Wolves vs Everton preview - Henry confident of survival - 7M sport

Wolves vs Everton preview - Henry confident of survival



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Posted Saturday, April 09, 2011 by PA

Skipper Karl Henry insists there is no panic at Wolves about being in the bottom three with only seven games remaining ahead of the home clash with Everton.

Mick McCarthy's side had collected eight points from four games before being beaten 4-1 by Newcastle at St James' Park last weekend.

Henry and the other players have watched a re-run of that performance this week but the midfielder remains confident Wolves will avoid the drop.

He said: "We watched the video of the Newcastle game and we produced an uncharacteristic performance.

"We got punished although we probably weren't as bad as we might have thought.

"We would have had to do something special to extend our unbeaten run right through to the end of the season.

"But we are ready to crack on again now and have to start another unbeaten run."

Henry added: "We're not panicking about anything. I've said all along we will be out of the position we are in when it matters at the end of the season.

"We have to go into every game believing we can get something and hopefully pick up enough points to achieve survival sooner rather than later."

Wolves face successive home games with Everton and Fulham after the postponement of next weekend's away clash with Stoke, who will be on FA Cup semi-final duty against Bolton.

Henry said: "We've had a really good improvement in our results at Molineux this season although our away form has taken a dip.

"Everton are an excellent side - but so are we in my eyes and we have to take the game to them."

McCarthy is adamant Wolves contain sufficient fire-power to compensate for the loss of striker Kevin Doyle for the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury.

He said: "We've got goalscorers, no question. They are proven goalscorers without a doubt and there's goals in us apart from the strikers.

"Doyle getting injured isn't what anyone would have wanted, but in Steven Fletcher, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Stephen Ward, we've got good cover.

"Matt Jarvis, Michael Kightly and Adlene Guedioura also have goals in them."

Fletcher is expected to recover from a slight calf problem in time to be in contention to face the Toffees.

The postponed game at Stoke will now take place on April 26.

Everton's recent form has left manager David Moyes wondering what might have been this season.

The Toffees ended February just three points above the Barclays Premier League relegation zone but are now seventh after a five-game unbeaten run.

Yet while that has lifted a lot of the gloom to have descended on Goodison Park during a generally disappointing campaign, Moyes is frustrated it did not come earlier.

And with a host of injuries decimating an already threadbare squad, the Scot is still not taking anything for granted ahead of a tricky final seven games.

Moyes said: "I have said many times we are having a pretty poor season by our standards and we are not feeling great about it - but we are seventh now.

"We might not stay there because of the situation we are in and the players we have available.

"But a couple more wins and we'd have been saying we were up there. That is easy to say but it is a fact.

"We don't think we have done well but we are in a pretty good league position at the moment, albeit the points total could still see us dragged back towards the bottom.

"But the points we have got might not be enough yet.

"I don't think any manager could tell you exactly what the points total needed might be."

Everton will be stretched for the trip to Molineux with Seamus Coleman, Tim Cahill and Jack Rodwell all injury doubts.

With Marouane Fellaini and Mikel Arteta also sidelined, Moyes has few options and last week named a seven-man bench with no Premier League experience between them.

One piece of good news for Everton has been the nomination of Irish winger Coleman for the Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year award.

The 22-year-old, signed from Sligo Rovers for #60,000 two years ago, went on loan to Blackpool last year but has now cemented a place in the Toffees side.

Moyes said: "I think it is deserved, especially given where he has come from.

"It wasn't long ago he was playing in the Irish league and he has come out and made a big impact.

"This is a boy who has come through the hard way, not had the training a lot of other young boys have had coming through club academies.

"Seamus' rise - from the level he has come from - it is incredible."



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