Albion and Wolves set for High Noon
Saturday 18th December 2010, 10:34AM GMT.
Albion and Wolves today drew the final battle lines as fans count down to the first top-flight derby in a quarter of a century tomorrow.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy warned the Baggies of the “gut-wrenching terror” of dropping into relegation trouble as he prepared his side for the high noon Hawthorns showdown.
But Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo has ordered his men to stay positive and challenged them to claim a victory he says would put them in an “incredible position” in their quest for Premier League safety.
The Baggies will begin tomorrow’s game seven points ahead of Wolves and six clear of the drop zone, but McCarthy warned: “The gut-wrenching terror is of dropping into it.
“When you’re above it, you don’t want to be dropping into it and there’s that horrible feeling of ‘oh God’, especially the longer the season goes on.
“You can feel like the league is getting concertinaed and you’re heading downwards and other teams are going the other way.
“Teams can end up going the wrong way, but we’re going in the right direction and we’ve just got to keep going that way.
“If any of Fulham, Blues, the Baggies or Blackpool have a bad run — and it doesn’t look like it — then they might find themselves in it.
“They’re hovering above it and it’s a really horrible feeling. I don’t think that any of the teams who have even got up to 20 points will be sat with a big cigar, giving it large.
“If you ask Roberto I doubt he’ll be saying ‘we’ll stay up this year — it will be a piece of cake’.”
But Di Matteo rejected fears that defeat could pull his team closer to the scrap at the foot of the table and challenged his players to rack up an impressive 25 points before Christmas.
“I’m a positive thinker so I’m hoping that we can win and make a huge difference in our season,” he said.
“It would put us in an incredible position if we managed to do that.”
Di Matteo’s team is likely to include nine Black Country derby first-timers with Youssouf Mulumbu and Gonzalo Jara finding their temperament in the spotlight after red cards and rash tackles this season.
But head coach Di Matteo has backed his whole side to stay calm amid the tension of the occasion.
“I am very confident that our players will be disciplined and be focused on winning the game and playing football,” said the Italian. “It’s not a war.
“You want your team to be aggressive and there is maybe a fine line there sometimes, but I think we are a fair team.”
McCarthy insisted his Wolves players would have no problems keeping cool heads.
“We’ve had a fabulous disciplinary record since those first few games of the season,” he said.
UK Sport
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I just hope thicko will resign if wolves lose so that we gan get a good manager in.
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said the Italian. “It’s not a war
YES IT IS!!!!!
AND WE ENGLISH KNOW HOW TO WIN THOSE, UNLIKE ITALIANS WHO HAVE A TENDANCY TO RUN QUICKLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
IT’LL BE CALLED OFF ANYWAY..BLOODY WEATHER.
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Another couple of inches of snow and it might get called off.Lets hope not.
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What a load of Drivel Mad Mick does talk!yep its a terrible feeling hovering 6 points off the relegation zone isnt it? I would much rather be sat in the thick of the relegation zone than where we are……do us a favour Mick, talk sense or keep quiet. We Baggies fans and a big chunk of our players know exactly what its like being in a relegation battle so dont need your “wise” head telling us what its all about.
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anyone who doubts mick mccarthy needs to have a think how dedicated they actually are to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Check out Mick McCarthy’s first interview as Wolves boss. The state of the club when he arrived. He has done a fantastic job and theres no way we should get shot of him. I’m 21 years of age and this is by far the best Wolves have ever been in my entire life time, yeah were in a relegation fight, what else did you expect? Get behind Mick and get behind the team. Are you really going to give up your season tickets? We are Wolves live with it!
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And the winner is…
The SNOWY Weather!
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I just come past st peters church in dinglehampton its packed out with dingles they must be praying for snow to stop the humiliation going ahead,aye boing boing
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The good thing if it is called off is that neither side will have their xmas spoilt and the idiots who do the schedules for Sky may even show it on a re-aaranged date, cant believe this match has been overlooked yet again!!.
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Roberto reminded me of the Italian action man, who came out the box backwards with his hands up!
Up The Wolves
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Ho well if it is called off it will give the sandwell scum a brighter xmas rather than crying in there beer.
in mick we trust.
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Mick you’re talking to THE BAGGY FANS.
Not the suckers from Low Hill City.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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i love some of the doghead comments, truly amazing. our neighbours from up north are the nasty flea bitten mongrel , who despite getting belted by the master keep coming back, nipping and yelping. the film “old Yeller” springs to mind, and hopefully, we’ll put them out of their misery once and for all. shame it won’t be tomorrow, but then when it’s rearranged they, like their hapless defenders will be able to see St Petes rear end hurtling off into the distance after scoring yet again. they even had the chance to see the pics of yesteryear in the E&S. phillips, bradley, taylor, hartson, gera, kamara and myself jordao, doing what we seem to do so well. score against the dingles. i see RDM as like many italians, they like, fast cars, fine clothes, good food and art, a love of music and of course winning football teams. you have mad mick. speaks volumes. enjoy your christmas you sad deluded lot. forza albion.
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MMMM if it doe’s go ahead I can’t help feeling we may use some squad rotation.
Think RDM may well rest a few for this one.
With Bolton,Blackburn and Man Utd coming up.
That’s what the good managers tend to do nowadays.
Just a thought.
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It looks as though the old corrugated cathedral is gona let us all down. Oh well, when we do get it on WOLVES will have another £20million worth of players on the books. Chris blunt will be playing for Liverpool, and Dorrans will still be firing on three.
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10
Typically thick Wulf, who deems it nessesary to refer to a whole populus of human beings he has never met as “scum”
Despicable term used by someone with an obvious inferiority complex.
Or a poorly bought up 5 year old.
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think it will be called off dont think steptoes have under soil heating
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7.Sir Tel, I too have just come past St.Peters church. All those good wolvo folks were in there having a whip round for the bus loads of Sandwellians that come into our CITY and stand open mouthed, staring through the windows of our pound shops. It breaks ones heart. It really does.
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17
‘our pound shops’?
You own a pound shop then?
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15. WBA 4 EVA, hear hear!!! Av a nice xmas pal.
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Despite the name “sandwell Town”, there is actually no such place as Sandwell, which has led to explorers and bounty hunters getting lost in the quest for the legend of Sandwell.
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14 When you have spent £20 million and the x amount of millions you have already spent have been brilliant ay they (NOT!) we have hardly spent anything and your trailing in our dust,wait till we spend even less in the transfer window and then beat you then we can start putting the nails in your coffin.
Boing! Boing!
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Lone Wolf
Cheers, and the same to you and yours.
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Can’t help but feel there are a lot of deluded baggies knocking round on street corners.If and only if the game is cancelled 2moz then it will be to our advantage because as previously stated by a fellow comrade we will have much better options than we have at the minute ( not sayin that what we have at the minute wouldn’t beat your lot off the field,but thats by the by )with the January transfer window about to re-open.Lets compare figures outlayed come the end of January when the window closes and you lose Chris Brunt.Wolves Ay We Even better lets compare figures outlayed combined with figures on the board come May George Daws
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14 lone wolf- So wolves are gonna spend ANOTHER £20 million on new players? The last 20 mil. spent on the squad did the trick-bottom three at Christmas.Now where did that money go…..oh yeah,15 mil. of it on the ‘new professionals’,that exciting,all action partnership Bodie(Fletcher) and Doyle.They look mean,moody,and strike terror in the hearts of the bad guys…..but fire blanks.Can’t see them getting another series,sorry season,after this one.
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14 lone wolf- on the subject of new signings,Albion have scoured the world,and found quality players that no one else had noticed.We uncovered and signed some real diamonds.On the other hand,in January,wolves will be doing a similar thing.Signing players from Rushden and Diamonds.
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2 SBBA.
Two points.
As you seem to be a great believer in racial stereotyping, perhaps you would be better not supporting a club with an Irish manager and then constantly criticising his poor decisions.
I have read your posts on your own site and you are the biggest defeatist on there. You would feel right at home working the gears on a WWII Italian tank.
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