The Soccer Blog: Massive

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Sunday, 27 March 2011

Doyle injury is massive blow to Wolves

By: DJ | March 27th, 2011
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Kevin-Doyle_2578434 When players go off to play for their country there is always a worry that something bad will happen and of alll the players Wolves had in action for their country this week, the one they could least afford to get injured was Kevin Doyle. The medial ligament injury he picked up early in Ireland’s game against Macedonia will mean he will miss most of the rest of the season and probably all of it.

So step forward Sylvan Ebanks Blake and Stephen Fletcher to take the starring role in securing Wolves place in next season’s Premier League. It’s at times like this that the strength of the squad becomes most important and Wolves do have two strikers there that are well capable at this level. But Doyle is so important to the style and formation of the Wolves team that it will be a dilemna that will fill the thoughts of McCarthy and Connor as they prepare for the long trip to Newcastle on Saturday. Blake and Fletcher are as good if not better at finishing than Doyle but their all round game is not as good and they are less adept at the lone striker role. So it will require not just a change in personnel but some change in style also to make things work.

Ebanks Blake has done well this season when called on and has been unlucky to get only 9 league starts, although he has also made 16 sub appearances. He has netted 6 times and after a poor first season in the top flight in 2009/10 he has looked much more the part this season and looked capable of getting amongst the goals. His work rate has improved as has his movement and control, but there is still a question mark as to whether he could cut the mustard if he was pitched in as a lone striker.

Fletcher was Wolves main signing of last summer and made a decent start to his Wolves career. But his season was disrupted by injury early on and he has never established himself in the team since and with 8 starts and 13 sub appearances he has netted 5 times so his record is similar to SEB. He did play some games as a lone striker for Burnley last season but his movement off the ball has not looked good this season and although his touch and aerial ability is better he has not impressed as much as SEB over the season. His performances have rarely justified the £6.5m fee paid for him last summer but that fee will look cheap if he came in and did the business over the last 8 games of the season.

For optimism most Wolves fans will reflect on the opening day of the season when, with Doyle injured, it was SEB and Fletcher that played up front and looked good in the win over Stoke. And McCarthy must decide whether to revert to that pairing at the probable expense of Milijas in midfield, or stick with the 4-5-1 formation that has been working well and hope that Doyle’s link up play is compensated by the penalty area menace of SEB. I suspect for the next game, as it is away, that is what he will do.

Just as we were starting to feel confident about staying in the division this major setback has brought back the doubts. It’s a chance for SEB and/or Fletch to become the heroes but in the short term Wolves fans will be nervously watching the likes of Hennessey, Berra, Milijas, Jarvis and Foley in action for their countries and praying they come through unscathed.

Category: Team News

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Sunday, 20 March 2011

Massive derby win for Wolves

By: DJ | March 19th, 2011
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jarvis-goal1 Wolves secured an oh so vital win at local rivals Villa to put further impetus to the survival fight. And the way they are playing nowadays we are approaching the point where it will be a surprise if they go down because the quality of the performances have been good for a few months now. The fact remains that Wolves will go into the final two months of the season in a relegation spot but they are in better form than any team in the relegation fight and are now just one point off 13th place. The line up that started at Villa Park was;

Hennessey

Foley, Stearman, Berra, Elokobi

Hamill, Milijas, Henry, O’Hara, Jarvis

Doyle

As has been the case in a few of the away games O’Hara played a deeper role than we see him in at Molineux as the policy is to deny space to their opponents. And Wolves made the first threat on goal when Milijas’ shot was turned round the post by Friedel who also had to make an easier save from Hamill soon after. Midway through the half a Hamill centre found Berra who scored but from an offside position. And another Wolves header found the net from Doyle but the cross from Jarvis had curled out of play after being deflected and a corner was awarded. It was late in the half before Villa threatened but then Foley twice came to Wolves rescue with headers on the far post.

But Wolves were to take the lead after 38 minutes with an excellent goal. O’Hara pumped a ball in to the edge of the box where Berra’s downward header was hit first time by Jarvis and the ball fled low into the net off the inside of the post. Villa stepped up a gear to try to draw level before the break and they should have done so when a Downing cross found Makoun’s head but he put it wide.

Both teams had free kicks on the edge of the penalty area early in the second half but Bent and O’Hara’s efforts didn’t trouble the keepers. Villa fans were showing some displeasure towards Houlier and he made them even unhappier by withdrawing Albrighton, while Ebanks Blake replaced Hamill for Wolves. And it was the visitors that were looking more likely to get the second goal with an O’Hara effort just too high and then Friedel saving well from Milijas. But Villa almost snatched a draw when Young hit the underside of the bar. Cuellar had a half chance but blasted over but Wolves were to hold on comfortably in the final stages against a fairly toothless Villa team.

Hennessey – looks a confident keeper nowadays and much more confident in dealing with crosses.

Foley – looks like Zubar might be out for most of the season now so Foley has his chance to prove himself at this level. He snubbed Downing out of the game in the first half so Villa switched Albrighton to the left. He got no change either so was substituted with Aghbonlahor going left but he was hardly given a kick, so finally Young tried his luck on the left but he couldn’t get the better of Foley either and got booked to show his frustration. F-o-l-e-y man of the match.

Elokobi – looking much more composed and although his passing lets hom down sometimes he is playing his part in an improved defence.

Stearman – Wolves most improved player this season, had another good game.

Berra – steady as ever despite picking up an injury first half.

Hamill – a real find who has made the step up to the top flight very quickly.

Milijas – so well has he now adapted to the English game that he is now one of Wolves hardest working players and become a ball winner as well as a good passer with a powerful shot.

Henry – his best game for months. Got in lots of tackles, never gave Ashley Young a minutes peace in the middle of the park and started many of Wolves attacks.

O’Hara – never quite as effective when played deeper in my opinion but played his part in stifling the space for the home team to play.

Jarvis – got in a few crosses but was kept fairly quiet. Excellent strike for the winner.

Doyle – tireless work as ever and did a good job wide right late on after SEB came on. Helps keeping the pressure off the defence with his ability to hold the ball up and use it sensibly.

SEB – worked hard to hold the ball up late on but squandered a great chance to score the 2nd when put clean through but his control let him down.

4 games unbeaten now for Wolves and 23 points from the last 16 league games. That level of form over a season would put Wolves in 6th. All they have to do is maintain anything near that level of form through April and May and survival is a formality.