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Doyle fit for final showdowns

As timing goes, this could prove perfect, with Kevin Doyle set to announce himself fit and ready for the final two games of the season.

The 27-year-old suffered knee ligament damage playing for the Republic of Ireland on 26th March.

Since then he has been sidelined which has been rather frustrating with the injury picked up while he was on International duty, but that's a different topic entirely.

Thankfully he has now returned to full training and assuming the knee holds up over the next few days, he should be ready for the final two games against Sunderland and Blackburn.

'Hopefully, I won't have any reaction. If it goes OK I should be available,' Doyle told Wolves Official Website.

He continued: 'I feel I'm naturally fit enough and would be ready if needed but the pressure won't be on this week after such a fantastic performance from the lads (against the Albion).

'If I can get through a few days training, then hopefully I've got a chance of being on the bench.'

Vital Wolves Comment: Mystic Akela predicts that Doyle will score the goal that secures our Premier League survival.

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Writer: Akela

Date:Tuesday May 10 2011

Time: 12:00PM

Your Comments

Well, Akela, if we stay up, you could undoubtedly earn a living as a fortune-teller. For most of the season we could have obtained long odds on it happening but you have always confidently told us not to worry. Doyle won't start and I hope we can succeed without him. He clearly is not 100 per cent fit, never mind match fit, and an extra week off might make the difference. However, as I have argued in a previous thread, we might need him to shore up the side as we revert to a 4-5-1 formation.

Southbank60

I still think 40 points will be enough!,as long as everyone plays by the rules and fields full strength sides!

Crete Wolf

MU certainly won't and that will materially affect our chances of staying up.

Southbank60

If MU dont field full strength side, then they should be fined - just like we were ------ I actually wrote an article about it on my Wolves blog in Slovakia and on the end I said I want to see what happens, if MU makes 10 changes in lineup....---- I doubt, that MU would be fined in such case.

PanFiluta

If it's in English PanFiluta would you like it published on Vital Wolves?

Akela

Its not in english, its in slovak ;) ---- check it out, if you want, these are my articles about Wolves : about upcomming Black Country derby (that cancelled match) : http://alexanderpatkolo.blog.sme.sk/c/250827/Bitka-o-Ciernu-zem.html ----------------- about what I saw when I was on Wolves vs Wigan match on boxing day : http://alexanderpatkolo.blog.sme.sk/c/251912/Na-zapase-Wolves-Wigan.html ----------------- About how big Carlo A left with long nose : http://alexanderpatkolo.blog.sme.sk/c/252475/O-tom-ako-velky-Carlo-s-dlhym-nosom-odisiel.html ---------------- About how the Blackpool were fined : http://alexanderpatkolo.blog.sme.sk/c/254819/Farce.html ------------ About the magic of Merlin and his wolfpack : http://alexanderpatkolo.blog.sme.sk/c/255755/Merlin-a-jeho-svorka-Vlkov.html --------------- About O´Hara, Mr. Morgan, Merlin, Jarvis and such stuff : http://alexanderpatkolo.blog.sme.sk/c/259984/Z-kuchyne-Molineux.html ---------------- Its on biggest slovakian blogs server, so I have around 800 - 1000 readers on each article :) ------- If I can find time during weekend, I will try to translate something to english :)

PanFiluta

Email them too me in English and we'll get them up on Vital Wolves.

Akela

I think it is fair to assume United will be resting most of their players but I doubt they will be turning up to, well rain on their own parade so to speak. Their second string can still often do the business but with theirs and others safety dependant upon the result Blackpool will obviously give it everything and if they do win and someone else is relegated the FA will be left with no choice but to fine them or face law suits themselves. Lets face it; if United break the rules the FA are there to punish them and if they dont the other clubs will start something that wont reverse any decision or final league standings and just drag on for years; it would be in the best interest of the FA to dole out one of their fines. Its an ugly topic so lets just hope we are not even part of it. I certainly hope 40 points will prove enough for anyone because whilst 4 points from these two games is not unrealistic they will not come at any ease. What a season it has been.

New York City Wolf

It amounts to only one thing, that the manager of a club has restricted powers over team selection. And, as far as PL clubs are concerned, who is to decide just which players make up the first eleven? Let us leave MU aside, let us take the Wolves. Let us say Wolves are sitting on 40 points by tomorrow evening playing with the same team that beat WBA, and for the Blackburn match, who, for argument's sake, need at least a point from that match to be sure of survival, MM decides to play Berra, SEB, Jarvis, Milijas, who have by now had their rest, and perhaps Jones and Hammill, give Hennessey a rest, or whatever reasons MM may have in the interests of both the Club and the players, whatever they be, can the other teams faced with the drop claim that this is a 'weakened' Wolves side? The manager is free to select as he sees fit, as he pleases even, and he is not obliged to give reasons. He often does... invariably does. But he is not obliged. That responsibility is his and his alone, on it he will judged by Chairman and fans alike in the end.

lovesW

If our relegation rivals (bar one) win this weekend, we will have to field our strongest side against Blackburn anyway. But, if a rest works wonders, does that mean the return of the players lovesW mentions? Of one thing I am certain, Jones will not be playing as MM has ostracized him. Incidentally, if we needed three points from our last two games and tomorrow we were travelling to Old Trafford to play MU, who had to win to stay in the title race, would we field a scratch team?

Southbank60

As for Jones, I can sense that much. Contract issues. I included his name only as an illustration. My point is that there are no scratch teams, or, better put, any selection out of about 18-20 players is a first team with many PL sides. Look at the benches of most PL sides. Crouch, the England striker, ever on the bench at Spurs, and 'utilised' either in the dying minutes when necessary or as centre back! If we were travelling to MU tomorrow in the circumstances as you have them - and I would say you mean we needed three points from the six, otherwise you would have said we needed six points or three points from each of the last two games- and MM, seeing that the final game against Blackburn may very well be the decicive one, decided to bring in Jarvis, SEB, Milijas. Stearman,Berra and Hahnemann (six changes to the winning formation against WBA), is this to be considered as a 'weakened' side? In other words, just which is our strongest side that you mention? If you ask me, there is no strongest side, for the side selected is the stongest in the opinion of the manager alone, or the one that is best suited to the circumstances, again, in the opininion of the manager alone. This is my point.

lovesW

That's a little disingenuous, lovesW. While any member of the squad could individually perform satisfactorily, if filling in for an injured colleague, you and I (and MM) know that a number of players are not in the 'alpha' team. To paraphrase George Orwell's comment, as expressed in his book, 'Animal Farm', 'All players [in the squad] are equal, but some players are more equal than others." We have all seen - usually in a Cup match against lower division opponents - what happens when we put out a team consisting mainly of peripheral players.

Southbank60

I remember the book well. We had it for English Literature, I believe in the fourth year -14 and 15-year-olds. Disingenuous, you say? I cannot see how I could have been misunderstood this time.. What you say holds true for the team we put out at Old Trafford last season, granted, but there is no way to argue the point when it comes to selecting the alpha team now ,from the players that faced WBA along with the six I mentioned. Add Hammill and the injured Edwards and Zubar, and you have the squad of 20. Certainly none in that list can be considered as 'second string'. And I have forgotten Doyle, of all people! I actually feel for MM having to pick out the 11 to start.

lovesW

...and, Southbank, I have been meaning to ask. I have seen some video clips featuring one Zeli Ismail. From what I read, he is some sort of phenomenon, so much so that his training sessions are restricted in number in order not to 'expose' him too much to the scouts of the big clubs. This would be 2009 or thereabouts. I do not see his name mentioned anywhere in the Wolves squads, academy included. What do you have on him?

lovesW

LovesW: regarding Zeli Ismael, he seems to have been around for ever even though he is only 17 years old. That's because he joined the club as a 10 year old. Touted by our ex Academy Director as the first £100m player, he has been kept under wraps to avoid letting other clubs get a glimpse of his prodigious talent. He also suffered serious knee injuries and has been brought back slowly. He signed pressional forms for WW on 15 December and has had run-outs in the reserves. I suspect that he would have been blooded in the PL at some point in the season, playing a cameo role in a game that we had wrapped up, but we were never in that position ... and, if we were (Blackpool, WBA) he was not on the bench. Now that he is emerging from the shadows, he will be subjected to greater critical attention. Even so, he does have the ability to go far (but the next George Best?) Given the difficulty that our Academy lads have had in breaking through into the first team, I am not certain whether we will see him play in the PL in the old gold and black colours ... but then who will have that luxury if results go against us over the course of the next eight days? More pointedly, what will Moxey do if a big club offers silly money for him?

Southbank60