The winger who was a revelation after signing from Grays Athletic, scoring goals and achieving more assists than anyone in the Champiosnhip, but he has struggled with injury for much of the last 2 years and has not played since last November. A set back to his training regime recently removed all possibility of him making a comeback anytime soon, and the hope is that he gets fit in the autumn then goes on loan to a football league team to get match fit and then returns ready to return to the Wolves squad in January.

Wolves secured the 4th striker they needed on the final day of the transfer window by bringing in Marcus Bent on loan from Birmingham. It’s a loan that lasts until January so he has 4 months to make an impact and for Wolves to want to look for an extension, otherwise Kighly and Sam Vokes will be looking to move into place. Vokes is on a loan to Bristol City until January although he is currently nursing a hamstring injury, but he does not need to be named in the 25 anyway because of his age. Mujangi Bia similarly was under 21 at the start of the year so need not be in the 25.

Bent is somewhat of a journeyman striker (but with a good taste in women, as per photo with actress Gemma Atkinson) having played for Brentford, Crystal Palace, Port Vale, Sheffield United, Blackburn, Ipswich, Everton, Charlton and Birmingham City plus spells on loan at Leicester, Middlesbrough and QPR. He had successful times at Sheffield United and Ipswich that persuaded Everton to give him the chance in the big time and he gained a couple of England U21 caps. He only managed 7 goals in over 5o games for Everton but Charlton for £2.3m and Birmingham for £1m both took the chance that he could score goals at the top level. But the goals have dried up for him in the last 4 years although he got 4 in a game for Birmingham reserves in August to show there is life in there yet. And he gives Wolves the big target man that they might be lacking at the moment.

So the Wolves squad gives the following possibilities for team selection;

Goalkeeper: Hahnemann, Hennessey, Ikeme

Right of defence: Foley, Zubar, Stearman, Halford

Left of defence: Ward, Van Damme, Elokobi, Mancienne

Central defence: Craddock, Berra, Mouyokolo, Zubar, Stearman, Mancienne

Right of midfield: Hunt, Jarvis, Foley, Guedioura, Edwards, Halford, mujangi Bia

Left of midfield: Jarvis, Hunt, Ward, Van Damme, Mujangi Bia

Central Midfield; Henry, Jones, Milijas, Guedioura, Hunt, Edwards, Mancienne

Strikers; Doyle, Fletcher, Ebanks Blake, Bent

So plenty of cover in each position and enough in the minds of most Wolves fans to achieve at least the equal of last season’s 15th place in the league.

We now have the first international break of the season and it is a period where Wolves play one league game at Molineux in six weeks. After this weekend’s internationals it’s Fulham and Spurs away before Villa at home. then Wigan away and another international break before the following home game against West Ham. At least there is another home draw in the Carling Cup with Notts County due at Molineux on September 21st. And that should be memorable for a ‘friendly’ welcome back to the Black Country for the Lee Hughes who would rank alongside Henri Camara as the player lined up for the worst crowd abuse at Molineux.

It wasn’t a great performance on Saturday against a Newcastle team that look a different cup of tea to the team that went down in 2008/9 and hats off to Chris Hughton for getting much more out of largely the same set of players. And in Andy Carroll they have a player who got more aerial success against Craddock and Berra than any other player has so far in our 12 months in the Premier League. So the geordies also look all set to remain in this division.

It was certainly a highly physical game on Saturday with some good old fashioned hard tackling exemplified by Karl Henry. But I didn’t think there were so many bad fouls to warrant 12 bookings and this was more a case of the referee not controlling the game effectively. He was appalling and clearly not up to this level.

Wolves defended well overall, with a few momentary lapses, and look likely to keep a settled back 4 now barring injuries although there is a decision to be made on Foley or Zubar for right back. Both are perfectly good enough and I am not sure we gained anything from the first substitutiion on Saturday when Zubar came on to right back and Foley moved to midfield. I think Zubar gives us more in terms of height and powering forward, but Foley has shown now he is well up to this level so either can do the job fine.

In midfield Wolves didn’t gain the upper hand on Saturday. Henry fought hard to win us the edge but Jones was largely anonymous and Van Damme struggled to make an impact. As a result Jarvis hardly got into the game.With the next two matches away at Fulham and Spurs I expect Mancienne to partner Henry in the centre and I would like to see Guedioura get a chance on the right with Jarvis moving back to his familiar left wing position.

Up front we have the luxury of three good strikers and Ebanks Blake has defied his critics of last season by being the pick of the three. He has taken his goals well and could have had more, and his work rate and hold up play have been excellent. So big money signing Fletcher will just have to wait his turn. Doyle in the meantime is not quite at his best yet and a couple of games for Ireland next week will help him get back to peak form.

The transfer window closes on Tuesday evening and the squad of 25 then gets named on September 1st. I still expect a new striker to come in before the window closes but am not expecting any major outlay as it is a 4th choice guy we are looking for. Two players linked with Wolves at the weekend were Heskey and Vennegor of Hesselink, but I gather it will not be either of those. If a new man arrives it means two of the senior squad will miss out on being named in the 25. It is generally assumed Matt Hill will be one of those as he is 4th choice at best for a left back spot, so we just have to hope he finds himself a club. There are growing rumours that the other one to miss out will be Nenad Milijas. The Serbian has undoubted ability but doesn’t do enough over 90 minutes to help a team that needs to battle for every point. There are teams on the continent evidently showing an interest, and so either for a loan or a transfer he might move out of the Wolves picture this week.

www.news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/team1/n/newcastle_united/8951541.stm Hughton post match

www.vodpod.com/watch/4328329-mick-mccarthy-post-wolves-1-1-newcastle Mick post match

As expected McCarthy reinstated Ward to the left back position at the expense of Elokobi and reintroduced Van Damme to the left of midfield;

Hahnemann

Foley, craddock, Berra, Ward

Jarvis, Henry, Jones, Van Damme

Ebanks Blake, Doyle

Newcastle, buoyed by their win last week started the game at a high tempo and with Carroll winning everything in the air they were the better team in the early stages. They resembled a Sam Allardyce team as they banged the ball forward to Carroll and looked for the second ball and were competitive in midfield not allowing Wolves to settle into their game. They created half chances for Carroll and Nolan but Wolves held their own and when Ebanks Blake earned Wolves a corner they finally, after 30 minutes, got into the game.

And having got a foothold in the game Wolves nearly took the lead as a Jones corner is headed against the post by SEB. Wolves were to dominate the last ten minutes of the half and after 43 minutes took the lead. Van Damme’s cross was not cleared and SEB smashed it in.

It was a half time lead that Wolves barely deserved with Jones anonymous in midfeld, an ineffective Van Damme switched to the right in an attempt to get Jarvis into the game, and Doyle not quiite there with his touch.

Wolves might have had the chance to double their lead after Jarvis was sent tumbling by Perch in the area early in the 2nd half but the ref waved play on. Ward was having an excellent game at left back and produced a great tackle to halt Routledge. But just as Wolves were starting to look secure in their lead Newcastle equalised. An inswinging fee kick from the left was headed in by the impressive Carroll. Wolves had brought on Zubar to go right back with Foley moving into midfield to replace Van Damme. And later brought on Fletcher and Guedioura for Doyle and Jones. Neither side came close to getting the vital third goal and a draw was just about fair.

Foley and Ward played well as full backs but Craddock and Berra were really troubled by Carroll first half,although they kept him quieter after the break. In midfield Henry had a good game but Jones and Van Damme made little impact and Wolves struggled to get Jarvis into the game. Doyle does not yet look match sharp after missing some pre season but Ebanks Blake took his goal well and along with Ward and Henry was the pick of the Wolves team.

It woudn’t be reasonable to report on this game without commenting on the referee Stuart Attlewell who gave the most inept refereeing performance I have seen at this level. He was constantly breaking the game up with unnecessary whistles and ended up going into double figures with bookings as he lost control of what was actually a firey but not dirty game. He certainly did his best to ruin the game as a spectacle and it would be a surprise if he isn’t relegated to the lower divisions to learn more about controlling the game with some common sense and authority.

How much that was about Newcastle being a good team on the day or Villa a bad one is difficult to say but it will have done the confidence of the men in black and white no harm at all. The Newcastle team does not show many changes from the team that were relegated in 2008/9 so it could be argued they are in for a season of struggle again as the funds have not been there for majot investment. But they won the Championship with something to spare last season and Chris Hughton seems to have done a good job in getting the players to perform in a way that they certainly didn’t in the relegation season. So it will be a good marker for them to see how they get on at Molineux and it’s a game that should give them some indication of whether they will be in for a season of struggle or not.

They will meet a Wolves team also possessing a feel good factor and with Mancienne’s return adding even more to the quality of the squad, McCarthy will again have some issues to ponder over when selecting his starting 11. Wolves defended well against Stoke with a back four of Foley, Craddock, Berra and Ward, and also looked sound in the second half at Goodison with the same four. I cannot, therefore, see Elokobi retaining his starting position from last week and what might be more open to question is the right back position. Foley has had two typically sound games so far but anyone that saw Zubar against Southend in midweek will know that he has so much to offer and it would be a brave decision to leave him out as long as playing 120 minutes in his comeback game didn’t take too much out of him.

In the continued absence of Kightly and Hunt there is a weekly decision to make on who plays on the opposite wing to Jarvis. If Van Damme is fit he may well come back to take the left wing slot he occupied promisingly against Stoke. While Guedioura’s performance as a sub at Everton brings him into contention on the right. The third option is to reinstate Foley to the position he occupied for the second half of last season on the right of midfield and this allows Zubar to be recalled to the defence. Henry and Jones look sure to continue in central midfield unless Mancienne is considered ready to start, but I would expect him to only make the bench  on Saturday.

Ebanks Blake and Doyle will surely continue as the two strikers and it would be a concern if Fletcher remains unfit that Wolves could go into the game without a striking substitute now Keogh has moved on. Winnall might make the bench after showing some promise in midweek but I didn’t feel he looked ready for the big time and it could be that an injury to one of the strikers would necessitate a wholesale mid game change with a move to 4-5-1. This emphasises the need to bring in another striker before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

Should be a good game and may well be one with a few goals. A win for either team would see them elevated to the top six on Saturday night which would go down as a fantastic start to the season for either club.

It is remarkable how highly Matt became regarded by Wolves fans given that he only managed to play for two full seasons in a 13 year professional career. Such was the ability of the guy that the fans have always been praying that he could overcome his problems and get back into action.  He used his massive 6′ 5″ frame to the full and rarely have I seen a keeper dominate his penalty area so completely. It was not unusual to see him come right to the edge of his penalty area to pull a high ball out of the air.

It would be easy to write a long article about the injury breakdowns that regularly stopped his career but what will be remembered is his two seasons in action for the Wolves. He came into the team at the start of the 2002/03 season only because Michael Oakes was injured. But such was the impact he made that he was first choice for the entire season and played 48 games to establish himself as the best Wolves keeper for a generation. The injury problems then kicked in until finally he was able to recapture his rightful place in the Wolves goal for the 2006/07 season. He appeared 47 times in a season that culminated in him winning man of the match when Wolves beat Sheffield United in the Play Off final at Cardiff and his penalty save in that game was the final clincher of Wolves promotion to the Premier League.

The rest of football was never able to see how good he was as the injury gremlins stopped him taking his skills to the top level. But no Wolves fan doubted that he would have been a Premier League star. Let’s hope he finds success in whatever he turns his hand to in the future.

By bringing Mancienne in Wolves solved one of the main shortcomings with their squad as Karl Henry is the only natural defensive midfield player at the club and now there is competition and cover. Furthermore with Wolves opting for a 4-4-2 line up there was the danger of being too open compared to the 4-5-1 formation that secured their survival in the 2nd half of last season. But there is now the option of playing two defensive midfield players. Once Kightly and Hunt are fit that would enable going with two attacking wide players to supply the two strikers while having the security of two holding players in the middle.

The season long loan will also mean that as long as Wolves maintain their Premier League status then the permanent signing of Mancienne could be the first use of next summers transfer budget and Wolves may well agree an option in advance with Chelsea for that to happen.

Wolves could now name a 25 man squad from the professionals currently on the books;

Goalkeepers: Hahnemann, Hennessey, Ikeme

Defenders: Zubar, Craddock, Berra, Ward, Van Damme, Elokobi, Stearman, Mouyokolo, Foley

Midfield: Henry, Jones, Jarvis, Kightly, Hunt, Mancienne, Halford, Edwards, Guedioura, Milijas

Strikers: Doyle, Fletcher, Ebanks Blake

It would be risky, however, to go into the season with only 3 strikers. Doyle and Fletcher have already missed games through injury and it is difficult to believe that the club were prepared to release Iwelumo and Maierhofer permanently and Vokes and Keogh on loan without having someone lined up to be 4th striker. So there may be one more piece of transfer activity before the month end although that would mean one of the above squad being released on transfer or loan. That would be along with Matt Hill who has become a bit of a forgotten man and I have omitted from the above 25. He would be a good signing for a Championship or lower league club as he has never let Wolves down and is a steady performer.

Wolves have been linked with Benjani and Hull’s Folan during the summer and I would expect someone to come in by Tuesday. As to who will drop out of the above squad is debatable but it is difficult to see Halford or Milijas breaking in to the first team. The other alternative is that Hunt or Kightly who are not yet fit will be left out of the 25 until January but they are both potentially big assets to the team and as far as we know are expected to be back in contention by October.

Only Elokobi of the team that started the game against Everton on Saturday were to start against Southend as the starting line up was;

Hennessey,

Zubar, Baath, Stearman, Elokobi

Halford, Guedioura, Milijas, Edwards,

Winnall, Hemmings

There was not much to reflect on in the opening 27 minutes before Wolves took the lead. Winnall was tripped on the left side of the area and Milijas struck the resultant penalty home with aplomb. It was a lead that could have been short lived. The Southend centre back headed wide from a free header from 5 yards and then when he was left unmarked again a few minutes later he did find the net but was ruled offside.

It was the hour mark before Wolves produced a move of any great quality and this resulted in the two young strikers combining with Hemmings cross volleyed inches wide by Winnall. Then a solo run by Zubar ended with his shot from the edge of the box smothered by the keeper. But it was clear the job wasn’t done when Southend clipped the top of the bar with a long range effort. Things were livened up for a while when Doyle and Ebanks Blake replaced the two young strikers midway through the second half. But Southend were gradually hinting at an equaliser and it came with ten minutes left when a cross from their right wing was met with a diving header from Easton.

Within two minutes Ebanks Blake had the ball in the Southend net but was ruled offside when he turned in Zubar’s cross and that was the final worthwhile action as the game drifted into extra time. Foley replaced Edwards at the start of the extra period and Wolves looked to have won it when Ebanks Blake again had the ball in the net. A Miljas effort was deflected against the post and Ebanks Blake was ruled offside when he turned in the rebound, surely an incorrect decision.

Southend had a chance to win it late on but it was ultimately a feeble shot that went straight to Hennessey. And as the final whistle beckoned and the 10,000 Wolves fans were losing the will to live as a penalty shoot out  looked inevitable, the winner finally came. Zubar, who had been by far Wolves best player on the night, played a one two on the right of the box before drilling the ball across the face of the goal and in a crowded area it was Stearman who prodded the ball home.

There were plenty of negatives on the night for Wolves when you look at individual performances with Stearman, Elokobi, Halford, Guedioura, Milijas and Edwards doing little to promote their case for a first team opportunity. Of the youngsters Baath got stronger as the game wore on and was winning everything in the air while Winnall showed more promise than Hemmings up front. Zubar was excellent as an attacking right back and was far and away the best player on the field.

So we now wait for the draw for the next round on Saturday lunch time before Saturday’s Premier League game with Newcastle will hopefully bury the memory of this Carling Cup occasion.

It was confirmed that Andy Keogh’s absence from the line up was due to him being lined up to join Cardiff City on a season long loan.

Last season we beat Swindon on penalties, the year before we beat Accrington in extra time, there was a narrow 2-1 win against Bradford and four years ago an exit on penalties at Chesterfield. So anyone hoping to see a much changed Wolves team romp to an easy win would have to go back 5 years to a 5-1 win against Chester for evidence that is likely to happen. Every Wolves fan would probably rate Premier League survival as a much bigger priority than a cup run but this competition does represent Wolves best chance of a trophy and it would be great to revisit Wembley and replicate those wins against Notts Forest and Man City that are a fading memory for the older fans.

There are plenty of squad players that would benefit from some match time on Tuesday including Hennessey, Zubar, Mouyokolo, Guedioura, Milijas, Halford, Mujangi Bia,  and Keogh. If Fletcher and Edwards were fit they could be added to that list and probably also Doyle who looked rusty in the first half at Everton. There are also some of the younger players that it would be good to see including Malone, Baath, Winnall and new signings Cassidy and Doherty. From that lot there should easily be a team that would be good enough to beat Southend – but we have said that the last 4 seasons in this competition.

Looking back to the Everton game I have read a number of suggestions that Wolves were fortunate to get a point. I strongly disagree with that because although Everton dominated possession first half, they rarely looked like scoring. And after the break Wolves were certainly the better team and by the end looked the more likely winners.

There was some food for thought in terms of the team selection for future games. Elokobi actually looked quite good on the ball but Everton were getting in behind him far too often and it looked a much more solid back line when Ward moved back into defence. In midfield the main talking point was the performance of Guedioura who did his case no harm with an excellent second half substitute appearance. Every chance he has earned his place in the team and that is likely to be on the right of midfield with Jarvis moving to the left. But such was the impact that Guedioura made when he moved to a central position that he will be competing with Jones for a place in the middle. When Kightly and Hunt are fit then that certainly becomes an option. In the short term it could open the door to Halford being given one more chance on the right of midfield.

We have yet to see Doyle and Fletcher together for a competitive game with each of them missing one of the opening two league games with injury. Who knows if fit they might appear together for the first time against Southend. But in their absence Ebanks Blake has certainly taken his chance. His work rate and movement are much improved this season and the goal he scored on Saturday will have brought all the old confidence back in front of goal. So it’s very much a three way battle for the two striking positions and thats great news for the club.

So we hope for a more inspiring Carling Cup game than we have seen in recent years before welcoming Newcastle to Molineux on Saturday after their remarkable 6 goal thrashing of Villa. That should be a real game to savour between two teams that will be going into the game high on confidence.