Are the current players stale?

[Stratman Wolves]

100% . The whole set up is stale . Put on hold. Sharks keep swimming .

Whats wild is that many people were saying this a year ago and were called alarmist...

 

[Stratman Wolves]

I agree. The problem is that FFP and hence our budget means that we have a small high quality squad or more but lesser players. We don't currently have the resources to do anything approaching a Citeh.

Nobody outside the top 6 does. So why are wolves the ones who struggle with this yet Villa seemingly can spend whatever? Can anyone answer this as it just boggles my mind how FFP is blamed for everything yet no one else seems affected by it.

 

[Contrarian]

Agreed.
The problem with wholesale changes is that we’ll be as disjointed as we are now if that’s possible.
im hoping 3 new signings lift the place if they’re for the first team.

Yes, 3 experienced players of top level sounds like just what we need! The kind of signing that has the likes of Man U and Liverpool fans getting angry because it's a player they are entitled to It's been a while ... Rui, perhaps? Neves the obvious one.

Failing that, inspired signings of classy players overlooked by the big clubs, like Boly or Raul, would do. Provided they really are classy and prepared to give it their all.

 

[TezzaWolf]

Yes, 3 experienced players of top level sounds like just what we need! The kind of signing that has the likes of Man U and Liverpool fans getting angry because it's a player they are entitled to It's been a while ... Rui, perhaps? Neves the obvious one.

Failing that, inspired signings of classy players overlooked by the big clubs, like Boly or Raul, would do. Provided they really are classy and prepared to give it their all.

Would go with that to be honest, 3 quality additions if none of the first teamers leave. If someone leaves then they will need replacing too adding to the numbers.

I wouldn't let anyone leave who is pushed out of the side, use them to make the squad stronger.

The utility players (Saiss, Dendoncker) will be valuable on a 7 man bench which I assume we'll return to next year.

If Raul is fit to start the season, Neto comes back in October, Jonny early next year then we'd probably have enough to be more competitive.

 

[jrpb-3]

I'm not sure I'd quite say on the beach, or that they don't care. But it's been a long couple of seasons, no fans, poor results etc. I think they are mentally fatigued /burnt out and in need of a break, and it is translating into mistakes, not 100% effort etc. The fact that we don't really have much left to play for this season won't be helping either. Think most will look a lot better after a break and proper pre season

 

[WickedWolfie]

I'm not sure I'd quite say on the beach, or that they don't care. But it's been a long couple of seasons, no fans, poor results etc. I think they are mentally fatigued /burnt out and in need of a break, and it is translating into mistakes, not 100% effort etc. The fact that we don't really have much left to play for this season won't be helping either. Think most will look a lot better after a break and proper pre season

The problem is that many of them will not get that long because of the Euros. I really think that they should just have scrapped the damn tournament.

 

[Contrarian]

The problem is that many of them will not get that long because of the Euros. I really think that they should just have scrapped the damn tournament.

They will most likely all appear as fresh as daisies, full of vim and vigor and raring to go in the internationals. No chance of any of them being outrun by 6 km by opponents when not playing for us.

 

[Sedgers]

I'd argue we need a least 5 new first team ready signings this summer. I would also argue they will be pointless signings if Nuno persists with 5 at the back and 10 men behind the ball safety first all the time along with other questionable tactics this season and set pieces etc.

Agreed. I think we need three players just to stand still. I mean what will our starting 11 look like come August?

 

[Stoichkov]

Nobody outside the top 6 does. So why are wolves the ones who struggle with this yet Villa seemingly can spend whatever? Can anyone answer this as it just boggles my mind how FFP is blamed for everything yet no one else seems affected by it.

There's a reason it boggles your mind

 

[Stoichkov]

Well there we have it, 75% said yes

Comprehensive proof that all the sane people have given up MM

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

I fear you’re all in for a shock with the summer window.

People saying we need 4/5/6 new players, it can’t happen if we have to sell to buy, which has been widely reported.

Neves & Traore will probably leave, fetching around £70m and the likes of Mir, Vinagre & Cutrone could get £25m.

If we’re going to buy Vitinha & Ait-Nouri, that’s £35m gone.

So, you’re left with £60m to strengthen this squad without Adama & Neves. Impossible.

Without them two, you’re looking at needing 2x CB, 2x CM, 2x Wingers/attackers. You simply can’t get the required quality & depth that we need.

You could not sign Ait-Nouri and keep Vinagre to give a bit more freedom and not sign Vitinha, but then we’d need to add another midfielder to that list.

Alternatively, you keep Traore & Neves but then we can’t fund the other signings we need. However, we won’t keep them because they will then be entering the final year of their deals at the end of next season.

Traore’s had a bit of stick for not signing the deal but Neves is obviously doing the same as well. That’s a worry purely from an ambition perspective.

That last window has set us back a long way. Spending £65m on Silva & Semedo was ludicrous. Not knocking the ability of either, but we did not need a £30m right-back and we certainly did not need a £35m back-up striker. Right players, wrong time as our development as a club.

We needed £10m level players in those positions and a £20m level CB and CM.

If these sell-to-buy reports are accurate, and we have nothing to suggest they aren’t, then I think we’re in big trouble next season. Two of our better players will have to go to fund things and there will be far too many issues in the squad to cover.

The only saving grace is that Shi might see how bad things are and call for a change in approach. In fairness, they got a deal done for Jose when we needed one in January. So fingers crossed they realise that further investment is needed this summer to help us kick-on. If not, this is a very worrying situation IMO.

 

[RJs Tankard]

No. This was Stale and he left us a good few years ago now. None of the players look vaguely like him.

 

[wanderer89]

Not sure the players are stale, it's the style of play that just doesn't suit them. We have the players to play quick football but this lax/pass it between the back 3/Neves/Donk/Mout isn't their game, IMO.

 

[Ian]

Not sure the players are stale, it's the style of play that just doesn't suit them. We have the players to play quick football but this lax/pass it between the back 3/Neves/Donk/Mout isn't their game, IMO.

Think it’s a combination of our core group of experienced players being bored with our style of play and all of them being as frustrated by the Covid situation as the rest of us and just going through the motions ..... probably why they seem so much better for their national teams as it’s an outlet for them.
I expect a couple of our “ stars” to be looking for moves over the summer.

 

[SanFranWolf]

The players are stale partly because of how poor we’ve been in the transfer windows for the last 2 years.

Too much focus on kids.

Too little focus on adequate cover for places.

 

[Mugwump]

WWFC 2021 is stale , bored, not motivated and I don’t know why . But I know it needs sorting.
Anyone who puts it all down to Covid is burying their head in the sand.

Anyone who thinks its had no impact either is in the same boat.

 

[Mugwump]

I'd argue we need a least 5 new first team ready signings this summer. I would also argue they will be pointless signings if Nuno persists with 5 at the back and 10 men behind the ball safety first all the time along with other questionable tactics this season and set pieces etc.

I've been thinking 4 first team players if everyone is fit. Center half, center midfield, a wide attacker and a striker would transform us. With out injuries, we probably need at least 1 loan player.

 

[Lycaon]

Let’s just surmise that we get 3/4 top quality experienced players in at a cost of 140 million, we all get excited only to find within a matter of months their performance levels drop and they look stale and uninterested?
Could be a big summer, but all for the wrong reasons!
Anyway, there’s no way we’ll spend anywhere near that figure even if we had a wholesale clear out.

 

[wwbug]

Whats wild is that many people were saying this a year ago and were called alarmist...

Now we have had plenty of time , and we know what we need and where we will be.
We are bound to get the regular posters saying its not easy to buy players and they dont grow on trees.
Well Fosun have shown that this team is completely different from the day they arrived, full of players we didn't know from Adam, and it can be done.

 

[WickedWolfie]

No. This was Stale and he left us a good few years ago now. None of the players look vaguely like him.

One of the coaches vaguely does though...

 

[Deleted member 9202LYK]

Anyone who puts it all down to Covid is burying their head in the sand.

As is anyone who says Covid should be ignored....

 

[wwbug]

As is anyone who says Covid should be ignored....

Agreed

 

[WolfLing]

They're probably just as sick of this season as we all are.

The 6 points against Fulham and Sheffield United more or less guaranteed our Premier League status, so it's only human nature to take your foot off the gas a little bit, especially with the difficult season they have had. Unfortunately, that coincided with us playing a dogged Burnley side still fighting to secure their Premier League status.

I think we also missed Moutinho. Yes he hasn't been the Moutniho of the last few seasons this year, but he is the one man in our squad that demands high standards regardless of the situation, because he hates losing so much.

The 40 points thing isn't new. It happened to Stoke in almost all of their Premier League seasons when they got to 40 points and more recently it has happened to Palace quite a few times.

Hopefully we can put it right against Albion and it will all be forgotten.

 

[WickedWolfie]

They're probably just as sick of this season as we all are.

The 6 points against Fulham and Sheffield United more or less guaranteed our Premier League status, so it's only human nature to take your foot off the gas a little bit, especially with the difficult season they have had. Unfortunately, that coincided with us playing a dogged Burnley side still fighting to secure their Premier League status.

I think we also missed Moutinho. Yes he hasn't been the Moutniho of the last few seasons this year, but he is the one man in our squad that demands high standards regardless of the situation, because he hates losing so much.

The 40 points thing isn't new. It happened to Stoke in almost all of their Premier League seasons when they got to 40 points and more recently it has happened to Palace quite a few times.

Hopefully we can put it right against Albion and it will all be forgotten.

Hate the analogy but it happened to the **** too a couple of times in the earlier years of their eight year PL stint...

 

[Fifty Niner]

They are definitely something. Most are guaranteed to start and belive they have no competition for their place. Nuno has shown that he favours certain players and I am starting to believe that has led us to this point.

Nuno bemoaned the fact that he had essentially the same team that came up from the Championship. This season we had a lot of defenders but not much else. Of all the new players, only Semedo and Marcel were really ‘first team ready’.

For too long Wolves had relied just on Raul who had formed a link with Jota and Doc who were by then very familiar with the style of play. Losing those three was a blow but players coming in have been expected to replicate their way of playing. Meanwhile, the midfield has stayed pretty much the same as has the back line with Coady Boly and Saiss preferred when fit.

It’s all become a bit of a mish mash with Sunday’s only outlet being Adama. I don’t think we are playing to the strengths of individuals in the team and certainly the core idea of deep lying defence and midfield hasn’t changed.

 

[JOSWolf]

I've been thinking 4 first team players if everyone is fit. Center half, center midfield, a wide attacker and a striker would transform us. With out injuries, we probably need at least 1 loan player.

I'm starting to think we need to being in two centre halves this summer. Boly although not great on Sunday is the only one we have that I reckon can adapt to playing in a 4 alongside some more quality.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

I'm starting to think we need to being in two centre halves this summer. Boly although not great on Sunday is the only one we have that I reckon can adapt to playing in a 4 alongside some more quality.

He looked well off the pace didn’t he

 

[JOSWolf]

He looked well off the pace didn’t he

He really did but he is still our best centre back by a country mile.

 

[wolfgar]

IMV we need 2 CB's, a powerful midfielder, a fullback and forward or two coming in. I'm dubious as to whether we'll get it, but this team/squad needs freshening up big time.

I'd personally keep hold of Ait Nouri and Vitinha, but I'd say goodbye to both Traore and Willian Jose. A few others I am currently on the fence about, but after Sunday's debacle we really need to see a big reaction from the likes of Coady, Boly, Saiss, Semedo, Donk and Podence.

 

[SingleMalt]

I think that right now the players are just totally fed up with football. They've come into this season with no real break from the last and looked tired right from the off. Since then it's been one long slog, and the longer it's gone on, the worse we've got and the unhappier the players have looked.

I'm not (yet) convinced that the answer is a change of manager. I'd like to see what a decent break and pre-season can do for them before that.

Saying that, this season has proven without a shadow of a doubt that sticking with a small squad is lunacy in this division.

 

[JOSWolf]

I think the word complacent suits quite a few of our players at present.

 

[Stratman Wolves]

Anyone who thinks its had no impact either is in the same boat.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were not the only only football club to deal with covid this year.

 

[Mugwump]

I'm starting to think we need to being in two centre halves this summer. Boly although not great on Sunday is the only one we have that I reckon can adapt to playing in a 4 alongside some more quality.

I don't see us being able to sign 2 center halves on top of another 3 or 4 players tbh.

 

[Mugwump]

Wolverhampton Wanderers were not the only only football club to deal with covid this year.

Nope, but what's your point here? Are you trying to say just because some have dealt with it well everyone should? Anyone with any brains would understand it has impacted some worse than others. It's just one of probably 3 or 4 reasons our season hasn't been the best.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

I don't see us being able to sign 2 center halves on top of another 3 or 4 players tbh.

We desperately need at least one. I would imagine a CB would be at the top of our list (I'd hope so anyway)

 

[Manic88]

No. This was Stale and he left us a good few years ago now. None of the players look vaguely like him.

still his fault though

 

[Darren M (Dazza)]

Love Internet forums, check this out

 

[Deleted member 4152]

I'm not sure I'd quite say on the beach, or that they don't care. But it's been a long couple of seasons, no fans, poor results etc. I think they are mentally fatigued /burnt out and in need of a break, and it is translating into mistakes, not 100% effort etc. The fact that we don't really have much left to play for this season won't be helping either. Think most will look a lot better after a break and proper pre season

Boly laughing with big sam ****ed me off more than anything football wise this year.

Said a lot

 

[Chris H]

Nobody outside the top 6 does. So why are wolves the ones who struggle with this yet Villa seemingly can spend whatever? Can anyone answer this as it just boggles my mind how FFP is blamed for everything yet no one else seems affected by it.

The issue isn’t the PL’s FFP, it’s UEFA’s.

No one outside the top 6 have had to concern themselves with it other than Leicester who regularly sell a top player each season which helps them from that point of view and when they made a loss last year it was the first time in 5 years they’d done so.

We were done over by it by qualifying for the Europa League so quickly after being promoted meaning our championship losses caused us problems. We then had to agree a breakeven plan over the following 3 seasons which, whilst we aren’t in Europe now, we’d have to stick to to avoid further problems if we qualified again.

So basically if we stick to it it limits us, if we don’t we’d then be able to spend more in order to potentially qualify for Europe so they could penalise again (and probably more severely this time for breaching our agreement). Rock, meet hard place (it’s almost like FFP helps protect the “super” clubs from upstarts who don’t know their place).

So basically PL FFP isn’t an issue at all, it’s UEFA that is.

That’s also not to say FFP is solely 100% the cause of all our problems, just answering how it’s become more of an issue for us than it has for others.

 

[CodsallWolf]

I agree. The problem is that FFP and hence our budget means that we have a small high quality squad or more but lesser players. We don't currently have the resources to do anything approaching a Citeh.

If that’s the case, why spend €35M on an 18 year old with zero experience?