Disillusioned

[goldfish]

Not with the players.

Not with Lage.

And not with Fosun.

But with football.

It's clear we hit our ceiling those first two years in the Prem. Europa League QF, FA Cup semi-final. Massive nights at Molineux, and an exciting team with promise and talent.

A lot think Fosun should have invested to push for the top four. But it would have been ludicrous. We'd have had to spend around half a billion on players alone, and our chances of qualifying for the Champions League would still have been slim. Then what? A club with enormous debts and a (relatively) small stadium with minimal commercial appeal: we'd have been in desperate financial trouble and almost certainly unsellable. What a lot see as Fosun's betrayal has probably saved the club. (I do think they're risking too much with their current transfer policy, but that's a different argument.)

And that's it. Great, isn't it? We spend so much time and money following a club we love. And for what? The occasional tilt at the Europa (Conference) League and a decent cup run. Maybe the odd win against the Sky Six.

Until the bottom falls out of the football market, the European Super League happens, or we get bought as the soft power vanity project of an authoritarian regime that'll continue to be it. The last would be ethically troubling, and the former two risk a crisis of domestic professional football.

I'm finding non-league and women's football increasingly appealing because, though they both have their problems, there's more of a meritocracy and more to be gained by sustainable investment.

The best case scenario for the club now is that Fosun get outside investment which 1) pays for the players to guarantee our Prem status and 2) stadium enlargement/upgrade (or a move). We'd then be an attractive proposition for a mega-investor. But is this really what we want?

 

[Halesowen wwfc]

The only sense i can make of it all is that the bottom could fall out of football at any point. Superleague could come back out of the closet, on the verge of a worldwide recession, china/russia. Theres lots of politics going on that could affect the richest league in the world. Those that have been prudent and not offering silly wages around are more likely to survive. Look at the likes of chelsea and man utd now. Really struggling to get players not wanted out of their clubs because of the astronomical wages they offer to relative average players. That will start to trickle down to the likes of west ham/everton and so on and you will see teams start to stagnate as they cant shift their dxisting players to make room for new ones.

 

[wwbug]

I am sure everything would look better if we could score goals.
For me the thought of watching with our inability to regularly score more than a goal a match fills me with apathy.

 

[sc91]

Not with the players.

Not with Lage.

And not with Fosun.

But with football.

It's clear we hit our ceiling those first two years in the Prem. Europa League QF, FA Cup semi-final. Massive nights at Molineux, and an exciting team with promise and talent.

A lot think Fosun should have invested to push for the top four. But it would have been ludicrous. We'd have had to spend around half a billion on players alone, and our chances of qualifying for the Champions League would still have been slim. Then what? A club with enormous debts and a (relatively) small stadium with minimal commercial appeal: we'd have been in desperate financial trouble and almost certainly unsellable. What a lot see as Fosun's betrayal has probably saved the club. (I do think they're risking too much with their current transfer policy, but that's a different argument.)

And that's it. Great, isn't it? We spend so much time and money following a club we love. And for what? The occasional tilt at the Europa (Conference) League and a decent cup run. Maybe the odd win against the Sky Six.

Until the bottom falls out of the football market, the European Super League happens, or we get bought as the soft power vanity project of an authoritarian regime that'll continue to be it. The last would be ethically troubling, and the former two risk a crisis of domestic professional football.

I'm finding non-league and women's football increasingly appealing because, though they both have their problems, there's more of a meritocracy and more to be gained by sustainable investment.

The best case scenario for the club now is that Fosun get outside investment which 1) pays for the players to guarantee our Prem status and 2) stadium enlargement/upgrade (or a move). We'd then be an attractive proposition for a mega-investor. But is this really what we want?

I had this realisation quite a while back, football is broken at the top end and its all rather meh, the sky is no longer the limit, the limit is about the top half of the league and it's just not worth the cost to go into something where the limits are so clear as day.

Went yesterday because it was a good day out, but it was a swift reminder of where football is at in the men's game, its all so meh. Be back down to non-league next week and looking forward to it massively!

 

[WWFC4EVA]

Not with the players.

Not with Lage.

And not with Fosun.

But with football.

It's clear we hit our ceiling those first two years in the Prem. Europa League QF, FA Cup semi-final. Massive nights at Molineux, and an exciting team with promise and talent.

A lot think Fosun should have invested to push for the top four. But it would have been ludicrous. We'd have had to spend around half a billion on players alone, and our chances of qualifying for the Champions League would still have been slim. Then what? A club with enormous debts and a (relatively) small stadium with minimal commercial appeal: we'd have been in desperate financial trouble and almost certainly unsellable. What a lot see as Fosun's betrayal has probably saved the club. (I do think they're risking too much with their current transfer policy, but that's a different argument.)

And that's it. Great, isn't it? We spend so much time and money following a club we love. And for what? The occasional tilt at the Europa (Conference) League and a decent cup run. Maybe the odd win against the Sky Six.

Until the bottom falls out of the football market, the European Super League happens, or we get bought as the soft power vanity project of an authoritarian regime that'll continue to be it. The last would be ethically troubling, and the former two risk a crisis of domestic professional football.

I'm finding non-league and women's football increasingly appealing because, though they both have their problems, there's more of a meritocracy and more to be gained by sustainable investment.

The best case scenario for the club now is that Fosun get outside investment which 1) pays for the players to guarantee our Prem status and 2) stadium enlargement/upgrade (or a move). We'd then be an attractive proposition for a mega-investor. But is this really what we want?

It has all started to feel rather pointless and futile, hasn't it?
If you were playing poker, would you continually throw vast sums of money onto the table, knowing full well that the cards were totally stacked against you and you couldn't possibly compete, let alone win?!!!

 

[Adrian_Monk]

I'm disillusioned with all of the above, is that allowed?

 

[Ewok vs Wolf]

It's the sky and ffp effect
H

 

[EastDorsetWolf]

Not with the players.

Not with Lage.

And not with Fosun.

But with football.

It's clear we hit our ceiling those first two years in the Prem. Europa League QF, FA Cup semi-final. Massive nights at Molineux, and an exciting team with promise and talent.

A lot think Fosun should have invested to push for the top four. But it would have been ludicrous. We'd have had to spend around half a billion on players alone, and our chances of qualifying for the Champions League would still have been slim. Then what? A club with enormous debts and a (relatively) small stadium with minimal commercial appeal: we'd have been in desperate financial trouble and almost certainly unsellable. What a lot see as Fosun's betrayal has probably saved the club. (I do think they're risking too much with their current transfer policy, but that's a different argument.)

And that's it. Great, isn't it? We spend so much time and money following a club we love. And for what? The occasional tilt at the Europa (Conference) League and a decent cup run. Maybe the odd win against the Sky Six.

Until the bottom falls out of the football market, the European Super League happens, or we get bought as the soft power vanity project of an authoritarian regime that'll continue to be it. The last would be ethically troubling, and the former two risk a crisis of domestic professional football.

I'm finding non-league and women's football increasingly appealing because, though they both have their problems, there's more of a meritocracy and more to be gained by sustainable investment.

The best case scenario for the club now is that Fosun get outside investment which 1) pays for the players to guarantee our Prem status and 2) stadium enlargement/upgrade (or a move). We'd then be an attractive proposition for a mega-investor. But is this really what we want?

Felt the same way and went to my Doctor, whose a Stoke fan, and he prescribed the same pills he was on!

 

[DJLWolf]

Not with the players.

Not with Lage.

And not with Fosun.

But with football.

It's clear we hit our ceiling those first two years in the Prem. Europa League QF, FA Cup semi-final. Massive nights at Molineux, and an exciting team with promise and talent.

A lot think Fosun should have invested to push for the top four. But it would have been ludicrous. We'd have had to spend around half a billion on players alone, and our chances of qualifying for the Champions League would still have been slim. Then what? A club with enormous debts and a (relatively) small stadium with minimal commercial appeal: we'd have been in desperate financial trouble and almost certainly unsellable. What a lot see as Fosun's betrayal has probably saved the club. (I do think they're risking too much with their current transfer policy, but that's a different argument.)

And that's it. Great, isn't it? We spend so much time and money following a club we love. And for what? The occasional tilt at the Europa (Conference) League and a decent cup run. Maybe the odd win against the Sky Six.

Until the bottom falls out of the football market, the European Super League happens, or we get bought as the soft power vanity project of an authoritarian regime that'll continue to be it. The last would be ethically troubling, and the former two risk a crisis of domestic professional football.

I'm finding non-league and women's football increasingly appealing because, though they both have their problems, there's more of a meritocracy and more to be gained by sustainable investment.

The best case scenario for the club now is that Fosun get outside investment which 1) pays for the players to guarantee our Prem status and 2) stadium enlargement/upgrade (or a move). We'd then be an attractive proposition for a mega-investor. But is this really what we want?

I feel exactly the same.

The money in the premier league and top level football has got completely out of hand and I've lost interest.It is both vulgar and completely uncompetitive.

How has it got to the point where known terrorists are buying our football clubs?I can't get on bored with that.It's not ok with me.

I haven't watched a single kick this weekend and I think that's going to continue for me.

 

[oldgolded]

I agree with these sentiments. The whole thing has become incredibly cynical and vulgar. The romance has gone out of the beautiful game to a large extent. I still follow Wolves out of habit more than anything else. I do wonder whether it is an age thing to a degree and when you are sufficiently old enough to remember how innocent it was and what fun it was compared to the modern day cesspit of greed, it does put you off to an extent.

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

You watch a game and some half wit will talk about the high press, playing in the pocket, assists, false number 9, low block etc. football used to be so simple.

 

[WWFC4EVA]

You watch a game and some half wit will talk about the high press, playing in the pocket, assists, false number 9, low block etc. football used to be so simple.

It's almost as if the commentators are playing cliché bingo nowadays!

 

[Wagstaffe Was Magic]

So far away now from the game I fell in love with … and the team

Parkes, Parkin Thomson, Bailey Woodfield Holsgrove, Kenning Wignall Dougan Knowles Wagstaffe.

Nostalgic now, for the sunny afternoons of my youth and that Saturday feeling

 

[sillytuna]

Similar in many ways but nuno had brought me back for sure.

I don't hide it on here - the negativity and binary thinking, victim-like nature of fans these days also puts me off massively. So many people just can't enjoy things that it brings everyone else down.

I cannot understand why so many people revel in being miserable and that's exactly what they're doing.

 

[Ned]

When we went up I thought we might be able to break in to the top 6 on a regular basis and actually become one of them. I’ve realised that it’s nearly impossible to achieve this for a club our size - we just don’t have the revenue streams to sustain an assault at the top and I don’t think anybody, under FFP will be able to achieve this unless they’re called Newcastle.

 

[Jamwolf]

Jesus wept, after 1980 we had 35 years of utter mediocrity, at best. It wasn't that long ago when we were relegated to Div 1.
I am not disillusioned at all.

 

[DJLWolf]

I agree with these sentiments. The whole thing has become incredibly cynical and vulgar. The romance has gone out of the beautiful game to a large extent. I still follow Wolves out of habit more than anything else. I do wonder whether it is an age thing to a degree and when you are sufficiently old enough to remember how innocent it was and what fun it was compared to the modern day cesspit of greed, it does put you off to an extent.

I think it's an age thing.

I'm approaching 40, so although when I was 7/8/9 money was starting to creep into the game, it was the very early stages and the whole sport and concept was so much more honest.

I remember being in my teens and early 20's and people my age now where getting fed up with the amount of money in the game and pulling the plug and I thought they were talking nonsense at the time.

I have got to the point now where I have a lad turning 7 who has been to a few wolves games with me and I'm thinking 'do I really want to get him into this?'. The honest answer is a resounding 'no'.

I honestly think it's got to the point where the game is pretty much dead at the top level.It is just a commercial and corporate soap opera now.The actual sport is a side show.

 

[Bacon Sandwich]

While I will watch every minute of every Wolves game this season @goldfish , I understand exactly how you feel.

I live in Scarborough and watching them in the Northern Premier League play-offs at the end of last season was so refreshing. If the ref said it was a goal it was a goal. You could celebrate. There weren’t any players throwing themselves to the ground like they’d been snipered. There wasn’t Harry bloody Kane trying to ref the game. To use a simple word it was ‘honest’ football.

I do think a lot of people might start watching non-league and lower league while the World Cup is on and simply not go back to the PL.

 

[oldgolded]

A mate of mine who is a Spurs fan is taking his kid to the Spurs v Wolves game at White Hart Lane or whatever it's called now and paying over £200 for two tickets. Absolutely insane money imo. I remember being able to go to Molineux and pay about 2 bob at the turnstile on matchday. Life was so much more pleasant and simpler in those days, and the atmosphere was far superior.

 

[thommo1984]

I wonder if something will break or if we're too far past that for it to happen.

Wage cap, transfer cap, ticket price cap...anything to break the obscene amount of money that now dominates every aspect of the game to the point that's completely ruined the sport.

 

[Ponty]

A really interesting post. Any team will only be able to challenge the Sly Six apart from the odd freak season with huge external investment. Starting a season where realistically a top half finish is success and scraping 7th is probably the highest we can achieve doesn't fill me with boundless joy. I'm beginning to wish the Sly Six had gone ahead with a Super League and left the rest of us to have a competitive league where management skills, good recruitment and a good youth system give every team something other than avoiding relegation to play for.

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

You watch a game and some half wit will talk about the high press, playing in the pocket, assists, false number 9, low block etc. football used to be so simple.

You mean when the standard was way worse?

 

[Contrarian]

I do agree with the overall sentiment. I suppose what keeps me interested is that sometimes the football is high quality. Far higher than it used to be. That trick and spin Neto did yesterday, for example. To see "our" player do that is very pleasing for me. The relentless pace of matches now, it's almost like pinball as the ball pings around. Yesterdays match was a disappointing result, but still an entertaining game which could have gone either way throughout.

As for owners. Given up hope there. It's the same everywhere, football can't be separated from politics because it's all about money and politics is about controlling money. Seems to be more super rich business owners who are ruthlessly greedy and seem above the law. Football clubs treating the fans as open wallets to drain money from are just following what all businesses do these days. And then dish out the PR rubbish when caught.

Everything looks different when we've just won a match, though.

 

[Wolf 82]

A mate of mine who is a Spurs fan is taking his kid to the Spurs v Wolves game at White Hart Lane or whatever it's called now and paying over £200 for two tickets. Absolutely insane money imo. I remember being able to go to Molineux and pay about 2 bob at the turnstile on matchday. Life was so much more pleasant and simpler in those days, and the atmosphere was far superior.

As I live in SW London, and only get to about 5 Wolves games a season.. I thought I might take up a Rugby season ticket as I can walk to Harlequins or London Irish (and lots of pubs on way)..

Their season tickets were 600 quid.. for a second rate sport.. ffs. I think it’s just the way sport is going.. demand is high.

I would have loved Wolves to improve the stadium whilst we were in the ascendancy.. I still think we could sell out 40,000+ week-in, week-out

 

[Stee]

Completely empathise with the OP.

Increasingly I find myself taking this kind of path with so many things in life. The state of the planet, corporate greed, corrupt government and living in a plutocracy.

I try and block it all out and find the important things in life, my young son and trying to equip him as best I can for what I know will be an even more troubling adulthood than my own.

Football isn’t perfect but I can still escape in it. I still get a spine tingle as the ball crosses the line and a thrill from the roar of the crowd. That’s the “for what” that I hold onto I guess.

It’s the fans that make it, football in empty stadiums is meaningless even if it’s the best players in the world…all the while we hold the community together and enjoy it together it will mean something to me.

I think truthfully I don’t care if it’s the PL or league 2 if I’m with those important to me. Not just family and friends but all wolves fans, all football fans! Well…maybe not quite all…

A football meritocracy at all levels sounds amazing…sadly I think it will only ever be a dream.

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

Whilst I agree that I too feel an element of apathy towards where football is now, I do acknowledge I much prefer watching PL football and the full house it brings at Molineux. I must admit the thought of 22k gates and a 0–0 with QPR (no offense hoops) on a Tuesday night in the Championship fills me with dread.

Had we won, or even held on for a draw yesterday I don’t think we’d be seeing so many of these types of posts. I’m sure if we sign a player or two this week (yeah, right!), and manage a win against Fulham next weekend all will feel much better.

Let’s hope so anyway…

 

[reanswolf]

The clubs complacency in the transfer market doesn’t help. It’s as tho the first month doesn’t matter. If we go down on the last day I know who my fingers will point to.

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

Whilst I agree that I too feel an element of apathy towards where football is now, I do acknowledge I much prefer watching PL football and the full house it brings at Molineux. I must admit the thought of 22k gates and a 0–0 with QPR (no offense hoops) on a Tuesday night in the Championship fills me with dread.

Had we won, or even held on for a draw yesterday I don’t think we’d be seeing so many of these types of posts. I’m sure if we sign a player or two this week (yeah, right!), and manage a win against Fulham next weekend all will feel much better.

Let’s hope so anyway…

I wouldn't mind the pining for the Championship/League 1 if it represented packed crowds and good atmospheres. Vast majority of away atmospheres in the Championship were absolutely dog awful and League 1 was basically all semi empty grounds with nothing. The magic of Football League is a myth.

Reckon none-league is where you want to go to get a good atmosphere with a different feel, going to watch Walsall or something where the stadium is half empty is just depressing.

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

I wouldn't mind the pining for the Championship/League 1 if it represented packed crowds and good atmospheres. Vast majority of away atmospheres in the Championship were absolutely dog awful and League 1 was basically all semi empty grounds with nothing. The magic of Football League is a myth.

Reckon none-league is where you want to go to get a good atmosphere with a different feel, going to watch Walsall or something where the stadium is half empty is just depressing.

I do agree that although the PL atmospheres are pretty dire (Molineux fairly decent TBF until last season), full stadiums are more appealing, to me anyway.

No disrespect to Champ and L1 clubs, it’s the same for us when we’re there, but the empty stadiums are really depressing. One of the major reservations I have about expanding the stadium too much is I think we’d struggle to fill 40k with any regularity - particularly if/ when we’re next relegated.

 

[wolvesaywe]

The Mix is its usual little ray of sunshine the day after a defeat I see

 

[Gedwolf]

I do think a lot of people might start watching non-league and lower league while the World Cup is on and simply not go back to the PL.

I think i'll just watch the World Cup

 

[Brightonwolf]

Really good post.

I’m not as disillusioned with football more towards the fact that there doesn’t seem to be the patience anymore towards the club.
Money and the greed league has been there for a while, in my world it all started changing along with Covid. Football didn’t seem to be that important anymore and it felt that players and staff across football had the same feeling. Standards dropped, games behind closed doors, matches being postponed etc I just lost interest.
I was really looking forward to this season, full stadiums and no disruption, I’ve tried to stay positive despite lack of signings but the constant negativity and fans having a go at other fans for being “happy clappers” or “pant wetters” is just toxic and takes the edge off.

I happen to support Fosun and the state that our club is in financially. They could walk tomorrow and we would be ok. Too many clubs are on the edge and flirt with punishment just because they are “Big clubs”.

I love coming on the Mix, more than Twitter etc but it takes an age to find a decent post where there is actual decent content (probably be called a snowflake or something)
.

I’m hoping a couple of good results will cause some overdue positivity.

 

[Deleted member 8455jwf]

I do agree that although the PL atmospheres are pretty dire (Molineux fairly decent TBF until last season), full stadiums are more appealing, to me anyway.

No disrespect to Champ and L1 clubs, it’s the same for us when we’re there, but the empty stadiums are really depressing. One of the major reservations I have about expanding the stadium too much is I think we’d struggle to fill 40k with any regularity - particularly if/ when we’re next relegated.

Agreed mate, actually been to a fair bit of none league stuff and that is often no better other than clubs who really try

 

[Macman]

I do enjoy football, and love the Wolves, but a big part of my apathy now is pure cost. I dont have the spare money to watch many games, and when I do go, i get so angry knowing how much money these players are earning. Its obscene. Yet I have to scrimp and save every penny to watch them (and it lines their pockets).

and that’s the same for every football fan who goes regularly. In this climate of spiralling energy, fuel and interest rate costs, its criminal the salaries these footballers get - they dont have our financial worries.

 

[dgm6769]

I thought I would be a lot more detached or unconcerned this season with the wife's diagnosis but still find myself checking here and twitter regularly.
Didn't think I could get anymore depressed but somehow match day still manages to make things that bit worse.
So ffs wolves give me something to enjoy again.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Jesus wept, after 1980 we had 35 years of utter mediocrity, at best. It wasn't that long ago when we were relegated to Div 1.
I am not disillusioned at all.

Lots of people were sucked in by the possibility we could do a City or a Chelsea. I always thought it was pie I'm the sky myself.

I'm happy to avoid relegation and have a few stabs at Europe, maybe win a trophy now and then.

 

[Direwolf]

It's the social media that puts me off..... off..... off... off

 

[wallace]

The only thing I get disillusioned over is knowing we only need 3 quality players to be a very good side, something we have needed since Nuno got us promoted. Top 10 finish and a respectable run in the cups, maybe a final or even a cup and that should be the clubs idea of success in football for our club.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

Not with the players.

Not with Lage.

And not with Fosun.

But with football.

It's clear we hit our ceiling those first two years in the Prem. Europa League QF, FA Cup semi-final. Massive nights at Molineux, and an exciting team with promise and talent.

A lot think Fosun should have invested to push for the top four. But it would have been ludicrous. We'd have had to spend around half a billion on players alone, and our chances of qualifying for the Champions League would still have been slim. Then what? A club with enormous debts and a (relatively) small stadium with minimal commercial appeal: we'd have been in desperate financial trouble and almost certainly unsellable. What a lot see as Fosun's betrayal has probably saved the club. (I do think they're risking too much with their current transfer policy, but that's a different argument.)

And that's it. Great, isn't it? We spend so much time and money following a club we love. And for what? The occasional tilt at the Europa (Conference) League and a decent cup run. Maybe the odd win against the Sky Six.

Until the bottom falls out of the football market, the European Super League happens, or we get bought as the soft power vanity project of an authoritarian regime that'll continue to be it. The last would be ethically troubling, and the former two risk a crisis of domestic professional football.

I'm finding non-league and women's football increasingly appealing because, though they both have their problems, there's more of a meritocracy and more to be gained by sustainable investment.

The best case scenario for the club now is that Fosun get outside investment which 1) pays for the players to guarantee our Prem status and 2) stadium enlargement/upgrade (or a move). We'd then be an attractive proposition for a mega-investor. But is this really what we want?

If you follow Wolves then you certainly don't expect to win trophies. Glory hunters follow United, City or Liverpool. Proper football fans follow their home team, the one that their Dad followed, despite the inevitable disappointment and despair. If you don't get that I suggest you take up fishing.

 

[goldfish]

If you follow Wolves then you certainly don't expect to win trophies. Glory hunters follow United, City or Liverpool. Proper football fans follow their home team, the one that their Dad followed, despite the inevitable disappointment and despair. If you don't get that I suggest you take up fishing.

Christ, I don't think I've got the attention span for fishing.

Hope is different from expectation, and I don't expect us to win. I'd just like to invest in a sport where a decent number of teams have a realistic chance of challenging if they play their cards right.

What, realistically, can we have as a target over the next five seasons that doesn't bankrupt the club or alienate the fans?