Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Midfield role for Wolves’ Kevin Foley
Friday 30th July 2010, 10:57AM BST.
Kevin Foley has been earmarked for more central midfield duties by Wolves boss Mick McCarthy.
The Republic of Ireland international was voted fans’ Player of the Year in 2008-09 playing right-back.
But two of his three appearances have been in the central role after playing the second half of last season at wide right.
And McCarthy believes the 25-year-old has the football brain and mobility to play more in a midfield role.
“I’ve played Kevin in midfield because I know he can play there,” said the boss.
“Kev’s been versatile – right-back and right wing – and he’s very comfortable with the ball. We’ll have to play three in the middle from time to time and I like him in there because he’s comfortable.
“He gives us another option in there.”
After playing most of his career as a right-back, Foley still sees that as his natural position but is happy to slot in wherever he can.
“I’ve played midfield a few times and I was at right-back against Reading, which was nice,” he said.
“Hopefully the gaffer still sees me as someone who can play in there but I love playing in midfield as well.”
“I really enjoyed last season and, like any player, I just enjoy playing.”
Foley admitted it’s going to be difficult to win his place back at right-back.
“The main thing for me is just to be in the team because there’s so much competition for places,” he said.
“When you think about right-back there’s Ronald, Richard and Greg Halford, and in midfield there are so many other quality players.
“It’s the old cliché about how important it is to have competition for places.”
“You know if your standards drop and someone comes in and do well that could be you out of the team for a few weeks or even longer.
“If you do get in the starting XI you’ve got to hold onto your place for as long as you can.”
Sponsored Links
UK Sport
Latest Blog — Lou’s Women on babes, ducks and chicks
In the old days it would have been “madam” – but now it’s more likely to be “babe (or round these parts ‘bab’)”, “love”, “duck” or “chick/chuck”, writes Louise Jew.
Lou's Women
Business Awards
Book a Business Awards table
Join our celebrations of the region's best in business on Thursday March 22 - book your table now
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
mmmmmm not sure about this ……. good solid reliable player but central midfield not sure? Square peg round holes again? Think Foley will be a bit part player this year unless others injured again. Cant question his attitude though
Report abuse
We all know Kevin is a RB, thats why he won Fans Player of the Year, in that position. But having said that he could easily do the same job as Michael Mancienne as an holding midfielder and SAVE Wolves £4M, which could be invested elsewhere should we need to buy in January.UTW
Report abuse
What a waste of time. We have players already playing in that position who will probably be better. Stop making him play out of position. If you think he’s so good then play him where he is supposed to be otherwise let him stay on the bench until that position is available.
You wouldn’t expect SEB to play in goal because he can’t play upfront would you.
Report abuse
Good squad player, i think he should be our first pick at right back but if not a good player to have who can slot into other positions as needed.
Report abuse
The fact that Milijas is playing against Cheltenham does not bode well for his future in the 1st team. From what I have seen of him he lacks pace and strengh. As much as I love a cultured player with a terric left peg, I don’t think he is going to be the player we would all love him to be. Potentially he could end up being another 2 million plus flop! Pity.
Report abuse
Have to agree with Dan…Foley is a solid right back and was deservedly player of the season in this his favoured position.Surely we’ve got 3 better central midfield players on the books even without Mancienne and N’Gaw…..still Merlin seems to know what he’s doing so I suppose we put our trust in him…I do think there’s more goals in the team this season….hope I don’t regret saying that !!!!
Report abuse
Foley got my vote in 08/09 for his performances at right back.
However, he didn’t convince me that he could make the same impact in the premiership, mainly because, with all due respect, he’s not a right winger or central midfielder.
He may be able to ‘play there’ but he’ll never make a big enough impact in matches as it’s not his natural or best position.
It’s good to have versatile players in a 25 man squad but I’d hope others would be picked ahead of him when it came to the right wing and central midfield positions.
Report abuse
From what I’ve seen over the last 2 years playing in a midfield 3, or a holding role, could well be his best position. He’s a very tidy player, quick, good on the ball, reads the game well. If we need to strengthen the midfield it’s more in the creative/ attacking area, where Milejas just hasn’t cut it (he was woeful at reading in the week).
Report abuse
1) Do not agree. He is capable of doing as good a job as Mancienne did in the central midfield position. However, he is not up to the right wing slot he was used in last season! Kevin Foley is a very good player but on last year’s form he will not dislodge Zubar – who has pace to burn and is very useful going forward!
The regular side will be like this with cover in brackets:-
Hahnemann (Hennessey) Zubar(Foley) Craddock(Stearman) Berra(Mouyokolo) Van Damme(Ward) Hunt(Jarvis) Henry(Guedioura) Jones(Milijas) Kightly(Mujangi-Bia) Doyle(SEB) Fletcher(Vokes)
Report abuse
Foley is a useful adaptable player who can come on and play in either a defensive midfield role or right back.
Last season he put in a few good performances wide right, but I cannot see him as a first choice as we have other options.
Report abuse
If we need a centre midfielder……bloody buy one – foley is not a centre or right midfielder and was one of the many reasons we scored so few goals last season.
Report abuse
Foley was a very good full back for us in the Championship.But in the Prem he might lake the extra pace and strength needed to play full back. He is a neat and tidy midfielder,but in how many other sides in the Prem,excluding the Baggies and Blackpool, would Foley make the starting line up? To me he is a good squad player,but we are lacking a quality right sided midfielder, especially with all the injury doubts over Kightly.This is an area where we should have improved this summer.Hunt’s best position is on the left and the same with Jarvis.
Report abuse
Sorry typo ‘lack’ not ‘lake’.
Report abuse
This is exactly why MICKO does not always get the fan’s behind him.Foley is a RB and nothing else,why oh why play players out of position?In this league it is difficult as it is with players playing in there favoured positions.So why play players in unfamiliar role’s unless it is an absoulte must due to injuries etc.
Yes some players can be better playing in different role’s than they started in,but this is not the case with FOLEY.
Micko as to start playing players in there favoured and desired positions unless your hand is forced.
Report abuse
I think a lot of people on here do Mr Foley an injustice.
He filled in on the right side last year as we had nothing better, and to be fair he was solid, nothing more or less. He was part of a stable side that evolved over the season and that were picking up points. I was more than happy with that.
If played in a central midfield 3, I think he’ll be more comfortable. He can sit a little deeper than Henry, and he’ll get it and give it. That may mean Henry will have a bit more license to go forward, meaning people can get off ‘the crabs’ back for a change.
Report abuse
15) Fair play someone talking sense. We exceeded expectations last season, have spent early and there are still people moaning. It could be much much worse and you could be an Albion fan. Little or no money, a poor ground and JP is chairman!
Report abuse
I find this E+S Message board totally hilarious. On the Wolves pages, you get people preaching about how useless a manager MM is, which players wolves should sign and even the squad 25,… all presented in such a way that you’d think they were a qualified authority on the game. There’s little or no respect for the judgement and abilities of the manager, instead all these crazies going on as if they were the ones who actually took a team to the WORLD CUP FINALS!
God forbid there is an article on Mosques in the West Midlands… that really is like a red rag to the Express and Star reader….
Still it’s worth a laugh over lunch time…
Report abuse
As Chris Hoggard (12) says he was a good RB in the Championship, but, Zubar is far better with his pace and energy for the Premiership. So Foley and perhaps Stearman are his cover.
Foley in the middle ? Not sure, but MM sees him and coaches him on a daily basis so we should trust his judgement. He got him playing a very functional if not inspiring right side midfield as part of the Keep Us Up masterplan.
Disagree about Hunt and Jarvis only playing on the left. Hunt destroyed us in the Championship playing down the right for Reading, and Jarvis with a right peg can definately play right wing if required.
Report abuse
I dont understand why people get so focused on a player’s position. This “Foley is a right back not a midfielder” argument seems to be based on the notion that players can only play in one position when football has loads of examples of players moving from one position to another in their careers. John Wark started as a striker and ended his career as a sweeper. Ruud Gullit started as a winger and ended up as a sweeper. The Dutch famously used to play total football where players could comfortably swap positions. Wenger converted Thierry Henry from a winger to a striker with reasonable success. Zubar was a centre back but is now our first choice right back. In the end these people are professional footballers and Foley is a good enough player to play as a defensive midfielder in a five man midfield.
All the talk lately has been of buying Mancienne to play as a defensive midfielder when in our promotion season he played as a centre half. If he can do it why not Foley. Mick has built a team to bring us up, then kept us up and if he decides Foley can do a job in midfield then thats good enough for me.
Report abuse
17) James. So what’s your point ?
Having an opinion on your team, the England team, Accrington Stanley’s back four or the Pakistani Cricket team is what these boards are all about.
Yes, we have to put up with the morons, but that’s all part of life’s rich tapestry as they say.
Also, you may have noticed the “Sack Mick” brigade have gone very quiet of late.
Enjoy your lunch and don’t choke on the prawn sandwich whilst your laughing.
Report abuse
F.O.L.E.Y, F.O.L.E.Y,
he’s gold and black,
he’s our……central midfielder…..
just ain’t got the same ring to it has it?
UTW
Report abuse
I agree with no. 8 Chris, Foley could become the best holding midfielder we have next season, like you said, he doesn’t,t give the ball away, he’s quicker at passing the ball than Henry (ideal competition for both players I might add) and Foley won’t be so static in his play – in my opinion.
Report abuse
AGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! come on Mick you know & i know that Foley is not a midfielder, i am yet to see him have a good game there! all this is down to is you cant justify dropping zubar & you dont want to leave Foley out either so your just trying to convince yourself & us that he can play there! to a certain degree he can but offers alot less quality in that position than players already at club so the phrase “pointless springs to mind” you have got to be strong and leave him out until zubar goes off boil or gets injured! stop trying to just acommadate him!! saying tht i love foley, hes just not as good as zubar & is defo not a midfielder!!
UPW
Report abuse
Excellent player and a great right back.
Report abuse
Eastwood, Jarvis and Hunt have played by far most of their games on the left,so it is logical to say that is their best position.What I would like is another quality right sided specialist to compete with Kightly.It would give our squad better balance.So can you please use your infuence on Mr Marmite,he needs to get his cheque book out before he orders all those bricks.
Report abuse
here we go this is got to be a very bad joke
foley is not ever going to be a midfield player. square picks in round hole please not
again this season we have midfield players so
play them the muppet. foley is a full that it.
Report abuse
I can see him playing in a Claude Makelele type role.
Report abuse
Play him at full back or not at all Mick. You tried last season and it just did not work. He looked lost most of the time and when in front of goal he looked Sunday pub side standard at best. Don’t waste his ability as a full back by trying to keep in the team like you also keep doing with Ward.
Report abuse
Mick,
If you can’t decide on a position for Foley how are you expected to form a team?. By the look of these posts you are befumbling the fans never mind the team. JtH.
Report abuse
Don’t agree at all, Foley is our best RB, and Zubar is a far better CB.
Report abuse
Smacks of acommodating a player to me.
The ball was like a hot potatoe to him when he played on the right wing last season & he rarely took any responsability when he played there.
However I have seen him play central midfield in the past & he has performed well, but he is a right back & that’s he should play if he can dislodge Zubar from the position he has made his own.
Does he have th pace to play right back in the prem?????
KTF
Wolvesforever
Report abuse
Right back all day, his limit’s in midfield where there to be seen all last season, cant knock his attitude,commitment or effort’s but he is a defender and a quality full back. stop playing him out of position!
Report abuse
James (17) you are a pompous ass. There is very little criticism of MM now. Everyone is entitled to state an opinion even pompous asses. Its not unknown for the opinions of us lesser mortals to prove correct. Life and football management is not an exact science even for the professionals and superior beings such as yourself.
Report abuse
24 Glad MM picks the team and not you
Report abuse
25) Chris Hoggard. I’ll have a chat with Mr Marmite next time we’re sharing a £5.75 Fan’s Feast or carrying a ho full of bricks for the new stadium.
29) DJack the Hat-DJack the Hat. Go away and worry about your own team problems. They mount by the day
Report abuse
That was hod, sorry I dropped one
Report abuse
Hi all
Foley is not a central midfielder at all I think he had a great promotion season in the championship he was great but I dont see him now more than a bit part player who will more than likly go on loan at some point SORRY IF PEOPLE DONT AGREE but I dont see him budging Zubar or myouloko (the new one from hull) and as for midfield can someone help me in a fact 2 years ago there was a big fuss over a youth player that was going to be a £100 million player his name was Zeli Ismail his he still with the club why not use the kids yes the premiership is massive but kids will play harder and run and run how will they learn by reserve games and why spend 4million on mancienne bleed them in although I think we will deffo suprise ourselves Ive had us odds of 22-1 to have a top 10 finish with £50 on us all I can say is CUM ON MI BABBIES……
Report abuse
RIGHT BACK ,RIGHT BACK ,RIGHT BACK,
Report abuse
29 Mack with his HAT (over his eyes)
or is it TERRY, Happy or Cyril?????
A very polite request. STAY OFF THIS SITE with your inane comments please.
Report abuse
NO, NO, NO AND NO again sorry he is a right back i wasn’t to impressed by his right wing role last season I didn’t think he offered to much in the way of attack down the right wing he plays to deep. As for a central mid role look at the players that are playing in that position Henry, Milijas, Guedioura, Jones all central players can you seriously see Foley getting in the centre not for me. Oh and James its called a message board so you can have your say if you dont like it dont come on here
Report abuse
(17)
James,
totally agree with you, as you have the likes of laughingwolf and brummierobwolves pretending to be
Mick, also Gerty backing them up. Take no notice of some on here as you have every right to have your say. Some fans can’t stand the truth. JtH.
Report abuse