From Express and Star
Wolves striker Chris Iwelumo is hoping lightning doesn’t strike twice and he can face his former club Charlton.
The last time the two sides met at the Valley in September, he missed the game after an injury flared up in the warm-up.
Now the Scotland international is hoping to overcome an ankle injury, picked up in the victory over Charlton’s neighbours Crystal Palace 10 days ago.
Iwelumo, who joined Wolves from Charlton for £400,000 last summer, will decide on whether he plays.
But he admits it would be cruel luck to miss playing for a second time against his old club – who are marooned 12 points from safety.
The forward said: “It killed me. I was ‘on fire’ at the time too, but I got a tight groin during training on the Thursday.
“It kept coming back, so I gave it until matchday when it felt great, but then just as I was passing in the warm-up, it went on me again. I couldn’t even run.”
Thankfully for Wolves, they didn’t need Iwelumo that day, as a Sylvan Ebanks-Blake penalty and two late strikes from substitute Sam Vokes clinched a 3-1 win.
Injuries to Charlton’s strikers have contributed to a desperate season for the Addicks and Iwelumo’s replacements Svetoslav Todorov and Andy Gray have scored once and seven times respectively, while another, £2million Luke Varney, was farmed out on loan to Derby after scoring just twice.
Last season, Iwelumo was their top scorer with 10 goals and was the club’s only ever-present.
He has seen the fortunes of his present and past clubs soar in different directions since his move, and admits he never saw such a dramatic change in fortunes after then Charlton boss Alan Pardew allowed him to leave.
Iwelumo said: “It’s incredible – it must be the effect I have! I never saw Charlton going that way. I had a chat with ‘Pards’ before I came here, he wanted to go a certain way and it wasn’t something I agreed with.
“I think because he’d spent so much money on Luke Varney and brought in Andy Gray, they were going to be his number one strikeforce.
“I got wind of Wolves’ interest and used it as a kind of leverage to get away and his (Pardew’s) hands were tied really.”
Despite their desperate plight, Iwelumo has warned of the dangers Wolves face after Charlton drew 2-2 at third-placed Reading on Tuesday.
He said: “This won’t be an easy one. They’re bottom of the league but they had a lot of chances against Reading. We know what it’s like when you go on a run after one win in 11 and it’s difficult to get out of.
“Little things go against you and when you make a mistake, you get punished for it.
“They went for a long period with things like that happening. I saw some of their games on Sky and they played some very nice football.”
Iwelumo also revealed Charlton have their own “Molineux factor” to contend with.
He said: “They prefer playing away from home – I can’t imagine what the atmosphere at the Valley is like.”
As Charlton’s strikers have struggled, their goals have come from midfield and their top scorer is 10-goal midfielder Nicky Bailey.
With one 25-yarder against Wolves already in the locker this season and five in the last eight games, he’s one to watch.
That said, Iwelumo doesn’t give much hope to his former club’s chances of surviving a second relegation in three seasons.
He said: “I don’t want to say it but it needs a miracle for them to stay up.
Iwelumo admits he has been like a new signing, after returning to the side in the last three games following a loss of form.
He still hasn’t scored since November 25, but he admits he’s back to his marauding old self.
The striker said: “I’ve just got to basics really. I haven’t scored for a while but there’s a bigger picture. I’m feeling fresh and good.
“I wasn’t firing on all cylinders and being left out here and there, you maybe have to look at yourself and see what you were doing before and get back to it.
“In the last three games, I think I’ve contributed and long may it continue.
“When I’m not scoring, I’ve got other jobs to do and if I don’t do those, there’s no point me being in the team.”
The 30-year-old admits he and 33-year-old Jody Craddock have injected fresh life into Mick McCarthy’s young guns.
Iwelumo said: “When players are injured, we’ve got lads coming in and it is like a new signing.
“It given a spark to the rest of the boys. I think everyone here knows what to expect from everyone else.
“If someone’s not at it, then they shouldn’t play because someone else is biting at their legs to get in.”
0
Comments
Interesting...
From what i have seen in the last 2 away performances, he may have a point about prefering the away games. Seem to be more confident away from home.
.........
Take note all those who like to boo and get on the backs of the team when they aren't playing well.
or breaking it down.
Sounds like an illegal approach.
Not surprising in the slightest!
He's a fan of Iwelumo. I thought Pardew was but he saw Gray and Varney as our new partnership and Iwelumo obviously knew he could play more often somewhere else.
Get the feeling him and Pardew had quite a few different opinions on players.
Having worked with Iwelumo at Colchester, Parky was instrumental in bringing him to Charlton in the first place.
So no doubt they had a decent rapport.
At the time Big Chris was sold, Pardew said that the team didn't play the way he wanted them to when he was playing.
And if you cast your minds back to last season, once Reid was injured/sold, the team just lumped the ball up vaguely in the direction of Iwelumo, bypassing our midfield altogether.
Fair point then, BUT ...... we've certainly missed Big Chris this season.
I suspect that Pardew decided that the starting strikers were going to be Gray/Varney with Iwelumo on the bench and when an offer came in he decided to cash in. Bear in mind we signed him on a free so it represented good business, although a poor footballing decision.
And you too, Oggy, come Monday, all this "blaming the fans" stuff! :-)
Sddddaaaarn and chew that Werthers quietly , Young Man.
Oggy absolutely . We ve missed him and I hate to say it but Lisbie too.
...........
Lisbie hasn't had a great season for Ipswich - only 6/7 goals in 30 games, he's been subbed a few times and has started quite a few games on the bench.
the entire away end must have done that. It was like when lisbie came back to the valley with colchester... it was free money day!