Only bad news-slow motion suicide?

[goldeneyed]

We will see what unfolds in the next few days but at this moment it is quite extraordinary how the club are seemingly sleep walking into a deeper and deeper crisis. A lucky win at Everton may be welcome but it simply papers over the massive cracks which are appearing.

We all assume the club will cave in and sell Nunes-probably announced today or tomorrow. Reports say £51m is what we will get. On the face of it a profit of around £8-9m. Peanuts by current standards but who can blame Nunes for wanting to go to the best club on the planet right now? Personally I think that is around £10m less than we should accept and would much prefer keeping him. Olise and Eze at Palace are staying put after all with that club determined to hold on to them despite top six attempts to get hold of them. The latter is valued at £70m. Paqueta was being valued at £80m. Caicedo £115 m , Fernandez before that another £100m. Rice £100m. Mount was £60m plus. Against those kinds of deals our potential £51m for our best player seems pretty poor.

But let's be positive- suddenly there is money to spend....we assume....but main CB target Elvedi is already potentially going to our relegation rivals Everton. So who else? Josh Brownhill?, a workmanlike player but way below the Nunes level. But he will be cheap and that's all that matters these days. The kind of player a lower 6 Premier League team might be happy to have as a squad player. Oh and let's not forget our 'chase' for a 33 year old Cresswell in a position where we are well covered.

Other targets mentioned have either already gone or in the process of going elsewhere. No doubt there are other targets but with four or five days to go - we will look desperate and known to have money from the Nunes sale...all conducive to panicky signings and potential over-payment. As usual the club are on the back foot. I expect to hear talk of obsure South American players who we will never sign, especially at such short notice. Wolves are looking incredibly unattractive right now for any quality player. They are seen as relegation candidates, simple as that. And every move or non- move the club makes deepens that impression.

Elsewhere, setting aside the Loptegui disaster, we hear Collins never wanted to leave. That one of our best young prospects Shahar, an England U.16 international, is off to Newcastle. Bolla off on loan again- what a waste of time that signing was. Guedes off as well of course to Benefica...will we get even half our money back on that deal eventually? Sa being chased by Forest. Semedo being sought by Man U with a possible swap with Wan-Bissaka whose qualities are at the very least questionable. Hwang has a hamstring injury that will keep him out for quite a while? More injuries inevitably will come exposing our inadequate squad. And let's not forget Podence who is completely disaffected and who may be stuck with us because his wages are too high for the likes of Celtic. No bids for Jonny that I am aware of.

All our lower half of the table rivals are strengthening. Even Everton, who supposedly have no dosh, are about to spend £25m on a 6ft 4 centre forward, Beto, having already bought a promising 19 year old Chermiti from Sporting for £15m. Plus Jack Harrison, plus Danjuma on loan. Now they are about to snap Elvedi from our grasp it seems. All this, Everton, the division's current basket case who couldn't even beat us at home! Where does that leave us?!

Forest, Sheff U, Bournemouth, even Luton are trying to reinforce their squads beyond signings already made. Palace buying Henderson from Man U and holding on to their best players, albeit they have lost Zaha. Our neighbours Villa- doing everything we should have done- high quality manager-some great quality signings-one of them on loan another a 'free'. Excellent moves. Plans to make their ground by far the best in the Midlands- compared to our flakey paint Molineux going backwards.

Add Fosun's financial woes and the absence of our Chairman when Loptegui was effectively sacked and a very inexperienced and uninspiring O'Neil was appointed. Hopefully they have now actually met each other. In the background we have lost our chief scout I believe- key members of our medical department- our goalkeeping coach and I am sure there are others....all leaving. None of this is a sign of a club that knows where it is going. Just poor communication and confusion.
Shi's letter to supporters saying Fosun are committed to the club was at first encouraging and the FFP excuse was basically credible but there is barely a supporter left who feels these are any more than hollow words in the light of what has been going on. Are we really in the background being prepared for a sale?

I look forward to the spin from the club around the Nunes sale. Perhaps other sales we don't even know of yet. Then the hyping up of a couple of incomings that we all know will be inferior to what we had. A club that had Loptegui as manager, Neves and Nunes in their midfield is being replaced by O'Neil and a couple of coaches, gradually being devalued-the Wolves currency is being de-based.

Yes there will be a couple of new bodies coming in probably after the Nunes sale but let's not kid ourselves, the club has no other goal anymore than avoiding relegation and doing that with a squad that is being stripped of any true quality. The club's PR as usual is hopeless. They seem to have no consciousness that this torrent of bad news is going to ultimately lead to disaster and the devaluation of their investment. The assumption that there are three worse clubs than us because of Luton and Sheff U and Forest/Everton/Bournemouth look weak should be reviewed on Sept 1. Out of light cometh darkness under this regime.

I don't want to be negative but all this has to be layed out clearly- after the Stade Rennes match I, like others, felt full of enthusiasm. But the club, not for the first time, have imploded. I feel sorry for the current players and even for O'Neil who after all is just an onlooker and apparently barely even consulted on player comings and goings. He will just put up with whatever and that is why he was appointed. Of course O'Neil will attempt to circle the wagons. We still have a few quality players who may or may not improve- such as Fabio. But it ain't going to be pretty -we all know that. The Man U performance seems like a dream now and Nunes of course was a big part of that.

So we shall see on Sept 1 where we stand. The torrent of negative news will surely come to an end at some point....won't it?

 

[Wolf 82]

I am keeping my powder dry until September 1st and seeing what happens.

It doesn’t look very positive at the moment, so maybe that is wishful thinking.. but, there is still a week for the board and Hobbs to show us how busy they’ve been behind-the-scenes outside of just selling off our players.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Countdown to the disparaging replies from Fosun diehards…

 

[MasWolf]

Don't forget that Arsenal initially bid £70m for Caicedo and they turned it down to eventually get £115m from Chelsea a few months later. This was after he publicly said he wanted to leave Brighton. They've managed this brilliantly. To get £45m extra for a player who already said he wanted to leave is something we could never do under FOSUN.

 

[MasWolf]

Countdown to the disparaging replies from Fosun diehards…

Are there actually any left?

 

[North West Wanderer]

i get there’s a feeling of doom but do we

a) need another post saying the same thing, as eloquent as it is
b) surely wait until the end of the transfer window

 

[Wolf in Kenilworth]

We have messed up on a few things:

1. Lopetegui going. How much did we move the goalposts but how much did he want to be here. Also how much did we pay him off.

2. Lack of transfer incomings. If we are clear of FFP and have cash in hand then why can’t we sign players. There is a common swipe of ‘we need the cash’ and ‘asset stripping’ but Wolves are not a piggy bank where Fosun can dip into. And even if they did how much will a few million make in the grand scheme of things for their conglomerate. Not a lot.

3. The price for Nunes. It makes no sense to me. If it turns out to be €60 million and not £60 million and we then have to pay for one of their reserves meaning less than £40 million net I’ll be seriously questioning their business acumen.

Other than these points I find the anti Fosun mentality staggering. We have overspent, badly, over the years and we have to live within our means which is the model Fosun have always pointed to. They have always been clear on this. They have made mistakes, or have they? Or have they been badly advised.

Fans need to be very careful what they wish for IMO.

It’s a painful time but perspective is needed. As said elsewhere the next few days are absolutely massive.

 

[sc91]

Honestly, we are just treading water till Fosun get a buyer.

 

[Scallywolf]

Great post, goldeneyed.

Everything in a nutshell.

Hope Mr Shi takes the time to read it as it mirrors what so many loyal fans are saying.

Trouble is, it isn’t just a couple of things that we are unhappy with, it’s everything!

 

[Bill McCai]

There is a silver lining though. Whilst the club are scaling back their ambition, they are also reducing ticket prices. Oh...

 

[Ches78]

We will see what unfolds in the next few days but at this moment it is quite extraordinary how the club are seemingly sleep walking into a deeper and deeper crisis. A lucky win at Everton may be welcome but it simply papers over the massive cracks which are appearing.

We all assume the club will cave in and sell Nunes-probably announced today or tomorrow. Reports say £51m is what we will get. On the face of it a profit of around £8-9m. Peanuts by current standards but who can blame Nunes for wanting to go to the best club on the planet right now? Personally I think that is around £10m less than we should accept and would much prefer keeping him. Olise and Eze at Palace are staying put after all with that club determined to hold on to them despite top six attempts to get hold of them. The latter is valued at £70m. Paqueta was being valued at £80m. Caicedo £105 m , Fernandez before that another £100m. Rice £100m. Mount was £60m plus. Against those kinds of deals our potential £51m for our best player seems pretty poor.

But let's be positive- suddenly there is money to spend....we assume....but main CB target Elvedi is already potentially going to our relegation rivals Everton. So who else? Josh Brownhill?, a workmanlike player but way below the Nunes level. But he will be cheap and that's all that matters these days. The kind of player a lower 6 Premier League team might be happy to have as a squad player. Oh and let's not forget our 'chase' for a 33 year old Cresswell in a position where we are well covered.

Other targets mentioned have either already gone or in the process of going elsewhere. No doubt there are other targets but with four or five days to go - we will look desperate and known to have money from the Nunes sale...all conducive to panicky signings and potential over-payment. As usual the club are on the back foot. I expect to hear talk of obsure South American players who we will never sign, especially at such short notice. Wolves are looking incredibly unattractive right now for any quality player. They are seen as relegation candidates, simple as that. And every move or non- move the club makes deepens that impression.

Elsewhere, setting aside the Loptegui disaster, we hear Collins never wanted to leave. That one of our best young prospects Shahar, an England U.16 international, is off to Newcastle. Bolla off on loan again- what a waste of time that signing was. Guedes off as well of course to Benefica...will we get even half our money back on that deal eventually? Sa being chased by Forest. Semedo being sought by Man U with a possible swap with Wan-Bissaka whose qualities are at the very least questionable. Hwang has a hamstring injury that will keep him out for quite a while? More injuries inevitably will come exposing our inadequate squad. And let's not forget Podence who is completely disaffected and who may be stuck with us because his wages are too high for the likes of Celtic. No bids for Jonny that I am aware of.

All our lower half of the table rivals are strengthening. Even Everton, who supposedly have no dosh, are about to spend £25m on a 6ft 4 centre forward, Beto, having already bought a promising 19 year old Chermiti from Sporting for £15m. Plus Jack Harrison, plus Danjuma on loan. Now they are about to snap Elvedi from our grasp it seems. All this, Everton, the division's current basket case who couldn't even beat us at home! Where does that leave us?!

Forest, Sheff U, Bournemouth, even Luton are trying to reinforce their squads beyond signings already made. Palace buying Henderson from Man U and holding on to their best players, albeit they have lost Zaha. Our neighbours Villa- doing everything we should have done- high quality manager-some great quality signings-one of them on loan another a 'free'. Excellent moves. Plans to make their ground by far the best in the Midlands- compared to our flakey paint Molineux going backwards.

Add Fosun's financial woes and the absence of our Chairman when Loptegui was effectively sacked and a very inexperienced and uninspiring O'Neil was appointed. Hopefully they have now actually met each other. In the background we have lost our chief scout I believe- key members of our medical department- our goalkeeping coach and I am sure there are others....all leaving. None of this is a sign of a club that knows where it is going. Just poor communication and confusion.
Shi's letter to supporters saying Fosun are committed to the club was at first encouraging and the FFP excuse was basically credible but there is barely a supporter left who feels these are any more than hollow words in the light of what has been going on. Are we really in the background being prepared for a sale?

I look forward to the spin from the club around the Nunes sale. Perhaps other sales we don't even know of yet. Then the hyping up of a couple of incomings that we all know will be inferior to what we had. A club that had Loptegui as manager, Neves and Nunes in their midfield is being replaced by O'Neil and a couple of coaches, gradually being devalued-the Wolves currency is being de-based.

Yes there will be a couple of new bodies coming in probably after the Nunes sale but let's not kid ourselves, the club has no other goal anymore than avoiding relegation and doing that with a squad that is being stripped of any true quality. The club's PR as usual is hopeless. They seem to have no consciousness that this torrent of bad news is going to ultimately lead to disaster and the devaluation of their investment. The assumption that there are three worse clubs than us because of Luton and Sheff U and Forest/Everton/Bournemouth look weak should be reviewed on Sept 1. Out of light cometh darkness under this regime.

I don't want to be negative but all this has to be layed out clearly- after the Stade Rennes match I, like others, felt full of enthusiasm. But the club, not for the first time, have imploded. I feel sorry for the current players and even for O'Neil who after all is just an onlooker and apparently barely even consulted on player comings and goings. He will just put up with whatever and that is why he was appointed. Of course O'Neil will attempt to circle the wagons. We still have a few quality players who may or may not improve- such as Fabio. But it ain't going to be pretty -we all know that. The Man U performance seems like a dream now and Nunes of course was a big part of that.

So we shall see on Sept 1 where we stand. The torrent of negative news will surely come to an end at some point....won't it?

That's pretty much how I feel, I don't want to be negative and pessimistic about our club and this season but how else can we be expected to feel?

What exactly are the positives (other than somehow snatching a lucky 3 points against an awful Everton, largely thanks to a miraculous goalkeeping performance)? Sasa getting his first goal is a big positive, but other than that? The 3rd kit shirt looks quite nice? We haven't wasted a load of money on another new stand (I don't think we're going to need a bigger 40-50k seater stadium for a while!)?

 

[Henry Hill]

i get there’s a feeling of doom but do we

a) need another post saying the same thing, as eloquent as it is
b) surely wait until the end of the transfer window

I agree, and I understand it's borne out of passion and frustration. But the more people keep repeating (as Basil Fawlty put it) the "the bleedin' obvious", the more negativity will creep in. We are where we are, but we're coming off the back of a win, so the fans need put all there efforts behind the players still playing their trade for club. Liverpool proved on Saturday that even in the odds are against you, you can succeed if you keep trying.

 

[The Clock]

No bids for Jonny that I am aware of.

Why would you be aware? Are you ITK or just as clueless as the rest of us?

As for the goalkeeping coach - is it a bad thing if you make a change and improve what you have?

 

[wolfgar]

Well Fosun have 4.5 days to turn a car crash of a summer into something vaguely passable. If their first move ends up being to sell Nunes on the cheap, I’d say that not exactly a very good or encouraging start. We’ll soon find out?

My expectations are a bit on the floor at the mo, wouldn’t be shocked at all to see further calamity before Fri, rather than us making the 3/4 decent signings that we need with minimal fuss?

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Are there actually any left?

Oh yes.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

I know people are judging it by Caicedo and the fact it's City, but there's are very few Wolves fans who wouldn't have happily taken £55m even when we weren't in the middle of a financial **** storm. Given that neither Lage, Lopetegui nor O'Neil have trusted him to play in his real position it makes perfect sense to cash in on him and re-invest. It's only the last part that is an issue.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Well Fosun have 4.5 days to turn a car crash of a summer into something vaguely passable. If their first move ends up being to sell Nunes on the cheap, I’d say that not exactly a very good or encouraging start. We’ll soon find out?

My expectations are a bit on the floor at the mo, wouldn’t be shocked at all to see further calamity before Fri, rather than us making the 3/4 decent signings that we need with minimal fuss?

Well we’ve agreed a deal in principle to sell him now, so let’s see how much, or how little, of that is spent.

 

[MasWolf]

I know people are judging it by Caicedo and the fact it's City, but there's are very few Wolves fans who wouldn't have happily taken £55m even when we weren't in the middle of a financial **** storm. Given that neither Lage, Lopetegui nor O'Neil have trusted him to play in his real position it makes perfect sense to cash in on him and re-invest. It's only the last part that is an issue.

Yes, but you can cash in well or poorly. It seems we are taking the poor option. Brighton seem to always take the good option, time and time again. They seem to be able to do it with every sale. We do not.

 

[MasWolf]

Oh yes.

I wonder which rock they've been living under then.

 

[goldeneyed]

I agree, and I understand it's borne out of passion and frustration. But the more people keep repeating (as Basil Fawlty put it) the "the bleedin' obvious", the more negativity will creep in. We are where we are, but we're coming off the back of a win, so the fans need put all there efforts behind the players still playing their trade for club. Liverpool proved on Saturday that even in the odds are against you, you can succeed if you keep trying.

I don't think it is so 'bleedin obvious' to the club. If it was they would not be carrying on as they have. Like many other owners they rely on the hypnotic loyalty of the fan base to keep paying over the odds for their over-priced product whatever stupidities they perpetrate. I'm all for a positive mind set but that positivity has to be based on SOMETHING.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Yes, but you can cash in well or poorly. It seems we are taking the poor option. Brighton seem to always take the good option, time and time again. They seem to be able to do it with every sale. We do not.

Do they really? Chelsea (being very Chelsea) have overpaid for Caicedo and unbelievably for Cucurella. Ben White was probably at the high end with an HG premium. That's about it isn't it? Mac Allister probably the nearest equivalent €42m?

 

[goldeneyed]

Why would you be aware? Are you ITK or just as clueless as the rest of us?

As for the goalkeeping coach - is it a bad thing if you make a change and improve what you have?

Re goalkeeping coach we didn't 'make a change' he left for finer pastures. How do you know Cutler is an 'improvement'? Probably a neutral change. As to first point yes like everyone else we depend on whatever news reports are available. So what?

 

[goldeneyed]

i get there’s a feeling of doom but do we

a) need another post saying the same thing, as eloquent as it is
b) surely wait until the end of the transfer window

I find it helpful to lay out all the facts right now in one place as far as we know them and then we will see on Sept 1 where we stand. If the club pull off some great moves over the next four or five days noone will be more pleased than me.

 

[MasWolf]

Do they really? Chelsea (being very Chelsea) have overpaid for Caicedo and unbelievably for Cucurella. Ben White was probably at the high end with an HG premium. That's about it isn't it?

Have you seen their transfer history? The mark up they get for their players is something we can only dream of. I'll list some below so you can see how well they operate:

Bissouma - bought for €17m - sold for €30m
McAllister - bought for €8m - sold for €42m
Cucarella - bought for €18m - sold for €65m
Ben White - Academy - sold for €60m
Caicedo - bought for €28 - sold for €116m
Sanchez - Academy - sold for €23m

Now take a look at the assets they still have, who will clearly be sold for big fees:

Estupinan - bought for €18m
Enciso - bought for €12m
Mitoma - bought for €3m

You don't do that kind of business by luck. They clearly operate at a much higher level than the idiots we have in charge.

 

[Pessimistic Wolf]

We have messed up on a few things:

1. Lopetegui going. How much did we move the goalposts but how much did he want to be here. Also how much did we pay him off.

2. Lack of transfer incomings. If we are clear of FFP and have cash in hand then why can’t we sign players. There is a common swipe of ‘we need the cash’ and ‘asset stripping’ but Wolves are not a piggy bank where Fosun can dip into. And even if they did how much will a few million make in the grand scheme of things for their conglomerate. Not a lot.

3. The price for Nunes. It makes no sense to me. If it turns out to be €60 million and not £60 million and we then have to pay for one of their reserves meaning less than £40 million net I’ll be seriously questioning their business acumen.

Other than these points I find the anti Fosun mentality staggering. We have overspent, badly, over the years and we have to live within our means which is the model Fosun have always pointed to. They have always been clear on this. They have made mistakes, or have they? Or have they been badly advised.

Fans need to be very careful what they wish for IMO.

It’s a painful time but perspective is needed. As said elsewhere the next few days are absolutely massive.

You have listed a number of frankly horrendous errors of judgement (or consciously self destructive approaches). I think that's enough to justify an anti-fosun mindset, don't you?

Of course there should be space for balance and nuance in the debate, and a recognition of some of the positives that Fosun have historically brought, but given our current situation and the past three years of Fosun decision making, I think at the very least a suspicion of the honesty and/or interests of Shi and Fosun is reasonable.

 

[Darvo]

It’s indisputable that Fosun have invested heavily in Wolves … at levels that easily surpass any previous investment.

it’s probably also indisputable that their management of Wolves is pretty damn poor. If ever there was a ‘What bad looks like’ model … then this is it.

Very frustrating… cos basically all that’s missing is some good old fashioned common sense and nouse.

 

[Jefe]

I find it helpful to lay out all the facts right now in one place as far as we know them and then we will see on Sept 1 where we stand. If the club pull off some great moves over the next four or five days noone will be more pleased than me.

I agree but even if Fosun don't trouser all the Nunes money, it's hard to imagine there will be time to find a replacement if the sale is confirmed tomorrow or on Wednesday, which would seem most likely to me. We can only hope that there areducks lined up on the presumption this is definitely happening, but outside of possibly Elvedi and maybe an emergency loan, I can't really see anything more.

 

[The Wolf In The North]

Three keys to, if not happiness, then riding the tide in our current situation.

1) Ignore what other teams are doing. Other teams are always doing stuff. But not every signing, regardless of the cash or the expectation, turns up aces. In fact, the majority don't. That's their problem. Envy or despair at what others possess is the road to ruin in many walks of life. It would be great to be spending money, signing young players with potential, giving it a go, but we're not, and it's not like it's worked for us before anyway; I'm sure a lot of other clubs were jealous when we signed Guedes, for example. Teams can only play 11 against us, they'll go through injury and bad form, they'll waste money, and those signing they do make that work out, well, they'll be taking points off other teams too. Burnley have a much vaunted manager, a team full of potential young stars, and so far they've been heartily slapped. For every Diaby that hits the ground running there's a Buendia or Timber out long-term with a bad luck injury.

2) Lower your expectations to the bare acceptable minimum, which in our case would be 17th place, around 40 points and hopefully more than 31 ****ing goals, and then the rare good moments are all the sweeter - like a late winner against a Sean Dyche managed relegation rival, earned by bringing on a Big Geezer and lopping in the ball so it bounces off him into the net. We don't have to lower them forever, just until we're in a better place (which, as @sc91 says, is when Fosun sell up and we stop treading water). We're Wolves. We'll been here before, and we all knew in our hearts that we'd be here again, it's what we do. If anyone knows how to stand firm in the storm, it's us. And, one day, we can start to feel hopeful and competitive again.

And, most importantly, 3) Adopt a **** them all mentality. Everyone's written us off, like Luton and Sheffield United, no one cares, we're a punchbag. **** them. **** Man City, **** Brighton, **** Bolton (because always **** Bolton), **** Lopetegui and Balague, **** Mike Dean and PGMOL and VAR, and **** Shi and Fosun, because if they want to mismanage and fart around like a pack of tarts, so be it, we'll bloody do it without them and their whining lies and their precious money. They won't be here forever, but we will. We dig in, we whack In This Moment's Big Bad Wolf on the stereo (or whatever your angry musical poison of choice), we turn up, and sometimes we win. And we'll do that no matter what VAR or Fosun or Lopetegui say or do.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Have you seen their transfer history? The mark up they get for their players is something we can only dream of. I'll list some below so you can see how well they operate:

Bissouma - bought for €17m - sold for €30m
McAllister - bought for €8m - sold for €42m
Cucarella - bought for €18m - sold for €65m
Ben White - Academy - sold for €60m
Caicedo - bought for €28 - sold for €116m
Sanchez - Academy - sold for €23m

Now take a look at the assets they still have, who will clearly be sold for big fees:

Estupinan - bought for €18m
Enciso - bought for €12m
Mitoma - bought for €3m

You don't do that kind of business by luck. They clearly operate at a much higher level than the idiots we have in charge.

Oh yes, I'm not denying they recruit well, it's whether they sell over the odds I was questioning. Of those I'd say only the sales to Chelsea were ripoffs.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

This post starts with the kind of catastrophising that seems to be going on right now. Everything that happens is assuming guilt on behalf of the board and that we are going to sell 4 or 5 players and not going to bring anyone in.
Well we have got 3 days to get anyone in, and 3 days to sell them all. The fire isn't half as big as people are trying to make it out to be.

 

[MasWolf]

Oh yes, I'm not denying they recruit well, it's whether they sell over the odds I was questioning. Of those I'd say only the sales to Chelsea were ripoffs.

I see what you're saying. Our problem is we recruit poorly and sell poorly too. However, the thing with Brighton is that they drive a hard bargain - something which we could learn from them.

 

[Adrian_Monk]

Wolves under Fosun in the last couple of seasons wouldn't have looked out of place on Dream Team. Part of me wonders (ok, hopes) if Lopetegui sticking around in Wolverhampton is because there's some Patrick Doyle-style orchestrated team suicide going on to lower the price for new investors, who have already secured his services once the plot reaches its crescendo.....if we see Sa doing a Jamie Parker, holding the team hostage at half-time, we know the end of this madness won't be far away

 

[goldeneyed]

This post starts with the kind of catastrophising that seems to be going on right now. Everything that happens is assuming guilt on behalf of the board and that we are going to sell 4 or 5 players and not going to bring anyone in.
Well we have got 3 days to get anyone in, and 3 days to sell them all. The fire isn't half as big as people are trying to make it out to be.

Not catastrophising but laying out the facts as best we know them. I said we would bring people in but imv of lesser quality, that is all. Happy to be proved wrong. Whatever the fee this is the worst possible moment to sell Nunes and get hold of a quality replacement in time to help plug a massive gap. There is fire and pouring fuel on the fire by selling your best players and at the worst possible time seeking to replace them with inferior goods.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

I remain confident we will bring in a defender and midfielder

 

[North West Wanderer]

I find it helpful to lay out all the facts right now in one place as far as we know them and then we will see on Sept 1 where we stand. If the club pull off some great moves over the next four or five days noone will be more pleased than me.

it’s an excellent post, that much is true.

 

[MasWolf]

It’s indisputable that Fosun have invested heavily in Wolves … at levels that easily surpass any previous investment.

it’s probably also indisputable that their management of Wolves is pretty damn poor. If ever there was a ‘What bad looks like’ model … then this is it.

Very frustrating… cos basically all that’s missing is some good old fashioned common sense and nouse.

If only they didn't place a man who knows nothing about football as the Chairman.

 

[oldgoldheart]

Fosun (Shi et al) are not telling the truth. the real issue is not FFP as kean and Judah keep trying to tell us. it was part of the issue but its not the whole story. the real issue is that the chinese economy is tanking, fosun has a debt mountain and needs to sell assets. in any scenario Wolves is a trinket of vanity for Guo. it cannot be a core asset as we are a relatively tiny business with little free cashflow and big potential drains on group cash. a few years ago I got close to Apollo for a leadership role in one of their businesses. their model is similar to Fosun so I asked them about Fosun and they said then that Fosun were over geared . that was 2017.

thats is why wolves is such a mess. that and the management style of them and Shi. it is authoritarian and that is the prime reason JL hated it and Shi. not just the lies he was told. yes, he handled it badly but I am convinced that with a free hand and with some cash we could have pushed top 6-8. O'Neil has a punchers chance I guess but he is a plodder who will be scrapping in the bottom half until he gets sacked. that could easily be by Christmas. he has a tiny coaching staff and the whole club is run like a league one/lower chamionship outfit. the fact that GON had not even spoken to Shi speaks volumes.

so, we may escape the drop this season as Luton and Sheff U look poor ad we might be better than one other. but it will only be a temporary stay of execution. I hope Fosun sell soon or I fear us being back playing the baggies in the championship very soon with another decade of mediocrity stretching ahead of us. under Fosun we are going nowhere at best.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Not catastrophising but laying out the facts as best we know them. I said we would bring people in but imv of lesser quality, that is all. Happy to be proved wrong. Whatever the fee this is the worst possible moment to sell Nunes and get hold of a quality replacement in time to help plug a massive gap. There is fire and pouring fuel on the fire by selling your best players and at the worst possible time seeking to replace them with inferior goods.

They aren't facts though. The only first team player that we have lost that we will miss is Neves.
We have rejected the first bid for Nunes.
We haven't signed anyone else yet.
We have 3 points from 3 games scoring 2 and conceding 5.
We just won away from home for the first time since Southampton last season. We got beaten 4 by Brighton at home and narrowly lost to man united.
That is what facts look like.

 

[CodsallWolf]

We will see what unfolds in the next few days but at this moment it is quite extraordinary how the club are seemingly sleep walking into a deeper and deeper crisis. A lucky win at Everton may be welcome but it simply papers over the massive cracks which are appearing.

We all assume the club will cave in and sell Nunes-probably announced today or tomorrow. Reports say £51m is what we will get. On the face of it a profit of around £8-9m. Peanuts by current standards but who can blame Nunes for wanting to go to the best club on the planet right now? Personally I think that is around £10m less than we should accept and would much prefer keeping him. Olise and Eze at Palace are staying put after all with that club determined to hold on to them despite top six attempts to get hold of them. The latter is valued at £70m. Paqueta was being valued at £80m. Caicedo £115 m , Fernandez before that another £100m. Rice £100m. Mount was £60m plus. Against those kinds of deals our potential £51m for our best player seems pretty poor.

But let's be positive- suddenly there is money to spend....we assume....but main CB target Elvedi is already potentially going to our relegation rivals Everton. So who else? Josh Brownhill?, a workmanlike player but way below the Nunes level. But he will be cheap and that's all that matters these days. The kind of player a lower 6 Premier League team might be happy to have as a squad player. Oh and let's not forget our 'chase' for a 33 year old Cresswell in a position where we are well covered.

Other targets mentioned have either already gone or in the process of going elsewhere. No doubt there are other targets but with four or five days to go - we will look desperate and known to have money from the Nunes sale...all conducive to panicky signings and potential over-payment. As usual the club are on the back foot. I expect to hear talk of obsure South American players who we will never sign, especially at such short notice. Wolves are looking incredibly unattractive right now for any quality player. They are seen as relegation candidates, simple as that. And every move or non- move the club makes deepens that impression.

Elsewhere, setting aside the Loptegui disaster, we hear Collins never wanted to leave. That one of our best young prospects Shahar, an England U.16 international, is off to Newcastle. Bolla off on loan again- what a waste of time that signing was. Guedes off as well of course to Benefica...will we get even half our money back on that deal eventually? Sa being chased by Forest. Semedo being sought by Man U with a possible swap with Wan-Bissaka whose qualities are at the very least questionable. Hwang has a hamstring injury that will keep him out for quite a while? More injuries inevitably will come exposing our inadequate squad. And let's not forget Podence who is completely disaffected and who may be stuck with us because his wages are too high for the likes of Celtic. No bids for Jonny that I am aware of.

All our lower half of the table rivals are strengthening. Even Everton, who supposedly have no dosh, are about to spend £25m on a 6ft 4 centre forward, Beto, having already bought a promising 19 year old Chermiti from Sporting for £15m. Plus Jack Harrison, plus Danjuma on loan. Now they are about to snap Elvedi from our grasp it seems. All this, Everton, the division's current basket case who couldn't even beat us at home! Where does that leave us?!

Forest, Sheff U, Bournemouth, even Luton are trying to reinforce their squads beyond signings already made. Palace buying Henderson from Man U and holding on to their best players, albeit they have lost Zaha. Our neighbours Villa- doing everything we should have done- high quality manager-some great quality signings-one of them on loan another a 'free'. Excellent moves. Plans to make their ground by far the best in the Midlands- compared to our flakey paint Molineux going backwards.

Add Fosun's financial woes and the absence of our Chairman when Loptegui was effectively sacked and a very inexperienced and uninspiring O'Neil was appointed. Hopefully they have now actually met each other. In the background we have lost our chief scout I believe- key members of our medical department- our goalkeeping coach and I am sure there are others....all leaving. None of this is a sign of a club that knows where it is going. Just poor communication and confusion.
Shi's letter to supporters saying Fosun are committed to the club was at first encouraging and the FFP excuse was basically credible but there is barely a supporter left who feels these are any more than hollow words in the light of what has been going on. Are we really in the background being prepared for a sale?

I look forward to the spin from the club around the Nunes sale. Perhaps other sales we don't even know of yet. Then the hyping up of a couple of incomings that we all know will be inferior to what we had. A club that had Loptegui as manager, Neves and Nunes in their midfield is being replaced by O'Neil and a couple of coaches, gradually being devalued-the Wolves currency is being de-based.

Yes there will be a couple of new bodies coming in probably after the Nunes sale but let's not kid ourselves, the club has no other goal anymore than avoiding relegation and doing that with a squad that is being stripped of any true quality. The club's PR as usual is hopeless. They seem to have no consciousness that this torrent of bad news is going to ultimately lead to disaster and the devaluation of their investment. The assumption that there are three worse clubs than us because of Luton and Sheff U and Forest/Everton/Bournemouth look weak should be reviewed on Sept 1. Out of light cometh darkness under this regime.

I don't want to be negative but all this has to be layed out clearly- after the Stade Rennes match I, like others, felt full of enthusiasm. But the club, not for the first time, have imploded. I feel sorry for the current players and even for O'Neil who after all is just an onlooker and apparently barely even consulted on player comings and goings. He will just put up with whatever and that is why he was appointed. Of course O'Neil will attempt to circle the wagons. We still have a few quality players who may or may not improve- such as Fabio. But it ain't going to be pretty -we all know that. The Man U performance seems like a dream now and Nunes of course was a big part of that.

So we shall see on Sept 1 where we stand. The torrent of negative news will surely come to an end at some point....won't it?

why nothing on Wolves Records, esports or the bizarre chinese Wolves fashion thing? All you speak of is the perspective of the legacy fans that are not important.

 

[goldeneyed]

Nunes is not a fact.....yet. But we know perfectly well that will happen. The rest are facts "as best we know them". Some are historical facts, some are issues that are in motion such as Guedes off to Benefica on loan.
Feel free to put a positive spin on things as best you can. On Sept 1 all will become clearer and there will be more 'facts' to judge upon.