Wolves PodJockey Adam Thompson wonders if McCarthy's men are nothing without their wing wizards Kightly and Jarvis.

‘Woeful', ‘Abysmal', ‘Horrendous' were just some of the words that were used by a few unlucky Wolves fans who attended a miserable game (for us) in a bleak rain soaked Swansea. And I couldn't have put it better myself. After a disastrous 0-3 home defeat to Reading which saw wolves lose not only the watch but arguably the two best performers for Wolves this season in Michael Kightly and Matt Jarvis. The mumbles around Molineux were starting, the ‘Here we go again' seemed oh too familiar but remaining positive was a must for our trip to Swansea despite such setbacks.

Then the team sheet is announced, Hennesey rested, Iwelumo suspended, Kightly Injured, Jarvis Injured, Ebanks-Blake Injured. The fresh faced George Friend in at left back and the new loan arrival of Carlos Edwards starting. Five men across midfield and the not so much ‘Fox in box' but more ‘Assassin Assister' Andy Keogh alone up front, it was hard to feel confident, something this Wolves side had looked this season, that had glimpses of the class of 2003. We concede in the first minute, get a goal back through ‘The Assassin' Keogh but concede again before half time and another in the second half to condemn wolves to their 2^nd defeat in a week shipping 6 goals for their troubles. ‘We were rubbish' said Karl Henry after the game, and those chants of ‘we are top of the league' we can only hope will return when at the crunch of the season.

The worry for myself was that the performance at Swansea had shades of last season's frustrations where fullback Michael Gray was playing right midfield and Kevin Foley was shifted into what's now known as the ‘Makelele role'. Saturday's side was very much that, it was very much mix and match; George Friend who received a torrid time at left back was eventually moved to the left wing with Dave Edwards being deployed as second striker. But reasons for these changes could be looked at in two lights. Is it Mick McCarthy showing blind faith in his players by playing them out of position? Or is it simply that the loss of Kightly and Jarvis leaves are our team unbalanced and in disarray? The latter seems the more likely, Mick McCarthy's belief in the ability in Stephen Ward and Neil Collins has seen two players excel this season when many Wolves fans were left scratching their heads when they penned new deals. But what must not be ignored is that last season wolves were inconsistent or more appropriately unbalanced. It took until late in the season to find our strike partnership where at one point wolves had no fewer than eight forwards, put that with a rotation of midfielders and a team that didn't have Kightly and Jarvis playing in it until we made a last ditch promotion push (Funny that eh?) and our final place of 7^th looks a little more respectable.

There's no doubt that Kightly and Jarvis ‘our wingers supreme' are a massive influence on Wolves, they affect the way we play, the tempo and with two players willing to charge forward with the ball at every opportunity, they take enormous pressure of the defence and with Mick McCarthy comparing the loss of one of the wingers like Man United losing Ronaldo, two of that is pretty crucial.

My worry now is that with both players out can Wolves cope? Are they more balanced this season to be able to reshuffle and still be considered contenders for the Premiership? Or are Wolves simply a mediocre side with the luxury of two match winning assets.