FOOTBALL

MICK MCCARTHY AIMS TO HIT A HOME RUN AT WOLVES

Mick McCarthy fears the worst for the Wolves at Chelsea

Saturday November 21,2009

By John Wragg

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MANAGER Mick McCarthy is not worried that Wolves go away to Chelsea today next to bottom of the Premier League.

But if Wolves have not pulled away in a month’s time, then his concern will be growing.

McCarthy is looking at a run of home fixtures against Birmingham, Bolton and Burnley as a route to safety.

Better not look at the away games at Chelsea – who have not conceded a goal at home since August – Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool because there is unlikely to be a harvest of points there.

Wolves came up against one of the elite clubs, Arsenal, in their last game and were beaten 4-1 at Molineux. Something similar is predicted at Stamford Bridge and probably the other three away games as well .

“I’m going to clear this up for you,” said McCarthy. “Don’t ask me if I’ve got a game plan to beat Chelsea. Don’t ask me what we can do, is it fearful for us going to play them?

“No it’s not. But we are playing arguably the best team in this country, in Europe, possibly one of the best in the world at the minute, with one of the best managers, who has won the Champions League twice. Let’s just go and play because our season won’t be decided by what we do against Chelsea, or Arsenal, or any of those. It will be Birmingham, Bolton in successive home games and then Burnley where we need the victories.

“I didn’t think we’d be second bottom now and, with our performances, I don’t think we should be there, we should have more points.

“If we were sat with 16 points like Burnley we’d be thrilled. We have dropped in the bottom three and we’ve still got every chance of being there on Monday because we are playing Chelsea away.

“The game plan against Chelsea is to have a performance. But I don’t dispel the fact that we could get something there, as unlikely as it is.

“If I don’t expect that we can get points at home to Birmingham, Bolton then Burnley then there is no point to it at all.”

McCarthy will assess Kevin Doyle after the effects both mentally and physically of Ireland’s World Cup defeat in France before deciding on whether he plays.

“It will have hit him and all the Irish players,” said McCarthy. “For all of them, playing again this weekend will be difficult after 120 minutes of football on Wednesday.

“I would think none of that Irish squad will have slept since then because it would be going over and over in their minds, what they have missed out on in the World Cup after playing so well. ”