“Things will turn around for Wolves”. We’ve been hearing it from the press, from Wolves fans and I’ve even written a blog on it myself. About a month ago Wolves were in the middle of their run of games against the top four, they were losing but they were playing well. Every week Mick McCarthy would do his post-match interview and bemoan his luck but praise his players’ performance. Wolves fans generally accepted it because they believed that as soon as their difficult run of fixtures came to an end, they’d start to pick up points. But they’re not.
Mick McCarthy admitted before Saturday that the Blackpool game would define Wolves’ season, and boy was he right. Conceding early and defensive errors are habits that are killing Wolves this year.
When a football team doesn’t score many goals they’d better have a solid back-line, and it was this that kept Wolves up last season – they finished 15th and scored the fewest goals in the league, but this year things have declined dramatically. Wolves are again amongst the lowest scorers but their back four is anything but dependable. Going a goal down in the first 10 minutes in each of their last three games has put them under needless pressure and condemned them to chasing the game from the start.
As ever, luck was firmly against the Molineux men on Saturday – Luke Varney may never hit a ball like that again in his life, but you also need to make your own luck and when you struggle to make a goalscoring chance with 59% first half possession you don’t deserve anything. For as good at keeping the ball as Wolves showed that they are, Blackpool’s goalkeeper barely had a meaningful save to make. Time and time again Wolves played the ball well around the Blackpool area but seemed clueless when it came to finding the killer pass or putting in a good ball in from wide areas.
What worries me is that this could be the best Wolves can play and they’re not picking up any points and excuses are at a minimum – they’re not missing a host of key players through injury and arguably McCarthy had his first choice XI on the field.
So is it time for McCarthy to make way? He avoided too much criticism from the Bolton game as his team’s reduction of the deficit left analysts and fans leaving the ground on the back of two unanswered goals. However, the latest defeat is leaving a very bitter taste in the mouth of Wolves fans who are growing increasingly frustrated at how their team are playing. McCarthy made an error leaving Milijas out of the starting XI against Blackpool, but seemed happy to admit his mistake when he brought the Serbian on after only 20 minutes. Unfortunately though for the second season running too many of his signings have failed to make an impact and striker Steven Fletcher, Wolves’ record buy, has spent more time playing on the wing than up front so far this season. With Jelle van Damme failing to settle Wolves need a new left-back, but in truth it is one of seemingly many positions that needs strengthening.
The win over Manchester City was supposed to warrant a turn around in fortunes, but four games later Wolves fans are still wondering when results are going to improve. Wolves desperately need something to change, and as much as I like the man and admire everything that he’s done for the club, if Mick McCarthy can’t take three points from his next game at home to Sunderland then Wolves may have to let Mick go to save their season.
