Staale's Express and Star Comments

[Metro Wolf 2007]

Two months ago Wolves appointed the ex ECB and Warwickshire CC players as sports psychologist. Focus is largely on first team. This is revealing in light of Stale's interview.

We had a sports psychologist until end of first Prem season. Went in the summer then and we haven't been the same since. But we did save money! :stupid:

 

[DawleyWolf]

We had a sports psychologist until end of first Prem season. Went in the summer then and we haven't been the same since. But we did save money! :stupid:

ah, but could he play left back?

 

[MK Panther]

I believe there is a lot of sense about having a winning mentality. It is not just the club but the fans have to start believing that even losing pre-season games should hurt, losses too often accepted with strange logic.

Players who should make our team better often seen as not as good as we have, surprised we ever buy any players. Morgan and Moxey set the agenda the agenda was wrong the swan needs to rise from the ugly duckling and go to the party.

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

ah, but could he play left back?

No, but he could convince the left back that he could really play left back.:willy:

 

[DawleyWolf]

No, but he could convince the left back that he could really play left back.:willy:

I thought he was better than that in fact - I thought he convinced the centre forward to play left back .......

 

[reanswolf]

He's got it absolutely right. It is so refreshing to have an intelligent manager in charge for a change. It is a big call but I think he is up to it.

I was a little worried about his reference to bringing in a lot of money through sales but that there was a wage bill to pay. If the board don't continue to back him fully in the transfer market in January and beyond I for one will be furious and fans will start voting wth their feet. Stale is no shrinking violet and if Moxey and co start being penny pinchers at crucial times in team development I can see the sparks fly.

This.................second time he has mentioned it too. Wonder what he is trying to infer and why is he emphasising this point? And yes i know its "wages" but i am trying to delve a little deeper into his thinking than that.

 

[FLEET WOLF]

Mental strength is playing a big part, that along with a lack of ability in certain areas was and still is holding us back. As for how long it's been an issue is from my point of view ever since we got promoted.
The survival mentality was what we needed in the first season and it paid off, the second season we stuck to it and to a degree it was still needed, but the more we used this mentality the more it became monotonous for the players and in my opinion they eventually came to the point where they just couldn't bring themselves to raise their game, consequently they gave up mentally and it still remains.

Spot on

 

[Big Nosed Wolf]

A sign that all is not well.

Whenever managers start talking about things like 'mental strength' and 'winning mentality' it probably means, 'Too many players don't like me or what I am doing and are not motivated to carry out what I want'

It was always going to be the case and depended on how the 'transition' was handled.

Again Stale refers to 'wages'. He is concerned I think.

Concerned that he has accepted a job far more complex than he imagined. Concerned about how much he can do within the club's budget. Concerned that the season has started and he was lumbered with too many 'old' faces. Is it coincidence that this has been said in the same week that he gave TC the boot?

Always going to be political and it might just be touch and go how long Stale gives it, perhaps.

He took the job though and would hope he stays and sorts it, if he is up to it.

Mind you, if he aint got the backing then how can he?

I posted some time ago that the politics might get in the way and take the club down further than necessary. I also said it was up to Morgan to ensure that this did not happen. I hope he doesn't.

 

[andyc225]

Old faces are not happy because Ståle wants to clamp down on the "easy ride" mentality that they had before. For him (and for the fans), surviving is not acceptable.

Basically, if that's the case, get them out of the door at the earliest opportunity. Replace tired old faces.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Sounds like what I alluded to a few weeks ago is the case. Who'd have thought it hey.

 

[goldeneyed]

Re wages he has mentioned that the squad is three or four players over what is required. Hunt will be on a fair whack, Jonsson not so much, Elokobi not that much, Berra perhaps a fair amount. Of course it seems there are not many takers for them and perhaps until he moves a couple of those on Jez is refusing to contemplate taking more players on. That could be part of the story. But for goodness sake when you think what is at stake this season and the ridiculous mess up of last season the board should be backing Staale with every penny of that £24m or whatever in the transfer market. That is what I expect and even demand to see from our club in January and beyond. The left overs of Mick's squad will gradually fade away and all but disappear by next Summer. We need to push on NOW.

 

[Vietnam Wolf]

And apart from Blackpool at home or West Ham away I can barely remember when even a victory was a smooth one.

Fulham [H] last year .... barring the first half showing at home to Villa this was our last decent performance. Over a year ago now $$$$ !!

 

[Big Nosed Wolf]

Re wages he has mentioned that the squad is three or four players over what is required. Hunt will be on a fair whack, Jonsson not so much, Elokobi not that much, Berra perhaps a fair amount. Of course it seems there are not many takers for them and perhaps until he moves a couple of those on Jez is refusing to contemplate taking more players on. That could be part of the story. But for goodness sake when you think what is at stake this season and the ridiculous mess up of last season the board should be backing Staale with every penny of that £24m or whatever in the transfer market. That is what I expect and even demand to see from our club in January and beyond. The left overs of Mick's squad will gradually fade away and all but disappear by next Summer. We need to push on NOW.

And if we don't push on now and stop the $$$$ poor performances it means that the downward spiral of the last twelve months will continue. As one or two on here suggested at the back end of last season that it would.

There are more politics to be played out yet though.

 

[Monkey Man]

Old faces are not happy because Ståle wants to clamp down on the "easy ride" mentality that they had before. For him (and for the fans), surviving is not acceptable.

Basically, if that's the case, get them out of the door at the earliest opportunity. Replace tired old faces.

Or it could be that people don't think he has a clue what he is doing.

Why does everyone always think Stale is right? He came from a job where he did terribly and fell out with multiple players.

All I'm hearing is that he is right and the players are wrong, by the end of this season we'll know but before then can we stop the Stale worship which he has no way earned.

 

[FLEET WOLF]

Or it could be that people don't think he has a clue what he is doing.

Why does everyone always think Stale is right? He came from a job where he did terribly and fell out with multiple players.

All I'm hearing is that he is right and the players are wrong, by the end of this season we'll know but before then can we stop the Stale worship which he has no way earned.

Good point really. We shall all have to wait and see and trust that the Club has got it right!

 

[goldeneyed]

For me, Staale has hit the nail on the head. I think over the last three years, all the talk of Wolves being battlers became a self-fulfilling prophecy. We had this label of being battlers but we didn't need to be. Norwich and Swansea came up and showed you didn't necessarily have to have a backs to the wall mentally, but that you could just enjoy playing good football. It all seemed like the team were like somebody going for a walk in the park yet instead of enjoying the view they were imagining a lion was going to jump out the next bush.

There's only so long a team can carry on for when every game becomes a fight. And apart from Blackpool at home or West Ham away I can barely remember when even a victory was a smooth one.

Very good summing up. That is where McCarthy showed his limitations as a manager. He understands and even enjoys backs-to-the-wall and being the underdog mode. But in terms of evolving beyond that he was left utterly bereft of ideas or initiatives as was his limited sidekick Mr Connor. The Board should have picked up on this when we barely survived the second season but didn't. And how they thought the addition of only Johnson would turn things around only they can say. Amateur custodianship, sums it up. And we are paying the penalty right now.

 

[JR's Boots]

Staale has to either get rid of the losing mentality or get rid of the players with the losing mentality. Given he's inherited Mick's squad shorn of the only really talented 3 players, I suspect he will take the latter approach, especially is there is disharmony in the camp with the old guard.

 

[WonderWolf]

I would suggest that SS knows exactly what he is doing. If there are issues with players, it will be because of a reluctance to accept change.

Is it mere coincidence that the one player who more than anyone was under the microscope for performance and attitude, not to mention needing to make-up with the fans, is the top performer in the side currently?

The Moxter would be very wise to back SS even if it meant taking a hit on players by releasing them to make room........it is inevitable when rebuilding.

 

[andyc225]

Or it could be that people don't think he has a clue what he is doing.

Why does everyone always think Stale is right? He came from a job where he did terribly and fell out with multiple players.

All I'm hearing is that he is right and the players are wrong, by the end of this season we'll know but before then can we stop the Stale worship which he has no way earned.

That's because he is right and the players are wrong. You can't base anything on a car crash of a club like 1. FC Koeln. If they didn't want to make the effort for Ståle and for the fans, then they should've asked to leave when the transfer window was open so that they could've be replaced by players who do want to make the effort.

Ståle has seen what most right minded Wolves fans have seen for the last couple of years. Coasting was considered to be acceptable under Mick. Everything was okay as long as they survived and got the Prem money at the end of it, but that's not the case anymore. Players got their winning mentalities beaten out of them week after week, and ever since that first survival Wolves crept closer to the drop.

Peszko for instance, was dropped by Ståle after his fracas with a cabbie. If he didn't like Ståle, he wouldn't be here would he?

I'm sorry - the old guard were getting an easy ride and most of them are stuck in a rut, whether the Mick lovers of this world like that or not.

 

[Craddockinho]

I think it would be unfair to say that players had an 'easy ride' under MM, after all hard work was always valued at the ultimate attribute and he did maintain a very disclipined side off the pitch.

However, there was certainly a comfort zone at the club, the nucleus of the side had remained the same for many years and they had reached the ceilling of their abilites. Changes needed to keep progressing on the pitch were definately overlooked in favour of maintaining the status quo.

Right now what we are seeing is a new manager trying to impose new methods on a squad that after several years of stability is starting to be broken up and rebuilt.

This was always going to be messy. The question is, will it be better? That is where Staale comes in.

 

[saturday boy]

Or it could be that people don't think he has a clue what he is doing.

Why does everyone always think Stale is right? He came from a job where he did terribly and fell out with multiple players.

All I'm hearing is that he is right and the players are wrong, by the end of this season we'll know but before then can we stop the Stale worship which he has no way earned.

I think it is because Staale is not Mick McCarthy.

He was an ambitious appointment by the club and he really hasn't been here long enough for any sound judgement to be made and dissecting what he says and applying some hidden meaning to it is a bit daft.

He has done well in management, he stepped up a level and struggled - sounds like another manager we all know.

The bloke and the team need to be given time before he and they are hailed as the new messiahs. Like every Wolves fan, I just want his tenure to be a success.

 

[andyc225]

However, there was certainly a comfort zone at the club, the nucleus of the side had remained the same for many years and they had reached the ceilling of their abilites. Changes needed to keep progressing on the pitch were definately overlooked in favour of maintaining the status quo.

This is a better way of putting it than I did.

 

[Woffles]

Sounds like what I alluded to a few weeks ago is the case. Who'd have thought it hey.

But do you (or anyone else with contacts) know how serious the problems really are?

Are these the kind of issues that will be worrying to Morgan?

Is this simply a case of a few old handers being unhappy that Staale has come in and made significant changes after 5 years of Mick/TC, or has Staale completely lost/never had the plot?

What gives me some hope is the fact that Henry has signed a contract extension, Doyle opted not to put in a transfer request and Pezko signed to play for Staale again.

 

[North West Wanderer]

But do you (or anyone else with contacts) know how serious the problems really are?

Are these the kind of issues that will be worrying to Morgan?

Is this simply a case of a few old handers being unhappy that Staale has come in and made significant changes after 5 years of Mick/TC, or has Staale completely lost/never had the plot?

What gives me some hope is the fact that Henry has signed a contract extension, Doyle opted not to put in a transfer request and Pezko signed to play for Staale again.

No, and I wouldn't ask either!
I think some of it is down to a changing of the guard and a completely "foreign" way of doing things for some. I'd say he's the opposite of Mick too which must take some getting used to. People I know there STILL call Mick the gaffer!! Old habits die hard. It comes down to my buzzword - patience!

Some would say this complete change is needed to move forward - perhaps, perhaps not.

I would say also as you say Stale can't be THAT bad!!! Former players have signed for him after all.

What I know nothing of is any discord between Stale and Moxey/Morgan.

 

[JuliusCaesar]

OK, I'll come (a little bit clean) here.

My brother is a player at Wolves. Obviously I'm not going to out him (but he does view this site from time to time). He was signed by McCarthy but, like many players, has played under various different managers all with different approaches to the way the first team should play and, something which is very important to players, how the day to day work should be done to improve both the team and the individual.

Most players are used to change. Even dramatic change. The relationship with the first team coach is equally, if not more important than that of the manager in terms of their day to day happiness when at work. I suppose it's similar to the difference between a line manager and an MD. One you see every day and is responsible for your development and the other is the person you have to listen to more on a match day and is who you will fall out with if you are not being picked.

When a new manager comes in you want to impress them and it's in training that you try and do that. Knowing that a particular manager likes to work with a much smaller team of first team players can either make you buck your ideas up, or, if you find out very early that he doesn't fancy you and you have not got the chance to move, can be VERY demotivating. In fact, from what I'm told, NOTHING makes a player more demotivated than doing well in training all week, challenging for the position of a player who is both paid more than you and is not doing well in the first team, only to find you are still not being picked. This causes tittle tattle and resentment for senior players.

There is a period of upheaval at the moment but its completely to be expected as players try and find out where they stand (the injured or not wanted players are in a state of limbo, to an extent). This why we, as fans, should probably wait until Christmas time to get a feel for whether the new manager has managed to discover his best 11 and to get them improving on their all round game. What we shouldn't be doing is looking too far ahead on how we can survive in the Premier League before we've got back there. In the meantime, I expect some players who feel like they've been unfairly frozen out will be unhappy and some of that may spill in to the press. Again, to be expected I guess.

 

[dazmanwolf]

I often wonder if players read this forum. If they do there is no doubt in my mind that they will be feeling a little under confident and under pressure.

Not many threads on here are positive.

 

[luckyjim]

OK, I'll come (a little bit clean) here.

My brother is a player at Wolves. Obviously I'm not going to out him (but he does view this site from time to time). He was signed by McCarthy but, like many players, has played under various different managers all with different approaches to the way the first team should play and, something which is very important to players, how the day to day work should be done to improve both the team and the individual.

Most players are used to change. Even dramatic change. The relationship with the first team coach is equally, if not more important than that of the manager in terms of their day to day happiness when at work. I suppose it's similar to the difference between a line manager and an MD. One you see every day and is responsible for your development and the other is the person you have to listen to more on a match day and is who you will fall out with if you are not being picked.

When a new manager comes in you want to impress them and it's in training that you try and do that. Knowing that a particular manager likes to work with a much smaller team of first team players can either make you buck your ideas up, or, if you find out very early that he doesn't fancy you and you have not got the chance to move, can be VERY demotivating. In fact, from what I'm told, NOTHING makes a player more demotivated than doing well in training all week, challenging for the position of a player who is both paid more than you and is not doing well in the first team, only to find you are still not being picked. This causes tittle tattle and resentment for senior players.

There is a period of upheaval at the moment but its completely to be expected as players try and find out where they stand (the injured or not wanted players are in a state of limbo, to an extent). This why we, as fans, should probably wait until Christmas time to get a feel for whether the new manager has managed to discover his best 11 and to get them improving on their all round game. What we shouldn't be doing is looking too far ahead on how we can survive in the Premier League before we've got back there. In the meantime, I expect some players who feel like they've been unfairly frozen out will be unhappy and some of that may spill in to the press. Again, to be expected I guess.

I hope for his sake Zubar hasn't been reading over the past week! Having said that, I feel a decent english coach who has a good rapport with the players can work wonders.

 

[WonderWolf]

OK, I'll come (a little bit clean) here.

My brother is a player at Wolves. Obviously I'm not going to out him (but he does view this site from time to time). He was signed by McCarthy but, like many players, has played under various different managers all with different approaches to the way the first team should play and, something which is very important to players, how the day to day work should be done to improve both the team and the individual.

Most players are used to change. Even dramatic change. The relationship with the first team coach is equally, if not more important than that of the manager in terms of their day to day happiness when at work. I suppose it's similar to the difference between a line manager and an MD. One you see every day and is responsible for your development and the other is the person you have to listen to more on a match day and is who you will fall out with if you are not being picked.

When a new manager comes in you want to impress them and it's in training that you try and do that. Knowing that a particular manager likes to work with a much smaller team of first team players can either make you buck your ideas up, or, if you find out very early that he doesn't fancy you and you have not got the chance to move, can be VERY demotivating. In fact, from what I'm told, NOTHING makes a player more demotivated than doing well in training all week, challenging for the position of a player who is both paid more than you and is not doing well in the first team, only to find you are still not being picked. This causes tittle tattle and resentment for senior players.

There is a period of upheaval at the moment but its completely to be expected as players try and find out where they stand (the injured or not wanted players are in a state of limbo, to an extent). This why we, as fans, should probably wait until Christmas time to get a feel for whether the new manager has managed to discover his best 11 and to get them improving on their all round game. What we shouldn't be doing is looking too far ahead on how we can survive in the Premier League before we've got back there. In the meantime, I expect some players who feel like they've been unfairly frozen out will be unhappy and some of that may spill in to the press. Again, to be expected I guess.

Yes yes, very interesting... great post etc....now can we have the inside scoop on Skoobs - the tabloid style version please!

 

[JuliusCaesar]

I often wonder if players read this forum. If they do there is no doubt in my mind that they will be feeling a little under confident and under pressure.

Not many threads on here are positive.

Most players have been kicking a ball about in front of people since the age of 6. There is nothing, literally nothing, that any fan could say to them that they haven't heard, often screamed in their face, by a manager or coach, or heard shouted from the sidelines of a reserve match. Thick skinned doesn't even come in to it. They know when they've had a horrible game and they certainly know when they've been the cause of a goal being conceded. They can handle it.

More concerning for me though, there are some players (and one in particular who no longer plays for Wolves) who believe themselves to be adept at getting the more vocal majority of supporters on their side. Believe me, they know what they're doing. Saying the right things to the press, putting in a hard, meaningless tackle here and there to elicit a cheer. Basically playing to the crowd to cover up their limitations and errors to buy themselves good favour and forgiveness that other players are not afforded. Sadly, it works. Not just at Wolves, but anywhere.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Most players have been kicking a ball about in front of people since the age of 6. There is nothing, literally nothing, that any fan could say to them that they haven't heard, often screamed in their face, by a manager or coach, or heard shouted from the sidelines of a reserve match. Thick skinned doesn't even come in to it. They know when they've had a horrible game and they certainly know when they've been the cause of a goal being conceded. They can handle it.

More concerning for me though, there are some players (and one in particular who no longer plays for Wolves) who believe themselves to be adept at getting the more vocal majority of supporters on their side. Believe me, they know what they're doing. Saying the right things to the press, putting in a hard, meaningless tackle here and there to elicit a cheer. Basically playing to the crowd to cover up their limitations and errors to buy themselves good favour and forgiveness that other players are not afforded. Sadly, it works. Not just at Wolves, but anywhere.

Nenad Milijas!!!!!

Very interesting stuff mate. Thanks for sharing

 

[Salisbury Wolf]

I have a feeling Julius Caesar is Jody's brother (or the man himself)...

 

[A wanderer from Bristol]

I have a feeling Julius Caesar is Jody's brother (or the man himself)...

Not signed by Mick though!

This is going to become like the secret footballer!

 

[Surrey Wolf]

I have a feeling Julius Caesar is Jody's brother (or the man himself)...

nope Jody wasn't signed by MM (he says his brother was signed by him in an earlier post)

 

[North West Wanderer]

I have a feeling Julius Caesar is Jody's brother (or the man himself)...

We'll never know

 

[WonderWolf]

I have a feeling Julius Caesar is Jody's brother (or the man himself)...

Well he certainly paints a quality 'picture' if that's anything to go by......

 

[JuliusCaesar]

I have a feeling Julius Caesar is Jody's brother (or the man himself)...

I have recently spotted the JC connection.

I promised I wouldn't out him (as he knows I have an account) but can say with the honesty and integrity of a good Roman general that it 100% isn't him. I will be particular about not giving him away because despite the fact that I am older than him, he's significantly fitter than me so I don't fancy a fat lip.

 

[Salisbury Wolf]

Might be a red herring

 

[reanswolf]

Very good summing up. That is where McCarthy showed his limitations as a manager. He understands and even enjoys backs-to-the-wall and being the underdog mode. But in terms of evolving beyond that he was left utterly bereft of ideas or initiatives as was his limited sidekick Mr Connor. The Board should have picked up on this when we barely survived the second season but didn't. And how they thought the addition of only Johnson would turn things around only they can say. Amateur custodianship, sums it up. And we are paying the penalty right now.

I still think a lot of this was down to wages being a restraint to obtaining quality. he had targets to help us evolve, and if we paid wages similar to Stoke I am sure we would have got them and be doing as well as Stoke.

Just because Swansea, WBA and Norwich did it on similar wages or even lower, doesnt mean that everyone can do it that way.

 

[Salisbury Wolf]

I have recently spotted the JC connection.

I promised I wouldn't out him (as he knows I have an account) but can say with the honesty and integrity of a good Roman general that it 100% isn't him. I will be particular about not giving him away because despite the fact that I am older than him, he's significantly fitter than me so I don't fancy a fat lip.

And you're absolutely right not to JC. The other pointer for me was the quality of your posts, articulate and well written.

 

[Tring Wolf]

I have a feeling Julius Caesar is Jody's brother (or the man himself)...

If it is you Jody, it was an honour and privilege to play with you in the Charity Game a few weeks back. I obviously can't out myself but it was my corner you headed in for the first goal

Seriously though JC, thanks for the posts. Very informative and interesting.