So what price our Premier League survival?
Maybe we’ll find out in January when this god forsaken window re-opens and we can strengthen our squad.
When the chill winds were blowing around Molineux last season, Jez Moxey and Steve Morgan were staying ice cool, keeping their wallets and cards close to their chests and spending precisely nothing.
They knew when to hold ‘em for sure, as most of us – including me – clamoured for a bit more substance than Mujangi Bia.
They knew better, sitting tight and correctly calling Portsmouth, Burnley and Hull City as busted flushes.
A fair bit has changed since January 2010 at Molineux, but in a revealing comment on Mick McCarthy’s transfer dealings since, here we are, nearly 12 months on with the same cravings for a new face or two.
Let’s be clear on one thing. There won’t be three God awful teams offering us respite this time around and the prospect of relegation is as big bad and scary as it was in 2009.
So what do we do?
Critics of Steve Morgan and Jez Moxey can no longer accuse them of being overly prudent after a comparatively lavish summer of spending on players.
So why should Morgan dig deep again if – for whatever reason – the players brought in simply aren’t going to figure?
Had McCarthy have unearthed an Odinwengie then perhaps he’d have a stronger case for a fresh face.
Knowing Mick, his unflinching support and belief in his squad might be such that he won’t want to strengthen anyway, even if he’s offered the chance.
All I know is that we are shipping goals for fun and are incapable of keeping a clean sheet.
So what would you do?
Would a bid for someone like Steven Taylor from Newcastle be worthwhile in an attempt to shore up our backline?
Or maybe we could make a call to Robbie Keane a little bit earlier than our alleged approach on the dying hours of deadline day?
There’s David Bentley at Spurs, struggling to nail down any sort of place at White Hart Lane who could ease the load on Steven Hunt.
And how about Jason Roberts at Blackburn? Surely a better loan bet than Marcus Bent, if only marginally more exciting?
Who knows what January will bring (if anything).
But one thing’s for sure…It’s likely to be as nailbiting as excruciating for all of us as any other transfer window.
I’d be staggered if we didn’t spend in January.
With all the plans to develop the stadium likely to be paused if we’re relegated, I expect investment.
In my opinion we need:
* A left back (obviously)
* A central midfielder (replacing Guedioura in the 25 man squad)
We could also in opinion do with:
* A striker with pace.
To get anyone decent, I think we need to be looking abroad. We’ve found some dross in the last year (The Hoff being a prime example), but unearthed some gems (Zubar, Milijas, Guedioura) so I’d gamble on foreign talent.
Of the players you mention Ben, Bentley is a cockney and wouldn’t be interested in Wolves. Can see him going to West Ham.
I have mixed feelings on Keane. Part of me would love to have him back and believe he’d get us goals, but I fear his arrival could end up being a terrible mistake.
I’d certainly take Roberts over Bent in the 25 man squad. I said in the summer we should have been in for him and I’d love to see him at Molineux. Perfect 4th striker to compliment what we have already.
That said, I stick with my theory that shopping abroad might be the best option.
I think Keane still can and would get goals for us at this level. I’d have him back in a heartbeat.
Not sure Roberts would be keen on been fourth striker though Thomas, i heard him complaining about his lack of football at Blackburn the other week
Nice one Ben.
But I think we all know what January will bring. Diddly squat is the topical phrase.
What we will need in January is heart and soul because its going to be very messy; mind you, I’m not looking forward to the weekend nevermind January.
Morale is high in the dressing room as far as reports go but what about our players leaving the sinking ship? If we are bottom(ish) at Christmas its everyman for themselves time. Everton after Jarvis and Henry? That would just about be the heart and soul ripped out. Doyle constantly talked about as a possible top 5 club player….?
Lets see how it pans out.
Has anyone seen that Sir Jack’s kids are taking him to court over the way he is spunking his money away?
Apparently the sale of Wolves for a tenner was a pivotal moment in the case too!
Fancy taking your own parents to court – it’s the old boys money he can put it wherever he likes – in a strippers knickers, Mark McGhee’s bank account etc – let the old man have his fun, it beats the hell out of it gathering dust in a building society account!!!
Just read about that – shocking.
Apparently they’re claiming he flittered away their inheritance by selling Wolves for a tenner. It was his bloody club, he can sell it if he wants! Why don’t they go and earn their own money?
There may not be 3 God awful teams in the Prem this season, but there is definitely 2. Unfortunately we’re one of them!
As for transfers, if we don’t but a decent left back then it’s time for me to switch sports because I cannot watch Ward and / or Elokobi for much longer!
I don’t believe there will be any splashing of the cash in January.
Van Damme will leave and we will probably get another ‘trialist’ signing on for the left back spot I imagine.
Bent will be a free player, but I don’t think we will sign him. Maybe if we find a tall target player on loan. The stocks are down for the Morgan ’empire’ and Wolves has splashed the cash already in the summer.
But it’s not about new players. It’s about to get the ones we already have to play and perform well. And I believe they will.
You are living a slightly detached reality Flea.
The team ALREADY plays very well a a unit – they create the most flowing passing football Ive ever seen in a Wolves squad – they’ve been playing, most of them, since Mick came in.
The problem does not lie in getting the team to gel. It lies in NOT ENOUGH TALENT AT THE BACK.
You appear to be the only soul on earth, the internet, wherever that refuses to accept this.
What I think we need is a better game-plan on what to do when we have passed the ball up the pitch. Sadly I don’t believe that this is the strong part of McCarthy’s leadership.
The team seem to be able to score only after set pieces. Partly I believe that is because we turn play too slow, but partly it is that our forwards doesn’t know how to run in the area.
We have Craddock, Berra, Mouyokolo and Stearman as our first four central defenders and probably Zubar, Mancienne and Elokobi too. It will probably one of the two latest who will play instead of Berra/Mouyo on Saturday.
That is no ideal situation, but with Berra and Craddock back we will have an O.K. central defence. We need a left back, that’s all. And to strengthen the defensive mid.
Honestly, I try to be as objective as i can with all the stages of play – and the individual contribution by each. But Ward and Stearman constantly stand out as innefective, and well below par.
I try, I really do try but I cant and wont rest until we have something resembling a premiership defence.
Jarvis (who should be about to earn his first cap – but thats another story) and Doyle have inspired the whole team, and the players Henry, Jones and Milijas have become are the reason we are scoring – even against the top4, and the reason the team looks like scoring… But they are constantly having to outscore our back four.
Please, am I the only one not on medication ? Surely Mick see this too.
I called the Bolton game, and am equally distressed at how many Blackpool will knob past us… and we are already 4 off safety
Ad you are exactly right. The question was posed on previous posts, but how many of our defenders would feature regularly in any other team in the Prem? I can’t think of any at all, not one – and that tells its own story! As for Saturday our only hope is that Charlie Adam doesn’t recover from his sore knee – if he does expect us to ship the same amount of goals as we did against Bolton.
Paddy, I think I’m safe in saying I’m the only one who agrees with you. I think our defenders are OK. Craddock brings us experience even if he doesn’t play that much, Berra is a stopper and very solid. Mouyokolo and Stearman I believe are the better footballers and good defenders. I don’t know whether Zibar can play centre back, I’d love to see him there as I think if he cuts out the silly mistakes he could be a rock there. And we could do with some pace at the back.
Lycky enough Berra seem to be back from injury for tomorrow, Louie. He is a safer alernative – at least for now – at the back than Mouyokolo or -heaven forbid – Mancienne.
I believe that Stearman and Berra will play tomorrow as Mouyo and Berra has the left as their special side. I tried to comment on your blog, Louie, but I have to cut of the safety in my PC to do that, so I didn’t. You have to fix that problem, Louie, and you will get more comments.
I agree that Stearman and Mouyo are the best footballers we have at central defence. That is, they are much better at passing the ball correctly and they have a better technique than Berra and Craddock. But the latter two are better at defending without mistakes and they know intuitively better where to stand and go in the area and are better at tackling.
But Stearman and Mouyo will with time get better. They are faster than Berra and Craddock and will be more modern in their play and Wolves will be able to move defence higher up the pitch with them, to the benefit for the attack play.
Zubar has played there in France, but I have no idea if he can make it there today. But he is a good right back. I checked his stats from last year just the other day and he has very close to as good stats as Foley this season.
I have friends who would like Zubar to play as a holding midfielder. He has played there too before and done it very well. Probably better than Mancienne, who I would be glad to get off our hands in January. He’s had a long time to prove tio me that he will develop to a good PL player and he has not.
A very important match tomorrow. The most important one so far this season. I don’t know what to think but I hope we will win. I know we have the capacity to. But Blackpool are very hard to predict – or all Halloway’s teams are. Scary!
Sea ya! 😆
That’s something I never knew Paddy (about comment system) so I’ll have a look at that. Thanks.
I agree that Stearman and Mouyokolo will make us a better team on the ball, but with Berra I think he’s a good leader and is a very good defender.
On Mancienne, he hasn’t had a proper run of games at the back which I would like to see. I really rate him (so many on here disagree) and think he could be a top top player.
I don’t think Keane is any better than Doyle and Fletcher. If we invest, we should invest in real star players, and try to scan the market for players, players soon out of contract.
John Carew would have been a better alternative than Keane. Why Carew?
Extreme qualities:
Strong as a horse
Lightning fast
Nobody can beat him in the air
Proven goalscorer.
And I don’t think we would have to pay to much. If we could swap him for David Jones I’ll be happy
I’d love to sign Carew, but can’t see it happening.
Salary probably too high.
With our wingers Carew would be great.
Out of our wage structure by tens of ‘000s a week
I’d love to sign him too, has been a favourite of mine for a while. We’d never afford the wages though. Mind you, if Brum can sign Hleb…
As Paddy says, Van Damme will leave come January and as for anyone coming in, what will their pedigree and quality be?
Should they be as ‘classy’ as messrs. Hoffmeister, Bent and Halford the we will surely go down.
Mick has done a good job since his arrival but taking us up to the next level is a damn sight more difficult and it is hard to see how and if he can do it.
His buys to date have been mostly poor with the odd exception and whether it is his judgement or his scouts, we can certainly do much better than we have to date.
IMO we need 2 quality defenders which could cost in the £10M range and Taylor would be 1 of them for me. The salaries on offer would also be costly and yes I know I am asking us to break our rigid pay structure but as the saying goes, pay peanuts and you get monkeys and what would the cost be should we get relegated?
Hopefully MM does not go all stubborn on us by sticking with his current squad and will also ship out quite a few under performing players, who by the way just happen to be MM buys!
Jarvis, kightly, Henry, foley, doyle, zubar, milijas, guedioura, ebanks-blake, iwelumo, mcindoe were all mm buys too….
Unfortunately there are many more that are utter shite – Berra, Elokobi, Hunt, Ward etc and they all seem to be playing! Remarkable!
Love that you class Hunt as shite when he has played 4 games. He even said himself that he hasn’t played well, he needs a few more games to get his touch and his energy back. Berra I think was an excellent signing considering he was an important part of getting us up and then keeping us there! Elokobi and Ward aren’t great but they are the players we will need to move on from when (as I said before) we can attract better players. I’d love to know who you would sign as a left back.
Mick can never get it right can he? He’s only done something noone has done for 30 years – keep us in the Premier League1
Louie again I applaud your rose tinted view of all things Wolves – you are a credit! Unfortunately I’m a little longer in the tooth and not quite as tolerant. We don’t have the time for Hunt to recapture his form. Berra is good in the air but he’s too slow. He also passes to anyone not wearing a Wolves shirt or he lumps the ball out of play. Unfortunately he is our best option at the moment which shows how shit our defence really is!
I love Mick McCarthy, I love what he’s done for us and his post match humour. The mark of a great leader is realising when you have gone as far as your abilities allow. McCarthy has reached that point, he needs to step aside and allow someone to take us further!
In relation to who I would sign as a left back – anyone, thats who. If Ward & Elokobi are the best we can get then we truly are in a sorry state!
There is plenty of time for Hunt to recapture his form. He could easily have a good game tomorrow and everyone will love him.
I agree that on the ball he isn’t that good, however I don’t think he’s that slow. When we started keeping the ball he looked a much improved player too.
Jed, please tell me the last time you saw Wolves give all of the top three a run for their money in (nearly) consecutive games?
They got beat by all of them Louie. It makes no difference if you play well and get beat. The frustrating thing was it was our own defensive frailties that cost us those games, which is what we’ve been talking about. Our defence is poor, it will cost us the points against Blackpool and ultimately relegation.
You didn’t answer my question.
When was the last time we got beat by Blackpool Louie? Absolute disgrace McCarthy needs to go NOW!
Please stop avoiding my question.
Couldn’t agree more that we need some new players. JVD was obv bought to solve the LB situation, but for whatever reason MM thought he was better in midfield. Whether this was due to his attributes or deficiencies I’m not sure. He then announces he’s homesick and disappears from the team. Pretty safe bet he’s going in jan, surely any funds created will go on another attempt at unearthing a gem for that position.
Bent will be sent back from whence he came, so we’ll need a 4th striker. Will keogh be utilised, or will we go for a different option? It’s a tough one for Mick, as his 2 record signings are strikers, and seb’s ego must be nurtured for him to earn his wages, so you can see why he went for a journeyman like bent.
Centre back is another area which could do with strengthening, and a certain mr lescott recently hinted at a possible loan period. City have form here, loaning Bellamy to the taffs, and surely won’t see us as a threat to them. In fact, by having him back we’d be more likely to take points off their rivals. Or am I clutching at straws?
We”ll probably bring a couple on loan like Guediora and Mujangi Bia did last season.
I won’t be surprised if we spend nothing, and even if we want to, who in thie right mind will want to come to a club heading for a lower league.Even Doyle has said we were always going to be bottom 3 this season, so hardly a happy camp to come into. Mccarthy has bought dros slike Friend, Surman, Halford, Maierhoffer, Hunt, Moyoukoulo, and to alesser extent Fletcher, but my God, how much did all that lot cost? I’m sorry , but if I were Morgan, ( who should come out and say something), my money would be staying where it is.
When did Doyle admit defeat???
Didn’t see that?
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195…509747,00.html
“Sorry the page that you are looking for does not exist.”
The other option is for Morgan to get rid of McCowardly, and his backroom staff, get in a new manager, and hope that the new broom sweeps clean, and the players respond positively to the new bloke.
What can happen that would be worse than the state we find ourselves in now?
Relegation?
That’a a racing certainty if things stay as they are.
Any ideas as to who a good new manager could be?
I’m not putting a name out there, except…………….has Ward completed the necessary courses????????
McCARTHY OUT
Out of interest who would you like to replace him Clive?
McGhee will be looking for work again soon, Hoddle hasn’t worked since, wasn’t Turner sacked by Hereford? ha,ha,ha!
As I said above, I’m not putting a name out there, just to get my head chopped off, like you all did when I first started going on about Ward, and when I started the McCarthy out campaign.
Now, every single blog entry seems to agree with me, but what do I know, I’ve only been watching football for 55 years!!!
There are some ex managers out there who should forever remain ex, and there are some who could do a good job for us, and there are probably some who the players would bust a gut for.
That, my friend, is Mr. Morgan’s job as owner………………and it’s our job as fans to applaud or criticize his choice as we see fit!!!!!!!!!!!!
FOMM
No one is getting rid of Mccarthy – no matter how much id love to see him walk the plank.
Even relegation – by shipping 3 goals a a game – will not save him his job. Problem is, with relegation goes 4 or 5 of our best talent – and guess where they lie – yes, all up front.
Dessimated frontline, and the same cursed back 4 we have now. Oh, wait, we still have Mccarthy to do it all over again.
I cant understand it – Mick will almost certainly see us shipping goals left right and centre – hell he even mentioned it in a news article after the Bolton abortion. If we see Moyokolo making more appearances, and a defensive signing or two in a months time then i will have nothing to complain about…
Until then…
I totally agree that MM will stay.
The only thing you can say is who else could come in if MM went?
I hear people talk about Martin O’Neill – but would he really come? I doubt it? Lets all jump on the Paul Ince bandwagon again too – ’cause he did so well at Blackburn!!!!
I say MM got us up, kept us up and has therefore earned the chance to keep us up again (just). I’m no MM fan, but if we are relegated he is one of the most experienced managers at winning promotion from the leccy (formerly fizzy pop) league.
I guess the bloke lives and dies by the decisions he makes, but just wish he wouldnt persist with players that are not performing. He almost does it to spite the fans!
If we go down, and dont look like bouncing back – then we will see the end of MM! As a club we do not have the balls, resources or X-factor to replace him whilst 5 points adrift of safety.
Sven Goran Eriksson anyone???
Steve McMahon – Ron Smith – Glenn Hoddle – Ian Ferguson.
Could be worse than MM after all.
I am pessimistic about quality signings in January. Who in God’s name would really want to join us? Even if you are a world class player, the foibles of MM might dictate that you don’t get the shirt anyway!
Take the caption in the blog photo for example. “Guedioura proved an important signing last January” it says. But what it doesn’t say is that he made a second-half debut against Liverpool in the 0-0 draw, then made a very impressive (man of the match in my book) first start in the win against Spurs, but then mysteriously he got used progressively less and less. To the extent that at the end of the campaign I thought he’d fallen out with MM. He only made 7 starts last season, despite being arguably our no. 1 combative midfielder, and one who can shoot from distance to boot. Who can explain this?
So, come to Wolves all you classy players. Welcome! Just be ready to get paid a relative pittance and to warm the bench.
If we sign anyone they will either be injured, bench warmers or home sick pussies.
Everton are sniffing around Jarvis and Henry now too! Roll on death.
I also see that Alex has joined John Terry on Chelsea’s injury list. Perhaps they’ll call for Mancienne?
Totally changing the subject, I just looked on the official Wolves web site, and read about hall of fame inductee Derek Dougan, written by Steve Gordos.
If you read this far more interesting blog, Mr. Gordos, you will hang your head in abject shame when you realise and remember that Mr Dougan mae his home debut for us aginst Hull City, and scored that famous hat trick, and not Plymouth as you wrote.
Anyone of my age has that match etched in their memory, especially the third goal, when he flicked the ball over his head with his heel, and then volleyed it into the roof of the net, in front of the North Bank.
Instant hero worship!!!
Get yer facts right Mr. Gordos, please, the official website is a big enough load of crap as it is!!!
FOMM
Indeed it was Hull Clive…. I can even remember the name of the Hull goalie… Ian McKechnie… was it Peter Knowles that scored the 4th? and I seem to remember the goal posts collapsing at the South Bank end?
Aginst?????
Spell chek aint wot it ewest ta bee!!!
And I’m sick of hearing the “we’re better than last season” shit.
Its a better league and thats one of the reasons we are suffering.
What a pile.
Here, here!!!!
At least MM et al are now finally admiting we are in a relegation battle. It took 13 games and being 5 points adrift of safety for the bull sh*t to end!
VDamme played wide left midfield, for the same reason Halford was picked on occasion, thats where all the goalkicks went as we have no forwards with any real height or aeriel ability.
Against Bolton our two wide men were in a line with our 2 strikers on our goalkicks, leaving 2 men to work the midfield. We play 424, not 442, and if MM manged to get that right we would have some protection for our leaky defence. We don`t need to play 2 isolated wingers (Hunt so far hasn`t looked a £3m player), Jarvis is making enough openings himself. I see no reason why Doyle couldn`t play wide, with a 3 or 4 man midfield bombing on. I mean lets try something different.
If this carries on the only use of the January window will be for Wolves fans to jump out of in despair. I`d take loan signings at left back, a tall centre forward, and any one else with pace whose available. Must be someone in Chelsea reserves, maybe the England under 21 captian, oh we already have him, on our bench on Saturday. Bonkers.
A loan signing like Marcus Bent perhaps? What a joke that is!
Bring back the Hof – all is forgiven!
Love the Hoff – more goals than Frankowski
Another player written off by Wolves players without even playing. Surprise surprise. Mick brought Bent in just in case someone got injured. They haven’t and he hasn’t played.
On an untterly unrelated note, just looked at ticket info on Wolves website…is it just me or is 40 quid a pop to go to the Hawthorns scandalous? I know its the home team who set the prices…surely it doesnt cost other team’s fans as much to go to what I’ve been told is a bit of a hole
Worth it when we win!
It’s not all doom and gloom. We’ve a runoff games now we can look to get some points from. If we’re still adrift at Christmas there is still time to save ourselves, and maybe a change of management would do that, but I don’t think they will be. We’re not gettin thrashed by the big teams like last term. We will regain a more professional edge as last term too, and accrue the points we need for survival in the process.
Keep the faith!
Yeah just as we keep faith with the national team, playing the same old method.
Does Ward have an English heritage somewhere?
Surely he could be picked for England, he’d fit right in with tonight’s performance!!!!
As an Australian, I like to see England lose. Egypt are a good side though.