Rate the Transfer Window!

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May as well

I don't think it's been a bad window at all except for yesterday's midfield debacle. We've kept our stars, we've lost one first team player and replaced him with someone I think will prove to be a very capable keeper. We've brought in a young defender than many think will do well and has that commodity we need to play a high defensive line - pace. We've made an extremely exciting player a permanent signing, brought in a talented winger which at the very least covers Neto's injury and added another body to the front line in a player that apparently was vetoed by our previous manager (but now isn't good enough for some anyway!)

I understand there's a lot of frustration at yesterday, I'm still utterly perplexed at how we've managed to end up with just three midfielders and someone at the club needs to tell us how the hell that has happened, but overall, for no net spend I actually think it's been a decent window. With a Sanches added it would have been at least 8/10 in my eyes, but think leaving us so short in a key area it has to get knocked down to a 6/10 at best

Just hope Lage is happy to continue the work he's begun. It would be very interesting to know his thoughts, and whether he'd have preferred to cash in on Neves and/or Traore to get more players in

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

1. We STILL haven’t replaced Ryan Bennett or Alfred n’diaye - and even worse, we are shorter in centre midfield than we were last year!!!

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

1 shambles Hwang won’t save us

 

[Wolf in the sun]

really poor, love you bruno, you will still have our support

 

[Sussex Wolf]

2

+ Started well and we’ve temporarily kept our stars.
- Failed abysmally to strengthen the squad compared to this time 12 months ago despite the lessons of 20/21.

 

[JOSWolf]

3 out of 10. Would have been 5 which is still **** but the utter clowns let MGW go at the last minute and leave us with 3 central midfield players.

 

[Tring Wolf]

Positives
- Trincao and Ait-Nouri are great signings
- Keeping Adama and Neves
- Mosquera looks as if he has something about him (albeit he is very raw)

Neutral
- Sa for Patricio. Handling and shot-stopping isn’t as good as Rui but his distribution and command of his area is better. Not much change in the beard department.
- Hwang-Hee. Just because I have no real idea how good he is.

Negatives
- Haven’t backed the Manager with the profile of player he wanted and gave to the recruitment team. As shown by the last-ditch attempts for Botman, Caleta-Car, Sanches, Kamara and Kieffer Moore, we were in for a new CB, CM and CF and got none over the line.
- Having three senior midfielders in the squad is simply ridiculous.
- Still haven’t brought a clear improvement at CB or CM since our first Premier League game.
- Huge erosion of goodwill and trust amongst the fanbase having been told to trust the club and wait until the end of the window before judging.

Ultimately, a 4 or 5 out of 10. The good work we did do undermined by a shambles of a last 48 hours.

We sacked the best Manager of the last 40 years and haven’t backed our new man to give him the best chance of succeeding with us. A real shame as the early signs are that he is worth backing.

 

[JadeWolf]

I’ve gone for a 6, I think we’ve signed some good players, there’s only really Rui who has left who I was sad to see go, but I really wish we’d have been a bit more decisive yesterday and got a midfielder and even a defender in. Like Tring says it’s not a complete disaster but it could have been so much better.

 

[JOSWolf]

To be fair can I revert to one? I think I've been far too generous with three after the shambles of yesterday.

 

[Matt]

I think we’ve done some good business, but to leave ourselves with 3 central midfielders is unforgivable and has undermined the whole window.

 

[North West Wanderer]

4/10
Keeping our major players is a huge tick, however Trincao and Hwang aside how have we strengthened?
And the midfield situation is baffling.

 

[TheConcourse]

The business that we managed to get over the line looks good but the failure, again, to sign a CB and CM is criminal.

 

[Kebab Warrior]

4/10
Keeping our major players is a huge tick, however Trincao and Heath aside how have we strengthened?
And the midfield situation is baffling.

This.

Ive calmed down a tad overnight - from my absolute meltdown. Keeping Traore & Neves great (though still unsure it was by design), Trincao and Yerson look good. Hwang we will see.
But calmed down or not, having 3 midfields, one of whom is 35 is mental. Letting Otasowie and MGW leave at the same time is just nuts.
Bad things can and will happen, I’m a massive cynic and if I’m one of our rivals to go down I’m putting some heavy challenges in on Neves & Joao…

Still super grateful for what Fosun have done and always will be. But with last season and now this I’ve lost faith in the dream.

 

[wolf of sedgley]

5/10
Recruitment was ultimately not good enough. Bailed out a bit by not flogging Neves or Traore.

 

[clivewolves]

I like that we've sent a few under-23s out to play grownups football. That will benefit them more than the under-23s.

I like that we have kept our best players, with the exception of Patricio. I think Sa is an adequate replacement.

We will probably never really know why we couldn't get the other deals over the line. I was one of those who thought FFP was a problem holding us back, but then genuinely good journos were saying we were trying to get Botman who reportedly would have cost £25/30 million. Unless we were trying to get him very cheap, on loan with and obligation to buy, or some other creative way, that does raise questions in my mind about FFP and how much it did restrict us.

Ultimately I look at the first eleven and I don't see it as being stronger than it was when the summer window closed last year. It's not weaker either. We've stood still. The younger players should be better for a years experience in the first team and when everyone is fit the bench will look better. If we could have just signed one central midfielder to share the load and give us something different I think it would have been a good window.

6/10

 

[Boon2]

I can't vote!

You forgot "zero"

 

[Matt]

I gave it a 4, if we’d have kept MGW it would have been a 5, if we’d have added a CM it would have been a 6 or 7 depending on the quality, if we’d have added a CB it would’ve been an 8 or depending on the quality.

I cannot, and will not get my head around the decision to let MGW go under these circumstances.

 

[Corporate Wolf]

I can't vote!

You forgot "zero"

Or the worded option "Utter **** show"

 

[Rangiora Wolf]

1 without a doubt. Had a golden chance to push on thanks to bruno's tactics being embraced by the team but no we ****ed it up

 

[wallace]

I'll go with a 3 because of Trincao coming in and ait nouri signing.
Sa looks adequate, Mosquera untried at our level, Chan more in hope he can do a bit forward as again untried.
Bits and bobs seemingly without any real commitment to build a squad.
The midfield is a complete disaster for a professional outfit at any level.
For shi and his team I'd give a -1 in making Wolves a seriously better team. The set up looked very good with Nuno in charge when we were promoted but now the Shi dynasty looks totally out of their depth.

 

[JohnB]

Agree with above comments.

For me it is a 4 - not only for not adding to CM but also for amazingly letting 4 potential back-up CMs go (Otasowie, MGW, Perry, Ronan) and deciding against the option to buy 1 (Vitinha). In return we have Jordao returning from loan (injured).

Let that sink in.

Compared to the end of last season we are 4 fit CMs down (accepting Ronan was on loan). 4 fit CMs!!

How do we cope with December and quick turnaround? What if a suspension/injury? I have no idea who would play in the middle - Cundle? I admit I’ve not seen enough of Cundle but I’m assuming he is a long way off PL quality - happy to be corrected.

So for me adding a quality CM would have been a 6, adding a quality CM and a young CM (older than 17) would have been a 7 and adding a quick CB who could enable us to play 4 at the back would have been a 9/10.

 

[Ponty]

Any transfer window that leaves you one injury away from repeating the previous season where just that killed our season is **** poor. 2, a point each for keeping Neves and Traore.

 

[Burford T Justice]

Some positives in Trincao looks a good player and Hwang could be a Jota replacement but ultimately the club have failed Bruno in a big way.

The deadline day fiasco was in the end embarrassing for the only movement to be shortening the squad even further and a 17 year old for the u23's

4/10

 

[Chris H]

The transfers we have made look good to be fair, I like the signings we have made so marking those it’s probably a 7 or 8.

BUT it’s the transfers we failed to make that undo all of that, CB I can live with, we have options but we still lack a real improvement in quality. CM is a joke though, how we’ve left ourselves in this position. We don’t even really have a viable younger option who could step in (disrespect intended to Cundle but he’s no where near Otasowie in his development and Otasowie was hardly first team starter ready).

I’ve gone 5, and to be honest that’s probably being kind. I like the players we’ve brought in but a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link and our midfield is a massive issue no matter how strong other parts of the squad may be.

 

[Elvis Wolf]

1 shambles Hwang won’t save us

We've signed more than Hwang during the window.
The team will save us.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

We've signed more than Hwang during the window.
The team will save us.

Let’s see when watford beat us

 

[oldgold4ever]

Rate the transfer window…
In one word ‘Bidenesque‘

 

[Bankswolf The Third]

3- Trincao in time will be good but he is first season Neto, Hwang and Yerson are still unsure and not replacing our centre midfield and centre back is criminal

 

[Contrarian]

This is like asking how good your meal was just after you've ordered but before the food has arrived.

 

[Stee]

Went with 3.

We kept some key players and signed a few promising ones but the lack of cover in the middle of the park is beyond worrying and if we get unlucky with injuries we may find ourselves in a spiral of poor results.

I really do feel this window has placed the club in a little jeopardy. Hope I’m wrong.

 

[Ned]

I'm slightly calmer now and can see the benefit to keeping Traore and Neves as a positive.

However we are still shorter in numbers in midfield than before and still need a first team ready defender. We've needed the same players for at least 2 seasons now and still haven't addressed these issues.

It would have been better to give Mir and Otasowie incentives to stay until January (at least), keep MGW and then concentrate solely on 2 players we needed rather than getting Hwang.

 

[Tony]

I've gone for 4. Probably downgrade that when I hear the excuses lol!

 

[The Wolf Of Wombourne]

4 from me.

I’d argue about the same squad strength as last year.

Defence is weaker for me as I think Rui is a better keeper than Sa, 3 goals conceded, penalty I’d defend him over but he was at fault Sunday. Mosquera I’m fairly excited about but we now have the risk of Jonny not coming back as well as we thought last season. We’ve been trying to sign a cb since we first came up and still not addressed it and with Boly and Saiss off to Afcon in December the lack of activity in this area is incompetent at best and negligible at worst.

Midfield, lost 2 from last year (3 if you include MGW who was on loan, gained 1).

Forward areas we improved i’ll Give them that. Better depth but wouldn’t say we are stronger than last year!

 

[SydneyWolf]

It’s 5/6 for me but could have been so much better.
Sa, RAN, Trincao, Mosquera, Hwan all good additions. Not losing Traore and Neves also positive.
Adding one of Sanches/Kamara Botman/Caleta-Car would have made it a 7/8. Adding two would have been a 9/10, but having not got any of the midfielders over the line, we should have nixed the MGW loan. Allowing him to go in those circumstances is ridiculous.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Spent the 4th least of premier league sides

 

[SquaddieWolf]

I see that Jeff and Stellars have voted on here. There's 2 for 10!

 

[Sussex Wolf]

It amazes me that two people voted 10!

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

I like that we've sent a few under-23s out to play grownups football. That will benefit them more than the under-23s.

I like that we have kept our best players, with the exception of Patricio. I think Sa is an adequate replacement.

We will probably never really know why we couldn't get the other deals over the line. I was one of those who thought FFP was a problem holding us back, but then genuinely good journos were saying we were trying to get Botman who reportedly would have cost £25/30 million. Unless we were trying to get him very cheap, on loan with and obligation to buy, or some other creative way, that does raise questions in my mind about FFP and how much it did restrict us.

Ultimately I look at the first eleven and I don't see it as being stronger than it was when the summer window closed last year. It's not weaker either. We've stood still. The younger players should be better for a years experience in the first team and when everyone is fit the bench will look better. If we could have just signed one central midfielder to share the load and give us something different I think it would have been a good window.

6/10

I thought it was widely accepted that we had about £30M to spend? We just didn't spend it. I voted 6 btw. Some good signings and no mass exodus. We obviously needed another CM at the very least and his omission is sheer incompetence.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

It amazes me that two people voted 10!

I'm sure they're just taking the ****.

 

[marrs-guitar]

5/10

Positives:
We've kept our best players in Jimenez, Neves and Traore, and at the end of the last season, I fully expected at least one to leave (Neto would also have been a firm candidate but for his injury). The loss of any of these players would have been massive and it is foolish to just think we could easily get ready-made replacements to come here - and at good value prices.

Trincao seems a much better loan addition than Vitinha was.

Hwang probably can't be worse than Jose. Probably.

Mosquera looked to have the physical attributes to play a role and it is good that we are at least looking to try and use the South American market.

Neutral
The goalkeeper signing was lazy and just smacked of 'ok, so who's the next best Portuguese keeper'. Sa does have better attributes than Patricio in commanding his box though and is probably a better fit for Brunoball in that respect.

Negatives:
The fannying around of the last 48 hours has made the club look decidedly small-time and shown that the hierarchy just aren't up to doing the difficult deals that aren't served on a silver tray to them by Mendes.

Once again, no addition of a dynamic midfielder but I'm starting to believe that will simply never come and should erase the thought from my mind.

The fact that after 8 months' planning since the end of the last window, thousands of dossiers (supposedly) and the ear of the world's most powerful agent, we decide that the best target transfer that can support Jimenez is Kieffer Moore. And then promptly fail to conclude a deal.

Despite Bruno's comments, we are still seemingly content to just cross our fingers and hope on a very thin squad pulling through: Loaning out MGW on deadline day when we can't get a deal over the line, and not going ahead with seemingly easy-to-do deals like Okay to bolster our options seems borderline negligent.