Wolves can cope with Emile Heskey
Saturday 25th September 2010, 11:30AM BST.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy today tipped his defensive duo to cope with a rejuvenated Emile Heskey as he backed his strikeforce to gun down Villa.
Heskey rolled back the years to make it a winning start for new manager Gerard Houllier as Villa came from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 3-1 on Wednesday night in the Carling Cup.
McCarthy watched the game and said Heskey transformed the tie by scoring one and making another as he reminded his old Liverpool boss of his best form.
McCarthy said: “Emile came on and they got back to 1-1 and, before you knew it, it was 2-1 then 3-1.
“He came off the bench and was really brilliant for 25 minutes. He turned the game upside down and was different class.”
McCarthy is expected to reunite Christophe Berra alongside Jody Craddock at the back after the Scot’s suspension kept him out of last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
And he backed the pair to handle the former England forward.
“Jody and Berra have been terrific – they’re two proper centre-halves,” he said.
“These physical games don’t bother them at all. They can handle that side of it and we’ve played well in all our Premier League games this season.”
McCarthy’s £13.5m strikeforce Steven Fletcher and Kevin Doyle have hardly spent any time on the pitch up front together this season.
But they showed what they could do when they scored three goals between them in extra-time to see off Notts County in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.
And the Molineux chief admitted he is tempted to unleash them as a pairing after playing Fletcher wide left at White Hart Lane.
“When I bought them, I saw them as a good partnership, but Sylvan has been excellent in the games he’s played,” he said.
“But they’re a handful. They haven’t really played together but they’re both good players individually and they looked very good on Tuesday and they were the difference.
“Doyle’s performance at Spurs was terrific. He didn’t score but he didn’t have any chances. It was great for him to get some goals on Tuesday because that’s what he’s judged on.”
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Why is mad mick talking about our centre halfs being up for a physical game again ??
With all the critisism our play is getting nationally why can’t he talk about something else – or better still shut his gob ??
Hesky is a big lad but his game has never been too physical – he is a knock and run player who can shield the ball – if our lot start kicking lumps off him we will get another 7 bookings and end up with 9 or 10 men again.
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Heskey is a rather enigmatic player. Never been prolific as a striker but a handful for any defenders and seems to blow hot and cold. If Craddock and Berra are on the top of their game, I’m sure that he will not pose too many problems.
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Yes let them both loose on Sunday. seb as been great too but doyle and fletch have the making of a terrific double act think we are in for a hard time but my gut feeling is 2-1 to the wolves. uptw
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Mick, Mick, Your strikers came on to play against a tired ten man Division one team, big deal. So Craddock and Berra are to mark
Hesky, does that mean you’re parking the bus . So you intend to be physical (Clogging)
again?. you’ve only played with one striker, so it’s your fault they haven’t played together. You’re right about strikers being judged on the goals they score, great observation!. JtH.
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MM, ”Doyle’s performance at Spurs was ”TERRIFIC”. He ‘DIDNT SCORE’ but he didnt have any chances? What a statement to come out with? only MM could say that? UTW
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he played alright for 25 mins and suddenly he is a world beater? I can imagine the wolves defenders having sleepless nights over playing against the mighty Heskey
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Emile Heskey wont be a problem (if he starts). ive been waiting to see doyle and fletcher start up front together just hope they do this time. if MM gets it right 2moro we can score a couple of goals and if berra and craddock play well we should keep them at bay!! who knows we might even win 6-0 :/
USA
Foley
Craddock
Berra/Mouyokolo
Ward
Edwards
Jones
Henry
Jarvis
Doyle
Fletcher
2-0 wolves
UTW!! come on me babbies!!!
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i dont thiink heskey is to worry about its if agbonlahor starts which will cause major problems to our defence but if he doesn’t im goin for 2 0 to wolves wil be a gd game come on u wolves !!!!!!!!!!!!
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Big Sam said Blackburn Rovers were going to turn the villa over on wednesday and must have thought at half time it was on the cards.So if villa come out from the start firing on all cylinders your in for a drubbing wolves no matter who our team is made up so its 1.. .3 villa
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Smithy, van Damme for Edwards and I’d like to see Mancienne / Guedioura come on at some stage if necessary…we need 3 points tomorrow and we can get ‘em!!!
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Wolves must re-discover their appetite and consistency, digged in for their derby match with Villa.
Two away defeat in the PL must not dampened the spirit and teamwork that they had carried themselves last season.
They belonged to PL and earned that status through sheer determination and hardwork. With addition to improve the squad, they must gel and begin their quest for greater things and achieved the goals set and beyond.
Looking forward to a re-build stadium and greater glory.
Forever Wolves….
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7 – Smithy Wolf…. we have no choice with Ward as Van Damme is not quite ready, apparently, but the Algerian should be one of the first on the team sheet, not Edwards!
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Well we really coped with Heskey daint we…. mick out mick out mick out !!!!
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yo lot dae cope with that header did yo….LoffinAtWolves
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Oops, i seem to have won the game.
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Heskey? This Wolves defence can’t cope with Mr. Blobby.
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erm…..no they can’t !!
Clear off McCarthy , rubbish signings, negative subs, useless tactics
Sack him now!!
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Wrong again MM. Wrong
And where was Berra when Heskey scored the winner??
One day you will learn
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Keep Elokobi in, wheres Zubar we need him.
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Defensively naive,both goals should have prevented.Not enough pace throughout the team.Players need to learn to pass to feet or infront of player, not lobs in the air to nobody most times.Wolves give the ball away far too easily and too often.Should have won this Villa are no great shakes.Need more dynamism in midfield and someone who can pick a pass.where do they go from here and who could make a difference.
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Spot on Mike! Exactly what I was going to say!
Villa were there for the taking but we’re too ponderous and predictable. Take Jarvis out of the side and there’s no-one capable of running with pace at the opposition defence.
Plenty of possession, pretty patterns but no cutting edge and most of our best chances come from set piece knockdowns.
Albion and Blackpool look fresh and inventive. We look past our sell by date and so so slow!
Don’t mind losing but have a go!
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(20)
Mike,
The guy who can make all the difference is the one a lot of dingles mention, His name is
When-Fit, I think he’s Oriental. JtH.
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What more can I say than what I mentioned at 12……..other than ‘told you so’!!!!!!!
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How far away was Ward from Albrighton when he crossed the ball for the first goal?. how many times have i wrote on here about the space he gives his winger?. Everytime he plays an out-out winger he gets skint, he’s simply not good enough at LB and deffo not in the PL. GE played far better than him when he replaced him, he needs to be given more time on the pitch like Milijas otherwise they will never get proper match fitness,and get SEB back in too.
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Yawn… Easy game. Wolves only 3 good players are Henry, Doyle and Fletcher. The rest are nothing much. Even if he tried just to cope with Heskey we had Young and Albrighton who killed the defense for the first 45 minutes or so. Cueller and Collins are ten times better than Craddock and whatever the other average player’s name is. We’re not “world beaters” either but we can definitely handle Wolves any day of the week.
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We are rubbish to watch. Painful in fact.Worst team in the PL by a country mile.50,000 all seater?……….PAH!!!!
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Any Manager, worth his salt, knows that the tactician is the winner of soccer games provided he has the players. We have, apart from 3 regular players, the talent to succeed but what is sadly missing is ‘tactics’. Why do we give the opposition so much space, why do we keep back peddling when they have possession, why do we not run into spaces when our player has the ball. The number of times the ball is passed back and back until our goalie receives it for a punt up the field, and why have a wall when it opens up gaps when the opposition take a free kick.
Why after spending many days, between matches, training his players does MM feel it necessary to write on his piece of paper points to remember within 30 seconds of the match commencing? Sorry MM you have to go.
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