Matt Murray: A lifetime's worth of memoires in such little time

Matt Murray said his farewells at the Villa game during half-time and it would be cold for Wolves24-7 not to give the great man the tribute that he so deserves for the good times he has given us during his injury-ridden career.

In September 2002, and after a one long season sitting on the bench, Murray grabbed his first long-awaited opportunity to shine away to Wimbledon after Michael Oakes failed a fitness test on a rib injury. I remember listening to the game on the radio and as the game progressed I was more intreagued by his ability, reading glowing reviews from newspapers, even more so on the second visit to Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace. I finally got to see Murray in the flesh at Molineux in a defeat to Reading, a game renowned for it's dire performance, but I was in awe of this gigantic, lean figure who made jaw-dropping saves and had amazing control of his penalty area, and from there on in that season, despite the big signings of Paul ince and Denis Irwin, I declared Matt Murray my favourite Wolves player at that time and hoped Oakes wouldn't get a look in. And he didn't as Murray played the remainder of the season and playing a big role in us getting promoted via playoffs. I remembered that penalty save at Cardiff very fondly, he left a big gap of the goal to his right and Michael Brown fell for it hook, line and sinker. If I have a chance to meet him in person, I have to ask if he meant to do that, but I'm sure did.

After conceding five in our Premiership game, Murray sustained the first of what would be a long list of injuries and setbacks whilst on duty with the England Under-21 squad and I was convinced to this day that had he and Joleon Lescott had been fit for that season, we would've stood a better chance of staying up. Murray briefly came back to show more glimpses of potential only to break down again shortly after and did not see any action until he was farmed out to Tranmere on loan on the back end of the 2005/06 season, before returning to us to play the last game of the season.

Murray was the same as we always knew him as he completed his comeback in Mick McCarthy's first season, which had a sense of overachievement about it and Murray played an instrumental role in that with stand-out performances including victory at Leeds and that all so memorable win against Sandwell Town. His displays looked as though caught the attention of newspapers cross the country, even England goalkeeper coach Ray Clemence took the time to observe his raw talent, but it was the closest he would get to the England squad. On the eve of the playoff semi-final, he broke down again and it was the last that we would see of him in action. He made a few more apperances as he was farmed out to Hereford in late 2008, where he broke down again taking a goal kick andmy head just conceded to the fact that he would never have a long successful career, but my heart was clutching at straws.

Matt Murray might be filed under 'England regular had he stayed fit' by some fans, but that will be overshadowed by the sensational displays he had given us in the gold and black. But 29 is no age for a phenomenal talent like him to retire. So young, too damn young.

'Grobs'

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Adlene Guedioura out for 6 months

Such a crying shame about this because we don't have a central midfielder who can offer the forward-thinking qualities that he has. He will be missed so much more than most of us will eventually realise. Whether we will see him again this season when the winter 25-man squad is announced remains to be seen but it's still such a blow. Steve Sidwell for me put in a genuine challenge for the ball, but he was late. But at least Guedioura is looking on the bright side of things and sounds determined to to play for us again.

We wish you a speedy recovery, Adlene.

'Grobs'

Wolves 1 - 2 Aston Villa

They say a defeat in football can be a real kick in the teeth. To put it in cookery terms, this match contained half a tablespoon of Villa, half a tablespoon of Wolves, with a pinch of misjustice.

First half belonged to Villa with Marc Albrighton leading the onslaught, ripping Stephen Ward apart to the point where he had to come off after half an hour. But we had our chances through David Edwards, how I knew in my heart, would miss. Steven Fletcher and Kevin Doyle brought out good stops out of Brad Friedel. But just over halfway into the half, David Jones gave the ball away trying to ghost through two Villa men, the ball was sprayed wide to Albrighton who crossed to the far post for Stewart Downing to catch Kevin Foley napping and tap in from a measly few yards.

Second half, we started better and did so throughout the half. Elokobi came on for Wardy and neutralized Albrighton and managed to bring Matt Jarvis into the game a bit more and it paid off when Jarvo put in a striker's dream of a cross, only for nobody to get on the end of it and bamboozle Friedel to make it all square. Before that, Stephen Warnock looked like and should have recieved a second yellow card for a second reckless challenge on Doyle and as much as it's great to see Mark Halsey back officiating, he had a good game, but he got this decision wrong and it was costly as proved later on. Just as though the game was heading for a draw, Downing sucked Richard Stearman inside, leaving our right flank vulnerable for Warnock to whip in the ball for Heskey to head home. As good a header as it was, Christophe Berra should have done a lot better. And just as if that left a bitter taste in our mouths, Steve Sidwell made a nasty challenge on Adlene Guedioura which left him in a heap and had to be carried off to the touchline as we finished the game with 10 men.

It's all good saying we played well, but it's the points on the board that do the talking. This is our third defeat in a row with the weekend's results elsewhere and table reading negatively, and we go to the DW next on Saturday and a win is crucial just to stop the rot before we retire to the international break.

'Grobs'

LINE-UPS

　

WOLVES (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Foley (Stearman, 73), Craddock, Berra, Ward (Elokobi, 39); Edwards (Guedioura, 81), Henry, Jones, Jarvis; Fletcher, Doyle. Unused subs: Hennessey, Ebanks-Blake, Bent, Milijas.

VILLA (4-4-1-1): Friedel; Luke Young, Cuellar, Collins, Warnock; Albrighton (Agbonlahor, 67), Petrov (Sidwell, 85), Reo-Coker, Downing; Ashley Young; Heskey. Unused subs: Guzan, Ireland, Davies, Bannan, Lichaj.

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Match Preview: Wolves vs Aston Villa

With the excpetion of two Molineux meetings ago, it is very rare that Midland derbies end in a whitewash or a battering and this will meeting looks as though it will be no different. Wolves have not beaten Villa for 30 years and this Sunday is a good opportunity to end the hoodoo.

We will need a much better defensive display than last week to withstand any chance of pulling off what would be a good result in Gerard Houllier's first Premiership match in charge of Villa. Christophe Berra looks set to regain his place after a one-match ban for the under-par Richard Stearman, Michael Mancienne should make way for the more creative David Jones and contrary to what a lot of fans have been saying, I think Stephen Ward will keep his place at left-back. Having the home advantage and yet to fail to score a goal in a match this season, we should go back to 4-4-2 with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Kevin Doyle up front whilst Steven Fletcher plays left midfield on place of the struggling Jelle van Damme.

A new manager's first league should be enough to fire up any team. Houllier favourite Emile Heskey will be seeking for a start after his performance turned the game around in Villa's Carling Cup win against Blackburn as Gabriel Agbonlahor stuggles to maintain his fitness and John Carew has been under-performing. Stephen Ireland - yet to impress - also faces a battle and Richard Dunne is out with a knee injury. Villa will also look for better success away from home this season after a drumming by Newcastle and giving the game away at Stoke.

This fixture last season was very much a game of two halves. We dominated the first whereas we started to look ragged second half as it wore on as Villa slowed the play down a bit. Credit to the Villa defence however for they snuffed out every cross that came their way and Richard Dunne and James Collins had Ebanks-Blake and Doyle's number. Same could be said for Berra with John Carew. Expect no different this time around.

Count on this game being a story of two sides cancelling each other out.

'Grobs'

POSSIBLE LINE-UP

WOLVES (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Foley, Craddock, Berra, Ward; Jarvis, Henry (c), Jones, Fletcher; Doyle, Ebanks-Blake

VILLA: (4-4-1-1) Friedel; Luke Young, Cuellar, Collins, Warnock; Albrighton, Petrov, Sidwell, Downing; Ashley Young; Heskey

VILLA'S KEY PLAYER: Ashley Young. The winger is starting to turn into Villa's standout player after moving into a free role between the midfield and lone striker.

ODDS (with William Hill) (see more odds)

WIN: Wolves 9/5; Draw 21/10; Villa 8/5

FIRST GOALSCORER: Fletcher (Wolves) 6/1; Carew (Villa) 6/1; Doyle (Wolves) 13/2; Ebanks-Blake (Wolves) 15/2; Heskey (Villa) 15/2; Ashley Young (Villa) 9/1; Jarvis (Wolves) 12/1; Jones (Wolves) 14/1; Downing (Villa) 14/1; Craddock (Wolves) 25/1

NOTABLE MUTUAL ALUMNI: Andy Gray, Paul Birch, Tony Daley, Michael Oakes, Peter Broadbent, Steve Froggatt, John Burridge, Gordon Cowans.

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Matt Jarvis For England?

'JARVIS FOR ENGLAND!'.

That was the chant bellowing out of the visiting Wolves fans at White Hart Lane last Saturday and it could be giving England manager Fabio Capello food for thought as he continues to build a young, new squad.

This time last year, any suggestion of Matt Jarvis being considered to play for England was brushed off as a joke due to his lack of quality in his end product, despite his pace and ability to constantly track back and support his full-back. But at the turn of the year last season, just as Wolves were becoming a side increasingly difficult to beat, Jarvis stepped up in his game and improved on his final ball, and scored some crucial goals at Hull and Burnley in the process.

Looking back to four years ago at the tender age of 20, Jarvis was plying his trade at Gillingham as first team regular for a fourth season at the Priestfield Stadium and was beginning to catch the eye of a host of Championship clubs. Back then, not many people would've believed he'd become an England hopeful in the future, but one man believed in him, Gillingham chairman Paul Scally, who believed that his then biggest club asset would be playing for England by the time he was 24, the same age Jarvis is now. Scally was so confident that Jarvis would play for England that upon selling him to Wolves, he added a clause to the deal that the Kent club would recieve a windfall for their contribution towards unearthing Jarvis' potential, should Scally's prediction come true.

Taking a step back at the thought and looking at the current England squad and his chances of a call-up and it's not going to be easy with competition for the wide positions heating up. Manchester City's James Milner and Adam Johnson are in great form for country as well as club, Arsenal's Theo Walcott is always improving, Villa's Ashley Young has not been given a fair crack of the whip at international level and there's also Spurs' Aaron Lennon to consider, despite not receiving a call-up to the squad since the debacle in South Africa. However, one winger whose international days could be numbered is Shaun Wright-Phillips. Now goodness forbid if SWP's old man reads this and comes down on me like a ton of bricks as he has so much love for his boy, but SWP's place in the squad could well be hanging a thread after recent unimpressive cameos and the good form of his fellow Manchester City and England wide-boys restricting him to more substitute appearances than starts. Overall, for Jarvis to be called up, Capello has to take a look around smaller ponds a bit more often, or the winger might have to play for a bigger club to fulfil those international aspirations.
　
Jarvis' quest to break into the England squad is not as clear-cut as some Wolves fans make out, but he's improving game-by-game and he'll continue to knock on Capello's door. I'm not saying he is gonna oust the best wingers England has to offer or win tens of caps, but he is just as deserving of at least a call-up and probably a cap.

'Grobs'

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Welcome

Hello and welcome to the Wolves 24-7 blog, where you'll find everything from match reviews to thoughts about the team and the players to nostalgia to trips down memory lane, anything associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

I have been a season ticket holder for 15 years until last season where I chose to take a two-year hiatus from Molineux to enjoy other good things in life as well as still watching Wolves from an armchair or a pub through the medium of a foreign satellite dish.

I have seen many ups and downs (mainly downs) in those 15 years at Molineux, but as my time came to an end in the Stan Cullis Stand (NL4), I walk away happy knowing that the club has a bright future with no debt to juggle with, a talented manager in Mick McCarthy and a young and hungry collective of players and the only way is up.

If there's a little bit of neutral in you, why not feel free to check out the other blogs and you like the cut of the jibs, why not join the Soccer24-7 forum?

But whatever you do, please bookmark this blog as the blog will improve and the posts will come in thicker and faster than you can say Adlene Guedioura.

UP THE WOLVES!

Sean 'Grobs' Facer