Scott Sellars Interview

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Have mentioned it on some threads but feels it deserves its own as very interesting in different ways.

Exclusive: Wolves technical director Scott Sellars on Fosun, funds and the future

Running a multi-million pound football club in one of the most high-stakes industries in the world. The beautiful game can be an unforgiving beast.

www.expressandstar.com

 

[Perton Wolf]

Can see why our last few transfer windows have been so mediocre and uninspiring when a guy whose claim to fame is being our U23s Coach has a veto on signings.

No issue with the process if an experienced DoF with a good track record is calling the shots but not Scott bloody Sellars. Jeff has really dropped the ball with some of his hirings, both he and Vinny are incompetent and tone deaf to say the least. Perhaps they're just very good yes men.

 

[Wolf316]

Really wouldn’t be surprised if Bruno walks in the summer.

 

[JOSWolf]

Can see why our last few transfer windows have been so mediocre and uninspiring when a guy whose claim to fame is being our U23s Coach has a veto on signings.

No issue with the process if an experienced DoF with a good track record is calling the shots but not Scott bloody Sellars. Jeff has really dropped the ball with some of his hirings, both he and Vinny are incompetent and tone deaf to say the least. Perhaps they're just very good yes men.

I tend to agree with this. Find this Sellars interview a bit concerning.

 

[wwbug]

We are ONLY successful because of our past associations with Mendes.
Take that away and we would be a yo-yo club at best.
Hardly worth reading anything else but that fact.

 

[VAR OUT]

Can’t argue with the youth policy at all.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

We are ONLY successful because of our past associations with Mendes.
Take that away and we a would be a yo-yo club at best.
Hardly worth reading anything else but that fact.

Agree. There seems to be this myth, that Sellars is playing on here too, that we have some sort of remarkable approach that has put us above the rest.

However, we are where we are because of Mendes and the fact that we spent loads of money, as you say.

 

[JOSWolf]

Interesting that Sellars mentions Luke Cundle and how he may have got no opportunities if we had signed a 28 year old midfield player. Cundle did well at Spurs and I like him but we will see if this strategy will work in the coming weeks as Cundle may get a run in the side at some stage due to our lack of central midfield players.

 

[wwbug]

Interesting that Sellars mentions Luke Cundle and how he may have got no opportunities if we had signed a 28 year old midfield player. Cundle did well at Spurs and I like him but we will see if this strategy will work in the coming weeks as Cundle may get a run in the side at some stage due to our lack of central midfield players.

What a load of old tosh Sellars talks . Cundle may be good but we should not expect him to take us forward in the Premier league anytime soon . I don’t believe he is a wonder kid , and he would need to be one to take us forward .

 

[NorthWestWolf]

My biggest issue is that the website was trying to tell me about the **** that is lee hughes was "rolling back the years"

 

[Hot Fuss]

The squads done great to finish 7th, 7th, 13th and currently 8th, certainly the best we’ve done in my lifetime but the glass ceiling has been hit. You can’t compete any higher regularly without huge money, and I actually understand the reluctance to try it, even if as a fan it would be great to have a go.

Jeffs more interested in Esports and “fans” who never set foot in the country, never mind Molineux, our manager can have transfer targets vetoed by Scott Sellers and clearly money isn’t going to be spent in any significant way on the squad or the ground.

“the worlds changed for Fosun” says Scott.

All the usual words were there, “we’ll not risk the clubs future”, “long term stability”, “parameters”, “why throw money at it”, “diligent” he even used “we were in league 1 8 years ago” like that has any bearing on today.

We are basically going to be a midlands Southampton, nothing wrong with that but would appreciate the ticket pricing not constantly being pushed through the roof (especially with how the cost of living has rocketed) and Jeff still banging on about being “one of the best clubs in the world in 5 years” which is utter nonsense.

 

[Scallywolf]

‘One of the best clubs in the world in five years time’ says Jeff.

Is that on the pitch, off the pitch or both?

On the pitch best clubs win trophies. Off the pitch best clubs don’t win anything.

A bit of clarity please Jeff.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Sellars out. He sounds like another jez moxey full of excuses for wolves not spending money

 

[Fifty Niner]

Sellars out. He sounds like another jez moxey full of excuses for wolves not spending money

He’ll be looking for lower league bargain basement potentials rather than players who can have an immediate impact. Small time thinking just like Moxey, as you say. Happy to not actually win or achieving anything except staying in the PL and being a well run club.

 

[BCWolf]

Guy comes across as a total dud. His comments leave me with even less optimism for the summer and future than I did before I listened to his BS. He cant foxtrot oscar fast enough IMO.

 

[Wall heath Wanderer]

One of the best in a few years, by selling the likes of Jota, Traore and likely Neves and Neto, and keeping players such as Saiss and Dendoncker. Yeah I can see how that will work.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Guy comes across as a total dud. His comments leave me with even less optimism for the summer and future than I did before I listened to his BS. He cant foxtrot oscar fast enough IMO.

We’re becoming a 40pts club ST prices go up again the club are going to see the fans not bother renewing sooner or later after another poor window this summer?? Especially if the likes of Neves was to leave!!

LET Lage build his OWN TEAM!!
He clearly wants to sign a CB CM Winger and a striker??

Recoup the money on Adama 25m to whoever, Cutrone 5m, Vinagre 10m, Hoever 5m = 45m then use 40m off the tv money

So 85m I’m sure we could sign 4 quality players?! Oh and dont forget the free agents that we never look at either. Sellars sell out!!

Mbemba - free agent in the summer
Xeka - free agent in the summer (Portuguese)
Nketiah - free agent in the summer (not a target man)

Come on Mr Sellars you must be eyeing up potential players like this??

 

[JamesWolves]

Shi comes out and says he thinks we'll be one of the best clubs in the world in 5 years

Same say Sellars says he won't buy anyone he doesn't want even if the manager wants him

Thats not how you become one of the best, in fact going against your manager's wishes seems quite the opposite

Get him gone

 

[Supadavewolf]

Just got up.

Read this thread.

Depressing.

Think I'll go back to bed.

Shi comes out and says he thinks we'll be one of the best clubs in the world in 5 years

Same say Sellars says he won't buy anyone he doesn't want even if the manager wants him

Thats not how you become one of the best, in fact going against your manager's wishes seems quite the opposite

Get him gone

We don't have a manager.

We have a head coach.

Big difference.

 

[Supadavewolf]

selling the likes of Jota, Traore and likely Neves and Neto,

We couldn't keep Jota once Liverpool were interested.

We haven't sold Traore - even though seemingly half the Mixers want him sold.

Of course it's likely our better players will want out, if we can't offer CL.

 

[Leominster_Wolf]

 

[djmikeydickens]

That is worrying. Sellars can say no to players Bruno wants....seems a bit backwards to me.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Shi comes out and says he thinks we'll be one of the best clubs in the world in 5 years

Same say Sellars says he won't buy anyone he doesn't want even if the manager wants him

Thats not how you become one of the best, in fact going against your manager's wishes seems quite the opposite

Get him gone

Because heads of recruitment last far longer than managers, that’s why he gets final choice. If you let the manager have final say and they have a bad run and sacked, you have a raft of players a new manager doesn’t want. The Albion since Ashworth left as DOF is a prime example

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Sellars out. He sounds like another jez moxey full of excuses for wolves not spending money

You’ve got the positions and roles completely mixed. Sellars is set a budget by Fosun/Shi and works to it. What more can he do?

 

[clivewolves]

I don't have an issue with anything he's said in that interview.

 

[TheConcourse]

Not really sure there should be any surprise coming out of that:

• Everyone needs to agree on transfers
• The focus is on young players who can develop
• Bruno always wants to improve the team. Shock.
• They aren’t going nuts on fees to climb two places.

All I would say on the last point is that it’s a pure hypothetical. Would a really good CB enable us to climb into the top four? Don’t know. But throwing out sweeping statements like we aren’t going to put the club in danger to climb a couple of spots is a defensive play IMO.

I’d rather the club was a little braver. Just a little bit. One £30m CB isn’t going to cripple us financially, and with other clubs proving they’re willing to go big - Newcastle and Villa - my feeling is that they’ll climb above us next season.

Next season is the test IMO. Lots of factors in play around contracts, Neves, Traore and player recruitment.

We’ll see how well prepared Scott is in the summer.

 

[Golden_Wolf]

"My challenges are to try to make money to use the money.”

Is what it is I suppose. Just don't jack up prices again.

I'm not tryna dig Sellars out, as its not his remit, but he's even said "the world's changed" that's for us fans too.

 

[hollo]

Reading between the lines are they going to sell neves and replace him with a young midfielder who they can develop and sell in two to three years. It sounds a bit too much like southampton.

He sounds plausible but he is to blame when it comes to a lack of midfield options. He has had two windows to bring in a central midfielder and failed.

Incomprehenensibly they spend 12 million on hwang when it was more prudent to wait until the summer.Are you telling me he was the best money could buy out of all the players available.

 

[Norway Wolves]

“I understand we are all ambitious and want to go to the next level – there’s no doubt I’m ambitious and I’m sure supporters are too – but I’m also realistic and I won’t bankrupt the club to go up another two places."

“I don’t want to sign players that he doesn’t want and I don’t ever want to sign players that he wants and I don’t want. It’s very much a team decision."

A more than slightly narcissistic tone here, implying that he has the power not to bankrupt the club, and not to sign players he doesnt want.

Whether he has so much power internally we don't know, but the tone of these statements are that he has used this interview to give the reader the impression that he does have this power.

It's an extremely worrying if someone like him does have this power, given the fact that his background makes him totally unqualified.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Not really sure there should be any surprise coming out of that:

• Everyone needs to agree on transfers
• The focus is on young players who can develop
• Bruno always wants to improve the team. Shock.
• They aren’t going nuts on fees to climb two places.

All I would say on the last point is that it’s a pure hypothetical. Would a really good CB enable us to climb into the top four? Don’t know. But throwing out sweeping statements like we aren’t going to put the club in danger to climb a couple of spots is a defensive play IMO.

I’d rather the club was a little braver. Just a little bit. One £30m CB isn’t going to cripple us financially, and with other clubs proving they’re willing to go big - Newcastle and Villa - my feeling is that they’ll climb above us next season.

Next season is the test IMO. Lots of factors in play around contracts, Neves, Traore and player recruitment.

We’ll see how well prepared Scott is in the summer.

Agree with all that, except that although I would like to think we can compete with Villa again next season, Newcastle will join the Big 7 sooner rather than later (unless it's still the 6 if Chelsea don't get a benefactor). We've had a good run, but we will indeed be a middle rank Gestifute staging post where the likes of Neves and Jota develop. Life would be (much) worse!

 

[old wittonian]

Shi comes out and says he thinks we'll be one of the best clubs in the world in 5 years

Same say Sellars says he won't buy anyone he doesn't want even if the manager wants him

Thats not how you become one of the best, in fact going against your manager's wishes seems quite the opposite

Get him gone

Why not just let Bruno go and appoint Sellars as ****ing manager

 

[Rangiora Wolf]

We couldn't keep Jota once Liverpool were interested.

We haven't sold Traore - even though seemingly half the Mixers want him sold.

Of course it's likely our better players will want out, if we can't offer CL.

Apparently traore is always late. He'll be back in the summer.

 

[wolvesjoe]

Those two places would m make wolves a top six club. It is precisely the next step the club has to take. And would open up all kinds of possibilities.

Some weird **** in that interview.

 

[sillytuna]

Those two places would m make wolves a top six club. It is precisely the next step the club has to take. And would open up all kinds of possibilities.

Some weird **** in that interview.

He said he wouldn't bankrupt the club to do it, which seems mighty sensible to me. He didn't say he wouldn't sign a player to take us up 2 places.

Crazy amount of negativity here given what he's said.

 

[oldgolded]

I understand people's frustration that we seem unable to push on, but what I always remind myself of is where we were before Fosun took over. Years spent in the Championship with the odd foray into the premier league, inevitably ending in relegation after a couple of seasons struggle at best.
The other thing I think of is Charlton Athletic under Curbishly. They were sitting in a similar situation to ourselves in the top division and all I used to hear from their fans was that Curbishly should be sacked as he had taken them as far as he could. Look at the league tables to see where they are now.
After approx 60 years of following Wolves, apart from the 1970s, this is the best place we have been in, with some good/great players to enjoy. The team is stuffed full of internationals.
As someone previously pointed out, the only way to challenge Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea etc is to spend a massive amount of money, and even then there are no guarantees. Villa and Everton have tried that recently and it has not really got them very far.
Overall I am quite happy with the club's strategy. Patience is the key factor. Nobody knows where we will finish up in a few years. My one wish is that Fosun would spend a bit of money tidying up and finishing off the ground, because as much as we all love Molineux, compared to the grounds of the aforementioned 'elite' clubs, it is a lopsided mess.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

We are ONLY successful because of our past associations with Mendes.
Take that away and we a would be a yo-yo club at best.
Hardly worth reading anything else but that fact.

Absolutely spot on. The stuff we are doing off the pitch is really impressive, yes, but the only reason we have established ourselves as a top half Prem team is because we are in bed with the devil.

 

[cannockwolves]

It never ceases to amaze me just predictable the reaction is to these sort of interviews.

Sellars has not said anything different or what we don't already know.

We are 8th with a valuable group of first teamers and a promising pipeline of youngsters, some of which might be premier league quality and save us a fortune (MGW over say Trincao for example)

Look at the wasted hundreds of millions of pounds ****ed up the wall by Everton. Even villa are below us in the league but have spent mega millions.

If we keep the wages around current levels and TV income says as it is we can always spend £25m - £30m or so every season.

Almost every successful club has had to move players on to generate funds, the most obvious example is Leicester and how they used the Maguire money (then Marhez money).

I love Neves and dread the day he moves on, but we just don't know how we'll that £40m or so will be recycled. For all we know it my be the catalyst for a new golden era.

I find it so depressing the wave of abuse the club gets whenever the mention their approach.

We all know now we are not going to be spending £100m in one window, we know Fosun want us to be sustainable, and we know that picking up young Jota's and Neves at £15m and flipping them for £40m is the only way for a club like ours to bridge the turnover gap.

So let them get on with it without the constant negative reaction.

 

[wolvesjoe]

He said he wouldn't bankrupt the club to do it, which seems mighty sensible to me. He didn't say he wouldn't sign a player to take us up 2 places.

Crazy amount of negativity here given what he's said.

It's an open attack on Bruno and his ambition. Can't see any other way of reading some of these remarks.

Question mark over Bruno s future now

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

Fwiw I think our approach is the right one. Newcastle will buy their way into being one of the slimy 6. Everton are already showing how poor their approach was. Villa will too.

Realistically, doing a Leicester is the best we can hope for. Despite our good season, I still see Leicester as being slightly better than us both on and off the pitch. I'd rather see Wolves be around the top half of the premier League for years to come - with the occasional European foray and the occasional poor season seeing us flirt with relegation - than to see us spunk millions up the wall and crash back down to the Chumpo.

Our approach, generally, is impressive. I just don't really like Sellars. I'm not sure why....I just haven't taken to him. Nothing he says there annoys me, but there's just something about him. Harsh, but there we go.

 

[Wolf316]

So when Sellars overrules Bruno and doesn’t give him the players he wants whose fault will it be when it goes wrong?