A long road for McCarthy and Wolves

Tuesday 27th April 2010, 9:30AM BST.

A long road for McCarthy and Wolves

Wolves’ Sporting Star columnist John Lalley believes the time is right to marvel at how far the club have come under boss Mick McCarthy with safety now secure.

It was hardly a classic encounter and for much of the match Wolves were decidedly poor, but the draw against Blackburn finally ensured that ‘mission accomplished’ has been achieved and we can deservedly look forward to another tilt at the Premier League.

Regardless of how we got there and leaving aside our indifferent home record, our chronic scoring drought and a system perceived by many as ultra-cautious, this is a magnificent effort and a genuine step forward for the club.

Maybe we reaped the reward of Portsmouth’s implosion and took major advantage of the strife endured by two mediocre outfits in Hull and Burnley, but we have achieved the primary objective that any reasonable Wolves fan would have been wishing for at the beginning of this campaign.

Football can have a narcotic effect on fans and those followers of ours confidently predicting comfortable, mid-table stability after our Championship triumph were peddling delusion.

Birmingham comfortably outshone us this season despite being promoted in our slipstream, but they had been here before and their playing-staff boasted some gnarled and experienced old sweats the like of which were thin on the ground at Molineux.

For Wolves to have survived the season utilising the majority of the players who had secured promotion is a terrific boost. These players will all surely benefit significantly from the experience and return next year equipped with added ‘know how’ to consolidate and develop their abilities as genuine Premier League players.

For a young squad such as ours, ‘second season syndrome’ is an inevitable lurking danger. Hull discovered this reality the hard way.

Wolves found the initial skirmishes in this league every bit as difficult as many of us had anticipated.

In contrast, Hull got off to a blistering start, facing the challenge without a hint of fear. So much so that by Christmas, they had achieved such a startling platform that they had just enough in hand to survive after their season began to dramatically unravel in the new year.

But, this season, they have been unable to halt the slide with their early euphoria replaced by recrimination and disharmony and, inevitably, abject failure.

For Wolves, our graph of progress has been on a steady upward incline all season. We have gradually adapted to the requirements of this league and the palpable naivety which saw us flimsily ship five goals at Sunderland back in September has morphed into the solid, compact unit that comfortably retained a clean sheet at Fulham come April.

The two significant low points of the season when our overall fortunes could have taken an irreversible nosedive were both faced up to and addressed positively.

First, the desperate home defeat against Blues back in November finally convinced Mick McCarthy that unless a change in formation was implemented immediately, then we were certain to be relegation material.

Then, in February, we began with possibly the most disappointing result of all, the wholly unnecessary defeat against Blues in the return match at St Andrew’s and ended the month with dismal defeat in the six-pointer at Bolton.

We truly were on the brink after the loss at the Reebok Stadium, but the weight of character shown in response was tremendous. The ensuing seven point haul gained from away fixtures at Burnley, West Ham and Villa gave us an invaluable cushion that the likes of Hull and Burnley simply could simply not overhaul.

The derby against Blues at Molineux also saw the introduction of Marcus Hahnemann into the goalkeeping position and the American’s contribution has been immense.

Uncomplicated and unfussy, he has engendered a massive sense of assurance and resolution over the last six months, inspiring the whole team to believe in itself.

Such has been his level of consistency that the mistake he made to concede against Blackburn on Saturday came as a huge surprise. If ever a guy deserves to be excused a clanger this season, it’s Hahnemann, you simply cannot over-estimate how influential he has been.

No doubt the goalkeeper will vie with the superb Kevin Doyle and the remarkable Jody Craddock to annex the Player of the Season award, but the old cliche of this essentially being ‘a team effort’ really does ring true as this campaign comes to its conclusion.

So many of our players have exceeded expectations and remember too that both Matt Murray and Michael Kightly have been unable to contribute, due to long-term injury.

But, above all, what a boost for manager Mick McCarthy – his sense of personal satisfaction must be immense.

He surely, once and for all has shed the bogus notion that that his nightmare flirtation with a hapless Sunderland outfit a few years ago indicated an inability to manage successfully at this level

Finance dictated that he never had a prayer at the Stadium of Light and it’s safe to assume that big wages were not on the Molineux agenda last summer, if you persue the variable standard of the recruits we drafted into the club.

Quite how Kevin Doyle escaped the radar of bigger outfits than us, I simply cannot hazard a guess, but his signing was a massive coup for our manager. Without his sublime touch, it’s difficult to envisage the season-defining 4-5-1 formation which gave us the structure to survive being successful.

McCarthy backed his players from the outset, never missing the opportunity to sing their praises and defend their deficiencies.

I, like many other fans, occasionally felt slightly peeved hearing Mick describe a Wolves player as being ‘brilliant’ when in reality the performance may have been no more than adequate, but speaking as a mere outsider, Wolves do appear a closely knit outfit, at ease with themselves and very much in harmony with each other.

Maybe Mick has retained a bit of the ‘no-one likes us, but we don’t care’ mentality from his days at Millwall. And for a club like Wolves battling at the lower end of the league, that is probably no bad thing.

His noted cussed streak can only have been inflamed anyway by the disproportionate volume of criticism he has had to endure almost from his first day at Molineux.

Much of the slagging has been personal, hysterically vitriolic and in no way remotely constructive.

But the facts speak for themselves, the Wolves boss has achieved a remarkable amount given the resources at his disposal. To have asked for anything more would have been spectacularly unfair.

I remember back in July 2006, sitting with a small pocket of Wolves fans at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium watching a desperately dull pre-season friendly. McCarthy had been appointed that week and so surprised was he that he was still abroad on holiday and missed the trip to Wales.

Our previous boss Glenn Hoddle had jumped ship, Jez Moxey had warned that Hayward funded Molineux spending sprees were a thing of the past and most of our better players could not wait to quit the club.

The likes of Joleon Lescott, Kenny Miller, Lee Naylor, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Mark Kennedy and Colin Cameron were all out of the door with no replacements recruited.

Wolves’ fans that afternoon openly speculated that the best we could hope for that season was avoiding the drop into the old Third Division.

McCarthy took us to the play-offs, a truly remarkable achievement in the circumstances.

If you had suggested to any Wolves fan at Swansea that day that within four years, our new manager would have stabilised the club, won the Championship and maintained our place in the Premier League the following season, you would have laughed at. But he did it!

Mick can be a crotchety, chippy and confrontational old so and so, we all know as much, but what a good job he has done. He fully deserves the necessary backing from the boardroom to take a real pot shot at trying to move this club onto the next stage of its destiny.

He has, to use one of his favourite expressions, ‘been brilliant.’ Over to you Mr Morgan!


  1. 1
    English Exile

    I am looking forward to a veritable feast of goals over the next 2 games now that the shackles are off.
    Where Wolves show the premier what they are really made of………..

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  2. 2
    chris hoggard

    Excellent article.I love the comment’peddling delusion’.Any body would think we have a General Election going on.

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  3. 3
    Croydon Wolf

    Absolutely spot on John! If you consider what our predicament was after the Hoddle years, what McCarthy has achieved is simply superb. Although like everyone he has his strengths and weaknesses, he is with out doubt the best manager we have had since John Barnwell. The key point for me is his ability to acquire good young players for very modest costs unlike his predeccesors who spent big money on aging stars who had a very limited shelf life or simply didn’t perform at all.

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  4. 4
    Loyal-Cannock-Wolf

    I agree with no 1.

    Perhaps now we can revert back to 4-4-2 and try Ebanks up front with Doyle.

    Be nice to see if his spell out of the team has ignited his passion for the game.

    What with Pompey next up I think we can afford to experiment somewhat.

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  5. 5
    WOLVESONANDON

    John, never a truer word has been written. Mick deserves a big thank you and well done from all Wolves fans whether they were calling for his head earlier in the season or not. A remarkable achievement indeed and your description from Swansea to now says it all!

    MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO MICK AND ALL THOSE WORKING FOR WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

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  6. 6
    Wolf at Gate

    Agree, very good balenced article.Now our eyes must be focussed on next year. It would be good to see Mujanji Bia and a couple of others get a run !

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  7. 7
    Dan

    Absolutely spot on article, i think we forget where we have come from, yes the football has been dull but any wolves fan with half a brain would of been chuffed to bits to of secured a premier league poition with two games still to play.

    Hope for better things next season. COME ON WOLVES.

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  8. 8
    tom

    Cant wait to go portsmouth saturday going to be such a good day out!

    well done lads been amazing this season.

    The last 2 games i hope we play 4-4-2 and play ebanks with doyle just to give him a chance cause we have nothing to play for so were not losing nothing by doing that and ebanks deserves his chance he didnt score all them goals last season for nothing!

    As for transfer rumours on here yesterday and today says we have been linked with gary hooper (scunthorpe) and nicky maynard (bristol city) i so hope not dont get me wrong they are good CHAMPIONSHIP players please i hope they are not true we need to go for a lot better quality than that i would rather offer sunderland 15-20 mil for darren bent than buy a solid left back and a winger and were sorted! lets keep the faith though as long as morgan splashes the cash we have faith!

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  9. 9
    muzza's drunken dance

    doubt they will go 4-4-2 as they want to finish as high in the table as possible due to the extra money that brings in for final finishing position, they will start 4-5-1 in both matches but may revert to 4-4-2 depending how the match progresses

    ay it

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  10. 10
    welshwolf

    Yes, astute Mick has pulled off a remarkable double – promotion and survival – at no great expense to the club. Hats off to the man. Surely he should be granted the freedom of the borough.

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  11. 11
    angry wolf

    I am as happy as anyone that we managed to survive with a packed defence and only one striker for much of the second half of the Season, I don’t think anyone can fully explain just how we managed it, scoring so very few goals, the vast amount of drawn games,going out every week, not to win, rather, not to lose, or save the game at any costs.
    This policy cannot be applied next season or we will be eaten alive.

    A good goal by Ebanks has saved him from being transfer listed or farmed out to a lower division,just in time, as apart from the small amount of time he had on the field last week, is still not Premiership quality.
    I don’t care what anyone thinks, after watching Darren Ambrose of Palace yesterday,a real striker, Ebanks is not in the same class.

    Thankfully we did not spend much in the january transfer, but we were responsible for bringing in a number of players, many of which have not been given an opportunity, and will no doubt be disposed of in the Summer.

    In particular, Surman, Castello, The Hoff, the two frenchmen, Milijas,& Halford…surely we should field most of these players in our last two games where the results are meaningless, just to give them a fair go
    And what of Volkes and Big Chris, neither have been allowed much play time to prove themselves.And I would include Hennersey in our final games.

    The only players I would sign for next Season who I believe have reached premiership standard are.
    Hannermann-Elocobi-Edwards-Ward -Jarvis-Henry-Craddock-Stearman-Berra-Doyle-Zubar-Manseenie

    We are desperate for a striker like Ambrose, and a player like Scannell or Danns of Palace.

    I would also like a new Manager, as I do not believe that Mick can continue with the sheer luck he has been having very much longer

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  12. 12
    Tim

    The draw didn’t ensure anything. As a matter of fact, I think they would be save even if they didn’t get the draw.

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  13. 13
    Kilkenny Wolfy

    What a brilliant achievement! I think we can all say weve seen the vast majority of this squad mature and improve as the season has gone on – and thank god we can relax with 2 games to go!!! :D

    Hats of to merlim mick, not everyones cup of tea but mission acomplished – been so proud to be a wolves fan this season!

    Heres to a good summer (and good summer signings)

    UP THE WOLVES!

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  14. 14
    Teeswolf

    The aim is to finish 14th and get the extra prize money the higher you finish.

    Injuries permitting I expect the only changes for Pompey will be Henry for Edwards and Jarvis for Ward.

    I can’t thank the 3Ms enough for the great job they have done for the Wolves!!

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  15. 15
    brummierobwolves

    All the West Midlands managers have had to suffer variable amounts of abuse. MM is stubborn but he has stuck to his guns and has done a fantastic job. Yes there have been some poor signings – Halford and the Hoff – in the current crop but look at all the bargain signings – Foley, Edwards, Elokobi, Ward, Jones, Jarvis, Kightly, Ebanks-Blake, Iwelumo, Stearman, Vokes and Henry. Iwelumo, aside, these players are still youngish and will improve.
    To comment on Saturday’s game, it was a great cross by Ward and a good finish by SEB. He cannot be written off yet. Also another great performance by Elokobi and hopefully in time his passing will improve.
    Linked with Keane in the Sun. Forget about him choosing Celtic in January to realise a childhood dream, get out and get him!

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  16. 16
    Gatwick Wolves

    11)Angry Wolf-you are having a laugh surely!Ambrose a better striker than SEB!Given the right team formation Sylvan is the best striker we have had at this club since Bully-fact!Doyle is good at what he does but not in the same league as SEB when it comes to scoring goals.

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  17. 17
    Satar

    That’s the article to serve as a reminder to all moaners that the manager inherited a thin team and relegation was on the card from day one he accepted to take over after the years of big spending and we only got to the Premiership through a play-off final after nearly 20 years of fight. M.Mc Carthy worked hard to assemble a team with hunger,passion and very young to clinch the Championship title. With these young lads he let them have the time to learn their trade and some come out with flying colours. We need patience to allow players to develop and we must buy when there is necessity. As English Football has developed a culture of spending, patience has been thrown out the window. In has come all sorts of troubles to clubs going into administration with big wages going to ordinary players and agents becoming millionnaires. Other countries don’t have the money from TV like England who throw easily out and has not been spent wisely. All youngsters in England have not the same opportunities as in other European countries where they produce players aplenty. If England are lucky to organise the World Cup in 2018 there will surely be a headache for the next England manager to find the likes of a Rooney. There is no one actually to give England a good prospect in the future. The problem with English football is that plenty of English players are over-valued and over-paid. You have only a handful that have a so-called world class pedigree. English football don’t have a decent English manager, a decent keeper and how can they believe they will dominate the World. Spain and some other European countries plus the South Americans are miles ahead of them. The Premier League without the foreign players would be poor, no doubt about that. And we have seen in the Champions Cup this year they were bundled out. The system of always buying and not producing home-grown players is bad. Look what happens to the other three British countries. They are very poor. England will be there as well.

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  18. 18
    Ricardo

    Staying up is a brilliant achievement. I watched the lads at Craven Cottage and the level of work rate and desire, particularly in defence, was fantastic. Very proud.

    McCarthy hasn’t always got it right, sometimes he’s got it very, very wrong, but his decision to switch the formation saved the season, no question. Suddenly we had a strong foothold in games and teams struggled to break us down. Sadly, it often made for dire entertainment, but he worked with what he had and he did what had to be done. The away day at West Ham is certainly something I’ll never forget. What a night.

    But… let’s try to put things into perspective. We’ve had a massive dose of luck again this season, just like we had last season. Maybe it’s karma for all the bad luck we had in the 90′s, but fate has smiled on us again. The fact that for the first time in history, a PL team went bust and was docked points meant that suddenly we only had to worry about two relegation places. Burnley’s manager then jumps ship and West Ham and Hull have been in meltdown all year. I very much doubt the same set of circumstances well ever happen again in the same season. More clubs will face financial difficulties, but so many? All together? At key points of the season?

    So where do we go from here? Well, for gawd’s sake let’s not get carried away. We worked hard, we read the situation well, but the fates might not be with us again next year. We need to spend more, we need to bring in genuine quality, vision and technical ability on the ball (being able to string five passes together as a team would be nice), but none of that comes cheap.

    Is Mick the right man to spend that money? For every Doyle there’s been a Shackell. I just don’t know…

    Can we even go much further than a Bolton or a Stoke or a Blackburn? A workman like team, just managing to do enough each year. Is that the best we can hope for? Is it too much to even think of anything else>

    Once again, Mick has done what he said he’d do. In five years he’s taken us up to the PL and kept us there. As with all things, that doesn’t tell the full story, but he has done it. However…

    The fact that Moxey is calling him the best manager in thirty years for delivering one promotion to the top flight and one season staying up, is a damning verdict on the general underachievement at Molineux.

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  19. 19
    SUPERSTARDJWOLVES

    angry wolf you are a numpty and a fool. Ambrose better than Ebanks…. hmmmm …. How many goals has Ambrose scored, and how many times have you seen Ambrose play this season. If you like to be constructive then at least get your facts right, just because you dont see Ambrose up close each week, you cant guage how good a striker is based on 1 match. You must be suffering from Amnesia as the goals Blake has scored over the last 2 years are 1 of the many reasons why we are still in the premiership. So pipe down sonny, and enjoy the season as we are S.A.F.E!!!!

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  20. 20
    Fuertewolves

    Ricaro, “We’ve had a massive dose of luck again this season” Are you sure your not confusing us with Blues? If we had had any luck this season we would be on at least ten points more and been safe a month ago.

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  21. 21
    angry wolf

    Substandard Wolf..19- In answer to your question, Ambrose has scored 14 goals for Palace this season, and has only played part of it due to injury. He was transferred to Palace from Chalton, and how do I know so much about him, apart from the occasional televised game I go to London quite a bit as my brother lives there, and have seen Palace several times this year.
    He is well built, like a striker should be, good in the air, has a lethal shot, and keeps his feet when tackled, ( unlike someone else we know, who seems to be on the turf more often than not )
    Say what you like, he has the results on the board, and to get him to sign for Wolves this Season, I would be happy to exchange him for Doyle, and I would throw in Ebanks-blake for good measure.

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  22. 22
    angry wolf

    Oh ! Substandard Wolf…19 I answered your stupid and offensive response to my post, and there was one additional comment that I forgot to say, and that was you are the complete ‘plank’ and like everyone knows. other than you, Ebanks is a Championship standard player, and will never be good enough for the Premiership. Apart from that penalty earlier in the season, one goal from a sstriker in a whole season…I don’t think so…You are having a laugh !

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  23. 23
    w-field wolf

    angry wolf how can u say that u would happily swap doyle for ambrose not bein funny but didnt ambrose get relegated with charlton and on the brink of relegation with palace…. yes he is a decent striker but will never cope with premiership life its been a tough old season but give seb a chance and i think he will come good and as for doyle one of the best players i have seen in gold n black for many years……!

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  24. 24
    Pembrokeshire Wolf

    21 – Angry wolf – exchange Ambrose for Doyle? Now I KNOW you’re havin’ a laugh! Anyway, Ambrose isn’t even a striker – he’s a midfielder (albeit an attacking one) who spends most of his games on the right wing.

    He could even be a good addition for us, but comparing him with Doyle and SEB is a nonsense.

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  25. 25
    Ricardo

    20) Fuertewolves – I can’t speak for Brum (although they didn’t have much luck for that penalty against the Villa, did they?), but we haven’t really lost too many points this season due to bad luck (in recent games, only Arsenal away springs to mind).

    It seems that just like last season, where we failed to win for eleven games and yet none of our rivals were able to take advantage, we have had a fair amount of good fortune, thanks to Pompey imploding, Coyle leaving Burnley, Hull’s problems, West Ham’s problems etc etc.

    We didn’t manage to get to forty points (although we still might), and in other seasons that might not have been good enough to stay up.

    The players have worked amazingly hard, Mick changed things around and it did the trick, but let’s not start singing it from the rooftops. There’s a thin line between success and failure, and it wasn’t always in our own hands.

    We didn’t exactly stay up by default – but it wasn’t that far off…

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  26. 26
    sad old git

    spot on no 20,75% of people who come on here are
    like the the muppet cluless.3/4 of the players
    he has signed he has not played,and i really
    feel sorry for milijas played in champions league and going to world cup and scored 20 goal last season and can not get in a 5 man
    midfield what a joke. a lot has to change for us to stay up next season.

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  27. 27
    brummierobwolves

    25) Ricardo. I think that you cannot call Wolves lucky, this season. We have had one penalty and 4 sending offs. We should have had penalties at Wigan, Villa at home, Sunderland and West Ham away – 100%. The Ward and Henry sending offs never should have happened. 1 penalty must be the least in the whole of the Premiership.
    Angry Wolf. Ambrose is a good player but cannot be classed as a centre forward and there is not a cat in hells chance that he is better than Doyle. SEB cannot be ruled out either. He was injured and had no pre-season and therefore still has a role to play.
    We are linked with Bikey of Burnley – I do not want him!

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  28. 28
    Grey Wolf

    angry wolf -
    Can we take it that you were watching the Baggies down at Palace ?

    For your information, Darren Ambrose has played 50 games for Palace this year, including all 45 League games (only 2 as a sub). He hasn’t been injured.

    His scoring record this season (19, not 14)has been impressive, especially so because he’s a midfielder – not a striker.

    However, he also got shipped out of Charlton (to Ipswich) on loan when Charlton were being relegated from the Championship.

    He might make a decent squad player at Wolves, but as a new front-line striker, that would be truly bizarre.

    But please carry on with your mischief-making. It’s amusing.

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  29. 29
    wolfshead

    As fair a summary of the season (and recall of where Mick has brought us from) as will be read, John. Chunks of this could be quoted in the annual report, whoever writes it,:).

    The fact that we have retained Prem status against a background of a ready supply of material for our own potential implosion – key players failing to perform, injured, suspended, not netted in transfers, and, fans’ impatience/expectations – only adds to the sense of achievement.

    Mick is probably the clip around the ears we need.

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  30. 30
    Alex Rae's Butler

    Angry Wolf – There has, im my opinon, been some utter tripe posted on here by certain posters over the course of the season. Some of it has come from WUM’s and Baggies having a laugh, and some of it has come from delusional Wolves fans with ideas above their station.

    However, your comment about swapping Doyle for Ambrose has won my comment of the season for most Bizarre / Strange / Controversial / Un-appreciative post.

    Seriously, the guy is a total walking legend. hour after hour trying to hold the ball up waiting for the midfield to support. He’s had very very few chances, and yet has still scored some crucial goals against, Fulham, Burnley and West Ham. If we can invest and get him playing alongside the right player, he could be a Wolves legend in my opinion.

    An unblievable post.

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  31. 31
    the magic wanderer

    To Angry Wolf you can’t expect to talk absolute drivel without someone having a dig at you. Remind me of the quality defences Ambrose is playing against and besides he’s a midfielder. Your constantly on here slagging of MM even after securing premiership survival. Do you really think your opinion counts for anything when your advise on signings, tactics and team selection are the type of relegated teams.

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  32. 32
    cheesewhizzamerica

    We need quality in the summer and the first thing on the list should be to get a winger. Yes a winger because we shouldn’t be playing full backs on the wing. We need to have a cutting edge and a bit of pace up top. We’re getting there but we need three or four top quality players. Get rid of halford, meirhoffer , iwelumo and people who are on the periphery. Let;s get the likes of bullard and heskey. Lets be sensible about the situation. We have to make steady progress and not be ridden with debt like hull. Also review kightly because he is on good money and he is always injured.

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  33. 33
    PETE

    I must say that we have looked more solid and confident with Marcus Hahnemann in goal so having said that i think it’s only fitting that Marcus has a song just for him

    it is the same tune as F.O.L.E.Y

    marcus hahnemann
    he’s marcus hahnemann
    he’s got no hair
    but we don’t care
    he’s marcus hahnemann

    i tried to get the song going at fulham but only a handfull joined in so lets all get together and give it a real go at

    PORTSMOUTH

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  34. 34
    Golden Blood

    Another great article John. I tottally echo your appraisal of this b=great manager of ours. It can not be understated what this great man has done for our club.

    Angry wolf needs to learn a little more about players. Ambrose is a midfiler and SEB is a striker. Why the comparrison?

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  35. 35
    Grey Wolf

    32. Cheesewhizz
    Getting the likes of Bullard is not sensible at all. He has very dodgy knees. The Chairman who brought him in called him ‘uninsureable’ and he failed a medical. Despite all that, Hull offered him £45k/week on a contract (with no relegation clause) which has 3 years to run – and as expected, he was out for half the season. Hull themselves admit that it was a huge mistake.

    Now, no club in their right mind is going to pay £45k/week for Bullard – and Bullard isn’t going to go somewhere else for less, when his entire career could be over in a heartbeat. He’s going to sit at Hull and pick up about £7m over the next 3 years – and Hull can’t afford to buy him out of the contract.

    So. Not sensible.

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  36. 36
    SEATTLE WOLF

    A nice article that brings some well needed clarity into the scope of just how Wolves pulled off survival in the EPL, their first year back in the Big Time!

    Beyond the astute decison to go to a 4-5-1, McCarthy and Moxey found players who were uncomplicated and spoiled, to get the job done. Sure, we need to build on this group, and likely say goodbye to a couple of good character players, sans their lesser skill, to trade up and move up in the table. Yet, our basis for finding hard working, humble players, hopefully with a bit more panache and ability, should remain apart of the team’s evolution.

    Great season, considering our situation!

    We Will Not Be Moved! (Though maybe pushed upwards!)

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  37. 37
    sardonicus

    Angry Wolf- You seem to be taking a fair bit of stick from the boys with your controversial comments earlier, and no, I am not going to follow the pack of ‘blow hards’ in fact, much of what you say I totally agree with.
    I agree with you that playing one striker up front with a save the game rather than win the game approach, will not work again next season. Next year, our pathetic goal tally will see us relegated for sure.

    I also agree with you that Ebanks’s goal has saved him and his future, and in the eyes of McCarthy and several on this site, he has gone from ‘zero to hero’ in a week.
    One goal, other than the penalty, tells me he is no where near ready for the big time, which starts next season for me.
    And finally, I agree McCarthy will not be able to ‘fluke’ his way through games as he did this year, and new blood in the managerial dept should be considered.

    I disagree that Ambrose and his goal scoring abilitywould equate to Doyle and Ebanks together, I would throw in Big Chris as well, and still think Wolves would get the better deal.

    As for the ‘flip’ that stated Doyle was a ‘Wolves Legand’!!!!!!!!!! get real, would you in all honesty stack him up against Billy Wright, the great Bert Williams, Bill Slater, Doogan, Broadbent, Pye, Hancock and Mullen… Too young to understand the true meaning of a legand.

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  38. 38
    The Usual Suspects

    37 Agreed The very serious lack of goals will put us in the mire next season as the standards will improve

    If we maintain the same squad and same tactics – drawing too many games not scoring enough is a recipe that may not work as we risk coming too close to falling short of staying out of the bottom 3

    Yes 4-5-1 works with other teams in the Prem BUT other teams manage to score more and have better quality across the squad

    As for SEB – Confidence is a great motivator and imv he really needed to go out on loan and get games in the Championship to get back into the scoring mode – I cant believe how unfit he looked through the season and even without a preseason – what was Tony Daley doing to keep SEB’s weight down???

    As for Ambrose – good player but better than Doyle – now that is funny – a midfield player that can influence games and not expensive – maybe a good shout but injury prone

    Finally someone said something about ‘fans having ideas above their station’ hmmm Does that sound patronising or is it just my imagination???

    EVERYONE has the birthright to give their opinion whether its right or wrong – I think its called ‘freedom of speech’

    We all hope for better

    UP THE WOLVES!!!

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Latest Blog — A week is a long time in football

This time last week we were staring down the barrel, third from bottom with a worse record than at the same stage last year, writes Saddlers blogger Mark Jones.
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