Arséne calling Mick black...

There was some commotion over the past couple of days about the squad put out by Wolves manager Mick McCarthy to face Manchester United in the midweek Premier League game. Deeming next Saturday’s game against Burnley more important than the away game at Old Trafford, McCarthy chose make ten changes to the team used in the last game and field a side that looked like a reserves one. Outrage! The Premier League wants to speak to Mick about this and Arsène Wenger is fuming.

It’s all a bit daft. Wolves are not the first club to do this. In fact, all the big clubs have done it, both in the Premier League and the Champions League group phase. Not that long ago, Manchester Utd even pulled out of the FA Cup altogether, to play in the World Club Championship. It would be incredibly unjust of the football authorities to issue any punishment at all in this particular instance. That would simply prove what some are already saying about the big clubs: that there is one rule for them and another for the rest.

I can, of course, see the point of the travelling Wolves fans; they have paid for a (probably expensive) ticket, travelled to Manchester and dedicated their evening to watching their team take on one of their biggest opponents of the season. Big day. Then they get to watch a reserves team roll over and play dead while Man Utd stroll to an easy 3-0 win. I can perfectly imagine being incredibly cheesed off if Forest pulled a stunt like that. McCarthy has put himself in a difficult position as well. Wolves are now under immense pressure to win the game against Burnley. If they don’t, the manager will have thrown two games and six points away. In case Wolves are relegated at the end of the season, this may be looked as a decisive moment. Then again, if they stay up, McCarthy may be called a genius for thinking this up.

I can also see the point of those who say that this sort of thing kills any real competition, that Man Utd now play 37 games rather than 38. But then some perspective should be applied. Even with the injuries in the United camp, what are the odds that Wolves were going to beat them at Old Trafford? How many teams go there and come away with anything?

I cannot, however, agree with Arsène Wenger’s comments. I have a lot of respect for the man. Apart from King Billy, he is top of the list for me at the moment. What he does at Arsenal is impressive. But for him to have a go at Mick McCarthy is hypocrisy. Only three days earlier, Arsenal did exactly what Wolves did at Man Utd. Silvestre and Walcott were the only players in the squad for that game with any first team regular credentials. Predictably, Olympiacos won 1-0. This made the other game in the group irrelevant. With an Arsenal win, Standard de Liège from Belgium could still have progressed if they beat their Dutch opponents AZ. They were playing well but you could actually see in this game when Olympiakos scored. Thanks, Arsene. Thanks very much. This could have been really good for Belgian football. But still, fair enough, Arsenal have a right to do this. But they should also have the balls to accept the same tactics when they’re on the receiving end of them. Very disappointing from such a great man…

Be good
Red Devil

(Written 17/12/09, forgot to publish. Meanwhile Wolves did comfortably win their game against Burnley, thus lifting themselves out of the drop zone. Well done Mick McCarthy, then, for showing the "big four" that two can play that game.)