Wolves 1 Chelsea 2

January 2, 2012 By
What have a group of FA endorsed Premier League referees and Mick McCarthy got in common?
 
They both make unfathomable decisions that no hard suffering Wolves fan can do a single thing about.
 
For the sake of sycophantic, fawning Football Association apologists on here, I’ll keep any observations of the latest conman in black down to one word, for fear of being called a cretin once more and ‘killing this blog.’
 
Cheat.
 
And being as Mick McCarthy has come out and condoned Philip Walton’s decision to allow England’s Frank Lampard to stay on the pitch to score the winner, it serves more purpose to look at our manager’s second brainwave in three days instead.
 
When the margin between relegation or survival is as narrow as 180 solitary seconds, McCarthy should now be explaining how he has wasted 90 minutes over the course of two games by playing the wrong players in the wrong team.
 
Not that he will, just like the FA will never explain the most abhorrent decision in recent history by refusing to rescind Milijas’ red card at the Emirates.
 
Nope, all us Wolves fans can do is wrestle with a turnstile, climb up 72 steps and stand aghast upon arrival at the SportingBet plasma screen, as its scrolling team announcement bar reveals - in tortuous Teleprinter speed - that Forde has come into midfield while Jarvis and Fletcher are rested.
 

Lampard scores, Walton celebrates (out of picture)

This, on the back of playing Ward in midfield at the Reebok in an opening 45 minute selection that only Mick McCarthy would ever have conjured.

 
Anyone would think that we have got a mega important FA Cup game coming up on Saturday that really requires the services of our one and only goal threat and the only bloke with any pace.
 
So what happens next, once all the jaws around me had been picked up off the floor? The aghast fans are proved right and Mick McCarthy wrong as he hauls off Forde at half time in a game that was way too much for him.
 
The positives in this game was Johnson and Berra’s ever strengthening partnership at the back, with Henry in front of them looking the best player in a Wolves shirt, if not the entire pitch (Ramires aside?)
 
The formation also gave us a better chance to actually compete and nearly bring home a point, not that most Wolves fans haven’t said this was the way forward for months. Frimpong could be a very handy addition alongside Henry in a formation certainly more suited to our vastly improved centre halves.
 
Hammill looked eager to please, but judging by McCarthy’s reaction to his frequent surrendering of possession, we’ll probably not see him start for another two months anyway, such is the yardstick that is used on certain players.
 
Thereby lies the one huge negative…
 
…Our inability to keep the ball and our complete disregard of possession.
 
As soon as we levelled in the most unlikely of circumstances (having not looked like scoring all second half) the time had never been more pressing to keep the football and see out the game, if not press for a winner like Fulham did against Arsenal.
 
Whether our faultless work ethic resulted in some weary minds can not be verified for certain, but it was Hammill who stupidly gave the ball away to Chelsea on the halfway line, before the Londoners cut us apart down the right where Cole squared for Lampard to score. This, after John Terry appeared to clatter the woefully off-form Doyle moments before, from behind.
 
Mick was said to be more livid with the subsequent defending than he was the referee’s decision to allow Lampard to stay on the field.
 
So what have Wolves fans got to be livid about then Mick, if we shouldn’t blame the ref and can do nothing about you selecting a centre back at right back while our 2008/09 player of the year right back came on in centre midfield?
 
It was the same Richard Stearman who presented Chelsea with the ball under no pressure or danger, seconds before they scored the opener, for what it’s worth.
 
This game was a true day in the life of a Wolves fan.
 
View yet another violation of equality with an air of numb withdrawal, read another Mick McCarthy teamsheet with a spirtless shrug of the shoulders, and shuffle off home to summon up one breath of hope that even the most peverted referee can’t wrestle from us.
 
…A cheer for a Blackburn, Bolton or Wigan defeat.

Wolves Vs Chelsea Preview

January 1, 2012 By

The last time Chelsea came to town they were in the middle of a terrible slump and Wolves took full advantage.

Things aren’t much better for the Londoners this time around, having lost 3-1 at home to Villa yesterday to extend their winless run to 4 matches.

Oh what a night

So as he was when we visited Stamford Bridge back in November, Andres Villas-Boas is a man under growing pressure.

Lets just hope then, that Wolves don’t lay down and die as they did then, allowing Chelsea to win the game by TKO in the first half.

We should approach the game with some degree of confidence, having won the fixture last season and remained undefeated in the last 3.

However, it’s going to take probably our best performance of the season to emerge with a result even if JT and co are struggling.

The Team

We have two new options to consider for this one, with both Jonnson and Frimpong eligible to make their Wolves debuts. Throwing either in at the deep end would be a massive call from the manager, but I think Mick will do exactly that.

This is the team I think we’ll see:

Hennessey, Stearman, Johnson, Berra, Ward, Frimpong, Henry, Hunt, Jarvis, SEB, Fletcher

So that’s one change with Frimpong coming into central midfield and Ward dropping back to his rightful position at full-back.

The young Arsenal player has come to play matches and with so many midfielders ruled out, I think he should be given a chance immediately. I’m really looking forward to seeing what his energy and physical presence can bring to our team.

Could he finally allow us to play 442 effectively without being wide open through the middle? One can only dream.

Others in contention include Edwards, Foley, Forde and Doyle, who’ve all featured in the last two matches. As mentioned, Jonnson is also available to make his debut.

Prediction League

8 people correctly predicted a stalemate at the Rebook. 5 of them got the 1-1 scoreline too.

So well done to Louie, Kowloon Wolf, Ventura Highway, sleachy and my knowledgeable sidekick Ben, who all get the maximum 3 points on offer. Jed, Chad and Josh get a single.

You’d expect Chelsea to bounce back and win this one, but I don’t think they’ll fancy a trip to the Molineux on a cold Monday afternoon.

If we can get in their faces from the start and make it difficult for them, I think we can get a result. A lot (as always I suppose) depends on the team selection.

I’ll go for a fourth consecutive draw and say 1-1.

If you’re at the game tomorrow, have a great time and get behind the lads.

Up The Wolves!

Chelsea 3 Wolves 0

November 26, 2011 By

As this disappointing game drifted towards an entirely predictable conclusion, my thoughts returned to our manager’s pre-match comments.

“It’s about what we do – we’ve got to focus on our performance, our team, it’s not about them because if we give them anything like a goal early on, you’ll see a completely different team. They’ll be spraying the ball about and we’ll be chasing shadows.”

Right you are Mick.

No man on the post. No chance.

How unfortunate then that a catalogue of sloppy individual errors heavily contributed towards Chelsea gaining that decisive foothold inside the opening six minutes.

First, Nenad Milijas dawdled in possession, allowing Ramires to scamper clear and force a wonderful fingertip save from Hennessey.

Then, from the resulting corner John Terry escaped Roger Johnson with ease to flick a header towards goal.

But for me, most disappointing of all was that we didn’t have a man guarding that far post.

When you’re scrapping it out against a significantly better team, you need that insurance policy. And ultimately today, not having a player in that position has cost us a goal.

As you would imagine, Chelsea didn’t look back after gaining the initiative, dominating the first half without really having to exit first gear and scoring two further goals to end the match as a contest.

Wolves unsurprisingly found the going tough in a nightmare first 45, failing to do anything with the ball inside the opposition’s half.

Two close range headers from Stephen Ward and Dave Edwards represented decent half chances, but that was as a good as it got as we once again looked toothless in attack.

The second half was better, but ultimately in vein effectively attempting to rescue a lost cause.

However you want to dress it up, there’s simply no point in taking positives by claiming we played well after going 2 or 3 goals down.

The fact of the matter is, teams naturally relax in this position and the game opens up.

Yes, it’s admirable that the lads stuck to their task and yes we could and probably should have cashed in when Chelsea took their foot off the gas, but would the consolation of a goal have made up for the performance up to that point?

Not for me.

Another soundbite attributed to Mick McCarthy during the week was this one:

“Sometimes you have to sacrifice things going forwards to make sure you are solid.”

Understandable, but I would argue his team selection today sacrificed a lot of things going forward and at the same time made us more open at the back.

For instance, why was Ward pushed into midfield?

Surely all this accomplished was making us more vulnerable at the back and less effective as an attacking force.

Why not just keep Ward where he’s been doing a solid job and bring in a dedicated midfielder? Why make two changes when only one is necessary?

I just don’t understand.

And that in a nutshell is what annoys me the most.

Chelsea Vs Wolves Preview

November 23, 2011 By

Wolves’ last two visits to Stamford Bridge have both ended in defeat. However, the manner of those losses couldn’t have been much different.

In our inaugural season back amongst the elite we were 3-0 down after 20 minutes and fortunate to skulk away with a 4-0 loss. The gulf in class was humbling.

Wolves played well at the Bridge last season

Fast forward to last year and Wolves more than matched their illustrious opponents for the duration, registering 12 shots on Petr Cech’s goal and forcing 8 corners.

So what this time?

Hard to say really.

Somewhat surprisingly, both teams head into the match struggling for any sort of form.

Chelsea have lost 3 or their last 4 Premier League matches, with 2 of those defeats coming on their own patch (albeit against Arsenal and Liverpool).

12 games in, they already trail Man City by 12 points, leading some to speculate whether they’ll even make the top four, let alone challenge for the title. They currently lie 5th.

But whilst most of their best players – the likes of Lampard, Droba, Terry and Cole -  have seen their best days come and go, it would be foolish to write off such an experienced team.

However, if they are to succeed over the course of the season the likes of Torres, Mata, Ramires, Sturridge, etc surely need to step up and make significant contributions.

It goes without saying they’re massive favourites to win this match and anything but a home victory will surely heap even more pressure on Andre Villas-Boas.

The Team

Mick’s job isn’t made any easier this weekend by the injury to Richard Stearman and the suspensions picked up by Stephen Hunt and Jamie O’Hara at Everton.

I can’t shake the suspicion he’ll play 442, with a team of:

Hennessey, Zubar, Berra, Johnson, Ward, Henry, Milijas, Edwards, Jarvis, Doyle, Fletcher

So Zubar in at right-back for Stearman, Jarvis in for Hunt and Fletcher in for O’Hara.

If we do go for this sort of shape, I’d expect one of the strikers to play deeper in an attempt to link the play.

With Edwards playing on the right, it should keep the midfield narrower and Jarvis offers the outlet down the left.

The other option is of course the 451, moving Edwards into the middle and playing one of Guedioura or Hammill out wide.

I’d be happy enough with either, just as long as we try and have a go at them.

Prediction League

13 wise armchair pundits correctly predicted we’d lose at Everton. 6 of those got the 2-1 scoreline correct too.

So well done to Amer Wolf, Hamlet, Ventura Highway, Exeter Wolf, Philly Pete and Yoda – you all get the maximum 3 points on offer.

The rest get a single point.

Hard not to predict a defeat this weekend.

Chelsea should be right up for this one and I’m not sure we’ll have enough at either end to stop them getting the win.

3-1 Chelsea.

If Wolves are to get anything, a performance similar to last season’s is the order of the day. Keeping possession and using the ball intelligently will be key, as well as a disciplined defensive showing.

Should you be one of the people making the trip down south for this one, have a great time and get right behind the lads.

Up The Wolves.

Wolves 1 Chelsea 0

January 6, 2011 By

Moments are what make being a football fan worthwhile and in modern times, Mick McCarthy’s side have unquestionably delivered some of the finest.

I wasn’t around to savour the glory days of the 60s and 70s, but this never-say-die Wolves team are now writing their very own chapter in Molineux folklore.

And whatever happens this season, I’ll always be able to boast ‘I remember us winning at Anfield’ and following these latest heroics, ‘I was there that night when Wolves beat Chelsea’.

Thanks Mick.

Stephen Hunt's early goal was enough for Wolves

And thank you to every single player in old gold, for producing a performance of such astonishing discipline and courage, which defied all logic and quite simply strangled the life out of the reigning Premier League champions.

Nobody encapsulated the fighting spirit more than Zubar. He could have gone into hiding after his Upton Park horror show, but instead came out of the traps like a man possessed, thundering in a left-foot drive from all of thirty yards, which forced a top-class save from Petr Cech. That set the tone and the Frenchman was it all night, defending resolutely and even robbing the ball off Ashley Cole at one stage and rampaging towards goal. C’est Magnifique Ronald.

And what about Stephen Hunt? Performances like this one are the reason we ponied over 3 million smackers to Hull. He never stopped running, closing down the opposition, prodding, kicking and climbing all over anyone in a blue shirt. ‘Nuisance value’ I think they call it. I prefer ‘bloody brilliant’ myself. Yeah, just carry on booing him, it just refills the tank for another lung bursting surge down the wing.

It was a predictably hostile reception for Hunt, but you certainly can’t accuse him of shying away. In fact, it was little surprise when John Terry lost his rag and shoved him in the back of the head, with the referee enjoying a front row seat. On the same night Emile Heskey was sent off at Villa for an identical offence, big questions have to be asked as to why the England skipper wasn’t at least shown a yellow.

But to merely focus on Hunt’s ability to irritate would be doing him a great disservice. After all, it was his delicious inswinging corner that forced the only goal and even though I can’t envisage the powers that be awarding him the strike, he definitely deserves all the credit. He also went close to scoring outright with a dipping free-kick that clipped the top of the bar on it’s way over, but regardless, this was his finest hour in a gold shirt.

What a game for Big George too. If the charismatic left-back has produced a finer performance for Wolves, I certainly can’t remember it. He repelled everything and even discovered a majestic first-touch and cultured passing range that nobody knew he possessed. On a night where five or six players might lay claim to the man of the match champagne, Elokobi was right up there with the very best.

Of course there were occasions where Chelsea threatened. Many in fact. Drogba crafted an opening with trademark power and neat footwork but was only able to strike the outside of the post. Malouda and Kalou were also guilty of wasting excellent chances to equalise, skewing wide from close range when clean through. But when you’re playing the top sides, you always need a bit of luck to get the three points and Wolves deservedly got just that.

It was a night of celebrations at Molineux

The important thing is to not give anything away and with Stearman and Berra imperious at the heart of our defence, that never looked likely. Hennessy in fact had very little work to do for his third cleansheet of the season, but got a vital toe on Kalou’s speculative effort that was dribbling inside the near post just prior to half-time. A goal then would have completely changed the game.

Alongside the infectious Hunt, the midfield trio of Jarvis, Foley and Edwards put in the mother of all shifts to constantly track back and make life as difficult as possible for Chelsea to find a way through. By the end, Ancelotti had deployed no less than four strikers, but they completely ran out of ideas on how to breakdown the impenetrable barrier that stood before them.

Our £14 million strike force endured a largely thankless task in defending from the front and chasing down long balls forward. Still, they stuck to their guns well and made life uncomfortable for Terry, Ivanovic and co all night. Doyle did what he always does, tussling for possession and using his remarkable touch and control to ask questions of the opposition. Fletcher found the going harder but unquestionably put in the work rate to more than justify his selection.

In fact, every single player justified their selection and that must make victory all the sweeter for Mick McCarthy. There would have been a few eyebrows raised prior to kick-off with Milijas and SEB dropped and a forward thinking 4-4-2 formation employed, but the gaffer got it spot on. And for that, he deserves enormous credit.

It’s onto Donny next in the cup before tough looking fixtures against Man City, Liverpool and United.

And don’t ask me what’s going to happen.

Because I haven’t got a clue.

Match Highlights

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