So what can we expect this weekend? Is it to be the start of a fightback for survival or another nail in the relegation coffin?
The sickening taste of the Birmingham defeat can only be soothed by the tonic that victory and three precious Premier League points brings. Of course, Bolton travel to Molineux needing a result just as badly as us and knowing that defeat would see a faltering Wolves side leapfrog them in the table.
Maierhofer - worth a gamble this weekend?
History isn’t on our side though. In the last Premiership campaign, we drew 1-1 at the Reebok thanks to an Alex Rae screamer and were on the wrong end of a 2-1 defeat at home, thanks to an atrocious refereeing performance from Uriah Rennie. We certainly can’t afford such bad luck this time around.
Put simply, Wolves must get the win. It doesn’t matter how bad the performance is, victory is all that matters on Saturday. But how do we go about getting it?
Mick has to go back to basics this weekend and pick a side with players operating in their naturals positions. I know I’ve harped on about this for ages now, but after last week’s debacle he’s got the perfect excuse to clear the decks and start again. Nobody’s place in the team should be safe.
I’ve given up trying to predict our manager’s team selection though, so instead, here’s the Wolves side I’d like to see take to the field on Saturday:
Hahnemann
Zubar
Craddock
Mancienne
Ward
Edwards
Castillo
Henry
Jarvis
Doyle/SEB
Keogh/Hoff
As you can see, I’m sitting on the fence with the front two, but I’d like to see one of Doyle or SEB keep their place and one of Keogh or The Hoff come into the side. I think we need something different up top and those two players haven’t been given much chance to impress lately.
The defence and midfield both have a more natural shape and that should give us better options going in both directions. The one questionable change is probably bringing Mancienne in at centre-back given that Bolton will probably look to hit Kevin Davies up front. But I think he’d do a good job of picking up the second balls should their big target man win a good number of flick-ons, which I’d image he will.
In all honesty though, I have no idea if this will be anything like the team McCarthy picks come Saturday, and that has to change. He has to find his best eleven soon and stick with it, if we’re to have any chance of making a decent fist of survival.
A prediction is a difficult task. My heart wants to say 1-0 to Wolves, but my head can’t get away from the draw. With Spurs and Man Utd away our next two fixtures, anything but victory this weekend could see us cut well adrift of safety by the time Burnley visit Molineux just before Christmas.
But I’m expecting a big response from Wolves, so fingers crossed for a morale-boosting win.
If you’re going to the game, have a great time and roar the lads on. Something tells me we’re in for a scrap this weekend, so they’ll need the support.
Up The Wolves.
I havent been the biggest fan of milijas starting, but this week i think he needs to because we’ve looked a lot sharper whenever hes on, and in terms of attacking ability, he offers a bit more than henry. Go for the kill, give Jarvis and Milijas some height up front in Maierhoffer that they actually might be able to do something with! Sure hes not the best at heading the ball home, but he’s got plenty of fire and aggression that I think we could do with a lot of right now.
I like your lineup Thomas, except for the aforementioned Milijas in the place of Henry, and Maierhoffer accompanying Doyle
A good friend of mine is a bolton fan and he has told me that kevin davies will probably miss this match due to injury. also strangley enough a lot of bolton fans wont mind losing IF it means the end of megson. i hope we can do that for them!
I like the proposed 11 you’ve put out thomas. however i’d go with berra over macienne. also id start with doyle keogh. keogh will work his socks off to regain his place, they play in the national side together. makes sense to me.
if only the wolves blog people could manage the team. lol :S
Got to drop SEB I’m afraid – shame about the possible replacements available as I dont fancy either of those mentioned above to be honest.
Horses for courses I think Bambi on ice (the Hoff) probably makes more sense given the likelihood of a long ball battle. I might be tempted to try Zubar at centre half with Mancienne at right back? (always works for me on Pro Evolution ha,ha,ha!)
Glad to hear Davies might be out – he’s just the type of useless tw@t who would score the winner against us! I hate Bolton too – always remember sitting in the John Island when McGinley punched David Kelly at the Molineux (unpunished by the ref) and then went on to score the winner. Also Jason McAteer scoring a really good goal against us to ruin our chances of promotion.
So many happy memories eh? Roll on death!
The game we’ve all been waiting for. The Wanderers derby
You’re all probably aware of my feelings toward one Andrew Keogh. So I’m going to say Doyle and The Hoff up front but I’m going to stick my neck out and say Keogh should be brought on at some point, just to keep going at the Bolton back line.
On another note, anyone know the cheapest way to get to Spurs next weekend?
I very much doubt Maierhofer will be given a starting place, or keogh (possible tho).
Mick will probably go with this
Hahnemann (should be wayne)
Mancienne (should be Foley)
Berra
Craddock (should be Mancienne)
Ward
Edwards
Henry
Miilijas
Jarvis
Doyle
SEB
Mick might go with edwards and henry centre mid, Milijas left mid with jarvis on the right. SEB deserves his chance and should start with Doyle.
Come on you Wolves!
Hopefully we will play with a bit more fight than last weekend.
Why Mancienne? He was awful against Birmingham and more importantly Zubar, Foley and Berra are our best defenders. Why does nobody combine them all, why this strange loyalty to Craddock, yes he’s scored a few but he’s not defended well at all. He salvaged a point against Stoke but if he had spotted Bowyer Saturday we could have got 3 points.
Foley-Zubar-Berra-Ward for me.
Laurens, I have no loyalty to Craddock at all. Zubar is injured is he not? I’m pretty sure he is. Mancienne and Berra is a good partnership I think. Berra more physical and Mancienne the reader of the game. Last sunday, everytime I heard them win the ball apart from when I heard Mancienne win it. he seemed to be the only one!
I don’t think it is Craddock’s job to mark the strikers and the midfielders too. That is slightly harsh. That is Henry or Edwards’ job.
We definitely need to win otherwise we’re in for a tough winter, though at the moment it doesn’t seem likely.
Personally i think mick will stick with SEB and Doyle up front. It’ll be interesting to see Mark Davies. How the hell did he slip through the net? Forget Dann and bloody Jerome Thomas, that was criminal.
Hope we can pull an unlikely win from somewhere, we bloody need it!
Rich I agree on Davies. He is a top player, only injuries will stop him from being a class player.
What is all this Jerome Thomas stuff, we didn’t want him!! It’s not llike he has scored ten and set up loads is it?
Tom I’m interested to know why your preferred starting line-up on Saturday doesn’t include Milijas. Being sat in your prime seats in the Steve Bull you must have had a cracking view of his beautiful cross-field ball out to the right wing on Sunday?! That was the only thing that had me close to applause all game!
I’d like to know why people think henry should start in front of castillo? Castillo had a shocker against chelsea but apart from that I think he offers a bit more than the sideways passes of henry?
Zubar out according to Mick, with doubts over The Hoff and Halford (although both should be fit apparently).
So I’m guessing Stearman is likely to retain his place at right-back with Ward coming in at left-back. I wonder whether the two center-halves will remain unchanged?
MANCINNINE IS SHITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAY CAN PEOPLE NOT SEE THIS!!!!!!!
Fuck him off back to Chelsea quick, so we can stop having this argument!
MANCIENNE IS NOT SHITE!!
He’s better than the ones we have currently!! Craddock (yes, he has done alright) is not in the same league as Mancienne is.
McArthy should have been sacked as soon as we got promotion.
The facts don’t lie. Yes proven CCC promotion time and again.
Proveen PL failure. Of all managers to have more than 38 games in PL (38 games beeing a full PL season) he has the worst record of any of them.
Morgan has to get rid of Moxley & Mick (Doesn’t Peter Kennyon leave Chelsea in Jan???? he he)
Yes McCarthy does have a poor record, but he got us up and deserves what will most likely final chance. He will never get a premier league job again if we go down.
When he was appointed my uncle said, let him get us promoted, then sack him.
If we don’t win on saturday there will be a lot of people calling for his head
Michael Mancienne will have a long and successful international career (to add to his already successful youth international career) and all those Mancienne is shite people (Wolves fans eh? What can you do?) will have to eat humble pie. Louie, get on with your schoolwork!
There is no work to do!
:D:D
Apart from the work that I have been set
Mancienne doesn’t look great to me – I fear he could be one of those players that never finds his best position (a-la Alan Smith at Newcastle).
I think he is too small for a centre half in the Prem, and Jerome turned him inside out last week (so badly that even MM could see it and swapped the full backs over!). Yes that was Jerome, not Ronaldo by the way, so I fear for any long and successful international career.
It’s funny how people see a different game… Henry over Castillo for me -maybe it’s just because he is a local lad but he seems to care more and I thought he would not make a Premier League player! Milijas is a luxury for me – granted his dead ball is much better than anyone else in the team, but I’m not sure we can afford the luxury of such a player in a relegation scrap. He seems scared to take a touch, and never gets involved in tracking or tackling.
Louie, surley Saturday is the final nail in Manciennes coffin. Beaten so badley by Jerome he was moved to full back after just 20 mins!!!
I will not tolerate any more defence of this sub standard centre half. He is not good enough for the PL, he is not even our best defender.
I agree completely that Milijas looks ‘scared to take a touch’ but so, for example (there are many: Henry, Ballack, Deco, Veron etc), did Luka Modric when he first arrived in the Premier League. It’s the pace and aggression. There is only one way to overcome the shock of the ‘English’ game and that is by playing. Modric was worth the wait and, given time, I’m sure Milijas (that exquisitely weighted through ball – in open play – to Ebanks-Blake on the first day of the season was enough for me) will be the same.
Pete shows what you know, he started at full back!!!
And Jub don’t be fuckin ridiculous mate, Henry has been the only player this season who has looked like he deserves to play in the premiership!!!!
And, why sack McCarthey, what would we actually gain!! Do you think we are going to be able to go out and get some amazing manager who will turn us into a top 4 team!! No, we’d just end up with some other top championship manager or sacked premiership manager. He got us here, and he has earnt the right to try to keep us there. As has SEB, Kightly, JArvis, Henry and all the other players that you fickle fuckers keep slagging off
Well said Milson. I’ve been reading many articles on the internet this week and i’m embarrassed by the level of abuse that the manager and players are getting after 1 poor performance. Before the last 3 game spirits were high after drawing with 3 decent teams. We lost to 2 excellent teams which was to be expected and, although we were really bad against blues, it’s only 1 game. Everyone’s writting off the season and calling for the manager’s head, it’s ridiculous. I’m not a happly clappy fan and i was disgusted by the teams performance on sunday but all is not lost. If we loose to bolton and burnley in the next few weeks i’ll be devastated but we could win them both and things will be looking rosy. We’re meant to be supporters of this club so why do people get so much pleasure out of slagging them off at the first oppurtunity. Rant over.
Haven’t visited this blog in a couple of weeks (work is killing me) but WOW, what a change in mood! Admittedly the last match I went to was Arsenal, and therefore was lucky enough to miss the apparently atrocious performance against the Blues, but was it really THAT bad that McCarthy’s position is being called into question?!!
Wins against Bolton and Burnley and things will be looking bright again. Personally I’d like to see Keogh and Doyle up front as that’s when we’ve seemed most dangerous this season. Its a shame for SEB though as after his service to the club over the past seasons he should be given his chance.
Havard Flo – apparantly Tom snuck out during the game to get a bap from the Clarendon, thus missing Milijas’ crossfield ball
It’s ok saying fans are fickle but the truth is SEB and Kightly havent been at the races so far this season. (I would actually praise Henry and Jarvis for at least having a go!)
Going into the Prem is a massive step up and unfortunatley two of the players that looked most likely to be able to bridge the gap have failed so far. I think that is part of the problem with the signings as even MM could not have expected them to be so poor.
It’s probably the most disappointing thing as I was looking forward to seeing this young, hungry squad want to prove themself in the Prem. I expected them to get turned over by the big clubs but at least make a fight of it against the teams around us. Hull, Portsmouth, Blues and West Ham at home with one point gained – relegation form no doubt about it.
Truth is (as great as it was) we were lucky to win the league given the two terible spells we had – but for Blues and Reading not wanting to win the league either we would have ended up in the play offs.
Bolton tomorrow, but even with a win we will not be out of the relegation. We really need a win to boost confidence or I fear we could do a Derby!
SEB – score the winner tomorrow and prove me wrong (or even look a little bit interested and at least break a sweat by the time your replaced on 70 mins!).
Come on me babbbiiieeesss!
Bob China – Jesus mate I hope you are right about Milijas but I dont think you can mention him in the same breath as Ballack, Deco, Veron and Modric! I saw him score some good goals on Youtube, but then I have scored some great goals up the park but it doesn’t make me a premier league player!
From what I have seen the situation will be more like Steve Corica, Jesus San Juan, Harvard Flo… et al!
Milijas could be a very good player. If he get’s going, he could be the man to keep us up.
Mancienne started at full back Pete you nut. Also remember he is playing in a bad team, why haven;t you had a go at Craddock or Berra, who have let in more goals than when Mancienne has played.
Stourbrisge wolf- jarvis and henry haven’t been injured.
Pete, who is our best defender?
Bloody hell. A lot of beef here this afternoon.
It’s not going to be pretty tomorrow with both teams low on confidence and desperately needing a win. But if we can get six points from the next four games, I think we do have a chance.
This is going to be the longest Christmas run in for a long time …
Mancienne is not a centre half, i said it last season and i stand by it. However, he is a player that is well regarded and one that is undoubtedly talented. He has drifted for too long, not played enough decent level football and is behind where he should be at this stage of his career.
He needs someone to get hold of him, pinpoint a position for him IMO either full back or holding midfielder and work him intensely making him understand the position and playing him there for a period of consecutive games. The question is whether MM and wolves are the manager and club to do this.
If the player is serious about his career then he needs to get out of Chelsea quick!
Mat, he is a centre back, and a very good one. His positioning is top and he is better in the air than people give him credit for. He’s really good on the ball aswell.
Mancienne is quality in the air. Especially for such a short bloke.
Me and my mate nicknamed him “The Salmon” because of this.
Milijas has been involved in 5 of last six, Craddock has scored 4 of last five. They are going to keep us up on their own!
I’m fine with that louie. Just as long as we can stay up
Hehe yeah. The whole Craddock goalscoring thing is a bit crazy now. If Bullards injury is serious, then that is Hull done for
BOSH. Great fun today. Well done Nenad. He really tried to put himself about a bit today, aqnd his goal was well deserved (and awesome). Good 3 points.
McCarthy Out! Only beat Bolton by 1? Having a laugh. Should have put the game to bed earlier… Oh my, only one point from safety. Beat Burnley and things aren’t looking so bad are they?
Louie – we’ll agree to disagree then mate. For me Mancienne’s positional play is probably his weakest area. He relies too much on his pace to get him out of situations where his starting position has been poor.
In the CCC this wasn’t such a problem but in the PL where players are as quick if not quicker (e.g. Adebayor) then he has been found out. Secondly, I dont think he is strong enough to play at CH.
That said he isnt a bad player as I have said and definitely one that has the attributes to develop into a PL performer but not at the heart of defence for me. Agree with you that he is decent in the air and better than most give him credit for.
Laurens, this strange loyalty to Craddock not seeming so starnge now eh?
Quite simply… 8 of the team played well, the other 3…Blake, Jarvis and Henry were passengers, and this how we get caught out against the “top” teams. Blake needs a rest, we should bring Vokes back, and for goodness sake get rid of Sideways Karl… he is awful.Watched the game live here…we got lucky for once with a clearly offside first goal, and, Bolton could have scraped a draw at the death.Wallpaper and cracks spring to mind. I am baffled as to why The Hoff deosnt get a s trat instead of Blake, he couldn’t do much worse could he?
Dazza, put a Vimto smile on your face matey. After all, we won!
I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities this season to be downcast, but after the last few weeks, you’ve got to make the most of the good times.
I think you’re a bit harsh in singling out those three players, all of whom I thought contributed to what was largely a fine team performance.
The two positions we were at our weakest for me were right back and right midfield, but Stearman and Edwards put enough effort in yesterday to more than make up for it.
I don’t think anyone here believes that everything is going to be rosy because we turned Bolton over. But a win’s a win and you’ve got to enjoy it.
Keogh should have played instead of Ebanks…