McCarthy: pointing the angry masses in the direction of a decent excuse
Someone remind me what today’s date is. We’re still in December, right? Only 17 games of the EPL season gone, right? So can anyone rationalize Mick McCarthy’s decision to field a reserve team at Old Trafford last night? Anyone?
According to the Wolves boss, his decision was “tactical”; after a bruising 1-0 win over Spurs this past weekend, he thought that Saturday’s game against Burnley was more valuable to the team, and thus rolled out 10 new faces from the side that triumphed at White Hart Lane.
“I only decided to change the team after Saturday’s result,” McCarthy said. “All the player effort-ratings that our fitness coach works out were 9.5s or 10. We need to play at that level to get results against top teams and we can’t do it on a Saturday and then also on a Tuesday.”
Only Marcus Hahnemann made it into the starting lineup last night, and to the surprise of no-one, United cantered to a simple 3-0 win. An early Christmas gift of three points for Sir Alex Ferguson, and mild disgust from the rest of the league.
I realize where McCarthy’s pessimism is coming from, and that Old Trafford is a place where almost no team escapes alive. Still, it doesn’t alter the fact that his actions were reckless, unsportsmanlike, and utterly disgraceful.Herm Edwards’ famous press conference immediately comes to mind: “You play to win the game.” McCarthy might not share this mantra, but when his side are hovering around the relegation zone with still a full half-season still to play, his actions indicate that he has no confidence in his team to glean a result against major opposition, and with 19 games still to play, he’d rather sacrifice his side against bigger clubs so they are rested enough to beat the smaller clubs. A risky proposition for any team; after all, there’s as little guarantee of Wolves beating United as there is of Wolves beating Burnley or Hull.
How does that attitude rub you if you’re a fan who made the long trip from the Midlands up to Lancashire on a work night? More importantly, how does that feel if you’re a player trying to survive in the EPL?
Furthermore, it’s disrespectful to those teams in direct competition with United at the top of the table. Would Wolves pull the same stunt heading to Stamford Bridge, or Emirates, or Villa Park? Absolutely not, and yet last night, instead of doing what you’re supposed to and giving a maximum, honest effort, he surrendered before a ball had even been kicked. At least make United work for their three points instead of fielding the reserve team.
The heavy defeat also puts them back into the bottom three, and his thought that a game against Burnley is more “winnable” is rather delusional considering that the Clarets have knocked off Manchester United, Everton and Sunderland and taken points from Manchester City and Aston Villa already this season.
Excuses about fitness and injury risk are absolute rubbish, even if it is quoting Carlo Ancelotti (reading between the lines, he’s trying to hide behind the words of a better manager):
The Wolves manager then quoted from an article in which Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, claimed that the risk of injury rises from 10% after one game to 30 or 40% if another game follows within three or four days. “What you saw tonight was the best team we had available,” added McCarthy. “I’ve got 21 players to choose from, that was my first team.”
Did any other team run out 10 reserves last night? Or will they tonight, for that matter? Is the team physio and medical staff at Molyneux incompetent to the point of needing extra time to prepare players for games? And what about the players’ fitness to begin with? They’re professional athletes. I think they’re used to playing multiple games in a short space of time.
If we’re to believe McCarthy’s limp rationalization, then we should look out for several wildly different starting lineups over the Xmas break. After all, there’s a game on Boxing Day and then another on New Year’s Day. That’s only like 5 days between games! I bet the likes of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and Nenad Milijas will need a month off just to recover.
In short, Mick, show some fortitude and make an effort. There’s no excuse for what happened last night; every point is up for grabs, and the league is more wide open this year than it has been for quite some time, with upsets and eye-opening results happening every single weekend. To suggest that your team was so exhausted that they needed a game off is ridiculous.
It’s just a shame that the league doesn’t enforce their rules about fielding weakened teams anymore, else Wolverhampton Wanderers would be in serious trouble.
And right on cue, the EPL has requested some insight as to their motives for the reserves XI last night. I don’t hold out hope for actual punishment, but it’s nice that the league is feigning interest.
You forgot to mention McCarthy giving Fergie a good knob-slobbing afterwards. MFer. (Him, not you.)
Oh, how I hope Burnley eclipse Tottenham’s record-tying margin of victory against that idiot.
there’s a lot of anger in this post and comments about mccarthy and his decision.
i haven’t been following the game long enough to feel the hatred for the manager so i can’t follow that line.
and i really don’t see why he is wrong in resting his starters against one of the best teams in the league when he is sure to be in a relegation fight at the end of the season.
he isn’t stupid, and he realizes that his team will be more prepared to play Burnley with not having played united midweek.
they are united after all, and wolves were probably going to lose no matter who they put out there.
it’s kind of simple i think. i don’t understand how it is unsportsmanlike to rest starters for a huge game later on in the week.
and it’s not like the players who played aren’t first teamers. united fielded a team of kids last year against hull and the FA didn’t complain.
maybe i am completely in the wrong here, but i don’t understand why this is so bad.
F**k you Matt Doherty!
Charley: it’s very unsporting. You’re not only gifting a big club chasing the EPL title with three points, but you’re robbing your own team of the chance for any points by rolling over like that. He’s essentially throwing a game. Wouldn’t that be loathed in the NFL, or NBA? He’s match-fixing on purpose! Meanwhile, his team fall back into the relegation zone, and really, he’s as much chance of beating Burnley as he does United. No guarantees in this league.
@JT
I understand where you are coming from, but I also understand his thought. Why risk his team in a match that matters less than the Burnley game (due to both probably being in or near the relegation zone) when they are tired and will be better for not playing.
his goal isn’t to win against united, it’s to survive the season without being relegated.
there are no guarantees, and maybe they could have beaten United, but they have a better chance of beating Burnley in what could turn out to be a relegation six pointer by the end of the year.
i’m not saying that he is right in that this will help stave off relegation, but i am saying that it is his team and he is the manager of it. He can rest players if he wants to.
It’s also not like he put a bunch of kids out there and told them to lose, and go for the ankles while doing it. match fixing on purpose would mean he tried to make them lose. i feel like he was still playing to win, and he thought that fresh legs were more important than tired legs.
and to your reference of the NBA, players get rested when they are tired all the time. they limit their minutes, and keep them healthy for the games that matter most.
NFL is a different story, but it’s also a different sport with different rules. even then, players who need rest get it.
by the way, if none of that made sense, it’s because i have pulled two all nighters in a row, and am so tired i could fall asleep while walking.
stupid finals
Even as a United supporter, I understand the cries of unsporting behavior, but the coach can put whichever XI on the field he feels is best for that day. Also, NFL teams routinely sit star players before the playoffs to rest them, often at the cost of a loss. I don’t see how this is any different.
Charley, I get what you’re saying, but
1) defenders typically don’t have as much running to do as midfielders. So there’s not that much of a reason to rest a center back, or, depending on how the tactics lie, the wing backs. If you want to ring some changes, try switching formations and bringing on an extra midfielder to help out in that area.
2) “resting players” and playing a weakened side can backfire. Look at Villa’s exit from the UEFA Cup last year. O’Neill played the reserves in the return leg at CSKA in an effort to rest up the side for a tough EPL run against Stoke, City, Spurs and Pool. Not only did the reserves lose out, but the first team didn’t end up getting another win until May. And I liked the decision. But the ball don’t lie.
3) Sometimes, you just have to play the hot hand.
McCarthy’s decision seems foolish to me and I would not be happy if my club did this. At the same time ‘rob’ and ‘hurting the game’ seem a bit hyperbolic to my ears (same as when any player not on the England Natl team goes to ground and is called a ‘cheat’).
How different is this from Wenger putting out the Arsenal kids in the Carling Cup? I understand it is NOT exactly the same, but it seems in the same area code. The main difference seems to be that Arsenal kids have a good chance of still winning while the Wolves scrubs do not. That difference is more an indictment of the team depth at Wolverhampton than the quality of McCarthy’ decision.
Switching out the whole team seems like a mistake and surely sends the wrong message to his players, but I don’t see why it is such a huge, game-threatening deal.
JT: Who’s cares if it’s unsporting? If the Wolves ownership has a problem with it, then they should punish Mick accordingly. They have no responsibility to anyone but themselves; if Chelsea are angered by the side Wolves put out against Man U, then they need to get over themselves.
And Wolves absolutely have a better chance of getting points against Burnley than Man U. Even if they will only get points 1 out of every 3 matches against Burnley, their odds are probably closer to 1 out of 10 against Man U.
For that matter baseball teams only use their best pitcher every fifth day routinely and rest field players quite often. Catchers have a very demanding position and the regular starter usually only plays two games for every three the team plays. I think we will all agree that baseball is far less physically taxing than a soccer match.
I know there aren’t any guarantees. But if you were forced to bet your own money on a Wolves game this week, which game would you have picked for a result?
I don’t agree that Mick wouldn’t have done the same thing at Anfield or Stamford Bridge, but I still don’t have to like it. United would have put a couple no matter which 11 he put out there, but have a little integrity and pride, man.
I don’t think the EPL can do anything about this because, yeah, it’s the manager’s call to play whoever he wants, but from a footballing and supporters’ standpoint this was a really stupid decision. The team will now think they have no chance at ever beating a top four side, and the fans are rightfully furious.
Mick should’ve done what every other team does week in week out, rest a few players but still put out a competitive side. It’s one thing to put out a weakened squad in a UEFA or League Cup match because no other teams are really harmed, but the league is something entirely different. Man U were just gifted three points to the detriment of every other squad in the Prem. To do this in December (!), Wolves deserve to get relegated… As dumb a move as Phil Brown’s halftime lecture last season.
Yeah, I think I’m griping about timing too. There are 19 games left! To act as if your team was at an increased injury risk midweek is horses**t, because every other team around put out strong XIs this week. And again, it’s 3 points for United that they didn’t have to work especially hard for.
And yes, integrity too. I hate it when teams play soft XIs at the end of the year, and my outrage is expressed there too. Teams fighting to avoid relegation have every right to be pissed when another team in the drop zone gets to play a top team who’s inexplicably resting everyone. Play your best f**king teams wherever possible.
I understand how it’s “unsporting” and RIDICULOUSLY unfair to the traveling supporters who spent 42 quid on a ticket plus travel time and costs. It’s really unfair to them and the board should reconsider their, “f**k you, we’re not refunding s**t” stance (even if it’s just merch credit, something should be given).
But honestly, I don’t disagree with his tactical decision. Even with his best XI out there, do Wolves pull off a point or three at OT? Even if they can maintain 0-0 for, say 70 minutes, United figure out a way to win games like this.
For Wolves, three points on the weekend is more important for their season than the game at OT. Sure it’s great theatre for the players, but why risk injuries or tired legs on a game you have very little chance of winning. Instead, play it safe and field your best XI for a game that is a six-pointer for you. It’s like the FA wants to make a point here; what about Mark Hughes and Roy Keane’s history of laying down for Utd? Nothing to see there…
The real controvery should be why Utd could only muster 3 goals against the b-squad of a championship team
Burnley away is not the same as Burnley home. Wolves at home certainly have a better chance to take points off Burnley than they do off United at OT. No guarantees, but let’s be realistic.
I disagree regarding the knock-out vs. league argument. It is more disrespectful to a knock-out format to rest players (i.e., Villa/UEFA) as one team can progress to a deeper stage with less effort. The Prem is a marathon. Of course, the points are additive and they all count, but to think that a recently promoted team doesn’t calculate the 40 or so points expected to be needed for survival while assuming losses in all games against the Big 4 is naive. If they get the points, great, but there’s no way McCarthy is sitting there in August thinking OK, I’ll take 3 points from United in December – only 37 more to go to safety.
Further, United could have been chasing the game if Friend had scored his relatively easy chance. With United’s backline (if you can call it that), Wolves may have outhustled United to a shock win with United opened up at the back.
Lastly, the Guardian (Wilson) wasn’t convinced that the traveling support wasn’t ripping on United for not putting on a show, as opposed to not supporting the Wolves second XI.
@Whizalen: I dunno mate, this is why they play the games. If Wolves can beat Spurs at home and are clearly running high with confidence, the decision to bench all the players responsible for that morale-boosting win so the 2nd string can get beaten around Old Trafford doesn’t make much sense. Plus, fans paid to see that game, etc. If you’re gonna lose, lose with some respect.
@wedel: Burnley did draw at Villa Park and Eastlands, so they’re clearly no slouches on the road. The league is as unpredictable as it has been in a long time, so for Wolves to clearly not even try and compete at Old Trafford is inexcusable.
@Wedel But if Wilson is correct in that they wanted United to put on a show, doesn’t that mean that they were displeased at McCarthy? I mean, I don’t think they would have bought tickets and made the trip to root for a slaughter.
@JT: I certainly hear what you’re saying, and given United’s backline, the strategy of going for it may have proved worthwhile. However, it is impossible to know how knacked Wolves first XI may have been. Like financial trading, inside information is key – we just don’t know if sprains, strains and other knocks made the going for it strategy inappropriate – McCarthy does. Whether or not the *strategy* of going for it had merit, McCarthy has a *responsibility* to manage his club over the entire campaign. He does not have a responsibility to play attractive football, to please the neutrals, to have his first XI rolled over away on short rest or choose any one strategy over any other. Based on what he had before him (which we don’t), he chose his team.
Also, you could equally argue that the win to Spurs is untainted because a different team lost and that sending out the same tired players who beat Spurs to get stomped would have erased any benefit from the win.
@Ryan: I don’t fully follow your logic. I don’t think they were necessarily rooting for a slaughter, but more hey, we haven’t been to OT in awhile, let’s have some fun with it.
I interpreted Wilson to be saying it was more “we paid our money to see United, do something United-like.” (Arguably, United did. But that’s a different story.)
Wedel: fair point re “sprains, strains, and other knocks”, but really, all 10 of the outfield players from Saturday have injuries all at once? I could understand a couple of changes.
And, to see if McCarthy’s consistent, let’s look at points in the season where he’s had three games in a week thanks to the Carling Cup.
Aha!
September 20 – EPL
Wolves 2, Fulham 1
Wolverhampton – Hennessey, Elokobi, Berra, Mancienne, Edwards (Maierhofer 70), Henry, Halford, Jarvis (Kightly 86), Castillo, Keogh, Doyle (Ebanks-Blake 77).
September 23 – Carling Cup
Manchester United 1, Wolves 0
Wolverhampton – Hahnemann, Elokobi, Craddock, Berra, Foley, Kightly (Keogh 77), Henry, Jones, Castillo (Milijas 46), Ebanks-Blake (Doyle 66), Maierhofer
September 27 – EPL
Sunderland 5, Wolves 2
Wolverhampton – Hennessey, Elokobi, Berra, Mancienne, Edwards, Henry, Halford, Jarvis, Castillo (Kightly 46), Keogh (Maierhofer 77), Doyle (Ebanks-Blake 76)
So much for his excuse about match-fitness. Three games in 7 days, including a trip to Old Trafford, and plenty of overlap between the three starting lineups.
McCarthy’s full of s**t. He essentially blew off the game.
@Wedel Yeah, my fault I did a terrible job explaining. What I’m saying is that the Wolves fans may have come to Old Trafford excited to see their team play, seen the lineup, gotten upset at McCarthy, then figured, well as long as we’re here, we might as well get crushed.
@JT: Research? You’re bringing actual research into this? If I’m blathering off the top of my head, I require that you do the same!
To that, I say, well, nothing really. I just don’t think it’s as cut and dried of a decision as “you must play your best available players whenever they are not dead”.
Two minor points of rebuttal:
If all 10 men didn’t need the rest, but say 6 or 7 did, do you risk the other 3 or 4? At what point do you decide you don’t have enough horses to give it a go and just rest the whole group?
The three games you pulled were fairly early on – fitness would have been less of an issue at that stage. (I know, that’s weak.)
ha, Wedel, it was more so I could make sure I wasn’t leaving myself open to criticism (aka if he’d used the same practice earlier in the season, I’d be dead wrong) than to use it against you!
@Ryan: Got it. Yeah, entirely possible. Kind of a “we’ll show them” attitude. I don’t deny that I would have been disappointed to travel and get “surprised” by the reserves. But, per Wilson, it seems like they handled it in a supportive way, which is what you ask. Wilson quotes the head of the supporters group who says that a win against Burnley and this will be forgotten, so that kind of lends credence to his theory.
For me the key is if McCarthy goes all hypocrite at the end of the year if he needs a result and someone makes the same decision he made. I think the decision has merit and is of equal merit in December and in April. Hopefully, he’s big enough man if that happens.
@JT: I like it. You get held to a higher standard and I just get to talk. Nice.
I hope you’re not actually mad, Wedel! As an LFC fan clinging to the ship, I must take these very minor victories where I can!
The fans have every right to be upset, it’s not very kind to them. But it’s very smart tactically, and he’s the Head Coach so he can do what he wants. I don’t understand the League getting involved at all, it’s not their decision. What kind of League starts telling Coaches who they can and cannot play? They should go F*ck themselves, it’s not their concern.
Yep, it’s totally smart tactically. Rest average players and use below-average players, throw away a game, move on. I am rooting for them to get hammered this weekend
@JT: Is there precedent for using that particular rule in the way you’re suggeting?
To me, it seems simply to say that you have to play 11 players every match (since “full strength” is, helpfully, left undefined in the Rules).
Anyone defending McCarthy on this is a fool. Its a slap in the face to every other team in the league and all the fans. Not too mention what type of message does this send? Essentially telling young players, kids, fans that when the going gets tough, lay down like a bitch. Disgrace. I too hope they get hammered this weekend, and now I hope they get relegated; no room for cowards in this league.