O'Hara signs for Wolves

At least some good news came out of today.

Wolves completed the loan signing of Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara after the poor defeat to Stoke. I like this signing, I think he will add more bite and creativity to our midfielder. I like the idea of him and Milijas next to each other, with Henry holding. That's a good enough midfield for sure.

And yes, I think we need to play five midfielders now. We just don't get the ball down when we play two up front, and our worst performances this season have come with making the switch to two strikers.

And yes our summer signing Steven Fletcher might be warming the bench, but he's a good back up to have if Kevin Doyle gets injured.

This might not be the end of our business in the transfer window either. I'm sure we are still looking for a defender, which we could do with. I don't think the Woodgate deal is over either, as he will probably be told he's not going to be getting games.

Who is that man in the hat?

Look at the picture on the right.

Isn't it nice to see Kevin Foley and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake back training and raring to go for the cup game on Sunday?

Kevin Foley has be sorely missed. He's the only one who plays well every game for us, and without him we have looked a much worse side.

Ebanks-Blake has also been in fine form for us this season. He has already scored more goals than last season and has improved all round.

But who is the man in the top left next to David Jones? I sure do recognise him from somewhere.

Is he a new signing? Have we played against him before? Or is it Michael Kightly?!

Who, you say? Well, it has been a while since we last saw this guy. It's been ever longer since we saw him fit and playing well. And you have to wonder how we would be doing now if he had always been fit. That picture gives me a glimpse of hope, as I had recently given up on him.

First we heard he was trying to get back for pre-season, then they set him a target of January 31 and I've recently heard he was focusing on pre-season for 2011-12.

Seeing him training with other players returning from injury, you wonder if he has a chance of making the 25 man squad to be submitted next week. Mick said he could keep a place open for him, if we didn't sign anyone and how brilliant would that be?

I'm sure that if he was injury free for a while he would be back to his old positive, hard-working self. We've missed him, proved by the fact we played a right back in his place for most of last season.

And although we have only recently signed a right winger in Adam Hammill, I'm still dreaming of a Michael Kightly return.

Wolves v Stoke Preview

This cup game comes at a decent time for Wolves. A win would give us a good boost, while it also gives us an opporunity to get other players back to full fitness.

Doherty - Mick's new Ward?

If we put out a strong team, we have a very good chance of progressing to the fifth round. Stoke are likely to put out a second string side, while Mick has pledge to put out a strong side. It won't be easy, but I'm confident.

Adam Hammill is cup tied, so if fit Geoffrey Mujangi Bia should get a run out. He has impressed whenever he has played, and will want to add another selection headache. Jody Craddock will start, and if he comes through this game fine I think he will start at Bolton on Wednesday. We need his reliability and experience at the back, and this is the right time to bring him back in.

So the team then:

Hahnemann

Doherty
Craddock
Mouyokolo
Elokobi

Edwards
Jones
Henry
Mujangi Bia

Fletcher
Doyle

That would be a decent side which I think can overcome Stoke. A repeat of our victory on the opening day will do. 2-1

Prediction League: Chance to win a signed Wolves football!

Wolves1992 is back! He extended his lead at the top with his return, he leads by 35 points now. Wolfie moves up to second, overtaking Bob China.

It's never too late to get involved, just post below your score and scorers for all of the fixtures!

Here are the fixtures: (note that these fixtures are midweek next week and the weekend after)

Arsenal v Everton
Sunderland v Chelsea
Man Utd v Aston Villa
West Brom v Wigan
Birmingham v Man City
Blackburn v Tottenham
Blackpool v West Ham
Bolton v Wolves
Fulham v Newcastle
Liverpool v Stoke

Stoke v Sunderland
Aston Villa v Fulham
Everton v Blackpool
Man City v West Brom
Newcastle v Arsenal
Tottenham v Bolton
Wigan v Blackburn
Wolves v Man Utd
West Ham v Birmingham
Chelsea v Liverpool

There are plenty of points to get over the next week and half, good luck.

Hammill faces first team battle

Mick McCarthy has made it clear that new signing Adam Hammill will have to get past Stephen Hunt and Matt Jarvis if he wants a starting place on the Wolves' wing. With McCarthy bringing in the winger from Barnsley last week it had been reported that Jarvis could be on his way out of Molineux, but the manager has been quick to pour water on those rumours. 

"When I was speaking with Adam and his agent, I said 'I hope he knows that we've got two terrific wingers at the minute and neither of them are going anywhere - you're coming here to compete," he said.

Highly rated Hammill had become one of the most sought after players outside the Premier League, with a host of top-flight sides registering a serious interest in the former Liverpool youngster. A clause in Hammill's contract at Barnsley meant the 22 year old was available for £500,000 and McCarthy will have been happy to have pipped Blackpool at the post for the players' signature. The football betting indicates Wolves are in a relegation dog fight, and a player of his class could be what they need.

Hammill came off the bench in last weekend's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool to make his debut against his former club and the early signs looked good for Wolves fans. The winger looked lively coming on with 20 minutes to go and provided a number of decent crosses from out wide. Hammill will only have to look at Matt Jarvis on the other wing to see what can be possible even though this will be his first real taste of top-flight football. The football betting tips show that things won't be easy, but Hammill could still make a big impression.

Hammill will provide McCarthy with an extra attacking option from the bench but after the Liverpool match the new signing will be looking at Hunt as his main rival for a starting berth. Hunt was poor against Liverpool and hasn't really set the world alight since making his summer move from Hull. The extra competition may be what the Irishman needs to kick start his Wolves career. 

Wolves fans will be hoping their new signing can provide that attacking spark that has been missing this season, resulting in the position in the relegation zone with the season past the half way point.

Stepping Up

It was a case of not 'stepping up' in Saturday's defeat at home to Liverpool.

Though we looked up for it for the first couple of minutes, this wasn't followed up and we lost the midfield battle which crucially lost us the game. It was a game which showed us why we can't rely on two players in the middle, especially if one of them is Milijas. When you are up against Lucas, Meireles and Poulson, you can't afford to be caught up field and we were punished.

Meireles caused us problems throughout the game

I do feel it could work, if Henry just sits and hold and lets Nenad get on with the attacking business but the second goal, despite being a fantastic strike, was preventable. When the ball is headered back up in the air, you need a midfielder (or defender) to be alert to the second header.

Another case of not stepping up was the defence. It keeps on happening, three get in a line, while the other is five yards behind. For the team I coach, I'm constantly shouting at them to push forward in a line. How have Zubar and Berra not noticed everyone is five yards ahead? That's something that needs sorting out, it cost us against West Ham and it will cost us again if they don't get their act together.

One of the few positives to come out of the game was our only substitution. Adam Hammill came on for his first appearance, and showed early signs that he could be a very good player for us. He put in two wonderful crosses, showed trickery and the work rate required to play in a Mick McCarthy team.

Hennessey - 7

Zubar - 6
Stearman - 7
Berra - 6
Ward - 8

Hunt - 7
Henry  - 6
Milijas - 7
Jarvis - 6

Fletcher - 6
Doyle - 7


Sub: Hammill - 7

There are places up for grabs now, the Stoke game provides a good chance to see who could come in and make a difference.

Wolves v Liverpool Preview

Can Wolves finish off a week that has seen us score goals galore (compared to the last two seasons) with a win over Liverpool? I see no reason why not!

After our win at Anfield, you'd be forgiven for thinking they would have recovered by now. They haven't, with Roy Hodgson leaving by 'mutual consent' and the return of Kenny Dalglish. Since 'King Kenny's' appointment, they are yet to win, with a draw and two defeats under his stewardship.

His return has given the club a bit of a lift, but not enough to see them start winning and playing anywhere near the level you would expect a team with their players to play at. They also come to Molineux without two of their most influential players in Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard.Oh, and an awful away record.

We will be in a very positive mood, boosted by the return of key players and two good performances with plenty of goals. Karl Henry will be back to captain the side and hold in the middle of midfield, something we have needed desperately since him and Mancienne got injured. Jody Craddock will be on the bench as will ex Liverpool youngster Adam Hammill, our latest recruit.

I like the sound of this guy, he certainly has the skill and ability. What we will soon find out is whether he has the work rate and final ball to be a key player for us. He gives us plenty of competition on the flanks, which we have lacked in the past few years. It's also the perfect game for him to make his debut. Coming on as a sub to face the team who let him go without an appearance, he has a point to prove.

A partnership of Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher is as good as many teams in the bottom half, they are now fit and we can finally see what our £13 million strike force can produce.

So the team:

Hennessey

Mouyokolo
Stearman
Berra
Zubar

Jarvis
Henry
Milijas
Hunt

Doyle
Fletcher

That is very near what a full strength team, for me, looks like. If Kevin Foley is fit he can come in at right back, but Mouyokolo has shown he can deputise there until he comes back. Zubar at left back looks exactly like the Zubar at right back, which could finally see us fix that problem.

If you are going, roar on the lads and have a great time. I'm predicting a high-scoring draw, 2-2.

Prediction League: Chance to win a signed Wolves football!

After a week of very little points (not your fault!) there were plenty of points won this week. Merlin top scored with 78, making up ground on the top four. Bob China closed the gap on an inactive Wolves1992 to 1 point!

Here are the fixtures for this week:

Wolves v Liverpool
Arsenal v Wigan
Blackpool v Sunderland
Everton v West Ham
Fulham v Stoke
Man Utd v Birmingham
Newcastle v Tottenham
Aston Villa v Man City
Blackburn v West Brom
Bolton v Chelsea

Good luck!

Wolves revival to be tested

The recent improvement in fortunes of Wolves, which has seen them climb out of the relegation zone and into the relatively lofty position of 17^th, looks certain to be tested by a run of fixtures which has been compounded by their recent 2-2 draw against Championship side Doncaster. Their third round tie ended up as a nightmare result for Mick McCarthy, who would surely rather have either won or lost a game, whose replay will only serve as an unwanted distraction amidst an already congested fixture list. 

Their upcoming run of games mirrors a similar spell the Midlands club had to endure through October and November, when they played admirably but couldn’t seem to grind out a result from anywhere. Once more they face a run of fixtures against some of the most talented teams in the Premier League - having already played Chelsea they travel next to Man City before fixtures against Liverpool, Bolton, Man United and Arsenal. 

Mick McCarthy is renowned for his sense of humour, but even he must have grimaced when he saw that particular run of results, and with his side only being kept out of the relegation zone on goal difference over local rivals Aston Villa, he must realise that another run of six Premier League games without securing a win would almost certainly be fatal for their chances of survival and the football odds reflect this.

Although he has gone some way to remedying that problem with his team’s spirit and togetherness proving enough to secure wins over the league’s faltering giants, Chelsea and Liverpool, it will be his form against those sides around him which may ultimately decide Wolves' fate. Those two famous wins sandwiched a disappointing New Year's Day performance against fellow strugglers West Ham and it is this trend which will be far more disturbing. The football betting tips show that Wolves have to beat the sides around them if they're going to stay up.

Their ability to raise their game and stifle an opponent who are expected to come out and play them off the park has already served to produce some memorable moments for the Molineux faithful, but if they want more than just great memories of the Premier League, then they need to show a cutting edge which has so far been lacking this term.

Want to contribute? Use the contact me form to get involved!

The spirit of this team...

....is something to be proud of.

Most teams would be feeling sorry for themselves when they don't deserve to be three goals down. However, this team just do not give up and the way they picked themselves up was fantastic.

There is something about this team that gives me the feeling that there is no way we are going down this season. Perhaps a bold statement to make considering we are in the relegation zone but I am confident in the players we have and most of all, our manager.

Is it me, or did we deserve a lot more? We took the game to them, kept the ball much better than in recent games and had the chances to extended our lead at one nil. If we can produce that kind of performance every week, barring the twenty minutes we conceded the goals in, then we will have no problems.

You could even say that the replay against Doncaster comes at a good time. A few players are returning from injuries and players like Geoffrey Mujangi Bia have a chance to push for a place in the team.

Something else that gave me reason to be positive was Ronald Zubar at left back. He pushed forward in very much the same way as on the right, with more effect. It is certainly something I wouldn't mind seeing next Saturday, especially if Kevin Foley is fit.

Tevez was, well, Tevez

Hennessey - 7

Zubar - 7
Stearman - 7
Berra - 8
Ward - 6

Jarvis - 6
Milijas - 8
Jones - 6
Hunt - 7

Doyle - 8
Fletcher - 7

Subs: Henry - 6, Mouyokolo - 6, Mujangi Bia - 7.

Next in the league is Liverpool, now with Kenny Dalglish in charge. I'm quietly confident of a result against them.

Man City v Wolves Preview

Our second game of a hard set of fixtures takes us to the City of Manchester stadium, against an inform Manchester City. A squad worth hundreds of millions at second in the table.

Roberto Mancini has assembled a squad that is starting to become a force, and the £27 million capture of Edin Dzeko could be signing that turns them into one to be reckoned with. It's unlikely the Bosnian will start, as he has barely played in the past month (winter breaks, eh?) but he could make his debut at some point. There's also that little Argentine guy, I forget his name sometimes. Anything the comes good from City, you can be sure he's played some part in it.

Dave Edwards will miss out

Enough of how good they are, I'm still pretty confident we can go there and get something. How fantastic it would be to complete an unlikely double, proving the critics once again wrong and taking us up the table. Our away form has been poor this season, but I'm confident that with a game plan we are in with a chance.

Against City earlier in the season, we played a 4-5-1 that worked perfectly. We didn't allow them any time and space, but we were also able to break forward in numbers. I can us going with that, with Nenad Milijas and our captain Karl Henry returning to the side. With them two and Foley in the middle, we have a very capable centre of midfield at defending and attacking.

Unfortunately, that means one of the strikers would drop out. And it would have to be Steven Fletcher, who played okay against Chelsea but for this game he may be on the bench. Out wide, Matty Jarvis and Stephen Hunt can continue the good work they have been doing with a but more freedom. Jarvis hasn't been at his best lately, but against Zabaleta or Boateng he can hopefully cause them plenty of problems.

What I think the team will be:

Hennessey

Zubar
Stearman
Berra
Ward

Hunt
Foley
Henry
Milijas
Jarvis

Doyle

I expect this to be a tight game, and I see us getting a goal but I think it will be a heroic defeat. 2-1 City.

Prediction League: Chance to win a signed Wolves football!

Yes, it's finally back. After a winter break the prediction league is up and running again.

It was an ultimate low scoring weekend due to the snow effecting all but three of the Premier League fixtures, so the top scorer this weekend was Merlin with a whopping fifteen points.

Here is the league table:

  

And here are the fixtures:

Chelsea v Blackburn
Man City v Wolves
Stoke v Bolton
West Brom v Blackpool
Wigan v Fulham
West Ham v Arsenal
Birmingham v Aston Villa
Sunderland v Newcastle
Liverool v Everton
Tottenham v Man Utd

Good luck!

FA Cup Preview: Doncaster v Wolves

Our cup adventure begins here!

We travel to the Keepmoat stadium confident, and with a relatively strong team supposedly lining up. Matt Doherty will be making his debut and this is a huge opportunity for the young defender. He's not one of the more talked about youngsters on our books but he was signed in the summer from Bohemians and is clearly rated by Mick.

Doherty (left) will make his senior debut tomorrow

As expected, Marcus Hahnemann will start in goal. He will try to seize his chance and give Mick some headaches, as will David Jones. In a full strength side, I wouldn't expect Jones to play much of a part but he's forced his way in before and he can do it again. He starts alongside Milijas in what is a very attacking midfield. Jarvis and Edwards start on the wings. Why Jarvis is playing I do not know, what's the point of Geoffrey Mujangi Bia if he's not going to get a chance at all? He's a young winger who needs games and he's not getting them.

Doncaster are a side that all neutrals like. Good to watch, under a good manager and working their way up. In Billy Sharp they have a clinical striker, who we were linked with many times, give him half a chance and we are in trouble.

Our team:

Hahnemann

Doherty
Stearman
Berra
Elokobi

Edwards
Jones
Milijas
Jarvis

Doyle
Fletcher

It looks like we are really going to go for it, most likely because Mick isn't entirely bothered about the cup at this stage. However, a Doyle and Fletcher partnership up front with Jarvis out wide cause the best teams in the country problems and perhaps we might get a few goals in this one. 3-1 Wolves.

That's your Lotti: Wolves 1 Chelsea 0

It was just one of those games that we seemed destined to win against Carlo Ancelotti and his struggling champions. Misplaced passes, wild shots and plenty of vented frustration were telling signs from the beginning.

However, it could have been a completely different story had Wayne Hennessey not produced a stunning save with his foot. Solomon Kalou's slow, trickling shot looked to be going in until Hennessey stuck out his right foot and Richard Stearman followed up with a clearance. The return of the Hennessey is proving to be a good choice by McCarthy, with the young Welshman keeping his third clean sheet in seven games.

Moving slightly forward, I thought the defence were outstanding. Ronald Zubar's first half performance was the perfect antidote for an own goal and disappointing performance at West Ham. Solid defensively, and exciting when attacking. Who knew he possessed that power in his left foot, with the shot that forced the corner which we scored from? Richard Stearman and Christophe Berra shackled Didier Drogba all night, with the Ivorian only once going close when he hit the post. The pair are forging some partnership.

The stand out defender and man of the match for me though was George Elokobi. After the West Ham, I was certain that we needed to invest in a left back but now I'm not so sure. Never did Big George look amatuerish, it was a cool and assured performance. If he can maintain some kind of consistency, then we won't be needing to replace him.

There were mixed performances in the midfield. Matty Jarvis had a quiet game, only bursting forward on a few occasions with decent effect but he did a good job supporting Ronald Zubar and stopping Ashley Cole. In the middle, I was surprised to see Dave Edwards paired with Kevin Foley. It seemed a little weak. Neither kept the ball well, Foley especially and they were carved open a couple of times but you can't ever fault them for effort and they did their off the ball jobs efficiently. Stephen Hunt was well, Stephen Hunt. Is their a more annoying little footballer? He gets soft freekicks, pulls shirts and withholds the ball from the team when it's theirs but he is ours. This was his best performance in a Wolves shirt, full of industry and quality on the ball. He's a valuable player, and he's going to get better and better.

We finally got to see what a Doyle-Fletcher partnership might be like, and it was promising. Neither looked competely fit, the work was there to see and we did see some good bits of link up play. We will surely get to see more of them together now.

Hennessey - 8

Zubar - 8
Stearman - 7
Berra - 7
Elokobi - 8

Jarvis - 7
Foley - 7
Edwards - 7
Hunt - 8

Fletcher - 7
Doyle - 7

Although it wasn't a great game, there were some memorable moments I will remember for a while to time.

• After John Terry picked up the ball and it put it down for Hennessey at a goal kick, Wayne just picked it up and took it over to the other side. 

• Ashley Cole trying the Gary Neville trick of stealing ten or more yards at a throw in. He failed and we were given a throw in right near their end. It also wasted at least a minute. 

•  Free kick in the final seconds to Chelsea. Up steps none other than freekick master Dider Drogba. Shoots weakly into the bottom of the wall.

When we have and stick to a game plan, we are always in a game. Even against the top sides, who we face next after the cup this weekend. Rest the lot I say!

McCarthy and Wolves show heart in relegation battle

Here is an article sent to me by Thomas, if you'd like to get involved feel free to use the contact me page.

It would have been a lonely Christmas for Wolves manager Mick McCarthy. After seeing his team commit, as he described it, “football suicide” in the 2-0 defeat at West ham, the manager could be forgiven for feeling a tad down.

A look at the league is unlikely to help the disposition of even the most committed fan wearing their Wolves football shirts either – eighteen points from twenty games, a hugely negative goal difference and recent losses against relegation rivals West Ham and Wigan does not indicate a successful season for the Midland’s club.

Time for Mick to fall on his sword and sacrifice himself for the good of the club? Those who have even the faintest indication of the hardened northerner know he is made of sterner stuff. This is the man who Wolves fan’s still feel is the right person to be in charge.

Despite what has gone already this season, Wolves do not see themselves as relegation strugglers, more a team struggling to find its feet while suffering with the dreaded “second season” syndrome.

Last year they were a revelation – roughing up clubs with an aggressive style while the guile and craft of Kevin Doyle provided a sharp edge to the blunt object used to bludgeon opponents to death.

Fast forward to this season and Doyle is missing and is one of an ever increasing injury list which continues to harm Wolves’ progress. McCarthy is right to bemoan his luck this season; his side’s performances have been far better than their results and luck has been against them for the most part of the season.

But amongst the gloom came a ray of light; a helping hand which looks to have lifted Wolves for the remainder of the season. On a wintry night McCarthy and Wolves shocked struggling giants Liverpool to pick up a precious away win.

While Liverpool are clearly struggling the magnitude of the victory must not be underestimated. At a time where rivals around them were picking up points around them Wolves came good with a performance which more than merited the 1-0 score line. It was reminiscent of the Wolves of old.

Pressuring their opponents on the ball and effective direct passing rendered Liverpool’s game plan obsolete as they took the much needed points - Stephen Ward’s goal offered some hope of salvation.

With a crucial game coming up against Chelsea tonight, Wolves must now use this win as a springboard to achieve much greater things and be only the second club to avoid the drop having been bottom at Christmas.

Wolves fans are right to think they have the right man for the job. McCarthy is oblivious to pressure and will fight as hard as anyone to protect the side he has built. Such is the nature of the bottom of the league this season that a win over the Blues could see them move out of the relegation zone. All is not lost for Mick McCarthy and Wolves, all is to play for.

Half time report

Just over half of the season has gone now, and I want to know your views on how we have done and what you think we need to do.

I took part in the half time report for the observer on Boxing day, I had been meaning to put it up before but I haven't had the time. Here is my piece:

How has the season gone so far? It's been a weird one. We started quite well but a run of poor results and horrible fixtures has kept us in the bottom three for most of the season. But this is the best football we've played in a while.

Seems a bit more unlikely now

Stars/flops? It's a joke that Matthew Jarvis hasn't made it into the England squad. Kevin Foley has been consistent, Nenad Milijas has a bit of class and, despite limited appearances, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake has done well too. As for flops: Jelle Van Damme lasted only six games and Steven Fletcher has found it hard to get into the side.

Happy with the gaffer? Yes, he's doing a good job and he's doing it the right way.

Who should he sign? Joleon Lescott. It sounds unlikely but he hinted at a return not long ago and hasn't been playing. We could also do with a box-to-box central midfielder.

click here to see the whole thing

Agree or disagree, copy out the questions and fill in your own answers!

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I was also in the observer yesterday for 'the verdict', here is what I said:

LOUIE SILVANI, MyWolvesblog.com Their first goal was really unlucky but if we don't take our chances that's what happens. Before both goals we had strong spells but didn't take advantage. Green really was important in keeping them in it before they scored with some good saves, and Scott Parker's doing a lot to help them too. Overall, though, they didn't look a better team than us despite the score. Foley and Milijas really ran the game for us - very strong. Fletcher looked good too and I think he'll earn a start on Wednesday. We've got to sort out our defence, but with our best striker, Doyle, and Karl Henry coming back we'll look better.