Battle of nerves key for Wolves boss
Friday 18th February 2011, 11:00AM GMT.
Mick McCarthy has backed Wolves to win the ‘battle of nerves’ in the Black Country derby at the Hawthorns.
Wolves go into their first Premier League showdown against Albion with six points from their last six games, one more than their opponents, and seeking their first win at the Hawthorns since Iwan Roberts’ hat-trick in a 4-2 win in 1996.
The Baggies have shipped two or more goals in each of their last 10 Premier League matches and McCarthy has predicted a tense affair on Sunday.
He said: “It will be pretty edgy and nervy because of what’s at stake – our Premier League existence. There are 12 games to play and both teams need points.
“It looks like we need points more than them, but they need them too as they won’t stay up with what they’ve got.
“Providing something ridiculous doesn’t happen like a goal from 30 yards or someone makes a mistake, or a stupid sending-off which changes the game, then it’s bound to be edgy.”
But McCarthy backed his players to handle the derby pressure and produce a strong performance.
He said: “Our lads have been right bang at it in every other game bar Wigan here, when we went 2-0 down with two bad goals, and last Saturday.
“We’ve made every other team work hard and we’ve played some good stuff.”
The Wolves boss again insisted his side can cope with the pressure of fighting relegation, as he warned Albion of the dangers of falling into the drop zone.
He said: “If you drop into it, all of a sudden it’s a case of thinking ‘can we get out of it? We’re not having those anxieties because we all believe we can.
“It doesn’t matter when, as long as it is on or before May 22.”
McCarthy also reiterated his 15 point target to achieve survival.
He said: “Five wins would take us to 39 points and that gives us a chance of staying up. People might read that and think ‘what’s he on about, being happy to be in the bottom three?’
“But I’m not happy being in the bottom three – I don’t want to finish there and I don’t think we will.
“We can get those wins.”
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Its plausible for us to get the wins. We will hopefully finnish better than we started just like last season. We have the players to keep us up, and although we have put our selves in a difficult position with previous results, its is still in our hands. I honestly beleive we will be safe before the last game of the season. It will be difficult, but no one ever said it would be easy to stay in this league.
West brom and blackpool are the start of 12 huge games for the club, lets hope we start this group of games with 2 wins, we are due a run of decent results this season, what better time to start.
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Come on Mick and The Lads you can do it! And he is right, is doesnt matter where those 5 wins come from.
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Good Luck lads I hope we leap-frog the Baggies on Sunday as if we play like we have been I have no doubts it’ll be 3 points gained.
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I commenced my spring cleaning when I heard Manchester United no longer had a 100% record. I hope to continue on Sunday with a clean sweep. STICK WITH MICK Brigtet
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So far this season we’ve won 27% of our games, all of a sudden we CAN win 42%…what has happened??
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The nerves will certainly help, although personally, I think the battle will be won in the mathematical area, in the sense that they are only going to score one goal and we’re going to score six. That will certainly help matters.
And I’m serious this time. I honestly believe we are going to give them one almighty tonking. I can scarcely wait.
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6 PeteNuts – Spending lunchtime in the Newhampton, are we? (Hope your predictions are more or less accurate, anyway.)
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Ive never been one for getting carried away with all this ‘us n them’ crap most of the games ive seen between wba / wolves have been boring dull affairs. All i want is the 3pts which will go someway to helping us stay in the PL, but a draw isn’t the end of the world,as long as we take maximum points off blackpool. Id like to see us play 4.4.1.1. with Fletcher up top and Doyle behind him, which gives us a better form of attackers. So GOOD LUCK LADS ON SUNDAY: UTW: AND I HOPE ALL YOU GREAT AWAY FANS HAVE GOOD DAY, AND A ‘HAPPY’ ONE TOO.
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Pete, I have come to love your inane ramblings – they are often an entertaining oasis of respite from the extreme views (Happy Clappers versus Doom and Gloom McCarthy Haters) that are all too often the norm within this forum.
For future reference, however, please stick to comedy as, if you are indeed being serious, I think your prediction of an ‘almighty tonking’ is a touch misplaced – I for one would be over the moon with any form of victory (even if we are still sitting beneath the Baggies at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon) and I would be satisfied with a point assuming that we then follow this up with a victory against Blackpool.
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Of course, if we do prove to be victorious by the predicted 6-1 scoreline, I will happily issue a full frank public apology for ever having questioned your predictive powers and, furthermore, willingly submit to a public flogging in front of your beloved Newhampton (or within the beer garden of the afore mentioned establishment, if you should so prefer)…
…unless of course I am lying or I completely forget making such a ridiculous offer!!!
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5) Firstly Statto the other clubs down there have a similar record and will have to do something similar. Secondly, the main reason for this optimism is that unlike the others we have only Spurs to play of the top 5 clubs. The rest have horrendous fixtures!
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Wolves run in is great compared to some others.
I will be optimistic for the next few games certainly but we have to take points from them obviously, starting Sunday. A loss would be disastrous in my opinion.
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Face the game without fear Wolves fans, let the Albion suffer with severe nerves. It’ll not be easy for them shuffling into their seats at the Hawthorns trying to keep their bums shut….and even more uncomfortable for them trying to leave early.
Been on the stripey thread and found a character name of 1954 Baggie. What the poor soul doesn’t realise is that in 1954 the Baggies were runners up to League Champions……wait for it…Wolverhampton Wanderers !
Jackass !
I see a hard fought but fully deserved victory for the team in Old Gold & Black.
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@9 Jez Moxey Junior
Ramblings? Good heavens yes. But inane? Young man, you forget yourself. My every posting is machine-tooled and whittled to perfection in order to inspire chuckles and rage in equal measure, and I seem to succeed more or less every time. There is method in my madness, if indeed madness is what it is. Personally, I think I’m the sanest person on here…
And I feel the imminent tonking in the very marrow of my bones. It will happen. Mark these words as gospel.
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If only EBanks-Blake had put away that chance on Saturday we would be as good as Barcelona !
We can do it on Sunday. Come on you Wolves !!!
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Farmer Ted I imagine the reply from the dark side will be to say that in 1954 the Baggies won the cup ( they will ignore the league). But what a season that was, both the league and cup ending up in the Black Country. I wonder if we will ever see those days again!
Trust in Mick Mack !
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Pete,Pete,Pete – Clever stuff – any you are right with most of what you say (1-6 is a bit much!) I dont care how we win it just as long as we do. Six points ( Blackpool) would go a long way to keeping us up. That is going to be a very long hour and a half, even longer if we score first ! – Up the Wolves.
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No 5 because its sport, not a stats lesson.
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As long as wolves play to there ability by keeping it tight at the back, use the wings and get balls in the box I think we’ll be fine. Come on wolves !!!
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just found out the match is on live in holland,we will all see over here puppies being trained in humility,hodgeson the baggie dog whisperer,p.s ihope you lot stay up as well,as a loved relative of mine somehow got hijacked by a uncle and he went over to the dark side
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Amsterdam Wolf.
The games also live in Cyprus. Our local The Lost Boarders is showing it and their Sunday lunch is fab can’t wait to see us win by the 2 goals we need to take us out of the bottom 3 and put them in it.
Come on the Wolves from every Wolf in Cyprus
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Come on you Wolves!
Lets do the same as Ajax last night versus Anderlecht.
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We never beat the baggies and are away form suggests to me that we wont be beating them this weekend either.I think they will beat us 3-2 this weekend but we will beat them at the molineux ,just hope we are still in touching distance by then .Yh the baggies dont have the best defence but the last few games i have been to at the molineux i dont no where the goals are going to come from.Well i hope i am wrong i really do because what a great day sunday will be if we can beat them.
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4-4-1-1, So you wont be coming over the centre line then?. Will you swap your bus for the dead-wood stage, for this West Midland derby?.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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Pete,
While I hope we give them a tonking too, and I´m as big a Rioja fan as you, where or who do you think this hatfull of goals will come from? They don´t flow like the vino like the tinto does, you have to admit, so what does your water reckon?
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@23
Enough of this pessimism! The game is ours!
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@25 Rons Flowers
I am banking on the entire time suddenly and coincidentally coming good at once.
@24
Son, the only bus we’re going to be driving is the double-decker to Goaltown that goes six times every ninety minutes.
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The match is on at The Duke in Oakengates, Telford, showing on Tring plus which an Albanian network. 200 quid for 12 months on e-bay
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MICK you are nut go away with your happy clappers!!!Majority of the fans are fed up of the blinkered comments you make,go get a reality check FELLA.
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I´m sick of hearing tripe. Endless pampering = nothing.
WBA recent form almost as bad as ours Two wins from last 12 speaks for a dozen quotes.
Six pointer here.
No doubt about it.
Roberto was their hero six months ago. Now he´s history. (Ignominious.) Sorry Roberto, you´re really OK but the demands at this level clearly passed you by.
Shuld have passed our manager by too but that´s our bad luck.
We should be motivated enough by recent victories over greater opposition than mere Baggies so we could to beat yous out of sight…………….this time ……………but all the same. good luck to who ever claims all three points…. and if neither of us do, see ya in the fizzy npower manana.
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On the day you have got to want it lads,Snot the tackles and get first to any loose ball Hope your reading this and taking notice and our first win at the awfullthornes will be ours don’t let us down wer’e all rooting for you lads good luck me babby’s
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In response to the feral peasantry that gets past the mod’ squad,Wolves are a superior club to albion.If, by some divine inspiration Albion stay in the Premier League,it will be down to RDM who they sacked,what a travesty! Jez Peace is you’re real problem in life not us! Timor Domini Intium Sapientae…good luck!
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Stop the goal music
Would you like to register your dismay at our club deciding to play music every time we score at Molineux. The playing of this music makes us look like tourists from the league below and needs to be ended as soon as possible. Our goal celebrations are from the heart because we love The Wolves – we do not need this ‘Americanisation’ of our goal celebrations. Please, please stop the goal music; we know how to celebrate a goal.
Copy the the following into your browser and sign the petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthegoalmusic/
Up The Wolves…
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29) Wanderer in Eire
Can you explain exactly what you’re trying to say here ?
I presume it’s the usual negative garbage and you certainly don’t speak for the “Majority of fans”
If Wolves do lose this one, no doubt you and your like minded twerps will swamp this site on Monday.
But they won’t….you need the reality check FELLA (Fella ? Eh?)
Come on Mick & Wolves prove these morons wrong…..again!
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Petenuts,your not so daft,a Rioja buff.Next time you pop up down Espana way, get yerself into Mercadonna supermarket and get yourself dozens of bottles of Comportillo cosecha, 1.69 Euro. you can only buy it there.The best ever Rioja.
If your prediction is right i’ll defffo be nekkin one or two. Its also on live in Portugal.
UTW.
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(33)
Adrian,
Don’t have the music played very often then.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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Hey Portugal, mines a Tempranillo from Navarra, 30 cents more at Lidl and win or lose manana I´ll be tippling. UTW
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