How do we improve the Wolves team?

[Welford Wolf]

With the season now to be finished, the news outlets are already full of speculation of comings and goings. I don't expect anyone significant to leave (unless Nuno wants rid) but I would expect us to improve the squad a little. The question is how?
We already have Podence, Neto and Jordao not guaranteed a starting place, and we are on record of wanting and using a small squad. So who do we bring in?
If it's a marquee signing who then makes way?
What are your thoughts?

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

I'd like to see last of this season's games first, some of the younger players may come back with a bang. Neto, Jordao and Podence e.g.

 

[rincewind]

Obviously adequate cover/successor to Raul (maybe Campana?), same for Moutinho and an additional central defender. If we lose no one important then high quality in those 3 positions will be fine.
Might want to review this should we make the Champions league League though (not a sentence I would have expected to type 5 years ago!).

 

[PumpKing]

To be honest, I’ll be over the moon just to be able to see our existing lads for now.

I know we will have to consider the future soon but for now, I can’t even think about new transfers or even further than watching our first glorious game back.

 

[Arcadius]

Difficult to drop anyone from our best starting eleven!

 

[Very Proud (AKA Still Proud)]

I'd go for a Centre back, Midfielder and CF

We'd then have
GK - Rui, Ruddy,
CB - Boly, Saiss, Coady, ANO, Kilman, Dendonker, plus Bennett (?)
WB - Jonny, Doherty, Vinagre, Burr,
MF - Mountinho, Neves, Dendonker, ANO, Gibbs-White, Jordao,
WG - Traore, Neto, Jota, Podence,
CF - Raul, ANO, Campana

With the likes of Sondergaard, Otasowie, Sanderson, the Taylor's, Shabani, Dadashov, Ennis, Madison, Watt, Giles, Ronan to come in for cup games.

Would be a healthy squad

 

[Bankswolf The Third]

I want to be early in saying I expect that no real big transfers like Podence will happen this summer though I imagine all of our players will be linked here, there and everywhere.
Clear out some more youngsters, move Bennett on and bring in some more promising youngsters who are looking to break into the squad like Neto has done.
If we lose players then I imagine they would have replacements lined up to fill the gap and money will need to be spent there but I think personally it will be a quiet one

 

[VancouverWolf]

I doubt there will be much activity in the transfer market. This pandemic has sobered everybody with regards to laying out huge amounts of money.
The owners are no different. I expect they will be very cautious especially since there is no vaccine yet.

 

[The Runner]

Most important is to hold on to what we've got. The majority of our squad still have the capacity to improve. One of the top priorities is trying to get Boly to sign a new contract as he enters the final year of the current one.

 

[Tojo the grass]

Keeping everybody is the first priority, sort out contact extensions for those who that are close to ending, including Nuno.

I think there is little disagreement about our best starting eleven regardless of whether we play two in midfield and three up front or vice versa, but we need to get away from the mindset of ‘who do we drop?’ when considering new additions, we have a small squad ethos , which means that if we are to progress they all need to be of a high standard, so it is more a question of ‘how will they improve our options?’ with everyone getting plenty of game time throughout a multi-competition season.

I don’t think we will be bringing many in, certainly another high quality midfielder and maybe another centre forward if Campana is not deemed to be ready to make the step up, a lot depends how much faith we have in the youngsters that are already getting involved.

 

[AndyWolves]

RCB and if I'm being really critical Coady. Coady is great at passing but does get done for pace and sometimes in the air.

 

[The Runner]

RCB and if I'm being really critical Coady. Coady is great at passing but does get done for pace and sometimes in the air.

Coady obviously brings a lot more to the team than his passing. What he brings more than makes up for the very rare occasions when he puts himself in a position to be outrun or beaten in the air.

 

[AndyWolves]

Coady obviously brings a lot more to the team than his passing. What he brings more than makes up for the very rare occasions when he puts himself in a position to be outrun or beaten in the air.

As I said I'm being really critical, if we want to improve those are kind of things we need to improve on.

I couldn't tell you who would be better than Coady in the Coady role though. Or is he a libero?

 

[JOSWolf]

For the squad we need another central midfield player, centre back and striker. Will be interesting to see if Campana is ready or not and how the likes of Otasowie and Marques adapt along with Jordao. Also will be interested to see if Matheson and Sanderson can stake a claim at wing back and central defence.

 

[Tojo the grass]

For the squad we need another central midfield player, centre back and striker. Will be interesting to see if Campana is ready or not and how the likes of Otasowie and Marques adapt along with Jordao. Also will be interested to see if Matheson and Sanderson can stake a claim at wing back and central defence.

I thought Sanderson might be ready to be weaned into the right central defensive position the same way that Kilman is on the left but I have not noticed him any of the recent training sessions.

 

[Jonzy54]

I'd go for a Centre back, Midfielder and CF

We'd then have
GK - Rui, Ruddy,
CB - Boly, Saiss, Coady, ANO, Kilman, Dendonker, plus Bennett (?)
WB - Jonny, Doherty, Vinagre, Burr,
MF - Mountinho, Neves, Dendonker, ANO, Gibbs-White, Jordao,
WG - Traore, Neto, Jota, Podence,
CF - Raul, ANO, Campana

With the likes of Sondergaard, Otasowie, Sanderson, the Taylor's, Shabani, Dadashov, Ennis, Madison, Watt, Giles, Ronan to come in for cup games.

Would be a healthy squad

Maddison was a good signing under the radar

 

[JOSWolf]

I thought Sanderson might be ready to be weaned into the right central defensive position the same way that Kilman is on the left but I have not noticed him any of the recent training sessions.

He's on loan at Cardiff and was doing really well before the season stopped playing at right wing back for them.

 

[The Runner]

As I said I'm being really critical, if we want to improve those are kind of things we need to improve on.

I couldn't tell you who would be better than Coady in the Coady role though. Or is he a libero?

I think it's been said on other threads that you could get defenders who are better defenders, quicker, more physical and read the game better. But to sign someone who is all of those and also brings the organisational ability and sheer charisma that Coady brings to Wolves would involve spending a very serious amount of money.

As you can see, I'm a bit of a Coady fan and I'm quite convinced that when he retires having lifted 3 successive Champions League trophies that the role in the middle of a back 3 will forever be known as a 'Coady'

 

[AndyWolves]

I think it's been said on other threads that you could get defenders who are better defenders, quicker, more physical and read the game better. But to sign someone who is all of those and also brings the organisational ability and sheer charisma that Coady brings to Wolves would involve spending a very serious amount of money.

As you can see, I'm a bit of a Coady fan and I'm quite convinced that when he retires having lifted 3 successive Champions League trophies that the role in the middle of a back 3 will forever be known as a 'Coady'

On reflection we just need to make Coady better 1 v 1, but if Coady is 1 v 1 something has gone wrong somewhere.

I do like Coady and think he's part of the backbone of the team

 

[Deleted member 4184]

Striker to compete with Raul
Center back to compete with Saiss
Attacking midfielder to give us a plan b when we struggle to break teams down... Grealish

 

[Deleted member 4152]

Upgrade dendoncker

 

[WickedWolfie]

Upgrade dendoncker

Hmmmm... A tad obsessive on this subject?

 

[Deleted member 4152]

Hmmmm... A tad obsessive on this subject?

No I have admitted I must be wrong because Nuno picks him, but haven't we been linked with a few defensive midfielders?

 

[WickedWolfie]

No I have admitted I must be wrong because Nuno picks him, but haven't we been linked with a few defensive midfielders?

If we signed every midfielder that we've been linked with we would have dozens...

 

[Keyser Soze]

To improve the team itself, and with what may be a strange economic time for us and many others I would be happy with 1 signing of fairly large outlay at RCB and a further 3 for the first team squad with highly rated younger players to develop in the mould of Neto, so 4 incoming in total and, importantly, no one from the X1 squad going out (unless a top loan for MGW is agreed)

• RCB for the X1 to push Saiss hard, perhaps Ruben Dias or the like is still pie in the sky stuff, so Rugani type player thats still expensive but a senior player to improve us, that or an expensive top top youngster like Basiashile that would potentially play pretty quickly as Saiss has certainly not let us down to give someone more time
• CM. An exciting central midfield prospect to deputy for Moutinho. I'm sure Joao could still play the same amount of games but I'd like it if we didn't have to ask him to and prolong his career. Maybe this Fermandes at Sporting is the man but a signing of that ilk with not too big an outlay
• STR. As all have said we still need to replace what Cutrone was meant to be, maybe Campana will be the man and make this signing unneccasseary and by all accounts he's highly rated, but from what we know now we need to protect Raul more and take minutes out of his legs and I'd like that to be another youngster with high potential and natural attributes. Fabio Silva would be the dream but still too expensive even with the financial challenges at Porto
• RWB. If Matheson is good enough then this isn't required but its asking a lot of the teenager who is still only 17. Harsh on Oscar Burr who's been promoted to the first team squad as well but at 22 I'm not sure he has the potential to be the long term replacement for Doherty so I would like to see us bring in one more for the X1 squad to get really close to Doc for the RWB and give Matheson more time and a maybe loan for Burr to see what he can do in senior football, whilst leaving Jonny and Vinagre to the left hand side

That with the potential permanent promotions of Otasowie & Marques, maybe Shabani & Perry too not far behind with some others and we've improved enough for me to kick on again, with enough room to breathe to maybe go big again in the summer of 2021 when the football finances are more stable

 

[Wolf Pack leader]

Over the next two windows IMO we need Five players to be a top 4 contender assuming we keep everyone

Cover at RWB - if Doc gets injured
RCB - upgrade on Saiss
SWeeper - harsh I know but Coady is poor 1 v 1 ( Watford’s winning goal at Wembley and Chelsea at home against Tammy)
Attacking midfielder - a player to be the creative spark when needed against pa Jed defences
Striker - I’m sure we all agree if Raúl gets crocked we will struggle to score enough

 

[Jonzy54]

I would like to see a couple of experienced players come in -CB and Striker to give us options and to enable a degree of rotation .Yes we have options but at the back it involves moving a MF player there or up top playing a wide player there.I appreciate experienced players probably don’t want to sit on the bench and Nuno prefers a smallish squad but I am just stating what I would like to see to give us that extra push .

 

[Aurum Lupus]

No I have admitted I must be wrong because Nuno picks him, but haven't we been linked with a few defensive midfielders?

I've been massively critical of him previously, however do see what he brings now. That being said though, if you look at the team he's probably the easiest to replace.

 

[Jonzy54]

I've been massively critical of him previously, however do see what he brings now. That being said though, if you look at the team he's probably the easiest to replace.

He is a perfect example of us being the sum of the parts

 

[Bondi Wolf]

Some more like Moutinho. We have never been such a honey pot for quality players, especially those that are stepping down from the top and want to play in the EPL.

Assume we get into Europe again, and other clubs are letting players go it's a great time to get some experience in as we are a great place for them to go. Time to use that and bolster our experience and options.

 

[WalsallWolf]

I think we could do with more physicality at the middle and top end of the pitch. Someone in midfield, someone upfront. Rondon upfront last summer would have suited that. Perhaps that Kessie guy in the middle.

I think we need another ball player at the back too. I dont think Donck is the answer at the back from a defensive pov.

Aside from that, I think it is about keeping and developing our current crop. It is scary how good Neto and Vinagre could develop in the next 2 to 3 years. I even think Neves and Jota are nowhere near there peak. If we can retain those 4 and they can keep developing, I am less scared about losing Traore/Raul, particularly the latter.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

Sign the 2 PSG players we are linked with and take Ronaldo from Juve.

 

[Wolves Heathen]

We only really need a replacement for Benno who seems to be on the way out, and we only have Kilman as back up, yes Donk can do a job there but i dont see him as a defender, as for people saying we need back up for Raul we have Diogo who player better through the middle and Campana, so personally a defender and midfielder would be enough additions for me. Of course improvements can be made in most positions but those types of improvements cost big money and even bigger salaries, Ronaldo anyone .

 

[hollo]

We need a physical midfielder. We need dacourt from watford. I want us to dominate games but too often we don't have the ball and rely on counter acting.

 

[WolfLing]

Natural progression will improve us. I'm excited to see the likes of Moutinho, Jimenez and Traore again, but equally excited to see if players like Neto and Vinagre can continue their improvements.

If you're talking about overnight improvements, I think the list has been the same for a while as far as buying players. That is.....

A top outside centre back - Saiss and Boly have been excellent, so I'm talking a tier above those two. An International class defender like Dias.

Solid backup/competition for Doherty, but with the potential to be better. Basically a right sided Vinagre type.

A different, more physical type of central midfield player.

Another goalscorer for backup/competition. A settled, better version of Cutrone that wants to stay and fight for his place.

 

[Tojo the grass]

After doing extensive research on YouTube I have observed that Joao Palhinha is very adept at dispossessing players, excellent at it in fact, I think he would add something different while still being a ‘Nuno’ type of midfielder.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

I think we have a good mix in the squad (and first eleven) of youth, quality and experience now. We've also invested in some great young players who we can spend a few years nurturing so for me I think any future signings need to be upgrades, not players to push people in positions but genuinely better than we have. Harsh on players but thats football.

 

[Phitsanulok (Poole) Wolf]

More concerned at not losing anyone from what is a great TEAM. Look at how many are coveted by other clubs!

 

[Oldskooldayz]

Improving the team will be very difficult this time around with clubs losing money because of the virus they will probably look to keep what they've got and move on the deadwood.

If we can bring in a starting centre half then add cover at right back, centre midfield and centre forward then I'll be very happy.

 

[JadeWolf]

A centre half as good as Boly to play the other side of Coady.