Wolverhampton Wanderers

Terry Connor’s first game in charge was set to be a tough one as Wolves took on sixth-placed Newcastle at St. James Park.

The first half seemed to show that the change in management wouldn’t change the form of the club as they found themselves 2-0 down at the half.

Something must have been said at the break because when Wolves took the field in the second half, they looked like a different team.

Within five minutes of the restart, Wolves pulled one back through Matt Jarvis to make the match a much more competitive fixture.

Jarvis had the ball on the left hand side, before cutting back and launching a rocket past Tim Krul as the ball flew into the top corner. It took a slight deflection off a Danny Simpson but the dubious goal gave Jarvis the place on the score sheet.

Newcastle, who seemed content to sit back and contain their two-goal lead, now looked worried. Just over 15 minutes later, they were made to regret not taking their chances.

Wolves were really starting to pile on the pressure and a great save from Krul after a Stephen Ward shot kept the Magpies' slender lead.

Then came a Jamie O’Hara free kick. The midfielder whipped in a great ball which was initially stopped by the Newcastle defence. When scrambling to clear the ball, it fell kindly to Kevin Doyle, who had the easy task of placing the ball into the open goal.

Both sides towards the end of the game had their chances to win it but neither team could force a winner and they had to accept a share of the spoils.

A point apiece was a fair result as Newcastle was dominant in the first half and Wolverhampton in the second.

But will Wolves be able to build on this result and climb further up the table. Will Newcastle be able to return to their best form and fight for a place in the UEFA Champions league? 

There have only been three managers in 11 years at Wolverhampton Wanderers and right now, the club finds itself in a strange situation, as they still do not have a manager after Mick McCarthy was let go last week.

McCarthy was at the club since 2006 and led them back into the Premier League after winning the 2008-09 Championship title, but Wolves have struggled to solidify a place in England's top flight.

In their first season back in the Premier League, Wolves finished in 15th place, but last season they barely survived by finishing in 17th place and having to secure another season in the league on the last day.

Now, with the club battling relegation yet again, the club sit in 18th place with 21 points at this point, McCarthy was let go and the search for a new manager is still going on.

After losing 5-1 to West Brom on Feb. 12, McCarthy was fired the following Monday and Terry Connor was named caretaker manager, and with two weeks to fill the managerial void, most thought Wolves would have hired someone at this point, but it seems like no one wants the job.

With almost every unemployed former Premier League manager and every hotshot manager in the lower divisions being targeted, no one has accepted an offer from the Midlands club.

Former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce and former West Ham manager Alan Curbishley seemed to be the favorites for the job but neither have been hired yet and with every day in the coaching search, another manager comes out to say he rejected the job.

First, Reading's Brian McDermott signed a new contract with his current club ending speculation he would depart for the Molineux Stadium.

Next came, who was once second in charge at Tottenham who denied interest in the Wolves job.

Even experienced out of work managers like will not help guide the club from safety.

So, the question now is where do Wolves go from here?

There are two ways that they can go: learn from Blackburn's experiment with Steve Kean, who was once a caretaker manager and then appointed on a permanent basis, or go after an established manager.

With Bruce and Curbishley seeming like the only other candidates that have not said no yet, it may be the time to give caretaker manager Connor a chance at managing the club.

It is clear that Connor will be in charge for this weekend's clash with Newcastle and if he impresses the board, why not give him a shot.

At this point, Wolves are desperate to find a new manager, and if Steve Bruce is not the man for the job and no one else wants to be with the club, the ownership at the Molineux Stadium should give Connor a test run with a club that needs a fresh face and is looking like they will be back in the Championship regardless of who is in charge.

The two quietest places in the last two days of the transfer window have been Old Trafford and Molineux.

You can understand Manchester United’s wheelers and dealers taking a late-summer break.

The Reds’ start to the season indicates that they have got a perfect squad, good enough to beat off challenges from Chelsea and Man City, no matter how much their flash and extravagant rivals splash out.

But the Wolves' situation is slightly less clear cut.

Manager Mick McCarthy may be sitting in a deckchair with his best Victor Meldrew handkerchief knotted round his head, muttering to himself that he’s not getting involved in any last-ditch spending spree. His team sits pretty in fifth place in the league, and his club spent enough in the close season on O’Hara and Roger Johnson.

McCarthy may be right. He is a shrewd judge.

Wolves are spending their money on real estate during this transfer window.

The old north bank is taking shape ahead of schedule, and will lift the Molineux stadium to a higher level when it’s all finished.

Molineux’s capacity will increase to 31,700 at a cost of £16 million. Stage Two will see it become a 36,000 stadium at a total cost of £40 million.

When the Wolves board took the big decision to go ahead with the stadium project earlier this year, it was a big risk.

The West Midlands is one of the worst hit areas in the recession, with appalling unemployment figures.

And Wolves looked likely to go down.  

Those two factors could have meant big attendance problems for the Wolves.

But they took the plunge, stayed in the Premiership and are now well on the way to getting a bigger, better Molineux.

In the cold winter days of February, that decision was inspired. The stadium is a great long-term investment.

In the late summer days of the transfer window the Wolves board have gambled on not needing any expensive boost to their playing squad.

That, too, may be an inspired decision.

For a very brief period after their 2-0 win over Fulham, before Manchester City put three past Bolton, Wolves were leading the pack. But even those brief moments of glory were enough to get the Molineux faithful chanting: “We are top of the league.”

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was having none of it.

“I just know how quick this league can come back and bite you on the backside and suddenly you’re looking very, very silly if you get carried away crowing about it, so I won’t,” he said in the post match press conference.

McCarthy is a pragmatist, and will be happy for Wolves to survive—even happier if they can do so before the last game of the season and so avoid a repeat of the Blackburn nail-biter in May.

Any talk about European qualification gets short shrift.

McCarthy feels that Fulham’s tired second-half performance was due to their Europa League fixture three days earlier.

“Fulham had a definite disadvantage playing on Thursday night,” said McCarthy.

“It will be a long time before I would want to get into the Europa Cup. I can tell you because if we look like getting in the Fair Play league, I’m going to tackle somebody down the tunnel.”

The journalists laughed, but McCarthy has a point.

He has made two excellent additions to his squad – Jamie O'Hara from Spurs  and Roger Johnson from near neighbours Birmingham City.

But that’s about as far as the Wolves budget will go. McCarthy may have done enough in the transfer market to secure an earlier route to survival this time round. But there’s no way that his squad is big enough to be stretched in all directions in other competitions.

Just ask Roger Johnson.

Last season, Johnson won a Carling Cup medal with Birmingham City. But the exertions in that competition cost Blues in fitness and injuries, and down they went.

Or ask Fulham.

The game against Wolves was their ninth competitive fixture so far this season. They have played seven Europa games. And in the second half at Molineux, it showed. They looked tired.  

Key Fulham players such as Danny Murphy, Aaron Hughes, Damien Duff, John Arne Riise and Brede Hangeland are now all in their thirties, an age where injuries will come more readily if they overplay.

Mick McCarthy is right. Unless you’re a big club, don’t get carried away.

And avoid the Europa League, and all talk of it.

With the release of the 2011-12 English Premier League schedule, it is now time for speculation to officially begin on who will be at the bottom of the table fighting in the relegation zone.

Last season gave fans the most thrilling relegation fight in Premier League history with six teams not having safety until the last day of the season.

I predict that a similar result could happen again this season with the gap between the bottom teams in the Premier League and top teams in the Championship growing smaller each season.

Here are 10 games that will have an effect on the relegation race this season:

Swansea @ Norwich, Carrow Road, October 15th

In an early battle featuring two of the promoted sides from the Championship, the winner of this game will give themselves a momentum boost as this is the time of the season where the early season magic can start fading away and clubs find out who they really are.

Wigan @ Wolves, Molineux Stadium, November 5th

Two of last season's relegation fighters will most likely be the fight again this season and games against other teams bound for the relegation are the most important ones.

Queens Park Rangers @ Norwich, Carrow Road, November 26th

These two clubs drew at Loftus Road and then Norwich won at home in their second meeting in the Championship last season. As are most promoted clubs, these two clubs are predicted to be down near the bottom of the table. The familiarity between both clubs from the Championship last season will make this game a good one to watch.

Wigan @ Queens Park Rangers, Loftus Road, January 21st

If Wigan are to stay up for yet another season in the Premier League, these are the games they have to win. Winning away at a relegation rival is one of the things you have to do at least once if you want to stay up, and this is a perfect opportunity for the Latics.

Swansea @ Wigan, DW Stadium, March 3rd

By March, we will definitely know who will be fighting in the relegation zone, with Wigan's experience of being there last season, it will give them an advantage over a Swansea side that could be one and done before joining Welsh rivals Cardiff back in the Championship.

Blackburn @ Wolves, Molineux Stadium, March 10th

This was the match we saw at the end of the season last year that kept both teams up in a 3-2 win for Blackburn. With the loss of defender Phil Jones already to Manchester United and Chris Samba most likely on his way out, the weakened Rovers defense could be their downfall this season. Wolves are at best a club that can finish a few spots above relegation, but will always be in the fight.

Norwich @ Blackburn, Ewood Park, April 21st

This could be a game where Blackburn secures their spot in the 2012-13 Premier League and one where the Canaries fall back down to the Championship.

Wolves @ Swansea, Liberty Stadium, April 28th

This could be another example of an experienced relegation fighter beating out a first timer, but anything can happen when you are at home and Wolves only had three road wins last season.

Wigan @ Blackburn, Ewood Park, May 5th

Two veterans of the Premier League who look to be fighting with the newly promoted clubs and possibly a surprise team or two for the three relegation spots. This season may the season where the Latics finally go down while Rovers could become the first former Premier League champion to be relegated twice.

Wolves @ Wigan, DW Stadium, May 13th

In the only game between two teams predicted in preseason to be in the relegation fight on the final day of the season, we could see the drama that we saw last season, especially if both clubs come up with runs towards the end of the season like they did last season.

With the release of the 2011-12 English Premier League schedule, it is now time for speculation to officially begin on who will be at the bottom of the table fighting in the relegation zone.

Last season gave fans the most thrilling relegation fight in Premier League history with six teams not having safety until the last day of the season.

I predict that a similar result could happen again this season with the gap between the bottom teams in the Premier League and top teams in the Championship growing smaller each season.

Here are 10 games that will have an effect on the relegation race this season:

Swansea @ Norwich, Carrow Road, October 15th

In an early battle featuring two of the promoted sides from the Championship, the winner of this game will give themselves a momentum boost as this is the time of the season where the early season magic can start fading away and clubs find out who they really are.

Wigan @ Wolves, Molineux Stadium, November 5th

Two of last season's relegation fighters will most likely be the fight again this season and games against other teams bound for the relegation are the most important ones.

Queens Park Rangers @ Norwich, Carrow Road, November 26th

These two clubs drew at Loftus Road and then Norwich won at home in their second meeting in the Championship last season. As are most promoted clubs, these two clubs are predicted to be down near the bottom of the table. The familiarity between both clubs from the Championship last season will make this game a good one to watch.

Wigan @ Queens Park Rangers, Loftus Road, January 21st

If Wigan are to stay up for yet another season in the Premier League, these are the games they have to win. Winning away at a relegation rival is one of the things you have to do at least once if you want to stay up, and this is a perfect opportunity for the Latics.

Swansea @ Wigan, DW Stadium, March 3rd

By March, we will definitely know who will be fighting in the relegation zone, with Wigan's experience of being there last season, it will give them an advantage over a Swansea side that could be one and done before joining Welsh rivals Cardiff back in the Championship.

Blackburn @ Wolves, Molineux Stadium, March 10th

This was the match we saw at the end of the season last year that kept both teams up in a 3-2 win for Blackburn. With the loss of defender Phil Jones already to Manchester United and Chris Samba most likely on his way out, the weakened Rovers defense could be their downfall this season. Wolves are at best a club that can finish a few spots above relegation, but will always be in the fight.

Norwich @ Blackburn, Ewood Park, April 21st

This could be a game where Blackburn secures their spot in the 2012-13 Premier League and one where the Canaries fall back down to the Championship.

Wolves @ Swansea, Liberty Stadium, April 28th

This could be another example of an experienced relegation fighter beating out a first timer, but anything can happen when you are at home and Wolves only had three road wins last season.

Wigan @ Blackburn, Ewood Park, May 5th

Two veterans of the Premier League who look to be fighting with the newly promoted clubs and possibly a surprise team or two for the three relegation spots. This season may the season where the Latics finally go down while Rovers could become the first former Premier League champion to be relegated twice.

Wolves @ Wigan, DW Stadium, May 13th

In the only game between two teams predicted in preseason to be in the relegation fight on the final day of the season, we could see the drama that we saw last season, especially if both clubs come up with runs towards the end of the season like they did last season.

Arsene Wenger kept his promise, making sure to not rest any players considering the match he has coming up this week. The Old Trafford results didn’t change the fact that Arsenal needed a win today against Wolverhampton.

Arsenal confidently came out showing off their passing game, as they often tend to do, especially at the Emirates. Wolves was content in sitting back and absorbing the pressure, then trying to hit Arsenal on the counterattack.

Wenger started Robin Van Persie as the lone striker, with Andrey Arshavin and Theo Walcott supporting on the outsides. Alex Song was also back in the lineup at midfield, with Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas alongside. Having gotten his first start mid-week for the English National Team, Wilshere appeared to have another level of motivation and confidence in this match.

He had that silky smooth movement that Arsenal fans are used to seeing from the likes of Samir Nasri or Fabregas. Wilshere was gliding through tackles and defenders with ease.

Arsenal got off the mark with a cross sent in by Fabregas, and Van Persie put it in the back of the net with a side volley. Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey still got a hand on it, but the volley just had too much power behind it.

Arsenal took lots of pressure off their shoulders and pushed forward with conviction, looking threatening almost every time.

Arshavin was sent through with a perfectly-weighted pass by Wilshere; the little Russian sent a ball back across to Van Persie, only to have his shot blocked by Hennessey, who was clearly up for this game.

Arsenal took a 1-0 lead into halftime, in a match where Wolves only seemed to have a chance on set pieces.  Even then, they failed to test Wojciech Szczesny.

The second half started with Wilshere gliding past a few Wolves players and laying a pass off to Walcott, who managed to send the ball wide with the net completely at his mercy.

At the 56-minute mark, Arsenal's stellar passing was once again at its best.

Song gave Fabregas the ball in the middle of the park, and with a magnificent on-time pass into space, he sent Walcott off to the races. Walcott and Van Persie were on goal with only one Wolves defender nearby. Walcott sent the ball across to Van Persie, who continued his goal scoring fiesta to make it 2-0 for the Gunners.

Arsenal should have easily put the match out of any reach within the first 45 minutes, but per usual, they tended to miss many chances.

Arsenal still had a few more chances after the 2-0 lead, but were unable to put the ball into the back of the net. Wenger's squad was playing at a training ground pace all match, and the Wolves weren't very threatening, so he began to make changes. He was clearly thinking about their upcoming match against Barcelona.

Man of the Match: Robin Van Persie/Jack Wilshere

Between the two, it was a very close call for Man of the Match.

Van Persie continued his instinct for goal with two more scores. He now has nine goals in five matches. Van Persie has been a key factor for Arsenal since coming back from injury and is also proving that when he is healthy along with his teammates, Arsenal is clearly a team to fear on the offensive side of the field.

Wilshere got his first start at the International level this week. He appeared to carry himself differently on the pitch today, appearing more confident on the ball, and carried a great vision in today's match. Wilshere's progress will be very important for Arsenal now and in the future. With rumors resurfacing about Cesc leaving, Wilshere could be the next maestro in the midfield for Wenger's squad.

Flop of the Match: Kevin Doyle

It was clear that playing away, Wolves was not going to attack as much.

Last week against Manchester United, Kevin Doyle was able to play as the loan striker and hold the ball well, allowing his team to move up. He was nonexistent in this match though, perhaps because Wolves sat so deep and tried threatening on the counterattack, that it literally ended up taking Doyle out of the game. 

Karl Henry's challenge on Jordi Gomez today was simply idiotic. The Wolves midfielder was deservedly sent off and will rightfully receive a three-match ban. It was a dreadful error of judgement which probably cost his team the game.

It was also an isolated incident which is not necessarily symptomatic of a wider problem within the game itself. The challenge was borne out of recklessness rather than malice. Henry thought the ball was there to be won when, as the replays would repeatedly demonstrate, it quite clearly was not. 

For a highly paid professional such as Henry this represented an absolutely epic error of judgement. Launching yourself at any tackle at that sort of velocity, particularly one in your own half, is an utterly ridiculous thing to do.

Gomez emerged almost unscathed and fortunately for Henry there was no obvious harm done. I am not condoning the challenge, it was awful, but fouls of this magnitude are few and far between. When they do occur they are inevitably highlighted in excruciating detail.

I don't believe that Henry went into this challenge with the intention of harming Gomez. I suspect that he was motivated more by the misplaced belief that as captain he should set an example for his teammates by winning a crunching tackle.

Arsene Wenger has been extremely vocal about the need to stamp out bad tackles. He has more reason to complain than most as Abou Diaby, Eduardo, and Aaron Ramsey have all been on the receiving end of potentially career-ending fouls.

While Wenger is within his rights to highlight this particular issue he also has a strong personal incentive for doing so. Arsenal are extremely accomplished at passing the ball around and using deft flicks and tricks to bemuse the opposition. The team's defensive frailties remain well documented and it is in Wenger's interests for referees to start interpreting rules in a way which protects the player in possession.

Challenges like the one which Henry committed today are no longer tolerated in the game and neither should they be. The problem is that the pressure which gets exerted on referees as a result of incidents like this inevitably leads to bad decision-making.

Time and time again you see players protesting a decision with a circular motion as if to say, "I got the ball ref!" Often any contact they might have made with the actual ball is out-weighed by the intent of the challenge. However it is increasingly common to see challenges which would once have fallen into the "firm but fair" category being penalized. The early stages of the World Cup were ruined by a series of unwarranted sending-offs. Referees are becoming far too willing to blow their whistles and brandish cards.

Football is a physical sport and this has always been part of its appeal. Tackling is an intrinsic part of the game and brave centre backs have just as much right to be on the pitch as tricky wingers. One terrible challenge should not be used to create an officiating environment in which players are no longer permitted to physically compete.

Wolves legend Steve Bull has told Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to “get back in your little pit and let us play football.”

Bull is furious over suggestions that his old club are guilty of being over-physical, along with Bolton, Stoke, and Blackburn. He growled: “There’s got to be a scapegoat, and Wolves are exactly that at the moment.

“I’ve seen one tackle all season that was a bit late. Karl Henry on Joey Barton two weeks ago. That one deserved a booking. Apart from that, refs have been giving silly little fouls, handing out cards for shirt-pullling and all that. It’s ridiculous.”

Bully, 45, who has a stand named after him at the club, couldn’t resist responding to this morning’s comments from boss Mick McCarthy, whose side face a £70,000 FA levy for their recent flurry of cards—they picked up 13 bookings and a sending-off in their last two games.

McCarthy insisted: “We are not dirty. I haven’t got a problem with the way we played in those two games.”

The first of those, a 1-1 draw with Newcastle, saw Barton suffer eight no-nonsense challenges, most of them from Henry. And during last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Fulham, Henry was involved in a tackle which saw Bobby Zamora’s leg broken and Christophe Berra was sent off.

But Bull insists: “Karl is a very, very good, steady player. The Gareth Barry of our side. He gets on with the job, plays it safe. He hasn’t got a dirty tackle in him—if anything, he’s just clumsy.

“How can Wenger have a go about being protected from bad challenges? You should see my ankles and my knees! He’s got to be back in his little dug-out, stop making excuses, let them play football, calm down again.

“And referees have to let them get on with, let the game flow. I wouldn’t say football’s got too soft. But if you ask any player from the 80s and 90s what it’s all about, it’s a good, hard game but fair. Physical. Like the game against Newcastle.”

Bull played 474 games for the Molineux club, scoring 250 goals and made 13 appearances for England in his time there.  He was awarded the MBE for services to football in 1999. And with typical humour, he grinned:  “It’s a game of chess isn’t it? The big clubs says 'watch out for this or that dirty player' and the referees fall for it.

“I don’t think the Premier League is split between rich and poor, teams that can play and teams that have to clump the opposition. Last year, we didn’t do that. This year we are playing well again, with a bit of physical presence at well.”

Wolves are at Tottenham tomorrow, and Bull was more than happy to hear even Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has sympathy for the boys from the Black Country.

Redknapp said: "Wolves are competitive, they’ll get amongst us—that’s not unfair. Mick McCarthy's team are always hard and aggressive, but I haven't got a problem with the way Wolves play.

"They did the 'double' over us last season, they beat us fair and square. They work hard, but that's what they are paid to do, and we will need to pass the ball quickly, with plenty of movement, to open them up.

"They are entitled to play the way they do. Having said that, after tomorrow, I might feel a bit differently about them!"

And boss McCarthy won’t be telling his players any different. Today he added a defence of Henry to yesterday’s tirade. Henry, 27, is under fire for the challenge which broke Zamora’s leg last week, but McCarthy said: "It was a fantastic tackle and there should be no blame or any fingers pointed at Karl.

"Bobby knows it wasn't intentional, which is the main thing.

"So it's a case of 'carry on, Karl.' He's trained this week and been his usual self. He's fantastic.

"Those that have supported him—great, thanks. And those that tried to whip up a storm should be ashamed of themselves, because Karl really is a very honest player and he didn't deserve that."

Sportingbet, official sponsor of Wolverhampton Wanderers, has brought back its free Wolves Accumulator betting game.  Play now at www.sportingbet.com/wolvesaccumulator and pit your wits against Steve Bull. Players must be 18 years or over.

Who the hell is Neal Collins? See www.nealcollins.co.uk.

With the Premier League season now rapidly approaching, I have decided to take a look at each of the 20 sides that will be playing at the top level of English football during this upcoming season.

To start off my countdown, I have decided to actually go in reverse order with Wolverhampton starting off the list, and Arsenal concluding this list right before the start of the Premier League season.

In the first part of this preview, I will look at the Wolverhampton Wanderers, who finished 15th in the Premier League last season after being promoted from the Championship the year before.

Review of last season:

After finishing first in the Championship in 2008-2009, Wolverhampton returned to the Premier League for the first time since the 2003-2004 season.

And during the season, Wolverhampton was able to impress despite not scoring in 17 of their 38 matches.

Wolves were able to do this with a great defensive effort throughout the season, and some great goalkeeping by Marcus Hahnemann, which made up for their 32 goals (the fewest in the Premier League).

And as a result, Wolves were able to get their best result in the top tier of English football in 30 years with their 15th place finish.

Transfers:

New Signings: