Clash with boss led to Jelle van Damme’s sale

Tuesday 30th November 2010, 11:30AM GMT.

Clash with boss led to Jelle van Damme’s sale

Wolves today admitted the £2.5m sale of Jelle van Damme was prompted by a clash with boss Mick McCarthy – but the club insist it will not stop them signing foreign players.

Van Damme underwent a medical in Belgium yesterday after agreement was reached with Standard Liege just five months after he joined Wolves from Anderlecht.

Wolves are now attempting to draw a line under one of their biggest flops in recent years.

Despite confident talk from the player when he joined about being a leader, Van Damme never settled and became homesick when his pregnant wife returned to Belgium.

She gave birth to a daughter last weekend. Van Damme made just six appearances for Wolves, scoring once.

And although he made a decent start to his Molineux career, he first fell foul of McCarthy after the 3-1 defeat at Tottenham, when a dispute developed over him allowing Alan Hutton to run through before Stephen Ward  brought him down for the penalty that turned the game.

It is understood the player was unwilling or unable to adapt to McCarthy’s demands over the defensive side of his game.

Chief executive Jez Moxey said: “Of course we’re disappointed that this particular transfer didn’t work out.

“Clearly he is a talented player and he showed glimpses of that in his short time at the club.

“But his wife couldn’t settle in Wolverhampton and when she returned to Belgium, he found it increasingly difficult to adapt to life here and to what Mick wanted him to do on the pitch.”

Van Damme can’t officially leave Wolves until the transfer window opens in January.

But Moxey said once the deal goes through in the next 48 hours, he will leave with immediate effect.

Moxey has negotiated every penny back the club paid for van Damme in June after meetings with Liege and Brugge in England over the last 10 days.

Moxey added: “It wouldn’t put us off signing more foreign players.”


  1. 1
    Cliché Man

    It’s not a flop because we got our money back.

    It’s more like a lost opportunity…..FOR VAN DAMME

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  2. 2
    Staying Up

    Lets give british players a chance from now on look at the state of our national teams im all for players like ronaldo and messi playing here but not your average run of the mill players look at the albions team full of them. Would like us to go and get wayne bridge on loan now if man city can pay half his wages.

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  3. 3
    DRS

    It speaks volumes that given Ward’s challenge for the penalty at Spurs (which i might add was a repeat of his foul at Everton) our manager falls out with Van Damme over it… Expect to see Elokobi back on the bench Saturday whilst “Wardy” is slipped back in at left back.

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  4. 4
    richwolf64

    mm Rubbish !! He clashed over tactics and playing out of position..

    His wife went back to Belgium to give birth, no other reason. I felt that was pretty understandable that she wanted to be home to give birth. Let’s face it, New Cross or a nice clinic in Belgium. Doesn’t take a genius to work out which one she would choose.

    I know.

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  5. 5
    im a defender

    I know this has been put down to one our biggest flop signings but do you honestly trust Mick to sign a decent defende?

    1. Darren Ward
    2. Matt Hill
    3. Stephen Ward “international left back” “Always been a left back” (micks qoutes which have been on express and star)
    4. Jason Shackell.
    5 Jelle and Ice creame
    6 George Elokobi
    7 Neil Collins
    8 Richard Stearman

    All a waste of money

    Dencent signings

    1 Kevin Foley
    2 Roland Zubar

    Steve Moloykolo (yet to be proven)

    Best defender in the club = JODY CRADDOCK
    Signed by Dave Jones who Mick has tried to get rid of a number of times.

    Sorry but I don’t trust Mick to sign a decent defender because its yet to be proven

    UTW

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  6. 6
    Poorthorns ONLY 22,000

    So he received a telling off from Mick for letting Alan Hutton run thru (& this is quite right ) but I bet NOTHING was said to ward the player who brought hutton down. Shocking ain’t it, as I reported on Friday night when I said hennessey and zubar would start after my friend was with 1 of the first team players Friday afternoon, he also said Mick has lost the dressing room because he only has time for his favourites..
    2 players made a mistake with Hutton
    Van damme ( the best left back we had ) goes for it.. Ward ( a striker at left back ) is still the team.. Some player have had enough of Mick , and so have I , that much after 22 years of being a season ticket holder if he is still in charge in march, the way I feel at the minute I won’t be one for the 23rd year..
    18m spent in summer and on Saturday not ONE of these players started the game!

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  7. 7
    SteveMardenbrough'sShoulder

    Shut up DRS. Watch the game and you will see the amount of space Van Damme gave to Hutton and that he then let him run unchallenged. Yes Ward then made the clumsy tackle but when you’re defending a lead you defend from the front. So Van Damme has to shoulder some responsibility. Or don’t you understand football?

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  8. 8
    Wolves AY I

    Dont want players here that havent got the bottle to fight for the cause. He should man up and tell his wife to move over here as he had great chance to play in the Prem! Bottle job in my opinion!

    I would say good luck, but I dont really care.

    On the British players front, they tend to be over priced for what you get, thats why people tend to look abroad. I would like us to go for Gabbidon with Blues and Sandwell. He has experiance and isnt too bad. Maybe too old tho? (I think!)

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  9. 9
    Mark

    Well i can see McCarthy’s point, if Van Damme hadn’t been so easily beaten by Hutton he could never have made the run that resulted in the penalty. Ward then made a rash tackle as he was torn between sticking with his man wide right or following Hutton inside and making the tackle. Van Damme allowed that move to start way to easily and he should’ve took some of the responsibility.

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  10. 10
    Wolves AY I

    3 – Mick does have a point, JVD did leave Ward exposed and Hutton did run past him without him bothering to follow him. No excuse for the challenge but JVD could have help Ward getting in that situation.

    Earlier in the game Jarvis would follow Spurs full back all the way back, reducing pressure and exposure to Ward

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  11. 11
    AussieWolf

    VD a talented player and sad to see hime leave.
    Ward back in at LB, is he MM’s love child??
    Ward is not up to the pace of this league and needs to be farmed out to more suitable places. Chorley or North Vic.

    Elokobi is twice the defender that Wardy will ever be, get rid now and lets get a half decent replacement for VD regardless of wether he is a talented youngster or a stop gap for 2 or 3 seasons until we get a young and hungry. Would rather use Elokobi and shift Wardy to the bench or even boot polishing.

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  12. 12
    PeteNuts

    This dude’s disciplinary record was “chequered”, to say the least, before he ever made it to Molineux. To be honest, I think getting our money back for him may be the best bit of business we’ve done this year.

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  13. 13
    JJ

    So obvious he had a bust up. Why suddenly drop him to the bench and never bring him on again. Same as the Hoff. Mick is a stubbon guy, some say its good but its left us stuck with Ward and Elokobi until January. Great.

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  14. 14
    Numpty no. 203

    So Van Damme ‘clashed’ with McCarthy – now who would have believed that?
    I am surprised that other players have not also ‘clashed’ with McCarthy but maybe Jelle has been the only one with the balls to do so?
    So McCarthy’s comment ‘he will not leave’ was just talk and the decision was taken over his head and Jelle has got his desired move back to his native Belgium where no doubt he will actually play many games instead of being a benchwarmer or a total outcast as he was under McCarthy!

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  15. 15
    wolfhedd

    Not too botherd about his sale been as we have received all our money back for him. Its obvious that the tensions between manager and player were more than just that one incident. Van Damn was homesick, which is fine considering his wife was pregnant back in belgium, as that is a huge time of his life, but it was a bad move to go public about it, and theres no doubt that words were had between the manager and player also. Hopefully we can find a new left back come january, but its not too much of a problem, as the team playing wont be affected because he barely played for us anyway.

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  16. 16
    SUPERSTARDJWOLVES

    hmmm interesting. How come Ward never gets drops after all of his errors on the pitch. JVD has one poor game and MM gets rid of him. PATHETIC man-management!

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  17. 17
    Sir Billy Quiet

    Stephen Ward – Premiership Left Back.

    Get off his back and live with it!

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  18. 18
    AussieWolf

    Excuses, excuses.
    Wasn’t his wife already pregnant when he signed the contract and took the money??

    I understand we are dissapointed and MM is as stubborn as a mule but lets move on. He was a talent but he isnt going to be seen in a Wolves shirt again.

    Whats the prefferred option? WARD??? I hope not

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  19. 19
    Numpty Spotter

    3 – calm down and get back in your armchair, both Elokobi and Ward played on Saturday, Elokobi played centre back so if we see the return of Craddock or Berra then George will undoubtedly go back on the bench! NUMPTY

    6 – yeh right the old ‘mate with a first team player’ routine is it? Absolute nonsense, it was clear on Saturday that if MM is losing some of the fans he definitely owns the dressing room! Please don’t renew your ticket, the comedy timing of ur support and a Shepa Van final puts you down as some sort of glory hunter anyhow, go and have a whinge down the road!!! NUMPTY!!!

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  20. 20
    johnwolf

    poorthorns – lost the dressing room! does that still apply after Saturday, what a prat you are, seems to me that every bit of news is jumped on by you anti Mick morons, who have not got one iota about football or the intelligence, trouble is with most who write on these pages is that because you “may”? have a season ticket that it gives you the right to think you can run the club- IT DOESN’T! it only gives you the right to watch the match, nothing more! you can moan has much as you like, but at the end of the day Morgan, Jez and Mick will run the club how they seem fit without listening to the numpties! and rightly so.

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  21. 21
    PaulK

    @DRS

    Didn’t go to the match on Saturday then? Ward is already back in at left back and did nothing wrong (decent ratings in the National press rather than some of the muppets on here).

    Leave commenting to the real fans.

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  22. 22
    Wragbywof

    So, that´s what happens then, if you fall out with the Gaffer? You sit on the bench but never get on the pitch. Pathetic. Why not put someone else on the bench who might actually serve some purpose? Smells to me like petty spitefullness on the gaffers part. And did we get all his wages back too? Great bit of business that Jez, you should get a pukka pie bonus for that.

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  23. 23
    Noisy

    Some of you seem to miss the point. It’s not who was at fault for the goal, it’s how they responded to the conversation. We don’t know what was said to Ward of course, so comments on that are just numpty speculation.

    DRS – Wardy slipped back in a left back?? Where he played last week with no defensive issues and some good overlapping runs. Stupid idea of course!

    Not much metion of peg shapes I notice after Foley, Elokobi and Mancienne all playing ‘out of position’ on Saturday.

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  24. 24
    Jake

    poorthorns, how do you know nothing was said to Ward about the Spurs goal? Why dont you ask your mate who is so quick to betray players confidences? You may be surprised at the answer.

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  25. 25
    PaulK

    @ Poorthorns

    JVD was the best left back at the club? As he never played left back for us I bow to your superior knowledge of Belgian football.

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  26. 26
    lornewolf

    My best memory of JVD was away at Fulham, he was brilliant in the first half in a way neither Ward or Elokobi ever could be, he even scored a goal. And yet he was taken off ay half time and hardly ever seen again. How does that work, when others make loads of mistakes?

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  27. 27
    StevieRich

    Will you lot stop giving ward a bad time.. he’s alright. Not a top six left back.. but hey we haven’t got a spare 30mil to buy one. He may lack pace, power and skill but runs alot.. so mick loves him.. he he!

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  28. 28
    Paul Norman

    I would like to see McCarthy giving a chance to some of the promising academy players who are at the moment “farmed out “. Malone is one who with a bit of encouragement would develop into a top Premier Left Back.We also have a potentially top Central Defender in Batth, and a very promising Forward with Zele Ismail.At the minimum ,get them in the squad and see what they can do instead of buying over priced Prima Donna’s, who no-one else wants.

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  29. 29
    wolveswolves

    Well said no.4

    His wifes pregnant and couldn’t settle in England and she wants to give birth back home which is entirely understandable. I for one would find it very difficult living in a different country to my pregnant wife and would want to be at her side. Some of the comments on here must obviously be from teens who have no understanding that being a man means looking after your family. It’s not his fault his wife couldn’t settle so morons like Wolves Ay I need to grow up and realise that it was the management and scouting network that didn’t do their job

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  30. 30
    SPJ WWFC

    “I’m a defender” first class comment!

    I don’t know how MM cannot see that the clear problem this season is that we cannot keep a clean sheet.

    Great work Mick, sell THE ONLY decent left back we have at the club.

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  31. 31
    mickholmesfanclub

    Good Riddance!

    Anybody who is not man enough to take criticism and roll their sleeves up to prove the manger wrong is not worth keeping. i’m sure he’s not the only one ever to be criticised by MM (behind closed doors) and won’t be the last. It’s how you react to criticism that’s important and we need players who are mentally ‘tough’ in our current predicament.

    Jody Craddock is the perfect example of how to react when there’s flak flying and he took more than enough from fans in the past and was just about shown the door by MM. His response is one I think all players should take as an example.

    Well done Jez on getting all the money back!

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  32. 32
    DRS

    I’m well aware Ward and Elokobi both played on Saturday (i knew there was a reason i don’t post on here) What i’m saying is watch Elokobi get dropped for the returning centre halves despite looking far more solid defensively than Ward has ever done when he was at LB prior to Saturday. Ward is simply an awful “defender”, i can empathise with JVD for being annoyed at not getting picked in his natural position given the alternatives.

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  33. 33
    brummierobwolves

    4) I went to Brussels and Charleloi and also have been to Ostend and Belgium can hardly be described as picturesque.
    Good riddance. Some overseas work out like Zubar. Top class return on Saturday and a lot don’t – the Pole, the Chef and Van Damme!

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  34. 34
    TelfordTim

    7 SteveMardenbrough’sShoulder

    Its ok you having a go at some one on here, but, maybe you don’t understand football.

    Has it occurred to you that Van Damme was playing out of position? He was a centre half that sometimes plays at left back. At that match you just mentioned , he was being played left midfield.

    I dont think you understand football mate.

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  35. 35
    TelfordTim

    23 – Just on the point of Ward at left back.

    He made cracking runs in the first 20 minutes or so and some great crosses.

    I’ll think you’ll find he was almost completely absent from the left back position though. That was covered by Big George who also did a manful job at centre half.

    So, how you think wardy did well at left back I dont know.

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  36. 36
    Greeno

    Some people have short memories. Yes, not all of MM’s transfers have worked out. But there are signing made by the likes of Alex Ferguson that have proved a waste of money. Not every signing works out as planned.

    At least we got our money back. Could I remind all the doubters of some of the other signing that various Wolves managers have made over recent years that we’ve got nothing back for:
    - Silas
    - Isaac Okonwonkwo
    - Stefan Iversen
    - Cedric Roussell
    - Havard Flo
    - Jens Dowe
    - Tomas Frankowski
    - Robert Taylor
    - Steve Claridge
    - Adrian Williams
    - Ashley Smith

    Frankly, I could list many more. But this lot here cost about 12 million (would be much more in todays market), and we let them all go for nothing.

    Suddenly Ward, Elokobi, Berra, Henry etc don’t seem so bad. The grass in always greener people, lets focus on the positives and get behind the team!

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  37. 37
    brummierobwolves

    A lot on here should be ashamed of yourselves as you go out your way to pick on players and make them scapegoats ie Ward, Berra, Elokobi and Stearman. At the end of the day all have had international call ups and are still youngsters. Yes some are limited but at the end of the day, the manager makes the decision on who to play and clearly in recent days he will not listen to criticism of him or his players. Don’t get me wrong MM is far from perfect and is a very stubborn person but it is quite simple – like it or lump it!

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  38. 38
    gram of truth

    fell out with mick, speculative clap trap.

    if so how come contiued traning, in the squad for games, played against chelsea, ALOB ref a fall out.

    reason his wife didnt want to move to WV1 from Belgian!! can you blame her no, end of story.

    at least we got our money back fair play moxey !!

    UTW

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  39. 39
    MACTHEWOLF

    It is patently obvious that he had to go because MM had to play his LC WARD. He has played him as a Forward,in Midfield and finaly at Left Back and has shown that in all positions he is not good enough.
    Don’t blame VD for complaining when he sits on the bench and has to watch WARD every week, I would want to leave. I suspect that others not being picked feel the same but haven’t got the balls to speak up.

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  40. 40
    lee

    AM I WRONG IN SAYING MICK SAID HE WAS OUR NE WLEFT BACK?????DID HE EVETR PLAY IN THAT POSITION????????

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  41. 41
    richwolf64

    Sir Billy Quiet.

    I have finally sussed you out. You come on here, merely to wind up the fans. I have a feeling you are a baggie, desperate for us to keep playing the very worst of our players.

    I suspect you are also DESPERATE for Karl Henry to come back to.

    I think you call yourself WardyIsALeftBack, then you don’t have to keep repeating yourself.

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  42. 42
    Bemused Wolf

    We are apparantely bottom of the Premiership tackling league with 172 tackles won compared with Bolton who top the tackling league with 271. This was prior to the Sunderland game. Can only hope MM is aware and makes a couple of signings in defence and midfield to remedy this and left back is the obvious weakness. Also think these stats reflect on Karl Henry. As for JVD we will never know how good he could have beenits good riddance and time to move on.

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  43. 43
    richwolf64

    36 – some great players listed there. Every single one of them was better than wardy!!

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  44. 44
    Solentwolves

    I never rely on on what others are reported to have said or done – only on what I hear from “the horse’s mouth”. Have some folk on here never been misquoted (or their motives misunderstood) in their lives? As for MM – not all the players are going to like him. How many on here can say they’ve actually “liked” all the bosses they’ve ever worked for? It’s all down to respect and I can’t detect any evidence that MM has lost the players’ respect. Any who don’t respect him are likely to be malcontents and players we can do without anyway.

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  45. 45
    Michael Owens

    We just have to suck it up and get on with it – JVD made no great impact when he was here and him going has not affected the team on little bit.

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  46. 46
    wolfhound

    So finaly the truth is out Van Damme dared to complain about being converted to a winger when he was bought as a left back.The truth is we will struggle to sign anyone of quality,any top player worth his salt will look at Micks premiership record of losing games and walk away.

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  47. 47
    West Park Wolf.

    MMMM some great chat…..Its going to snow….so a snowman instead of Wardy!!!

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  48. 48
    South Bank Lad

    Aslong as we got the £2.5m back for him that we paid. We wasted around £250,000 on his wages in the time he stayed with us. Now to get rid of Halford and Hill, getting around £2m combined for these two. Then we’ll need to sign a centre-back (Wheater) and a right-winger (O’Neil from Boro) and maybe this targetman we’ve got on trial. We should aim for at least a point on Saturday, 3 pts against the Blouse, a point against Tesco and 3 pts at home to Wigan. I’d be happy with 8 out of 12 pts from those next 4 games.

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  49. 49
    SteveMardenbrough'sShoulder

    34 – Telford Tim

    Yes, you’re right, he was played put of position (as he has been all season), but with regards to that particular passage of play, he should not have allowed Hutton to run inside and unchallenged. As a defender, and one signed as a fullback, he should have known to show him down the line and not stand and watch. Basic football which I hope you’ll understand even if VD didn’t.

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  50. 50
    chris hoggard

    NO4 Rich, Have you ever been to Belgium? My old Grandad went in 1916 and stayed for a couple of years.He said it was very muddy.Mind he stuck at it a bit longer than Van Damme.
    No 33 Greeno,Who was Ashley Smith,he must have been that good I missed him.
    I just love Jez’s comments,it will not put us off signing foreign players.Well I suppose if Messi became available,Mick would fancy him.

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  51. 51
    DerbyWolf

    I find it utterly perplexing that Van Damme has basically refused to do what his manager has asked him to do and some of you lot think this is all Micks fault!

    He bought him as a left back and JVD had a tantrum about MM wanting him to work hard…What did he think it was going to be? A nice stroll in the park!?

    I cant hold JVD responsible for his wife wanting to go home or his homesickness, thats something that can’t be helped. But to not agree with a managers decision and cause a disagreement about it is JVD’s fault, not McCarthy’s.

    He arrived with a big hoo-ha about him being a leader…basically, he has sold us down the river and joined us for something he wasn’t ready for, simple as.

    best of luck back in your Homeland JVD. No hard feelings from me!

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  52. 52
    wolfshead

    # 40, Lee, no I don’t think you are wrong, I seem to recall E&S, summer, quoting Mick as saying he bought van Damme to play left back. But does the gaffer play his hand like that? – we need a left back so I’ll get one (thanks Terry) and play him there. I don’t think he works like that, which is probably where it began to go wrong between the two men.

    So if for professional reasons van Damme took the hump i.e. “I’m a better LB than anyone else here, play me” – and for managerial reasons Mick gave him a chip for his other shoulder “this is what I want you to do but you ain’t doing it” then I’d say honours even. Over before it began. Sad.

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  53. 53
    mikewolf1960

    JVD did indeed play for us once at left back, in the pre-season friendly at Leeds. He was turned inside out by the mighty Max Gradel, committed numerous fouls as a result of his lack of pace and poor positioning, and was subbed before he was sent off or caused someone an injury. He would have been an absolute disaster playing left back in the Premiership. Clearly things did not work out how either he or the club would have hoped, but I don’t think it fair to blame MM, let alone Wardy for keeping him out of the team, as Wardy will do his best for the team wherever and whenever he is asked to play, and who should be applauded for his professionalism.

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  54. 54
    GreatUncleBulgaria

    richwolf64
    November 30, 2010 at 12:08 pm
    mm Rubbish !! He clashed over tactics and playing out of position..

    His wife went back to Belgium to give birth, no other reason. I felt that was pretty understandable that she wanted to be home to give birth. Let’s face it, New Cross or a nice clinic in Belgium. Doesn’t take a genius to work out which one she would choose.

    I know.

    ———————

    yea understandable why she wanted to give birth at ‘home’ but im pretty sure New Cross isnt the only place she could have had her child over here – ever heard of a private hospital they’re quite nice too.

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  55. 55
    Wolfiewolf2468

    What is it with you “numpties” ?? I can certainly see why MM called some of you that. BECAUSE YOU ARE !!!! Do you keep forgetting that this is a TEAM game and NOT individual ?? Obviously YOU DO forget. Van Damme could not get into it, along with certain others. You say all this rubbish about MM, but could you do any better ??? NO !!! Yes I know that Wardy is not the most ideal LB, but he shows passion and 100% commitment to what position he is to be played. To be fair to him, he has not played bad at all in my opinion. I’m well behind him to play and the others that MM chooses. I’m a WOLVES fan, not certain players fan. Get behind the team people and I’m sure we WON’T be let down :)

    UP THE WOLVES & MM :)

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  56. 56
    van dammes gooin hum

    well said brummieRob 37, the way i look at it if players dont want to wear the famous old shirt they should ship out. next few games are crutial, i,ll be happy with a point at beers better up north, we owe the blouse,s one and anything can happen against sandwell town.. lets stay together lads and push on. we are Wolves.

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  57. 57
    Greeno

    50 – Yeah I meant Kevin Ashley! The “future england” full back that we signed from Villa. Eventually free transferred to some lower division team. Dunno where Ashley Smith came from!!

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  58. 58
    Noisy

    35 – Tim
    thanks for your observations. It slighty confused me to read a reasoned comment on here rather than the ‘you obviously know nothing about football argument’ favoured by some (e.g. Rich64 above with his classic ‘pot kettle black comment to SBQ’)
    I probably do defend Wardy too much as I get so sick of people who blame him for every goal we concede. I thought he had litte to do defensively on Saturday and as far as I remember they created very little down their right wing. Of course sometimes you are up against a great winger at LB and sometimes not.

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  59. 59
    BrightonNumpty

    ANYTHING TO KEEP USELESS, FAVOURITE WARD IN THE TEAM, HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFFLOADED YEARS AGO….. INSTEAD, ONE OF OUR (FEW)PRECIOUS SIGNINGS COMES TO NOUT AND WE ARE STUCK WITH WARD (THE WEAKEST LINK) CLASSIC MUPPET!!! NICE ONE!!

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  60. 60
    Southbankdan

    Obviously JVD is very stubborn and selfish. He might have been a big fish in a small pond over in Belgium but your not over here pal. As long as your wearing old gold and black I expect you to give 110Percent. Obviously wasn’t willing to do that so the sooner this was sorted the better before you effect everyone elses ego. On the plane and goodbye.
    Waste of talent, and well if your not willing to work for the squad and hold yourhands up when ya make a mistake then your a waste of a skin too.

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  61. 61
    billyraff

    Jelle is clearly a big girl’s blouse. We are well shot.

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  62. 62
    carl3333

    van damme was never a left back i saw him play on tv for belgium there and was terriblw, he then got destroyed at walsall and leeds , even at left mid if anyone run at him he cant turn, we couldnt accomodate him at left mid once we got hunt fit, dont forget jarvo is also a left mid, so it makes sense to get rid,lets look to sign charlie adam(presently in dispute) in january someone to control the midfield , and if we cant sign a quality left back bring through malone, dont keep signing players not better than we have

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  63. 63
    wolfhedd

    im a defender – Only one of those players you have listed as being a waste of money was bought while we have been in the prem, The rest were bought as championship defenders, and yes, some have struggled, but Stearman, Elokobi, matt hill and ward all did decent in the championship for us, and helped us win promotion so how on earth have they been a waste of money. Collins got a lot of stick in his time with us, but darren ward and shackell were not exactly poor, and were only kept out of the team because players like Stearman were keeping them out.

    You forget that the majority of micks signings have been extremely cheap, and his signings played for us last season, where we survived, earning us another windfall from sky tv money, so you can call his signings a waste of money, but the fact is, they have not only been bargains, but they have earnt us easily double what we have payed for them, in getting promoted and keeping us there.

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  64. 64
    The Usual Suspects

    How many appearancs has Van Damme made for Wolves – 4? The player didnt settle at Saints last time so what was different this time?

    Imv Nicky Shorey with his Reading past was available at Villa and gagging for a chance the age difference was 2 years – Shorey 29 and JVD 27 – Less money transfer fee £1.5m from Villa – JVD – £2.5m Sky ratings JVD 6.5 NS 6.1 so not much in it

    It beggers belief that we have had a problem at left back since the Chumpionship and we even had Matt Hill who was Prestons Player of the season prior to his injury but never seemed to be given a chance to settle at Wolves???

    S Ward is clearly not a left back and although the lad has done well in the Chumpionship he seems to struggle more often in the Premiership due to the step up in league standards Yes there are games where he has done well but its the consistency that is lacking as the lads efforts dont always work out

    We know that we have Zubar and Foley as possible Right backs but S Ward has been given automatic selection even when he has had bad games

    So is MM saying that we have 2 left backs in George Elokobi and S Ward???

    From what I’ve seen in the last 2 seasons in the Prem – Most teams can see that our left flank is our weak point

    A win against Sunderland is great BUT we are still in the bottom 3 – and we still need to win another 10 games otherwise we are back in the soup known as the Chumpionship!

    We hope for far better!

    Up the Wolves!!!

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  65. 65
    Copenhagen Wolf

    57 – Kevin Ashley was signed from Birmingham but at least you got the name right…

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  66. 66
    wanderer in eire

    Good Riddance.
    Mick shows me he cares by pointing out such mistakes,taking of FOLEY for an error,but then again what aout WARD!?I now of FIVE games atleast were he as been at fault!!and cost us points.Knowledgeable fans are stating nearly every week,that WARD stands of players,lets them run and cross and his positioning can be AWFUL at times,yes others make mistakes but WARD is constant.Then there is DOYLE who cant score yet he is in the team!SEB and FLETCHER score to guarantee there places on the subs bench.!Doyle missed a sitter against SUNDERLAND,thing was didnt even get it on target.
    To me it is just a case of “one rule for one and another for another one”
    Ah wel up the WOLVES.

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  67. 67
    sb

    No.58 noisy you talk a lot of sense, can’t see why Ward gets so much stick he always gives 100%p perhaps he’s not the best defender but I love tryer.

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  68. 68
    The Usual Suspects

    Personally not too bothered about what MM may or may not have said blah blah But Im a tad gobsmacked on 3 counts:

    1)I believe that JVD had the same problem of not being able to settle at Saints
    2)Why are we letting him go within 48 hours of the deal being done – Is there more to this than we are being told? and
    3)Knowing that JVD had problems settling in England before Why was there not anything written into his contract – such as a penalty clause that means that JVD would have to reimburse the club money if the same happened again?

    Lets just hope that we dont make the same mistake again – 4 games is very poor return for any player – So imv Mr Moxey has a few questions that require some answers

    We hope for far better!

    Up the Wolves!

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  69. 69
    AnonymousWolf

    20- having a ticket gives you the right to an opinion. I go to every home game and some away games and see little or no improvement. The board and management should respect that our money goes into their big fat bulging pockets and should therefore respect any opinions we have. AND having an opinion does not constitute you wanting to take over the club it shows passion and your want for the club to move on even if the management don’t.
    We were lucky Saturday, Sunderland were poor. We are nothing more than a championship team with championship players and management playing out of our league.

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