Next Season's Squad

[Still Proud]

Looked at the squad details on the club site today and given the in's, return's and proposed outs next season is starting to look somewhat healthier:

GK's: Hennessy, Murray, Ikeme
RB's: Foley, Little, (Stearman, Henry)
LB's: Elokobi, Gray, (Jones)
CB's: Craddock, Stearman, Collins, Ward, (Little)
MD : Henry, Davies, Edwards, Gleeson,
RW: Kightly, Gobern, (Jarvis)
LW: Jarvis, Ward, (Davies)
CF: Ebanks-Blake, Keogh, Vokes, Ward

Possible targets: Aaron McLean and Davy Jones

I would add in ano CB e.g. Timar and the dominant midfielder we all desire and we have the makings of a really good squad.

I would also expect possibly Potter and Elliot to still be around come 9th August.

[Bumbamuffin]

I still worry about the wingers.Gobern will be injured again soon which will leave Ward(!),Dan Jones and Davies as the only cover(Gray hasn't re-signed as far as I know?).

That's not good enough.

[Still Proud]

I still worry about the wingers.Gobern will be injured again soon which will leave Ward(!),Dan Jones and Davies as the only cover(Gray hasn't re-signed as far as I know?).

That's not good enough.

Being realistic if they are all signed and fit when the season KO's that's good enough - you have a no 1 in every poistion with a good alternative.

Once the window is shut the loan market should be used as your insurance policy and that's what I'd expact to see in terms of squad additions - we don't use it like Blues to get in 3 or 4 first teamers we use it for sub's and cover.

[Del Woppio]

I agree Bumba. We need a winger, and a better version of Karl Henry. Another centreback would be ideal, but I'm reasonaby happy with the defence. I wouldn't buy another forward until we lose two of the listed chaps. We don't want to go into September with 8 strikers.

[ManningtreeWolf]

Midfield still looks lightweight to me, need another centreback and someone who will regular chip in with goals to take pressure of SEB.

Vokes maybe it, but feel we need another , hopefully Mclean.

Keogh is not a natural finisher and will once again waste numerous one of ones with his lack of composure in front of goal.

Needed .......... Berra, Mclean and a dominating, creating midfielder.
feel David Jones isnt it, seems like a Potter, Gibson to me

[Bumbamuffin]

SP -I'm not sure.The way we play depends on having 2 quality wingers.Last season showed what happens when we only have 1(or none at all).

For me,this should be a priority area - especially given the injuries to Kites and Jarvis last season.

If we do use the loan market,I'd hope we follow Blues and get an Adam Johnson in rather than padding the squad with a back up like Gibson who was a waste of wages.

I'm not convinced about the quality of back up at all.

[Still Proud]

SP -I'm not sure.The way we play depends on having 2 quality wingers.Last season showed what happens when we only have 1(or none at all).

For me,this should be a priority area - especially given the injuries to Kites and Jarvis last season.

If we do use the loan market,I'd hope we follow Blues and get an Adam Johnson in rather than padding the squad with a back up like Gibson who was a waste of wages.

I'm not convinced about the quality of back up at all.

When I put this up I thought the wings do look lightweight, however we have to be realistic and expect that another 2-3 signings will be the max we see, not all of our cast offs will be snapped up and there will be a squad/wage limit.

I'm with you on the loan market tactic but we will only get an "Adam Johnson" in if Kight's/Jarvis have a long term injury - that type of player would not come to be a season long back-up otherwise.

To me the spine of the team needs a bit more experience at CM/CB - we have good quality first choice in every other position.

[Bumbamuffin]

If we do not sign a winger and,say,Jarvis gets a bad injury(which is very possible),Ward will play at LM and our effectiveness will be reduced badly.

I agree about another CM & CB but we will be taking a major gamble by not further strengthening the wings - however strong we are elsewhere.

I would have thought that this would have been the major lesson learned from last year personally.

[Boss Hogg]

Apart from goalkeepers (where we are well covered) we only have a thin veneer of quality - scratch that away (eg a couple of key injuries that always happens to Wolves) and its a very young & inexperienced squad that will struggle with the pressure and fan expectations IMHO.

[Ettingshall Wolf]

I agree Bumba. We need a winger, and a better version of Karl Henry. Another centreback would be ideal, but I'm reasonaby happy with the defence. I wouldn't buy another forward until we lose two of the listed chaps. We don't want to go into September with 8 strikers.

I think your on the money - I wont be too concerned if we dont sign another defender, and definetely lose a transfer listed striker or 2 before getting more in. 1 decent MF signing and I am ready for the season to start!

[wolves85nb]

I agree Bumba. We need a winger, and a better version of Karl Henry. Another centreback would be ideal, but I'm reasonaby happy with the defence. I wouldn't buy another forward until we lose two of the listed chaps. We don't want to go into September with 8 strikers.

Mostly agree apart from the striker comment. We can't afford to sit about if we have specific striker targets in mind, as we all know they're harder to come by and interest increases as the summer goes on, with less and less still available. Freddy will definately be sought after anyway, though Elliot could be a struggle to shift... Either way I think we need to move as quickly as possible with our targets and worry about the dead-wood later.

[Del Woppio]

Mostly agree apart from the striker comment. We can't afford to sit about if we have specific striker targets in mind, as we all know they're harder to come by and interest increases as the summer goes on, with less and less still available. Freddy will definately be sought after anyway, though Elliot could be a struggle to shift... Either way I think we need to move as quickly as possible with our targets and worry about the dead-wood later.

I can certainly see your point, and in fact until quite recently I subscribed to it myself. Why miss out on striker ‘a’, only to buy striker ‘b’ in 4 weeks time when we’ve sole our other strikers. I agree that missing out on a primary target is never a good thing. That said, even ignoring the transfer listed players, I wouldn’t be devastated if we were forced to go into the first half of the season with SEB, Keogh, Vokes and Ward. I know it’s likely that we’ll shift Eastwood, and possible that we’ll shift Elliot and Bothroyd, but the thought of going into the season with those seven, plus striker ‘a’ distresses me somewhat. The training would be stretched, there’d be 3 players who didn’t want to be there (and weren’t wanted), moping round and in all probability harming morale. This may well infect the ‘reserve’ strikers, Vokes, Ward and striker ‘a’. Moral deflates even further. Not to mention the wage implications, either. At the end of the day, if we can’t shift the unwanted trio, and we get some injuries, we’ll just have to rely on their professionalism and hunger to grab the opportunity to put themself back in the shop window. If it was an area that desperately needed improving, then yes, buy first – for example I don’t think we should not buy a centre half until Darren Ward’s gone – but centre forward isn’t a priority position now.

[Wolv3nsam]

Another centreback would be ideal, but I'm reasonaby happy with the defence.

I think we still need one more CB, if Craddock gets injured I can't cope with seeing Collins there again. Yet if someone like Berra comes in hopefully Collins will be 4th choice.

[Del Woppio]

Collins on 06/07 would be adequate back up. Collins of 07/08 should be available from your local Chinese takeaway.

[bod101]

i am starting to think we won't be playing 442 but more of a 433 like chelsea played when they had robben and duff.

[Wolves in Limerick]

Surely if we don't unload those players who were listed at the end of the season the option will be to let them go out on loan next season.

[Bevan]

Striker - McClean
Winger - Aldomah (Barnet), will be happy as backup and can play both wings.
C.Mid - Howard (Barnsley), him and Henry in the middle will be perfect
C.Back - Berra or Gunter

DONE!

[Del Woppio]

Gunter the 12 year old right back?

[Mr Wolf]

Re this centre midfielder, we have been linked with all British players so far but I think we need a bit of technical ability in there so I believe we should go for a foreign player, like a Fernando Gomez or a high Chris Marsden ;)

As for the whole squad and the rest of the signings we make I expect us to sign 2 more players (winger, CM) then unload a few listed players first and see how fit Davies and Gobern are before any others come in.