Mick McCarthy needs time at Wolves
Tuesday 23rd November 2010, 9:10AM GMT.
Wolves columnist John Lalley will not be joining the ‘we want Mick McCarthy out’ brigade just yet as the manager struggles to find the answers at Molineux.
No matter how much both chairman Steve Morgan and chief executive Jez Moxey fully support manager Mick McCarthy and view him as an integral part of a long-term plan, a return of four points from the last 33 inevitably invites pressure and speculation.
The ambitious and genuinely exciting plans Morgan has devised to transform Molineux seem at present to be a grandiose white elephant.
Far more basic and mundane matters must take priority right now. Ultimately, McCarthy is no more immune or fire proof than any other football manager, results will decide his future and he might now be just a single defeat away from the dreaded ‘vote of confidence’ that sends shivers down the spine.
Post match at Blackpool his usual confident deadpan demeanour seemed to be missing. There appeared an air of bewilderment, a sense of genuinely being at a loss – at least for the time being – of knowing just how to address this calamitous slump in our fortunes.
Monday’s news that Mick will have to face the most challenging couple of months of his Molineux tenure without captain Karl Henry, possibly the player the manager invests more trust in than any other, must have been a monumental blow.
There are mitigating circumstances, Mick like every other coach cannot legislate for an increasing string of individual errors from his players.
The two latest clangers at Blackpool had devastating consequences. It’s hard to point the finger at McCarthy when Kevin Foley, who recently has performed magnificently, inexplicably stepped aside and allowed Luke Varney an unchallenged pop at our goal.
Although he didn’t say it, Mick must have been cursing his ill-fortune that Varney struck gold with the kind of sensational strike he will do well to repeat during the rest of his career.
Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann compounded the agony with an error so out of character that you must know that your card is marked.
All this in a game Mick identified as a fixture that could define our season. He will sincerely be hoping that his inclination was way off beam!
Stearman’s own goal against Bolton, the early concession to Arsenal, you can go back as far as you like to Christophe Berra’s brainstorm at Fulham and Stephen Ward’s rash penalty box challenge at Tottenham.
All players make mistakes, of course they do otherwise you would never see a positive result in game, but as the collective consequences of sustained errors begin to shape the destiny of a season, the manager inevitably takes the blame.
A raft of unconvincing pre-season recruits leaves open to challenge Mick’s assertion that Wolves are a stronger outfit in comparison to last season.
Again, McCarthy is entitled to a modicum of understanding – Wolves are not operating at the elite end of the market meaning that it is inevitable that a percentage of our newcomers will find Premier League competition hard to adapt to.
Steven Mouyokolo was promptly crocked on the training ground soon after his arrival and has been playing catch-up ever since.
Jelle van Damme, who has looked like a competitive battler, could have been a genuine asset but is hell bent on leaving.
Wolves have long prided themselves on ‘doing their homework’ on the strength of character of individuals they are poised to sign.
Whether they did or didn’t in this case, only the club insiders will know, but Mick surely has every right to feel let down over this particular deal.
On the other hand, the manager invited problems of his own conception by laying out the best part of £9million on Stephen Hunt and Steven Fletcher.
How desperate the manager was to recruit Hunt was evident from the ridiculously disproportionate amount we were prepared to pay Hull last January, but to recruit him when seriously injured and expect him to fire after a prospective nine-month absence made little practical sense.
As for Fletcher, no doubt he has benefitted financially from joining the club but career-wise his progression has stalled alarmingly.
You can only sympathise, he is a striker – and a good one – not a utility player to be shunted into square pegs in round hole confusion. Greg Halford could just as easily fill such a role.
Didn’t Mick realise in the summer that his preferred tactics were unlikely to accommodate Fletcher in his proper position? Or was he still uncertain of his favoured set-up and strongest line-up?
As we approach December, it is difficult to believe that even now McCarthy is truly satisfied in his own mind as to what constitutes his best starting eleven. He’s the one who grabbed the paintbrush and painted himself in this particular corner.
There is little doubt that there is an increasing perception amongst Wolves fans that formations are being decided almost on an ad-hoc basis, rather than on an individual game plan to counter specific opponents.
As each attempt to crack the malaise flounders, so the reflexive panic sweeps supporters and the tension levels ratchet upwards.
The confidence of the players inevitably becomes more fragile with each successive disappointment, but the manager has to remain upbeat and convince his players that a positive result is just around the corner.
Wolves are one of the prime candidates for relegation this season, not to recognise that fact is delusional and the manager finds himself in a severe predicament.
Should we come a cropper against a resurgent Sunderland on Saturday, the howls for Mick’s head will increase if not to the levels of a crescendo, then at least to the high volume of considerable dissatisfaction.
The better teams really do manufacture their own good fortune at this level and Mick’s frustration at the continuing crass errors of his players is understandable, but Wolves are due a break soon.
A cliche I know, but a couple of wins regardless of how they are achieved can dramatically shift the landscape.
Some fans genuinely believe that unless an immediate change is made then our demotion is inevitable, that any loyalty shown to the manager on the back of his previous successes is simply detrimental to our future.
Dire as our position is and as we approach the time of year that is very much ‘sacking season,’ I believe that the executive needs to hold its nerve.
Around this time last year, Mick identified the shortcomings that threatened to derail our season. He acted decisively, single-minded and uncompromising in his belief regardless of criticism, proving absolutely spot on in his assessment.
This time around, there is a sense that his confidence has been undermined by the shape of events.
Clearly he did not anticipate being in such mess, but he surely merits being given every opportunity to shift the balance.
For the medium term, that’s the least he deserves.
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good shout john.
coupled with baffling tactics and team selections i think you have summed that up well. can never understand how we start an irish striker at left back for starters and there are several players who simply want out. van damme is quality and would start every game – setting up our home victory against stoke i recall, but he can’t get a look in – nothing like trying to turn him round with football and dave jones won’t re-sign. get rid of him then. dropping the only inform player we have in milijas for jones in a must win game at blackpool is just ridiculous.
you’re right – he doesn’t know his first 11.
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I disagree, McCarthy has had plenty of time and money. He continues to persist with players that wolves fans know are not premier class. Moreover, he persists on playing players out of position.
Before the season we knew we were weak at left back, Van Damme was meant to be the answer but if you look he was mainly played on the left wing! Ward and Elokobi are not good enough. At the back Berra is great in the air but has neither the pace or ability in this league.
Midfield Henry is industrious but is no where near as good as McCarthy rates him.
Step up the misfits Hunt, Zubes, Mijilas, Van Damme, Fletcher, all good players but are either injured or do not get a look in.
I for one believe it is time for change!
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John, if thats the best you can come up with, then id stick to your day time job, as everything you’ve wrote as been said so many time on the blogs its become ‘BORING’. Anyway as lots of us put on here yesterday MM job isn’t even on the ‘AGENDA’? So why i we still talking about it? Steve Morgan is more than happy with Mick’s performance/s as manager otherwise he would have been gone by now.UTW:
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I can see the merits of your call but on Saturday MM was totally responsible for dropping Milijas – one of our most creative performers and better players recently – for Jones, who it can be argued is in a similar position to Van Damme. Plus the ridiculous decision to swap Foley and Mancienne around.
Make no mistake with the Henry blow – Edwards and Guedioura being crocked – MM has to be spot on this Saturday with his team selection. I will go as far as to say that if we do not win this one, the writing is on the wall!
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I think defeat on Saturday would virtually condemn us to relegation, or Mick to the sack.
If this manager can’t get a succession of win’s together before xmas, maybe a new manager will reinvigorate a squad playing with no confidence and also be able to bring in some quality additions to the team who actually might get a game!
If there is any chance of us getting someone like O’Neil I would get him in now. Wolves is a great club with a proud history and lots of potential, so why wouldn’t he come?
Mick said he wasn’t successful at S’land as he had no money to spend. Well he’s spend nearly £40M in two seasons at wolves and most of the players aren’t good enough. This time our failures are down to him being a poor manager, who like this team, looks out of their depth.
There is no room for sentiment in football, as it is a results based business and we’re not getting any. The only way that can change is by having a new manager, who might find a suitable formation or play our better players and maybe bring in his own players in January.
If Mick has to go, it has to be before January, so a new manager has time to asses the squad and strengthen the team. Hopefully, it doesn’t have to come to this and we’ll stay up with what we’ve got but any one who thinks otherwise based on our start to the season is clearly deluded.
Unlike last season, this time around, I really can’t name three teams who are worse than us.
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John I’m afraid the ‘Mess’ you refer to has been created by the manager.
The only players of any merit in my opinion that are out injured currently are Zubes, Craddock and Kightly. The rest of them are just championship journeymen without the quality to make an impact at this level.
We knew at the start of the year that we needed to strengthen all areas of the team. Mick hasn’t strenghtened either the back or the midfield.
Karl Henry is arguably the most overrated player every to have worn a wolves shirt. Continually playing the easy ball, almost invariably backwards, rarely joining in the attack and completely unable to make a pass of any quality, this is a guy who is the weakest link in our midfield.
Dave Edwards and Stearman, can’t fault their effort but both completely and utterly out of their depth playing in this league.
Stephen Ward, League One might suit him, but no better. Berra, can’t get in the scotland team… says it all really.
And finally a manager who hasn’t a clue what his best team his, what his best formation is and what his best players are.
Come on, the buck stops with McCarthy. I see it as £38 million spent and £25 million wasted, poured down the drain.
He’s had time, he’s had his chance, it’s time to make a change. Forget this blind loyalty, the loyalty should be with the club and fans, not the manager.
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Hard to point the finger
Lets face it when he leaves the club have to start from scratch all over again, he’s even decimated our youth policy. There’s kids from our academy playing for other premiership clubs who this idiot didn’t rate.
GET SHUT OF THE IDIOT BEFORE IT’S TO LATE FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO SAVE US
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Stick with Mick until after the Baggies game, if we have had no improvement then Mick will probably step aside.
In the meantime support the team – they need it!
Follow the example of the Blackpool fans – 90 minutes of non stop total support.
UTW
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Sir Billy, do you think Blackpool fans were so good because they were 1-0 after 3 minutes and 2-0 at half time?
Also, even Blackpool fans themselves surely weren’t expecting to a] win any games and b] be even in the premiership.
I can’t see how you can possibly compare the two fans. Fair enough, if they had spent £38 million on players and they were in their 2nd season at this level. But come on, get real.
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The club is a reflection of either good or bad management, this is a fact of life, and the hard line approach taken by boards of other clubs when invested millions are at risk.
The board cannot continue to adopt a ‘head in the sand’ attitude, believing that Mick will turn it around. There is no chance now that Mick can save Wolves, and he must accept much of the blame in his dogmatic attitude towards his players, their dislike for him, his record of splurging countless millions on players that will never make the grade in the Premiership…..Hoff, Hunt, Halford,Van Damme, Mouyokolo….several others, Foley, Ward,Edwards,Ebanks-Blake, all o.k in the Championship,but with any other Premiership club, should have followed Big Chris & Keogh, where they perform at their best.
And while I hate to say it, Fletcher is proving great disappointment, and the money payed out for Doyle was obscene, a talented footballer, but a ‘show pony’ and not the team player up front Wolves really need.
There is I believe still an outside chance to save the Club if only the board would put there money where there mouth is, and bring in an experienced manager to restore confidence and lead the players out of the drop zone.
John Lalley, you are dreaming old son, if you really believe we will still be playing Premiership football next season
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For God’s sake John look at MM’s stats in the Prem, the table don’t lie.
We need a change now, i’m forever gratefull for MM for what he’s done for Wolves, but lets not forget this is a results business.
There is no room for sentiment in football,i’m sick to death of Wolves losing week in week out, i’m sick to death with the stupid formations, the stupid things players are asked to do, the stupid subs with only a few minutes to go when the game has already been lost, the stupid decisions of dropping in form players and playing his favorites out of position, the stupid after match interviews of how we played great and the players put a shift in BUT WE STILL LOST, and not forgetting spending £35m on players that only a few of the signings get a look in, and when they do, guess what, they are played out of position.
I’ve had enough of you MM, but with some regret it’s time for you go, YOU DO MY HEAD IN.
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So how long do you give him? Surely 4 points out of 33, says it all. Yes we have had some bad luck and things have gone against us, but the fact of the matter MM’s record in the premiere league is really poor. We have spent some good money and yet we don’t have a system that works. In my humble opinion it is the managers resposibility to make sure his players know what they are doing and to execute those plans- so far the team have failed badly- and the bottome line is that maybe the players are just not good enough. Losing to a team like Blackpool is surely the end of the road for MM, fluke strike or not!
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What amazes me is what type of journalism is being taught in todays world, the Express & Star is the main paper read by most wolves supporters,my feet are firmly in the camp of MM out by the way,but if fans saw some searching questions asked on team selection,square pegs,round holes etc with honest answers instead of the bottom kissing drivel just written maybe, just maybe we could all understand the “brilliant tactics” used by MM that thousands of wolves fans are all missing! Never have I seen one peice of real journalism letting the club know how many real fans are less than happy with what is going on at our club and what steps are being taken to keep us in the premiership.DON’T SUPPOSE WE WILL SEE IT THOUGH.
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Mick has had more than enough chances. It is his strange selections and lack of tactics that have got us in the mess we are in. Everyone can see he is out of his depth, very similar to when he was at Sunderland. I normally enjoy your articles John but even you appear to have adopted the softly softly support Mick brigade. Problem is we have no strong leaders at Wolves, either on the side, on the pitch or worse still at the top. Heaven forbid if we lose saturday but again MM will have the well worn injuries excuse.
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I’m afraid mick is in such a big hole he dos’nt know how to get out of it. The longer we keep him the harder it gets for the new manager.just look at bolton they change their manager at the right time just to stay in the premier league.
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John,the reason they are making mistakes is simply because they arent good enough.However the real reason why we will get relegated is because the 4 “quality” players we purchased in the summer,for whatever reason, arent good enough.You can blame only one person for that ,the manager.
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Sorry John MM has had ample time to get a settled team capable of maintaining our premiership status.Facts as Wolves Manager 11 wins and 27 defeats in 52 premiership matches.Overall record 13 wins and 49 yes FORTY NINE defeats in 80.This is an awful record but when you look at his team selections players playing any where than where they should be what can you reallistically expect.£38 million spent but no genuine class (Doyle exepted).Doyle/Fletcher £13 million strikeforce played as wingers.Ward striker left back(biggest joke of all).Inconsistancies all over the pitch.
MM is a good championship manager BUT AT TOP LEVEL?
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This season was never going to be easy.
Wolves FANS let’s get behind the team on Saturday. SUPPORT them and try and get 3 points.
Negativity will get us nowhere.
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these are Mick,s players he bought them its his team and although i really like Mick we have to think about OUR club.Do we want to go down again the decisions have to made now Mr Morgan.Dont bring O,neil in like Mick he used to stick with his favourites like Mick does ask the villa supporters
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I think in the 4 years that McCarthy has been at Molineux, he has had sufficient time to formulate tactics, knowing the best positions of his players and of his best team but if he needs more time then I will gladly send him a cheap watch!
Every season since McCarthy’s arrival there has been a slump in form and always in the same period, October to December. On each occasion he has been unable to arrest that slump, not knowing how to change things around and luckily those slumps have coincided with other teams having slumps too.
Fans are constantly at odds with MM over his player choices and even when agreeing with them, are then frustrated at the positions they are expected to play in.
Fletcher was brought to supplement Doyle and help score more goals but Mick in his wisdom believes he is more important on the wing!
This is only 1 instance of Mick’s curious tactical policies but his now infamous comments of ‘we’re playing well’ but losing almost every game and ‘putting a shift in’ because that’s the kind of player he likes and trusts, are getting tiresome. It is results and points that matter particularly as we are nearing Christmas, a time when the relegation teams start to lose touch with the others and we are seemingly about to be 1 of those teams!
So whether McCarthy is 1 game or 20 games away from being dismissed, he must go! Should he remain in another 6 months we could well be condemned to Championship football yet again and in some people’s eyes, McCarthy would be the perfect man to bring us up again – but remember MM stands for Mick McCarthy NOT Merlin the Magician!
By August most of our best players will be gone leaving us with poor replacements and how on earth will those players bring us back up again?
McCarthy to use a West Brom phrase, would become the ‘Boing, Boing man’, going down 1 season and up the next, down and up, down and up….! – What a pleasant thought!
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How is it after two premiership transfer windows and the best part of 32 million spent our back 4 are the Championship players we came up with.Karl Henry is probaly the most overated player we have and if McPlank and co use him as a benchmark for performances were doomed to Championship football.
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Championship players = Championship team
Berra almost falling over his feet when he had to change direction after matty phillips step overs on saturday was just embarrassing…
Jones trying the ”volly free kick” for the 4th time this season… Serious whats the point? It worked once it wont happen again…
Henry always passing backwards and sideways! this player is totally over rated, everton want him? Thats laughable, arteta and cahill or HENRY, not going to happen…
Mancienne… I dont know which is worse his hair or his ablilty, no wonder chealsea dont want him, he has not started or come on as a sub in 1 competitive game for them in 4 years, in there champs league match tonight they are starting a 17yr old acadamy player… Says it all
Stearman is no way a prem player and makes too many errors at this level…
Fletcher can not even get in the scotland squad :/ why did we waste 7 million on him when we are playing 4 5 1 all season…
We do not have enough players who play for passion for our club!! So much so that every week at the mount hotel in the mornings before the games all the players are arranging their night out over breakfast before even playing, lead by stears, fletch, seb and ward… All players that are happy to under perform and pick up their wages!!
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I agree with every word that Paddy, post 11, made. What puzzles me though is why don’t we supporters, who keep the club going with our fees, hear from our owner. Is he happy with the situation, because if he is what the hell is his intent regarding the ground improvement. The ground will expand but but support will diminish.
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PATHETIC!!!
Has to go!!!
Away to Blackpool need 3 points and plays 1 up front which he’s done most of the season and has put us in this position!!
3 strikers on the bench,spent the 5 th most this season on transfer funds and can’t buy a win!!
Not good enough i’m affraid!!
Good championship manager but we got to be honest ain’t up to it in this leauge!!
Thanks to pompey’s problems eased it last year for him!!
GOT TO GO!!Saturday will be his last game u watch!!!!!
O’neil awaits in arms!!!
Thanks for everything Mick,and take clip board with u!!!!
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Will any of the people who are calling for Mick’s head please tell me who will (realistically) come to us now and do a better job??? If anyone says O’Neill then I will just laugh – not in a million years.
It’s all very good identifying a problem (which I do not deny we have) but you have to come up with a solution.
At the moment, the best we can do is show some support for the guy that has turned tis clun around in the last 4 years. What will a stadium full on Saturday actually showing full support for Mick do – it will give him the belief to carry on getting the best out of players and will also give the players the belief that they need.
Time for the supporters to re-pay the debt we owe to Mick. Stand up and support your team AND manager on Saturday – a divided stadium is one that gets us relagated
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Cant blame McCarthy for every loss and cant blame McCarthy for some bad luck during this season, BUT:
Why cant he understand and see things almost every supporter can see? – or why does it take weeks longer before he spot things that everyone else knows?
Hahnemann has been really bad for almost a month now. Doesnt make saves anymore, doesnt stop shots, doesnt control the air, etc etc – should have been replaced a couple of weeks ago.
Hunt has been out for 8 months. Players coming back after injurys just cant play at top form game after game directly after an injury. McCarthys makes the same mistake over and over again. Play former injured players in form by playing them in the reserves! – we cant afford to give away points playing by “10 men” because a player should be tested or play himself in form.
Mancienne have no clue about playing football. Ball watching and with minds being somewhere else. Sometimes ok, but you cant be a “promising youngster” forever!.. get rid!
Henry is not a leader! – but the problem here is that McCarthy wants to be the “great leader” like North Korea and there is no place for other leaders or characters in the club. Therefore McCarthy can never ever build a team for the top half, because you are doomed to relegation battle with 11 brainwashed robots on the pitch!.. there must be room for players that stands out! – both on and off the pitch! (by the way.. isnt Bothroyd playing for England now?.. no place for him at Wolves because he was… to good for McCarthy to handle!)
etc etc
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The line of reasoninng and fathoming that you adopt does not square with your sese that Mick oughtto be retained. Something ‘in your waters’ appears to tell you that he should stay?Is there fear of doing harsh things to a decent man?
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Any shouts on who will be skipper on saturday? Henry, Jody and Berra all out…
I think he’ll go with Doyle? :/
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as everybody knows things havent been going well as late. Mick has picked the wrong players, wrong formations, silly subs etc. Alot of Wolves fans would now like to see the back of Mick now and even more if we dont ebat Sunderland. But can i just say something to everybody…IF we go 1-0 down early on saturday please dont boo the players or get on their backs. THEY NEED SUPPORT!!! in what is a huge game for us! if we have lost the game then boo all u like but NOT while we still have a chance of getting a result. Lets get behind the boys on saturday! WOLVES AY WE
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At the end of the day you should never forget Mick was a defender and therefore he treats any of the team (especially strikers) not in defence with little respect. The fact Fletcher and Doyle aren’t paired is baffling. The constant reliance on Championship players when we have proven Internationals warming the bench is staggering.
It’s not so much about ‘Mick should go’ as ‘Mick should start USING the players we have PROPERLY’. At times it seems only the goalies are in the right position.
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Re comment 13. I remember when Wolves managers used to front up on radio phone-ins and supporter forums. Then the fans could ask the questions they most wanted answering themselves. Why don’t they do this anymore?
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No time left
New manager now!!
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the old saying goes….
¨IF ITS NOT BROKEN, DONT FIX IT!¨
But, it IS broken, so when do we fix it ?
Basically, what im saying is YES, for what Mick has done for the club, he deserves respect and time to put things right….
… but how long do we give him ?
… loose the sunderland match then ?
… Or wait til we get beat at Albion, then ?
… Or wait til Jan when he blows more cash ?
Either way you cant argue that the more time you give Mick to put things right,, the less time you give someone to come in and keep us up.
IMV – We keep Mick, we go down, we come up if lucky, were stuck with the same problem….
… A Manager who cant manage at premier level
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mm didnt buy fletcher to play on the wing, he bought him to play in a 4-4-2 formation,but problem with have, is we aint got the players to play 4-4-2!!! it all comes down to central midfield and centre halves!! in central midfield we aint got the legs(apart from edwards) to get up and down,so straight away we need to play 4-5-1,which leaves mm with a dilema?? does he drop doyle to play fletcher up front on his own?? or does he keep doyle in, who is a much better player up front on his own,and try to accomodate our record signing(fletcher) as a so called winger/forward?? he has created his own problems by buying players who he was addament he wanted, where possibly we didnt need!!! im sticking buy him, cause genuinely believe,he the man to get us out of our predicament,but he needs to find his best starting 11 quick,the players are there!!! oh and if any of you think van damme is the answer ur living in cloud cuckoo land,i saw him twice in pre season at left back,and he cant defend for toffee!!!! FACT, the only quality left back we got at club is 19 and out on loan..malone :-)
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Mick should resign if we cant even pick a point up next match……
…. He´s a proud, arrogant, honest straight talking NPOWER manager !
But on that point was look like they will be NPOWER soon so what´s the point in bringing a premiership experianced manager in if we will be in the NPOWER anyway ???
Ive not given up in my heart, but my head says were down already…..
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THe time to act is now. There can’t be any waiting until after the Baggies game or the end of the season. There is no point spending money during January of MM is still in place. It is MM who has to be changed, not necessarily the players. We all see the effect of Ward being played in the wrong position. That’s the manager’s choice. Others are asked (and the asking part is important) to play in positions and systems that don’t suit them. Good players in bad systems soon become bad players. It’s down to Mr Morgan now. He has all the picture cards. UNless the manager is changed though, wehn he redevelops the stadium perhaps he could do one thing for the fans. Make sure the seats don’t face the playing surface!!!
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I don’t agree that all of Mick’s signings have been bad, USA has been a decent goalie who helped save us last season but now probably needs a rest from playing behind our crap defence, Fletcher and Hunt are top players who would get into most premier sides, but it’s Mick’s refusal to use them properly that’s the problem.
Fletcher in a decent side would get 15 to 20 goals a season and dont forget he is only 23.
Van Damme, again is a very good player who if he had been played in every game at left back would now be on top of his game, week in week out.
Zubar proved last season that he can hack it in the prem and it will be a god send when he is back.
Mick’s the problem not the players he bought.
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Too many excuses john. We are playing catch up it’s a stronger league then last yr and we are in deep trouble. If we can’t beat Blackpool and stop banging on about what ifs then we are down. MM looks like a man bereft of ideas and losing the confidence of his TEAM. To rescue our disasterouscseason he needs to go. No one is bigger than the club!
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Some facts.
1) Wolves are not a big club. We won the championship 3 times in the 50s. Huddersfield once won the championship 3 times IN A ROW. Are they a big club? Foreign players will barely have heard of Wolves.
2) There are countless examples of clubs doing poorly in their 1st/2nd/3rd season in the prem. It takes a while – and sometimes a couple of relegations – to establish yourself in this league.
3) The atmosphere at the Mol this season has been fairly poor. I don’t think us supporters are exactly showering ourselves in glory. The negativity of supporters WILL affect the players negatively.
4) We are in much better position than when MM took over.
Personally I believe that even if we go down (despite all supporters and players doing their best, every game) then IF we don’t change management, we will be straight back up. It’s lucky the players don’t have the same mentality as the supporters as I think most of the people commenting on here have given up already.
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An additional observation to the many good points made by many on here
I think Mick is showing himself to be a ‘one trick pony’ at this level.
Faced with ‘backs against the wall’ games where we are expected to lose, it suits Mick’ seige mentality (ie Us against the World) ..and by and large we play well and usually get liitle reward.
Faced with games where 3 points are ‘expected’ or a ‘must’… he just doesnt possess the tactical awarenss to be the attacking dominant team.
Most of our recovery last season was based on a defensive 4-5-1 where we hit teams on the counter (eg West Ham and Burnley away). We just dont seem to have an ‘A’ game for our must win home fixtures
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The coment at 26 SE is typical of the garbage being written at the moment about Wolves.
I will take the point about Bothroyd. How many managers have failed to get the best out of him? How many fans bemoaned his sale to Cardiff? If there were any they were very quiet as most of us were glad to see the back of him.
The point about Hahneman. He made a string of fantastic saves against Arsenal and Man City – he kept the score down as he has done on many occasions this season. Want to know how good he is? Put Hennessey back in and you will quickly find out.
Every decision MM or any manager makes is for a valid footballing reason. We try and second guess without having the all the facts available to us.
I suggest the best thing for a Wolves fan to do at the moment is to get down there on saturday and get behind the team instead of carping on at a manager who has done fantastically well for us.
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Needs time!!!!! your joking.
Must win every match. Yes that’s the same if your are bottom or top. You must play to win Mick has lost this point he is more interesting in not conceding, although we always do.
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The equation is simple.We somehow need 9 wins from the remaining 24 games- MIMIMUM. We have 2 wins from 14 so the stats are not encouraging. I would also advocate that 2 wins and 2 draws are also a minimum requirement from the next 5 games. The problem for us has been the inability to score goals under Micks leadership in the Premiership. Only once in 52 premier league games have we managed to score more than 2 goals in a game. At least last year we were able to stay in games and grind out 0-0 draws where as this year we are still not scoring, but also conceding.I don’t know what the answer is. I can’t see us keeping a clean sheet against Sunderland and you kind of know that if we concede 1 or 2 goals then that means o points or 1 point at best.I’m already planning for Scunthorpe and Doncaster next season. Oh well. hope I’m wrong. WWFC forever. WOLVES AY WE!
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Still laughing at – Snowman replacing Berra…
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I think McCarthy should be sacked just for his selection on saturday,The last time he capitulated against Man Utd last season everybody went on about how it worked because we beat Burnley,what people fail to mention is that the 10 games after that we got 5 points,this season he decided we needed to be on the defensive against Burnley,and then dropped the only player we have who has a shot at goal.People go on about how he’s the best manager we’ve had in 30 years,I agree he was the best championship manager,but i think if Dave Jones had been given over 30 million in the last two seasons we would be miles ahead of where we are at this moment.
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Jack Hobb’s, I mean really, Doyle a ‘show pony’, that is not very accurate is it. The problem everyone needs to address is who the alternatives are for manager. It is not even worth you typing O’Neil he would never come to Wolves for love nor money, he has bigger fish to fry. Curbishly is not an inspiring thought
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Its gonna get a lot worse for Mick before it gets better. Were on a losing streak and i can see it continuing as it gets harder in january. Relegation is near.Put the prices up now for Tickets for next season.
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LET THE DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVES LOOK AFTER THE MANAGER, LETS GET BEHIND OUR TEAM LIKE SUPPORTERS SHOULD, LETS ENCOURAGE THE PLAYERS ON THE PITCH NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE!!!! YOU NEVER KNOW WITH THE RIGHT ENCOURAGEMENT WE MIGHT TURN THE SEASON ROUND, NOT MAKE PLAYERS SCARED TO GET THE BALL IN CASE THEY MAKE A MISTAKE, WHICH INEVITABLY THEY DO!!!! WE BAYING BOO BOYS, COME ON YOU WOLVES NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.
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hmm interesting comment number 3
we are bottom of the league with 9points, its just not good enough, morgan doesnt have a clue. I think micks lost the plot, We have dropped to many points, if we dont have 20points by christmas then we are going down simples.
we cant keep losing to teams around us in the table, we should be beating the boltons, blackpools, wigans of the league.
I think we should play 4-4-2 simple football till the end of the season.
Zubar, mancienne, moyoukolo, foley at the back
jarvis, milijas, jones, hunt,
doyle, fletcher or ebanks
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It will probably come down to two words John, Redrow Stadium. Can I add two more from the top – Steve Morgan, and two from the bottom, please Rachel, Mick McCarthy. Now what’s the longest word we can make from this conundrum? Time? Patience? Hmmm. Just getting Susie to check the dictionary to see if the word “unlikely” is there. It is, thank you Jeff.
So the name of the game you’re playing Mick is called countdown.
Like to see you win it because you’re a fighter.
Best of Irish, mate.
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desperate times call for desperate measure so here goes nothing
hennesy
foley
van damme
batth
stearman
milijas
hunt
jarvis
ebans blake
hemmings
fletcher.
subs
hanneman
elekobi
mancienne
winnall
doyle
rooney.
utw. oh and mcarthy out.
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no39, How come when people try to make valid points,they only give half the story.Yes we have only won 3 Championsips,but what about 4 FA Cups,8 finals,2League Cups and a UEFA Cup final.We have won nothing in the last 30 years because we have been mismanaged and most of the mismanagement has come from ignorance of football at Board level.We have been blessed with a benefactor for 20 years and yet we have failed miserably to re establish ourselves .Most Directors at Wolves would not know the differnence between a good footballer and the back end of a bus,but it has been a good meal ticket for some.
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“The case against him is that he lacked the flexibility to learn from his mistakes ….
He was dogged without flair, brave but unimaginative.”
Ring a bell? They are actually quotes from a history book I am reading and they concern Field Marshall Haig.
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My mate’s brother works for one of these banks in London and he is involved with big money deals between companies.
He’s not a Wolves fan but follows what is happening so he can discuss it with his brother.
He said recently that if someone in the City had spent £18M of his employer’s money with so little result they would have been had the chop long ago.
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Curbishley GREAT SHOUT!!!!
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no54.Don’t they waste billions in the City these days not a few millions.Bringing down Countries never mind a football club.How many billions have the Banks written off since 2008? If Mick is looking for a career change ,maybe they need him to govern in Dublin,let us be honest,they would at least put a shift in.
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25 Ive been reading drivel like yours on here all season.
The fact of the matter is that Mick has had plenty of time in the Prem now with both us and Wolves, and clearly he lacks the criteria to be a succesful Prem Manager.
You are quite right in saying that in our current position we are going to find it difficult to attract a top Manager capable of making a play for the top six year in and out i.e O’Neil.
Its also obvious that in the relegation zone we will struggle to sign players of any worth.
And would players want to come to Wolves now when you see how Mick has treated most of his new signing in the past two years.
Many of us have been calling for his head now since last season. Yes thanks Mick for the fact that you got us in the Prem, thanks that you kept us up in what was probably the weakest Prem League ever!!!! Pompey, Hull and Burnley in meltdown.
THE SIMPLE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE MANAGER SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGED SOONER BEFORE HE WASTED MORGANS MILLIONS.
One final point for all you deluded Mick Fans.
Do you really think if relegated we would be able to keep hold of Doyle, Jarvis, Foley, Nenad, Hunt, Zubar…..
NO NOR DO I so before you look into the crystal ball and see our fantastic Championship squad Elokobi, Berra, Edwards Ward, Vokes and the likes, wake and smell the roses.
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25 Sorry meant both us and Sunderland!!!!!!
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This hurts coming from a Baggie – but here goes: Wolves have the potential support to be a huge club, they have the history to attract investment,overseas support and quality players. You will soon have the stadium and appear to have the cash to build the squad to not only survive in the Premiership but to thrive like Tottneham, Bolton, Fulham etc.
This is a glorious club with rabid support – you truly deserve better than a manager who’s only answer is “put in a shift” “run harder and shout louder”.
He was bad at Sunderland, bad for the Republic and is certainly taking you nowhere.
You need much smarter than this to fulfill your potential. Just my penny’s worth.
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I must apologise to Mick McCarthy about my comment earlier about the decision of switching Mancienne and Foley. I like hundreds of other Wolves fans missed the Varney fluke/wonder goal as Blackpool FC, Lancashire Police and the stewards could not cope with a crowd. I now realise that he chose this option after Foley’s poor defending!
Still it will be interesting who plays central midfield this week. If Mancienne he needs to up the ante!
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John read some of the threads on here,,(RichWolf64,Malta,Craig)written by people who care,they dont critisise the manager or the team for the fun of it,but we cant sit back and keep our mouths shut when we are being managed badly..You John put some of Saturdays blame on Foley and Marcus,,for me the first mistake was at half past two,,Mijas on the bench,,who could have thought that up???what was the logic in that,he was fit,rearing to go,our best player the previous week,why in gods name drop him???the only players in our team that are not played out of position are the goalkeepers..And John you say Van Damm is not playing because he wants to leave,are you sure about this,because everytime he has had a chance he has looked good,,maybee his face doesnt fit,dont forget it was a while befor Nenad got a game,he only got in because of injuries,mick said he wasnt fit enough,,remember Big Chris in the Championship,top scorer with Sylvan,I think it was about fourteen goals,so mick dropped him,and Wolves form took a dive..Mick is not a Premiership manager,and hopefully on Monday he will be down the job centre.
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33 just for the record cos your obviously only 5 years old!!!!!!
Division One champions: 1953-54, 1957-58, 1958-59
Runners-up: 1937-38, 1938-39, 1949-50, 1954-55, 1959-60
Division Two champions: 1931-32, 1976-77
Runners-up: 1966-67, 1982-83
Division Three (North) champions: 1923-24
Division Three champions: 1988-89
Division Four champions: 1987-88
FA Cup winners: 1893, 1908, 1949, 1960
Runners-up: 1889, 1896, 1921, 1939
Football League Cup winners: 1974, 1980
Sherpa Van Trophy winners: 1988
Uefa Cup Runners-Up: 1971-72
Also if you do go abroad then yes lots of people have heard of Wolves, just as you are guarteed to see someone wearing a Wolves Shirt.
If you go to the New Camp, in the trophey room there are items in there relating to Wolves History just as there would be in countless other overseas clubs, particuarly in Hungary and Russia.
So before you compare us to Huddersfield and state we are not a big club, why dont you think before you speak.
Its small minded, non ambitious little cretins like you that are happy with our current position. YOU MAKE ME SICK!!!
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54 – what if they’d lost £18 Billion? Lessons from bankers that’s all we need!
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33 Apologies my last comment was aimed at 39 I was typing with rage in me at the time and hit the wrong key.
SO
39 GREENO please look at my previous post you stupid little moron.
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So he needs more time does he? How many years has he been at Molineux? How much has he spent? Where are we now?
Question: Has the Blackpool manager required time to put his team above us?
What a load of piffle. The man has proved to be incompetent with his purchases and tactics.
How many businesses would hire employees for millions of pounds and pay them thousands a week to sit at home, watch others working or let them work for other companies?
Absolute hogwash. The incompetent muppet and his clipboard sidekick should leave asap.
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54. Although 18 mill is a lot in the real world, it’s not actaully that much in football terms.
Berbatov cost 30 mill on his own – more than our entire squad. And we lost in the last minute against Man Utd.
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Errrr,
5 Years and £18 million spent this summer.
More time at Wolves?
I dont think so. Time is up
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Sorry, but I can not see how Henry keeps getting criticised on this forum. People blart on about ‘oh he neer passes forward’ – THAT’S NOT HIS JOB FFS!!!!!
He is the ball winner in the team and if anyone can’t point out a better tackler (challengd on Gomez aside) in our ranks i’d be interested to know who you think they are.
Henry has one role in our formation – WIN THE BALL AND GIVE IT TO SOMEONE WHO CAN PASS THE BALL!
You will see a difference now he’s out for two months but it will not be a positive difference – we will miss him more than many realise – maybe then you’ll get off his back!
As for MM – Just go!
Finally, people should stop trying to blame the fans ‘lack of support’ for our current predicament. Home and Away our fans have supported the team this season and for many seasons before, this is not the reason why when we get within 10 yards of the opponents box we look like a bunch of scared rabbits caught in the headlights of a car – that’s a training issue – not a fan issue.
We are too predictable and slow getting forward. How many times did Jarvo sprint to the edge of the box on Saturday, only to have to stop and track back while he waited for everyone else to catch up with him? Herein lies the problem going forward – TOO SLOW!!!!!
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Doomed
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Friend of a Friend…You would think a banker would have some concept that the players current asset value might also be of some significance in the equation.
The 18M spent on players is now worth more than 18M!
Jarvis was bought for next to nothing & is now worth 20M-25M, & Doyle 8-12M.
Probably only the Hoff has dropped in value of all Mick’s signings.
If Mick’s spent 40M, in four years those assets are worth probably 60-70M
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gosh did i touch a nervr?my shout deleted
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It must be difficult writing a blog that you don’t really believe.Written to stir debate and reaction. McCarthy has had more than enough time and money , and the majority of his signings have been lemons.Spending 18 million and going backwatds is factual and unacceptable.I hope you have to write a blog on the new manager soon.
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I really can’t understand all the Karl Henry bashing on here. Henry out for 2 months is a huge blow for us, as we don’t have anyone else capable of putting their foot in when the going gets tough. As for all those going on about him playing the ball sideways/backwards – go and watch Mikel, Mascherano, De Jong and see how often they play the ball forwards. Henry’s job is to protect the back 4 and give the ball to the likes of Milijas and Jarvis. I remember the 1st goal against City a few weeks ago – all the fans bemoaning Henry for keeping the ball and passing it (sideways) to Ward. 10 seconds later Milijas had put the ball in the net. The Premier League is all about keeping possession and being patient, it’s not the Championship where we could lump it to Iwelumo if needed and get lucky flick ons against sub standard opposition.
Team formation will be interesting on Saturday. I think 4-5-1 is the way forward but with all the injuries we may be forced to go 4-4-2. I’d love to see Hunt, Jarvis, Fletcher and Doyle starting together.
My team for Saturday (if Zubar not ready):
HAHNEMANN
FOLEY
WARD
STEARMAN
MOUYOKOLO
HUNT
MILIJAS
JONES
JARVIS
DOYLE
FLETCHER
Attack could be best form of defence!
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Always sound negative when i comment.
Rightly so.
1. Ground development more important than Football.
2. No long term view about the Managerial Side.(Sean O’Driscoll).
3. Wolves signed Michael Mancienne for 3rd season on trot. Chelsea waiting for Wolves to cough up £4M. Why are they trying to sign Tamas from WBA in preference to recalling him.
4. Last 2 seasons SIGNATURE signings to keep the fans happy early doors. Dolye+Fletcher, surrounded by Championship Players?
Mr Morgan. Beacon Taxi’s 01902 333333
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No. 13 Robin Wolf – I have posted a couple of times saying a similar thing, poor journalism/the media being afraid to ask pointed questions that we all deserve answers to.
Perhaps MM has some perfectly rational and good explantions for some of his dubious tactics and selections, yet we will never find out because he is never asked to explain and certainly won’t volunteer the information.
Until such a time as it happens, he will continue to go on losing support and backing by the minute..
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39) I think that you are slightly wrong in your assessment. Wolves are about the 9th most successful club in England. It is not just about championship wins. In the 1950′s because we played the best in the world and beat them, we are famous around the world and have big fan bases in Scandinavia and the US for example.
Yes it is a long time ago but even the early 1970′s we were top 6 every season and made a European final and did well in the cups!
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Time? Those asking, “How much time?”, are right on the ball. Mick McCarthy has had four-and-a-half years to bring ex-Academy youngsters through and has spent £36m in two years, and the only class players we’ve got are Milijas (whom he doesn’t play half the time) and Doyle.
Why is that? Is it because of the restraints Jez Moxey forces on McCarthy (like wage ceilings) or because of Mick’s own weaknesses? Steve Morgan should sort this.
I’m really wondering what Morgan has been doing since he became owner–burying his head in the sand like an ostrich? Morgan’s team should be renamed Oxley Ostriches!
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John
The mistakes by players & strange decisions by the manager is down to one thing & one thing only, Pressure & thats what any type of competitive sport is all about.
Some, the greats, thrive on it others crumble.
Someone pass McCarthy the custard………..
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They say if you know the problem you have 50% of the solution.
Problem is MM so we are half way there? I would like to give Ray Wilkins the job.
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29,agreed we must get behind them whatever on sat but to be fair i think we have been very patient so far and if we lose then any show of disillusionment will be perfectly understandable. 25,if,and i think more likely when but hope i’m wrong,we get relegated it won’t be because of a divided stadium but because of an inability to pick up points and i think enough has been said already as to why!
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I’d like to know if the E&S have approached Moxey or Morgan to put some of these questions/issues to them and been turned down. There is so much division over MM that this is the time they should be showing leadership. I dread to think what things will be like if we don’t get a result on Saturday.
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I am getting a little fed up with all these posters (if thats the correct terminology) who continually pick USA as the goalkeeper. He has been continually caught out of position, flaps at crosses more than Hennesey and over the last half dozen matches been bl***dy pathetic. No clean sheets this season!!!! Why am I not surprised???
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Nice piece John. Contingency plans should be laid, hopefully by now. Still think MM is out of his depth in the league. Wish him all the best at another club. Thanks for what he´s done. Said it before, even if he does keep us up, we´ll keep struggling with this defensive attitude he has and of course this “favourites” fetish he´s in love with.
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Some poor s-d got flayed for saying something similar but I´m going to do the same thing and don´t anybody tell me I´m not a Wolves fan for it.
Steven Wards injury was only a gash to the knee. He was even on the bench for the next game. Like Andy Keogh, their injuries meant they couldn´t get their places back.
This seams to be the managers only way of dropping a favourite. Something he knows he has to do but seems to haver a massive problem with, until they get injured.
I´m saying sorry to Karl Henry for his injury and his own physical well being, but not for the well being of Wolves. We will certainly manage without him.
To quote this article: the injury to “possibly the player the manager invests more trust in than any other” is for me the perfect reason to doubt MM´s Premiership credentials. I rest my case
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Why all the clamour for Ray Wilkins all of a sudden? He has no recent management experience and has spent the last 2 years as Ancelotti’s translator to a group of world class players.
Lovely bloke but not someone we need at the helm for a relegation dogfight.
If we were in the market for a new manager, Sean O’Driscoll would be a great shout. Wolves fan who believes in playing good football with limited players.
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