Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has once again been the subject of praise from the media for his work in the transfer market. The loan signing of Jamie O’Hara has seen the midfielder score twice in just four appearances. His form has also inspired Wolves to wins against Blackpool and Manchester United, as well as a draw at rivals West Brom.
The ninth-longest serving manager in the English leagues, McCarthy has seen a wealth of talent both enter and leave Molineux during his time in charge. I think it’s fair to say we have seen our fair share of flops during McCarthy’s time, the likes of Maierhofer, Eastwood and Shackell come to mind.
However, most Wolves fans will agree there has definitely been more positive than negative arrivals in Wolverhampton. I’ve had a look back over all of McCarthy’s signings (there were a lot) and picked out the five that matched these categories – a) the best value for money b) consistent performers c) best overall performances in a Wolves shirt.
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Michael Kightly
Pretty obvious one to start off. Originally signed on loan from non-league Grays in the winter of 2007, Kightly impressed immediately and scored his first goal for the club in a 1-0 win at QPR in December. Despite interest from Manchester United, he signed permanently for a fee (believed to be in the tens of thousands, rather than millions). Kightly went on to earn England under-21 caps, help Wolves to promotion and become one of the best players outside of the Premier League. Only injury has stopped him from progressing even further.
Matt Jarvis
Another lower league signing, Jarvis moved to Molineux from Gillingham in June 2007 for an undisclosed fee (again, not expected to be anywhere near the millions). He settled in the team and immediately showed why McCarthy had taken a gamble on him. A pacey and tricky winger, Jarvis was instrumental in helping Wolves gain promotion, and go on to remain in the Premier League. Has recently been linked with an England call-up and moves to other Premier League sides. Jarvis continue to impress and is improving as the season goes on.
Kevin Foley
Completing the trio of lower league signings, Foley joined Wolves about a month after Jarvis. Joining from Luton, who had just been relegated to League One, Foley was regarded as one of the brightest young defenders around. Foley made the right-back spot his own at Molineux, going on to win the Wolves Player of the Season award in the 2008-09 season. Last season, he made the transition from defender to midfielder, and comfortably settled in the middle of the park as part of the 4-5-1 formation employed by McCarthy. A regular member of the Republic of Ireland squad, Foley is easily one of the most steady and consistent players at Wolves.
Continue to the NEXT PAGE for the rest of the top five…
Kevin Doyle
Joined Wolves in the summer of 2009, ahead of their new season in the Premier League. With a £6.5 million pricetag around his neck, it would be fair to say big things were expected. Doyle didn’t disappoint. After overcoming an early injury, he went on to establish himself as the spearhead of the Wolves 4-5-1 system. Playing up front by himself, he finished the season with 10 goals and picked up the Wolves’ Player’s Player of the season. Despite being linked with a move, Doyle stayed at Molineux and has gone on to impress this season. Although his goal tally is not huge, his workrate in games is as good as I have ever seen from a Wolves player. A fantastic player and signing.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
There were plenty of contenders for this last spot, but I had to give it to Ebanks-Blake as, let’s face it, we wouldn’t be where we are today without his goals. Joined for £1.5 million from Plymouth in January 2008, he went on to score 12 goals and even finished the season as the Championship Golden Boot winner. He went on to win the accolade again the following season, scoring 25 goals to help Wolves win the title and gain promotion. Although he didn’t continue his goalscoring exploits in the Premier League, his second goal of the season saw Wolves draw 1-1 with Blackburn and all-but guarantee their survival. This season has seen his goalscoring return, having scored six so far. ‘SEB’ continues to find himself used as a ‘super-sub’, but remains a firm favourite with the fans!
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There we go, in my view, McCarthy’s top five signings for Wolves. There were plenty more that could have made the list. Captain Karl Henry joined for a relatively small fee, Stephen ‘Utility man’ Ward likewise. George Elokobi was another lower league success, whilst Adlene Guedioura was somehow discovered in the obscurity of the Belgium second division.
We must not forget the players that cost money, but proved their weight in gold, such as reliable defender Christophe Berra and popular full-back Ronald Zubar have proved very valuable acquisitions. You can even look to free signings such as Marcus Hahnemann and Gary Breen as to how clever Mick can be in the market.
If you look at the majority of the signings, there seems to be one thing in common – where they were discovered. McCarthy seems to have a talent for spotting players where nobody else would have thought to look. From non-league to lower league Belgium, and from Serbia to the Irish leagues, McCarthy must have eyes all over the globe. So, if you are a footballer and are hoping to get noticed, I reckon Mick isn’t too far away!
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