The PL Issue Wolves a Suspended Fine
I see the Wolverhampton Wanderers have been hit with a suspended £25,000 fine for fielding a weakened side against Manchester United. Now while at the time I thought Mick McCarthy was mad to do that, Wolves had just had a good result against Spurs, and they just MIGHT have got something against United – the thing is what is going on here? So why would they fine Wolves? What are the rules?
The Premier League rules relating to this subject are:
E 20 In every League Match each participating Club shall field a full strength team.
B 13 In all matters and transactions relating to the League each Club shall behave towards each other Club and the League with the utmost good faith.
It seems cut and dried then, Wolves deserve their fine – let’s move on, however it isn’t that simple.
The top four have played weakened sides in a variety of games to protect themselves for the likes of the Champions League. Any fines dished out? No. Why? Well because of the talent that they have at the clubs. With the greatest respect to Wolves, or in fact virtually any other side in the Premier League outside of the top four or five – it would be obvious that they have fielded a reserve side. It would be less so for the other sides, and therefore they won’t ever get fined for this.
This isn’t a knock at the top four, it should be up to clubs if they want to play their reserves for whatever reason, I think they should be entitled to.
With hindsight, McCarthy should have left three or four of his first team in to make it look less obvious! 
Mind you, Wolves did beat Burnley the following game, and if those three points mean that they stay up – then a £25,000 suspended sentence will be worth it!
Kev
VIEW FROM THE SOUTH – BIRMINGHAM CITY vs WOLVES
Filed under: Blues News, Match reports, Matches, Reports By Bazza
Here is Bazza’s report on our dramatic win yesterday.
————————————————————-
This turned out to be a very sport filled weekend for me; much more than usual that is. I didn’t go to St Andrews much as I wished to, as I valued both my life and everything that I hold dear in the manhood department! I had on Saturday been invited to the England-Wales game at Twickenham with a prolonged and copiously liquid lunch beforehand by a mate of mine who happens to be a Viler! Despite that, Jeremy is a top bloke and I am very grateful to him that he was able to see past my lifelong affliction of being a Blues supporter. I’m delighted to say that England defeated Wales in their encounter in the Six Nations opener and I returned home happy not just because of the alcohol that I had consumed.
Mrs Bazza has become wise to Blues games being on the telly and had pointed this fact out to me in midweek. Her piercing stare told me that me saying that it wasn’t my intention to be away most of Sunday in Birmingham was probably a good and wholly safe answer! In all seriousness, I needed to spend some time at home and I was feeling a little tired and emotional on Sunday morning. I took the dog out for her walk to clear the head and settled down to watch the game.
Blues had the luxury of naming an unchanged line up for the 12th successive Premier League game, but recalled Phillips to the bench following his groin injury.
Blues started brightly and Ronald Zubar’s timely tackle prevented Lee Bowyer from opening the scoring after a couple of minutes before James McFadden’s drive was headed behind. Blues forced a series of corners in the first twenty minutes and Wolves looked in trouble with each delivery into the box. Cameron Jerome’s goal bound header was fortuitously headed clear by Michael Mancienne standing right in the centre of the goal where a defender would probably not have been expected where the keeper would normally be. Wolves rode their luck as they tried to ride out the pressure. Sebastian Larsson hit a rasping volley two yards over after 14 minutes before Hahnemann managed to smother at Jerome’s feet after Benitez’s knockdown.
Wolves began to settle after being under the cosh for the opening quarter of the game and Dave Jones registered their first effort, when his free-kick dipped over goalkeeper Joe Hart’s bar with 23 minutes gone. Doyle was then brought down just outside the area by Hart, who was cautioned, but Jarvis’ free-kick was easily cleared.
Wolves were showing confidence as they got into the game and Zubar should have put them ahead on the half-hour mark from Matt Jarvis’ corner but the defender planted his header wide with the goal gaping. Blues fashioned further good chances as Jerome fired at Hahnemann from an acute angle when he would undoubtedly have preferred to roll the ball square to Lee Bowyer coming in at pace. However, the midfielder wasn’t there having been deliberately tripped by Mancienne who should have been given a yellow card. This was one of the many decisions that Mr Probert and his assistants failed to spot. Scott Dann volleyed inches wide and it was inevitable that the missed chances by Blues would come back to haunt them.
Wolves took the lead three minutes before the break when Jarvis’ cross was deflected against the foot of the near post by Roger Johnson. Doyle was on hand to tap in the rebound from three yards for his sixth goal of the season. The score was against the run of play but Blues had paid for their continued inability to take the chances they keep creating in games. Blues should have had a penalty when Zubar shoved Liam Ridgewell in the back in first-half injury time.
Graham Souness at half time said that the reason the penalty wasn’t given was because the referee bottled it. He was right but I would just put it down to the general ineptitude of the officials who had given goal kicks instead of corners, corners instead of goal kicks, throw-ins the wrong way on too many occasions for so-called top flight professional referees.
Wolves started the second period the brighter buoyed by their score just before the break. It was a far more even contest but Wolves had the edge at this stage now they had a lead to defend. Benitez limped off after a tackle by Hahnemann to be replaced by Phillips as Blues struggled to break Wolves down, but they began to see more of the ball as Wolves began to defend deep. Nevertheless, Foley tested Hart from 18 yards before Adlene Guedioura unleashed a fierce 25-yard effort, which flew inches over with 13 minutes remaining.
It was difficult to see where a goal was coming from with only ten minutes to go when Barry Ferguson tossed a ball to the far post, which Craig Gardner who had come on for the jaded looking Larsson headed down for Phillips to tuck in at the near post. St Andrews and my living room were in raptures as the momentum swung in Blues favour.
One sensed that Blues could go on and win the game now and so it was to prove as Super Kev grabbed the winner five minutes from time when Stephen Carr was allowed to run from deep to tee up Phillips, who found the corner with a neat volley following an exquisite touch off his chest with six defenders around him. This was a truly class finish from the little maestro and Chucho would do well to learn from him as this was a salient lesson in how it should be done.
Blues were not at their best for this one but still showed enough resilience to pull off the win. Wolves did look the better side for twenty minutes or so of the second half but then wilted. Blues despite being under par deserved their victory.
Kevin Phillips stole the man of the match accolade in only half an hour and must be a candidate to start next week. Fergusson was once again the pick of the midfield. The defence was solid and a little unfortunate in the manner of conceding the goal.
As for Wolves, Doyle was by far their best player and troubled Johnson all afternoon. Jarvis was quick and presented a threat on the left and his cross for the goal was excellent which led to the telling deflection. Zubar had a good match going forward and was their most effective defender although he was fortunate not to concede a penalty when he blatantly pushed Ridgewell in the back.
Ward was truly awful and I can see why the Wolves fans think he is Mick McCarthy’s love child. He was arguably at fault for both our goals. Mancienne, I don’t rate and never have. He has played over one hundred games at senior level for QPR and Wolves on loan from Chelsea. He is supposedly a central defender who has latterly been used as a defensive midfielder. I have watched him in both positions and frankly he isn’t good enough at this level which is why I doubt we will see him breaking into the Chelsea side any time soon.
Apart from Doyle, Jarvis and Stearman when fit, Wolves have too many Championship players and that is why they are struggling for survival. I nevertheless hope that they do for the sake of Midlands’ football.
Blues: Hart 7 Carr 7 Johnson. R 6 Dann 7 Ridgewell 7 Larsson 5 Bowyer 6 Ferguson 8 McFadden 6 Benitez 5 Jerome 6
Subs: Fahey 7 Gardener 7 Phillips 9
Wolves: Hahnemann 5 Zubar 7 Craddock 6 Berra 5 Ward 4 Mancienne 4 Foley 6 Henry 6 Jones 5 Jarvis 7 Doyle 8
Subs: Guedioura 7 Surman n/a Ebanks-Blake n/a
Referee: Lee Probert 5
Birmingham City v Wolves Brief Post Match Thoughts
SUUUUUUUUUUPEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR SUPER Kev,
SUUUUUUUUUUPEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR SUPER Kev,
SUUUUUUUUUUPEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR SUPER Kev,
Super Kevin Phillips!
Well, I have to say I thought we were pretty poor this afternoon. We didn’t look as tight as we normally do at the back with bad defending resulting in Wolves being gifted a goal towards the end of the first half.
We had put their goal under a lot of pressure without really creating a clear cut chance. Wolves had clearly sussed us out, they put pressure on the defence and harried everything in the middle, and even before they scored, I though they looked the more dangerous.
The second half wasn’t much better, we are not following up the drop downs especially around the box – Alex MUST deal with that.
I did always think that Wolves were vulnerable at the back though, and so it proved when Kevin Phillips came on. On the 80th minute, after a good interchange of passes, Gardner put back a terrific header from the byeline and KP was there to knock in the equaliser.
Five minutes later we were ahead, Carr skipped down the right – the first time in the match – put over a terrific cross, Phillips showed his class by taking it on the chest and knocking it home for the winner.
Chucho went off injured – I hope it’s not serious. Gardner looked useful, and I still think Fahey will become a first choice.
Over all, not our best performance, and if I was a Wolves fan, I’d be gutted. But one of our traits is tenacity, we never give up. How many goals in the last 10 minutes this season?
Well done Blues, 3 points from safety! 
Kev
Birmingham City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers – Preview
Team News
For the first time in three months there is a chance that Blues may not be unchanged as fatigue is beginning to become a factor. New signings Michel and Craig Gardner may get a chance and Keith Fahey will also be pushing for a start.
Wolves will be missing long term absentees Michael Kightly, Davis Edwards and Andy Keogh so are also like to field a similar team that drew at Hull.
Last Meeting
The two clubs met at the end of November at Molineaux where Blues won thanks to Lee Bowyer’s beautiful third minute chip. The last Premier League game at St Andrews took place in April 2004 and ended as a 2-2 draw. Blues had led 2-1 at half time through goals by Mikael Forssell and Clinton Morrison.
Recent Form
Blues have dropped down the recent form league after losing for the first time in fifteen games at Stamford Bridge. We have not won at St Andrews since beating Blackburn in mid December. We are still unbeaten at home since losing to Bolton on 26th October.
Wolves are coming off the back of an embarrassing cup defeat to Crystal Palace but have drawn their last two games in the league. They have only won one of their last six away games and are the lowest scorers in the league with nineteen.
Outlook
So it’s derby day again. Not “The” derby of course but local rivalry all the same and so it becomes about more that just three points. I work closely with a Wolves fan so defeat is not an option for me as I guess it is for most people. Of course the three points are also welcome although probably more vital to them than us. I feel 37 points will be enough to stay up this year and it will nice to have reached that target in February. Wolves though are only just clear of the drop zone on goal difference and will be looking to bounce back after the shambles of Tuesday night at Palace.
With safety almost assured and our big cup game coming up next week it would be easy to lose focus in the league but there’s nothing in this current Blues side that makes me think that will happen. The will to win is still there and on Sunday we face opponents that have problems at both ends of the pitch. Despite splashing out on Kevin Doyle they have struggled to score and they have an ageing defence which is susceptible to pace. I would hope that despite their relative lack of goals that Benitez and Jerome are fired up for this one and looking to cash in. Jerome in particular has a great record against Wolves. The main danger from them will come from set pieces so we have to be on the look out there. I would like to see a few changes made to freshen up the team and hope Michel plays a good part of the game. Hopefully we can get an early goal and then settle back in to our usual counter attacking style using our pacy forwards to pick them off.
My Prediction 2-0 Blues.
Blues News Digest
The news today is dominated by the sad passing of Gil Merrick. Our own tribute can be found here
In other news The Birmingham Mail is reporting how Alex McLeish believes that the squad still has the necessary depth despite our lack of activity in January.
The same source is also reporting that McLeish is planning to go try again to sign Roman Pavlyuchenko and Kris Boyd. I expect this story to go on for months.
Away from transfers there are a lot of articles about the upcoming derby game with Wolves. The Express and Star carries an article in which Mick McCarthy admits that the pressure is all on then for Sunday which is not something you hear very often.
Vital Football has an interview with Wolves defender Kevin Foley who admits that it will be a tough game for them but they need to bounce back after their midweek cup defeat to Palace.
You’ll be able to read the J&S preview of this game tomorrow.
-
Partners
-
Polls
Loading ...
-
Recent Posts
- St Andrews Tannoy Sytem – Give Your Feedback
- Post Portsmouth Musings!
- Who’s going to be the top marksman?
- VIEW FROM THE SOUTH – PORTSMOUTH v BIRMINGHAM CITY
- Nail Biting Blues!
- Portsmouth v Birmingham City – FA Cup preview
- As the Blues Announce a Loss – We Ask, is it Bad News?
- 2nd Supporters Clubs and Blues Websites Meeting
- Gil Merrick Memories
- Martin Taylor Speaks to Joys and Sorrows
-
Other Stuff
