IT!!!!
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Exactly Sir Lupi.
Molly Knew Nothing, it would appear!
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Milijas should play instead of Jones. When Milijas was playing he scored or directly assisted 6 out of 8 goals. Is it also necessary to point out that he is OBVIOUSLY a much better player than Jones who is at least a division too high. You put your best players on the park!!
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Watched Match of the Day while I was doing the internet early bird, and saw the second goal scored by Phillips as one of the contenders for goal of the month. Despite watching Ward backing off 20 yards from the Blues right back who sent in the cross for the goal, I still pressed the proceed button.
All Man Utd play in the second half, same as every match last year, came down out right side as every manager knows we are weak at left back. God help us when Walcott starts running at Ward at the Emirates, mind you he`ll pick up a virus for that match no doubt. Enter Macienne or Stearman. Ward is now the clown as Collins was, please explain MM.
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I think you’ll find Ward has been playing with an injury for some weeks and would be the second last player in the squad to cry off a game he didn’t fancy.
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If Ward is indeed playing with an injury then WHY? whats even more criminal than playing him in the first place when he has lost his decent early season form is to play him when he is INURED also, especially when you have mancienne a very capable left back (as seen in the championship team) another fantastic bit of management from MM!
What’s worse is making excuses for him because he is injured! the bloke should not be on the pitch if thats the case as its now proving to cost us BIG TIME!!
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Personally I blame Ward for the world recession and West Ham’s taxi bill. Wasn’t it Carr their full back who made that run.The new kid Guedioura,who must be good because I am starting to try and spell his name, let Carr go,he was the nearest Wolves player to Carr when he started his run.And Jarvis was nowhere. The same with United’s goal.The cross came from Nani who had crossed over to support Valencia and no one tracked him. Ward is struggling currently his passing is off for example,this is probably down to him carrying a knee injury.But let us not blame him for everything
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Correct.
Guediora should never have let Carr go on that run (or Lee cross for Knight).
Ward was great at the start of the season, but, he has quite clearly been struggling lately. Mind you marking Valencia and Nani with a dodgy knee isn’t recommended. It was quite clear old hairdryer breath targeted him in the second half.
MM should seriously consider letting him get it right and play one of the natural right footers at left back. Most pro footballers should be able to use both feet and the trend these days is to use right footed wide players on the left and vice versa so there shouldn’t be a problem picking them up.
But who ? Mancienne ? Stearman ? Zubar ? Foley ? ……no, not George !
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no 26- I hope i read you right but i think you and MM have their priorities wrong here. what we need is a Winning team that scores goals and everybodies happy including us fans. I dont think the players that are being left out of a losing side week after week are happy.
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please will the muppet go now before it to late,before he was making 4/5 changes every
game stupid,now he will not make any just as
stupid. foley what does he give the team? and
who going to score ? need milijas creates and
can score. we will go know where with the muppet even if we stay up HE MUST GO,over half
the players he has brought in do not get a game,3 out of 11 play so mogan not going to
give him any more money.
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Did not understand a word of that.
Thankfully Super Mick is the greatest manager in my lifetime (I am 35)and he will not be swayed by outlandish nonsensical rants like yours.
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Well if he’s going to name the same team how about Foley at LB ,Ward LW and Jarvis down the right ?
Just an idea!!!!
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Get real you lot!
If all you can do is moan go and support Liverpool!
We came up on a wing and a prayer–and hopefully will stay up on the same.
Then next season——:)
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Then next season what? more false promises? even if we did have the cash to splash from Morgan (A) moxey won’t spend it (B) MM can’t attract any decent player that isn’t irish.
It will be much the same as this season, paying to watch our side defend for 80 mins out of 90 with no real quality!
If you were Morgan would you give him any cash? NEARLY all of his signings have been a total waste of cash and now we are stuck with players that no one will really want, and if they do we will have to take a huge loss.
Whats worse than watching our team struggle week in week out in a relegation battle is a team that does not give it a real go due to negative tactics, id sooner get some entertainment value and lose than watch this complete drivel and get the same result!
5 points from a possible 21 since the tactic has been deployed, plus the debarcle which was crystal palace in cup, so you tell me what’s to look forward to next season with this muppet in charge if he thinks that these tactics and system are working?
Id love to hear from people who disagree because facts are facts!
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I cant believe McCarthy is going to name such a negative team in a must win game at Burnley! Why oh why is he still persisting with Foley on the right wing? We need goals McCarthy and creativity not a one paced full back on the wing! Why wont you play Milijas, the Serbian captain and our most creative player who has already scored two goals this season, on the left and Jarvis on the right or Keogh on the right? Whats happened to Mujangi Bia who you rated so highly?
Why is Ward in the team week in and week out when he is so poor? Why cant you play Foley at left back instead? I’d even prefer Elokobi in place of Ward!
If you muck up the selection on Saturday and we don’t win you should pack your bags immediately. Nothing less than a win will be acceptable whether we are away from home or not! Goals are required to win games. More creativity, goalscoring threats and flair please McCarthy not Foley on the right wing. He offers nothing in an attacking sense or creative sense. Why cant you see that?
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A settled team is fine if it is the right one.I don’t think this one is,there is not a natural let alone a prolific goalscorer in the team.Points have been lost because with the team/system played chances have usually fallen to players unused to scoring.It is stating the obvious but as soon as a team score one goal we are looking at a draw at best.
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long lists of players well done,but what we face on saturday is not a normal game.as we all know its our 4th place.those that play must play for the shirt,for pride,for us the fans.come on MAKE US DREAM!!!!
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Muppet showing off two of his main qualities again – CLUELESS and STUBORN!
Definately need Milijas in the team, I’d drop Henry – we need more bite in attack and despite some v.poor performances from the ‘untouchable crab’, none of us have seen how the team may perform without him (again more of Muppet’s stuborness).
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Who is he being stubborn too??
I agree with his team selections. I understand why Foley is there. Can you not see that?
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But when Mick was changing the team every week all you muppets wanted him to have a settled team. Now we’ve got a settled team you want him to change it. What you really want is for him to have your settled team – and then if that doesn’t work change it again. The next 10 games are going to be tough starting with Burnley. This season was always going to be tough and finishing 17th was the goal, but from reading the majority of these posts staying up should be a piece of cake. Get real.
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This manager is totaly clueless everbody can see that Stephen Ward is totaly out of his depth at LB so why does he get in the team week out week in hes been responsible for letting crosses in,his postional play is a joke hes just not a LB.Why not play Mancieane LB Foley RB Zubar CB with Craddock drop the donkey Berra,play ward left wing Jarvis Right wing and Doyle Keogh up front drop jones and play Millias midfield,now we might have a chance of winning a match
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I actually agree that our current team is not far off the best that our weak squad can produce. The only 2 changes I would consider are Keogh in for Zubar or Foley, and Milijas in for Jones – until he burns out.
I would say that we’ve played well in our last few games and deserve a point against Man Utd/Bolton/Chelsea. Unfortunatly a draw here and there isn’t enough and there will come a time when we’re forced to attack. But how? We don’t have any quality attacking options and personally I don’t think it will increase our chances of scoring by playing SEB or Iwelumo. Vokes wasn’t good enough for League One according to Leeds fans and thinking about it, I can’t remember the last time he played genuinely well for us.
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Okay, if he’s going to stick with the same team and the same formation what about a change on the sub’s bench.
If we’re chasing the game for a winner, or, God forbid, an equaliser why not bring on Hemmings. He’s unproven, but, we saw at Barnsley end of last season he’s quick, has tight control and must know the style of play from training endlessly for the last two years. Mujangi’s had two or three goes after only a few weeks at training camp, why not Hemmings ?
He cannot be any worse than Vokes and Eblanks-Blake has had more than a fair chance.
Fair comment ?
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I completely agree with Mick. Performances have totally improved in the past few games and points will come. The fuse is lit for a barnstorming finish, which will take every ounce of blood sweat and team spirit. My only vent is the frustration that very often, when our midfield is under pressure in their half the ball finds it’s way back to Hanneman, who boots it up and under from whence it came. It would be much more productive simply to spray an early ball into their danger area instead of defensively working it backwards….
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You completely agree with MICK? our performances have improved…. again 5 points from possible 21 since MM brought in this new super tactic! plus a loss to palace in cup!
Now look at the 7 games played prior to the liverpool home game (where the system started) in league using old system …. 9 points from possible 21 and a win in the cup.
Thats nearly double the amount of points and although the opposition were different the older system seemed to be alot more entertaining and REWARDING!! but still …… were playing ok arn’t we!!? even if were not getting ANY points! jeeeeez!!
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I buy your point about the points won recently vs. before, but the opposition were more bottom half than top.
But I don’t buy your point about nobody being in the danger area… remember I am talking about when we are already well into their half. Our midfield should always always know where Doyle is… Watching the ball get pushed back to Hanneman who then hoofs it back to where it came from just lifts the opposition and wastes possession.
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And….. the reason why you cant just spray an early bird into the danger area instead of working it backwards is because if you take a look in this “danger area” you speak of there isn’t any of our players in it!!
Good enough reason?
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i dont think the points will come ? we have a defence guaranteed to switch off at some stage in a game and gift a goal and we have precious little chance of scoring ourselves.mickss to pigheaded to change anything ,hes a dinosaur.agree with your comments about ball to hanneman.goes something like this ,henry sideways pass 2 yards behind our unmarked full back,fullback faces own goal he is then pressurised ,passes ball to (non ball playing) centre half,bit more pressure,back to hanneman,big punt up to opposition.everytime,must be a training pitch routine.well done karl,try hitting it a yard in front of the player next time! i think i learned that in the second year of senior school
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I was at Molineux when Luther Blisset of what were then non-entities, Watford FC, banged three against us out of the blue in the FA cup 3rd round (1979/80?). To his credit, Graham Taylor continued with the winning [attacking] format which not only brought promotion from Division Two soon after but also second place behind Liverpool the following season.
Why not go through these last fixtures with the same formation which brought eighty goals for WW last season? Eighty!
Obviously, the number of Kightly assists and goals in that campaign had a significant effect on results and confidence but still, a fifty-seven per cent drop in goal ratio this year to last indicates that a winning formula has been disrupted somewhat.
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“If we get beat by Burnley it won’t be the end of the world”.
I’m really getting the feeling that McCarthy makes these comments now to antagonise fans and prove himself as a ‘maverick’.
I’ve been a Wolves fan since the mid-1970s, I was there at Wembley in 1980 when we beat Forest, but no manager has ever got me wound up and angry like this man. It’s as if beating the fans is more important to him than beating the opposition.
If we stay up I will be over the moon, but the prospect of seeing MM telling the fans “I told you so” will leave a sour taste, and it shouldn’t be like that.
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CLAPS!! atlast, someone else who sees it through my eyes! I love this club dearly, but this man infuriates me!
The comment about burnley game not being the “end of the world” if we lose is just MM all over, imagine if that gets into players heads, surely you get the attitude of oh well if we lose we lose the gaffa is not gonna be that upset so hey ho !! happy days!!
Whats even more infuriating than this is the fact MM has come out and said he will not be changing his side for sat, GREAT! so much for keeping the opposition on there toes, all they have to do now is watch a dvd of any of the last 7-8 matches where exactly the same tactics and players have been used and hey presto!
SAME PLAYERS IN SAME POSITIONS USING SAME TACTICS = SAME RESULT!!
Staying up will be sooooo good but the prospect of having him in charge again next yr makes me very sad!!
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dont think you have much to worry about getting a sour taste,micks already getting the excuses in
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Team sheets in:
Skin Head
Zubar
Stearman
Mancinne
Craddock
Bera
Jarvis
Jones
Milijas
Doyel
Keogh
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you’d drop Karl Henry?! mad man
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looks like they are waltzing through your midfield then, as you have not one player there who can defend!
SKIN HEAD
(LB) MANCIENNE
(RB) FOLEY
(CB) CRADDOCK
(CB) STEARMAN
(RM) JARVIS (after all he is right footed)
(CM) HENRY
(CM) CASTILLO
(LM) JONES/MILIJAS (can’t choose)
(FW) DOYLE
(FW) KEOGH
(SUBS) VOKES, JONES/MILIJAS, BERRA, ZUBAR
REASONS:
FOLEY: player of the year in that position! totally useless in midfield!
STEARMAN: he and craddock looked pretty solid when they were together, berra makes to many mistakes and i have seen milk turn quicker.
MANCIENNE: has played there for us in championship season and for qpr when on loan there and is used to position, he cant be worse than ward or elokobi CAN HE?
HENRY & CASTILLO: both simular players i know but that is a solid block infront of your defence to allow jarvis and jones/milijas to create.
KEOGH & DOYLE: looked by far the best pairing early on in season and looked very good together IMO
ANYONE AGREE WITH THIS?
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What, you can’t choose betwwen Jones & Castillo????
Castillo can’t play you fool, you only like him coz you’ve harly seen him!!!
Foley too slow to play fullback in this divison.
You make a statement about Manncienne then question yourself, who been awful when he has played at the back, he is not yet mature enough to shoulder the responsability of defending in this divison.
Get real
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Why do we insist upon telling our opposition what we will be doing so they have days to prepare?
Why do the players all tell this paper that they will win etc etc and provide motivation so easily?
Just another example of poor management.
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Absolutely agree, they don’t have a clue !
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When we went to Old trafford the fans were crying that they did not tell is the plans.
You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time. It is never more true with our great leader.
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Hahnemann
Zubar
Craddock
Berra
Foley/Elokobi
Keogh/Mujangi
Geuidora
Henry
Jarvis
Doyle
Keogh/Vokes
4-5-1 is fine against top teams, but i think against teams around us we need to go 4-4-2
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Play who you like where you like Mick your not having any more cash off me, two Billy Wright season tickets NOT being early birded. My team and its fans will still be here when you are nothing but a sad distant memory. I will return then but can not and will not endure any more of your disorganised chaos. It matters not how well we play or how many chances we create if it is defenders pulling the trigger in the oppositions penalty area rather than proven goal scorers. Foley may be a fair fullback but he will never make a winger/striker so why persist with this folly? Ward may be a decent enough squad player but he is a disaster at left back. Zubar may be a fans favourite but the number of times he is pulled out of position amazes me. Having watched the Hoff in reserve games i can think of no reason why we bought him other than for a laugh. I could go on but you wont care or listen so carry on son have your fun and let us know when its safe to return, two fans who have had enough now.
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Mcarthy has said from day one that 17th position will do and he is doing his level best to finish there.Playing players out of position in order to create a blanket defence.This week it looks like Bolton, Wigan and Sunderland have opened up the gap to leave Wolves, Hull and Burnley to fight it out for the 17th spot. Mcarthy thinks that his master plan ( Negative Blanket ) will give us the key to survive on goal difference.QUOTE Well chaps if we don’t win on Saturday it’s not the end of the world it bloody well will be. For god sake get your head out the sand M M you are going to get what you deserve for your LACK of tactics and it will involve leaving your O to comfy chair. I think you have the players to make a better fist of it but it’s your pig headed manner that is there for all the loyal long suffering fans to see and endure.There are players who deserve a better deal from you and there are players who just have to be able to stand up to get picked it is obvious and has been all season.The frightening thing to me is 17th you stay 18th you go which is the worst of these two evils????????
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Spot on Wozza, me thinks though his head will stay in the sand! sadly to say.
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I think not losing on Saturday is more important than risk winning it which of course would be a great bonus. Hate to agree but I’m with Mick on this one. Just for God’s sake don’t give Eagles an ounce of space!
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P.S. tonight is the one night I’m rooting for Stoke!!
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My team for Saturday:
13. HAHNEMANN
3. ELOKOBI
6. CRADDOCK
5. STEARMAN
23. ZUBAR
15. HALFORD
34. GUEDIOURA
20. MILIJAS
17. JARVIS
29. DOYLE
18. VOKES
SUBS:
30. IKEME
11. S.WARD
27. MANCIENNE
8. HENRY
35. CASTILLO
10. KEOGH
9. EBANKS-BLAKE
ANYONE ELSE AGREE?????
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I think youve been taking to many pills!!! or is the sea air in Devon freezing your brain cells
Elokobi! too slow
Stearman as bad as his hair at centre back, and would no doubt give away a pen. Although should have been given a go at LB
Halford!!! I cant say anthing good!
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The Die is Cast, they have decided to take the parachute payments. The obstinate decision Not to make changes and the addmission in todays Mirror that he is resigned to loosing Doyle says much for his negative attitude.
The White Flag is about to be flown, the wagons are being drawn into a circle and General Custard is about to take us all down, including himself.
If it was’nt so dam serious it would be laughable, which begs the folowing questions…. Does this wonderful football club have a Chairman ? Is he seriously interested ? or is he just taking the P— out of us ?
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No I dont think he gives a dam a scouser and I really dont like scousers!
If he had cared about the club he would have put MM over the coals after the early Man Ut debarcle.
The club seems keen on keeping a healthy looking balance sheet for the accountant but no ambition.
Our signings prove that and the fact that MM is still with us only reiterates that.
I like MM dont get me wrong but if the club was a business and the CEO was driven by success the management would have be changed long ago.
Its beginning to remind me of the Doug Ellis situation at Villa
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[post 55]
Crockett [Davy],
He’s about to scalp you,then up tee-pee to Liverpool. Geronimoooooooo.
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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After last night’s results, it now looking more and more likely its a 3 horse race who joins Portsmouth, burnley,hull,wolves, has the other teams have all got 4pts more which we all know points are like gold dust to come by in this league especially for teams like the 3 of us above.So yes id settle for 17th position now, but when you look at some of the players we signed and loaned its hardly surprising we are were we are in the league. And playing players out of position hasn’t helped and staying ‘loyal’ to players who clearly haven’t been good enough for the PL, and playing them when out of form either. Dave Jones did exactly the same playing certain players who wasn’t good enough and who was playing when clearly out of form. Sorry but when your a manager you cant have favourites you ‘must’ play the players who are in form at any given time ‘not your blue-eyed boys’who will only get you relegated and in the end get you the sack?
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Mick
Play people in there Best Positions & results will follow…
Foley – Right Back
Milijas – Right Mid
Jarvis – Left Wing
Jones – Left Mid
Ward & Henry – Left Out
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Jarvis is on the left you loon.
Jones is also left midfield in a midfield 3.
Millijas is not good enough, and we carry him.
Iwould not drop Zubar. And why should we.
Henry is a quality player for breaking up the play. He has clearly been given orders to keep the ball and not go for the risky pass.
It all workls so far. So why the mass cahnges.
We are in trouble we know that. But until the summer you are not going to get better than waht we have. Just support the team, they need it.
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For gods sake- get Big Chris back from bristol City, the guy is on fire.
Like mccarthy i was at selhurst Park last night during a visit to london, and I tell you ‘fello bloggers’ he must be in out team on Saturday.
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Big Chris may well be on fire at Bristol BUT he is playing for a good manager who takes his team away to WIN !
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Yeah great he is, Gary Johnson he’s half way up the championship.
Fantastic
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Renewed my season ticket, love wolves but sorry but with MMs lack of tactical nouse and wierd team selections we are doomed. From all the comments on this page it is obvious everyone and their dogs can see the problems (MM worshippers and happy clappers excepted)and realize he is the cause of this mess. Morgan, Moxey and McCarthy remind me of the captain of the Titanic, and look what happened to that.
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MM won’t change his team becasue he doesn’t know how to – to say defeat at Burnley wouldn’t be the end of the world is nonsensical. Given the results this week it is now clearly three teams from the bottom four. We don’t score goals because the one guy who can actually put the ball in the net (Doyle) is having to do everything else himself. Our midfield is disorganised which is why when we switch to 4-4-2 we leak more goals. Ward is not a left back but he gets horribly exposed by Jarvis who, despite his skills as an attacking midfielder, cannot defend to save his life. Foley is not a midfielder and the sooner he switches Foley with Zubar the better.
MM and Clipboard have no idea which is why we play with no method and despite me renewing already for next season, I really do fear that I’ll be getting four more home games for my money.
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McCarthy vows not to change team.
What a plank this bloke is between Ward and Berra they have been responsible for the current leakage of goals at the back.The problem Ward is not a LB and never will be Berra is a donkey and a poor footballer.The answer put Foley back at RB move Zubar into Berras position and play Mancieanne at LB therefore getting rid of square pegs for round holes.
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Every picture tells a story….the ones used recently by the E&S of MM certainly do. They don’t give us confidence in his grasp on reality – and perhaps they are not meant to…
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If MM was at Palace last night and saw Big Chris score an excellent goal, he surely must bring him back. His had six games so his fitness must be at a good level and he’s got two goals i know its only Champs-level but at present our other Strikers havent had six consective games like Chris has so whenever they come on they all look short on fitness and more importantly Sharpness in front of goal, plus Big Hoff isn’t fit that leaves us which Vokes,SEB,Keogh none are as sharp as Chris so get him back for the last 10 games who knows he may just suprise a few people use him as the target man play Doyle Left,Jarvis Right he’s raring to come back i know that for a fact as ive spoken to him personally.MM says there is NO WAY he will change the system now so play the front 3 the way ive suggested got nowt to lose as Foley ‘WONT SCORE’but one of them 3 might. UTW GOOD LUCK FOR SATURDAY LADS
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Lets see after Burnley – we werent expecting anything against the top two, and in the end only conceded 3 goals – with plenty of opportunity to score ourselves.
Lose against Burnley and we dont deserve to stay up.
If we win, and we stay up – the WWFC board had better be prepared to open their purses this time round or there will be a riot
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I’m sorry but anyone who agrees with Mick that Foley should remain on the right wing must be mad IMHO!
We need more goals and more attacking threat if we are to continue with 4-5-1 which means dropping Foley and playing one of Mujangi Bia, who Mick raved about when he signed him, Keogh or Milijas on the left with Jarvis on the right.
Can anyone please tell me what Foley actually offers as an attacking threat which we require to support Doyle in this formation as Jarvis does?
Also to people advocating that Zubar is dropped they clearly didn’t watch the Man Utd game as he was the best defender on the pitch and marked Nani completely out of the game. Ward should be dropped and replaced with Foley, Mancienne or Elokobi, who looked better than Ward when he came on against Spurs a few weeks back.
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I can not believe that milijas has no spot with the wolves a player who is captain of a very strong serbian team he was chosen captain for a reason over Manchester uniteds vidic or chelseas ivanovic or inter milans stankovic I mean I do understand he is not the best and fittest in the team but no 1 can tell me milijas can’t get atleast 20 mins in the team the guy has a deadly left foot and woolves need to give him a chance to use it … Goop wolves
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For sure defo would try and find space in the team for him if its even for 60 mins.
The trouble is he cant back track or tackle so hes a luxury unless you can put in two ball winners by his side.
I’d like to see Jones and French G play by him. Or swap Jarvo to the right as he cant cross on his left anyway and stick Jones on the left.
The trouble is that would have to be played at 4-5-1 otherwise and team worth their salt would simply overun the midfield, so you would have to play Henry and Fench G along side him.
Its a dilema
Oh and Burnley lets have it!
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I mean goooo wolves lol
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No 65. L.P.W. I agree with you 100% about Foley and 100% about Zubar. Foley is a very good defender Full Stop. he lacks pace and skill to be a winger, and im not sure if he has the pace to be a top class full back, Zubar is far quicker and he’s playing excellent so why drop him, he’s got great pace he whips the ball in from anywhere down the byline with such pace into the penalty area, and is so strong in the tackle.
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golden blood-Why Change? answer- the fact is its not working, we dont score goals or win games.
Now if your happy with just being harder to beat and having better possession, so be it
but I dont accept this as good enough because you dont get points for effort, and being unlucky.
When you say we cant do any better with the players we have just Remember how well pompey are doing (winning games) and they have gone into administration!!
Everton played some of last season and this with no recognised striker. Remember they played Cahill upfront on his own. He isnt a striker but scored and they won games. Sam Allardace also played Samba a defender as a makeshift striker last season and they stayed up. The point i’m making is that good managers get the best out of their squad and get results, and I dont think Mick can say that.
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We need to have quality into the box as its adds disruption in the oppositions defence and Milijas is the man to this. We do far to much running in games and it shows in the legs of the players especially defence because they make far to many mistakes and we conceed very poor goals. We should of got a point against Chelsea and Bolton easily, defensive errors cost us again. I wouldn’t worry about goals not scored but the goals we’re shippin in at the wrong end.
We’ll be alright if we keep our nerve and stay positive.
MM is a problem because he has medled with the team so much he hasn’t got a start point from when we played well an with what system. Arsenal at home was awesome play in the first 30 minutes and then we we got star struck by Chelsea then 6 points 2 games. If the same 11 played week in week out from that game i wager we’d be a few places higher.
God save the Queen and our season.
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