My big fear for my club

[Madmalc]

Hodge is coming through. There are more where he came from. Some are out on loan.
After watching academy players being off loaded, in favour of over priced and under performing by ins, we might a much better and more viable team long term.
This year is going to be painful.
The previous model of a small squad of untouchables looks flawed longer term.
Some very harsh lessons are being learnt.

 

[Hawkguy]

I genuinely think we’re one decision away from pulling away from trouble, but they have to get this manager situation sorted ASAP.

The money in the PL means it would be crazy not to do everything in our power to stay up, so I don’t see the comparison with previous times. The squad is miles better too.

To be fair, I think many players like Nunes are making mistakes because they're trying to create something out of nothing.

Our forwards are really weak. Add in two players who I would soon be supporting at work in Moutinho and Costa and yikes.

 

[Woburn Wolf]

The problem is the money spent. Laughable that we spent £66m on Guedes and Nunes who are average at best
We could have left midfield as it was and just bought a top notch striker
I don’t see any hope with this lot as we have a very soft under belly and no heart for a fight
Ludicrous to waste yet another winnable match without a manager in place and very poor that Shi hasn’t been replaced
To stay up we need to score goals and I’m afraid the over hyped Costa isn’t the answer
Bad decisions all over the shop. We’re gone

You are clearly a glass half full type Rosehill.

 

[Summer_Wolf]

We spent £38million on Nunes, £28million on Guedes, £21million on Collins and £15million on Sasha. We got B Traore on loan and made Hwang a permanent signing at £12million. That’s £114million paid out which far exceeds what we got in for MGW, Coady, Saiss, Boly, Ruddy and Donk (between £50-£60million if I am correct). That’s 5 in and 6 out (not including Hoever on loan). On paper, good arrivals who will click eventually. I don’t agree with Coady or Donk departures but I am trying to stay positive, not fearful

If Fosun were not interested why make a net outlay of £50+million!

I know that outlay on (supposedly) top players has yet to be proved value for money, but that should give us some hope of Fosuns commitment.

The next 3 months will give us a good idea of our future, with the appointment of a top class head coach/manager imperative and the January transfer window.

I live in hope and hope the OP will as well.

All too little too late though. Why did it take until 3 weeks before the window shut for Fosun to bother investing for the first time in 2 and a bit years? In doing so we ended up with a cobbled together side late in the window with no preseason to bed in, and even then, the squad is still very unbalanced. This reshaping of the team should've started two years ago, as it is we did it all at once at the **** end of the window when the season had started and we'd thrown points away already, so were playing catch up. 2 years or so of a lack of investment and consistently poor decision making from Fosun has us where we are now ultimately. You reap what you sow and all that. It was right that Bruno went but in fairness to him he had one new player to work with in preseason, no strikers and kids on the bench.

 

[Jayjaywolves]

It’s quickly got to the point where we need to demand change. The speed of the decline is worrying.

Jeff, Sellars, the medical team all need replacing regardless of how good the next appointment is, regardless of league position.

A new structure is needed which is staffed with people who have football integrity both on and off the pitch.

I'm sure we had a competent manager with decent PL experience and full backroom set up willing to pay out his current contract with his own money to come in and sort us.
Seems he's not outstanding enough though

 

[chignalwolf]

I am worried that the club are going to repeat the grim times 0f the Bhatti's and the nightmares under Saunders and Co.
Please give me some hope lads and lasses because to me it seems that Fosun are not interested any more.
Since last March we have been woeful and disposing of a lot of quality players (especially our talisman Coady) is nothing short of idiocy and stupidity.
IMO we need a new manager (obviously) and at least a few quality players to bolster this hapless squad.
Shi has to go imo ,he has failed miserablely ,if not then we are championship bound and with this present set up we will.probably struggle there.
Wake up Fosun your investment is in big trouble and changes both on and off the park are essential if this great old club are not to become a laughing stock again

To give you some hope
I can't see Fosun wanting to build a corner shop on the Molineux site,
Although the new Chinese car plant could be on the cards, (sorry don't suppose that really helped)

Chinese car brand prepares first major entry into UK market

Pendragon to start selling BYD's electric cars before the end of the year

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[WickedWolfie]

Yes and as rudderless as we appear right now, to compare Fosun's mismanagement to the Bhatti's is just hyperbole.

Absolutely. It is nigh on impossible for anything Fosun do to result in no club. The Bhattis got us very close to exactly that....

 

[kentish wolf]

Many thanks everybody, living in Kent I am not in the bubble but I do appreciate your positive comments .
I have been Wolves since 1958 and I am 72 now.
It ain't easy being a Wolves fan but they are the only club for me.

 

[Rhoswolf]

Many thanks everybody, living in Kent I am not in the bubble but I do appreciate your positive comments .
I have been Wolves since 1958 and I am 72 now.
It ain't easy being a Wolves fan but they are the only club for me.

72 in January, similar supporter since 58 and never ever been more disenchanted about my fooytball club.

 

[kentish wolf]

Rhoswolf
Yes it depressing at the moment but the Bhattis, Chorley and 3 minutes from extinction in the early 1980s was worse. BUT............
I am hoping that Shi leaves the club ASAP... totally clueless.

 

[WolvTown]

Errr.. the OP asked for a glimmer of hope..

A Glimmer

 

[Hot Fuss]

They just spent more money than we have in years. And more than most in the Premier League.

I don’t like to give them the benefit of the doubt as they’ve made many stupid decisions in the past but if you’re nearly in financial ruin I presume you know about it in advance. So you don’t sanction a football club to spend £100m+ and then realise 6 weeks later you’re desperate for funds.

Similarly, you don’t sack a manager.

Our squad is fine. It’s a centre back short in terms of depth and a striker short but every team in the league will have some complaints.

I can’t offer hope on the manager situation. It’s a joke. However it’s three more league games - we presume.

On the whole, our performances aren’t that much different to last season. Just where Jose Sa would bail us out, he’s not now and things like Tielemans scoring a worldie happen.

We need 3/4 points before the break and then we’ll be in a position to be competitive with a new manager and things will look better.

You say the squad is fine. To be fair loads do. My take-

Keeper-

Sa is quality, not at his best this season but pen saves mean we aren’t already 5 points adrift of the relegation line.

Fullbacks-
Jonny has been awful for ages. I was forgiving due to the injuries till Sunday when he basically gave up.
RAN has potential but makes mistakes and bad decisions.
Semedo seems to forget where he is and what he’s doing.
Bueno has played twice.

Centre backs-

Collins is a good player but hugely inexperienced. Already made more mistakes than you’d want.
Kilman, good player but seems to go through spells when confidence is lacking. Like Collins would probably be better with a Dawson type next to him.
Toti. Comedy show against Forest. Don’t want him near the side currently.
Mosquera. Could probably do with games in the championship, like Toti.

Midfield-

Moutinho is 36 years old.
Nunes thought he’d be joining Liverpool. Gave up champions league for this. Played in an unfamiliar role but has he got the spuds for a relegation fight?
Neves is our best player. Ever.
Hodge is a kid whose trying hard and kicking people.
Boobykar. Got legs. Hopefully useful.

Wide forwards -

Podence. Rolls about, moans, tries a clever flick every ****ing time.
Adama is Adama.
Guedes. Somehow managed to find Trincaos brother and pay millions for him. Tossed the game off at Chelsea. Genuinely looks like he can’t be *****.
Neto- awful start to the season, then injured again.
Chiquinho - Wonr be seen for ages.
Hwang- with the best will in the world he isn’t great is he.

Centre Forward-

Fabio- in Belgium
Raul- in Mexico
Sasa- ffs
Costa - coming in at 34 after being retired for best part of a year.

And all this is being led by the bloke who used to manage Crewe.

Long winded (bored on the train) way of saying I honestly don’t have the faith in the squad that a lot seem to.

Hope they prove me wrong and make the trip to Brentford worth it for more than getting ****ed. Up the ****ing Wolves.

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

72 in January, similar supporter since 58 and never ever been more disenchanted about my fooytball club.

Must have been asleep in the mid 80s then lol

 

[Rhoswolf]

Must have been asleep in the mid 80s then lol

Couldn't be further from the truth, fans united against the owners and travelling to grounds I'd hardly heard of, the few who were there will know what I mean, probably the worst time to be a Wolves fan and many deserted but the feeling of togetherness among the remaining few fans with an obvious and visual enemy will never be repeated in my lifetime. May be old and senile but far preferred those days.

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

Couldn't be further from the truth, fans united against the owners and travelling to grounds I'd hardly heard of, the few who were there will know what I mean, probably the worst time to be a Wolves fan and many deserted but the feeling of togetherness among the remaining few fans with an obvious and visual enemy will never be repeated in my lifetime. May be old and senile but far preferred those days.

Oh im in my 70s and never deserted during those days and never will,but theres no comparison with today
We may be disappointed and angry at the moment but weve a long way to go to get to those depths imo

 

[Rhoswolf]

Oh im in my 70s and never deserted during those days and never will,but theres no comparison with today
We may be disappointed and angry at the moment but weve a long way to go to get to those depths imo

Fair play to you and just have to differ, them days I took holiday to go to games, now happy to miss as many games as possible.

 

[Big Nosed Wolf]

As another who was there in the eighties I can reassure all there is no comparison with the Bhattis.

I get Rhos's 'in it together' mantra but I was much more concerned at the time about the club disappearing as we know it. We are currently a long way from that

Currently we are looking relegation certainties and Shi needs to step up now and show everyone he can get back what was so impressively begun when he arrived.

Sacking Nuno after one iffy season was madness football bosses have a penchant for. We won't get such a great fit again but for the good of the club let's hope we get a decent journeyman or two.

Nuno's time here rekindled feelings of long lost days for me and now I find myself increasingly apathetic again towards modern day football.

Perhaps after all WWFC, along with many other famous old clubs, no longer fit in the franchise (pseudo) model now taking shape in the PL. Just perhaps we no longer have the respect of international super stars. Just another pay day?

The Cullis and McGarry years are a very long time ago, even longer the Buckley years. Add in the last twenty years of greed and making football 'marketable' on a global scale and football itself has been changed forever.

No longer a game for real regional identity and local communism. More about hysterical 'passion' mostly thinly veneered engineering by those who wish to 'market' the game to sell a few more bottles of pop, betting sites and shirts.

Plenty will play the game of course and buy into it.

Blame Shi for inexperience in football but no one should blame Shi for the bigger picture in view here.

 

[reanswolf]

I respect anyones feelings to feel as they feel. I’m not happy obviously, there are a lot of issues but you can’t say the owners are not trying to do what is right based on the sheer amount of money being spent.

Injuries have slaughtered us, so has losing Coady. But many were saying we had to evolve and move him on, and now it’s suddenly just their fault. It was a big, difficult decision that has back fired massively. But I am grateful they are spending, it’s just not being done well but no one thought it would fall apart like this.

Feel disillusioned yes, but do n’t compare the owners to the Bhattis or others who have no interest.

Big decisions have gone against us and they should be accountable, but personally I feel we should stick with them to try to help us to pull through. Of course I know 99% of fans will automatically do that anyway. I just don’t get the talk of protests etc. but it’s individual choice. Stick with the lads and it might turn for the better.

 

[TFWanderers]

They're definitely not the Bhatti's and it is very much in their interests to keep us in the top flight - simply for revenue and exposure.

They've made mistakes, there has been a bit of bad luck on the way but if they make the right appointment, we should pull clear.

There are some shocking sides in the PL, at the moment we're one of them but we do have the quality.

I think people are looking at what has happened to WBA and it is scaring them. Really not sure why Fosun would run us into the floor deliberately, they're an investment firm.

 

[GV Wolf]

Hodge is coming through. There are more where he came from. Some are out on loan.
After watching academy players being off loaded, in favour of over priced and under performing by ins, we might a much better and more viable team long term.
This year is going to be painful.
The previous model of a small squad of untouchables looks flawed longer term.
Some very harsh lessons are being learnt.

Hodge looks like a standard player, the others on loan - well if they were any good they would be playing in our first team.

 

[Madmalc]

Hodge looks like a standard player, the others on loan - well if they were any good they would be playing in our first team.

Nunes looks like a standard player, Guedes doesn't look like a player, Hwang doesn't even look like a standard player, Fabio looks like a sub standard player, Semedo looks like a pale shadow of Doherty. They all cost tens of millions and they look like a sick pantomime of the Emperor's New Clothes.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

You say the squad is fine. To be fair loads do. My take-

Keeper-

Sa is quality, not at his best this season but pen saves mean we aren’t already 5 points adrift of the relegation line.

Fullbacks-
Jonny has been awful for ages. I was forgiving due to the injuries till Sunday when he basically gave up.
RAN has potential but makes mistakes and bad decisions.
Semedo seems to forget where he is and what he’s doing.
Bueno has played twice.

Centre backs-

Collins is a good player but hugely inexperienced. Already made more mistakes than you’d want.
Kilman, good player but seems to go through spells when confidence is lacking. Like Collins would probably be better with a Dawson type next to him.
Toti. Comedy show against Forest. Don’t want him near the side currently.
Mosquera. Could probably do with games in the championship, like Toti.

Midfield-

Moutinho is 36 years old.
Nunes thought he’d be joining Liverpool. Gave up champions league for this. Played in an unfamiliar role but has he got the spuds for a relegation fight?
Neves is our best player. Ever.
Hodge is a kid whose trying hard and kicking people.
Boobykar. Got legs. Hopefully useful.

Wide forwards -

Podence. Rolls about, moans, tries a clever flick every ****ing time.
Adama is Adama.
Guedes. Somehow managed to find Trincaos brother and pay millions for him. Tossed the game off at Chelsea. Genuinely looks like he can’t be *****.
Neto- awful start to the season, then injured again.
Chiquinho - Wonr be seen for ages.
Hwang- with the best will in the world he isn’t great is he.

Centre Forward-

Fabio- in Belgium
Raul- in Mexico
Sasa- ffs
Costa - coming in at 34 after being retired for best part of a year.

And all this is being led by the bloke who used to manage Crewe.

Long winded (bored on the train) way of saying I honestly don’t have the faith in the squad that a lot seem to.

Hope they prove me wrong and make the trip to Brentford worth it for more than getting ****ed. Up the ****ing Wolves.

Yeah fair points there, I should probably have said good XI as opposed to squad.

I still think an XI of:

Sa
Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Ait-Nouri
Traore, Neves, Nunes
Traore, Costa, Neto

is good. Or certainly good enough to survive easily.

Then you have players like Moutinho who could still be useful if used sparingly. Podence and Hwang are decent as subs, I actually think Podence is alright to be honest but accept he can frustrate.

Of course it's not perfect but if a proper manager got hold of them I don't think we go down.

 

[Wolf in Kenilworth]

I am worried that the club are going to repeat the grim times 0f the Bhatti's and the nightmares under Saunders and Co.
Please give me some hope lads and lasses because to me it seems that Fosun are not interested any more.
Since last March we have been woeful and disposing of a lot of quality players (especially our talisman Coady) is nothing short of idiocy and stupidity.
IMO we need a new manager (obviously) and at least a few quality players to bolster this hapless squad.
Shi has to go imo ,he has failed miserablely ,if not then we are championship bound and with this present set up we will.probably struggle there.
Wake up Fosun your investment is in big trouble and changes both on and off the park are essential if this great old club are not to become a laughing stock again

We spent a lot on the summer.
The manager and footballing decisions have been wrong.
Plenty of time to pull it around.

 

[Scallywolf]

Many thanks everybody, living in Kent I am not in the bubble but I do appreciate your positive comments .
I have been Wolves since 1958 and I am 72 now.
It ain't easy being a Wolves fan but they are the only club for me.

70 years old myself Kentish, living in Wolverhampton and never wanted to support any other football team.

Supported for 58 years through the good, bad and awful.

It ain’t easy, especially atm I agree, but as you say, they are the only club for me.

Keep the faith.

 

[VancouverWolf]

70 years old myself Kentish, living in Wolverhampton and never wanted to support any other football team.

Supported for 58 years through the good, bad and awful.

It ain’t easy, especially atm I agree, but as you say, they are the only club for me.

Keep the faith.

Keep the faith……absolutely!

Actually, I am so Wolves, keeping the faith is not even an option.

 

[Taffywolf]

The best thing for wolves would be for fosun to sell up. Wolves are getting Iver looked with their other financial problems.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Qué sera sera. I've seen it all, from unofficial Champions of the World in the 50s to crowds of 2,000 in the 4th tier and within hours of going out of business with a stadium closed on three sides. They are Wolves and they are my team, come what may. I'll always support them and I'll carry on going while my legs still carry me!

COME ON YOU WOLVES!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Qué sera sera. I've seen it all, from unofficial Champions of the World in the 50s to crowds of 2,000 in the 4th tier and within hours of going out of business with a stadium closed on three sides. They are Wolves and they are my team, come what may. I'll always support them and I'll carry on going while my legs still carry me!

COME ON YOU WOLVES!!!!!!!!!

Bring home them 3pts matey

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

But.. they’re a much better group of players than Wolves in 2012, so as long as we can get a good leader in place, I think we can avoid a serious slide.

That’s my optimistic thought for the day.

If we go down though the team gets decimated, pretty much all our best players leave and I seriously doubt there will be much money to bring in quality players for a promotion push, I think we’ll be looking for a McCarthy type to pull together a shoestring squad as he did in his first season.

Relegation would be a disaster.

 

[Rauls Headband]

If we go down though the team gets decimated, pretty much all our best players leave and I seriously doubt there will be much money to bring in quality players for a promotion push, I think we’ll be looking for a McCarthy type to pull together a shoestring squad as he did in his first season.

Relegation would be a disaster.

Agreed. I posted this in September, at the time felt it was a little pessimistic. Now?............

Sa - Will be 2 seasons into his contract. Assume he has a decent season can see a club come sniffing and outside chance he could go
Jonny/Semedo - Obvious rift with manager, I'd say Jonny is gone. Nelson maybe will stay.
Collins - likely to stay, but there will definitely be clubs looking at him
Kilman - can see someone coming in for Kilman and him going simply based on his performances and the profit we'll make
RAN - Chelsea already been sniffing, can't imagine he'd want to stay
Moutinho - incredible servant, but feel this will be his last season. Didn't want to see him leaving on a mediocre season but he will
Nunes - Liverpool already rumoured, someone comes in and offers big money he'll be gone
Neves - Not signed a new contract, will be a steal for someone, and can't see him staying
Neto - Arsenal rumours each season, mid chance he could be gone
Guedes - Most likely to stay
Hwang - Likely to stay
Adama - heads gone, will be off on a free next season
Raul - good chance of seeing him retire. Wouldn't blame him in the slightest.
Podence - Wouldn't say his time at Wolves has been the happiest, outside chance he'll be gone
Sasa - maybe fit again for next season who knows
Costa - who knows!

 

[Stee]

We have a good squad and we showed against Leicester that we can create good chances.

I know stats aren’t the be all and end all but if we could maintain an xG of 1.4 like the previous match and actually convert a few chances we will get some good results.

I do feel that the longer we are managerless though the longer the poor results may last.

 

[Contrarian]

Rhoswolf
Yes it depressing at the moment but the Bhattis, Chorley and 3 minutes from extinction in the early 1980s was worse. BUT............
I am hoping that Shi leaves the club ASAP... totally clueless.

Yes, that was definitely far worse. The McGhee era felt worse than now, to me, too. Expectation was rising all the time, always to be dashed but finishing just short of whatever was needed. A lot of poor football, being humiliated by clubs with far smaller budgets. By 2000 I thought we'd never ever get into the Premier League, that 7th - 12th Championship was out Groundhog day forever. The punchline was the money spent and every season, the noises of "this is our year", raising hope, only to be dashed by Grimsby or Oxford.