Psychological mindset of our club

[Queensland Wolf]

I don't want to get all deep here but I have a real question for the fans. Given what transpired in the latter part of the season I think our club (and I am talking mainly about the players) would be "pychologically down" at this point. Many had poor seasons and were part of a team getting tanked every week. On top of that you had the ROJO issue happening. What is the collective mindset of our club at this moment in time?

A positive has been the new manager coming in but I worry what kind of mindset the players are going to be in. I am sure a few will go but the new boss is going to have to instill a winning mentality again and in the hard world of Championship football that is no easy task. How he galvanises these players will be interesting. I am worried he has told us he starts work in July as I would have thought he would have started now.

Our owner hasnt inspired me at all and quite frankly has added to the feel of the club with his tepid statements and lack of any galvinising/inspiring messages. Some fans will always believe we are on an upward trajectory but at the moment I don't think we are. We are hurting and if not very careful will drop even further. I just don't see any signs of the club being in a buoyant mood

At the moment I just feel we are club going through the motions:

1. Where are our stated ambitions from the top?
2. What was good from last season we can build on?
3. How can this group of players sudenly start to click and win again?
4. Is there anyone in the club's hierachy that is in synch with the fans?
5. Are we going to see a continuation of the jaded "spin" we all hate?

I don't want to be negative but I truly am looking for that psychological spark that fans into flames and into a huge fire which propels teams forwards and upwards

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Good questions.

I think 3 is particularly key and I'd wager that a fair few changes in personnel will be implemented in answer to this questions.

1. Promotion. Although they won't come and say it after the debacle of 'We'll never be in this position again'.
2. Erm.... Maybe that expectations are low at the moment, hopefully allowing the new manager time to bed in.
3. They need a huge kick up the $$$$. They've had 3 very successful years, so obviously they're not a bad group of players. But I think last season took a lot (mentally) out of them all and we'll see changes to combat this.
4. No idea.
5. Probably. Higher level football clubs simply don't know how to communicate with the fans.

 

[RJs Tankard]

I think deep down, both Morgan and Moxey have good intentions at heart for the club - but unfortunately, both are poor at handling the fans and media. Morgan doesn't seem to think before he speaks and often contradicts himself (which I believe is simply down to lack of experience in being in that situation - its all fairly new to him). Moxey is just Moxey - he just says what he likes.

I reckon both will have learnt from last season. I think they were both a bit naive and thought that spending a few quid on Roger Johnson would improve the squad significantly - whereas, that wasn't the case.

There are signs things are changing - the club have appointed a new manager, and made it clear that there are other changes on the way (a DoF, an assistant to work with Stale, etc). As soon as the new manager was announced, the fans on here alone suddenly seemed more optimistic and positive - and i'm sure that will have passed on to the players too.

In answer to your questions:

1. Despite most fans wanting money spent on the squad - the fact that long term investments have started in the academy and stadium show some ambition. The club were naive in thinking about the short term last season - and focused more on the long term. The long term prospects look good - we just need extra focus on the short term now (investment in the playing squad).

2. The only thing good to come of last season, in a funny way, was relagation. Its shown the board that they do have to invest in the squad and can't take things for granted. Its also shown that Mick had been left to his own devices for far too long without any questions from the top. This also seems to have sunk in with the board because they're appointing a DoF to oversee things to ensure that this don't happen again. Our relegation was a disaster last season - but longer term, I feel that its been a wake up call for the club and they've hopefully learnt from it. It could be a blessing in disguise.

3. I think that will happen naturally once Roger and any other players disrupting the squad will be moved on. A new manager may just give them a lift, and hopefully a few wins early on in the season will restore confidence and then things will happen naturally again.

4. Unfortunately, I feel not. Certainly not over the past few seasons anyway. Again, hopefully relegation has given the board a kick up the $$$$ and they'll start to take the fans on board more.

5. The spin will continue for as long as Moxey is here I think, sadly. However, hopefully once we get a DoF, Moxey will be more "behind the scenes" and will stick to finances - and the DoF and manager will talk about the footballing matters.

 

[cannockwolves]

Welcome mate. Here is my tuppence worth...

1. Where are our stated ambitions from the top?
They do have to be careful what they say in public. Stale is not going to want loads of pressure built up with either Morgan or Moxey winding the fans up about walking the league or anything. They have said their ambition is to get back and they have said enough in private go convince Stale. On the whole I am happy with the level of ambition in pledging to hold the squad and back Stale. Loosing Jarvis, Fletcher, Johnson, and Ohara would be a blow but I would be reassured if £15m of the proceeds are given to
Stale

2. What was good from last season we can build on?
The young players that have the potential to come in and contribute like Davis, Batth, Doherty, and perhaps Reckord. I also think we might see Zele and McAlinden at some point on the bench

3. How can this group of players sudenly start to click and win again?
With the addition of three or four new players and the likes of Batth, Davis, Forde and Doughty all out to impress the new manager they will soon get going. After the events of the last few days you can bet Foley will be out to prove a point. Don't forget we also have a group of players in Ward, Stearman, SEB, Henry, Doyle, and Bera who know they can win this league.

4. Is there anyone in the club's hierachy that is in synch with the fans?
Probably not, but that is more to do with the fact that too many fans are reactionary uneducated bell ends that would not known a business strategy if it bit them!

5. Are we going to see a continuation of the jaded "spin" we all hate?

I doubt that Morgan or Moxey can win what ever they do with about 35k active fans and another 50k armchair fans you are going to have a lot of opinions so for me they have got to do what they think is best, I genuinely believe that they do have the best intentions

 

[FinnishWolf]

Let's not forget either that we have a lot of promising youngsters who have had successful loan spells elsewhere: Batth, Forde, Doherty, Cassidy...

Not all of these guys are going to break through to the first team, obviously, but actually from their point of view Wolves getting relegated is an opportunity for them: it should be easier to prove their worth at that level, and with the long season there will be times when we'll need all of our squad.

I'm confident Ståle, the youngsters and whatever new signings we make will revitalize the atmosphere and restore confidence. Especially if we win most of our games, as we should.

 

[Anglian Wolf]

Hi Queensland -for what it's worth here would be my punt as an answer to the questions you raise:

1. Where are our stated ambitions from the top?
Personally, I think they are clear and that is to build up the club into an established top 10 Premiership side with long term future based on strong academy, new and expanded ground and free of debt. I reckon that represents good and solid ambition.
2. What was good from last season we can build on?
Maybe one or two youngsters breaking through and not a lot else. We are starting again from the playing side
3. How can this group of players sudenly start to click and win again?
This is where we should get the benefit from the introduction of a progressive new coach whose primary focus will be just that - coaching and developing our playing staff throughout the club to establish a style and way of playing/winning that will bring long term sustained success.
4. Is there anyone in the club's hierachy that is in synch with the fans?
I agree this is a problem and Morgan/Moxey would benefit from the introduction of a new Communications Director who could look specifically at that connection with the fans rather than someone who merely responds to press enquiries.
5. Are we going to see a continuation of the jaded "spin" we all hate?
See the answer to 4

Onwards and upwards as out of darkness cometh ....

 

[Tring Wolf]

Hi Queensland. Great OP and some equally good replies! In answer to your questions:

1. Where are our stated ambitions from the top?

As usual, I completely agree with Anglian Wolf on this one. To become an established top 10 Premier League club with a long-term future based on self-sufficiency, sustainable growth and a top-class infrastructure (a redeveloped Molineux and best in class academy). A very decent and realistic ambition in my opinion.

2. What was good from last season we can build on?

There's no doubt that relegation has put the ambition stated above back by a number of years. If I was looking for positives, however, I would suggest that it may actually serve to refocus the board and remove any degree of complacency which may have set in. On the playing side, I think last season showed that there is a core of players who are good enough to play in the Premier League and that we should be looking to build a side around for the next few seasons (Hennessey, Foley, Henry, Kightly, Jarvis, Fletcher).

Other positives were Kightly's return to form and fitness (he will be a big player for us in the Championship), the contributions of Jarvis and Fletcher, and the emergence of youngsters such as Batth, Davis, Doherty and Forde (although with the possible exception of Batth, I personally still only see most of those as being squad members next season).

3. How can this group of players sudenly start to click and win again?

Changing the current mentality of the players will be one of Solbakken's toughest challenges over the Summer. Again, as Anglian said, the introduction of a new management/coaching team who can develop a distinctive, winning style of play will hopefully go a long way towards ensuring our long-term success.

In terms of personnel, I think that the squad does need some freshening up and we should be looking to sell those in the squad who haven't really settled (Johnson, O'Hara), fringe players who haven't played regularly but are on high wages (Mouyokolo, Zubar, Milijas), the squad members who are unlikely to ever make it at Premier League level (Elokobi, Edwards, Jonsson) and those who are of an age that they are unlikely to improve further by the time we get back to the Premier League (Hunt and possibly Doyle).

I would primarily be looking at supplementing the core of players identified in Point 2 with some of our proven Championship performers (Ward, Berra, SEB) and the signings of young, technically gifted footballers who are either better than we currently have or have the potential to become Premier League players. I'm not sure whether we could realistically attract some of these players in the Championship but I am thinking of players in the mould of Nick Powell, Jack Robinson, Chris Gunter, Emmuanel Frimpong (Loan), Matt Phillips (and possibly our friend Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson although I haven't really seen enough of him to comment properly).

Finally, following the manner of our relegation last year, I really think that we need some more 'leaders' and 'strong characters' in the dressing room. So I would look to bring in a couple of more experienced players to try and perform the role that the likes of Ince and Irwin performed for us in the past. I noticed on the list of released Premier League players that Ryan Nelsen was available on a free transfer. Again, I doubt we could either attract or afford his wages in the Championship but someone of that stature could help the mentality of the side immensely.

I'm afraid I don't really know enough about the workings of the board to answer Questions 4 and 5 with any authority but again, a Communications Director focusing purely on the relationship with the fans could only be a good thing.

As horrible as last season was, there are some really good things going on at our football club at the moment. Hopefully, we can see the benefits of these and our investment in our long-term infrastructure over the next few years.

 

[kennyB]

Good questions.

I think 3 is particularly key and I'd wager that a fair few changes in personnel will be implemented in answer to this questions.

1. Promotion. Although they won't come and say it after the debacle of 'We'll never be in this position again'.
2. Erm.... Maybe that expectations are low at the moment, hopefully allowing the new manager time to bed in.
3. They need a huge kick up the $$$$. They've had 3 very successful years, so obviously they're not a bad group of players. But I think last season took a lot (mentally) out of them all and we'll see changes to combat this.
4. No idea.
5. Probably. Higher level football clubs simply don't know how to communicate with the fans.

Don't wish to upset you Hogan but "3 very successful years". I don't see that at all. 3 unsuccessful years maybe, all 3 have been a real struggle, losing on a regular basis and getting relegated last season. Where's the success in that?

 

[haden-wolf]

Great OP.

Alot of sense being talked here

I too believe that Morgan has good intentions for the club in the long term, I think Jez does too in a way but I think his first loyalty is to Jez and and I guess you cant blame him for that, he does well out of wolves and does parts of his job very well, other parts I'm not so sure but we've made profit so I guess he has done whats required financially.

For me the thing to be built on from last season is the fact that the club has actually adnmitted mistakes have been made, by the maxim what doesnt kill you makes you stronger them we should improve because of this
We also I think take the fact that short term knee jerk reactions dont help our cause
If we have truly learned from last year then relegation is easier to swallow.

No 3 is as others have posted the key - Stoller is a new broom, even in the world of super rich players (I would say that our wages fall into that designation compared against the man in the street) players will want to impress, they know it's a clean slate this pre-season.
For the first time in a good few years different methods and bare shins will be seen on the training pitches, this will help
Those who continue to sulk will be shipped out and replaced by people Stoller has worked with before (I think)

4 and 5 - I think we will continue to get this bit wrong

 

[kidderminster wolf]

The ambition of our club is to make money as we are run by businessmen end of story.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Don't wish to upset you Hogan but "3 very successful years". I don't see that at all. 3 unsuccessful years maybe, all 3 have been a real struggle, losing on a regular basis and getting relegated last season. Where's the success in that?

The three years prior to the last one have been very successful. The most successful in 25 years for our club.

Obviously, everything's relative though and what we class as success, other clubs look at with derision.

Furthermore, once fans have a taste of what they previously would have construed as success, that becomes the norm and expectation levels rise to such an extent that the bar for success rises.

I should have phrased it better though, as last year was an unmitigated failure in every sense of the term - I intended to exclude that.

My point was that we know what this group of players can do when the confidence is there. If Stale can remind them of that, they can hopefully exorcise the demons of last seasons' aberration.

 

[Dewolf]

The three years prior to the last one have been very successful. The most successful in 25 years for our club.

Obviously, everything's relative though and what we class as success, other clubs look at with derision.

Furthermore, once fans have a taste of what they previously would have construed as success, that becomes the norm and expectation levels rise to such an extent that the bar for success rises.

I should have phrased it better though, as last year was an unmitigated failure in every sense of the term - I intended to exclude that.

My point was that we know what this group of players can do when the confidence is there. If Stale can remind them of that, they can hopefully exorcise the demons of last seasons' aberration.

Spot on! The last three seasons would have been seen as unsucessful....if we'd been in the top ten for the last 10 years!! As it is we've been mostly between rubbish and mediocre for the best part of 30 years. The fact that people can only see the last 3 seasons is unbelievable.

 

[Dewolf]

The ambition of our club is to make money as we are run by businessmen end of story.

Your comment is crippled by the fact that football is probably the worst 'business' out there to make money. Anyone trying to simply make money from football would need their head examined. Not end of story.

 

[Craddockinho]

Some fantastic points made above, now this is the sort of fan debate that i hope the club take notice of, rather than the comments on the bottom of the E&S website.

For me, one of the biggest lessons we can learn from the last 3 seasons is that we need to demand more from ourselves in the recruitment of players. MM signed a lot of players in the past 3 seasons, however only 3/4 of them have really made any meaningful contribution on the pitch.

I'm sure this is one of the key reasons Morgan wants a D of F, he must feel like he sat back and let MM waste a lot of his transfer budget on either sub-standard players e.g Halford or players that were never given a first-team opportunity e.g. Surman.

 

[kidderminster wolf]

Dewolf me and you know that. Shame moxey and morgan dont...

 

[Tring Wolf]

Dewolf me and you know that. Shame moxey and morgan dont...

Hi Kidder. I know I may be in a minority on this but I genuinely don't think that Morgan is in football to make money. He was already a hugely rich and successful businessman prior to buying us and I think that he is in purely because he is a football fan. From a personal perspective, I'm pretty sure that Moxey does want to earn the highest salary he can for himself and his family. I certainly can't blame him for that (although I do think he is overpaid for the role he does).

I really do think that the current plan for the club of steady, long-term growth built on a model of self-sufficiency and investment in our infrastructure is the right way to go. Yes, there are certain things that the club have got wrong (communication with the fans, for example, was extremely poor last season) but they do seem to be listening and trying to correct some of their mistakes (the 4 for £40 family offers and opening up of the Early Bird prices to all season ticket holders are both good initiatives for which the club should be applauded).

They still have a way to go in certain aspects (ticket pricing for non-season ticket holders immediately springs to mind) but I generally think we are very lucky in terms of the current ownership and their overall vision for the club.

 

[Big Nosed Wolf]

I don't want to get all deep here but I have a real question for the fans. Given what transpired in the latter part of the season I think our club (and I am talking mainly about the players) would be "pychologically down" at this point. Many had poor seasons and were part of a team getting tanked every week. On top of that you had the ROJO issue happening. What is the collective mindset of our club at this moment in time?

A positive has been the new manager coming in but I worry what kind of mindset the players are going to be in. I am sure a few will go but the new boss is going to have to instill a winning mentality again and in the hard world of Championship football that is no easy task. How he galvanises these players will be interesting. I am worried he has told us he starts work in July as I would have thought he would have started now.

Our owner hasnt inspired me at all and quite frankly has added to the feel of the club with his tepid statements and lack of any galvinising/inspiring messages. Some fans will always believe we are on an upward trajectory but at the moment I don't think we are. We are hurting and if not very careful will drop even further. I just don't see any signs of the club being in a buoyant mood

At the moment I just feel we are club going through the motions:

1. Where are our stated ambitions from the top?
2. What was good from last season we can build on?
3. How can this group of players sudenly start to click and win again?
4. Is there anyone in the club's hierachy that is in synch with the fans?
5. Are we going to see a continuation of the jaded "spin" we all hate?

I don't want to be negative but I truly am looking for that psychological spark that fans into flames and into a huge fire which propels teams forwards and upwards

1

The last statement I can remember was Moxey's 'Can compete in the top six' remark about twelve months ago. As he has been here twelve years then he and the club have failed on that one.He should be held to account but to date the only glimmer of this is Morgan appointing Stale without Jeff it seems, and the murmurings of DoF. Not really held accountable at all then.

Then there was Morgan's 'vision' and 'ambitions' comments. What are they? As far as I can tell he hasn't really given any real statements.

The redevelopment was unveiled -and is now stalled-with no real idea as to what might happen there. The Academy redevelopment as been well flagged-up as proof of 'ambitions' but as the club have now lost GL status it all seems a bit consolation-clutching-at-straws type of thing.

2

There was nothing good about last season. GL surrendered in second rate fashion. A disgrace and very,very, costly. No one can say how much it cost as it depends how much time it takes to get back. Certainly millions.

The playing side fell apart in spectacular fashion due to poor decisions regarding additions, (Johnson) and the realisation that, on the club's wages budget, it would need far more football 'nous' than exists at the club.

Moxey continued to alienate fans (fickle fan/ passionate fan) and blame the pubs and anything else for his $$$$-poor pricing stategy. This also saw attendancies falling and ST sales dip alarmingly, along with the disaters on the pitch.

In all a season which proved the management, and therefore club, are very much a second tier outfit playing wannabees. If the club want GL status and income they must stop the pious bull$$$$ and start being Romans in Rome, or start to make huge noises about reforming football in this country.

3

This group of players were Mick's and were built built in his image. Stale will, and should, rebuild and that will take time, even if he is up to it, and that remains to be seen, I doubt there will be a quick return to the GL.Too much needs attending too. At present there are not enough people at the club who has what it takes. These will have to be found and that takes time, even if Morgan is going to start a revolution, and if he is it looks like it will be quiet one.

4

Depends which fans you mean. Mostly, though, absolutely not. Moxey's pricing and insults -through- ignorance ,combined with the general malaise in football ,has seen to it that football at Molineux is now for a certain 'type' of society.

5

Yes.


The club needs a bomb under it. Whether Morgan has the necessary will, nous, or feel for it remains to be seen. He has been here for five years or so and that, I suggest, is enough time to have started changing what was needed to be changed. Instead he has sat back and let things slide.

For me he has the next two or three seasons to get things moving. After that if the club is still looking a clueless, second tier outfit then he will not be the person who will do it.

In the meantime the apologists for all of this make it less - rather than more- likely to happen.

 

[long ball man]

[The spin will continue for as long as Moxey is here I think, sadly. However, hopefully once we get a DoF, Moxey will be more "behind the scenes" and will stick to finances - and the DoF and manager will talk about the footballing matters.[/QUOTE]

This is the key. Personally I feel that as long as Moxey is CEO with no DoF/Tech Dir in place the extent of our ambition/achievement will be runs of 3-5 seasons scrubbing around the lower reaches of the Prem...which you might argue is our 'natural place' in any event.

Whoever the DoF is must be able to effectively 'run' the football side. CEO and DoF can work; look at WBA (said through gritted teeth) but I think our CEO is too well paid and too high profile to let go of the reins.

Exciting foreign manager or not we are exactly where we deserve to be and where the structure of the club has led us to 'belong'.