Olo Goal Not Enough as Big Sam Rumour Gathers Strength

By: Matt | May 4th, 2008

Olo Plymouth Mick McCarthy’s post match summary accurately summed up today’s match and the season as a whole. A game in which Wolves played extremely well for the majority, creating chance after chance, but only managing to put one away. The story of the season. Where does it leave us? Seventh. Relegation aside, the worst possible position to finish in. To rub salt into the wounds, we missed out on a playoff place by a goal difference of one.

Where do we go from here? It’s stick or twist time for Steve Morgan. Whether he decides to support McCarthy further or leave him go, he needs to makes the decision sooner rather than later. Wolves fans are divided, whilst some are sitting on the fence, most are very clear in their opinions . Whilst I was never in favour of the appointment of McCarthy I have since changed my mind and my feet are firmly in the keep McCarthy camp.

Two years ago, after probably the most tedious season at Molineux in decades, Hoddle left us with a team which limped across the line, scoring barely a goal a game. A summer clear out left a threadbare young and inexperienced squad which McCarthy took over less than two weeks before the beginning of the season. What did we expect? Some expected relegation, the more realistic of us would have been happy with mid-table mediocrity. McCarthy revamped the squad on a budget, changed the philosophy at Molineux and brought in a team of “young and hungry” over-achievers, which miraculously and heroically reached the playoffs.

The summer brought a new owner with money to spend and increase in expectations. As a result, a seventh placed position is not seen as progress by most. However, please keep in mind that we have had a whole season without Murray and most of it without Kightly. Add to that a whole host youngsters under the age of 25 in Hennessey, Folely, Elokobi, Kightly, Jarvis, Keogh, Edwards (Dave), Ebanks-Blake, Elliott and Eastwood. Then we have the experienced pros of Murray(26), Olo (27), and Henry (25). A sea change has happened at Molineux. Out with the tried, tested and ultimately unproductive policy of spending big on experienced ex-Premiership pros and in with a more considered plan of signing young, ambitious rough diamonds from lower leagues. Granted it’s been a bit hit and miss but it has given the club new heart.

Whilst Morgan has always insisted he wants to change Wolves’ historical hire and fire policy and bring some continuity to the club, always supporting McCarthy in public, the truth is that Mick wasn’t his appointment. We also don’t know the truth behind “Koreagate”. There are now a number of rumours, from various sources, that a deal was already agreed with Sam Allardyce in principle, depending on the season’s outcome, to take over at Wolves in the summer. Maybe not one for the football purists, but Newcastle apart, a strong and successful manager.

McCarthy Plymouth Personally, I would give McCarthy more time, what he is building could turn into something special. A team growing together, which could be one of the finest we’ve seen at Molineux for a long, long time. I think McCarthy deserves at least another season. However, if Morgan has decided McCarthy is not the man, he needs to take action sooner rather than later to give us the best possible chance to start the season running.