Thoughts turn to next season

[Lycaon]

Must admit I pretty much wrote this season off back in February and began thinking how will we approach building for a better campaign next season.
Given that we’re safe from relegation (but not mathematically), will we still be a team very much in transition again?
Suspect we’ll have to sell before we buy as I can’t see funds being made available of any note?
Will the younger members of the squad show more hunger and desire to step up to the plate and stake a claim in the team on a long term basis?
Nuno has many areas to address this summer but I’m a little concerned that we might start the season as we’re about to finish with no discernible improvements to at least be more consistent in our general play and aim for a top ten placement.
Apologies if this comes across as being anyway negative, it’s not meant to be!
Your thoughts lads and lasses?

 

[pacamac]

Do thoughts ever really turn to next season when there's mad money up for grabs per place?

 

[Oliwolf44]

As soon as we threw the cup game it was season over.
New CB an absolute priority. We need first team ready players. My guess is traore is a gonner, dont think Neves has the pace to be signed by a top team for the amount we would want. Neto might stay put although a big offer i can see fosun cashing in. None of the others would command a fee worth worrying about.
New CM and CB most vital!

 

[Northampton_wolf]

I think everyone is now looking to next season, and im hoping our staff and nuno is.

How do we get more out of the team for next year, what formation do we go?

How do we score goals, where is our attacking intent coming from

How do we stop weak defensive errors

who do we sign.

I just don't want a torrid last 5 or 6 matches, so as long as we get over 45 points and not squeak over the line that will be fine by me

 

[Northampton_wolf]

As soon as we threw the cup game it was season over.
New CB an absolute priority. We need first team ready players. My guess is traore is a gonner, dont think Neves has the pace to be signed by a top team for the amount we would want. Neto might stay put although a big offer i can see fosun cashing in. None of the others would command a fee worth worrying about.
New CM and CB most vital!

We already know that they are focusing on a CB, not that you can hold much of spiers. But he suggested as such main target is a CB in summer, we obviously need a CM/CAM

 

[jrpb-3]

think Nuno needs to decide how he wants us to play next season, look at what players do or don't fit that system, move on those who don't and bring in ones who will

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

I agree with the comments, but I bet Fosun can't believe that everyone seems to accept we have to sell to buy.

There's a difference between selling to buy and being self-sufficient. With the money we bring in, we should be in a position to buy without losing a Traore/Neves.

I expect Traore to go because of the contract dispute, but we should still be able to spend more than he will bring in if he wants. That's just like every Premier League club btw. All 20 of us are in the top 30/40 richest clubs in the world. It's ridiculous.

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

Mail online reporting today that Van der Beek wants to quit Man Utd in the summer. I’d be all over that if it’s true.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

I'd like to see Vitinha get some game time between now and the end of the season.

 

[Derbywolf85]

My attention turned to last season once Nuno inexcusably threw the cup game against Southampton.

We know we'll need a raft of signings and we'll need to shift some bodies out in order to increase our budget to facilitate a change.

The key thing is that we aren't sentimental, which after a year of not being (in the summer of 2018) we have been the last 2 years.

Outgoings/Changes

Fringe Players to be sold: MGW, Jordao, Campana, Vinagre, Sanderson, Cutrone and some of the kids out on loan

Current Squad players to be sold: Ruddy, Dendoncker, Adama, Marcal and *maybe* Coady (I really feel that as long as he is at Wolves the temptation will always be there to play a back 3 and we'll never move away from it. We have a ready made replacement as captain in Neves and Raul could easily be Vice Captain).

Current Squad Players to be "Squad players" - Saiss (1 year deal), Moutinho.

This should hopefully give us a more threatening budget overall. Then....

Pick up the loan option of: RAN (because Marcal is made of glass. Must do it at cheaper than £20m though).

Incomings (this is based around us moving to 4 at the back)

CB x 2 and then bring through Nigel Lonwijk as our youth option.
CM x 2. We need to play on having Ruben Neves, as we did in the championship. He needs a real midfield powerhouse alongside him.
CAM - Think we might give Shabani a chance to be the back up option here
FW - If we sell Adama, we'll need to replace. ASM would be a shout if Newcastle are relegated.

Given his scoring form in Spain it's also possible that Rafa Mir returns as an option as a 3rd striker, which would save the outlay on WIllian Jose. He's scored plenty of goals in an otherwise awful Huesca team and seems to have physically grown in stature over the last 2 years.

This would give us

Rui
Sondergaard


Semedo
Hoever

Boly
Saiss
CB 1
CB2

Jonny
RAN

Neves
Moutinho
CM1
CM2
CAM 1
Shabani

Podence
Neto
FW 1

Raul
Silva
Mir

A 22 man squad with the option to include kids as well (the likes of Sarkic, Lonwijk, Otasowie, Corbeanu etc)

I am aware this is a pipe dream, but it's what I would be aiming for.

 

[Arky_R]

As others have said get a specialist CB, and a CM to take over Mountinho, some decent loans. Sell Troare

Emphasise on getting some goals into this team needs to be a priority.
That and playing for 90 whole minutes!

 

[Flump]

I am aware this is a pipe dream, but it's what I would be aiming for.

It's not just a pipedream, it's also an insane level of squad overhaul to have in a single summer.

 

[Macman]

I think the summer will be the same as the last few seasons. One or two will be moved on, 3 or 4 will come in, and there will be the hope we rely on more foreign (choose my words carefully here) 'good potentials', and we join it all together and hope it works.

I just cant see us doing a massive overhaul - we need to strengthen in certain areas but I think 8 or 9 of the current starting XI will still be in the first starting line-up in August. Just hope the extras brought in really do strengthen and push us on.

 

[wolveslegend]

let's start with selling to buy, if we have to do this then we are going to be in trouble before the season even starts, we suddenly turn into Southampton from several years ago. selling to buy shows a lack of ambition in my opinion.

 

[Chisels_n_ommers]

As soon as we threw the cup game it was season over.
New CB an absolute priority. We need first team ready players. My guess is traore is a gonner, dont think Neves has the pace to be signed by a top team for the amount we would want. Neto might stay put although a big offer i can see fosun cashing in. None of the others would command a fee worth worrying about.
New CM and CB most vital!

Neto has to do it for one more season to be a big money move. He'd still be a risk for a huge fee at this stage (albeit I think he'll carry on getting better and better next season and beyond to be a top top player).

If I was the Man Utd DOF, I'd break the bank to get Neves. He'd be a game changer for them (the way they set up etc absolutely perfect fit). Not saying for one second I'd sell him, just a point of view.

 

[Northampton_wolf]

We need to sell fringe players again people who arent going to make it, trim then big build

 

[Northampton_wolf]

My attention turned to last season once Nuno inexcusably threw the cup game against Southampton.

We know we'll need a raft of signings and we'll need to shift some bodies out in order to increase our budget to facilitate a change.

The key thing is that we aren't sentimental, which after a year of not being (in the summer of 2018) we have been the last 2 years.

Outgoings/Changes

Fringe Players to be sold: MGW, Jordao, Campana, Vinagre, Sanderson, Cutrone and some of the kids out on loan

Current Squad players to be sold: Ruddy, Dendoncker, Adama, Marcal and *maybe* Coady (I really feel that as long as he is at Wolves the temptation will always be there to play a back 3 and we'll never move away from it. We have a ready made replacement as captain in Neves and Raul could easily be Vice Captain).

Current Squad Players to be "Squad players" - Saiss (1 year deal), Moutinho.

This should hopefully give us a more threatening budget overall. Then....

Pick up the loan option of: RAN (because Marcal is made of glass. Must do it at cheaper than £20m though).

Incomings (this is based around us moving to 4 at the back)

CB x 2 and then bring through Nigel Lonwijk as our youth option.
CM x 2. We need to play on having Ruben Neves, as we did in the championship. He needs a real midfield powerhouse alongside him.
CAM - Think we might give Shabani a chance to be the back up option here
FW - If we sell Adama, we'll need to replace. ASM would be a shout if Newcastle are relegated.

Given his scoring form in Spain it's also possible that Rafa Mir returns as an option as a 3rd striker, which would save the outlay on WIllian Jose. He's scored plenty of goals in an otherwise awful Huesca team and seems to have physically grown in stature over the last 2 years.

This would give us

Rui
Sondergaard


Semedo
Hoever

Boly
Saiss
CB 1
CB2

Jonny
RAN

Neves
Moutinho
CM1
CM2
CAM 1
Shabani

Podence
Neto
FW 1

Raul
Silva
Mir

A 22 man squad with the option to include kids as well (the likes of Sarkic, Lonwijk, Otasowie, Corbeanu etc)

I am aware this is a pipe dream, but it's what I would be aiming for.

Id take saint maximin any day i like him

 

[Glow69]

2 signings in a CB and CM.

Anything after that a bonus

 

[Sketchead]

Keep the same first-team squad. Sell any fringe players who aren't getting a look in. Sign a first-team CB and CM. Good to go.

 

[Northampton_wolf]

Keep the same first-team squad. Sell any fringe players who aren't getting a look in. Sign a first-team CB and CM. Good to go.

Thats all you can ask for, really.

Im happy with Signing RAN, Vitinha, if you then back up with a CB and a CM then sell or loan out the fringe never going to get there.

Bring on youth further, corbeanu, lonwijk, marques.

Focus will be how do we get goals how do we setup and time on the training pitch, unifying with crowds for next season.

Will be a struggle with the euros

 

[Chris H]

I agree with the comments, but I bet Fosun can't believe that everyone seems to accept we have to sell to buy.

There's a difference between selling to buy and being self-sufficient. With the money we bring in, we should be in a position to buy without losing a Traore/Neves.

I expect Traore to go because of the contract dispute, but we should still be able to spend more than he will bring in if he wants. That's just like every Premier League club btw. All 20 of us are in the top 30/40 richest clubs in the world. It's ridiculous.

You’re absolutely right that there’s a difference between sell to buy and self sufficient.

I think last summer, they were close to the same thing due to losses from the pandemic, hopefully this summer with hopes of a more normal season to come we’ll have more to spend than what we get from sales, and I think we will.

As long as everything is looking positive for next season financially I don’t think we’ll sell players just to fund purchases. That’s not to say players won’t be sold, some of the fringe players will move on and as you suggest Traore may go if they can’t resolve his contract situation.

I don’t think Nuno will be forced to let players go he wants to keep unless we get an offer that is too good to turn down (as is the case for pretty much every club).

 

[JOSWolf]

To me it is obvious we need to change formation to four at the back from next season and maybe use it again this season when we have a few more points on the board.

From my point of view 3 centre backs is now limiting us in an attacking sense and we need more attacking options through the middle.

New centre back, at least one is a must. New central midfield player with a good all round game and engine is a must. No10 style attacking midfield player is a must. New striker is a must if we dont sign Jose.

Four new top notch signings needed and change to a more positive formation needed or we will be in the same situation next season or worse in my opinion.

Big and brave decisions needed in the summer which may include a few first teamers being sold. I would also keep both RAN and Vitinha.

 

[wwbug]

Do thoughts ever really turn to next season when there's mad money up for grabs per place?

All successful ventures have to look beyond the next month.

 

[Axle]

We need that new ‘spine’ that everyone talks about, but raising funds for that is key which might mean selling two of Neto, Podence or Traore as it would probably cost £70-100m.

The biggest controversy is in possibly selling Coady. As pointed out above there is too much of a temptation to play in a three with him in the team, but what a leader and DOES give us the option to play four or three as required, which would show real tactical acuity.

Three players in and two from the first team out with the sale of fringe players as several have had opportunities but have not blossomed as we wanted and we really need a longer term replacement for Mouthinho.

Lots to think about and not many answers in this post l’m afraid!

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

We need to move back up a level because this season we've dropped from being Leicester to becoming Burnley. I fully expect we won't make the same mistakes this summer we made last. Ditch the buying for the future mantra and get a squad of players who would be first team ready. I think Nuno's small squad policy has been badly shown up this season. If we can get good deals I'd be happy to buy more British players (Champs if needs be) and shift the focus away from Europe. We must have players ready to cover for injuries. Jimenez's injury and having no adequate cover was the main reason, I believe, our season nose-dived. If we're going for a 4 at the back I think we could shift Coady. Traore is a quandary. What to do with him? If we got a decent offer I'd be tempted to let him go. If we are serious about moving to top 6/8, players like Saiss, Donc and Moutinho need to be squad players and not regular first teamers. This season we've had a ****ing great hole where the centre forward should be and assuming Jimenez comes back firing in August I'd say we only need 2-3 quality additions to make our team pretty good and competitive. Over to you Wolves!

 

[goldeneyed]

We still need a couple of wins to be comfortable. So focus on that first. Would like to see MGW and Vitinha given game time to find out what they have to offer and also Ait Nouri. Then make decision whether to keep. Need to take £5m off each of their current price tags. So around £13m or so each. Jose for me is simply not the answer especially as he is 29 and his fee even if reduced from £22m seems too high. He just doesn't have the spark needed in the penalty box and seems a bit lazy.

Huge summer coming up. I think Saiss might go to be replaced by another younger CB. Sorry to seem him go as he has been a great servant to the club but things move on. New attacking central midfielder comes in and perhaps another more defensive one. Moutinho will be on bench duty mainly. Keep Dendoncker.

Up front forget Jose bring in TWO new strikers, one on loan and get Silva out on loan to a Championship club for a season. Bit part roles are no good for him - he needs some solid experience of tough Championship football. Hopefully Raul comes back as good as ever. More emphasis on attack and GOALS.

See what bids come in for Traore. Anything over £30m consider if there is a good alternative like Guedes lined up. Ideally get £40m. His form is improving and if he does well in last nine games his value might go up a bit. Anything less than £30m unacceptable and keep.

Above all, keep Neto and Neves whatever bids come in.

 

[Hoganstolemywife]

If someone offered crazy money for Neto, I'd sell and reinvest. Likewise for Traore, although I suspect the money would be decidedly less crazy.

Be more tempted to keep Neves for another season as he's become more integral this year.

 

[92WWFC]

Would like to see RAN and Vitinha given a chance, I'd sign them both. They are both good prospects. Maybe give MGW minutes too, although I think he would be best going back to Swansea next season he needs more than being a bit part for us still think he deserves time.

Could do with another wide player maybe a Portuguese youngster on loan to buy, a more athletic midfielder to complement Ruben too. Really would like us to go back to 4231 a proper preseason and some new additions I think that is the way to go.

 

[JOSWolf]

If someone offered crazy money for Neto, I'd sell and reinvest. Likewise for Traore, although I suspect the money would be decidedly less crazy.

Be more tempted to keep Neves for another season as he's become more integral this year.

We sell Neto to reinvest and we end up with another season like this or worse in my opinion.

 

[Derbywolf85]

It's not just a pipedream, it's also an insane level of squad overhaul to have in a single summer.

It's happened before.

17/18 and 18/19.

 

[Chris H]

To me it is obvious we need to change formation to four at the back from next season and maybe use it again this season when we have a few more points on the board.

From my point of view 3 centre backs is now limiting us in an attacking sense and we need more attacking options through the middle.

New centre back, at least one is a must. New central midfield player with a good all round game and engine is a must. No10 style attacking midfield player is a must. New striker is a must if we dont sign Jose.

Four new top notch signings needed and change to a more positive formation needed or we will be in the same situation next season or worse in my opinion.

Big and brave decisions needed in the summer which may include a few first teamers being sold. I would also keep both RAN and Vitinha.

Agree with pretty much all of that except I’d probably go with signing 1 player who can play across the front 3/off the striker in place of both your CAM and CF.

In my view (and this is assuming Jimenez comes back the player he was, hopefully we’ll have the answer to that by summer) Jimenez will be first choice with Silva hopefully becoming more of an option after 12 months with us. So a player who could play off that striker, either wide or 10 that could fill in up top of required would be a good option to have.

We need Silva to be involved and progressing at the fee paid and if he became 3rd choice I don’t see him getting enough game time for that. He’s been doing well with 20-30 mins off the bench so hopefully as back up to Jimenez he can continue that next season. A versatile forward could then step in if Jimenez were to get injured, but can also be an option elsewhere when Jimenez is fit so as not to block Silva’s development.

Also, by doing that hopefully we could spend that bit extra to get the best player we can get in each of those 3 positions rather than stretching the same budget over 4 positions.

 

[whitnash wolf ex.dewsbury]

We sell Neto to reinvest and we end up with another season like this or worse in my opinion.

hope we get a few games with raul and adama together to see if they can recapture a bit of magic if not then we may as well traore

 

[Wolf Pack leader]

I am not sure why people think Fosun will not spend this summer. They are clever people and they will see that the development of their "investment" has stalled in the last 12 months. They will recognise that it will cost to ensure that the value of the investment grows again.

Also, they will have learnt from spending big on younger players, and their investment last summer was in effect virtually zero.

It is plan for us all to see that we need minimum a new CB, CM, CAM & CF - players good enough to start every week.

That will or should cost £150m assuming one new signing is a free (Otavio)

If that is deemed too much in covid times, then if Nuno has decided that Traore will never be consistant enough then sell him preferably abroad for £50m

Loan out - MGW, Killman, Otasowie

Send back Jose and Vitinha

Sign - RAN for hopefully less than initially muted. French clubs need the cash so maybe £12m - matched by the amount were about to get towards the Jota fee.

Assuming Ruddy leaves - Sign - experienced keeper as back up to Rui. After last night the though of Sarkic or Sondegaard playing regularly is not on

Squad 2021/2

Rui + 1

Semedo - Hoever
Otto - RAN

Coady, Boly, Saiss, New, Marcal

Neves, New, Dendonker, Moutinho

Neto, Podence, New

Raul, New, Silva

 

[TheConcourse]

I don’t think sell to buy is the right way to look at this.

If there’s value in the market then Fosun will act. If there’s an opportunity to sign a player of the Jimenez ilk for £20m then they’ll do it.

This is about value, development, future resale. As long as all of those things align then success will be the outcome.

Does selling Traore make sense? Yes.
Does selling Neto make sense? No.
Does it make sense to sell Coady? Probably.
Boly? No.

There are players that reach their ceiling and there are players that have more time on their side for development. Neto is nowhere near the finished article, so it wouldn’t make sense to sell for £40m now when there’s a player that’s probably going to move for double that in a year or so.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

My attention turned to last season once Nuno inexcusably threw the cup game against Southampton.

We know we'll need a raft of signings and we'll need to shift some bodies out in order to increase our budget to facilitate a change.

The key thing is that we aren't sentimental, which after a year of not being (in the summer of 2018) we have been the last 2 years.

Outgoings/Changes

Fringe Players to be sold: MGW, Jordao, Campana, Vinagre, Sanderson, Cutrone and some of the kids out on loan

Current Squad players to be sold: Ruddy, Dendoncker, Adama, Marcal and *maybe* Coady (I really feel that as long as he is at Wolves the temptation will always be there to play a back 3 and we'll never move away from it. We have a ready made replacement as captain in Neves and Raul could easily be Vice Captain).

Current Squad Players to be "Squad players" - Saiss (1 year deal), Moutinho.

This should hopefully give us a more threatening budget overall. Then....

Pick up the loan option of: RAN (because Marcal is made of glass. Must do it at cheaper than £20m though).

Incomings (this is based around us moving to 4 at the back)

CB x 2 and then bring through Nigel Lonwijk as our youth option.
CM x 2. We need to play on having Ruben Neves, as we did in the championship. He needs a real midfield powerhouse alongside him.
CAM - Think we might give Shabani a chance to be the back up option here
FW - If we sell Adama, we'll need to replace. ASM would be a shout if Newcastle are relegated.

Given his scoring form in Spain it's also possible that Rafa Mir returns as an option as a 3rd striker, which would save the outlay on WIllian Jose. He's scored plenty of goals in an otherwise awful Huesca team and seems to have physically grown in stature over the last 2 years.

This would give us

Rui
Sondergaard


Semedo
Hoever

Boly
Saiss
CB 1
CB2

Jonny
RAN

Neves
Moutinho
CM1
CM2
CAM 1
Shabani

Podence
Neto
FW 1

Raul
Silva
Mir

A 22 man squad with the option to include kids as well (the likes of Sarkic, Lonwijk, Otasowie, Corbeanu etc)

I am aware this is a pipe dream, but it's what I would be aiming for.

I cannot believe you'd get rid of Coady and keep Saiss.

 

[forge]

'

i just hope i dont have to replicate the joao for two seasons in a row

 

[Sedgers]

For me, I would go back to what we're great at. Three at the back counter attack. We've shipped goals this season because we don't have a right sided centre half and injuries. So that would be my first purchase. With Johnny and Boly fit I'm sure we'll be better defensively even though I have reservations about Semedo. Our biggest, biggest problem has always been goals scored in the Prem. And this is where I fear for us the most. This season we lost goals from Raul, Jota and Doc that somehow need to be replaced. That's not easy. If Raul comes back and is not the player he was then we will struggle again in my opinion even before we purchase additional players that are going to score 20 goals between them. Crack that and we'll be fine. But that's a hard nut.

 

[Derbywolf85]

I cannot believe you'd get rid of Coady and keep Saiss.

Saiss can play as a back up CB and in midfield as strong body.

Coady can play as a sweeper and as a CB in a 4 has proven himself to not be very good.

Keeping him if an offer comes in that significantly helps us upgrade the position is sentimentality.

 

[Bognor_Wolf]

Three positions I really think we need to go big on is an experienced centre back who can play in a two aswell as a three when needed, a real box to box midfielder who can play along side Neves to get the best out of him and another winger who can create more as we don't have enough options going forward especially with Podence being out injured alot!

We have a good group of players just feel we need two or three key signings who would push players who I think are good squad players ie Dendoncker, Saiss on to the bench instead of starting most weeks which would then give us better options to rotate and more experience to bring on during games..

As for the loan players I can see William Jose signing (I don't think he has done enough but Nuno rates him) and hopefully Ait-Nouri at the moment Vitinha would be a no...

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Saiss can play as a back up CB and in midfield as strong body.

Coady can play as a sweeper and as a CB in a 4 has proven himself to not be very good.

Keeping him if an offer comes in that significantly helps us upgrade the position is sentimentality.

Saiss has proved himself to be not up to it in a back 3 and 4 and at left back, and hasn't played in midfield since god knows when. He'd be first on the list to go for me.