Wolves Team selection last night
Poll: Wolves Team selection last night
Total Members Polled: 28
Discussion
I'm all for managers rotating their squad for cup games, either so they can compete in Europe or challenge for or indeed stay in the Premier League. However, doing it before Christmas is utterly ridiculous in the Premier League. Changing 10 players and handing the game to United on a plate is not only insulting to the 3,000 wolves fans that travelled to Manchester but it's also an insult to every other team in the Premier League. What next? Will McCarthy do the same thing against Chelsea at the Bridge, Arsenal at the Emirates? I say it's bang out of order at this stage of the season and the FA are right to ask for an explantion as they have done within the last hour.
There is a rule. Thats why the premier league have asked Wolves for an explanation. My point is that at this stage of the season it's unnacceptable for a Premier league team to just give up on a fixture. There was never a better time for Wolves to try and get something from Old Trafford with United decimated by injuries. Are the Wolves players so tired they cant play three games in a week?
Edited by flasher on Wednesday 16th December 14:59
flasher said:
There is a rule.
There certainly is but to my knowledge it has never been enforced and no team has been punished for fielding a "below par" team since the Premier League was formed. Happy to be proved wrong here as would open up the discussion further.The issue is that clubs have squads and can rotate players easily enough when they change 2 or 3 but come under forcus if they clearly change more - as per last night. Clubs would argue that the reason they have squads is to allow them to do this throughout the season and it would be hard to enforce any punishment on a club for fielding a particular team on a particular day. They may even resort to employment law to fight the Premier League if they begin to enforce the "team strength" rules they currently have in place but fail to use.
Two points to be considered here:
1. Putting out a below par team at the end of the year to protect players for important matches (cup finals, European games etc) has become the norm. Doing this during the season may also become the norm for "smaller" clubs who want to focus on staying in the Premier League by putting out their best team against opposition they feel they can get points from.
2. When a team puts out a below par team at the end of the season and a team in the relgation positions picks ups 1 or 3 points that lift them out of the relegation positions and put Wolves in will the Thick Mick be talking as loudly then..... I don't think so.
Edited by Grey Ghost on Wednesday 16th December 15:16
It is unfair, although I can understand it. Which is easy to say, as I didn't shell out £40+ to watch it last night! But our season will be defined by results against teams such as Burnley who we play Sunday, not the big four. If Nenad Milijas, or Keven Doyle suffered injury, it would effectively end our season. Sadly, football, and the Premier league in paticular is very cynical and it seems we have subscribed to that. If we don't win Sunday, the knives will be out for Mcarthy.
Absolutely the right decision for Wolves to achieve what they want to out of this season, ie. stay up.
A lot of people have said that it was the right time to try and take something from United. Have these people ever SEEN what happens in the next game after United get beaten? There was no way in hell they were going to lose to Villa then lose to us, at home. We are a struggling team that is trying to stay up and we have to pick our battles to gain points where we can.
At Tottenham, we scored after 3 minutes and then defended that lead for the rest of the game. So the team from Saturday spent an entire game having the kitchen sink thrown at them by one of the best sides in the Prem, and are then supposed to try and beat the league champions 3 days later? Completely unrealistic in my opinion. No-one would love to see us do it more than me, but this isn't a Hollywood movie and trying to do so would have seen us get a right leathering, probably with yet more injuries.
You're damn right we have rested our better players for Sunday. Burnley is a 6 point game and is far more important to our season than hoping for a fluke against United. As it goes, several of our team played some good football from what I saw, and have had some important match time to get back in contention. McCarthy's philosophy is all about competition for places, and there were some performances last night that will give the rest of the squad something to think about.
As for the "we paid £42 to go and watch that" argument, how many of those people have done so for the other away games, or did they wait for this one, because it was Man U? If they did, then they went to see United, not Wolves. If people want to support a team that lets the fans pick the team, the manager and pretty much everything else, they can go and support Newcastle.
A lot of people have said that it was the right time to try and take something from United. Have these people ever SEEN what happens in the next game after United get beaten? There was no way in hell they were going to lose to Villa then lose to us, at home. We are a struggling team that is trying to stay up and we have to pick our battles to gain points where we can.
At Tottenham, we scored after 3 minutes and then defended that lead for the rest of the game. So the team from Saturday spent an entire game having the kitchen sink thrown at them by one of the best sides in the Prem, and are then supposed to try and beat the league champions 3 days later? Completely unrealistic in my opinion. No-one would love to see us do it more than me, but this isn't a Hollywood movie and trying to do so would have seen us get a right leathering, probably with yet more injuries.
You're damn right we have rested our better players for Sunday. Burnley is a 6 point game and is far more important to our season than hoping for a fluke against United. As it goes, several of our team played some good football from what I saw, and have had some important match time to get back in contention. McCarthy's philosophy is all about competition for places, and there were some performances last night that will give the rest of the squad something to think about.
As for the "we paid £42 to go and watch that" argument, how many of those people have done so for the other away games, or did they wait for this one, because it was Man U? If they did, then they went to see United, not Wolves. If people want to support a team that lets the fans pick the team, the manager and pretty much everything else, they can go and support Newcastle.
Gargamel said:
Indeed Man U did exactly this last season in a prem game against Hull, the weekend before the Champions League Final.
Think it is a little early in the season for Wolves to be so blatant, can't see Chelsea being happy about it either.
exactly. The big 4 don't care about the teams fighting relegation when they pick weak teams and in return they expect us to care if Man U or Chelsea win the title?!Think it is a little early in the season for Wolves to be so blatant, can't see Chelsea being happy about it either.
Merlin's job starts and ends with concern for wolves, if that means Man U get an easy win at home (obviously we'd have won 5-0 with a full strength team) then so be it.
Annoying for the fans that travelled but if they have been regularly they will have seen some far worse teams than we fielded last night
I understand fully why Mcarthy did what he did. He has as tough a job in the league as anyone, possibly the toughest.
He made a decision based on logic IMO, a calculated decision. Sure, it was bound to upset people but you have to understand, the teams best interests were at the heart of the decision.
It's his squad and he should be allowed to use it how he sees fit.
Good on him for having the balls to do it.
He made a decision based on logic IMO, a calculated decision. Sure, it was bound to upset people but you have to understand, the teams best interests were at the heart of the decision.
It's his squad and he should be allowed to use it how he sees fit.
Good on him for having the balls to do it.
lazyitus said:
I understand fully why Mcarthy did what he did. He has as tough a job in the league as anyone, possibly the toughest.
He made a decision based on logic IMO, a calculated decision. Sure, it was bound to upset people but you have to understand, the teams best interests were at the heart of the decision.
It's his squad and he should be allowed to use it how he sees fit.
Good on him for having the balls to do it.
Spoken like a true United fan. Wonder how you'd feel lazy if Wolves did the same thing at Stamford Bridge and cost you the title? Honest answer please.He made a decision based on logic IMO, a calculated decision. Sure, it was bound to upset people but you have to understand, the teams best interests were at the heart of the decision.
It's his squad and he should be allowed to use it how he sees fit.
Good on him for having the balls to do it.
And for those quoting United playing a weakened team against Hull, think on. United have at least two decent teams not one, as do Chelsea, Arsenal and some would argue Spurs with their squad. Not to mention that United WON that day 1-0.
His team wasn't all that bad, a fair few had started games before last night. If they had won or held on for a draw he would have been hailed as a tactical genius. Lets face it, even with Miljas (sp?), Doyle et al, Old Trafford is a pretty tough place to go to and get anything from the game.
flasher said:
lazyitus said:
I understand fully why Mcarthy did what he did. He has as tough a job in the league as anyone, possibly the toughest.
He made a decision based on logic IMO, a calculated decision. Sure, it was bound to upset people but you have to understand, the teams best interests were at the heart of the decision.
It's his squad and he should be allowed to use it how he sees fit.
Good on him for having the balls to do it.
Spoken like a true United fan. Wonder how you'd feel lazy if Wolves did the same thing at Stamford Bridge and cost you the title? Honest answer please.He made a decision based on logic IMO, a calculated decision. Sure, it was bound to upset people but you have to understand, the teams best interests were at the heart of the decision.
It's his squad and he should be allowed to use it how he sees fit.
Good on him for having the balls to do it.
Honestly, I'd be a tad miffed but more because United had lost the title to Chelsea. With due respect to Wolves, Chelsea v. Wolves on paper is a dead cert 3 pointer for Chelsea anyway and to think any different would be a bit daft. So, whichever players faced Chelsea, I reckon the end result would more than likely be the same.
Sure, I'd probably moan for a while as I tried to dig as many excuses out as possible because United failed to win the league but in my heart, I'm fair when talking about football in the main and I'd stick with my thoughts about what McCarthy has done.
McCarthy had a good logic behind his team selection and I admire that. It has nothing to do with the fact that they were playing us as I'm confident that we'd have won anyway, bar a miracle.
The question is, would McCarthy dare do this at the sharp end of a season in a game that could determine who wins the league? No chance. He's done it mid season when all said and done, can be forgotten about when medals and relegations are settled.
Hi Lazy, apart from my current bout of man flu I'm well thanks mate. Hope you are OK too.
Interesting that in a similar situation Pompey Boss Avram Grant hasn't done the same tonight and Portsmouth are currently drawing 1-1. You wouldn't expect that would you? And that's exactly why McCarthy should have gone for it last night. Wolves were on a roll after two wins on the trot, now all the momentum has gone plus the players who got them those wins missed out on playing at Old Trafford, which surely is one of the reasons you want to play premier league football in the first place.
At the end of the season I could fully understand it, but throwing in the towel in December is an absolute disgrace.
Interesting that in a similar situation Pompey Boss Avram Grant hasn't done the same tonight and Portsmouth are currently drawing 1-1. You wouldn't expect that would you? And that's exactly why McCarthy should have gone for it last night. Wolves were on a roll after two wins on the trot, now all the momentum has gone plus the players who got them those wins missed out on playing at Old Trafford, which surely is one of the reasons you want to play premier league football in the first place.
At the end of the season I could fully understand it, but throwing in the towel in December is an absolute disgrace.
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