After taking 7 points from the first 3 games, Mick McCarthy brushed off the achievement and defiantly proclaimed we still had 35 matches to worry about.
He was right to be concerned.
5 defeats on the bounce have since followed, all demoralising but perhaps none highlighted the shortcomings of this Wolves side more than today’s.
Sloppy at the back, clumsy going forward and lacking any real pace at both ends of the pitch.
Albion’s early opener was a neat, incisive move, capped by the type of thunderous finish Wolves frankly seemed incapable of, particularly in the absence of Steven Fletcher.
Nenad Milijas is one player who does have the capacity and the Serbian’s low drive was about as close as we came to an equaliser.
I was ecstatic to see him back in the side and despite a few misplaced passes, he looked by far and away the most likely route to goal. He should not have been taken off.
Despite enjoying plenty of possession, Wolves struggled to create throughout. By contrast, one hoof up the field was enough to unlock our cumbersome back four.
Shane Long was too hot to handle for both our center backs. His pace was always going to be a problem, but the number of aerial balls he was allowed to flick on or bring down was horrifying.
Johnson in particular had an awful game, exposed frequently by Long’s dancing feet. He also fluffed Wolves’ best chance, heading wide when it seemed easier to score just before Albion registered the decisive second.
And how long will it be before Berra costs us dear with his antics inside his own penalty area? It’s not the first time we’ve seen the Scot wrestling opposition players to the ground from a corner and it needs to stop. It’s cheating and it’s embarrassing. If you’re not good enough to defend, you shouldn’t be in the side.
Thank goodness for Stephen Ward.
We’re 8 matches into this season and he’s the only player to consistently meet the standards required.
Had it not been for his determination, bravery and all round awareness today, we’d have been out of this game, long, long before Peter Odemwingie finally put the result beyond doubt.
And how predictable was it that while Doyle, Jarvis and Hammill consistently tripped over themselves in promising positions, one decisive swing of the Nigerian’s boot would be all it took to end the contest?
With the possible exception of Fletcher, we just don’t possess that kind of direct threat.
There is absolutely zero cutting edge.
The ball goes into the box over and over and over again but nobody can get on the end of anything. Nobody can register a clean strike on goal. It’s pathetic.
Our manager will now face a stern examination next weekend in front of an impatient Molineux crowd.
I hope for his sake, he has the answers.
Yeah, it’s desperate and five losses in a row well and truly suck…
However, this is still early season and things can turn around! The gap between the bottom of the table and the top of the lower half of the table (QPR) is 4 points, and all teams are far from safe from the relegation zone.
We need points, and we need them NOW! We do have a good team, and we can play well like we did at the start of the season – they just need to snap out of this horrible form and slump!
It’s still too early to be talking about Wolves being in a relegation battle, even with the grim set of results… A win next week is entirely possible!
(yeah, maybe I’m sounding optimistic given the situation but there’s gonna be a lot of understandable negativity around here!)
“We do have a good team, and we can play well like we did at the start of the season – they just need to snap out of this horrible form and slump!”
I couldn’t disagree more. The players simply aren’t good enough for the Premier League as the last five games have shown. We survived by the narrowest of margins last season, yet McCarthy and the board believed adding one player to an inept squad would turn us into a mid-table side.
I don’t fully blame McCarthy for our position, despite him being a useless Premier League manager. The board are equally at fault having failed to invest in any decent players.
Anyone who thinks we’re not in a relegation battle is completely deluded.
Like I said – eight games in isn’t enough to judge any team as not good enough for the Premier League – that’s true even for Blackburn! It does look like we needed to invest more though – in particular, a striker!
We played much better in the first three games than we are now and we need to be playing at that level again
Like I said, deluded.
Fine, I’ll stay that way! 😛
Forgive me for having a little faith!
8 games? These players played 38 games last year and most of them 38 the year before. Its not knee jerk to think that Berra, for example isn’t good enough.
Yes, I agree – I think it’s obvious now that signing one player in Johnson was never going to be enough – especially with the players that MM let go like Jones and the Hoff. Don’t get me wrong, those two aren’t the new Kaka and Ronaldo, but it seems so, so wrong to weaken a team that struggled to stay up as it is.
No more place for this optimism. We’ve underperformed and have a number of players that aren’t of the required quality.
MM team choice and tactics compound the issue.
Milijas was only on because Edwards got injured?!
Shocking
Utterly depressing stuff.
We’ve gone backwards. Do O’Hara and Johnson really look any better than Craddock and Jones?
If we don’t beat Swansea next week Mick will be on his bike.
Here’s hoping…
You made the exact point I thought after watching the game – the only game scoring threat we really have is Fletcher. Without him, while we are capable of getting onto good positions, which we did fairly often today, we just have no way to convert those chances into actual goals. I think it’s telling that in the last five we’ve lost, Fletcher has been absent from 2 and a half of them, and easily the weakest of the performances. The Tottenham and Newcastle games, where he played, and the second Liverppol half, we have looked a decent threat, despite the results.
Similarly, the imposing performance Johnson provided at the start of the season, which actually made our defence look half decent, has evaporated. We will continue to leak goals. It’s almost ironic that Ward has been so convincing – Superman indeed!
Henry continued to look unconvincing. Better, but not enough to justify Mick unwavering support. Hennessy has also impressed me this season. Neither goal was particularly soft on his part, and this season he continues to be let down by our defence.
Another step back after the improved Newcastle performance. Mick will probably comment on hard work and luck, but we were poor and didn’t really deserve to win. Maybe a draw would be fair, but too late now.
At Christmas I want to see at least another defender brought in, and a decent striker. Hopefully Mcfadden will sign – he’s cut of the same tough, physical cloth that makes Fletcher so effective. Without them, I can see us relying heavily on a continuing poor performance from the likes of Wigan, Sunderland, Bolton and Blackburn…
McFadden isn’t going to sign: http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/celtic/mcfadden-invited-for-lennoxtown-trial-lennon-confirms-1.1129351
I very much doubt it anyway, which is a pity – but Celtic are going to be a far bigger draw than a team in another season-long relegation battle.
Well, if McFadden doesn’t sign, we still need to look for someone of a similar quality – though realistic suggestions elude me at the moment.
Bobby Zamora – he would be a good steal!
Hamlet sorry as the mighty MM would say you are a numpty. He has come out and said the performance today was good enough. Fair enough lets lose 2 – 0 every week and play well. Where did Milijas come from? He is clueless and his tactical decisions are laughable. As I said on another forum I am not another screamer but you have to look at the facts. Berra not good enough, ditto Stearman, Henry, Elokobi etc. Only Mick could take credit for taking a centre forward and turning him into a bloody good left back. Read it again it is remarkebale. I blame the board as much as MM. If you looked at last season if the only addition we needed was a centre back then we are deluded. I can’t afford a season ticket anymore. Good luck Morgan and Moxey, you will have the greatest palace in the Championship.
Of course it wasn’t good enough – I’m saying we can play a lot better than this and we need to get back to that form if we want to survive – and we can survive!
Deluded my friend. What evidence for that statement. Give me 3 times when we have shown solid, passionate and consistent form over the previous 12 months? We beat big teams luckily last year, won’t happen aain. Look at Liverpoool. Do you think we will beat Man U and Man City again? Be honest and not naive!
Was talking more about individual performances than runs of form TBH… but if you want an example, how about the 3-3 Tottenham game from last season?
That is 1 game and we conceded 3 goals. 1 off performqnces will not be good enough. NO you are right. 3 -3 occasionally against a good team will be fine. My first game as a ball boy was drawng 1 – 1 with Chorley. We lost the second replay 3 – 0. Your naivety and blind loyalty will see us there again. But you will have MM and Clipboard with you!
Hey, I’m only one naive fan – the majority on here will be more realistic and say we’ll be relegation candidates
They’re probably right, but I was just saying that we can still turn things around with a win at win at Swansea – like we could have done today, and like we should have done at QPR, but it isn’t hopeless – that was my whole point in the first place.
You can reply to this, but I won’t or else we#ll just keep talking around in circles – and that goes for the others who’ll disagree with me as well
Hamlet, keep talking some sense please.
The reality is we wont keep losing games. i think this team is capable of winning 2, 3, 4 games in the trot if we pick up some confidence. I wouldn’t have said that last year or year before.
I think we are still 2 players short, and a quick direct goalscorer is top of that list and a defensive midfielder. shame we didn’t go for long. i thought that was a dead cert. Anyone else available? I hope we don’t shop from the championship again.
Oh you happy clappers!!!
Where are the goals coming from?
Where are the wins coming from?
A parachutist free falls slower than us.
Get real, take off your blinkers.
We are doomed if we stay with the current set up.
FOMM
Hello Tom, wasn’t at the game today but listened on the radio. Interested to hear you thought Milijas looked our biggest threat. Talksport described him as tired and ineffectual. I know who I trust, mind 😉
Apparently this is Wolves worst run since we’ve been supporting them! Don’t suppose you heard McCarthy’s post-match comments, apparently he said the performance was “acceptable”. I’m in favour of giving him until Christmas to turn things around but surely, as a manager under pressure, the last thing you need to do is rile fans further by describing a poor performance in a loss to their bitter rivals as “acceptable”!
I would’nt wait until next week why wait,this team if you can call it a team
are all over the place they had a chance to redeem them selves with this game what did they do let us down again.McIdiot got to go and the rest of the coaching staff with him.we keep talking about a win next week so what
we all know they will let us down again sorry to say it but all we are is relagation fodder the same as we have been for the last 3 seasons,so until
we get rid of this rabble its gonna be another scrap to the bitter end.FOMM.
Coaching staff too.
There’s only one person who can do something about this and thats MORGAN
Show us you mean business and fuck him off now before the swansea game
or your plans will be fucked and relegation beckons.FOMM.
Clueless! When is “Mid table Moxley” going to realize investment in real premier league players is required if we wish to progess, or is he happy ripping off the hard working public, making money mid table npower league?
Only a performance- the like of we haven’t seen this season against Swans will prevent public humiliation for Mick and his favourites.
The writing is on the wall-I go back a long way and can smell relegation-and its there. Only a fresh impetus can turn this around plus 2/3 players-minimum.
I hope for Micks sake he can do it-but reality tells me he can’t and its time to go.
UTW
A lot of us predicted this 2-0 defeat.
It is no surprise.
Theoretically, Hamlet, we might survive but five defeats in a row? –
A new captain who cost 4.5 million, who looks totally useless?
A board who have failed to invest in players but have invested in the Chairman’s business?
A manager who puts his ego before the good of the club?
It is embarrassing.
Our only hope is a new manager to get more out of what we’ve got.
Who will come to Wolves in January?
At the rate we are going we will be almost certainties for the drop by then and unless anyone wants to play championship football next season, they will not be coming to Molineux!
The only good thing to come out of this fiasco is that I get a good laff out of McDickheads banal comments.
Such as “We were as good as them, except for our performance in both boxes”
and ” We are getting to the stage where we cant get beat and they are almost must win games” ????
Arent they all supposed to be must win?
And ” Weve matched them, apart from putting the ball in the net”
Such utter drivel, McCarthorse, what total bollocks you speak.
I have now taken all my window stickers off my truck, covered my Wolves tatoo, and will try to speak in an accent other than black country, coz even over here I am starting to get ridiculed.
Resign now, you fuckin’ arrogant useless tosser.
Agree completely Clive.
The man has lost the plot.
He can hardly string two words together that don’t contradict each other, let alone create a decent football team.
I hope he goes tomorrow.
I am very grateful for what Mick has done for our club, he has worked miracles to ger us back where we belong.
Because of this, I kind of tolerate his dumb decisions and stubbornness. Unfortunately it has now got to the stage now where it is past a joke. If he stays in charge for the whole season, his ego could get us relegated.
I believe our squad is good enough to finish above at least three others, but he continuouslly picks the wrong players and sticks with his flipping favourites.
He needs to drop Berra, Stearman, O’Hara, Jarvis and bring in players who give us some fight and spark. We are so predictable it is painful to watch.
I think we may stay up even if the board stick with Mick, but fear we will face a relegation battle every year he stays in charge.
I love the attitude and pride he has installed at Wolves, but this alone will not move the club forward.
McCarthy worked miracles? I think he did his job but does promotion mean this guy has a job for life? He took 3 seasons to get us out of the championship, where the likes of Warnock, Di Matteo, Holloway, Lambert did it in one season. MCcarthy inherited a thread bare squad and did well in his first season but then came Morgan’s money and actually credit to him for getting promoted but it was not a miracle, he spent millions on Ebanks, Elliott, Iewlumo, Berra, Stearman, Jones, Eastwood, Shackell. Credit for getting us promoted but everyone knows how limited McCarthy is at this level and clubs have sacked managers and moved on and I wish we would too.
Well it feels like he has worked miracles given the shit we had been served up for the many years before he arrived. I get your point that he was given money to spend when we won the championship, but given how starved of success we have been and the mercenaries we have seen take a wage at wolves during the Hayward years you have to give Mick some credit regardless of his limitations as a premier league manager.
As I said, think enough is enough now and he needs to go, but lets appreciate where we have come from with him.
Dan, the list of managers you offer as proof that McCarthy hasn’t worked miracles is quite amusing, and rather shows how some Wolves fans will happily misinterpret facts if it lets them criticise the club.
Yes, they all got their sides promoted, but Holloway took his straight back down again, Di Matteo was on course to do the same before being sacked, and Warnock and Lambert are 8 games intot their first Premier League season…Mick’s in his thrid consecutive one with Wolves!
I think you miss my point. I am trying to make the point I don’t see gaining promotion after 3 seasons and millions of pounds as a miracle. Well done to McCarthy but it doesn’t mean you have a job for life.
You must surely consider the resources that Holloway, Lambert, Di Matteo and co have had compared to McCarthy. We have spent a lot of money on transfer fees and this seems to be brushed under the carpet.
McCarthy OUT! enough said
Anyone know what the shite were singing about O’Hara today?
Couldn’t make it out but they seemed to sing it quite a lot.
Can’t remember exactly how it goes but it’s about Chris Brunt shagging his missus I think!
It was about his newborn baby not being his. They ‘comically’ suggested it was Adebayor’s. Pretty poor taste really. Dont mind giving out stick but dont bring children into the equation.
Playing 4-5-1 doesn’t fit us at all. Our wingplay demands players in the box, in good positions.
As mentioned above we get in crosses, but without Fletcher we don’t have any players which manage to score goals (at this particular time). I really don’t know if a signing, if Mcfadden could turn things around for us. We creates chances. The stats, shots on goal are pretty even. We don’t have much to lose by playing Zele Ismail. He’s known for precise deliveries, and with Fletcher back he could become an invaluable member of our first team.
With Doyle as our only fit striker we didn’t really have a lot of choice…
Does anyone know how serious Fletcher’s injury is? Was it just this game he will miss or will he miss more?
MM is a dinasaur, buys players for football played ten years ago. Its all about pace, mobility and movement in todays premiership. The defence can`t cope with players running at pace and the 3 Ms were deluded in thinking Johson could solve the problem all by himself.
The problem is the manager, and why if the chairman states we are the fifth biggest spenders on players in the premiership over the last 3 years, where are the players and who has wasted the money. Its the manager.
I can`t see three worse teams in the premiership than us, and now we are in freefall what has MM got left. Very little I suspect, hoping for a miracle. We got lucky last year, and the first year up Portsmouth went into liquidation, and Burnley were undercooked, so we were competing for one relegation spot. Last year we were 3 minutes from relegation, so on the back of that we build a new stand. Its what happens on the pitch that has to come first, and MM ghas to carry the can – how long before his position is untenable? Or are we already there.
I’ve only just about come round after that this afternoon. Don’t think I’ve ever left a ground so demoralized. I support you’re statement that Milijas was the best player. Countless times he wanted the ball in space behind their midfield, and very rarely did he get it. Don’t think I’ve seen a game where Jarvis has had so much of the ball, and done so little with it. As for O’hara, too slow, too one footed, too willing to pass the blame. Stearman was clearly targeted, but as he should be, he’s not a right back? What has happened to Foley? Rumours around the ground today were that hes fell out with MM.
Hard to criticise Doyle, as to me he didn’t look fit.
Hardest part about today, was that they were they’re for the taking. They’ve passed us to death in years gone by, but we made them look good. Everytime they had a goal kick we were on the back foot.
Oh well, the train journey there was good fun…
Give him till xmas ! He has already spent years showing what an inept manager he is. Buying Johnson was stupid but making him captain over and above Henry was a disgrace. Today giving Milijas a ball playing midfielder his season league debut away in a local derby was totally ludicrous. The guy is clearly off his trolley and has no doubt lost the dressing room because even the thick footballers he has bought have seen what an inadequate manager he is.
I think you some it up in a nutshell.
Well said and personally think that any manager, will squeeze at least a 5% improvement out of the squad we have.
I’m Wolves through and through and have been there through the dark days. A former season ticket holder, supported the side for 40 years who now lives down under. I have never slagged off any player who has pulled on the old gold but I really have question marks over the alledged ability of Johnson. Is he really good enough? Is he good enough to be team captain? Does he command respect of the team? Does he inspire confidence in those around him? I think his signing is what is going to bring down MM. This guy is no better than Stearman in central defence and he is supposedly the finished artical whereas we all know Stears is still learning his trade. He has no pace, no vision, panics whenever he is put under pressure. Then there is the other chosen Central defender, Berra………mmmmm, simply not good enough. Relies too much on holding attackers down in the box which is going to cost us crucial penalty decisions one day. Again he has no pace, makes poor decisions and leaves Wayne badly exposed. Its no surprise poor Karl and the other boys in the middle of the park get anxious with this pairing behind them. If Karl looses out on anything then the goal is under threat due to the lackings of the central defensive pairing. MM is not going to drop Johnson but he needs to drop Berra and put someone alongside him with the skills that the captain should have. If we can close the floodgates the goals at the other end will come as the midfield will be able to push on and support the strike force. Sort it out Mick, before its too late. I respect Mick as a good manager but his blind faith in these 2 is surely going to cost him his job unless he sorts it soon.
Agree with the whole blog except for your take on Milijas. I was desperate to see him in the side, but he put in an absolutely desperate performance. True, he got a shot on target, but he did nothing else. With him next to the the almost equally statuesque O’Hara, we looked very pedestrian.
We need Foley at RB. We need Stearman and Craddock in the centre of defence (Berra should have been red-carded For his wrestling, BTW), we need Adlene for Henry, we need wingers who can actually cross the sodding ball, and we need Fletcher back.
But most of all, we need a complete overhaul in terms of the general confidence level. As things stand, I can’t see that coming.
While I agree johnson is not at is best( be honest in the first few games he looked good) the problem i see is Berra and Stearman , he can’t trust either and often is out of position covering them . Sadly the same would apply with Elokobi or Zubar. And this is where Mick fails its still a chapionship defence it should have been sorted in the summer. A team that stayed up more by luck with about 5 mins to spare and all we have done is change Johnson for craddock why would anybody expect anything but another season of struggle. Fact is the team or the mnager aint good enough.
I also don’t understand the backing for Milijas if he had been awake the albion player would not have a free run into the box for the first goal hes slow and contrbutes little in my opinion
Next week is swansea home, not exactly a guaranteed win but we should be able to get some confidence. It looks black right now, but it’ll turn. Maybe.
Henry wasn’t too shabby today, Ward again was pretty great, Hennessey did what he was supposed to. We “dominated” the first 20 minutes but never had any real goalthreat, it seems we need fletch. SEB had one decent shot, not really dangerous, but atleast he did something. We have enough possession at dangerous areas to produce goals, we just need someone who can run from one guy and take a shot. O’Hara used to be able to do this, lately all he can do is make safe passes.
Adlene for O’Hara next game, Hunt for Jarvis. No one should be undroppable. Johnson has been rough lately but played really well the first games and i don’t think he deserves quite this amount of hate. He is somewhat slow, but he often makes up for it with smart moves and positioning. Sadly that wasn’t the case vs Long.
You begin by saying:
“Next week is swansea home, not exactly a guaranteed win but we should be able to get some confidence. ”
Are you deluded?
Swansea have more points than us and a manager with a brain.
They expect to be underrated, but must know that we are a team in absolute disarray.
We will be lucky to beat anyone.
Well I didn’t say it would be a cakewalk now did I?
So the swans have more points than us, we’re only 8 games into the season, i hardly think that’s enough to look to the table to know what teams are the best. Deluded or not, Wolves is still a tough team to beat at home despite the last 5 games, and their manager with a brain would be wrong to underestimate it.
Swansea is not as good a team as West Brom, it would be very possible to win or draw this one, and that would give the lads some confidence going to Manchester (where we will lose).
“We will be lucky to beat anyone”
Woah! I know we have good reasons to feel crap but even this is extreme negativity!
So go on hen Hamlet, name a team we will beat and we’ll see if it comes true – 5 losses on the bounce, 3 of them very winnable and we were piss poor in all of them – I cannot see a win in the current team – Swansea will take the piss and Mick will say we played well
Pathetic performance and how naive and predictable is our play .bye Mick thanks 4 the memories.hello Martin o Neil thanks 4 mid table finish.
Is this the same guy who was saying there wasn’t a true fan among us and telling us to fuck off to Sandwell Town cos he’s sure changed his tune.
A lot of fans wanted Milijas in for this game and it passed him by. Some fans are saying he shouldn’t been thrown in for the derby so Mick can’t win on that one. This is a guy who’s played in Belgrade errors by the way so I wouldn’t worry about the poor soul. Delivery was poor from everyone. Countless chances wasted. Roger Johnson needs to sort it sharpish. The only contribution he’s made is slagging off the fans and making promises before game. Need to keep your mouth shut and sort it out on the pitch mate. Berra was also useless but I’ve come to expect that of him.
MONN – Martin O’Neil NOW.
Oh woe!
We all saw it coming like a train, the wonder is we didn’t totally collapse and go down 4 or 5, thanks Mr Ward how we were wrong about you and unlike some are big enough to admit it!
I watched the sorry 96 minutes and was shocked at how badly we defended, ok always a weak point but when Hammill becomes the required fall back player to catch the breaks you know you are heading for a fall.
Berra should have been sent off-simple no debate I am sick of his wrestling in the box.
Johnson shouldn’t even have have been on as he was shocking I can only assume he was on the piss on Sat night as my Grandma moves faster and she passed on sometime back! Surely OAP Craddock would have moved faster?
Stearman seemed to have realised that it was embaressing in the box as a Wolves defender and took on some quasi winger role putting in forward crosses which left him scrambling 10-15 yards behind each WBA break!
I love Jarvis but to be honest he was shite today but still a country mile better than Hunt who is becoming a busy fool.
Milijas was rusty-hardly suprising when McTosser won’t play you.
Hammill was so so and deserved to stay on certainly better than Hunt and Jarvis.
As for Doyle he is pissing me off now with his leaning back and holding the ball for so long that someone simply pinches it off him a trait McNobrain must be coaching them all in as they nearly all suffer the same fault.
I feel sorry for Hennessy who is a cracking keeper and must wonder what hell deposited behind such a shambolic back 3 (I don’t count Ward who is becoming a rock)
It says something when Henry looked better than OK and even O’Hara managed a few accurate passes but no sill no serious attempts on goal though so we didn’t see the shot for the stars accuracy there!
I have come to a sudden realisation that as we all ponder and debate which 11 we should play each week the answer is simple-It doesn’t matter a squat! We need AT LEAST 5 quality players, the problem is we only pay half the going rate so we only get half a Premiership quality player.
It’s just a criminal waste and an insult to all the faithful.
Sorry to be so negative but it’s all so bloody depressing.
Inept performance at all levels.
Its shocking when, (in my opinion), the best defensive player we had was a makeshift ex forward and the best attacking player cost 500,000 from bloody Barnsley.
My father been supporting Wolves since 1955 and while watching the game yeasterday he was shocked on watching players and their inability to adapt themselves to the game. I know its hard in the premiership but still it was awful. We never entered in the heart of the game. I have always gave credit ti MM but this time its a bit difficult. He put in Milijas cos he said he is leaving in January. Henry is givin it all but still its not our push forward man. Feel sorry for players like Ward who are giving heart and soul for the team. Players like Foley who used to score nice goals, Craddock who gave it all, Henessey who is trying hard. We didnt bring in more quality players who would have ensured more ability on the ball and
also another new mentality. Sorry to say but MM has to step dowm.
Wolves till I die-Chris Zarb-Malta
It’s worrying, and we look in desperate trouble right now. For the first time in years I’m thinking if we lose the next one Mick could be in trouble.
However, one thing you should never ever do is write off Mick and this Wolves team.
And Clive’s favourite player was the only one to play well AGAIN, and be able to hold his head high AGAIN. Is he still shit then?
Unfortuneately, yes.
I agree 100% that he has improved over the summer, but let’s face it, he could not get much worse than he was so improvement was his only option.
Yes, he looks great at the moment, but that is because those around him are performing so miserably.
He will never be a premiership quality player…………….much like the rest of the team on current performances.
I’m off to the nearest church/temple/synagogue/mosque now. When all else fails…………………………
FOMM
I can answer your question easily enough, Mad Mick does not have the answers, he struggles to come up with a plan A, let alone a plan B.
As for Roger Johnson, if he needs to understand the meaning of “disgraceful”, then I suggest he looks at his own performance over the last few days. If yesterday was the best they can muster in a massive derby game, then they truely are not good enough and if you want an indication of the fans feelings, then look out for the attendance at the Swansea game.
Here is how I see things:
a) We are still trying to compete in the Premiership with a number of Championship calibre players (namely Henry, Stearman, Ward, Hammill) in the team.
b) We are only one injury (one player) better than last year … management failed dismally this summer to build.
c) The only player we added in summer (Johnson) is showing he isn’t exactly as good as he arrogantly portrays himself to be (was skinned for fun over and over today, and showed he couldnt’t score at the other end either).
d) We are still playing without natural full backs … no pacey left back in the squad, and our best right back Foley not currently playing.
e) MM, bless him, although he has done terrificly to get Wolves to this point, lacks the creativity and the quality to compete at this level. His fixation on “hard graft” has players like Doyle running around the ground like a whippet out of position getting knackered rather than scoring goals.
Based on the above, I don’t see why it is a surprise we are losing games. We do not have a mid-table team … we have a relagation fighting team.
If Wolves want to get to the next level, they need to get a man who can take them there. MM is not the guy. This is the peak of his capability. Just fasten your seatbelts for a repeat of last season.
Agreed, a repeat of last seadon alright except does anyone see us beating Man U, Man City, Cheldki and Liverpool again?
We tried the 4 4 2 – full strength squad – we have lost
We tried the 4 5 1 – full squad – we have lost
We tried the 4 5 1 with Milijas and Hamill – we have lost
We have tried everything with our 25 man squad – we have lost
We have lost because the team has not played well enough in defense or well enough in attack.
Shipping in goal whilst not being able to score is a major problem.
Not enough was invested in the transfer window, especially a quality defensive midfielder, an additional central defender and an additional quality target man up front.
We have been in the relegation zone for the last two seasons and signing one additional defender was never going to change things and create the miracle of mid table premier league football.
These last two seasons have aged me considerably and it looks like this one is going to do so even more.
I predict 17th place with an 87th minute goal on the last game saving our premier league status.
Why was i born a wolves fan?
But he curiously hasn’t tried Guedioura, who STILL hasn’t got a start since his 10 out of 10 performance v Millwall. Not that he would make the big difference that the team needs.
You’re right. We simply don’t have the quality in the team to get to anything resembling the next level.
And like it or not (I don’t like it because I like to blame Moxey for all of our woes) Mick has presided over a three year spend lower than only four other clubs.
Yes, I argue that wages should be relaxed for bonafide Premier League quality, but I bet Paul Lambert isn’t paying Anthony Pilkington, Steve Morison or even our kid Elliott Bennett much money.
Neither is Swansea paying Sinclair, Dyer and Graham big bucks.
I’m waiting for Moxey to start spouting out the: ‘Ah, but rememebr we have the third lowest wage bill’ line.
He can’t anymore.
What became of Mouyokolo? Isn’t he still on our books? No explanation about him.
Nor Van Damme, other than the bizarely concocted homesick excuse.
And then there was an endless list of tripe that I really can’t begin to list.
Mick has bought shockingly.
What I have heard is Steve Morgan making the very point about transfer fees, so if we do lose on Saturday, I think he’ll be gone.
Mouyokolo is on loan at Sochaux who are also leaking goals like a sieve…
Ben, do you actually think McCarthy could get sacked? I personally think Morgan will never pull the trigger no matter what happens. Mick will leave when he decides to IMO and that could be years.
Yes I do Rich. I’m already writing a blog with my reasons…Should be ready a bit later!
Don’t buy into the ‘3 Ms’ relationship…If previous form is anything to go by, the knives will be sharpened once the fans turn. Which they are.
Just looked on YouTube for some old Wolves goals to cheer me up. All I can see is a whole glut of West Brom beating Wolves videos.
It has been this way, with the odd exception, ever since Darren Bradley let fly from 30 yards at the Brummie Road end in 93.
I just don’t feel that the club feel the pain we do. This game should have been billed as the biggest of their lives. They must be about 20-6 up in wins since I’ve watched them. Does the club really care? Moreover, I bet they don’t even know.
I am that sick of WBA beating us that I genuinely don’t feel the pain anymore.
I’m like a kid the school bully keeps punching. I am now immune to virtually every emotion when it comes to supporting us right now.
8 games in, long way to go, blah blah blah.
Remember last season with Vela? All we heard was ‘Mick makes his point’ and similarly gushing headlines.
NO!!!!!!!!!! We haven’t f***ing won there since 199-fu**king 6!
Does anyone else care like me? This is West Brom.
I now HATE the thought of playing them as I know, due in part to our overly smug, passive approach to football, that we will lose.
GET THE F**KING MESSAGE WOLVES.
It. was. f**king. West. Brom. A team we never ever ever ever beat at the Hawthorns.
We are their bitches. They slap us around whenever they feel like it and we all sit here like passive, suibservient c**ts and take it.
We are already talking about Swansea and looking ahead.
Can someone, somewhere, just sit and reflect on the pathetic, limp surrenders that have blighted my life as a Wolves fan? We are turning into France. Surrender monkeys.
Nobody gets how important this game was. And the alienation continues…
The amount of times Henry plays the ball straight to the full back, or even behind him, when they have acres of space ahead of them, is absolutely bewildering.
However, my main gripe at the moment is Kevin Doyle. What on earth has happened to him? He’s never offered a substantial goal threat, but his work outside the box just about compensated for that. Now, he is really struggling to even hold the ball up, the ball does not stick with him at all, which is the main part of his game. He constantly looks like he is battling to stop himself falling over.
Lose on Saturday and the vultures will be circling. There can’t be many mangers that have survived a 7 match losing streak, presuming we lose away at City as well
Went to the game yesterday, despite having begun with a virus the day before. Got up at 6am to walk two miles through London to catch a coach to Birmingham. Virus peaked as our performance worsened, and spent the game shivering in my seat.
Despite my unfortunate situation, I was genuinely optimistic before the game. Looking through our teamsheet, even in Fletch’s absence, made for exciting reading. I still believe we have got some fantastic players in the squad. Ignoring recent form of some of them, Johnson, Zubar, Doyle, Milijas, Hammill, Guedioura, Ward, Hennessey and O’Hara are players that any of the bottom ten teams in the league would snap up.
Mick deserves lots of credit for assembling by far the best squad Wolves have had in my lifetime (I’m 22, if you were wondering), but there’s no way that squad should be losing 5 on the bounce, especially given the run of fixtures we’ve had. I’m really starting to worry.
All I can say is all hail Ward, he must be seriously pissed off right now, he’s upped his game and everyone else has lost theirs. As for for the fans who demanded Milijas back in the team, well that’s the performance I’ve watched 90% of the time he’s played in a wolves shirt, a couple of good passes and runs and then hes nowhere for the rest of the game. Unfortunately O’hara seems to have turned into Milijas mark 2 now hes got a permanent contract.
Now for my two penneth worth on tactics for Swansea, I’d drop Berra (the liability), and put Zubar or Stearman (someone with a bit more pace) alongside Johnson and have Foley at right back. Midfield Hammill, Henry (Captain, as Johnson has done nothing to earn it), Edwards (if he’s fit), Guadierra (simply to show O’hara he can be dropped), Hunt and Doyle up front (Fletch if he’s fit enough).
I hate to be negative but really if we lose to Swansea and then Man City we really are in trouble (if were not in enough now). But (for a bit more positivity) you only have to look at Bolton to see that wins change the mentality and outlook of the team, I don’t think anyone is seriously worried for Bolton yet and they are on less points than us and have worse goal difference. As for Swansea and Norwich the first half of the season counts for naught its where you finish come May, just ask Burnley, Blackpool and Birmingham!
Obviously Ward and Hennessey are certs for the Swansea game before anybody gets picky.
I think Mick has some explaining to do. After announcing Henry is the first player on the team sheet I would have thought he would have played him in his natural holding role. I’m not sure what the instruction was to the three Centre mids but Henry kept bombing on while O’hara sat. Henry kept trying to play wonder balls, which didn’t come off. He also gave the ball away more than any other player on the field, from either bad passing or being tackled.
There didn’t seem any structure or instruction to the midfield. Surely Mick should say – Henry protect the back four, O’Hara and Milijas, be play makers – bring in the wingers and get in the box, play it to Doyle and get it back, have some shots.
Again the wingers looked like they had no ideas, Jarvis is lightening, he has to start running at the full back. He has to start cutting inside and having some shots. Hammill at least tried to have a go at the full backs but his end product was missing, he still looked like he gave a shit.
God knows whats going on in the defense, Johnson and Berra were destroyed by Long, Stearman was pants – awful passing, awful tackling. As everyone has said Ward played well although Brunt was his man for the first goal. Doyle didn’t fancy passing the ball, he holds it up well but tries to do to much then loses it. Again, I can’t think what Mick is telling him to do.
I don’t see how Gued doesn’t get a start, even though some of his passing was a bit wayward when he came on he gave it a bloody go! He was running at players, has some lovely skill and was trying to make things happen. Mick said before the game there wouldn’t be any wholesale changes, why not? For whatever reason these players aren’t doing the business, they don’t deserve to be playing week in week out.
I was happy to see Sylvan back though, looks like he has an eye for goal – I think he had more shots in the 20 mins he was on than Doyle did all game.
Next game I’d like to see Zubar in at right back, Stearman into Centre back with Johnson. Gued and Edwards in for Henry and Milijas or O’Hara. Sylvan in for Doyle.
I would actually like to see Messi, Rooney and Hernandez up front, but problee won’t happen!!!
Ward’s better than those 3 muppets
I believe you may have been partaking of something you shouldn’t!!!!
It shows how desperate we are for cover that some are gutted we missed out on McFadden. This is a guy who scored 25 goals in 200 games for Everton and Blues. That’s an even worse record than Doyle! He was not the answer. Injury prone, overpaid waster for me.
Yes mate. Agree. We needed a rapid striker who can actually get in behind defences and cause them to panic once in a while. A bit like Long. Or Odemwengie.
We have one paced, predictable players who have collectively established Wolves as the England rugby international side of the Premier League.
Slow ball. Down in possession. Down in territory. Misguided players, and a thorougly dislikable side which nobody outside of Wolverhampton could ever possibly warm to.
That’s a bit harsh. We’ve never had so many likeable players!
It’s not all doom and gloom guys!
Check out our brother Wolves fans take a piss on the centre circle at the poorthawns!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBuT0PQTSp0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Can anyone tell us what the hell Morgan is actually going to do about this sorry state we are calling football,he is a big business man and surly he wants sucess!! I feel Fat Fingers Moxey seems to hold a lot of power and decides who comes and goes and seems to have deluded Morgan like a fat fucking wizard !! Also heard he actually takes a cut of any transfer dealings to his benifit !!
Was this the man who wanted to buy liverpool ??
Why do we only pay poxy wages-Why are stoke spending big ?
Please help with these questions !!!
Wolf.
Thomas, Ben,
Please can we lose the smug photo of O’Hara – he’s not worthy to front the blog, dare I say to wear the shirt right now.
Steven Fletcher or Stephen Ward please. How about a poll?
Morgan be a man and sack the fuckin numpty the inept bastard.If we beat
swansea all we are doing is papering over the cracks,i just know its gonna be
a relegation scrap again unless morgan gets rid of this moronic manager and
coaching staff..ASAP.