Oh Adama Traore!

[Mugwump]

If he did go to Spuds, I could see him playing on the right wing. With Kane dropping deeper these days to receive the ball when they break and looking for the killer pass (a role in which he is damn good at)). He would have 2 speed merchants ahead of him, in Son and Traore and he can still get in the box to finish things off.

Pretty scary front 3 and enough to keep the best of defences on their toes. Okay, I know the counter argument will be Traore’s end product isn’t there but I think they would create that many opportunities that the law of averages would mean he still does well enough. He would also have players around him that can keep up, which Wolves don’t have.

I don't think Adama will ever thrive unless it's in a 442 as a right winger. If we were playing that formation he would be one of the first players I would pick. In any formation with a front 2 or 3 you need the wide players to have goal contributions and he has never really had that in his whole career really.

 

[Timberrrr]

Coming, going,staying or leaving?
I don't really know but one thing I do know is that since he's been gone we've had zero threat going forward
For Christ sake even when he's playing crap the opposition put 2 men on him

 

[Taffywolf]

Exactly and he relieves pressure on the defence by carrying the ball 50 yards up field. I have a feeling after his barcona experience he might just sign a new deal.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Coming, going,staying or leaving?
I don't really know but one thing I do know is that since he's been gone we've had zero threat going forward
For Christ sake even when he's playing crap the opposition put 2 men on him

Are people actually aware that we scored 9 (NINE) goals with Traore on the pitch this season and 29 without him?

 

[VancouverWolf]

Adama is polarizing on the Mix.
Never the twain shall meet.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

Coming, going,staying or leaving?
I don't really know but one thing I do know is that since he's been gone we've had zero threat going forward
For Christ sake even when he's playing crap the opposition put 2 men on him

That's not even true tho, every winger gets doubled up when the wingers gets time to get back. He just waits for the winger to come back and help. Able to sprint faster then both of them but smacks it into the crowd anyway.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

Are people actually aware that we scored 9 (NINE) goals with Traore on the pitch this season and 29 without him?

Adama has an xG of 3 and xA of 2 this season for us. 1 goal and 0 assists.

 

[wolfslair]

Don’t think your point is relevant.

A main argument people put up for years was that he helps the team, regardless of what his individual contribution is.

So this season we’ve had the perfect opportunity to check that, over a prolonged period so a big enough sample size.

34 points from 21 games with Traore involved.
17 points from 17 games without him.

Unfortunately for us it shows just how important he is, meaning those people were right. He brought so much to the team that couldn’t be measured in simple goals and assists, as we’ve seen.

I think the loss of; kilman, podence, neves and semedo in those games hurt us far more than losing adama. Those 4 are key players for us and if we had them for every game in that run in and only missed adama I think strongly we still make Europe.

Adama also disproved the theory over his loan that put him with better players then he is with at wolves who get forward and are better finishers that he is going to show us what were missing. Well his outlay of goals and assists are nearly bang on the same with world class players around him in a much much weaker league.

His output during his loan showed without a shadow of a doubt he isn’t half the player a lot of people on here think he is as he didn’t deliver there, but somehow he would have been the messiah to our season. He contributed naff all in goals and assists and our 3million pound signing Chiqinho contributed more assists in a fraction of the time and the most hated player in the squad outscored his best season with our best shot conversion rate, but apparently he is the worst thing to ever happen to wolves….

I could only agree with you if adama was the only player missing but he wasn’t. He is a fantastic SQUAD player and bench option and nothing else and his performances bar one purple patch two seasons ago and his loan at Barca prove that.

 

[wolfslair]

Adama has an xG of 3 and xA of 2 this season for us. 1 goal and 0 assists.

Shhhh don’t use stats that show we are more efficient at goal scoring without adama …..

It negates the “he ties up two players and makes more room for others to score” line of debate….

People are addicted to adama “the highlight” traore as the few flashes of exciting things negate the bigger chunks of time he is ineffective.

People murder hwang and podence for going down and staying down to moan at the ref. Adama is up there on the same level for doing exactly that!

Double standards and blinkers are very real for people when looking at adama!

 

[Krispy Kreme]

It’s some step down to be rejected by Barca (again), having rejected a contract here, and try en come back and play for us.

I don’t know him, so don’t know if he is a proud man, or whether he’d be willing to accept that knock to his pride and knuckle down to prove people wrong.

The easier option seems to be to go elsewhere. I’ve said it before, but I think he will start next season as Tottenham’s right wing-back.

Conte is not that stupid.

Traore is never a RWB.

I don't care what Conte did with Moses, Moses worked far harder than Traore, the comparison is made only because they're both black and physical it ends there.

 

[fleck1]

If he did go to Spuds, I could see him playing on the right wing. With Kane dropping deeper these days to receive the ball when they break and looking for the killer pass (a role in which he is damn good at)). He would have 2 speed merchants ahead of him, in Son and Traore and he can still get in the box to finish things off.

Pretty scary front 3 and enough to keep the best of defences on their toes. Okay, I know the counter argument will be Traore’s end product isn’t there but I think they would create that many opportunities that the law of averages would mean he still does well enough. He would also have players around him that can keep up, which Wolves don’t have.

I don't see them wanting to bench Kulusevski to make room for him, happy to take him off their hands if that's the case. Also looks like Perisic is being added to their options shortly. I think his options are very limited, a lot like his football.

 

[freezin]

A two year extension is the difference between him costing £10m-£12m in the final year of his contract or £25m-£35m, so it's worth a lot of money to the club

Wouldn't be surprised at all if we'd inserted something into his loan agreement to go to Barca that if it doesn't work and they don't sign him, he extends his contract here to protect his value for us

I said the same on Twitter at the time (January).

https://twitter.com/x/status/1487361035027849220

 

[Stoichkov]

To Valencia, part ex with Guedes

 

[JadeWolf]

To Valencia, part ex with Guedes

I could go with that. I’ve not seen massive amounts of Guedes but he seems the kind of player we’ve been lacking lately.

 

[1972 i began]

Exactly and he relieves pressure on the defence by carrying the ball 50 yards up field. I have a feeling after his barcona experience he might just sign a new deal.

He wow sign a new deal if he reads what most people think of him.Where is this one pack ?.He'd be like the runt of the litter.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

I could go with that. I’ve not seen massive amounts of Guedes but he seems the kind of player we’ve been lacking lately.

Like a mixture of Neto and Jota

 

[Flea]

Is swapping him for Trincao off?
I would do it...if Trincao himself wants to continue playing for us.
Think it would be the best deal we can get for Adama at this point in time.
I understand many don´t rate Trincao..and it is easy to understand why..but I think he is a preseason away from being a much,much better PL player.
I could be wrong of course..

 

[wolfslair]

If he did go to Spuds, I could see him playing on the right wing. With Kane dropping deeper these days to receive the ball when they break and looking for the killer pass (a role in which he is damn good at)). He would have 2 speed merchants ahead of him, in Son and Traore and he can still get in the box to finish things off.

Pretty scary front 3 and enough to keep the best of defences on their toes. Okay, I know the counter argument will be Traore’s end product isn’t there but I think they would create that many opportunities that the law of averages would mean he still does well enough. He would also have players around him that can keep up, which Wolves don’t have.

He isn’t close to good enough to play in a front three for spurs as he is far far far too wasteful in key positions whether it be shooting or crossing.

If he can’t cut it in the Spanish league playing for a team like Barcelona surrounded by world class fins is hers and attackers making runs then he isn’t going to be a good enough partner to Kane and son as his passing is frankly championship at best! Look how much effort goes into every pass and he struggles to pass accurately without coming to a complete standstill

 

[5150]

Spurs agree terms with Perisic, so there is one wide position not vacant for Traore

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

People argued for months and months about Traore's impact.

Some, like you, constantly looked at the stats (fair enough), whereas others told you that his impact on the team was much more than the numbers and that he would be missed.

He leaves after playing a very important part as Wolves win four of their last five games before his move.

After he is given away to Barcelona, we are knocked out of the FA Cup by the worst time in the league and pick up 17 points from 17 games, which is significantly lower than the return we had when Traore was involved.

Yet you still have people criticising him!! It's incredible. We should be begging Fosun to get him tied down to a new deal and praying other clubs don't come in for him as his importance has been clear to see.

Some also think he somehow doesn't deserve the same terms as mentioned before as well. His importance to the team has been highlighted more than ever.

You don't think our loss of form had anything to do with injuries to Neves, Kilman and Semedo then?

Let's face it, our impressive points haul was based on a tight defence (and GK), not a free flowing attack.

We averaged 1.57 ppg with Traore, in the next 10 games without him, we averaged 1.5 ppg (would have been 1.6 or 1.8 ppg without the capitulation v ten man Leeds).

If Traore was that important you'd expect to see points gained fall off a cliff immediately after him leaving wouldn't you?

The reality is though, that this really only happened after injuries to Neves, Semedo and possibly most noticably to Kilman in the heart of defence.

Stats. Bloody hell.

 

[WolfLing]

Spurs agree terms with Perisic, so there is one wide position not vacant for Traore

His name always sounds like the medical condition of having irritated nifkin’s bridge.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

You don't think our loss of form had anything to do with injuries to Neves, Kilman and Semedo then?

Let's face it, our impressive points haul was based on a tight defence (and GK), not a free flowing attack.

We averaged 1.57 ppg with Traore, in the next 10 games without him, we averaged 1.5 ppg (would have been 1.6 or 1.8 ppg without the capitulation v ten man Leeds).

If Traore was that important you'd expect to see points gained fall off a cliff immediately after him leaving wouldn't you?

The reality is though, that this really only happened after injuries to Neves, Semedo and possibly most noticably to Kilman in the heart of defence.

Stats. Bloody hell.

Stats bloody hell indeed as you could twist what you said to rightly state we lost 5 of the first 7 without Traore (inc Norwich). I’d say that was falling of a cliff immediately when compared to 5 wins, 1 draw & 1 defeat in Traore’s last seven games!!

Of course those injuries had an impact but we regularly came on the good side of tight games when Traore played a part. Even as a sub he was key to wins over United, Southampton, Brighton & Brentford.

As soon as he goes we lose all those tight games - Burnley, Newcastle, Norwich, Arsenal, West Ham.

Many of those included second half goals as well.

My theory is the longer the game went on we would be pinned back or under more pressure than usual and concede. Traore gave us an outlet and meant in the second half when the game naturally becomes more stretched, we actually had someone to do something. Giving him away to Barcelona changed the dynamic of our team massively.

 

[Bryce]

I could go with that. I’ve not seen massive amounts of Guedes but he seems the kind of player we’ve been lacking lately.

Guedes has been rumoured for about 4 years. He is, however a Mendes client so it may be the time.

 

[Bryce]

Stats bloody hell indeed as you could twist what you said to rightly state we lost 5 of the first 7 without Traore (inc Norwich). I’d say that was falling of a cliff immediately when compared to 5 wins, 1 draw & 1 defeat in Traore’s last seven games!!

Of course those injuries had an impact but we regularly came on the good side of tight games when Traore played a part. Even as a sub he was key to wins over United, Southampton, Brighton & Brentford.

As soon as he goes we lose all those tight games - Burnley, Newcastle, Norwich, Arsenal, West Ham.

Many of those included second half goals as well.

My theory is the longer the game went on we would be pinned back or under more pressure than usual and concede. Traore gave us an outlet and meant in the second half when the game naturally becomes more stretched, we actually had someone to do something. Giving him away to Barcelona changed the dynamic of our team massively.

Not a bad observation. If it means he is committed to us , I dont mind him staying. I just dont want him here to run down a contract and leave on a free. Thats pointless.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Ironically, Traore now probably fits the profile of a typical Fosun Wolves signing - Mendes client, young with potential, or a player a little off form and below his long term value. Sign him up

 

[KBWWFC]

My theory is the longer the game went on we would be pinned back or under more pressure than usual and concede.

I'd agree, teams can't suffocate us with a high line or as big a press when they're one ball away from having a sprint dash against the fastest player on the planet.

He completely changes the dynamic, we don't have any other players who are 'quick'.

 

[Direwolf]

I have finally moved on with Traore, loved him, but I doubt very much he will play for us again (although if he did I would love to see him re-ignote his career). Sad that he gambled on the Barca move rather than seeing out the season with us. It may have seemed a sensible option for him at the time but it has done him and us no favours at all. I just hope we can get a decent fee for him but after spending a few months on the bench in Spain his value has probably dropped quite a lot.

 

[wolfslair]

I'd agree, teams can't suffocate us with a high line or as big a press when they're one ball away from having a sprint dash against the fastest player on the planet.

He completely changes the dynamic, we don't have any other players who are 'quick'.

Pedro Neto, podence, ait noiri and Jimenez are not slouches by any stretch of the imagination and are very quick even with the ball at their feet.

It is a myth we don’t have “quick” players, you are comparing players to one of the fastest players in the world.

It is like saying there is only one fast person in a 100mtr sprint because usain bolt was in it. Those guys I mentioned are very “quick” just not as fast as traore and I would say not many people are as quick as him.

All of those guys can and have left players for dead or burned defenders for pace so don’t do them a diss service

 

[Tojo the grass]

I'd agree, teams can't suffocate us with a high line or as big a press when they're one ball away from having a sprint dash against the fastest player on the planet.

He completely changes the dynamic, we don't have any other players who are 'quick'.

I think teams got wise to not gifting us high defensive lines a couple of years ago.

 

[Ironfistedmonk]

Spurs are being linked with Djed Spence now so I don't think he is an option for them even at wing back

 

[wolfslair]

Spurs are being linked with Djed Spence now so I don't think he is an option for them even at wing back

His lack of production and outlay for Barca will have caused significant damage to the desire clubs have to sign him or give him the salary expectations he has set for himself.

Respect is due to the lad, that he backed himself enough to risk the loan move for significant reward if it paid off. But like any time you gamble there is a real chance you don’t win and it has done a bit of damage to his positioning and ability to play hardball when negotiating.

 

[KBWWFC]

Pedro Neto, podence, ait noiri and Jimenez are not slouches by any stretch of the imagination and are very quick even with the ball at their feet.

It is a myth we don’t have “quick” players, you are comparing players to one of the fastest players in the world.

It is like saying there is only one fast person in a 100mtr sprint because usain bolt was in it. Those guys I mentioned are very “quick” just not as fast as traore and I would say not many people are as quick as him.

All of those guys can and have left players for dead or burned defenders for pace so don’t do them a diss service

Netos lost a yard of pace post-injury.

Podence - don't think I've ever seen him burn past anybody, doesn't take people on and run in behind that often - progressing us downfield, that said he's good with his feet and creating his own space.

Raul isn't quick.
RAN isn't massively quick and doesn't start with the ball too high up the field, so can't help us escape a suffocating press.

 

[hollo]

Neto looked okay against liverpool.

 

[Oldgold Wolfcub]

The point Traore and his pace is that he is also physical so often can just brush off challenges that the others cant.

 

[Contrarian]

I'd agree, teams can't suffocate us with a high line or as big a press when they're one ball away from having a sprint dash against the fastest player on the planet.

He completely changes the dynamic, we don't have any other players who are 'quick'.

Works in theory. In practice, very disappointing how rarely it ever worked out. The match that springs to mind, the Man City 2-0 was years ago. Another against Fulham was it, after lock down?

Nuno often didn't allow Adama to hang out by the half way line, when we were defending deep, which didn't help. For the occasional header Adama would win, there seemed more mistakes where he lost the ball in dangerous positions. Frustrating when a team is organised that rigidly, each role is fixed and ignores the individual strength. Perhaps that's all part of the story, no manager has really figured out how best to use Adama's amazing strengths, while mitigating his equally amazingly bad weaknesses (close to zero situational awareness, followed by very very poor shooting).

I'd leave him up front always - occasionally Bruno was doing this. And tell him that when he gets the ball, just keep running. Don't even shoot, just take it past the keeper, would result in many penalties as the keeper would bring him down.

The thing is, the threat was never as dangerous as it seemed and some opponents figured this out. I recall Wilder at Sheff U in their first PL season (think they beat us and drew with us) saying that Adama was unstoppable, so instead of putting 3 players on him, he told his defence to cover the cross instead. Other teams started doing this and it generally nullified the threat. With Rauls heading ability seriously impaired. And the rest of our forwards having no aerial threat at all, what role does that leave Adama? And I think this was the problem these past 2 seasons. Take out the "beat everyone out wide and float a cross over" and it doesn't leave much.

Interesting on other players who are quick. At first, I thought we must have some - Neto is lightening. But then he's been out for a year. Chiquinho is quick, but new. But you are right, there's not much else. No pace in midfield. Podence is reasonably fast, but again, mostly not fully fit and certainly not fast enough to frighten defenders. And that's about it. We need some pace from midfield!

RAN is an odd one as at times he does look fast, but too often seems to deliberately stay in 2nd gear. Ever since he made a couple of howlers in his first few games, he tends to be over cautious.

 

[theweave]

Netos lost a yard of pace post-injury.

Podence - don't think I've ever seen him burn past anybody, doesn't take people on and run in behind that often - progressing us downfield, that said he's good with his feet and creating his own space.

Raul isn't quick.
RAN isn't massively quick and doesn't start with the ball too high up the field, so can't help us escape a suffocating press.

Chiquinho looks pretty quick

 

[Dan G WWFC]

Netos lost a yard of pace post-injury.

Podence - don't think I've ever seen him burn past anybody, doesn't take people on and run in behind that often - progressing us downfield, that said he's good with his feet and creating his own space.

Raul isn't quick.
RAN isn't massively quick and doesn't start with the ball too high up the field, so can't help us escape a suffocating press.

I don't care that much for a lack of pace, although we do need to get more athletic.

What I want to see is more runs in behind. It's all Infront of teams, players outside making it too complicated and then putting a ball into the box to nobody.

 

[KBWWFC]

Neto looked okay against liverpool.

Neto looked more than okay against Liverpool, he was the closest to pre-injury Neto we've seen.

Defenders are scared of players running at them with the ball at their feet, forces them to make split second decisions.

Works in theory. In practice, very disappointing how rarely it ever worked out. The match that springs to mind, the Man City 2-0 was years ago. Another against Fulham was it, after lock down?

Nuno often didn't allow Adama to hang out by the half way line, when we were defending deep, which didn't help. For the occasional header Adama would win, there seemed more mistakes where he lost the ball in dangerous positions. Frustrating when a team is organised that rigidly, each role is fixed and ignores the individual strength. Perhaps that's all part of the story, no manager has really figured out how best to use Adama's amazing strengths, while mitigating his equally amazingly bad weaknesses (close to zero situational awareness, followed by very very poor shooting).

I'd leave him up front always - occasionally Bruno was doing this. And tell him that when he gets the ball, just keep running. Don't even shoot, just take it past the keeper, would result in many penalties as the keeper would bring him down.

The thing is, the threat was never as dangerous as it seemed and some opponents figured this out. I recall Wilder at Sheff U in their first PL season (think they beat us and drew with us) saying that Adama was unstoppable, so instead of putting 3 players on him, he told his defence to cover the cross instead. Other teams started doing this and it generally nullified the threat. With Rauls heading ability seriously impaired. And the rest of our forwards having no aerial threat at all, what role does that leave Adama? And I think this was the problem these past 2 seasons. Take out the "beat everyone out wide and float a cross over" and it doesn't leave much.

Interesting on other players who are quick. At first, I thought we must have some - Neto is lightening. But then he's been out for a year. Chiquinho is quick, but new. But you are right, there's not much else. No pace in midfield. Podence is reasonably fast, but again, mostly not fully fit and certainly not fast enough to frighten defenders. And that's about it. We need some pace from midfield!

RAN is an odd one as at times he does look fast, but too often seems to deliberately stay in 2nd gear. Ever since he made a couple of howlers in his first few games, he tends to be over cautious.

I wasn't referring to a single game, in referring in general - teams won't play a high line Vs us because of the threat in behind - they don't want to take the chance. That's all stats-led, defending is all about stats and restricting the opposition to poor quality shots.

We generally can't break down teams that defend the centre of the box with or without Adama, and that's due to our ponderous midfield that don't move with the ball.

 

[Contrarian]

Stats bloody hell indeed as you could twist what you said to rightly state we lost 5 of the first 7 without Traore (inc Norwich). I’d say that was falling of a cliff immediately when compared to 5 wins, 1 draw & 1 defeat in Traore’s last seven games!!

Of course those injuries had an impact but we regularly came on the good side of tight games when Traore played a part. Even as a sub he was key to wins over United, Southampton, Brighton & Brentford.

As soon as he goes we lose all those tight games - Burnley, Newcastle, Norwich, Arsenal, West Ham.

Many of those included second half goals as well.

My theory is the longer the game went on we would be pinned back or under more pressure than usual and concede. Traore gave us an outlet and meant in the second half when the game naturally becomes more stretched, we actually had someone to do something. Giving him away to Barcelona changed the dynamic of our team massively.

What about the numerous matches he played where we didn't win? Where he achieved nothing at all? He was also key in those 3 early 0-1 defeats and the 0-2 against Brentford. A key factor in us having no end product, no goals, because he has close to zero actual end product. Remember earlier this season, some point pre-Xmas, commentators saying all of our goals had been scored with Adama off the field.

Selecting matches we lost where he didn't play seems real stat twisting! He had game after game at season start (and last season) and rarely does anything. Fine as a luxury player for a club who can afford the occasional passenger. All 9 teams who finished above us managed to do it without Adama. They didn't need him and neither do we.

I like him as a player, I have so wanted him to achieve his potential. I just don't know if you can create a balanced team around him - I suspect you can't. He is ultimately frustrating and has been given more than enough chances now. What we've seen is what you get. Moments of brilliance, followed by weeks of not much at all.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

What about the numerous matches he played where we didn't win? Where he achieved nothing at all? He was also key in those 3 early 0-1 defeats and the 0-2 against Brentford. A key factor in us having no end product, no goals, because he has close to zero actual end product. Remember earlier this season, some point pre-Xmas, commentators saying all of our goals had been scored with Adama off the field.

Selecting matches we lost where he didn't play seems real stat twisting! He had game after game at season start (and last season) and rarely does anything. Fine as a luxury player for a club who can afford the occasional passenger. All 9 teams who finished above us managed to do it without Adama. They didn't need him and neither do we.

I like him as a player, I just don't know if you can create a balanced team around him - I suspect you can't. He is ultimately frustrating and has been given more than enough chances now. What we've seen is what you get. Moments of brilliance, followed by weeks of not much at all.

People go on about Adama as tis star.

He's got 12months left on his deal. Let's see how many of these big clubs are actually interested in him.

I think he ends up at Leeds or Everton. He's no Better then us, if anything he's not good enough.