Wolves won’t wait for Mancienne
Tuesday 29th June 2010, 10:59AM BST.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has hinted he is not prepared to wait for Chelsea’s decision on utility man Michael Mancienne.
McCarthy would like the 22-year-old to become his sixth permanent capture of a fruitful summer’s spending at Molineux.
Wolves are understood to be ready to pay £4million for the former England under-21 international, although McCarthy would also be prepared to have Mancienne back for another season-long loan.
But they have been waiting for Chelsea to decide the player’s future.
And McCarthy, whose squad started returning for the start of pre-season training yesterday, hinted he may lose patience and look elsewhere to avoid losing out on other potential targets.
He said: “I’ve been asked about Michael Mancienne, but we’ve done business and signed a centre-half in Steven Mouyokolo.
“I can’t hang around waiting for decisions to be made that might be negative ones – I could lose the ones that I’ve been looking at.
“So I don’t know what will happen with that one.”
McCarthy wants St Etienne’s £1.75million-rated holding midfielder Guirane N’Daw – the position Mancienne played most last season – but Wolves need to sell three or four players first and it’s highly unlikely they will sign both at this stage.
However, the manager has refused to rule out more signings.
He said: “I don’t know – there might be more, and we’re still looking.”
But McCarthy is delighted to have virtually completed his business, just as the players started reporting back for the start of pre-season training yesterday.
He said: “The new lads will get the chance to meet their team-mates. Footballers are notorious for going into dressing rooms and they just don’t talk to somebody new sat there!
“But our lot are pretty good, they’re very sociable. And it’s different now because they all know each other with all the coverage football gets and they recognise each other.
“I’ve been in dressing rooms where somebody is sat in the corner and it’s like ‘who’s that?’
“Someone says ‘it’s our new left-back.’ Then ‘what’s his name?’ Someone else says ‘I don’t know!’
“I went around to see everyone yesterday but they’re all coming back in at different times, which I prefer.
“It’s better they come in dribs and drabs and we just get back into it.”
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Mancienne is a good footballer, but I think he is a bit small for a centre back, so wouldnt buy him for that position.
Holding midfielder? Maybe, but there are other options out there, and cheaper.
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you tell them Mick…
Great signings so far.
and Best club in the Midlands by far…
WE ARE WOLVES….
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Mancienne,may not be a centre back,but potentially,a first class midfield player and even a future England player with his value increasing accordingly,
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I agree I think he is a bit small for a Centre Back, however, I always thought he did well at Left Back in his first season! I don’t rate him too highly in the holding role, I think he gives away too many free kicks in that role around the box.
He is either a good defender or don’t buy him. I certainly thnk we need a creative centre midfielder though. O’Hara, Prince-Boateng something like that to drive us forward. We need someone with good technical ability, so they can be a pressure relief value, and hold the ball up and produce a great counter attack ball to Kites or Jarvo (hunt).
I do give us a real shot this year again of maintaining our status, but we are not yet a mid table team, because we do not have enough ability to hurt people on the counter attack.
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totally agree with mm on this one,we can’t afford to wait around for chelsea to give us a yes/no answer.we would miss him abit but we do have a couple of players could play in that role.i hope we do get him but i wouldn’t lose any sleep if we didn’t.
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Hey Paulo – you are right he is small and a bit lightweight for a good centre back stopper role, he gets pushed and pulled about too easily.
He does read the game well and is quick, so could continue doing a good job as the holding player – but that depends on how MM intends to line up this season – 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1 or what ever formation.
I also agree that although he has a lot of promise I am not sure he is currently worth £4M as a player. At our level of development anyone with that price tag should be an automatic choice and even at the end of last season I am no convinced he was.
At the right buy price – snap him up, otherwise buy an alternative hard man (bring back Alex Rae)
UTW
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paulo – He is a bit small for a centre back, but he has tremendous spring to his jump and is an excellent header of the ball. With a few more years experience, i feel he could be an excellent entre back, as well as the versitility he shwoed last season playing defensive midfield. I feel he could do with bulking up a little before reclaiming a centre back spot though, as he will need to use some strength as well as speed against prem strikers.
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Not convinced @ £4m, maybe another season on loan before commiting either way.
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Couldn’t we play with Jarvo on the right, Hunt on the left, with Henry as the holding midfielder and Kites as a creative central midfielder? Would that role suit him???
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Why should we wait for Chelsea… SOD THAT! Nice one Mick. Come On You Wolves!
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the only remaining area for us to strengthen now is holding mid. Henry is a rock, a hero, the first name on the team sheet, but unfortunately we only have one of him. any kind of injury or suspension and you have to wonder who we would play there, with Van Damme the only possible replacement as far as I can see.
Mancienne’s reading of the game, pace and willingness to put his foot in, added to the fact he is popular with the rest of the squad, make for a wonderful player in that position with plenty of potential. He is an able enough centre back too, and as he bulks out in later years he will walk into most team’s back four. maybe not right now, but certainly in the not too distant.
having come through the ranks at Chelsea with the tag of their best ever youth product, I think £4m is a snip. he is still very young and will get better and better with age.
but as Mick rightly says, the longer Chelsea drag their heels the less we can afford to wait on their decision. We need to get a second midfield general in, and the sooner the better so he can form a good understanding with his new team mates.
When all’s said and done though, MM has a much firmer grasp of all this than the likes of you and I, and whatever action he takes will be for the best interest of the club, in the short mid and long term.
so proud to be a Wolves fan.
COME ON ME BABBIES!!!
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I hope we sign Mancienne.I have always thought he is not strong enough or good enough in the air to play centre back in the Prem.But he did very well last season as the second holding player in midfield.We certainly need back up in that area.What happens if Henry gets injured.On the face of it this guy N’Daw has all the right credentials.But like Zubar will he take a while to settle in?
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We need to sell three or four players FIRST before we do any more business! What happens if we don’t sell, is that the end of our transfer activity?
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For midfield yes for defence no hes a good player and will get better so would be a good signing for us, but i think if we signed Prince-Boateng it would take us to a middle table, but he might be going to Lazio
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13) Wolves have not said that we need to sell 3 or 4 – the reporter did!
Mancienne is good cover for Henry and not quite there for centre back yet. Give them a fortnight or get N’Daw in!
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Great work so far Mick in the transfer market. I think we lack two more players possibly three if we clear out Keogh. I would love to see O’Hara or Boateng , Mancienne and a Pacey striker like Dindane if Keogh goes. If we signed those players I think mid table is a possibility.
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Firstly i think the signings we have made so far have been good value and micks first choices rather than the dregs left before the season starts…. to that i thank moxey and morgan who have got it sorted while mick has been in africa scouting… er i mean comentating. haha.
As for Manciene, 4 million would be around the price going for an established England 21 and already has an England senior cap (be it too much too soon). I think our fat controler would wiggle that down anyway with his undisclosed fee policy, which is seving us so well at the club be it anoying for us fans.
Dont forget Manciene is still very young, he even looks younger than he is, but a VERY GOOD FOOTBALLER for his age. As he gets older his body will broaden and with the right training will become a rock in the middle be it in D.Mid or C.B
To sum it up
AN INVESTMENT, BUT Mick wont put all his eggs in one basket and will already be after others so chelsea make your minds up will ya !
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also id like to add that at 4 million is alot of money to spend on a player for Wolves and theres always a risk they will flop or turn out to be a rebel…..
Not with Manciene, he’s already one of the lads and we already know he’s a good player with youth on his side.
I can understand why Chelsea are stalling, and this alone should tell us IF we get him he will be our best signing in my opinion cos we know what were going to get with him already.
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Its a tough decision, a year ago all fans would have begged to have him back. But we have progressed a lot in a year and I agree with the above comments. Even at England U21 level, he was at fault for goals for being lightweight and also got sent off after being brushed aside. And Im not sure he fits into the midfield role, loses the ball or gives away freekicks. Yet if Mancienne stops with Chelsea, he will be a bench warmer. I think £3.5M -£4m is nothing to Chelsea, so why sell him? And we shouldnt pay any more, although for strength in depth he is worth the punt
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Mancienne is worth waiting for, either signing or on loan, he is a very solid player, has been good for Wolves, and would fit in well. I agree we can’t let Chelsea sod us around, get Mick to give them a time limit.
It worries me that the type of team we are likely to field needs a player of the adaptability of Keogh, who with Hunt, Doyle, Fletcher etc, would be a key forward in support or off the bench,
For gods sake, don’t give the lad the flick, and Volkes, good as Doyle, fletcher are, should be kept in reserve.
I would think the the biggest problems that Mick has is what to do with Ebanks and Hennersey, both of which I would love to keep, but it would appear they may have to move on.
I would hold out for 4 million for the Welsh Keeper, and maybe 2.5 million for Ebaqnks after the dredful season he has just had, and the fact , young as he is, may have seen the best of him
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yes he would definately be a good squad player but not first choice centre back, has got to improve his tackling and ball winning to complement his pace and would be ideal as sub to close down games if were 1-0 or 2-1 up. utw .very impressed by nadir bel hadj of algeria. and michel bastos at left back for brazil.
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To all who say the lad is too small to be a center half, check out Spains Carlos Puyol at 2 inches shorter and then think again please. I aint saying we should def buy him just that speed and inteligence are as important as height for the central defence job.
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4M for Mancienne is going to look like a bargain when he is playing at the 2014 world cup for England and not leaking goals like the rubbish Upson/Cole/Terry we have now.
Charlie
ATLANTA WOLVES
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Good point Northern Wolf. A year or two ago Mancienne was an indispensible class act in our Championship team, but now most have raised their game to a similar standard, and the new transfers theoretically should be even better…otherwise why are we buying them.
Mancienne does have plenty of talent but I’m not sure we can carry him while he matures & grows out of his careless streak.
I think 3-4M would be a good investment even if he’s sat on our bench, cause his value is only going to go up each season. For that reason though I’d be surprised if Chelsea are be prepared to sell him for such small change.
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He has done well for us but I cannot forget how easily he can be pushed aside by some of the ‘brutes’ he confronts. he needs more experience because he is potentially a very good player.
However I can’t see him ever playing regular for Chelsea so 3 million would be reasonable for them too – paid for his wages and training plus sizable profit.
If we get him great but if we don’t then it’s not the end of the world.
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N’Daw is right for the position we need but I would enquire about O’Hara first and if excessive wages are an issue THEN go for N’Daw. O’Hara and Mancienne = 12th place.
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Billy Wright was`nt very big !
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27 – but he was tough as old boots,and a gent with it
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i cant agree with northern wolf on mancienne but agree with 17
Before Jones and later on guediora got into the side, Mancienne was the only player in midfield who could hold the ball, run with it and pass it forward to another player. Henry,castillo, Edwards couldnt and thats one reason why we lost so many games. He has the potential to be a really good player in 2- 3 years, and 3-4 million would be a good investment now and MM knows it.Look how much man utd have paid for smalling and he’s not the finished article either.
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Unfortunately I think these coments mean that Richard Stearman will be leaving us, which will be a shame as I think he will end being a top draw defender I also think Matt Hill Andy Keogh & Greg Halford will be joining him which is not such a shame.
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22 & 27 spot on. Our Billy was very short for a CH & not much got past him in his fabulous career. To think he had a career with no sending off or no booking……….anyway on to bigger things now the shower that call themselves the England team are back in disgrace! Do we cull the foreigners in the EPL? Don’t think so as this would kill the league. On the Mancienne transfer saga, remember guys Wolves have got someone that Chelsea are keen on & that is our Izzie…… well Chelsea keep wanting cos you ain’t getting him… we will just let our Jez play hard ball with ya.
Really looking forward to the season & it’s great to see the mixed response about whether Keogh should go or not… personally I believe the boy still has potential & could still play a great part in the Wolves team when needed. He has a great engine room.
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No word of a lie, I spoke Jez at Thorns Community College when I was playing football earlier, he does karate down there every tuesday, he said he was only interested in getting him on loan for another year.
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I thought he was great last season just in front of back four, He has an excellent touch, really good balance,athleticism and the ability to bring the ball forward.
The only grounds for doubt….Capello once picked him for the England squad !!
Problem for Wolves is Chelsea may require him as one of their home-grown few under the new rules.
But good on Mick for throwing the gauntlet down to Comrade Moneybags at Chelski.
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must keep hennessy,and stearman,both will be
top class in2/3years make my word put money on
it. stearman our best central defender the season we came up,then played him at r/b ok
then 1 game at l/b not left footed not been seen since, i think capello/and m m are related play people out of poison then when they do not play well blame them.
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Mancienne will always be a good prospect for the future – last season, this season, next season, the season after that, etc etc..
With other words: Everyone can see he will never be a good solid senior player. He is stuck with playing as a youth and its just stupid business if we buy him. A ball watching lightweight player with a bad first touch.. “like a doog chasing a balloon” as someone wrote last season – is that what we need?..
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At what age does a player go from having massive potential to being a wasted or unfulfilled talent? This is a general question – not a dig at Mancienne in the slightest. I still consider him to be a potentially excellent player but he probably only has a couple of years to prove this.
If I was him, I’d be concerned at the lack of games at Chelski to prove himself a talent.
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MANCINNE will never be top class and is not worth 4mill!!!
He is not even required.One only as to look at his performances and scrutinise them and you will find he is average at best and can remind one of being a HEADLESS chicken.
For those who dont agree watch him play.
So for me it’s save the POUNDS!
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I think we should bring Guirane N’Daw in instead of Mancienne.
Mancienne would be worth getting on loan again though!!
WE ARE WOLVES!!
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