Mick McCarthy lays into ‘poor’ Wolves
Wednesday 22nd September 2010, 11:30AM BST.
Critical Mick McCarthy today hit out at a ‘poor’ performance by Wolves after they scraped through to the last 16 of the Carling Cup against 10-man Notts County.
Wolves needed extra-time for the second successive tie to see off lower league opposition as goals from substitutes Kevin Doyle (two) and Steven Fletcher belatedly clinched a 4-2 win and a place in the last 16.
“It was poor by us,” said the boss.
“I wasn’t happy with the performance and I feel quite fortunate. I picked a Premier League team and it was disappointing we didn’t play better.”
McCarthy admitted his starting XI shouldn’t have needed Doyle and Fletcher to get the right result.
“That team should have been good enough to win without putting the subs on,” he said.
“But we needed Fletcher and Doyle — they changed the game.
“Anybody looking at my team would think I was very lucky to have those two on the bench, and that’s how I felt.
“I didn’t bring them on earlier because I thought we could win it with the players on the pitch and there were players who needed to play.
“We’ve played well every game in the Premier League but in the two Carling Cup ones we haven’t.”
Steven Mouyokolo made his debut and Marcus Bent his first start and McCarthy admitted the disjointed nature of where different players are with their fitness didn’t help.
“Maybe it’s because we brought players in who aren’t ‘battle-hardened’,” he said.
“Whoever we get next we’ll have to play better than that.
“There were times when we played very safe and slow and I wanted them to get at it and do things quicker.
“We didn’t want to allow them to get back into their shape because when they did it was hard to break them down.
“I was shouting at Wayne Hennessey at one point to get things moving, but it was his save that stopped it going to penalties.”
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.
Saddlers Blog
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.

The team should have done better, but they are playing a team that play week in week out. We have to get players back from injury and allow others to get a game, but thats why we should always have the sttrikers on the bench.
Good result hard fought and roll on the Villa.
Report abuse
Should have played Stephen Ward in goal, he would have kept a clean sheet and scored a hat-trick too.
Report abuse
Well said Mick.Wolves was a disgrace last night. I took my 6yr old daughter,and even she said “Dad,which team is in the premiership?”. The 4-2 win had no infleunce on the game, and it was a strong team Mick put out, wolves must improve otherwise we will go down.The notts county fans where right last night by chanting “PREMIER LEAGUE,YOU HAVING A LAUGH!!”. Also our last two games i also think we was poor,So come on wolves play like a premier league team, which we know they can and lets turn over the Villa.BARMY ARMY!!!
Report abuse
It’s been poor every time he puts out a second string team in the cup competitions. In fact, I’m struggling to think of any convincing performance in either Cup since Mick came to the club!
The most worrying comment is the reference to having played well in every Premier League game this season. We played well in the first half against Stoke and on possession and chances created, should have lost all 4 since then!
I fear that until we get a Wiganesque drubbing, that Mick won’t accept that hard work alone does not keep you in the League and Jarvis and Hahnemann apart, I’m not sure anyone can be satisfied with what they’ve done in the first 7 games of the season!
Report abuse
at the end of the day a wins a win and in the next round if the cup it will say wolverhampton wanderers and not notts county so its all good. that said though we need better performances if we are to progress further
Report abuse
All you seem to do mick is have a go at the players.
how about picking the right team then you have a valid reason to have a go, at the moment your pick champianship players then having a go at them about mistakes.
they are not good enough in the prem. surley you must see that..
Report abuse
I think MM must have been listening to Robbie Dennison after the match ,as he said exactly the same that wolves move the ball to slow and to square and backwards/sideways, they need to move it far quicker from A-Z ,he was also asked who played well enough to start v AV ,he said nobody really, except maybe Milijas who always used the ball well. But isn’t up to the pace of the PL, how long is it going to take for this player to reach the pace of the PL?. Thats always been one of my gripes about buying foreign players, they seem to need 12-18months time to settle ,especially those who sign for the Wolves?. I think Robbie talks so much sense, why dont you give him a job Mr Morgan, has TC as been here over 10yrs and his coaching sessions must be tired/boring by now, players like ‘fresh ideas/tactics’ or it all becomes boring and they stop listening and do what they want when out on the pitch. Get Robbie in now Mr Morgan has its clear MM listens to his after match comments. UTW
Report abuse
After watching last nights game,halford, stearman and elokobi showed exactly what they are all about, CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report abuse
we got the result, we are through to the next round. we got players rested for Villa. . . good result. . . c’mon u wolves!!!
Report abuse
molly new mick you are 100% correct in your report,the only thing is you should be “molly did not now mick”!
We were ok against stoke only after they had jones strechered off.
In the other games we have been below average,going forward we have been poor.Our best piece of play against spurs got us a goal.Proves we can play ,but mick’s pursuit of hard work and defence based strategy are going to be our undoing.
There is no real wolves fan on this forum that can suggest we are attack minded and create chances,as our statistics show we create around 1.1 chances in a game!
We defend in numbers (playing 7-8 defence minded players)yet we have conceded poor goals.In particular the last 5 conceded we have caused major problems for ourselves,by giving the goals to the opposition.This is why mick as to change his philosophy or pay the price!our players need to be positive and show beleif that we can beat teams by playing.
Blackpool have on paper less experience and lower division players,yet there attitude of playing and attacking as reaped 7points and a couple of heavy defeats against the big hitters.If one watches the game against chelsea,blackpool opened them up on 4 occassions!We didnt do that in our two games last season yet we still lost!!!
The likes of “ramjag” come on here saying how wolves fans criticise the team,we dont we state the facts!There is no denying so far we look a poor side,it needs to be changed,the biggest change needed is mental attitude,and micks is NEGATIVE.I love the wolves and would like them to do better especially when I now they can,but are being stopped by the managers negative approach.Hard work is not the only ingredient required to be a half decent team,if it was you could pick 11 players out of the crowd and they would work even harder than the current players.
Doyle is an example trys very hard but as had one scoring chance in the prem in the last 8 games,a header against the bar!!
Says it all ,yet some come on here and say we owe it to mick!owe him what in all businesses you are required to improve year on year,mick as not been able to do this,as a team our average passes are 2.7!! we are not able to string 3 passes together!These are the true statistics that matter,I am not expecting wolves to change much under mick,unless HUNT can make a difference as he is a natural attack minded player,I do fear mick will restrict his going forward!
The frustrating part is mick cant even see it other than last night,maybe he was able to describe it as poor because he had a second team out!!Because the first are no better,how can someone in the right mind say we played well against spurs?just look at the THREE goals conceded!If not look at the two goals conceded against fulham!(free kick).
even more disturbing and worrying is we continue to make BASIC errors.Basics that the players should be able to apply without errors in the non-league.
Report abuse
when will wolves play a normal team. that is a goalkeeper 4 defenders 4 midfielders 2 attackers? not rocket science and send mancienne back to chelsea runs around like a headless chicken
Report abuse
You wouldn’t think reading much of the above that we have just started succesive seasons in the top flight for the first time in 30 years.
Oh and we are also in the last 16 of the Carling Cup, anyone would think we had got knocked out.
Try and enjoy what we have been wishing for all these years!!!
Report abuse
poor performance, but we are through to last 16.
these games are all about sorting out who is good enough for wwfc and last night mick found out.
imagine the comments if we had lost?.
utw come on my babbies.
Report abuse
You brought the player Mick.
Hey whilst im here I’m a honest bloke, il put a shift in, I’m useless at football , but can I play for wolves please Mick ?
Stearman, elokobi , halford are not even good enough for league 1. Where as guedioura the man you won’t start in the prem is the best midfield attaching option we have apart from Jarvis. Me and many others fans are starting to.get very annoyed with you playing your favourites who arnt good enough and playing players out of position ,foley is NOT a midfielder
Report abuse
Anyone else want to carry on discussing Lee Hughes…?
Report abuse
Message to Mick
Can you have Greg Halford in your office and ask him “Seriously Greg do you want to be a football player?”
I would snatch his right hand off to be on that pitch last night and yet he was there and just didn’t seem interested.
He told us at the start of the season that he was changing his life and going tea-total. I would get back on the beer mate it ain’t working!
Report abuse
I find it baffling – MM continually talks about how satisfied he is with this squad of players. And yet we have struggled against Southend and now Notts County. There is no question that there are still too many Championship level players in the squad. If the squad ethic is to promote competition for places in the first team then surely the fringe players should be busting a gut to break through? It does not appear to be the case here though.
Doyle finds the net against this level of opponent and yet rarely even gets a shot off in the Premiership. Not all his fault due to the lack of service from our midfield.However, great strikers should be capable on occasions of creating their own opportunities. He works hard in the Prem and one cannot fault his effort but the lack of attempts on goal is surely a concern?
Report abuse
Quite a few players shot themselves in the foot and have no chance of getting a start in the first team with that level of performance. Elokobi Halford Mujangi Bia and Bent are a definite no. Hennessey Mouyokolo Guedioura and Milijas were good in patches. SEB has done ok so far but Doyle and Fletcher could start on Sunday
Report abuse
Hey Mick! We won 4-2! The draws on Saturday lets see who we get. Bring it on!
Report abuse
some fans are just never satisfied.
trouble is to many fans like to become managers and of course there better than the one at the helm,
ill judge mick in may,and the players.
but until then …………….
COME ON YOU WOLVES
who ever was expecting to have 15 points after 5 games which im sure most of you on here do
keep moaning that we havent and were going down.
im sure ur the same crowd that hsa been moanin since 2004
I WISH WE WERE IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE.
SACK THE MANAGER NO GOOD
WE DESERVE TO BE THERE.
MOAN MOAN MOAN
as 12 said try and enjoy it
Report abuse
Well the Villa game is a big one and with a new manager they will be looking to impress but we can get 3 points, Mick wake up and start with this team:
Hahnemann
Zubar
Craddock
Mouyokolo
Van Damme
Jones
Guedoira
Henry
Jarvis
Fletcher
Doyle
Report abuse
Mick you can’t throw together a selection of fringe players who are not used to playing together and expect them to gel. I also think the formation was wring for 80 minutes.
Report abuse
19 and 20 Hear! Hear!
We have a youngish squad that can only get better, we stayed up last season( reasonably comfortably), still in cup( unlike others that played ‘fringe’ squads.
C’mon Wolves and the 3M’s
Report abuse
15th in the premier league
Last 16 in the Carling cup
Doyle and Fletcher up front
Jarvis on the wing with Hunt to join the fray
and yet moan, moan, moan.
Too many fans with short memories. Compared to the last 30 years this is bliss. Thank you Mick and Steve for bringing the good times back.
Report abuse
Nothing wrong with voicing concern over a poor performance against lower opposition. As already said, if MM is satisfied with his squad, how come they were so inept? Or is inept all they have to be to satisfy him……..? Or is it more a case of poor judgment and team selection by the manager perhaps? If so, maybe he could be man enough to accept some responsibility? We´ll never score goals if we don´t start attacking teams. MM´s is the kind of mentality that will take us backwards, not forwards.
Report abuse