Wolves boss to stick with one striker
Wednesday 30th March 2011, 4:00PM BST.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has hinted life after Kevin Doyle would continue with the same formation as ‘opportunity knocks’ for his strikers.
McCarthy looks set to continue playing a lone forward, despite being without £6.5million Doyle for possibly the rest of the season.
The manager cites the loan signing of Jamie O’Hara, as the reason behind his renewed confidence in the system that seems to bring the best out of Wolves.
When Wolves were last without the talismanic Doyle at the turn of the year, they reverted to 4-4-2 and won 1-0 at Liverpool before losing 2-0 at West Ham.
But McCarthy insisted this time the team can play the same way without Doyle.
The Wolves boss said: “Of course, we can play the same way. It would be a sad indictment if we lost one player and had to change the way we played. The last Doyle was out, we didn’t have Jamie. It’s changed.
“Doyle proved the best at that lone striker role but both Steven Fletcher and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake have played it and Stephen Ward is a handful when he does, so I’ve still got three strikers.”
But McCarthy warned whoever steps into Doyle’s boots must match the Republic of Ireland striker’s workrate.
He said: “Somebody has to do what Doyle does to the best of their ability.
“Whoever gets in has to do the work, or he doesn’t play.”
McCarthy revealed Ebanks-Blake and Fletcher are straining at the leash to take their chance.
He said: “Doyle’s been terrific but it’s ‘opportunity knocks’ and I’ve no doubt the person who gets in will be relishing the prospect.
“We’re going to be without him certainly for a month, it could be for the rest of the season yet. The other strikers have shown a great attitude to the situation.
“There’s a huge difference playing up front on your own, as Doyle has done, to coming on as a substitute. But they’ve all had a real impact.
“They all want to play, they don’t like being on the bench but what’s been good is that when they’ve come on they’ve shown the right attitude and won, saved or changed games.
“It’s been great.”
UK Sport
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