Wolves – New teeth for the beast
By David, BettingExpert.com | Published
Just barley, just one point was enough from turning the wolves into wolf hide last year. McCarthy knows all about fighting for survival but lessons have been learnt and new signings, although few, should help the beast avoid extinction for another season.
Manager: McCarthy
Tactics: 4-3-2-1
Players In: Roger Johnson, O’Hara, de Vries
Players Out: Hahnemann, Mouyokolo
Current Probable Formation: Hennessey, Zubar, R. Johnson, Berra, Elokobi, Jarvis, Henry, O’Hara, Hunt, Doyle, S. Fletcher
The nasty traps they set up last year for many unsuspecting visiting teams at the Molineux turned the hunted into a hunter. One which should be considered a danger a few months after and having had time to prepare better for the upcoming challenge.
Top three clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all lost on their visits to the Molineux Stadium last year with the Wolves looking sharp all season long on home turf. So how did they get into dire straits and needed some luck to get out of relegation trouble? Their away form. They notched just 12 points on the road and more than half of those came in the last five away games of the season.
The team’s defence was the most disappointing aspect and in order to get that hole patched up for good McCarthy has joined other managers in the Premier League in looting relegated Birmingham of their star players, bringing on solid centre-half Roger Johnson. In order to secure his services he need more than just money and promised him the captain’s armband as well. Ex-captain Henry may not have been too enthusiastic about that but he would have understood how badly the squad needed to bolster its back line.
It will not be an easy job to get things fixed soon considering that the rest of the defence did not change. Yet Christopher Berra is a solid central defender himself and should fit in well with newcomer Johnson. The flanks are less of a guarantee with Elokobi very decent at attacking but less effective in defending. Zubar does suffer some defensive amnesias as well. Ward and Craddock are decent backup men.
When it comes to building play it will once again be Hunt and Doyle who will be in charge of things. The two are very creative players who produce assists and goals. Last season the team stopped producing the goods when the two suffered injuries and were out for quite a while at the same time. Jarvis was the top assist man and is another key element for McCarthy. The trio will be missed if not available.
Henry and O’Hara, the latter brought in on a permanent basis after the loan deal from Tottenham, will be the lungs in midfield and should help out the defence, hopefully making it less penetrable this time round.
Goals will be coming from a lone striker supported by Doyle and Hunt. Last season McCarthy alternated between Fletcher and Ebanks-Blake, who grabbed 17 goals in all between them. Unfortunately, there are no real alternatives for Wolves in attack so McCarthy will be relying heavily on the pair to deliver.
Predicted finishing position: 11th
Wolves may have eased their defensive problems with the arrival of Roger Johnson and with some talented players like Hunt, Doyle and Jarvis they should create enough dangers for opposition. Strikers to bang the ball in are, however, not abundant, and with Fletcher and Ebanks-Blake the only real options they may encounter some difficulties in being as clinical as they need to be. Should they manage to avoid injury woes to their key men they have the potential to fall into the left side of the table come May.
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