Wolves’ warning to Gerard Houllier
Thursday 23rd September 2010, 11:27AM BST.
Midfielder David Jones has vowed Wolves are focused on making Gerard Houllier’s return to English football a difficult one this weekend.
Wolves lie in wait for the new Villa manager’s return to the Premier League stage for the Molineux derby on Sunday.
And, after returning to winning ways with the help of extra-time to overcome Notts County in the Carling Cup, Wolves’ tails are up.
Jones said: “Hopefully we can make sure he doesn’t get the best of starts. He’s a very experienced manager, with a good reputation. I’m sure he’ll do well there but hopefully we can make sure he doesn’t get anything here.
“That would give our fans something to cheer about. But these games don’t need any extra spice.
“We had two draws against them last year and were probably unlucky not to win both.
“After getting back to winning ways by beating Notts County in the week, I’m sure the fans and everyone will be really up for the Villa game.”
But Jones insists Wolves can’t afford to think they have closed the gap on Villa.
Wolves spent a record £18million this summer on signings and the midfielder believes they must continue to improve by building gradually, not getting beyond themselves in any bid to emulate the Midlands’ flagship club.
Jones said: “I don’t think we can say we’ve closed the gap on them yet. Villa have dominated the Midlands for a while and are a great club.
“It’s only our second season in the Premier League and they have been there since the beginning.
“They’ve achieved a lot and once again they’re looking good, so I wouldn’t say we’ve closed the gap.
“But we’re building a good team here. Since I’ve been at the club it’s been all good things happening here.
“The manager is looking to improve every year and we are improving.”
Jones also believes himself and his Wolves team-mates are coming of age.
He said: “Since I’ve been at the club we’ve been a very young team.
“Everyone is growing in confidence and ability-wise we’re better players now and we’re more mature on the pitch.
“But as the gaffer says, our priority remains survival.
“If and when we achieve that then we’ll go from there, because this is only our second season again at this level.”
UK Sport
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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As Dave Jones implies, it’s going to be another tough battle for survival again this season. If anything, the quality has risen among the more unfancied teams.
Is there any reason why van damme can’t play left back, and Guediora can’t start in midfield?
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That’s what I have also been thinking, and probably a lot of other Wolves fans, BUT In Mick We Trust!
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Attack from the start, early goal, sit back and defend. 1-0 would do. Doyley to score in 1st 2 mins.
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there should be a place for both Guedioura and Milijas in midfield as well as Van Damme at left back, that was the position he was bought for and that it the position he should be allowed to grow into.
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‘Wolves spent a record £18m this summer’. It will soon be October,and not one of the new players has managed 90 minutes yet.The biggest concern to me is that the club are wasting money on £2m signings.The best signings by a country mile have been the record signings Doyle and Fletcher.The strategy is obvious one marquee signing each season only.Surely it would have made more sense to have signed a couple more in the £5m category and signed fewer lower value players.How much money will be lost on Maierhofer,Halford,Milijas and although early days Van Damme. This is not smart money as stated by Jez Moxey,but it is a flawed strategy.
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5. Good post and spot on. Can we also stop playing defenders in midfield and have a balanced team that allows us to attack and defend. At Fulham and Spurs we just kept giving up possession!
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Van Damme and Milijas are both not fit enough to last 90 minutes in the Premiership yet. Van Damme has been taken off in every game and Milijas has had to take on extra training. Guedioura looked ok in patches on Tuesday but players like Elokobi, Halford and Bent are certainly not knocking on the first team door.
I think that you will find that the team Sunday will be:-
Hahnemann Foley Berra Craddock Ward Jarvis Henry Jones Van Damme (Guedioura if he is not fit) Fletcher Doyle
When Zubar and Hunt are fit I believe that Foley will be replaced and Van Damme can drop back into left back.
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David, you say “Attack from the start, early goal, sit back and defend.” The last two matches would seem to suggest that Wolves can’t do that…it’s also very negative and leads to a style of play which won’t keep us up this year. I’d love to see Guedioura and Milijas given a proper chance and with Jarvis on form and Doyle and Fletcher up front, we would be an attractive team to watch. McCarthy will always go for the duller, more conservative option. That is his nature and never will he change.
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Number three. David Kirby. Thats what we do. aka Fulham and Tottenham but we do not have the skill to sit back and defend. Surely the best defence is to attack but, MM thinks as you do, hence taking off our best strikers soon after half time and putting another defender on- even out of position. When are you going to learn that it doesn’t pay?
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Did Milijas not play 120 mins vs Notts County?
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Please let Guedioura have a go on Sat – he always looks lively, gets stuck in and has a shot. No other midfielder is as direct as him.
Milijas also deserves a chance if Jones doesn’t improve.
Play Van Damme left back, drop Ward. Maybe then we’ll stand a chance
I’d play 4-3-3
Hahnemman
Zubar – if fit
Craddock
Mouyokolo
Van Damme
Guedioura
Henry
Jones or Milijas
Doyle
Fletcher
Jarvis
Play the new signings Mick and not your favourites, after all we’re they not brought in to improve the team?!
This is a must win game along with Wigan and West Ham. I can’t see us getting anything after that for a while – Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal.
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” And, after returning to winning ways with the help of extra-time to overcome Notts County in the Carling Cup, Wolves’ tails are up”.
Really ??? After watching us limp over the line against a league 1 team in extra time, are our tails really up ??
If we hadn’t brought on 13 million pounds worth of strikers we would be sitting here even more embarrassed than we are now.
The whole lee hughes incident and the disgracful scenes after the game have diverted attention from what was a dreadful performance.
I know we will have a different team against the villa but to suggest we are on the up is misleading at best and I hope we approach this game with caution.
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Never mind writing comments for the E & S , put your signature on your Wolves ‘Contract’ and show the club and us supporters ‘YOUR COMMITMENT’ that way instead. UTW
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all the people screaming for van dam at left back couldnt of gone to any friendlys ,because he was awful at left back, looked like he had never played there,
Guedioura
wont get picked untill he stops giving the ball away he lookes great but sometimes does too much or tries things in the wrong area, mick was shouting at him most of the game for losing the ball on tuesday which tells me he wont pick him yet
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10) He did and was dead on his feet!
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No. 3 we’ve played 5 games so far, led at half time in 4 games and won just one. mmmmm!
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i just wish van damme could play leftback and even put edwards on the right and jarvis back on the left.. anything to get steven ward off the pitch he was terrible against spurs. fletcher and doyle should both start up front on saturday. does anyone know why mouyokolo came off so early on tuesday night?
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we underestimate vlla at our cost because if we do we,ll get punished that i have no doubt, lets make a nice hostile atmosphere and make sure were right behind the players whatever team mick puts out then i,m confident we can get a result..
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14.Carl.
Quite right about JVD.
Got murdered by Jimmy Kebe at Reading and by Max Gradel at Leeds.
Think thats one of the reasons why Mick is holding back,at playing him LB.
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How do expect to score goals with Henry and Mancienne in midfield.Henry how many goals in how many starts?
Mancienne the same?That’s the problem!
To defensive minded in order to go on and win games!last 2 games prove that!!!lead both times and appear to sit on that and this leauge ain’t never going to happen!!Fact read this MM.Can’t do a spurs last year twice!!FACT!
Fancy us Sunday!Hit them early!!
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usa
foley
craddock
berra
van damme
jarvis
henry
jones/gudioura/mancienne
fletcher
doyle
ebanks blake
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we will do well come on wolves
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We’ve all got the jitters after what happened in the week, on and off the pitch. My concern is the statement we seem to be continually hearing about players being at different level of fitness. Is this a euphemism for they’ve got no pace and never will have ? Milijas is a good example of this, he was in training all summer at the World Cup and he’s been back at Wolves for weeks now. Also worried about van Damme. Poor old Wardy got the blame for the penalty tackle at Spurs, but, did you see how Hutton left Claude for dead ?
These are professional athletes in full time training. Just how long do they want to get fit ?
What’s up with Mouyokolo and Zubar now ?
Has Tony Daley done a bulk deal in surgical boots, or what ?
I just hope Hunt doesn’t take as long when his comes off !
On a positive note. Doyle and Fletcher. Villa will be very dangerous with a new manager to impress, but, with these two up front (if fit!) we have half a chance.
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Who cares what Jones thinks? Have boots will travel – just another mercenary! Has been in talks for months, hope we don’t increase our offer. Put him on the list and send him training with the youth team. Should never play for us again.
Funny thing is, i wish he was half as good as he thinks he is! Good riddance, will not be missed.
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I agree once again 100% with John De Wolf.Why oh why does McCarthy keep picking Ward? Why does he keep picking players to play out of position? We all thought Van Damme was bought to fill the left back position.Only McCarthy knows the answers to these questions and I`m sorry but as long as he is manager we`ll always be a struggling side.Come on Mr.Morgan how much more of this idiot do we have to put up with.MATIN O`NIEL IS AVAILABLE.
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SORRY CAN`T SPELL MARTIN.
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Wolves 2-1 Aston Villa! Seriously believe the crowd will be a massive twelrh man, and that SM pcks a team hat has speed and tenacity. UTW!
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Sunday could be the blood and thunder derby we hoped for twice last season but never got. I’m praying that Houllier unleashes the Rottweiller (Reo-Coker) as his battle with Henry will be well worth watching.
Sound advice on here regards not getting over confident. There’s no worse opponent than a wounded one with something to prove. Half a dozen of O’Neills pets are sweating on their future at Villa now he’s gone and Houllier likes to play football so these guys have lost their comfort zone!
Obviously, I’d like a Villa win, but I’ll settle for a blood and thunder draw!
UTV SOTC
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villa flash ship team of the midlands REALLY
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i saw the midweek game against county and berra and guedioura were really the only starting players worth starting, doyle and fletcher added much needed quality as ebanks-blake and escpecially bent did not inpress. despite his goal milijas was poor at times, defending he dived into too much and was too ambition with runs. Elokobi’s decision making was extremly poor and lacked quality, which would rule him out, my team:
Hahnemann
Zubar(if fit, if not foley)
Craddock
Berra
Van Damme
Jarvis
Henry
Guedioura
Edwards
Doyle
Fletcher
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Talk is cheap Mr. Jones – just get out there, provide the service that Doyle and Fletcher need to score goals. As for MM – lets get more positive with our lineup and give the players the courage to get forward and take Villa on. If we fail to do this we are in for a torrid time.
COME ON YOU WOLVES!!!
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I doubt whether the starting line-up will be much different to the team that played at Tottenham. Perhaps Berra in place of Stearman.
It will be a very different game to that of last season when Wolves were playing 4-5-1. However, Millner has left, Carew and Agbonlahor seem to be carrying niggling injuries. If we can keep Young under control I believe we can win.
Those calling for Van Damme to play at left back clearly did not see him play at Tottenham where he did not seem to be quick enough. Hopefully Jarvis will play and help out in defence on that side.
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24) mancwolf. Wow ! what an astute and educated thought provoking opinion that is of yours. I bet your a riot on the line come Sunday morning when you’re advising the pub side ?
25)You’ve changed the record you little tinker, let’s hear the one about Jamie O’Hara again….go on !
I see another 1-1 coming up !
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Close the gap on Villa? That would take 50 years at least.
AVFC Pride of the Midlands
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Villa flagship team of the Midlands “REALLY”
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Look winning against county does not raise anyones confidence!We stayed up in the prem last year,what confidence as that given the players….seems like none! players and management contradict themselves so much it’s unreal.The season as only just begun and we are fighting relegation according to the players,this sort of talk just does not help,it is very evident the players are in cautious mood ,no surprise there as mick is a very negative manager.
We get fans on here talking about defence and fitness,yet these are the two main focuses of mick and his supporting team!Yet we fail on both,we play 7 defenders and still concede error strewn goals.
mick start being positive and play players in there positions,have 4 defenders,4 midfielders and two strikers oh and play a goalkeeper!You may just find we are a good team.Give them licence to do there jobs,strikers should not be defending,impose yourseleves on teams,be calm and cool with plenty of focus and do play with the brains too.Brains means no WARD,ELOKOBI,STEARMAN,MANCIENNE, as these players are very indecisive and can be very careless to be in the team.
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totally agree with win wolves we seemed to be holding our own the first few games in the prem.Then when mancienne come back we start losin may be coincidence but havnt got a great deal of faith in him
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Can’t believe we have one of the worst midfielders in the PL talking like this.We are a very poor side, worst midfield in the league, no proper left back, heaps of players carrying niggles, and our record in local derbies is appalling.If Mad Mick plays Mancienne, Ward and Berra , we may as well not bother turning up.This could be a third defeat in a row I reckon….alarm bells about to start ringing after all this money spent, and, no further forward.As another poster said above, we waste 2 and 3 mill on rubbish, the quality is in the higher bracket…Doyle and Fletcher… it ain’t rocket science
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33)bertie. You will be another in mm we trust muppet then?
Two spellings of the same word – interesting!
i suppose that does make me educated!
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JIWAL, another positive post i see, your local pharmacy must be doing a roaring trade in anti-depressants,
wednesfield villain, 50 years to catch your lot up? and your last trophy won was when exactly?
wwfc champions coco cola league. 2008/9.
wwfc 2 villa 0, jarvis, fletcher.
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truewolves, winning the second tier championship is no achievement. This is your 3rd season in a league we have never been out of. There is no comparision between the clubs. When was the last time you finished in the top half of the top division? Go back to arguing with the silly fools at Sandwell about who is bigger.
AVFC
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So we have the other lot down the road putting three past Arsenal on their own pitch while we ship three goals in 15 minutes.
I hope this doesn’t portend another humiliating season by Tesco Rangers. Only a convincing win on Sunday will do to restore confidence otherwise I foresee the old pattern of excuses emerging in the Express and Star. Remember the old “we’ve let the fans down, must do better, will improve ” nonsense.
So no more messing about tomorrow. A win with a two goal difference is a must.
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